Based in Chicago, Illinois, The Freelance Beat is a blog exploring the triumphs and challenges that freelance journalists encounter in their early and mid-careers.

Here's where to find holiday deals for freelancers

Here's where to find holiday deals for freelancers

Winter is one of my favorite seasons! Okay, yes, it’s very cold outside, and it’s quite windy in the Windy City. But this season brings good food, family and fun. It’s also the time of year where your inbox will be flooded with offers for “deals” on things you may not even need.

To help sort through all the fuss, here are some great places to find deals on equipment for producing your best work in the New Year. (Pro tip: try some of the gadgets out in the store before you buy them, then look online for best deal for that item. That way you’ll know for sure it’s what you want).

Laptops: Nerdwallet combed through all those Black Friday ads so you wouldn’t have to. PC people may like the Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch 15 3000 Touch laptop with Intel Core i3 for $349.99, a steep drop from $529.99. There are other versions of the laptop on the site for even cheaper prices if you missed the Black Friday rush, so look at the different versions to see which one will best suit your needs. Macbook and iMac users can find $100 to $200 discounts on Macbook pros and airs at Best Buy.

Cameras: Amazon and Canon are offering deals on Canon T5i, EOS Rebel T6 and EOS 80D, which range from $100 to $400 in savings, according to Forbes. Prefer Nikon? B&H (one of my favorite equipment retailers) has Nikon D3400 cameras and two lenses $996.95, a savings of $400.

Audio: If you’re looking to have better audio, B&H also has deals on microphones digital recorders and accessories like mounts, windjammers and headphones.

Comparison shopping apps: ShopSavvy, BuyVia, and Purchx are among the apps PCMag recommends to do your comparison shopping this holiday season. They’ll allow you scan and compare products and some even have customer reviews.

Where do you find your best holiday deals? For what items are you seeking deals? Leave a comment or email me at contact@thefreelancebeat.com.

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