Little-known Apple discounts

So, you got all your Christmas shopping done yet? Yeah, me neither. If you're on a tight budget like me and have a couple of young whippersnappers running around the house, then you look for any kind of deal you can find. And if you have kids - or friends and family - who like Apple products, then this is a deal you can sink your teeth into.

If you teach, take classes at the local university/college or have children in school, you may be entitled to some pretty cool deals from Apple's Education site. Just go to http://store.apple.com/us and click on "Education Store" on the left-hand side. This will bring up a search tool where you can find the school where you or your family member attends or teaches. After selecting the school, the website instantly turns into the Education Store, which lets you gobble up all kinds of cool tech deals. For example, the Mac Pro, regularly $2,499, is now $2,299. The Mac Mini before was $699, but now $649 and so on. You're even entitled to deals on software as well. And if you doubt that your school will be listed, don’t worry. My son’s middle school, with its little old 100 or so students, was listed. So chances are pretty good.

And while on the subject of deals at Apple, check out their refurbished deals. While on the main store page, scroll down to the bottom and click on "Special Deals" on the left-hand side. This takes you to Apple's certified refurbished deals, where bargains abound. I bought a Mac Mini here for a little over $400 last year, and the deals are constantly changing. You can even find previous generation iPod Nanos, iPod Touches or clearance items for rock-bottom prices. And quality is not an issue with Apple refurbished products. They all come packed with the same goodies and warranty you would receive if you bought it new. The only difference? It comes in a plain box.

So, I hope you enjoy the bargains. Keep checking back here for more Christmas deals on gadgets and thingamajigs for those on Santa’s “nice” list. Oh, and Santa, if you’re reading this, I could really go for a new MacBook. I’ll put it to good use and write many blogs with it. I promise.