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Any ideas of what to bring home this year?

Talk of 2009 as the year of financial constraints... Hopefully, you weathered the storm well enough, but in any case, when it comes round the Christmas and New Year season, you are bound to make a budget and plan your expenses.

It is very common for Mauritian families to bring home one major item that gives the house a new look and a fresh atmosphere. Remember the new TV set, furniture, PC, Wii console, etc in previous years?

As you do every year when choosing the special addition to your house, assess the satisfaction that you will derive from it. Here are some basic practical questions to help you through:

(a) How often will I use it?

If you are making an expensive purchase, then elementary wisdom requires that you go for the product that you will use more regularly. There are millions of products on the market that are definitely useful but they are not worth buying if you know that you will only use them once in a blue moon. And this is really a personal choice and depends on your lifestyle.

(b) How long will the product last?

New products are being developed and launched almost everyday. Therefore, if you do not want to become the owner of a soon-to-be outdated product, you better purchase the latest version that is available on the market. It may be slightly more expensive but at least you may use it for a longer period of time, i.e. before the arrival of a newer product or newer version of the same product.

Also, needless to say that you need to check the period of warranty that comes with the product!

(c) What will I use it for?

It is a good idea to get the latest product on the market, if and only if the latest options/functionalities/design suit you. If you do not need the most sophisticated version of a product, you may as well save a great deal of money by buying a slightly older version or a similar product with limited functionalities, but which definitely suits your needs. Look out for shops that are liquidating their old stocks!

So what are you bringing home this year?
Here are some ideas to help you out...

1. Sony Playstation 3 Slim
2. MSI Touchscreen Panel
3. Viewsonic 3D monitor
4. GEForce 3D Vision Kit

(Products no.3 and 4 are this week's new arrivals on compareprices.mu. You can view a product demo by clicking here)

5. JBL Sound Stick
6. Samsung Bluray Players
7. Gigabyte TV Card
8. Plasma TV 42"
9. Ipod Shuffle
10. iPhone

Keep watching this space for further detailed ideas about the latest products and sales promos in Mauritius!