Buying Refurbished

For my inaugural post I would like to talk about stretching a buck by purchasing refurbished items.  I have never really had qualms about purchasing items that are refurbished.  Over the years I have had good experiences with items that were purchased via this method.  Last year I purchased a Apple tv box refurbished when I decided to kick the cable bill.  The item arrived in perfect condition wrapped in the trademarked white box with minimal packaging and has functioned as it should.  One year later I am completely happy with this purchased.  Purchasing Apple Tv in this manor allowed me to save approximately $15.00 off the retail purchase price.  I wanted to talk about this as a method of saving money as I have many friends and family members who hear the word refurbished and automatically think the item is going to be trouble; not necessarily so.  I will attest to the fact that all of the items I have purchased this way have met my expectations.  Make sure to do your research as you would with any purchase.  Read reviews and ensure that you have covered all of your bases regarding warranties etc.  Some of my most recent purchases have been a Nook Color , Ipod touch and the above mentioned Apple TV.  Our current wish-list includes the Ipad 2 it is currently listed for almost a $100.00 discount when purchasing a refurbished unit.