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Device Pitstop is Open! Our Experience Selling and Buying Laptops (Maple Grove location)

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In the past few years, our laptops have gotten slower and slower (zzzz), as technology tends to do!

My kids each have one for schoolwork at home (and for some fun kid-friendly websites), and it was just time to replace them both. One had pretty much stopped working, and the other was just too painfully slow. We realized that the RAM for both was only 4 GB (at least 8 GB is ideal), and they were getting pretty old (one was 10 years old), so we figured we got all the life out of them that we could.

We had purchased them used at Device Pitstop of Maple Grove, which buys used devices as well, so we decided to head in to see how much we could get them for and what newer ones we would find!

With practically everything closed right now due to the pandemic, it was so nice to drive up to Device Pitstop which was totally open for business like normal. Computers and other devices are certainly essential right now!

We brought our old laptops up to the counter to sell them, and the team member scanned them to see their condition. As he did this, we browsed the store.

[Read more…]

Free Summer Fun for Twin Cities Kids & Families 2019

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free summer fun twin cities kids

The Twin Cities has so many fun activities and events for kids and families – but did you know that many are FREE?

I’ve shared many of these freebies over the years, and put them together in a roundup for this summer for the second year in a row!

This guide is sponsored by my money-saving partners, Just Between Friends of Eagan and Apple Valley!

Just Between Friends sale

Just Between Friends Kids Sales are a fantastic way to save money on gently used (and new!) kids items, and to make some cash selling your kids’ used items!

Just Between Friends of Eagan and Apple Valley’s next sale is in August:

Fall Kids Sale – August 1-4, 2019
Apple Valley Community Center
14603 Hayes Rd.
Apple Valley, MN

Use the below coupon to get FREE admission on opening day! (regularly $2)


Do you have stuff to sell? Become a consignor now and make some extra cash!

And be sure to follow my blog and follow JBF Eagan for coupons and updates!

Here are ideas for FREE summer fun for kids & families in the Twin Cities 2019!

(NOTE: All of these listings are subject to change. Be sure to check before you make plans or go!)

Indoor and Outdoor Adventures

Kids Bowl Free

Free Bowling – Kids Bowl Free is a national program designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure and fun way for kids to spend time this summer. There are dozens of bowling centers in Minnesota that participate. Just sign up on their website!

[Read more…]

Robot Day Family Event at The Works Museum is Saturday, April 13th – Promo & Giveaway (Ends 4/9)

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Robot Day is coming up on Saturday, April 13th from 9:00am – 4:00pm at The Works Museum in Bloomington, and I have 4 tickets to GIVE AWAY!

What’s Robot Day? It’s a hands-on celebration of National Robotics Week for all ages. Kids and families interact with robots of all shapes and sizes, as well as meet the engineers and students who build, program, and compete with their robots.

Learn about how robots are used to teach, do science, and complete tasks with kid-friendly demos. Some of the robots can even be maneuvered by the kids! With over a dozen activities and demonstrations, this special family STEM day is the perfect opportunity to explore together.

[Read more…]

Exclusive Deal: $99 iPhone 5s at Device Pitstop

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I have big, exclusive savings to share for anyone looking for a super affordable iPhone deal!

iPhones are popular for many reasons, and are a great choice for a first smartphone for your pre-teen or teen. They’re easy to use, they have wonderful capabilities for parental supervision, repairs are low-cost if it’s damaged, and the acquisition price can be very reasonable.

The oldest iPhone that is still supported by Apple’s latest operating system (called IOS) is the iPhone 5s. When it originally came out, a 16GB version retailed at $199. Today, a refurbished one lists from $150-$175.

However, Device Pitstop (in Maple Grove and Minnetonka) is offering an exclusive offer to Twin Cities Frugal Mom followers – $99! 

Plus, to better protect the phone, Device Pitstop is offering a package that combines a screen protector and case (list price $45) for an exclusive price of only $25!

I stopped by to check out their selections!

They have many iPhone 5s units available – many are for all of the major carriers, some are locked to a specific carrier, and some are unlocked to change between carriers. No matter what, you can find an iPhone that’s a great fit for you or your child.

And every purchase includes a 90-day warranty!

Get the deal at Device Pitstop of Maple Grove or Device Pitstop of Minnetonka by mentioning “Twin Cities Frugal Mom.”

Participating Locations:

Device Pitstop Maple Grove
13732 83rd Way N
Maple Grove, MN 55369

Device Pitstop Minnetonka
13023 Ridgedale Drive
Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305
(In the Ridge Square North Shopping Center, near New Uses)

Don’t forget they do repairs too!

For other purchases or services, be sure to use my exclusive coupon!

Save 15% off any service, 10% off any accessory or get a FREE charging cable at the Maple Grove location! No expiration. Click on the image below to open the coupon in a new window and print or show on your phone!!!

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Device Pitstop of Maple Grove. However, all opinions are 100% mine, and though I’m annoyed that my son ruined my laptop, I appreciate his giving me an experience to write about!)

8 Reasons to Buy Your Laptops at Device Pitstop of Maple Grove

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Device Pitstop Maple Grove laptops

A few months ago I bought a used, refurbished Lenovo laptop at Device Pitstop of Maple Grove for only $200. I had been needing one for a while and Device Pitstop had a great variety of refurbished laptops from $99 and up. And since I had purchased a desktop computer refurbished a couple of years ago and it’s been working great, I knew it would make much more sense to buy a refurbished laptop as well, rather than a new one.

I was so happy with the laptop that a few months later I decided to get another laptop so that my 10-year-old daughter could have her own for homework and games. It had been getting difficult to share my computer with her (and keep up with my blogging!) so we went to Device Pitstop of Maple Grove again and found a nice Mac for only $200. We haven’t used a Mac before, but my daughter really liked it, it was easy for her to use and it worked great, so we happily brought it home. [Read more…]

How to Get an Apple IPhone Battery Replaced Quickly and for $29.99 in Minnesota

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Smartphone owners! You know the frustration of s-l-o-w phone performance, especially as a phone ages. But what if you knew your phone issues were your phone maker’s fault?

If you’re an owner of an iPhone, you probably have heard about Apple recently coming under fire for slowing down the performance of some iPhone models.

In a nutshell, Apple did it to prevent the phones from abruptly turning off, but they weren’t transparent about it (grrrr). In fact, though this started happening in 2016, Apple said nothing to their customers about it until late 2017, after third-party engineers had independently investigated and determined what was going on (and lots of iPhone customers were getting cranky).

As a result, Apple sent out a statement apologizing and attempting to make it right by dropping the price of out-of-warranty batteries for the affected iPhones from $79.99 to $29.99.

However, now there was a new problem – due to the sudden demand, if you go to the Apple store to replace your iPhone battery, the wait could be WEEKS or even MONTHS!

What a headache for anyone with any of the affected iPhones: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. [Read more…]