Every now and then, Android apps go on a mass-sale. It's crazy. Dirt-cheap crazy. Apps originally priced more than $2.00 go as low as $0.10. Two major sales had gone by on the
Survival Tip #1 ~ Don't buy paid apps unless they're on sale.
When there's an ongoing sale, never buy paid apps on regular price. Sales usually last for days and who knows? Yesterday's regular purchase could be today's app on sale. There's a trend here: The 10 billion downloads sale lasted ten days, Google Play's first sale lasted a whole week, and Amazon's first year birthday celebration called out a seven-day sale. As soon as the sale starts, do yourself a favor and don't buy paid apps unless their prices are slashed.
Survival Tip #2 ~ Buy apps you like as soon as they're on sale.
As soon as an app you like goes on sale, buy it. Tomorrow, it may no longer be on sale. Don't make me say "I told you so."
Survival Tip #3 ~ When a kids' app goes on sale, buy it.
It doesn't matter if you don't have kids - yet. Chances are, you will have them a few years from now. So when a kids' app goes on sale - whether it's a book or some other educational tool - buy it. It will be forever tied to your Google account and synced to all your future Android devices :-) Years from now, your imaginary kids will be able to use them. Besides, if you have a babysitting stint going on, these apps will come in handy.
Survival Tip #4 ~ When a 3D game goes on sale, buy it.
When 3D games go on sale (RPG, racing, first-person shooters), buy them. It doesn't matter if you like them or not. 3D games on sale are the greatest bargains you will find. 3D games usually cost more than $3 but this priced is reduced to $0.99 or lower depending on the sale. Got many of my 3D games for $0.20 and $0.10 :-)
Survival Tip #5 ~ Check Google Play / Amazon Appstore every few hours.
Whenever Google Play or Amazon Appstore is on sale, check every few hours. Our biggest enemy (for those of us who live outside of the US anyway) is timezone difference. Even though apps are likely to be available for 24 hours on local time, the time frame of their availability varies. Here in my country for example, apps on sale (during the 10 billion downloads sale) refreshed every 9:00pm. Try to find out what time apps refresh on your part of the world whenever there's on sale. And check back in following days at the same time.
Survival Tip #6 ~ Don't forget the refund button
Except for 3D games which you can't test within 15 minutes after download (because of the extra data they need), don't forget the refund button for all other apps you purchase. This is especially true for tools, photography, and entertainment apps. Not all apps on sales suit our needs, particularly those belonging to these categories. So as soon as you download one, test it and hit the "Refund" button on Google Play right away if you don't like it. This happened to me for SoundHound and Magic Camera which turned out to be useless - at least, in my case.
Survival Tip #7 ~ Always have money in the bank
If there's one thing I hate about Google Play, it's that you can't download paid apps if you have no money in your debit card. Apple Store allows a few downloads even if you didn't have cash but once money is in, purchases will automatically reflect. With Google Play, the policy is easy: No Money, No Paid App. So if you use a debit card for buying apps, always have some money in it. $20 is usually enough to last you through a week of app sales.
All these tips are based on personal experience :-) I hope they can help you survive the next Android app sale. For more tips and tricks, don't forget to follow me on Twitter for a weekly update!
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