Cheap MP3 Option: SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip

The iPod and iPhone may be the dominant music players on the market, but if you've never heard of the Sansa Clip Zip you're missing out on a great little music player. Its a tiny MP3 player with a clip on the back, similar to the iPod Shuffle, only the Clip Zip has a screen, FM radio, and stop watch that comes in handy for working out. The Clip Zip doesn't suck either; the sound quality is outstanding and that is the most important part. Its also pretty durable, so its not like you're buying a piece of junk like some other cheap MP3 players can turn out to be.

The biggest added bonus is the expandable memory via the MicroSD card slot on the side. The 4GB version runs for about $34.99-$54.99 depending where you buy it. Amazon is typically the best place to get it. I got the 4GB player, then added a 32GB MicroSD card that I got cheap from Amazon, and have 36GB of storage space for much less than an iPod Nano. In comparison, the iPod Nano 16GB costs $150. Its simple to use as well, I just plugged it into my computer, the software automatically downloaded, then just used Windows Media Player to drag and drop my songs to the player with sync.

Great buy if you're looking for a very portable MP3 player with tons of storage space at a low price. This is also nice to have if you work out, with the small size and ability to just clip it to your waist band or pocket without having to worry about if falling off.