Last month, Marv gave me my first MP3 player, a SanDisk Sansa e260. It works like a dream - transferring files is very easy, the control dial is easy to manipulate, and the functions are very intuitive. There’s just one problem.

It gets scratches from nowhere.

The first couple of weeks I had it, I didn’t even bother putting it in the little felt case. I carried it around in the back pocket of my small Kipling shoulder bag or my coat pocket without a second thought. Then one day, Marv wanted to borrow it and he noticed a few teeny tiny scratches on the right side of the screen that I could barely see unless I had it in the right light. A few days later, I got another half centimeter scratch in the lower righthand corner of the screen even though I was hyper-conscious of being careful. (Shhhh. Don’t tell Marv.) Time to get a screen protector.

Who knew these little MP3 devices get scratched so easily? I’ve read complaints about them all, particularly iPods. And did you know that there are a bajillion different ways to protect your MP3 player? There are hard cases, leather cases, silicone cases, plastic films…. After hours of research, I chose a Shieldzone full body invisibleSHIELD, selected the free shipping option, and 25 days later, I still haven’t received it I finally received it. They haven’t answered my emails and their site appears to be down today too (site is back up). I’m giving them another week before I open a dispute claim with PayPal.

Meanwhile, I’ve come up with a solution that seems to be protecting my Sansa fairly well and costs no more than a penny. Check it out.

IMG 4847

Ugly, but functional. I can still see the screen through the plastic wrap (although it gets a little difficult in bright sunlight). And now I can rest easy knowing the screen is protected. And if the plastic wrap starts looking worn, I’ve got a Costco-sized box in the kitchen drawer for easy replacement.

And that’s your thrifty tip for the day.