As I noted at the start of April, I challenged myself not to spend money on unnecessary expenses. This turned into quite a battle for me. I paid for a few lunches with friends, something I did not anticipate, I forgot to purchase my annual theater tickets before April and indulged in a couple luxury bath items since the store is located in a place I rarely visit. I have been feeling like a failure because I could not control these spending impulses. The time spent with friends is valuable and the bath items I will enjoy and use. However, because of these choices, I will have less money at the end of the month to save. Granted, this is money above and beyond my usual levels, but I still feel like I have not really lived up to the challenge. I did figure April would be easier to not spend than May when garage sale season would really start up and there would be lots of things to do and purchase for the house. Frankly, the easiest way for me to meet this no-spending challenge would be in the wintertime when I do not feel much like getting out anyway, thus reducing the opportunities for me to spend money.
However, there is one battle I have been fighting fiercely--the desire for a 15" MacBook Pro with ambient-light-sensing keyboard, MagSafe Power Adaptor, excellent speakers, nice 15" screen and faster than my current iBook G4. I have been haunting craigslist for such an item especially after brokering the purchase of a 17" MacBook Pro for my mom via the same classifieds. I have been looking at Apple, and some resellers as well, looking for a good deal, examining the specifications of the models available, and really, really, really wanting to have one for myself. Despite subjecting myself to the very epitome of temptation (for me at this juncture), I have not yet succumbed. Again, I do not need a new shiny bit of Apple hardware, but I desire it tremendously.
Frankly, it comes down to one thing: do I want the gorgeous 15" MacBook Pro (even if the previous model or two) or would I rather have the financial cushion in my bank? I would have to sacrifice ~$1,500 to get the computer I covet, but that means I no longer have $1,500 of liquidity. With a $1,400 car repair to pay for and pending window purchases, I do not feel like I can give up that much money for a frivolous purchase. My iBook functions more than adequately and other than technolust, I have no reason to buy a new computer.
To help me reach this decision, I have given myself one year to buy a new machine. I applied for an internet subsidy through my workplace and if granted, I will put that money toward purchasing a new computer since the high-speed internet is already in my spending plan. In addition, the current account I have labeled as "found money" will also go toward purchasing a new (to me but less than a year old) MacBook Pro in a year. I am weak enough that if a good deal falls into my lap around a month where I am paid an extra check, I may succumb. Otherwise, about April 2009, I will likely purchase a new MacBook Pro. This is the best compromise between keeping more money in reserve and buying the much-desired MacBook Pro. Hopefully, I can resist the impulsive buy before I am financially prepared.
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Technology, finances and poor decisions
I love my sister even if she is a frustrating individual. She and her husband have three children and income has not always been steady, making finances sometimes precarious. When I purchased my 14" iBook G4 in summer 2005, I rendered my perfectly usable iBook SE Graphite obsolete. Of course I wanted faster, better, shiner hardware! But I still had this iBook I did not know what to do with. Enter my sister and her husband! They did not have a computer and I thought "Hey, I can give them one for free!" They were under no obligation, but I did say if they did not need it anymore, I would take it back.
In preparation for the iBook's new home, I wiped the hard drive, reinstalled the system software, installed Appleworks and Office suite of software and gave them the pristine box complete with everything I had received when I first bought the iBook. Yes, I save my boxes and keep them in good condition. In addition, I offered my sister and brother-in-law free tech support, telling them to call me if they had any questions. They walked away with my iBook and I had one fewer computer in my life.
Fast forward to a month ago. My sister tells me she wants to buy a new MacBook. I was surprised since she already had a Mac laptop (the one I gave them) and I thought their finances were not robust enough to support the purchase of a $1,100 computer. She said they did not use the iBook, that it was packed away. I asked for it back and she seemed amenable to that.
A couple weeks later, my sister and her family came over for our monthly family dinner (switching off homes every month and it was my month to host). They forgot the iBook but my brother-in-law proceeds to tell me that there are keys missing from the keyboard. (They have small children and I guess the iBook was accessible to small fingers.) Well, I was disappointed that the iBook was not usable out of the box as one of the keys missing was the space bar, but was determined to use it anyway.
Unfortunately, I had already purchased an Airport card to install in the machine to add to my wireless network not knowing there were issues with the iBook. I looked up information online and a new keyboard would run me about $70. Not a large sum of money, but bigger than I thought I would need to run the iBook.
On Easter Sunday, I finally get the iBook. My pristine box has a big stain on the bottom and running up the sides by wick action. All the CDs and accessories I gave them were present. However, not only were there keys missing on the keyboard, more were loose and the DVD-ROM drive bezel was gone. I knew there was an issue with the bottom case as some of the vinyl had pulled away when I owned it. Of course it had pulled even further away. I was also unimpressed as the DVD-ROM drive, while functional, does not seem to have clearance from the case, making it hard to eject.
What really irks me about this whole thing? I wish they would have told me the full extent of the damage. I would not have bought the Airport card, an indulgence really. In the face of all that needed be repaired, I realized it was not worth it. However, my anger at the poor treatment of my beloved older iBook nearly drove me to make a poor financial choice. I found a newer 17" MacBook Pro on craigslist at a great price and I thought "I want it". I was going to put another laptop on my network and this was one way to do it, but did I want to spend $1,500 on top of what I already have plus dealing with the old iBook? I regained my senses after sleeping on it and decided to upgrade the RAM in my fully functional (if somewhat slow on certain web sites) iBook G4.
I learned two lessons here. One, do not lend anything to my sister and her brother-in-law if there is any expectation I will get it back. I am disappointed that my generous donation ended up a trashed and barely usable iBook. This machine would have been fine for basic functions like word processing, e-mail and web surfing even now with its older technology. Second, do not let disappointment and hurt feelings drive me to make a purchase that will not serve me well. I would have been happy with a barely used MacBook Pro, but I would not have liked to remove $1,500 from my savings account. I regretted showing interest in the laptop and I truly would have regretted making the purchase with its drain on my finances.
For me, family, technology, emotions and finances do not mix well and I will be more wary if a similar situation arises. Hopefully, I will protect my savings and plan better for a new laptop, however desired.
In preparation for the iBook's new home, I wiped the hard drive, reinstalled the system software, installed Appleworks and Office suite of software and gave them the pristine box complete with everything I had received when I first bought the iBook. Yes, I save my boxes and keep them in good condition. In addition, I offered my sister and brother-in-law free tech support, telling them to call me if they had any questions. They walked away with my iBook and I had one fewer computer in my life.
Fast forward to a month ago. My sister tells me she wants to buy a new MacBook. I was surprised since she already had a Mac laptop (the one I gave them) and I thought their finances were not robust enough to support the purchase of a $1,100 computer. She said they did not use the iBook, that it was packed away. I asked for it back and she seemed amenable to that.
A couple weeks later, my sister and her family came over for our monthly family dinner (switching off homes every month and it was my month to host). They forgot the iBook but my brother-in-law proceeds to tell me that there are keys missing from the keyboard. (They have small children and I guess the iBook was accessible to small fingers.) Well, I was disappointed that the iBook was not usable out of the box as one of the keys missing was the space bar, but was determined to use it anyway.
Unfortunately, I had already purchased an Airport card to install in the machine to add to my wireless network not knowing there were issues with the iBook. I looked up information online and a new keyboard would run me about $70. Not a large sum of money, but bigger than I thought I would need to run the iBook.
On Easter Sunday, I finally get the iBook. My pristine box has a big stain on the bottom and running up the sides by wick action. All the CDs and accessories I gave them were present. However, not only were there keys missing on the keyboard, more were loose and the DVD-ROM drive bezel was gone. I knew there was an issue with the bottom case as some of the vinyl had pulled away when I owned it. Of course it had pulled even further away. I was also unimpressed as the DVD-ROM drive, while functional, does not seem to have clearance from the case, making it hard to eject.
What really irks me about this whole thing? I wish they would have told me the full extent of the damage. I would not have bought the Airport card, an indulgence really. In the face of all that needed be repaired, I realized it was not worth it. However, my anger at the poor treatment of my beloved older iBook nearly drove me to make a poor financial choice. I found a newer 17" MacBook Pro on craigslist at a great price and I thought "I want it". I was going to put another laptop on my network and this was one way to do it, but did I want to spend $1,500 on top of what I already have plus dealing with the old iBook? I regained my senses after sleeping on it and decided to upgrade the RAM in my fully functional (if somewhat slow on certain web sites) iBook G4.
I learned two lessons here. One, do not lend anything to my sister and her brother-in-law if there is any expectation I will get it back. I am disappointed that my generous donation ended up a trashed and barely usable iBook. This machine would have been fine for basic functions like word processing, e-mail and web surfing even now with its older technology. Second, do not let disappointment and hurt feelings drive me to make a purchase that will not serve me well. I would have been happy with a barely used MacBook Pro, but I would not have liked to remove $1,500 from my savings account. I regretted showing interest in the laptop and I truly would have regretted making the purchase with its drain on my finances.
For me, family, technology, emotions and finances do not mix well and I will be more wary if a similar situation arises. Hopefully, I will protect my savings and plan better for a new laptop, however desired.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Saving on the cost of technology
I love my iBook, my wireless Airport network, my G4 Tower and my iPod mini. Obviously I like my Apple Computer products and have been an enthusiastic Mac user for over 10 years. In that time, I have owned six different Macs and until 2005, upgraded every two years. I used to have technology envy, wanting to upgrade to the next newest technology. By the names of my computers, I am obviously a few generations behind current Apple technology. However, there were some strategies I employed in order to minimize the cost of my brand new technology.
First strategy: I purchased the newly discontinued model.
What this means is when Apple announced its brand new models of iBooks (now MacBooks), I would purchase the one that was just discontinued. Since the company would want to sell more of the newest model, the old "new" model would be discounted to clear inventory. Therefore, I would be able to get a discount on technology that was not obsolete and certainly an upgrade compared to what I had. It just was not the shiniest new bit of technology. I saved $200 on my iBook using this methodology.
Second strategy: I bought refurbished items from the manufacturer.
Apple Computer sells refurbished items in its Apple Store. These items are discounted from new but are guaranteed like new products. When I bought my Airport Express, it was $99 refurbished versus $129 new and shipping was free. It was worth me setting up a wireless network in my home and saved me a few dollars with a easy-to-use system.
Third strategy: I purchased a special bundle through my educational institution.
I worked for my local university for nearly 2.5 years. There is an educational discount that Apple Computer gives to any student or teacher or other worker in school. My former institution also had a in-house store and as long as I worked for the university, I could also get the educational discount. I was looking for a new desktop computer and saw the in-house store had bundled a G4 tower and a 17" LCD screen (highly desired) together at a substantial discount. The G4 tower was being discontinued and larger LCD screens were on the way. However, I ended up saving nearly $500 on this combination and all are still going strong. I loved the larger screen (an upgrade from my 15" CRT) and the lower heat gain.
This last strategy is more limited in application but if you know someone who works for a school or know a student in school especially at university, you have access to great deals on hardware and software. Lessening my need for the newest technology has also saved me money, but I am also considering buying a laptop used rather than going for new. The price is even lower and there is more bargaining room.
Regardless of what piece of technology you are interested in purchasing, considering these strategies may help you save a few dollars.
First strategy: I purchased the newly discontinued model.
What this means is when Apple announced its brand new models of iBooks (now MacBooks), I would purchase the one that was just discontinued. Since the company would want to sell more of the newest model, the old "new" model would be discounted to clear inventory. Therefore, I would be able to get a discount on technology that was not obsolete and certainly an upgrade compared to what I had. It just was not the shiniest new bit of technology. I saved $200 on my iBook using this methodology.
Second strategy: I bought refurbished items from the manufacturer.
Apple Computer sells refurbished items in its Apple Store. These items are discounted from new but are guaranteed like new products. When I bought my Airport Express, it was $99 refurbished versus $129 new and shipping was free. It was worth me setting up a wireless network in my home and saved me a few dollars with a easy-to-use system.
Third strategy: I purchased a special bundle through my educational institution.
I worked for my local university for nearly 2.5 years. There is an educational discount that Apple Computer gives to any student or teacher or other worker in school. My former institution also had a in-house store and as long as I worked for the university, I could also get the educational discount. I was looking for a new desktop computer and saw the in-house store had bundled a G4 tower and a 17" LCD screen (highly desired) together at a substantial discount. The G4 tower was being discontinued and larger LCD screens were on the way. However, I ended up saving nearly $500 on this combination and all are still going strong. I loved the larger screen (an upgrade from my 15" CRT) and the lower heat gain.
This last strategy is more limited in application but if you know someone who works for a school or know a student in school especially at university, you have access to great deals on hardware and software. Lessening my need for the newest technology has also saved me money, but I am also considering buying a laptop used rather than going for new. The price is even lower and there is more bargaining room.
Regardless of what piece of technology you are interested in purchasing, considering these strategies may help you save a few dollars.
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