So I told myself I would buy a new computer when I graduated highschool... Then when I graduated college, then when I got a web design job... I would shop around, look at the price of what I wanted and cringe, and then put it off.
Well the time has come. I can't stand it anymore. I can use the company's laptop for work but it's not mine. I can't use it for pictures, or games, and I feel guilty even watching youtube videos.
Husband and I have both been patiently waiting for me to buy a computer so we can resume playing computer games which I love and have gotten for my past several birthdays and I haven't been able to play them all this time.
My old laptop which husband has been using (barely: could only load basic text) has finally hit the crapper a couple days ago and is no longer working, at all. So husband has no access to the internet. (Not allowed to use company laptop)
We talk about it all the time, "We really need to buy a computer." or "I can't wait until we get a computer someday."
I've been shopping around and bookmarking computers for literately years, and I've had one picked out for a while now. Well while aimlessly checking in on it today, I seen Dell is offering a HUGE discount on it... But it expires today. Yikes! So I am sitting here about to make myself sick deciding if I should just spring for it or not. I don't think I will find another deal this good. But the price tag is giving me sticker shock. (Even though I have been expecting to pay this much.)
So the price (after discounts): $2,000 plus tax. Ugh. I want to throw up a little.
Discounts:
Free 2 day shipping
1 year warranty
$400 off instantly
A free 32 inch TV
$200 in gift cards (which I would use to purchase a printer which I also need badly)
12 month 0% financing which I am approved for
Minimum payments are $60 a month. Of course I would pay it off as fast as I could. But I'm trying to decide if it is worth putting my goals on hold for or not.
Part of me feels guilty about spending when I need to be saving. But part of me says I've been waiting a long time, and I'm a professional web designer for pete's sake without a computer.
Please help!
Need HELP on decision
July 29th, 2015 at 04:34 pm
July 29th, 2015 at 05:01 pm 1438189261
You will need to pay closer to $200 a month to pay off within the 12 month time period. What does the interest rate go to then?
Have you identified what you NEED in a computer versus what you WANT in a computer?
Are you sure you can't find something cheaper to do what you need/want to do?
In my experience Dell was always more expensive than anywhere around.
July 29th, 2015 at 05:20 pm 1438190413
July 29th, 2015 at 05:24 pm 1438190645
Interest rate goes up to 19% after a year, which is crazy. I would definitely want to pay if off by then. I do have $2,000+ in cash that are for various saving pots (like vacation and fence) which I could tap into to pay if off in an emergency.
I have a list written out with what I want & need in a computer. This is the one I want. Could I go less. I could. But we are talking saving a couple hundred bucks which isn't worth it to me. I'd prefer to wait and get exactly what I want, so I don't have to purchase again for a long time. Which is exactly why I've waited this long. I don't want to compromise.
Also I'm a bit of a computer snob, and Dell is my preferred brand. Since I work on a computer around 8 hours a day, it's important that it works well for me, and I like it.
July 29th, 2015 at 05:25 pm 1438190710
July 29th, 2015 at 07:58 pm 1438199937
July 29th, 2015 at 10:27 pm 1438208865
July 29th, 2015 at 10:55 pm 1438210503
I'm more concerned abut whether Dell supports the games and fun stuff you and DH want? How does Consumer's Report rate the model you want? Keep hearing about Dell problems. Can you put your new machine on a 0% interest CC? Are there any of those spend $ X. for $ 200 rebate that CCF is so successful working? Are you willing to share this new computer with DH and take clunker to recycle?
July 30th, 2015 at 01:01 am 1438218109
July 30th, 2015 at 03:34 am 1438227253
The flip side of that is you have lived this long without it so surely you can give it more time.
Buying a $400-ish machine in the interim may help you hold off until you are in a better position for the one you really want. I think that's a fair compromise, and the kind of thing we often do when our "Plan A" is too expensive.
July 30th, 2015 at 02:31 pm 1438266694
If you can pay cash for a $300 laptop vs financing a more expensive one, I'd go that route. These days, the quality difference is small.
July 30th, 2015 at 04:57 pm 1438275444
If you're planning to buy a printer as well, I suggest you 1st establish the type of cartridge used, their costs and how easily these can be DIY refilled. This info is easily available on You Tube but each brand is slightly different. When I last went to buy a cartridge, it was cheaper to buy a 4 function printer @ $ 40.
July 30th, 2015 at 06:26 pm 1438280787
July 31st, 2015 at 01:37 pm 1438349858