First Person: How I Plan to Save for My Next Laptop
Are Budget Cuts Enough?
We are in dire need of a technology upgrade in my household. The youngest, now entering middle school, needs a laptop. If I can get a decent deal, the excess savings will go toward replacing my older desktops.
The Decision
Purchasing a laptop is my primary concern right now. I have two children sharing a computer. This is an unbearable situation. The youngest needs a laptop so that he can work from his bedroom.
Which Brand
The first place I turn to for savings on computers is the Home School Buyers Co-op. Currently, they are offering members 12 percent savings on Dell laptops plus an additional $12.00 on computer accessories. Anyone can join the Home School Buyers Co-op. It is free to join.
I checked Upromise for deals. They give you a percentage of the sale as a rebate toward college savings. Sometimes, they have special sales. I checked their website and found the HP ProBook 4530 to be in my price range. Comparing Dell to HP--the Dell is a better deal.
Using the discounts, a Dell New Inspiron M5040, with a Logitech wireless mouse, costs $407.98. It has a 15.6 inch high definition LED display, Centrino N 1030 wireless adapter, Windows 7 Home Premium, 6MB RAM, and a 640GB hard drive.
Saving $407
Saving for the computer should take six months. I need to cut spending and increase income in order to make this work. This will take a lot of discipline on my part.
I saved $79 a month by switching from cable to satellite. Canceling the home phone service saves an additional $30.00. We have five cell phones in the house--there is no need for a home phone.
Scaling back on weekend lunches with my husband saves money. Lunch twice a week averages $60 per weekend. Going out once a week instead of twice saves $120 a month.
My old home school curriculum and unwanted books are listed on Amazon. I have sold $225 in books so far. Amazon takes a percentage of the sale as commission. The money I make goes straight into my online bank account.
This is my grand scheme for saving for a Dell laptop. In six months I will have more than enough money to cover the purchase price, shipping and sales tax. The leftover money will go toward upgrading the old desktop computers.
Published by Lynda Altman
Lynda Altman is a freelance writer, blogger and researcher. Her experience includes published print articles in Family Chronicle Magazine, writing and researching for private clients, and writing online cont... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentKids need laptops. Period. To not keep them in the computerized loop is to damage their potential and their future. My kid has a netbook. It is smaller and more portable than a laptop so she can take it to school for work without the extras that really aren't used anymore like CDROM drives. You can buy them new for less than $300 at any WalMart.
You can get an Asus EeePC Touch T101MT for about what you are paying for a laptop. It has a touch screen so your kid can also use it to create works of art and hand write notes. That is what I use for my main computer anymore.
Contrary to popular opinion you don't need the high-powered stuff for even the average adult. Try to get something small and simple within your budget instead - the kid's back will thank you and so will your budget.
If you need an optical drive just get a single external and share it among the systems. Much cheaper that way and you can control what it is used for.
Good luck on your purchase,
Annie
Laurie, I home school and he really needs a computer. We decided a laptop is the best option. I home school two kids and have a third in college. For us, it is time. :)
This is a great article, however I still refuse to purchase a laptop for my 6th grader. If the school is going to change their curriculum and is adamant that he have one, they can supply him with one!
Great tips for saving for anything! Thanks Lynda!