A few months ago, I went to France and thought about buying a new laptop. My beloved Asus Eeepc was already three years old, and had traveled on motorcycle panniers, subject to vibration, heat, cold, rain and much more for over 60,000 miles. But it held there, like a good little soldier, and I couldn’t find a replacement that really convinced me so I kept it a while longer. But after the last trip to Europe, it started getting more noisy, and I was afraid it would just die all of a sudden, so as soon as we got back to Guatemala, I went shopping for a new laptop.
Guatemala City has a few good shops, but it is a century behind when it comes to online shopping. I was unable to check which store had what in stock and at what price, let alone order it online. BF took me to Office Depot, and there was an Acer computer that was not too big (main requirement was being small) and looked ok. Ok, but not great. I liked a slim Samsung one which had a solid state hard drive, but at $1,500, it seemed a bit expensive. The Acer was under $400. That was a big difference.
As usual, BF was quick in calling me cheap, but my main point was that my old laptop cost around $450 and lasted for 4 years. So I while I could afford a $1,500 laptop, at the pace technology evolves those days, I was really not convinced it would last for 12 years, if a $500 laptop could last 4 years. 12 years is an eternity and a half in laptop years. Even my mum didn’t keep her Macbook that long. And my new laptop would be subject to the same heavy duty wear the old one was, traveling, being dropped on the floor, plugged on unreliable Guatemalan sockets, so I don’t think it would make it to the 12 year mark.
We kept going and went to three more shops, in the middle of the pre-Christmas shopping craze, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I was annoyed there were so many people, annoyed the Christmas songs were playing so loud so early in November, annoyed none of the staff knew anything about computers and just read the fact sheet when you asked for information, annoyed we were wasting a perfectly fine day shopping when anywhere else in the world I could have gone online, entered my digits and waited on the couch for UPS to bring my laptop, annoyed to be wasting BF’s day too as he was driving me around and I am too independent to call those kinds of favors. So after three stores we were back at Office Depot to buy the $400 laptop.
I was so little impressed about it that when we went back home I didn’t open it and kept using my old laptop for over a week. What the hell is Windows 8? What is that cloud that sends my personal information all over the web and steals my pictures? I know most new laptops would come with Windows 8 anyway, but it is really not my cup of tea.
One month later, I managed to sell my old laptop to the maid for $200, meaning the upgrade only cost me $200, and I was forced to completely switch to the new laptop. But I can only think about two months from now when I am going to the US and want to buy another smaller, faster, nicer laptop.
Long story short, we wasted time, I wasted money, energy migrating from one laptop to the other, just for something that is not fully convincing.
How many times have you done it? You needed a new shirt, went to the first store, grabbed the first shirt and called it a day? You went back home and never wore the shirt. Setting money on fire would have been more productive.
Or that time when you bought a subpar product, like a low quality knife for the kitchen, and after a week it didn’t cut properly so you never used it again? Or the item in sales just because it was 75% off, but it was not even your size, or something you would normally buy? When I was a bit heavier, I was often buying clothes one size under “for when I get back to my old weight”. Guess what, it won’t happen, and you look like a sausage if you wear something too small.
There is that thing called cost per use. It is 100 times more important than the cost of the item. If you buy a $10 item and use it once, that one use cost you $10. If you buy a $100 item and use it 1,000 times, it cost you $0.10 per use. I think I can offload my computer in the village once I come back from the US with a new laptop, so it is not entirely money down the drain. If I give the buyer the chance to pay a small sum monthly with no interest, I may get back the purchase price. But that is not the point, I bought something that didn’t make me want to jump in happiness. I should have stayed home and had a beer instead.
Next time you go shopping, think about it. Ask yourself how often would you use that thing you just put in the cart, and put it back if you are not entirely convinced.
What was your last “meh” purchase?
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I feel like this happens to me a lot. I will buy something that is either the first thing I find because I think that I won’t be able to find something better, or I will buy it because it’s what I think is the best value/cheapest. And then I almost always regret because something will break or I will change my mind!
Thank goodness for return policies!
I find that if I take a few days to think about the purchase I’ll usually come out much better. Either I’ll still think it’s worth the money or I’ll come to my senses and realize it’s not really a good buy.
I have to recommend the HP Envy line to you, very slim, aluminum body, and well equipped for around $700. And Windows 8 is fine! If you can use Windows 7 you’ll get used to it in no time. 🙂
Thanks, I’ll have a look at it. Win8 is a pita, what I don’t get it the kind of cloud background with ton of apps I don’t need, that always pops up, but it is partly due to the touchpad messing up on the laptop.
I had some huge issues with my Acer Aspire One, so I’m not touching any other of their devices. I never buy on trends or ‘coolness’. I can easily afford a MacBook pro for my web design business, but have always chosen more affordable alternatives. I don’t care for a laptop to look nice, I don’t care for anything else than some serious ‘power’, a wide screen and a decent price. I bought an HP in 2010 for $560, now I have a Lenovo that cost me here 1000 euro. If I was in the US, I’d have gotten it for $700.
Purchase what YOU NEED exactly and don’t go for fancy and cool. The fact you can afford an expensive laptop doesn’t mean you should get it. I used a laptop for 6 years (2004-2010) and changed it with the HP only because it was already too old. It cost me 1000 Euro (took a loan for it), expensive because back then most laptops in my country were at least 1000 Euro. So it was one of the cheapest on the market. It paid for itself, for my company taxes, down payment for the car, 2 years of car payments and some serious home improvements.
Look for something that serves you well and earns you money, the rest is money wasted 😉
I had a couple of IBM and they were good machines. I like that they have a strong shell. Maybe I’ll look into Lenovo next time.
Any new operating system (especially one as different at the new Windows 8) is likely to have lots of people up in arms. However, they’ve proven through many studies that it’s far easier to find the stuff you like more often. The key is to become accustomed to it.
I’m happy though…I have a Mac! (So it’s easy for me to talk…..)
Really? it took me a while to figure out how to use Win8 as if it were Win7. I think it is using a lot of RAM too, as the computer often stops to think about it all.
I’m so guilty of this! My wife gives me a hard time for overanalyzing for cost, buying the cheaper item and then regretting it for some reason or another. Of course, she’s an Apple person so nothing else will measure up in her eyes. 😉
I looked into ultrabooks that compete with macbook air and Asus and Lenovo have pretty solid competition. I like the solid state hard drive instead of a rotating one,
less risk of a breakdown, although they don’t have a big capacity.
I really hate to feel like I “settled” for a product that is substandard or isn’t really what I wanted. Of course, that makes me overspend sometimes…I probably would have gone for the $1,500 computer.
I am looking at slimmer computers in the $1,000 range, probably will buy one next month when I go to the US. But I am still not convinced it will last double the time
the last one did for $400.
After I finally I got a smartphone replacing my flip phone I was on it a lot. My wife was like you need to get something else or you’re going to go blind looking at that small screen. I saw a tablet on sale…the older model Google Nexus (plus I had rewards, a coupon and it was an older model) so I bought it. I can count on one hand the amount of time I’ve used it. I really didn’t need it…at least I didn’t spend too much on it.
good thing it was on sale! I don’t like the digital keyboard, and don’t get me started on autocorrect…
I don’t do that with electronics since I usually run things to the ground when I buy it, but I do that sometimes with clothes if they’re on sale (especially if I’m shopping with girlfriends, since you get the “you should totally get it!” encouragement :)). I’m getting better with only buying what I need, but sometimes it still gets me.
Hope you return those clothes. Often I find something looks ok then go back home and realize I don’t have anything to go with it. The perfect item should match your
wardrobe.
I have a post in the works that hinges on cost-per-use. I love the concept and was introduced to it by a trail worker I’d interviewed, as she talked about how quality gear makes more sense to purchase when you consider all the nights you’ll be using that fleece or jacket.
CPU (ha!) is a great way to sort out the choices we have; from picking the right option among a sea of cheap & expensive.
haha I have a whole post written about my jacket, I bought a quality one three years ago and as we have been traveling for about 18 months those past 3 years I wore it
every day and my boyfriend says he can’t stand to see it anymore. Seriously, it is awesome, warm and comfy, and still does the job so I don’t see why change it.
My last “meh” purchase was smaller, but I’m still bitter about it haha. We didn’t want to shell out too much on an iron, so we bought the cheapest option and it sucks. It takes my husband like 30 minutes to iron his shirt in the morning and it sometimes leaves little black marks. It is so irritating!
sounds like ruining a shirt is more expensive than the iron!
I’ve noticed I done this many times in the past, as it would happen I learned to hold on to receipts better. Even if I held on to the receipt and would occasionally return an item, I’d still feel a little defeated because I’d never get the time I spent on the whole transaction back. Just with small things.
With larger purchases I’ve spent a lot of time calculating hours of use. I bought a used laptop from my sister for 100 dollars, I sometimes need it for things, but besides that I hardly ever use it, if it were a newer laptop I don’t think I’d use it any more than I do now. I don’t often need my computer for work. However, I recently started considering work shoes as a “large purchase” for me, seeing how I spend 99% of my time at work on my feet I had to take work shoes out of the category of ‘clothing’ and put it in to the category of ‘tools for my job’. I’ve spent an large amount of money on shoes this last year that didn’t make the cut or wore out too quickly, not believing it was within my ‘budget’ to spend over a hundred dollars on shoes. The harsh reality was it had to be, which is another story. When I really got down to the math though, I was buying expensive shoes that were costing me less than ten cents per a use, less time shopping, and less fatigue overall. I can’t say that about any other part of my wardrobe.
Does anyone else have other larger expenses they can justify by the products function? How much should I be justifying a purchase?
I’m really quite new to this.
-Shana
Err, I mean “costing me less than ten cents per hour”.
Hi Shana!
Many times I kept the receipt but didn’t go back because I was too lazy for such a small amount to go back to the store.
I think with your shoes you mostly bought health, which is priceless. Your back, your feet, they are precious assets that you can’t buy back if you hurt them.
I would buy shoes with very comfortable soles, even if they don’t look great, and maybe buy an interior padded sole as well.
I own a pair of boots that are over $100, bought them when I was living in the UK and wanted some winter shoes. They are incredibly comfortable, I could wear them all
day at work and walk a lot and they didn’t wear out. I don’t use them as much anymore but have had them for 5 years, they are classic so they still look great and I
plan on wearing them more and more. Same for hiking shoes, I am in the $100 range but when I travel I wear them daily, the last I have owned are over 4 years old and
have traveled for over 500 days with me.
Most daily items are worth the extra expense so using them makes your life easier, like a good kitchen knife instead of spending hours chopping your dinner, get a good
one and save time every day.
Yep I’m guilty for sure. I don’t enjoy shopping in stores much (ESPECIALLY CLOTHING) so I normally just make a made dash. Now online shopping? thats my thing 🙂 $$$
My wife bought a iPad and so I got all caught up in the crazy and bought my own tablet. I didn’t like it any better than my laptop and didn’t use it very often. I ended up selling it on eBay for about $100 less than what I paid for it, but I was glad it was gone. Having it sitting in the living room would just remind me of the money I wasted buying it in the first place.
I tried typing on a tablet, and at the rate I type, I had to correct every other word. It was very frustrating. They are the perfect size as I travel around a lot but
I can’t have anything without a keyboard.
I love the idea of assessing the value in cost per use than cost of the item. That’s one of the reasons I started buying quality athletic apparel. I wear those clothes at least three or four times a week and they get washed constantly, no way my crappy youga pants from gap or express could handle that.
which brand do you use? I need some running pants that last with heavy wear.
I got a brand of the heavy winter running pants from lulu lemon (not see through). I don’t remember what they were called and I’m not sure if they’re out again this season but they’re so warm and so durable.
Sorry to read your “meh” post. I have done the same in the past, but since I only buy used at thrift shops, I didn’t end up spending too much cash.
That being said, I have a Dell laptop that is over 12 years old and still works for what I use it for. My Samsung netbook is 4 years old and still going strong as well, so I’m good (knock on wood)!!
Hopefully, you’ll be more excited with your stateside purchase. At east you didn’t wast 400 bucks for nothing!
Take care and all the best.
Lyle
I don’t think I’ve had a “meh” purchase lately but have had my fair share over the years. It does make much more sense to take time and find the right purchase instead of settling. My laptop maybe has one more year, and I’m not looking forward to Windows 8.
I really want to purchase a Windows Surface – I love the concept. A tablet that’s also fully convertible into a fully fledged laptop. And it’s not that expensive either! (only 400 bucks for the basic version).
I can’t remember the last purchase I made that I wasn’t too excited about. I think it’s because I tend to take a long time pondering before actually pulling the trigger. It’s helped me avoid buying stuff that I didn’t really want or need.
When I bought my new laptop, I was so thrilled to have it. It was not cheap (~$1,000) but I had never purchased a laptop before and I know it will last a LONG time. I have felt that “meh” feeling with some clothing purchases, but never anything large like a laptop, phone, or piece of technology.
Remember that when you buy a laptop, it is a commitment because you are relying on it for so many important events and other things…
So, i would go for the computer with better memory (in this case the Samsung), because I am going to use it a lot, and I want a well functioning laptop.
I also just have bad experiences with Acer computers.
David
I hate when companies make decisions for you – like with software now pushing everything to the cloud. Maybe I don’t want all of my stuff in the cloud. Same for many online services that have you login through Facebook. What if I don’t have Facebook? Or, what if I don’t want to give that service access to my Facebook profile?
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