I recently got a new laptop computer. I’d been stealing my husband’s work laptop for a long time so that I could blog in the evenings while I watch television. Since it’s his work computer, you can see where the conflict of interest was! Our desktop computer is getting older, and I wanted the flexibility of using the computer anywhere in the house.
The laptop I bought is a pretty simple, no-frills model. My primary purpose for it is to surf the internet and blog. I’ll also probably do some digital scrapbooking on it as well.
While I was building the new laptop online, I realized that there were so many decisions to make. And with every decision came the opportunity to spend more money. It was difficult to weigh the value of the “upgrades.” I was able to find a few ways to save money on the laptop when ordering.
First of all, I opted not to purchase Microsoft Office. The laptop comes with Microsoft Works, which has a word processor that will meet my basic computing needs. I can always use our desktop or my husband’s laptop if it’s absolutely necessary. This saved $149.
I did not buy anti-virus software. The computer comes with a 60-day trial of Norton. During that time, I plan to explore cheaper/free options. One thing I’m looking at is AVG’s free anti-virus software. It’s not as comprehensive in its protection as Norton, but it is rated well. I figure if I can couple that software with some free firewall software, I could save $50 a year on computer protection. My uncle sent me a link on security freeware that I will researching in depth.
Some software programs allow you to load them onto both a desktop and a laptop computer as long as you aren’t using both at the same time. This also saves money on software expenses. I’ll also be exploring educational discounts since my husband is a college instructor.
I got free shipping and a $100 rebate. I also was able to get a wireless all-in-one printer for $49. This was a splurge for me. I don’t really need a new printer, but I would love the ability to photo copy things.
I recycled a laptop bag that I had from a very old laptop (think 1999, folks!) so that I could protect my new computer without having to fork out any cash. I’ll recycle the old laptop too.
This wasn’t my most frugal purchase, but then, I don’t make big purchases like this very often. I feel that I got the best value for the money spent. And that’s what matters.
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