Sometimes a MacBook is a Frugal Decision | brokeGIRLrich
A few months ago before the release of the iPhone6, I wrote a post calling out Apple Fever and warning you all to watch your motives behind spending. I’m definitely not one to advocate getting the newest and shiniest toy just because it’s there.
But…
I do advocate quality. I think one of the biggest lines in the sand between cheap and frugal people is the idea of quality. I’m not just going to buy the cheapest item available when I need one – I’m going to try to get the best deal
And that likely means spending more than the amount of the cheapest answer to the problem.
I recently sat down and thought about several savings goals I should set – not huge things like a down payment for a house (although that is currently one too), but little things like “hmmm… how much longer will my computer probably last?”
After assessing that it’s definitely time to start preparing for the fact that my computer is probably on it’s last legs, I then had to estimate how much I would want to pay for a new one so I could save up for it.
Circa 2009 Mel paid off the few grand of debt she had racked up back then and was finally San Francisco lease free when she decided to buy a MacBook nearly on a whim. To be fair – my hp laptop had just crashed for the gazillionth time and refused to be revived… but there’s a world of cost difference between a PC laptop and a MacBook.
Circa 2015 Mel does not make purchases that cost several hundreds of dollars on a whim.
To make my budgeting life even more exciting, my iPhone is also about to die. It loves to freeze and crash at really inopportune times – like when I’m using it to look up something important related to work or when I’m using Google Maps to drive somewhere and I’m in a city with a thousand little twists and turns. For some reason it never crashes when I’m just going 800 miles down I-70.
So the same conundrum arose – what’s the plan here? What kind of item do I want to buy?
Apple is expensive.
But…
I’ve found Apple is quality too. Especially for laptops. Prior to buying my MacBook in 2009, I had gone through three laptops and a desktop computer over the preceding five years. This was also in a time when it was more common to just leave your laptop on your desktop anyway and still write class notes in a notebook.
So needless to say, while those PCs got their fair share of being jostled around, it’s been nothing like the lifestyle I’ve led since getting my Macbook.
The number of times I’ve dropped this thing is astounding. Seriously, Apple should’ve commandeered the “it takes a licking and keeps on ticking” phrase.
Looking back, I actually spent more on computer from 2004-2009 than I have, despite the initial outlay of my Macbook being more than twice what I would’ve paid for a PC back then – and more than four times what I could’ve found a desktop for.
But let’s be real, do people even still have desktops if they’re not in an office? And my lifestyle isn’t desktop friendly anyway.
So my budget has a line in it for my next Macbook, which had better be as tough and resilient as the one I’m typing on right now, or Apple is going to get some seriously angry letters from me.
The iPhone… I’m still deciding on. It’s my first smartphone, so I don’t have a good rubric on how long they’re supposed to last. I had two phones between 2002-2011 and neither of them actually died.
Before phones were smart…
I feel like 4 years is a reasonable amount of time for an iPhone… but again, with all the other smartphones on the market, I’ve got to do a lot more research before I decide for sure that I’m sticking with Apple on my next phone purchase.
I made a very similiar calculation when I started buying Macbooks about a decade ago — there wasn’t a maker of PC laptops I felt comfortable with anymore, so I sucked it up and switched. I’ve never regretted it. My first Macbook went through hell over four years and worked beautifully the whole time; I eventually sold it because I had the opportunity to get a friend’s used Air for $100 and I wanted a bigger monitor while I worked on my dissertation. I bought an imac to do most of my work on, and took the airbook out when I needed to be mobile. I had to make a lot of quick decisions in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and ended up donating both those computers to people who needed them and buying my current Macbook, which is a lot more robust than the Air was; I lived on the road for about a year post-Sandy and couldn’t have dealt with the imac, but I needed photo editing and storage capabilities that the Air just didn’t have. Eh voila. I will say this one is less stable than my previous Macs — more prone to spinning beachballs — but I do put it through a lot and I plan to run it into the ground. Hoping it lasts another year or two and will definitely buy another Mac then. They just…work. It’s worth it. As for the phone, however, while I was drawn to the shiny iphones, I actually bought a Moto G. It works great and was $400 less than the iphone, so 🙂 I don’t feel the noticeable difference in quality with the phones the way I did with laptops. The Moto is definitely less sexy, but as a piece of tech it operates well, doesn’t crash, feels very stable, etc.
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We switched to an all Apple home three or four years ago, and my old macbook died last year and I honestly shopped a number of different brands when I needed to buy a new one, and ultimately I realized that it would save money for us over the long run to have another Apple product in the house because of all of the shared software, music, etc. I have had some problems with this new macbook, though, but I am convinced that Apple’s quality has died with Steve Jobs, but then again, most technology products have challenges, so I am just staying with the brand that I know.
Shannon @ Financially Blonde recently posted…15 Ways to Invest in 2015
I’ve had good with my Mac laptop. Like you, before I had gone through several other laptops and it was tiring to have them break all the time.
However, I haven’t had good luck with iPhones. I’m on my 4th iPhone in the past year, and only one of the times was it my fault – the other times the phone just magically turned off and even Apple couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them.
Michelle recently posted…4 Life and Financial Hurdles To Tackle This Year
I’m the same way, before I got my macbook I had a dell and I ended up getting rid of it before the warranty even expired (not very frugal of me I know), but it just didn’t work. I got my macbook in fall of 2008 and I started having trouble with it in fall 2013 where it was super slow and almost impossible to use any microsoft office products. But not being financially prepared to go out and buy a new macbook, I ended up investing a some money into it (250ish I think) to upgrade the hard drive and the memory (well it was really to replace the hard drive, but they don’t make the 2008 version anymore so it was an automatic upgrade with out the additional cost), the genius at the apple store said I could expect my macbook to last me another 3 years (at this point it is another two), but it has been working great ever since and now I have more time to save for my new macbook in fall 2016 or early 2017.
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I am raising my hand because I still use at desktop. Just bought my current desktop back in Oct. I do have a laptop and tablet but they get very little use. Can’t bring myself to ditch the large screen (27″) and bigger keyboard.
My first computer was an Apple 2c bought brand new and paid a ton for it. Had nothing but trouble with it… then an apple tech finally told me the computer had been rebuilt prior to selling to me. Sold new to me but was in fact rebuilt. Never touched an apple again. I did think very hard when I purchased my last 2 computers but could not bring myself past the first apple nightmare…. maybe one day!
Thanks for writing about your experience… getting me a step closer…. maybe…
Dude, isn’t a 2c like 30 or 40 years ago? Get over it!
I’m totally sold on Mac laptops. I had a Dell through college and then got a MacBook Pro after graduation – It had only been 4 years and the Dell was useless – I was using the computers at the university library and at my security desk job to complete my assignments.
This mac has revolutionized my life – I use it almost constantly (freelancer, here) and even after a small bout two months ago when I had to remove half the RAM to keep it working properly, it still has the efficiency that beats a new PC, hands down. I’ve also traveled the world with it without any problems.
The fact is now, it’s aging. It made me sad to come to the realization, but it’s lasted longer than any other computer I’ve ever had, and I can’t imagine going back to a PC’s clunky operating system to get work done. (Plus the fact that they simply don’t last nearly as long.)
I’ll be buying a MacBook Air 13″ within the next two months, and I’m totally confident in my decision.
For phones though, I go with simpler Android versions. Maybe it would be different if I was a person that operated from my phone constantly instead of a laptop, but even the lower-end Samsung that I have is good quality – just make sure it comes with enough memory if you like to use a lot of apps.
I adore my macbook. It comes everywhere with me, I’m on it all day every day, and it works like a charm. Made the switch in 2008, probably never going back.
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Similarly, I had to buy a new phone late in 2012 (November/December) and then I had to buy a new computer September 2013. I hadn’t planned or saved for either of them though. Now, I probably should start saving for a new phone so when my 2 year contract is up I can get a new phone again (mine typically don’t quite make to the 2 year mark anyhow and then I have to pay an extra $10-20/month to buy out my remaining contract). Since I just got a new PC and my last one lasted me about 4.5 years, I should be good on this one for a while. At least if you buy Apple again you have thought through the decision and it isn’t just because it’s Apple, ya know?
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I have never had Apple brand loyalty or fell for the Apple culture but I can say I am sick of my windows PCs and my next one will be a an Apple Laptop. They all have their quirks but Windows with their endless memory robbing updates and all the hiccups and of course the hackers it is just too much for me to waste anymore of my life on. I am done and will be looking for an Apple deal, new or used this summer.
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Even the Apple website has a refurbished section that’s worth looking into. You get a lot of the same Apple guarantees with their used computers that way.
Same thing as you! I had a few laptops before buying my first Macbook in 2006, and I’ve never looked back. My first Macbook lasted me until 2011, and honestly, it would have gone longer if it hadn’t been stepped on… (don’t worry, I had bought a new one for school in 2010 and it was my backup, but it was sad nonetheless!)
This Macbook I’ve had since 2010 and I love it to pieces! It’s a little slow and won’t let me install Mavericks (not sure if that’s my issue or its issue), but I know I’ll need to upgrade sooner or later. It’s getting finicky about saving things, so…
The one thing that annoys me about Apple now though is the lack of a CD drive. Okay, maybe I’m old, but occasionally I DO need to use the CD drive and I’m annoyed I’d have to buy an external CD drive just to use them. That’s probably the biggest reason I haven’t done anything about getting a new computer, even though I know I’ll need to.
Let us know how your purchase goes, and don’t forget to check out the refurbished Apple store. I’ve heard good things about it!
Melissa @ Sunburnt Saver recently posted…How to Create Better Resolutions
With frugality, quality is on top of the price. I’ve had my iPhone 4 for years now and it still does me good. I just delete the apps that I don’t really need to free the space. I’m planning to buy a new iPhone in a year or two. Apple makes great quality products. It may be a bit expensive for some, there are Apple refurbished products that one can check out.
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Fujitsu Siemens laptop – used it for 6 YEARS. Decided to change with another, though it was still working. Paid for half of my car loan, the company taxes, first trip to the US etc. It really helped me grow my business. My first year in the States I decided to get another laptop and eyed a MacBook Pro. It was roughly 2500 bucks. I also found an HP that had the SAME specs and which cost 560. I chose that one and it worked nicely, not to mention, the money I didn’t spend on an Apple went on another laptop (a small one), a tablet, (not Apple, of course ;)), camcorder, a lot of clothes and a lot of sightseeing in NYC. I had a mobile phone that I changed after 5 years just because we changed carriers and it didn’t work. Got myself a cheap LG which will probably last me 5 more years. 😀
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I have to agree on the quality front. I bought my first laptop in 2006 after years of buying desktops throughout university (undergrad & grad school) so when I had to get a new computer to start my PhD overseas I chose to go with a MacBook Pro. That lovely piece of hardware lasted until March 2013. It was getting creaky and had reached the end of its ability to update beyond Snow Leopard but it was still getting the job done. Sadly, it died when the graphics card pooched out once and for all and the Apple store tech told me replacement graphics cards were pretty well obsolete unless I wanted to spend the time tracking one down online. Was it going to be worth it in the end? Not really. All tech has a life expectancy and I got as much as I could from it without going to extreme lengths to keep it going. Yes, I had put money into it by upgrading some pieces of hardware like the HD but I did that reasonably cheaply on my own.
After that laptop died I spent the next 7 months working and getting by with an iPad until the new MBPs with retina were released last autumn. Yes, Macs are expensive but for the years I have gotten out of one and the wear and tear and amount of travel it took, I feel I got my money’s worth. Especially when I saw other grad students around me going through 2-3 laptops in the course of a four year degree.
I’m now in the same boat in regards to the age of my phone (4.5 yrs and counting) — it’s abilities are starting to noticeably decline. Pretty soon it will only be a phone phone and not a handheld computer, but I am going to run that little beast into the ground. I don’t like not using something to the end of its life even if it drives me a little mad. We’ll see how successful that is.
One very important factor in Apple’s favour – AppleCare. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the gold standard of tech support. I’ve been using Apple products since the Apple II Plus (yup, that long), and I have never had a tech problem – including several that were ISP-related not Apple-related – that the patient, knowledgable folks at the AppleCare support line couldn’t fix. And several of the problems they fixed meant I didn’t have to buy a new device.
It’s true, AppleCare is an incredible asset. Even just going into an Apple store with a little broken piece or a missing cable or something, more than half the time you’re likely to come back with a free replacement – even if you didn’t opt for any of the warranties.
I think it depends on your PC. Both of mine lasted over 4 years a piece and cost a third of a MacBook, but I really only use them for word processing and web surfing. MacBooks are good for creative types. Also, my iPhone became obsolete way too quickly so I’ve switched to Samsung. We’ll see how long this one lasts.
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Yeah, I’m not 100% sold on the phone. But I love the computers. I went through too many PCs to trust in them anymore.
Apple laptops are really high quality. I’ve had mine for 6 years now and only had a couple problems, both of which I was able to get fixed for relatively cheap. Thanks for sharing!
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Totally agree—sometimes investing in quality up front really pays off in the long run! My MacBook has lasted years too, and the durability is unmatched. Excited to see what you decide with the iPhone—Apple sure knows how to build products that last!
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The MacBook Pro’s M1/M2 chip really elevates performance! It’s a game-changer for both professionals and creatives