First Person: How I Plan to Save for My Next Laptop

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.


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