Here are just my opinions based on my experience.
PC vs. Mac
I know Macs are $1000 and that's tough for poor people like myself. But I've had numerous PC's breakdown after 2-3 years and also that Chromebook which was really cheap but wasn't really a computer. I did the math and I realize that if I bought a Mac 5 years ago, right now I'd have a Mac and a few extra hundred dollars in my pocket.
Tablets
This could be an example of a false frugality. I bought a $100 Kindle Fire which was crap. I did buy a $200 NVidia Shield K1 this year since I had no computer. It's a great tablet, but it's not a full-on computer. They also have hidden costs such as SD storage, bluetooth keyboard, etc. I do think tablets have their merit as an easy screw-around device but if you want a computer, just bite the bullet.
Television
For me, it's something I buy once every ~8 years. 4K is excessive now, but waiting till 4K becomes affordable is also excessive. I upgraded my bulky 27 inch television to a flatter 39 inch smart television (which I got for $300).
Storage
Really, it's not worth overspending on. A usb thumbdrive and an SD card are all that's really needed for me. Google Drive already offers 15GB free storage, and you can setup another email for 15 more. Having a $100 2TB external hard drive was a waste on my part. You don't need to store 100 movies. Most movies you're only going to watch once anyway. And the majority of a massive music collection goes unlistened to. All I really need stored is photos and documents anyway.
Gaming
Gaming PC's are excessive. Prettier graphics aren't worth double the money. Buy most games on sale, but don't buy more discounted games than you can afford to play. Also, buy consoles a year or two after release for a price cut and cheaper games.
Headphones
For earbuds, they cost $10 and they need to be replaced every 6 months. Even expensive earbuds can still crap out. Klispch cost $80 and have a very good warranty, but that's a borderline case. I did invest $150 into HD598 headphones and I consider it a great value because I use them every day.
Novelties
There have been a lot of little gadgets out there of varying results. Kindle Paperwhite was worth it because it specialized in reading. Chromecast was just $35 more I could've put toward a Mac. Amazon Echo was worth my $50 for convenience and entertainment.
March 18, 2017 at 03:00AM
