Fixing My Laptop

How expensive things can cost less.

I bought my laptop in 2010. Before this computer, I’ve never owned a laptop that lasted more than 2 years. I’ve also never owned a laptop that was more than $1000. I decided to treat myself and buy a more expensive laptop, in the hopes of having it last longer. If it makes it through Year 3, then I break even. If it makes it through Year 4, then I would have saved money.

Year 3 passed fine. Break even point cleared!

But in Year 4, the issues started. I needed more RAM. My fan was making weird noises. The computer was sloooooooow.

Rather than buying a new machine, a friend helped me upgrade my RAM and replace my failing hard drive with a new Solid State Drive. Last weekend, I replaced my clickity fan with a $15 fan I found on Amazon and free instructions from iFixit.

My computer runs faster than ever at decibels that would please abbey monks.

Our Disposable Culture

We live in a disposable world of IKEA, paper coffee cups, and plastic utensils. I used to know somebody who would buy hundreds of socks every year, because he only like the feel of new socks. Of course, Sockman is an extreme version of this disposable culture, but he is a good illustration of the disposable mindset.

A New Mindset

I used to think a lot about the upfront cost of things, and now more and more I am thinking about upfront cost spread over periods of time. I also think more about caring for items I have. If something breaks or tears, how can I mend it first before throwing it away and buying something new.

This mindsets helps me de-clutter. Also, my budget for the individual items can increase as their expected lifespan increase.

Expensive things can indeed cost less in the end.