I need a new computer. As much as I hate to admit it, I need to get a new one. It’s that simple. My poor dell inspiron e1505 that I got only two fucking years ago is rapidly dying. The battery is completed dead. I can get a new one for $136 from the dell website, but I think that’s stupid to even bother since I still have the AC adapter. Which brings me to my next issue – my adapter won’t stay plugged in at times and my whole system shuts down. Not cool, especially if in I’m in the middle of doings something. Next issue – space. I’m quickly running out of space. If I don’t download anymore movies, limit my upload of pictures and download of music. If I don’t put anymore Sims expansions on my computer or – heaven forbid – another game. And if I back up everything I have and put a majority of my stuff on my external hard drive, well, then I should be ok. I feel that it in itself is asking for a whole lot and I’m not loving it. So, what’s a broke girl to do? Well, here is what I’ve done so far:
Research.
I talked with a bunch of friends, and most say a new Mac is the way to go. I don’t really know how to use a Mac, so I looked it up. It doesn’t seem that overly complicated, just need to get used to it. It’s expensive, but considering the additions that go into a windows laptop that end up jacking up the price, a Mac’s price isn’t all that bad.
Finance.
Here’s my problem. Ok, ready for some math a bit of a back story? Here we go… In Sept of 2005 I realized that the interest rates on my credit cards was out of control, they weren’t working with me to lower them, and it was getting rather difficult to pay them off when it seemed like 25% of my payment was going to pay off the interest. Plus I was making only $26000 at the time and no one can live off off that. So, something needed to be done. I closed out the accounts and consolidated all of the debt with CreditGuard of America. They worked with me and the credit card companies to lower my interest rates. So, ever since then I’ve been paying CreditGuard my monthly combined payments and they disburse them among the evil credit card companies. Good, right? Apparently that was the wrong move. Since I’m working with a debt consolidation company and usually 95% of the people who work with them have filed for bankruptcy or are about to, I’m lumped into that crowd by default, if you will, and despite my good credit score and timely payments to my debtors, I’m screwed and no one will touch me until i am no longer working with the debt consolidation firm. I can’t stop now, because my interest rates will jack back up with the credit card companies. So, I’m stuck with them for at least another year.
I crunched the numbers. If I continue with my normal monthly payments, it will take me another 18 months to have it all payed off. But, if I continue with my payments and send them an additional $200 every month, I’ll have the whole thing payed off by August 2009. In theory I could do that with the help of my mileage checks that I get each month. Sounds great, right? Eh, not quite….
The next year of financial hell.
I’m the Maid of Honour at Stephanie’s wedding. That means I get to spend money on invitations, party favors, if needed certain venues, my dress, her present, and everything else that goes into being the MofH (I won’t bored you all with the details). Also, Makaya’s first birthday and I’ve promised Cinn that I would go up for a visit to her new home in New Hampshire. Oh wait, there’s more. I need to save up to get a new bed (my current one was bought in 2004 from Ikea and it sucks, it’s killing my back, I need something real!), a down payment on an apartment (I need to get the hell out of here, my goal is next summer, guess we’ll see if that’s even possible…), and I need to save up for a down payment on an new leased car. To much.
More credit?
In 2004, I believe, I opened up two credit cards. One was with Dell and the other was with Juniper, which was issued by Apple. I got the dell one not for a computer, but so I could buy my sony camera (at the time they had the best price for the camera that I wanted). Since my original purchases I have used both cards only one other time. I used the dell to buy my current laptop and then I promptly paid it off. I used the Juniper card to buy my old ipod, and once the card was paid off I apparently canceled the card. Now I’m regretting that decision. I called Juniper today, they won’t reactivate my old card because I closed the account over 2 years ago. And, since I’m working with a debt consolidation firm, they won’t issue me a new one. Dell is still open and good to go, but since my current computer is dying and no longer is meeting my needs 100% and it’s only two years later, I’m a bit apprehensive to buy a new computer through them. I only have two credit cards open now – American Express student blue and Capital One student card. Clearly I got both while I was in college. I hadn’t used my Amex card ever until this past November out of desperation. Now I enjoy having two credit cards that are nearly maxed out instead of just the one. Great.
Conclusion??
Isn’t it ironic that in the past 4 years since I graduated from college, every time I get a better paying position or my salary increases for whatever reason, I find a way to have more expenses? I’m not loving this. Not one bit. So, what am I to do? I can’t get a Mac, that’s for certain. At least not at this point. I can get another dell but end up running into the same issues in 2010. $1800 for only 2 years of use seems like a lot, ya know? That leaves me with either keeping this dell and suffering the consequences of having a computer that it’s up to par or getting a new computer dell and being just ‘ok’ for the next 2 years. Also, there’s the issue of payment. If I want to send an extra $200 to my consolidated payments each month (and in effect not use that money as I have been to catch up on my miscellaneous bills, that is money that could be going to pay off the dell.
I need to pay off the consolidated debt, that will free up some needed extra money. I could do minimum payments to dell for the next year and try to curb my impulse spending/ordering food every day at work, but can I could on myself to keep it up? I don’t know. I keep looking at this and thinking it out and one one hand it seems very doable and black/white, on the other hand it feels like I’m just adding more stuff to my already heavy plate. What’s a girl to do???