If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you might be tempted to splurge on it. After all, you’re going to use this computer a lot, so it’s natural to want a product that’s top-of-the-line. But at the same time, if you’re budget-conscious, you might want to save your money instead and choose a minimum viable product.
How do you resolve these adversarial motivations? Should you splurge or save?
You Get What You Pay For: True or False?
Do you get what you pay for when you buy a laptop? In other words, does spending more money on a laptop entitle you to a better one?
The answer is yes, but with some caveats.
For the most part, laptop prices are based on the components and features of those laptops. If you want a more powerful processing unit, a bigger screen, longer battery life, and more storage space, it’s going to cost you more money.
However, it’s not always true that a more expensive laptop is a better one. Used laptops are sometimes much less expensive than new ones, even though they’re similar in terms of scope and power. Some laptop brands charge a premium because their products are exceptionally well-designed or appealing to particular demographics; it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but in this scenario, you end up paying more for features that aren’t purely functional or practical.
Your Core Requirements
The most important strategy to start with is examining your core requirements. It doesn’t make sense to splurge or save on a laptop if the laptop you get isn’t going to serve your needs.
For example, you might be shopping for a Windows laptop, specifically. You might need a computer with a powerful GPU for gaming or rendering videos. You might want a computer that meets certain physical specifications, maintaining a slim profile with a large, bright screen.
Everyone is looking for something different. What’s important is that you know what you are looking for so you can narrow down the scope.
This is important for two main reasons.
First, it allows you to identify components that are worth splurging on. If you know you’ll be using this machine without access to electrical outlets for long periods of time — it’s worth paying significantly more money for extra battery life.
Second, it allows you to identify components that are worth skipping or downplaying. Suppose you have no intention of using this laptop for video games, animation, design, video rendering, or cryptocurrency mining. In that case, you probably have no need to pay extra money for a GPU.
Assessing your core needs is your greatest tool in determining when to splurge and when to save. However, there are some additional strategies you can apply generally if you’re still deciding on a specific decision or consideration.
Why Splurge?
These are some solid reasons to splurge on your next laptop:
You can afford it.
If you have plenty of money to spend, you’ll probably enjoy the extra features and superior technology typically found in more expensive laptops. If you make $10,000 a month, and your living expenses are minimal, it’s perfectly reasonable to spend $2,000 or more on a laptop that has everything you want.
You have a specific reason for it.
If you can concretely justify spending the money, go for it. In other words, do you want the more expensive laptop simply because it’s more expensive or because it has a specific feature that you genuinely want or need? Can you justify needing that extra battery life or upgraded RAM?
It will open up new opportunities.
In some ways, investing in a laptop is investing in yourself. It’s totally worth splurging on a laptop if it opens up new opportunities for you. For example, a better, more expensive laptop might enable you to start pursuing side gig work in video editing.
It’s an investment for the long haul.
It’s also worth spending extra money on a laptop if you know you’re going to have it for a long time. This is especially true if the laptop is easy to upgrade with newer components as you need them.
Why Save?
These are viable reasons to save on your next laptop:
Money’s tight.
It’s hard to say how much is “too much” money to spend on a laptop, since so much depends on how much money you have and how much you’re making. Still, if you’re in a precarious financial situation, a laptop probably isn’t your biggest priority.
Your needs are minimal.
If you’re only using a laptop for internet browsing and word processing, there’s not much reason to splurge. Those extra features are luxuries and not necessities.
You know this is temporary.
You may also choose to save money and buy a budget laptop if you know it’s only going to serve you temporarily.
You don’t know what the future holds.
If your needs are ambiguous, or if you aren’t sure what you’ll need in the future, a cheap laptop might be the least risky option.
Ultimately, there is no universally applicable answer to whether it makes more sense to splurge or save on a laptop purchase. If you know what you want and need, splurging is often a form of investing in yourself. But if you’re currently in a tough financial position or if your needs are ambiguous, it’s better to save money however you can.
