Should I Buy A Computer!
OK, you’re maybe thinking – how does this idiot think I’m reading this if I haven’t got a computer? Well, you could be one of the ghostly inhabitants of the Internet cafes that now exist where there were once laundrettes and second-hand hi-fi shops. If you are, then you’ve probably already questioned the wisdom of handing cash over on a daily basis just so you can check your emails and your favourite websites – such as this one - which brings us back to square one! Just do the sums – you’ll quickly realise that the money you’ve handed over to that sullen faced Internet café owner over the past couple of years would have bought you a nice medium-spec laptop, with maybe enough change left over for a printer too.Because the point is with computers is that unless you are doing complex graphic or music work, or wish to play top-end computer games, you really don’t need a state-of-the-art machine. So just have a look round the Internet for a bargain, and then you’ll be able to escape the strip-lit world of the Internet Undead forever. And if you are a student (perhaps the most likely computerless computer user) you’ll be able to get student discount from some retailers, or even buy more cheaply through your college.
What’s more, once you have your own PC you’ll no longer feel you are doing everything against the clock. You can surf ‘anytime, any place, anywhere’ (to coin an old 1970’s TV ad) if you want. Also, when that important email from a prospective new employer lands in your intray, it won’t sit there unanswered until the next time you visit the Internet café: you’ll be able to demostrate how efficient and on-the-ball you are by responding to it emmediatly.
But once you’ve made that, admittedly still fairly pricey purchase, there are still ways you can keep your costs to the minimum. For example, the first thing you should do is figure out how much you’ll be using the Internet. Unless you are a very infrequent user, you’ll probably come to the conclution to take the broadband option rather than pay for your Internet usage a minute at a time. Not only will this save you money it will also stop you having to feel the need to rush everything you do online. Once again, thriftyness leads to a better quality of life.
Then there are lots of little money-saving things you can do regarding your new purchase. Save electricity by switching off the monitor, the computer and even the printer. Printers actually use a surprising amount of energy, even when they’re not in operation. It’s worth remembering that your shiny new machine will last longer the less you use it. I may be stating the obvious here, but sometimes we all need to be reminded of the obvious.
Something else which may seem obvious is the fact that it’s 100% cheaper to communicate by email than by phone. If you start to get into the habit of sending emails rather than make phone calls, your phone bill will plummet.