Expensive Philosophy

[BananaKnight]

How do you guys justifying paying 200+ dollars for an accessory (earphone, etc) when it could break or get stolen at any moment. Granted, if it get broken, it can probably be repaired, cannot say the same if it gets stolen though.

 

Another example is that i plan to get the dell inspiron 15 7000 but i couldn't justify spending 1000 dollars on a laptop even though i yearn to run modern games on high or ultra settings.

 

Note: I am student, so i have limited financial abilities and i would have to move frequently (university)

 

Can you guys share some philosophy or thought processes when you guys buy high end/expensive tech things

[StevenSensei]

43 minutes ago, BananaKnight said:

How do you guys justifying paying 200+ dollars for an accessory (earphone, etc) when it could break or get stolen at any moment. Granted, if it get broken, it can probably be repaired, cannot say the same if it gets stolen though.

 

Another example is that i plan to get the dell inspiron 15 7000 but i couldn't justify spending 1000 dollars on a laptop even though i yearn to run modern games on high or ultra settings.

 

Note: I am student, so i have limited financial abilities and i would have to move frequently (university)

 

Can you guys share some philosophy or thought processes when you guys buy high end/expensive tech things

My thought process is that by investing in quality and taking care of those things I will have a better experience and they will last long enough that the cost over time is minimal, especially when accounting for replacement costs.

 

For example....the headphones that come with an iPhone are rather cheap and if they get broken you buy another pair...you loose those...you buy another pair...those break...you buy another pair. You have now spent a lot more money than investing in one good pair that you are sure to take care of that also happen to sound better and are more comfortable to wear.

 

Now as a college student if you are concerned about theft that is a different matter. You need the tools to get your job (schooling) done and unfortunately don't have the luxury of spending as much money as someone who is fully employed. However...when I was in university I invested in a rather expensive laptop that was designed for business use. Rock solid build quality that lasted many years. Sure it set me back about $2000 initially but it also lasted longer than I needed it to. However, my friends who only bought laptops for $500 often didn't have the power or features they wanted...and the build quality caused them to break and have to buy new ones...I would rather spend $2000 one time and have a good experience than $500 every year to have one that is average at best.

 

 

[Lethal Seraph]

Into high end stuff? Save all the money to hit high budget, spend all on the best tier for that amount. If you're gonna spend, spend it on the best. Don't get robbed by buying mediocre shit that'll end up breaking after short use.

[Hamosch]

I would also say that hobby or interests play a pretty significant part in the choice.

If your interests involve hardware and high end stuff then get it.

You should have some kind of hobby activity money in your budget, If that goes 100% into partying, clothes, hardware, food, whatever or a split between it is completely up to you! That's my philosophy, monthly budgeting is divided into living expenses, savings and then the rest goes to hobby, interests or fun stuff.

[ShadowCaptain]

3 hours ago, BananaKnight said:

How do you guys justifying paying 200+ dollars

I don't need to justify it, do I want it? do I have the money? if yes, then I buy it

I have never thought about breaking it/having it stolen - and you can always take out product insurance to protect against accidental damage and theft if you are worried

I spend a lot of money on a lot of stuff, and the only thing  i really have to justify to myself is "do I want this product", sometimes even if its something I dont "need" just the fact id be happier with it, it justification enough

In reverse, why do you feel the need to have to justify every thing?

My Motto: You only live once, id rather spend my hard earned money on something I enjoy, than worry about spending money that I cannot take to the grave with me

[A/C]

Easy, to each his own.

 

Some people can't justfy throwing 500usd on a butt-old VW Golf banger, whilst others pay millions of dollaidos for the newest Bugatti.

 

I didn't buy a 1000$ GPU not because i didn't have a 1000$ but because I didn't have the 1000$ to spend on a GPU.

 

So basically it all depends on your standard, if people got the money and want a product they will buy it, if they don't they won't. I'm sorry and I don't mean to be insulting but it's kinda a stupid question IMHO.

 

Also, for analogy's sake, I live in a small town in the western Bosnia called Bihać, over here the crime rate is pretty low and the car thefts are pretty much non-existent. Contrasted, Sarajevo has one of the biggest crime rates in Bosnia, and the biggest car theft problem. Over here i drive a 2013 Mercedes C250 coupe and have no fears about it, BUT if i lived in Sarajevo I'd probbably walk, or have a 30y-old Volvo or smthng, because anything newer would certanly get stolen. And when I travel to Sarajevo I use a company car or borrow a cheaper car from my dad, even if I have to use my own car I make sure to park it in a locked garage with video-survailance and other security measures available. The point is, you take care of your stuff, don't do stupid things and do anything to minimize the risk. Everything else is out of your hands, BUT you can't live in fear and lower your standard of living because of some general fear.

[GeekJump]

If you thought about "what if x got broken or stolen?", you would be left getting cheaper stuff or panicking all the time. I get it but still...

 

For big purchases I think of investment and longevity.

 

Example, if I build this $1200 computer is it worth it in the end? I think "hell, I'll probably use it w/o upgrading for 3-4 years just fine" so then it comes out to $300/year > $24/month. On the cheap end, I could just buy a lower powered pc for ~$500 and, since it's for gaming, be SOL after a year and have to spend another couple hundred each year to keep up. So, in this case, investing $1200 up front works out better. [This is a RL example btw, on year 2 of my PC and it's still kicking ass]

 

For other stuff I just think "do I really need it?" and "can I just get a cheaper version and be okay?". Example 2, since I hardly hear the difference I have never bought a pair of headphones over $70. And that one that was $70 ended up breaking after a week! (my fault, the cord got stuck on something and I pulled). After that I only went with $15-$30 earbuds. Work just as good :3

[pinksnowmanshandle]

14 hours ago, BananaKnight said:

How do you guys justifying paying 200+ dollars for an accessory (earphone, etc) when it could break or get stolen at any moment. Granted, if it get broken, it can probably be repaired, cannot say the same if it gets stolen though.

 

Another example is that i plan to get the dell inspiron 15 7000 but i couldn't justify spending 1000 dollars on a laptop even though i yearn to run modern games on high or ultra settings.

 

Note: I am student, so i have limited financial abilities and i would have to move frequently (university)

 

Can you guys share some philosophy or thought processes when you guys buy high end/expensive tech things

Justification for an expensive desktop is a little easier to make than justifying an expensive laptop or phone or tablet.

 

I personally justify spending more on a desktop per se because I know that the more $$$/€€€/£££ I put into a system, the less I'll have to spend in the future or put off spending a larger amount of money in the future and also getting something that can do more now and still be decent a couple years down the line.

 

However with like smaller things that go all over the place and have the chance of being lost, damaged or stolen more easily it gets harder to apply the same rhetoric for desktops to laptops and other portables. 

 

 

Footnote: I was thinking about replying last night but I'm not a huge fan of being the first one to reply to something that doesn't have any replies.