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Finance plan for Apple?
- Thread starter Suno
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Try your college for a loan or grant. My college asked that in the financial aid application process - "Would you like to be considered for (or maybe it was Will you be needing) a loan/grant (whatever it said) for a laptop computer?"
And I know you said a credit card isn't what you need at the moment, but if you have good credit (or your parents do), financing through Best Buy can get you some good deals (like 18 months, no interest kind of stuff). Just an idea.
Alternatively, work on campus for a semester and save up 'til you can pay cash?
And I know you said a credit card isn't what you need at the moment, but if you have good credit (or your parents do), financing through Best Buy can get you some good deals (like 18 months, no interest kind of stuff). Just an idea.
Alternatively, work on campus for a semester and save up 'til you can pay cash?
Find another means. The Barclaycard has ridiculous interest rates. You'll end up paying twice what the computer costs.
As a recent college graduate who has been gainfully employed and loan payments coming up (Dec 15th), I highly suggest avoiding any frivolous items that would boost your student loan amount and an Apple computer is definitely one to avoid.
A grant would be fine. Grants are free money. Get all the grants you can.
As others said: work, save, maybe your family can all chip in a little for a grad present, or look to an authorized store like Best Buy that supposedly has better options available. I believe they also price match .edu discounts.
It would be foolish to burden yourself with heavy interest and payments when your just starting out. Especially for something that quickly loses value and becomes obsolete like electronics.
Also it can get you started in a lifestyle of spending more than you have. It would be much better to save up for the stuff you want. If you do you will find you can own many more nice things in life. Instead of burning money away on interest. Every dollar spent on interest is a dollar wasted.
I would also avoid student loans. Once you are done with college they will be a burden for many years sucking away your paycheck. Unless your in med school, at a private college or working on your Masters/Ph.D. There is no reason why you should not be able to make enough money for school, living expenses, plus some leisure and toys. Without working too many hours effecting your studies.
Even without an employer you can make money. Clean gutters many people need it done. Charge $50 for single story and $100 for two story houses. You just need a ladder, slop bucket, gloves and work clothes (old clothes will do). There are plenty of other small dirty jobs one can do that people need done around their houses. Maybe work your way up and repair fences, pressure wash houses, mobile car cleaning, junk removal &c. Sure the work may sound like it sucks but you'll get used to it and be raking in a lot more dough than your buddies without having to juggle a set work schedule and making four or more times as much per hour.
Just post fliers around the neighborhood or go door to door. At those prices it's cheap enough for many people to pay. Once you get the knack it won't take you more than an hour or two. Plus you get to work around your school schedule. A buddy of mine did this in college and cleared $500+ per week.
If you need a Mac now get a first gen Core 2 Duo Macbook used on eBay for cheap. With 3GB of RAM it will have plenty of power to last through college. It has more than enough power for web (even HD videos), e-mail and office. You can also get the free Openoffice.org for writing papers. Just make sure to change the default save as types for Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Heck if you wanted you could work on photos in Photoshop or Gimp, edit videos, &c. Sure it wouldn't be as fast as a new Macbook Pro but it'll get the job done sufficiently for college.
Then you can save up your money for a Macbook Pro.
Edit: Actually come to think of it my buddy just went on the roof and blasted all the crud out of the gutters with a garden hose. Then swept up the garbage from the ground. Which is much faster than clearing them out by hand.
Also it can get you started in a lifestyle of spending more than you have. It would be much better to save up for the stuff you want. If you do you will find you can own many more nice things in life. Instead of burning money away on interest. Every dollar spent on interest is a dollar wasted.
I would also avoid student loans. Once you are done with college they will be a burden for many years sucking away your paycheck. Unless your in med school, at a private college or working on your Masters/Ph.D. There is no reason why you should not be able to make enough money for school, living expenses, plus some leisure and toys. Without working too many hours effecting your studies.
Even without an employer you can make money. Clean gutters many people need it done. Charge $50 for single story and $100 for two story houses. You just need a ladder, slop bucket, gloves and work clothes (old clothes will do). There are plenty of other small dirty jobs one can do that people need done around their houses. Maybe work your way up and repair fences, pressure wash houses, mobile car cleaning, junk removal &c. Sure the work may sound like it sucks but you'll get used to it and be raking in a lot more dough than your buddies without having to juggle a set work schedule and making four or more times as much per hour.
Just post fliers around the neighborhood or go door to door. At those prices it's cheap enough for many people to pay. Once you get the knack it won't take you more than an hour or two. Plus you get to work around your school schedule. A buddy of mine did this in college and cleared $500+ per week.
If you need a Mac now get a first gen Core 2 Duo Macbook used on eBay for cheap. With 3GB of RAM it will have plenty of power to last through college. It has more than enough power for web (even HD videos), e-mail and office. You can also get the free Openoffice.org for writing papers. Just make sure to change the default save as types for Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Heck if you wanted you could work on photos in Photoshop or Gimp, edit videos, &c. Sure it wouldn't be as fast as a new Macbook Pro but it'll get the job done sufficiently for college.
Then you can save up your money for a Macbook Pro.
Edit: Actually come to think of it my buddy just went on the roof and blasted all the crud out of the gutters with a garden hose. Then swept up the garbage from the ground. Which is much faster than clearing them out by hand.