LisaZoe
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2004
- Messages
- 2,937
Hi, all. In late June, I bought a PC and got internet access for personal use for the first time. When I started the research into buying a PC, I came up with the following budget that I thought was reasonable:
$500 - Dell PC after rebates and discounts
$100 - Printer/scanner/copier
$150 - Software: MS Office for students and a few toddler games
$200 - Computer work station
$50 - Misc.: printer paper, writable CDs, printer cable, etc.
$1000 - Total (excluding internet service)
I did pretty well sticking to that budget and may have even come in lower on a couple of items. What I didn't account for was all the other things I'd end up <I>needing</I> as a result of owning a PC. Here are rough estimates of what has been added to the PC expense sheet to date:
$300 - Digital camera - need to be able to take pics of DD in case I decide to create a personal web page
$3000 - WDW trip - I had been talking about taking a trip since January and hadn't gotten past the talk because it would mean going to a TA and hoping I get a good one who knows the ins and outs of WDW or using the city library's PCs to do research - neither on my list of fun ways to spend time. However, I hadn't owned my PC for a month when I had booked our flight, checked resort rates and learned of discount codes (here) and booked a room at WL - which I later changed to a split stay with AKL after reading about it on these boards.
$500 - eBay purchases. I had never, I repeat never even looked at eBay when I only had access from work (although I could have) Now, though, I've replaced plates for Grandma's china set, bought some gifts for others, and too many Disney pins to list.
$200 - other online purchases I would not have made if not for the PC.
Is it me, or is there a conspiracy out there to suck my bank account dry through this electronic demon sitting before me?
$500 - Dell PC after rebates and discounts
$100 - Printer/scanner/copier
$150 - Software: MS Office for students and a few toddler games
$200 - Computer work station
$50 - Misc.: printer paper, writable CDs, printer cable, etc.
$1000 - Total (excluding internet service)
I did pretty well sticking to that budget and may have even come in lower on a couple of items. What I didn't account for was all the other things I'd end up <I>needing</I> as a result of owning a PC. Here are rough estimates of what has been added to the PC expense sheet to date:
$300 - Digital camera - need to be able to take pics of DD in case I decide to create a personal web page
$3000 - WDW trip - I had been talking about taking a trip since January and hadn't gotten past the talk because it would mean going to a TA and hoping I get a good one who knows the ins and outs of WDW or using the city library's PCs to do research - neither on my list of fun ways to spend time. However, I hadn't owned my PC for a month when I had booked our flight, checked resort rates and learned of discount codes (here) and booked a room at WL - which I later changed to a split stay with AKL after reading about it on these boards.
$500 - eBay purchases. I had never, I repeat never even looked at eBay when I only had access from work (although I could have) Now, though, I've replaced plates for Grandma's china set, bought some gifts for others, and too many Disney pins to list.
$200 - other online purchases I would not have made if not for the PC.
Is it me, or is there a conspiracy out there to suck my bank account dry through this electronic demon sitting before me?
