Can you afford it?

[tzimisce]

We grew up poor, so habit I've always been frugal, although these days we live comfortably enough to be able to afford most things without worrying about finances. These days the more important question for me is, do I really need this (as opposed to 'want') and the longer I wait, the less I feel the compulsion to spend and in many cases end up not buying at all.

 

[SweetPoison]

Personally, unless a disaster happens and my iPad gets broken somehow, I'm holding off for iPad 3. However, to answer the original question, when that day comes, we will simply pay for it in cash because we do not believe in consumer debt.

ITA. I don't have one credit card. Love it.

 

[pencerm]

I am still considering throwing an extra $100 out there to get the 32 gb model though.

Now that apple has put the original on sale in their clearance area, you might want to think about going that route rather than the ipad2. That way you can get more memory for the same cost as the 16GB ipad2.

I've been back and forth on this now for quite some time.. and I may not make a decision until this Friday. The thing that is preventing me from doing that is that I do shoot some video for my website (press conferences, etc.) and then I do some light editing before posting them to the site. Obviously, my iPhone 4 would do the trick as far as taking the video, but editing and posting them on that little screen kind of sucks. Plus, my horrible mindset towards every electronic in this world is that if it isn't the newest out when I buy it, then I really don't want it. I don't always need to upgrade (i.e. I'm not getting iPhone 5) but when I buy, I get the latest.

 

[Mipad2]

Saved something

i didn't buy the Ipad1 (i think the first revolutionary model in most of case is a 'beta') (i have learned this from when i bought the CD-ROM reader for PC at 2x speed)

i'm not going to buy the Ipad 3 (from 1 to 3 there will be substantial difference, from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 not enough to justify an upgrade) (but i use this for every kind of tech product)

what is the sense of buying EA Fifa 2000, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 a part feeding the industry ? (if i was rich i would do it, because money falls from the sky)

IF (i had no Ipad at all, going for the 2) i will upgrade or add a second ipad for the family, it will be number 4 or 5

ps: i forgot to say, from one Ipad X to the next Ipad X there will be more or les 12 months of life, 12 months is 'nothing'
a tech product should last or get enjoyed for 2 to 3 years at least

Notice: what i write above is a terror for the big industry leaders (money makers, big % shareholders)
a message that shouldn't get popular

 

[zorah]

Since I just got mine in the end of November, for me, simple answer-like Seadog, I don't have to think about affording it as I'm not getting the upgraded one.
In the case of a tablet-realizing that an upgrade can skip at least a year. I figure, when the battery starts to go on iPad, that's when I will upgrade, as it's not user replaceable anyway and wouldn't be worth the bother of sending in at that point.
In terms of budgeting-we do a mix. We pay with cash, or a credit, but if with credit, it's usually like the next month anyway. We don't drive late model vehicles and go on fancy vacations, etc.

 

[jhood2323]

Saved something

i didn't buy the Ipad1 (i think the first revolutionary model in most of case is a 'beta') (i have learned this from when i bought the CD-ROM reader for PC at 2x speed)

i'm not going to buy the Ipad 3 (from 1 to 3 there will be substantial difference, from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 not enough to justify an upgrade) (but i use this for every kind of tech product)

what is the sense of buying EA Fifa 2000, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 a part feeding the industry ? (if i was rich i would do it, because money falls from the sky)

IF (i had no Ipad at all, going for the 2) i will upgrade or add a second ipad for the family, it will be number 4 or 5

ps: i forgot to say, from one Ipad X to the next Ipad X there will be more or les 12 months of life, 12 months is 'nothing'
a tech product should last or get enjoyed for 2 to 3 years at least

Notice: what i write above is a terror for the big industry leaders (money makers, big % shareholders)
a message that shouldn't get popular

I FEEL YOU ON THAT IF I HAD KEPT MY IPAD 3G 16GB FROM JAN. I WON'T BE RUNNING LIKE OMG THE IPAD 2 WILL BE FRIDAY .I MUST SELL NO . THATS LIKE IF I BOUGHT A 40 GB PS3 THEN THE 80 COMES OUT A MONTH LATER.(BACK WHEN THEY 500 TO 600) THAT IS FANBOY SYNDROME RIGHT THERE. TAKE AWAY THE SUB-PAR CAMERA,AND A5 CHIP.I REALLY NEED TO NOTICE THE SPEED DIFFERENCE.PAGES NEED TO LOAD IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.NO MATTER THE CONNECTION. BUT I THINK IF YOU HELD OUT ON OTHER PADS JUST TO SEE WHAT WAS DROPPING THIS YEAR. THE I PAD 2 IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE PURCHASE. BUT A 350 REFURB IS ALSO LOOKING PRETTY TO THE POCKETS

 

[tzimisce]

ITA. I don't have one credit card. Love it.

I keep it to just the two I use most often, accumulate loyalty points, then fly business class on vacation. Credit cards do have their uses.

 

[Ms Deb]

My wife and I subscribe to the belief that if you cannot pay for something in full 100% at the time of purchase, then you cannot afford the item. This is true for cars, electronics, furniture, etc... Anything beyond a standard mortgage on a home.
However, to answer the original question, when that day comes, we will simply pay for it in cash because we do not believe in consumer debt.

The way I was taught this lesson was - never pay interest on a depreciating asset. I don't. I do use credit cards, actually I put all of my bills on them, but I pay them off each month. I love those Amex miles.
I am skipping the iPad 2. I tend to upgrade every other year.

 

[dmaul1114]

ITA. I don't have one credit card. Love it.

I keep it to just the two I use most often, accumulate loyalty points, then fly business class on vacation. Credit cards do have their uses.

Yep, they're great as long as you pay the balance off in full each month.


Using a credit card does not have to equal buying things you can't afford to pay in full at time of purchase. They just offer benefits like earning reward points, having better security than using a debit card/visa check card as money isn't out of your bank account if you get fraudulent charges (big issue with online purchasing, I've had fraudulent charges twice) etc.


In any case, I can easily afford an iPad 2. I'll put it on my Amazon.com visa to rack up some reward points though.

 

[pencerm]

My wife and I subscribe to the belief that if you cannot pay for something in full 100% at the time of purchase, then you cannot afford the item.

The only thing I subscribe to is Sports Illustrated, and I use my Discover Card for that!

 

[sjleworthy]

Yep, they're great as long as you pay the balance off in full each month.


Using a credit card does not have to equal buying things you can't afford to pay in full at time of purchase.

that depends on how you look at it.

once a year i'll make a sizeable purchase (my yearly treat) then spend several months paying it off. this is like a monthly savings scheme on a piece of kit.

my advise though - get a credit card that offers several months (at least the time spent paying the balance) zero percent interest on purchases.

 

[dmaul1114]

that depends on how you look at it.

once a year i'll make a sizeable purchase (my yearly treat) then spend several months paying it off. this is like a monthly savings scheme on a piece of kit.

my advise though - get a credit card that offers several months (at least the time spent paying the balance) zero percent interest on purchases.

I've never paid interest on anything but my mortgage, car loans and student loans.

My credit cards get paid off in full each month. The only times I've carried a balance is doing what you noted and buying a big screen TV or other appliance with a 1-2 year 0 interest deal so I could pay it off over time and leave money in the bank earning interest rather than handing it over all at once at time of purchase.

But that should mostly be in the past as I make enough money finally to be able to buy TVs etc. without such deals or having to save up for more than a few months etc. Not having (or wanting) kids is a huge help on that front as it frees up a ton of income.

 

[elgerber]

I am new here, and I will be buying my first Ipad on Friday ( have many other Apple items already). I have been saving birthday money, christmas money and christmas bonuses for awhile now, and have more than enough to buy the Ipad and accessories. If I hadn't, then no, I wouldn't be buying one.
I do use a credit card for absolutely everything I can and pay it off every month to get rewards. I do not keep a balance on my credit cards.

 

[leena]

This will be my first ipad and I'm excited about it. At the end of last year, I looked into the ipad and was ready to buy until I found out the ipad 2 would be coming out in a few months.

I use a cash rewards credit card for everything I possibly can including home improvements. We spent a lot of money last year on some home improvements and I was able to charge it on a credit card, paying off the card at the end of the month. As a result of the home improvements and other expenses, I just got a $600 check from a credit card company.

Of course even though I have the money, stable job, etc - I try to be careful about expenses. Also the economy is tough and positive outlooks could turn negative very quickly. So my advice is pretty much the same as others. If you don't have the money in your bank account, then definitely wait until you do.

 

[tzimisce]

Yep, they're great as long as you pay the balance off in full each month.

I never leave any credit card debt lying around: when I put something on the card, I will also have the cash to pay for it in the bank. Amex has one of the best loyalty point programs around, especially around their frequent flyer point redemptions (hence the business class vacations.)