Happppppy Fridayyyyyyy! Did you get all your work done this week like a good little boy or girl? Did you do MORE than you normally do, and thus deserve a big juicy kiss from yours truly? Well if so, line right up and press your lips against this here computer screen! Ready? Set? xx MUAH! xx
Haha… okay okay, enough silliness. Let’s get on to something more important – like telling us how much you’ve been spending on electronics lately ;) We learned allllll about your clothing purchases last week, particularly with your underwear (ow ow!), but this time we wanna know how you prioritize your money w/ gadgets. And as always, there’s no right or wrong answers here – just the ones that are true (so no lying!).
Okay here we go… 5 For Friday – The Technology Ed. I’ll start us out, and then it’s up to you to follow suit in the comments below. Tell us how much you’ve spent on your last ______ purchase:
- Cell phone? Technically, nothing. But only cuz I sold my older iPhone and then used the money to get the upgrade to the 4 back in the day ;) Originally I spent over $200 for the iPhone 3GS, so I guess let’s go w/ that number. The phone’s important to me and my blogging!
- TV? Hmmm… it’s been a while, but I wanna say I spent around $800? I got one of the last remaining large screen projections (62″!) back in the mid-2000’s, and it fits perfectly in the corner of our living room :) Which is GREAT that I bought it when I did cuz I was still in my “I don’t care about money much” phase and probably wouldn’t have done it elsewise, haha… And those big screens make all the difference in the world! Esp if you’re a huge movie fan like I am (or you like watching your favorite football team lose every single season, ugh…)
- Music player? Nada. I stream music for free on the computer, and then maybe once or twice a year on the iPhone (I never remember it has an iPod in it!). My actual iPod just sits and collects dust, and I haven’t bought a boom box since, well, they called them boomboxes ;)
- Computer/Laptop? $400 bucks at Woot.com! The only thing I really care for is speed and internet, so as long as it has that, and it’s pretty reliable, I’ll take any computer. It has to have a big screen too cuz my poor eyeballs stare at it 10 hours a day!
- Video game/console? Nothing! I still have the original Nintendo NES sitting in front of my TV right now, so that should tell you something ;) Though I do like a little Rock Band every now and then when we go to a friend’s house… times sure do change, haha…
- **EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? My 8-Track player! Oh wait… I also have a record player? But that’s not as funny, haha… James Taylor DOES sound pretty sweet on it though!
Aight, your turn. How much money have YOU been spendin’ on that newfangled technology lately? Spill the beans and let’s see where your priorities are (or not)! And then be sure to have a killer weekend, okay? :)
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(Photo by Stephen Barnett)
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1. Cell phone? I paid $199 for my Google phone. I was holding out for spint to get the iphone, but my palm pre crapped out and would only let me txt. So I got the Nexus S and have been pretty happy with it.
2. TV? I think it was $600 for a 42″ Samsung several years ago during a Black Friday deal
3. Music player? Zero. I use my phone to stream alot (thank god for unlimited data) and my parents got me an iPod Nano for Christmas I use when I go run.
4. Computer/Laptop? Hard to say. I’ve been rocking the same Macbook for the last 7 years, and technically it didn’t cost me anything since the one I had gotten right before it (literally 15 days before) was stolen and I made a renter’s insurance claim.
5. Video game/console? I just purchased a PS Vita so $250. It’s the first system I have purchased in years, but I was looking to replace the Nintendo DS we got a long time ago.
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? Nothing really, since I have been doing my best to rid myself of things I don’t use. If I think of something I will add it.
Cell phone? Nothing. I joined my now-husband’s family plan about three and a half years ago, and I think I picked a free phone or else it was a cheap one and his mom paid for it. It’s still going strong so I haven’t replaced it, although I’m way overdue for a free upgrade.
TV? We don’t have one. My parents gave us their beast of an old TV when we got married, but then about six months later I won a $700 home theater projector in a sweepstakes. So we gave the TV to a guy my husband worked with and we just use one wall of our apartment to project on. Better than a big screen!
Music player? I got an iPod Touch for Christmas a few years ago from my parents, and it’s still working great for me. I won a more updated iPod Touch in a sweepstakes a few months ago, but I gave it to my husband because it was only 8GB and I cared more about the storage space than having a camera.
Computer? I’ve got a MacBook Pro that’s almost 4 years old, which I got as a graduation gift from my parents because I’d earned scholarships to cover all my tuition for both my degrees. However, it’s been running really slowly so I think I’m going to have to buy a new one soon :(
Video game console? We got a PS3 about a year ago. I don’t remember the exact cost, but I know we got it half off. It was supposed to be the incentive for my husband to find a full-time job, but then his friend who worked at a video game store said he could get one for half off for a limited time, so he bought it and then Mike bought it from him right away so he wasn’t out the money. Oh well… he found a job eventually :)
Oldest electronic? Hmmm… Depends on what you mean by “own.” I’m pretty sure my parents still have the cassette player that was mine when I was like 3 years old :)
1)$100 for wife’s HTC Wildfire S–Black Friday Sale. We do one “big” gift each year and stocking stuffers, and this was the big gift last year. My phone: $0 of $50, depending on you you want to do the accounting. It was one of the “$50-$50 mail in rebate=$FREE” offers. Next time around, I’ll probably break down and pay for a smartphone.
2)$0. Got a 32″ CRT from Freecycle a couple years ago. Freecycle is an awesome way to get free stuff.
3)$100. I got my wife a Nano for Christmas two years ago. This was the big gift that year.
4)I don’t remember exact numbers, but I build my wife’s computer from scratch with last year’s tax return. I think it ran about $450. My computer, I pulled out of the trash, and have spent about $100 on new parts.
5)$199 for the black Wii. We got it in a sale that included the Wii Fit, which is the main reason we have the Wii in the first place.
Extra Credit: SONY 200 disc CD changer. I am going to put it up on Craigslist, however. I don’t remember the last time I even listed to a CD, let alone listed to one at home, or more than one.
Cell phone? $250 for my HTC incredible, but I think I got a $50 rebate on that…It was a while ago, but I’ll probably be droppin the same amount on a new phone come upgrade time in June.
TV? I was actually donated my TV by one of my fraternity brothers who was leaving for the Army. Huah! $0
Music player? The last one I bought was a Sony discman wayyyy long ago…I’m all about the internet radio/FM radio. We’ll say that discman cost about $50 back then?
Computer/Laptop? I just boought a new 17″ screen Acer laptop from Walmart for $500 like a month ago…prior to that I only had a desktop PC from 2002!
Video game/console? I bought a PS2 off a friend in college for $25 then bought his Madden ’08 and MVP Baseball ’05 for $5…$30 total and I rarely have time to play, but I’ve got franchises going in both to keep me from wanting another game.
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? That would be an RCA alarm clock/RADIO/CD PLAYER!!!! It was high tech in its day…now my phone is my alarm clock hah.
Nice set of questions this week! Let me get my receipts…..
Cell phone- $250 for the Samsung Epic. My previous phone shut down regularly and I was missing important calls (I use the phone for home and work).
TV- We got our TV for about $500 through Costco a few years back (3 or is it 4?).
Music Player- My husband got me an iPod Touch from Costco. I think he paid $200, but I’m not sure. I use it frequently.
Computer/Laptop- I paid $150 to get a monitor for the computer. A relative built my desktop for work as a gift. Much appreciated.
Video game/console- I just picked up Mass Effect 3 : N7 Collector Edition for $80. Yep I paid extra- definitely an exception to my video gaming rules. I’m a big fan of the series and I wanted to get something special for the last game.
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? An Atari. The power plug is messed up so I have to replace it.
1) Cell phone – Bought a Samsung Epic 4G for $150 on Ebay.
2) TV – Have never bought one before. Got 1st one as a hs graduation gift, 2nd one from a coworker, 3rd one (the only 1 I still have) was set out for trash by a college student going home for the summer **it even has a DVD player built-in !!** 2 yrs later its still in perfect condition.
3) Music player – Was about $200 I think. A 120 GB classic Ipod. But I sold a Nano I found on the bus for $100, so technically only $100.
4) Computer – FREE because my netbook was a college graduation gift, but I believe it retails for about $250 – 300.
5) Video game console – Nada. I don’t play video games in any way, shape, or form.
Cell phone? Stupid Blackberry Curve that was free w/contract extension. Will be getting an iPhone now in March w/my next contract extension.
TV? Bought a 46″ flat screen for Herbie’s birthday 4 yrs ago: it was $650.
Music player? Yup…iPod Classic, the 120GB one…that one if for the car and trips, and an iPod Nano for running. (1/2 marathon comin’ up in 6 months). The iPod Classic was, I think $250ish (xmas gift from the hubby) and the Nano was $149 at Target.
Computer/Laptop? a pink netbook bought a couple years ago for $200 on target.com. Herbie has some massive desktop he built (gotta love being married to an IT person) and I don’t wanna know what he paid for the components. Some things are better left unknown.
Video game/console? We have a Wii and little Vinny plays EVERYDAY for hours! The beauty of that, though, is he is obsessed w/Super Mario, which is my favorite game! $199 for the console, and I don’t even want to put a price tag on all the video games we have.
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? I think Herbie has a cassette-tape player somewhere…
Cell phone- $70 because I repaired an outer screen on a new droid 2 (at the time $300 w/ contract HAHA)
TV- FREE.99 for a 55″ flat panel, because the company hubby works for thought it wasn’t good for the conference room anymore! Seriously
Music player-$100 for a best buy brand one that I only use for long car rides now, otherwise I use my computer or cell phone.
Computer-refurbished Toshiba Tablet PC. Got it a couple years ago but still works great and I can flip the screen to use it like a tablet. $200
Video game console- $200 Xbox 360 w/2 games and gift card for Christmas
Portable video game console-$150 for DS 3D w/discounts in NY.
Oldest electronic I own would be my Commodore 64 or Atari. (I collect video games and old systems.) I think my hubby has older record players, but that is his thing.
I have to say, electronics is the only area of my budget I splurge in most of the time. I do try and get everything for discounts or used, but I know it is a weakness category. Same goes for those cute shoes in NY. I hate NY, I want to spend all my money here, because things are actually cheaper than where I live and I live in a cheap area!
Cell phone: $30. It was $60, which was sadly the cheapest new phone there was at that point. But there was also a $30 rebate, so that helped.
TV: $0 because I have never bought a TV. My ex gave me his old one when I went to college and when I got married, my husband already had a tv. Nice!
Music player: $25. About 6 years ago, we bought a new CD player and alarm clock for our room and I looooove it. For other music, I listen to the radio or borrow CDs from the library.
Computer/laptop: $500 5 years ago.
Video game console: $0, have never bought one. Although I would be willing to buy a handheld tetris game.
Oldest: Until last year, I had a 70’s TV. But now, the oldest one is a clock radio I got from my great-grandmother in grade school.
Cell Phone: Nothing – Tmobile G2 – An equipment upgrade I had to go in for a little early to replace my one G1 (…and all I had to do was sign my celluar soul over to them for the next two years).
TV: $125 – Old CRT that I bought, on sale from Kmart when I was still living with my mother years back (That may also make this the answer to the bonus question).
Music Player: $7 – I use an app downloaded into the cell phone. I like to consolidate wherever I can.
Computer/Laptop: $12 (Replacement Part) – Sony Vaio VGN – I saw someone throwing one away that was presumed to be broken. When I asked about I was told: “You fix it, you own it”. Turned out to be a bad DC-IN jack that needed to be replaced.
Video Game/Console: If you REALLY want specifics, the PC is basically my games console. I spent $800 building that up two years back. I bought Mass Effect 3 a week ago for $60 (The reviews are right: The game is excellent. The ending is crap).
Cell phone- so far $0 for a used droid I am supposed to pay a co-worker $10 for but never have cash on me to pay for
TV- Free from work, they were going to throw it away at work, huge flat panel but older and it works fine.
Music player-$100 for a best buy brand one a few years ago
Computer- My last one was free dual core laptop from the trash pile at work that I reimaged. I use it as a home theater latptop.
Video game console- $200 Xbox 360 w/2 games and gift card for Christmas
Portable video game console-$150 nintendo 3ds bought in new york :)
Oldest electronic I own would be probably my 1972 Mcintosh stereo amplifier my wife bought me for a birthday present.
Cell Phone- About an year ago I needed a new one cuz mine was like 5 years old. I shopped around for a Droid X and couldn’t find one cheaper that $150 with a new contract. So I went online and looked at walmarts site, they had a secondary promotion with a company called letstalk.com or something like that. Boom, got a brand new droid x for $10 with new contract.
TV- Waited for black friday and got a Samsung 46″ LCD and blue ray player for $999
Music Player- mmmmm, probably an old RCA Lycra mp3 player, was like $60 bucks or something. I never use it though.
Computer- Black Friday special at Best Buy, HP desktop and two monitors for under $600
Video Game Console- Bought the Xbox 360 when it first came out, and have sent it in for repairs 3 times. I think it was like $400 when I bought it.
EXTRA Credit- Probably the VCR
Cell Phone – $200 for an Iphone 4 that’s about 1.5 years old now. Gonna hang on to it for quite some time.
TV – It’s been a while but it costs ~$1700 for a 58in plasma that was top of the line at the time
Computer – ~$600 This was my b-day present to myself to rebuild my desktop for gaming. Have a laptop provided by work as well.
Video Game Console – $299 – Bought a PS3 as a blu-ray player for the tv.
Extra Credit – Also rockin the original NES although it looks terrible in that big of a tv.
1. Cell phone – $40 for a flip phone with a qwerty keyboard (better to hear on)
2. TV – About $650, purchased with tax refunds 3 years ago
3. Music player – Several years old, I think I paid $100
4. Laptop – $380
5. Video game consoles – don’t have
Bonus – oldest electronic thing I own would be my current (6 yrs) and last pair (13.5 yrs, kept as backup) of hearing aids. Hoping for another year or 2 out of current pair before shelling out $4000-5000 for a new pair (NOT covered by health insurance BTW)
1. $0. Shattered my old phone, boss dropped $600 on iPhone 4 + otterbox for me.
2. I bought 2 LCD TVs for $120, new in box! A 32″ and 19″. Sold the 19″ for $125.
3. Same as you, just stream it online. I also haven’t used my iPhone for music, never remember it!
4. $298 for a laptop about a year ago.
5. Bought the XBOX 360 years ago for my husband, $600!! Still use it to this day, especially for streaming TV/movies.
6. The oldest we have is a 1961 console stereo. I love it! Has an 8 track, record player and radio and they all work perfectly. I also collect old video game systems, NES, SNES, Atari, Sega Genesis, N64, etc.
Hmm. I think this will be a revelation. >.<
Cell Phone- I have a Sidekick 4g, it was less than $200, but only slightly, if I'm remembering right. This was a recent purchase, since we switched providers after more than a decade.
TV- The living room one was a gift. My father in law gifted us an amazon gift card about 2 years ago for 2 grand, saying it was to make up for a few years of no gifts. We bought the tv which think was 1200 bucks. No cost to us though. Small one in the bedroom was 200, the kids saved for the one in their room. They each paid for a quarter of it and we paid for the other half. $70 bucks there and an old Daewoo in the office that was probably about 400 bucks 8 years ago when we got it.
Music player- I have a Zune, which was a X-mas gift from the hubs. It was 90 bucks. He has 2 Zunes, and 8 gig and a 16 gig. 90 bucks and 170 bucks. One kid has a Zen, which was brought home from Iraq, left behind by another service memeber. It's still in perfect working order.
Computers- The hubby and I each have a laptop, 700 a piece. The kids also have one they share, 800 for that one. Hubby has a tablet, 600 for that.
Video game stuff- Ahem. Hubby and I split the cost of an X-box 360 Kinect a few months ago since our last x-box crapped out on us. New one was 400 bucks. Wii for the kids, when it first came out 250 bucks. PSP for hubby and each of the kids 169 a piece. DSi for each of the kids 169 a piece. DS lite for me, 129.
So.. yeah.. I feel ashamed. lol
1. Hubby and I both have Palm Pres that were free with a 3 year contract on which we pay $35 a month (each) for all the text, talk and web we could ever use. It’s a great deal in my books. Hubby just wrecked his screen and had to replace it. Looked at getting a different phone but the cost would have been huge especially since any plan comparable to ours starts at $50/month.
2. We treated ourselves to a $350 40″ tv for Christmas and moved our old 32″ LCD (that we paid $299 for 3 years ago) upstairs to our room. It’s pretty sweet.
3. Play music with the computer. Last stereo I bought was 14 years ago- a Panasonic that I think I paid about $300 for., I saved like crazy for it and it still worked but I sold it in a garage sale this summer cause we weren’t using it and it was taking up room in our basement.
4. Just picked up a Playbook for hubby’s birthday for $200. Before that we bought a netbook that was $100 with a turbo stick contract about 3 1/2 years ago. We’ve been rebuilding our two desktops for the past 6 years or so. We just add stuff and upgrade them as needed. Originally I think our current desktop was $1000 7 years ago.
5. Hubby sold Xbox360 and accessories to put towards PS3. We probably paid about $150 after that. Thankfully he plays one game at a time so once we decides to buy a new game I sell the old one online. Keeps the costs low.
1. Hubs bought my cell phone for Christmas (EVO 3D was $50)
2. TV – we have 3 flat screens. My husband uses one for flight simulation ($350 on clearance – 32″), one in the living room ($800 50″ plasma) and one in the bedroom (42″ $450). Do we need them all? No. Is it nice to have them? Yes.
3. Music on my iPod in the kitchen with a speaker. Won the iPod from ING Direct when they had their photo contest a couple years ago. Hubs bought my speaker for Christmas that year.
4. Laptop in ’09 for ~$850 and it was worth every penny. Hubs builds his own and the last time he “upgraded” he spent ~ $800.
5. $299 for a PS3. Free Playstation Move through House Party.
6. We have a Super Nintendo, N64 and an Original Game Boy that all still work. :) :)
1. I just got the iPhone 4s ($200), after four years with a flip phone and one year with a Blackberry. Needless to say, I’m in love. To me, the extra cost is worth it.
2. I have never bought a TV, so $0. I’ve been relying on perfectly good hand-me-downs from family and friends, and I’ve gone the past 10 months without cable (god bless Hulu!)
3. Music: I just use the iPod on my iPhone.
4. Computer: My MacBook ($1200) was my first big adult splurge, and it’s been completely worth it.
5. Video game console: none. I do miss GameCube though. Le sigh.
6. Oldest electronic: my six-year-old digital camera. Still runs great and takes pretty good pictures, but thinking of letting it go.
Yikes, we spent quite a bit on technology this year.
Macbook Air – $1000 (For me)
Vizio Flat Screen TV – $600 (For Hubby)
Kindle Fire – $250 (For Little Brother)
Holy heck! That pic looks like one of my teenage boom boxes I used to lug around with me EVERYWHERE! Esp going to the mall with my girls. It was the ‘thing to do’ back in the 80’s. Can’t imagine how many batteries I went through cuz there wasn’t rechargables back then.
And, yes, I’ve been working my behind off all week….need (and deserve) a break! So, smooches back atcha!
1. Cell phone? I think I paid abt $30 after my free replacement with Verizon. that was abt 2 yrs ago. Diggin on the smart phones…been playing with my coworkers and it’s as I feared…I.WANT.ONE.NOW!! Gonna hold off as long as I can though.
2. TV? $294 from Walmart when everything went digital….don’t have satellite or cable so needed the digital.
3. Music player? Just got an iPod Nano for Christmas, so I spent $0
4. Computer/Laptop? Desktop PC purch abt 4-5 yrs ago…spent abt $350ish. About 18 mos ago it had major virus and a friend of my sister’s fixed it & upgraded everything for FREE! Woot!
5. Video game/console? I have a Nintendo 64 that I bought back in the day…have no clue what I paid for it…loved, loved, LOVED playing Zelda & Super Mario Bros. It went to my nieces & came back to me just last year….I’ve played it once or twice….maybe this weekend?!
6. **EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? toss up between my Nintendo 64 & my 100 +1 CD stereo (will randomly play them or one disc at a time) And, I never use it anymore.
Wow, so many of you play video games! I wish I still loved them as much as when I did growing up, but w/out friends to play them with I just bore myself to death :(
@Brian -PS Vita? Man, I’m so out of the loop I don’t even know what the heck you’re talking about! Haha…
@Jessica @ Faith Permeating Life – WOW! You are a good little winner there, that’s awesome! :)
@Edward Antrobus – Yeah! I hear Freecycle is awesome… have never used myself, but I love the concept behind it.
@Jon B – Haha, isn’t that crazy? How we have more in our cell phones now than in like 10 electronics back in the day? I love it :) And I also miss discmans, haha…
@Elle – Wowwww!!! Dude, you totally have to get that Atari back up and running! That’s a collector’s item now :)
@Rai – For a second there I thought you were gonna say there was a DVD left in it! And a very sexual one too! Haha… (is that bad?)
@Trinnie – Blackberry??? What year is it over there, 2005? haha… you’re funny Trinnie :) And agree – def. don’t wanna know what Herbie dished out for that comp!
@LB – Huh, that’s so strange? I would have never guessed shoes would be cheaper there? I know when I lived in NYC everything was mad expensive – could never pick up shoes (but maybe you didn’t mean “the city”?)
@Daydream Kate – You borrow cds from the library? Haha… man that is some frugalness. You are good!
@Yardwork – Damn, good fix! It’s amazing the stuff we just chuck cuz we don’t spend the time to research or fix…. not that I’m any better, but still – good for those who take the time!
@DB – Oooooh I bet that amp pumps it out too! That’s the one thing I wish I knew more about – how to put in a kick ass stereo system in my house. Or at least my Blogger Lair :)
@DebtnTaxes – Oh man, I still have like 20+ VHS casettes laying around! They’re good ones though, but of course I never watch them! (Actually, I don’t even know if we OWN a VSH player anymore??)
@Nate R – Haha, I bet! But at least Maro is the size of a human ;) I like it on our big screen – it reminds me of that Nintendo competition movie back in the day – remember that? With Fred Savage I think? And they played Mario 3 (I think?) when it was coming out?? Man that was awesome.
@Liz – Ouch! That sucks, why the heck aren’t they covered?? Cuz you have to wait until they die out or something?
Angella – WOW! You have a nice boss! I shattered my iPhone but I’ve still been using it for almost a year now ;) But only cuz I can still see stuff on it – if I couldn’t, then yeah – back to the store we go! (Love tha console you have btw – that’s dope)
@Nicci – Haha…. you sure like your electronics over there! :) No shame in that though, we all spend money in different areas. Pretty crazy how it looks when it’s all written down though, huh?
@Marianne – Well that’s a good idea! Recyling games def. cuts down on the $$$, good job.
@Kerry – Game Boy! Man, that was the very first item I ever saved up for :) It took me like 2 years, and then by the time I had the money, I didn’t want to spend it! Haha… and then, like 5 years later, I found one at a yard sale for like $15. Good times…
@Megan Cassidy – I bet!! I’m telling you, iPhones do WONDERS if you can use them for all the good stuff they offer… welcome to the future! :)
@SavvyFinancialLatina – I like them all though! Something to learn on, something to watch on, and something to read on :) Very cool.
@Kathy – Yeah 80’s!!! I want pics!!!! :)
Hearing aids not covered: Insurance companies consider hearing aids to be “cosmetic” or “not medically necessary” and therefore won’t pay for them. Exceptions: active duty military (covered me as a dependent til Dad retired), state law requires it (NH is looking more attractive) or union bargaining got it covered. Most health insurers list it on the not covered section, crazy I know. So am stashing money in an HSA and will have at least $4000 for it by early next year
let’s see…
Cell: Don’t have one. Don’t need one.
TV: Have never bought one; the one used is my step-daughter’s cast off that she was given used in the 90’s.
Music: DH gave me an IPOD for my birthday. Before that, only the music in my head or that which I heard on the radio.
Computer: My work one was provided by work; my home one is my DH’s old Mac…one of the original Macs.
Video games/console: dont have, never have had.
Oldest: well, I still have the record player I purchased in the 70’s. I don’t use it, but I still have it.
So, leading edge technology is not a priority to me.
The Wizard is the Fred Savage movie! I showed it to my kids this past summer. :D
Cell phone: Work pays for device & plan
TV: I basically got it for free from my friend when she was moving in 2006 — its a CRT, haha. I have to replace it soon though.
Music: I got a Bose sound dock as a gift in like 2005. I use that along with the iPod I bought for about $250 a few years ago.
Computer: 1K for an IBM ThinkPad in 2006 (!) that I still use. Also, I was freelancing at the time, so wrote it off as a biz expense.
In summary, I am V. V.V. cheap when it comes to tech.
Cell phone- I want to say it was $50 ish because of the deal I got with my plan. Part of me kind of wishes I had a nicer one – but I’m due for an upgrade in July and I MIGHT be getting an iPad soon, so having a super cool phone won’t be as important.
TV- FREE! It was my grandma’s old TV and she didn’t want it anymore. So she gave me it to me. :) Although I had to buy a DVD player to go with it and that was probably about $75.
iPod: Technically it was free because it was a Christmas gift, but it’s worth probably about $150-$200.
Computer: My BRAND NEW LAPTOP (that I’m really excited about!) cost me about $500. Worth every penny. It’s a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge, one of their business models and it’s fast, durable, reliable, and I just absolutely love it.
Oldest piece of technology I own: Probably my TV. It has a VCR! But, my parents have a record player at their house that they never use and I wouldn’t mind inheriting that.
Cell Phone: I’m rocking the iPhone 3GS, and holding out for the 5! I think when I got it back in 2010, I paid about $70 for it. It was originally $200, but then I had a credit on my account (with my provider, Fido, I get “Fido dollars” back for all the money I spend on phones/bills, which can be put toward future phones/bills) and they knocked another $50 off because I wanted black, and they only had white. (Seriously the best customer service ever. I didn’t even care about the colour!)
TV: I’ve never paid for a TV before. A couple of Christmases ago my parents bought my 32″ flat screen, which was aweeeesome! Before that, I’ve always used hand-me-down tube TVs. My stepdad is a contractor who regularly renovates people’s basements and stuff, and he always takes home older furniture and electronics than people don’t want. He probably has a dozen old TVs in his garage just waiting for someone to need it!
Music player: Well, my iPod was a gift when I graduated in 2005. Then I took advantage of Costco’s wicked return policy and kept returning it/upgrading/cash back nut they finally changed their policy. I think I did it about four times over as many years. I went from a 60 GB iPod Photo that was about $500 (a gift), to a 160 GB iPod Classic at $300. So basically, Costco paid me $200 to take an iPod from them! Otherwise, my stereo was a gift (I know it seems like I have a lot of gifts, but I just don’t upgrade often. I think the stereo is from the early 2000s.)
Computer: I paid about $2000 for my iMac back in 2006. Pretty steep, but the thing’s coming up on five years old and still runs as well as the day I bought it. No word of a lie. I expect another 2-3 years out of it at a minimum.
Video game: I still have my SNES that I got for my 9th birthday. It’s awesome.
Extra: It USED to be this old turntable I had that was so old it didn’t even have a cassette player in it! It had to have been from the 1970s, and I bought it used for about $30. It was awesome. I’ve since upgraded to a nicer one, so I guess now the oldest thing I have is that SNES.
Funny, I always kind of thought I spent a lot on electronics and technology, but I guess I don’t, really! Though I do own an iPad and a TON of DVDs, CDs and records!
J money- I did find a lot of deals around Queens and outside of NY City, but also in NY City. I stayed away from all the Touristy crap areas and found all the little nooks and crannies of the city. I guess I am just a deal finding GPS lol.
1. Cell phone? I Paid $70 for 4 months for two T-Mobile smart phones= $280 with a $200 dollar rebate- equals $80 final price.
2. TV? – $800 LG LCD 42 incher (It is the best picture I’ve ever seen)
3. Music player? – $0 Bose Sound Dock as a gift.
4. Computer/Laptop? $888 Triple Eights baby. Brand New Toshiba Laptop. Will let you know how good it is when I get it. Went against the grain as many suggested I buy an apple laptop on my website post.
5. Video game/console? -$0 Nintendo Wii as a gift.
6. What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? -1970s Marantz Receiver that I have in the closet. I’m not that techie and I have to figure out how to use it with all the new electronics I currently own.
1. Cell phone: $49 Samsung E1310b, I bought it about 2 years ago. It’s pretty ordinary I can tell you that.
2. TV: $1100, The last one was a 50 inch NEC plasma, second hand, I purchase as an x rental from a TV rental company about 3 years ago. I know that sounds expensive but it is made in Japan, is high definition and it only had 700 hours on the clock and it still works.
3. Music Player : I listen to all my music on the computer, I don’t have a HI Fi as such.
4. Computer: $4000 Around 2 years ago, that price is a guess because I built it up myself and don’t remember the cost of all the individual components unless I look back on my records but I couldn’t be bothered, I do remember that the I7 980x processor alone was $1800.
5. Video game console: $? I don’t remember how much my Nintendo 64 cost me 15 years ago but I still play Mario Cart on it.
6. The oldest electronics I own: Maybe $50, 40 odd years ago. A 1955 valve audio generator, used for calibrating audio equipment. I bought it for work when I was an apprentice.
1. Cell Phone : was free with upgrade. I don’t have one of the awesome expensive smart phones (yet), but I’m heading into upgrade territory currently…
2. TV: don’t have one. That was easy!
3. Music Player: mine was a gift, but I’m sure it was less than $100. I got it probably over 4 years ago! Still works okay, just a little Philips mp3 player. Has a few bugs, but it does the job for running and in the car.
4. Computer: I’m working on my brand-new computer right now! (as in less than 24 hours old!) This Lenovo V570 Ultrabook cost me $618, plus a free photobook from Shutterfly.
5. Video Games? Meh, I’m all set without it. Spider solitaire is about as gamy as I get.
6. Oldest? Probably my stereo: a Philips stereo I got probably 8 years ago. Don’t use it very much, but I also haven’t gotten a new one.
Cell phone? Around $200, I think? Whatever the upgrade price was on the iPhone 4s. My iPhone 3G was 2 years old and had a broken screen, so I was in line to get the 4s on the first day.
TV? Nothing. Which is to say, the only TV currently in our house is a 50-inch flatscreen that actually belongs to a friend. He offered to let us keep it at our place in November, since he was in a new apartment with not much space, so we’re holding off on buying our own until he needs it back.
Music player? Nothing–my iPod (2 or 3 years old) was a gift.
Computer/Laptop? Yikes. Here’s where it gets scary. “Our” (read that: my husband’s) desktop computer was about $3,000, and his laptop was around $2,000. He works in visual effects, and needs a high-end system to work on any personal projects at home. Both computers are a couple years old at this point, and he’s itching to upgrade. I’m not so eager. :)
Video game/console? Hmm … last console we bought was a Wii, which was around $150, I think. We do have a PS3 on loan from the same guy who owns the tv.
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? Hmm … I think we had a Gameboy Color until our last move when it went to Goodwill. Now, I’m not sure!
Cell phone? $25 for a G1 with a cracked screen. (I later spent $30 on an Optimus-T only to find out later that the speaker didn’t work.)
TV? I don’t watch TV. But the last one I bought (a garage sale special over 10 years ago) was $10.
Music player? Like an iPod? That’s too fancy for me. One time I won a Chinese knock-off through a sweepstakes on a tech forum.
Computer/Laptop? $350 over a year ago, only purchased it because I had to be able to upload photos/reports through a web form while on the road.
Video game/console? The last console I had was an N64 and that was a birthday present from my mom… (I was 11 or 12.)
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? Presently: Technics SA-GX130 receiver circa ~1990. I once had a Commodore 64 which I donated to a charity auction.
First, I’m not a dinosaur, though some may think so in looking at my electronics inventory. My stuff suits me fine. When I’m in the mood for something new I’ll get it. Or, hope it’s time for a holiday gift!
1. Cell phone? Samsung flip phone, pre-pay, basically for emergency stuff or travel. Still have my regular land-line for now (bundled with my internet service, local company). Paid about $50–60 for the cell on sale at Target, about 4 years ago. Maybe $400 in minutes purchased over that time.
2. TV? Sony, 25″ regular tube TV, bought in ~2001, maybe $450?? Still works just fine for my TV needs which are pretty slim. I won’t just buy a flat screen for the sake of it. I prefer to watch movies in the theater, and TV by myself.
3. Music player? Don’t have an iPod, etc. though I’m thinking of getting one for the gym. Listen to music (NPR or our great public jazz station) on the radio or in the car. Have tunes loaded on my laptop for when I’m working at the library, then play them real low so I can concentrate (helps us ADD folks). I actually listen to my CDs on my stereo or in the car or on the computer. I think I have an old boombox around here somewhere for summer weather emergencies.
4. Computer? My brother treated me to a new laptop for Xmas in 2009, so FREE. It has a nice 17″ screen and it took the place of a desktop. I love it.
5. Video games? None. Does solitaire count? :)
**Extra Credit: my oldest piece of electronica is my Pioneer receiver from 1978, back when they were really made in Japan. I’ve had it repaired only once, and hope to never part with it. Also, a tape deck of similar vintage, though not currently using it. Turntable would be newer, as would CD player. I never went the 8-track route, just cassettes so you could do awesome mix tapes.
Cell phone? A cheap prepaid verizon cell phone. :(
TV? A crt tv from like…1996.
Music player? Don’t have one.
Computer/Laptop? A toshiba laptop that’s really really old. I bought it off Ebay for $60. The sound wasn’t even working, so I had to pay another $3 for an external sound card. It’s okay, but really slow.
Video game/console? Nothing. I had to sell them all because of my dire financial situation. :(
Oldest is probably the TV.
Just bought a new ultrabook as my primary blogging computer. A bit pricey, but love the portability.
Things like TV and video games are non-existent for me. There are way too many more important and fun things in life. If I need down time books are ten times cheaper, more versatile and require me to use my imagination more. Plus with a computer most of the watching and video games can take place there with relative ease. Nothing against anyone of course whose hobbies or past times involve TV or video games. We all have our hobbies that eat a way our money. But why worry about the money if it is responsible and aids us in a great way?
1. Cell phone – $200 – iPhone 4…I can’t wait for the iPhone 5
2. TV – Split it with friends, $100/each
3. Music player – iPod – came free with Mac purchase
4. Laptop – $900 5 years ago! My laptop has been awesome
5. Video game consoles – Nada
Oldest electronic…..laptop.
1. Nothing… it’s a dumb phone but it works well and I’m trying to stay away from smart phones… I think I would get way too distracted.
2. Nothing… I don’t have one :)
3. iPod… around $200? I use it for hours a day, so it’s definitely been worth it. When this one dies I might go for a different brand, though.
4. I actually don’t know… my dad bought mine for me. All I know is that it is a cheap but semi-reliable brand.
5. Nothing… I don’t play video games. I have 3 sisters, I think it would be kinda weird if I did ;).
**EXTRA CREDIT** I have a pair of Sony studio headphones that I snitched from my dad because he wasn’t using them very often. A quick Google search says they’re from the early ’90s.
1. Cell phone – $100 – Google Nexus S. It allowed me to cut texting out of my plan and should pay for itself later this year.
2. TV – $1000 for a 50″ 3D Plasma. Came as a package deal with two sets of glasses, the last Call of Duty Game, and $50 worth of movies.
3. Music player – iPod – $250 for the 80 GB one, almost four years ago.
4. Laptop – $400 – Still works like a charm!
5. Video game consoles – My last two consoles were Christmas gifts, so I guess about $100 for the Playstation 2.
Oldest electronic…..probably my desktop, the thing’s probably closing in on 7 years old.
@Liz – That’s crazy!! Jeez… I’m sorry, that’s just… umm… CRAZY! ;)
@sandrac – Haha… at least you still have all that music in your head ;) Nice and Free!
@Nicci – YES! The Wizard! Man that was good… nice find :)
@brooklyn money – Well that’s pretty dope of your work to pay for the phone! Though it probably means you have to be on call 24/7 too, huh? Haha… I bet it’s a Blackberry too?
@Emmy – Cool!!! I’m glad you ended up getting that – I know you were thinking about it for a while, so yay! :)
@Melissa – Oh man, I can’t wait for that iPhone 5 to hit too! I’m totally gonna upgrade then ;) I’ll have to make the crack in my phone just a BIT bigger so it’ll force me not to see anything on it anymore, haha… cool to know you don’t spend a lot though – well done!
@LB – Well I need to borrow you then on my next visit ;)
@Rich Uncle EL – Ooh cool… yes, please let me know how it is! I have a fine working laptop right now, but I’d love to get a *bigger* one in the future (this screen is super wide but not that tall). So def. keep me posted :)
@Terry – Wow, $4 Grand? That must be one kick ass computer! I bet it’s worth even more if you were to ever sell it considering you built it all from ground up. Pretty impressive!
@ImpulseSave – Hah! You’re like the 3rd person on this post to say they just got a new computer :) Hope it makes everything nicer for ya! (And faster!)
@Rebekah – Visual effects will do that to ya ;) I switched from a business major to multimedia design in college, and boy did my computer $$ go up! Def. worth it though – at least in my opinion ;)
@Ubermich – Commodore!! Haven’t heard that name in forever, wow. Someone at that charity is gonna be really really lucky, nice one :)
@Carol in Mpls – That’s okay, friend! As long as YOU are happy with them and they get the job done, who cares how old or not they are :) Fun to see what you own though!
@C The Writer – Wow. A computer for only $60? That’s pretty good!
@BusyExecutiveMoneyBlog – You’re #4 on these comments to have just gotten a new comp now, haha… it must be the season! :)
@Young Investor – Nothing wrong with that my man :) I’ve cut down a lot of TV watchings since 5 years ago, but I must admit I still watch my portion every night to undwind… you’re totally right though, there are plenty of other ways to do the same – and even cheaper :)
@Jeff Crews – I know, I can’t wait for the 5 either. I just hope it’s REALLY different enough for me to splurge for it, and not just smallish upgrades…
@BrokeElizabeth – Wow, no TV? You and the others who have mentioned that here are all super impressive… I’d miss all my reality shows too much ;)
@George – 3D! COOL! I have no idea what to even expect with that, and I’m kinda waiting to find out just so I don’t get tempted, haha… awesome that you went for it though :) And love your blog name btw, haha, very clever.
I love these – my apologies for being late!
1. Cell phone? Mine came free with a contract; I chose not to go with a smartphone because I have an iPod touch, and that already fulfills most of its functions.
2. TV? Nothing! My 34″ HDTV was a homewarming present from my mom when I moved into my new apartment.
3. Music player? My second-gen iPod touch was… I don’t remember, but it couldn’t have been more than $250. I bought it way back in December 2009, still works great, haven’t felt the need to upgrade it.
4. Computer/Laptop? Aye, the curse of Apple. $2000 for my Macbook back in 2008.
5. Video game/console? Nothing! My Playstation 3 was a gift.
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? Oh gosh, this is embarrassingly not that old, but my Gameboy Advance from 2001.
That’s a helluva nice homewarming present! Awesome!
Yes, JMoney. It’s a BlackBerry. With crappy internet access.
HAH! I knew it ;)
Cell phone? 700 – iphone 4S
TV? I have two. I spent 1,400 for both
Music player? 250 ipod classic
Computer/Laptop? desktop computer – 1K, netbook – 350, tablet – 400
Video game/console? I used to have a ps3 and a wii, I just sold my wii ’cause I’ll be buying the wii U as soon as it’s out. So, let’s say 300
**EXTRA CREDIT**What’s the OLDEST electronic you own? Ugh…. I’d say my desktop, but it isn’t really old and I keep it up-to-date
I’m a big sucker for devices and technology and so is my husband so we change our devices fairly often. It is easier to say that I wear the same coat since 8 years ago than to say that my tv is that old….
Haha, no shame in that :) Everyone values their “stuff” differently!