The day has finally come, after saving for over a year and researching for over two months. I ordered my new laptop and it’s d@mn sexy. Sure, I spent a ton of money but this baby is gonna last a long time. I started saving for my laptop in Spring 2010; I could have just bought it then by using credit *cringe* but I didn’t have the money to pay it off…so I started saving, no need to accumulate more debt.

I do have a desktop computer but I needed something more portable and dependable. I actually spend a lot of time working on my blog, whether it’s writing, researching, networking, search engine optimization or the plethora of other stuff you don’t really ever see (or notice). Having a laptop is going to allow me to work from anywhere, except the bathtub—that’s just silly.

We’re also planning to start traveling here and there; having a laptop will give me the ability to work while on vacation. Most people probably think I’m nuts, but I love what I do and if I wanna do it while on vacation I most certainly will. Also, if we ever end up moving out of the country (which would be an amazing experience) I’ll already have a laptop.

I spent quite a while researching laptops and their features so I’d be able to make an informed decision. I ended up coming up with a wish list for the laptop.

Laptop Desires:

♦ 15″ laptop- lighter and more portable
♦ 6gb of Ram- though 8gb would be preferred
♦ Intel core i5 or better- really would like an i7
♦ Spaced keys for increased typing accuracy
♦ 10-Keypad- for easier entry of money stuff like ‘Where Did The Dough Go’ posts

That was it really, though it’s a potentially spendy list. Anything above would be an awesome bonus but wouldn’t determine which laptop I’d buy. So I looked everywhere and was turning up with about $700-$1,000 for the basics I listed above. Obviously, I was pleasantly surprised when I found a laptop that not only met but exceeded my expectations for a fair price.

First, about the laptop I ordered:

♦ 15.6″ widescreen (LED backlit)
♦ 8GB DDR3 (RAM)
♦ Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM processor
♦ Spaced keys + backlit keyboard
♦ 10-Keypad
♦ Blu-ray

I found it at Costco.com and it was $150 off, which brought it down to $799.99. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use cash-back shopping to earn money back—I looked everywhere. Also there weren’t any coupons, the $150 off was the best I was going to get. I called Costco to see if they sold them in the store, nope, online only. Enter shipping costs and sales tax, icky! After talking things over with my honey, he confirmed that I wasn’t going to find anything this good in my price range and I should get it while it’s on sale. I also get 1 year of anti-virus software with it so that’s cool but nothing great. How much did I pay? A lot.

Laptop: $799.99
Shipping: $24.99 (only option)
Tax: $67.65

Total Damage: $892.62

Ouch, I know it but this is really going to make my life easier and I’ve saved to get it for over a year now. I’m so excited! I can’t wait until it gets here, whenever that will be… Yeah, I know I could have paid off the evil credit card with this money and maybe I should have, but I’m finally getting my laptop. Yay! Please note that I am totally aware that this sexy new laptop is indeed a ‘want’ and not a need. Just wanted to make sure that was clear. If you want to see all the features and specs on my new laptop (I know not many of you do) you can see them here.

Are you currently saving to pay cash for something?
Have you recently made a large purchase by paying cash?