Financial Stress: Keeping up with Technology

I have been experiencing a lot of financial stress as of late. As a result, I cannot help but view money so differently.

Everything I touch. Every drop of water. Every light bulb. This very laptop I am typing this on.

Speaking of... let me mention my laptop. My beloved Macbook Air 13 inch laptop. I bought this through my high school at the time for a reduced price as part of a 'BYOD' or 'Bring Your Own Device' scheme. 

Although it was reduced, it was painful asking my parents for $1300. But miraculously I got it. It must have been 2015 when it was first introduced in my life, and it is now 2023. Happy 8 year anniversary!

My charger has been shredded to pieces, by God knows what. I broke a knock-off charger, and since had to result to tape up my charger with electrical tape I excitedly stumbled across in a 7-Eleven store. I ripped off the duct tape that was hanging by a thread, the glue melted by the heat radiating from it, and tightly wrapped it in the new tape, excited that it is in its matching white colour.

Although the charger decides not to work from time to time, I continue to drag this laptop through its misery.

I have a newer laptop, which I purchased based on its performance. A PC. I must've bought it years ago from now, I am thinking 2020? 2021? And yet, I still feel guilty about this purchase. I bought it on Black Friday, an extremely good deal at the time. I used to edit YouTube videos and thought that it was worth the investment. While I still use it for gaming to this day, my hobby of making videos has died down.

Technology purchases stress me out. I love technology and use my smartphone every day. But, I purchased my iPhone X back in 2019... and it is already slowing down magnificently.

The thought of having to shell out an extra $1000+ on a new phone, at a time like this, brings me greater stress. Will I use it every day and enjoy it? Yes. Can I continually afford this lifestyle? For years to come? Who knows?

It feels like the cost of living is on a steady rise. Inflation. Stress. 

What other services will be introduced to our lives? Streaming services in themselves seem to be more than plentiful. Now we have to pay for more storage, more music, more, more, more. What if I've had enough?

It is hard to keep up with modern society without a price tag attached to it.

A.S.

Originally published 13th March 2023.