Allison and I are getting a new computer. We ordered it last night. I’m not giving out the details as of yet but this machine should rocket us along for a couple of years. And we got a pretty good deal on it too. I vowed twelve years ago that I would never again spend over $1000 for a computer.

Back in 1996 I bought myself a Gateway laptop and ended up having to take out some personal loans to pay it off. I won’t even tell you how much I paid for that laptop but I can tell you if you added up the cost for this new computer plus the two prior to this one… well they still wouldn’t add up to be as much as that laptop.

Having spent many years in debt I can tell you that taking out a personal loan can be scary but it can also be helpful, if you pay it back quickly. Being in debt sucks, you still have to buy stuff but you continue to get deeper and deeper in the hole. Luckily it was bonus time at work and this little baby isn’t going to put us further into hock. And by baby I mean the computer, our baby is going to put us into hock but we knew that already. When the bill comes in for this computer I will pay it in full and be glad I did because overextending my credit is no fun either.

That laptop back in 1996, I bought that using a loan through the computer company. The interest rates were insane but I was young and stupid. I was also without many expenses so I had some mad money to play with. If I was a little smarter about the whole thing I would not have gotten into financial trouble and would be much further ahead today than ever. But going through that experience taught me some lessons about credit and finances. But that is a story for another time.