I need your help. My dear old computer, age 6, has begun acting up. Truth be told, it started acting up about a year ago and I have been quietly coaxing it back into good behavior with encouraging phrases like “You can do it!” and “Don’t give up now!” as well as a lot of fiddling around with it’s innards. In fact, I’m writing this post on it now, but will probably have to restart several times in order to finish. It’s frustrating!
All this anguish has really ignited the “I want a new one” fire inside me. I almost bought a brand new iMac at work the other day, getting all the way to the order confirmation page before slapping myself across the face and remembering that I should probably put some thought and planning into such a decision before getting all trigger-happy. Buying a new computer can be a real financial burden and drain on the environment. Maybe I just need to follow some of my own advice?
That’s when I remembered that I no longer have to make decisions like this on my own. Since starting Frugally Green, I have gotten some really thought provoking feedback from the amazing people that have found their way here. So today, I pose my question to you, friends: What do you think is the best frugally green solution to my dilemma?
Here’s what I’ve considered already:
Repair my existing PC
Right off the bat, this seems like the least expensive and most environmentally friendly option. I’ve exhausted my own repair knowledge, so I’d have to take it to a professional and likely be without a machine for awhile (though I could use my work laptop if I had to). I’m hesitant to go this route, though, because a lot of the software I run is quite sluggish on this computer. I’m afraid that if I repair it, I’ll just end up needing to buy a new one anyway before long.
Buy a cheap new PC
This is another option – just bite the bullet and pick up something new that I know won’t give me any trouble and, if it does, I’ll be all over that warranty. My old machine will be dropped off at Free Geek, allowing me all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings when they Frankenstein it into something useful again that someone less fortunate can get some value out of. It will also better ensure that very few, if any, bits and pieces end up in a land fill.
In this case, I’d probably make the new machine a fairly barebones system and add hardware to it as I saw necessary. This would require little cash up front and allow me to add things that I think are important as I go. To be honest, though, I’ve recently had my eye on some Apple products, which leads me to my third option:
Buy a new (or gently used) iMac
This would bestow upon me the ultimate consumerist happiness. I’m no drooling Mac fanatic, but I did use them throughout college and enjoyed the operating system as well as a lot of the software (except iTunes! I hate iTunes!). I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here before, but in my spare time, I’m a home recording enthusiast. The software I use and am very happy with is Mac only. This wasn’t a problem before as my roommate had a Mac that I used for recording, but now he’s moving out.
I feel like buying one of these would allow me the most versatile use, but would also be the most expensive option. I’m keeping an open mind because I know that sometimes you have to spend upfront to save down the road and used Macs seem to hold their value better than PCs. At the same time, I’m afraid I’m being influenced by aesthetics. Apple makes pretty computers and I don’t want to spend extra money just to look at something attractive (I get my fill of that from Jessie for a much better bargain). A computer is a tool to me, not an accessory.
So I’d like your help! I’ve thought this through myself, but I want to know how you would approach the situation. What criteria would you use to make sure you got the most for your money, everything you wanted, and were being environmentally conscious about a major electronic purchase? I really value your opinion and want to know what you think.
~~~~~~
If you enjoyed this post, please share it using the button below or leave a comment and consider subscribing to the RSS Feed.
Last week, in celebration of Earth Day, the construction management company that I work for recognized me in its newsletter for being sustainably minded. I was very honored, and it got me thinking. We are in the midst of a company wide cell phone upgrade process. This replacement of, quite literally, thousands of phones made me stop to ponder about how often this sort of practice occurs in other, smaller companies and on a personal, consumer level with cell phones and other personal electronic devices. Turns out, after researching a bit, it happens a lot! According to the National Center for Electronics Recycling, Americans tossed out 2.25 million tons of electronics in 2007. Not necessarily surprising, but it certainly makes you think about where all those do-dads went. 82% went to landfills.
Sure, mankind needs to continue to develop technology in order to improve the efficiency of life and devalue the cerebral cortex, but how often do you and I really need to partake in the vicious cycle? Sometimes, I wish I was more technically proficient. My computer is about 6 years old, I have a first-generation Zune that I bought used and my last TV was a nearly 20-year-old hand-me-down from my parents. I replaced it last year for no good reason besides wanting a different one. Whoops. In today’s Information Age, by my own estimation, I live in the dark ages a bit and have a hard time relating to the idea of keeping up with the Joneses. In a Frugally Green sense, here’s why:
It’s Expensive
Is it just me, or does the next generation of the item you just bought always seem to come out right after you bought it? Usually, the improvements between the latest updates are not significant enough to warrant purchasing again. If you’re like me, all your electronics are at least a few generations old and still have a number of features that you don’t particularly need. While I’m obviously not the most technologically savvy (just getting Frugally Green started was quite a task), I can’t believe that companies like Apple, Sony, Garmin, and others don’t offer consumer level leasing agreements for mp3 players, laptops, and GPS systems. If you’re the type that needs to be on the cutting edge, at least this would give you an easier out when the next best thing comes along.
It’s Unsustainable
Continually consuming new electronics for the sake of consuming new electronics is hard on our environment as it drives unnecessary demand for an unnecessary item. The amount of resources used to create these gadgets is quite staggering. The energy conserved indirectly by simply lowering the demand for these items would be astronomical, not to mention the direct reduction in the amount that ends up in landfills.
There’s good news though. If you have to have that new gizmo and the one you’ve got is still technologically relevant, there are a number of resources for you to find it a new home, either with someone less technologically inclined, like me, on Craigslist (there’s one for nearly every major city in the world now) or eBay, and many major companies now offer a recycling program for their own legacy products.
Those of us that always seem to find ourselves with yesterday’s cell phone face another challenge when we’re ready to upgrade- nobody wants it. If you find yourself in this predicament, you’re going to have to work a bit harder to be environmentally responsible. Luckily for us, someone went to the trouble to create websites like myboneyard.com, which might give you some cash if they can use the device for something, and mygreenelectronics.org, which provides a searchable database of local electronics recyclers based on zip code. A quick search revealed that I have a Free Geek in my neighborhood. I like what they stand for, so I think I’ll take my next outdated item to them. Although, the idea of getting a little cash for it is tempting. For old cell phones, I suggest doing a search for a local woman’s shelter. They’re often looking for emergency cell phones that they can give to their patrons.
What kind of electronics consumer are you? Always updating to the latest and greatest or delicately coaxing the last breath out of your dying gadget? Do you find yourself behaving similarly in other aspects of your life? Where can you improve?
