My Dilemma

So now that I'm rich... Hahahaha. Yeah right. Especially considering I just made a huge HUNK of a payment to my student loan. Which feels downright awesome, by the way. I'm excited. I feel like I am making headway into a better tomorrow filled with no debt. Yay. I have to say I am so thankful for the fact that I have the desire to be wise with my money and my financial situation. I know that we live in a world where instant gratification is the game, and it is easy to want to "keep up with the Joneses," as the saying goes. I am thankful for true principles and for a desire to follow those principles. Yes, I want nice things. But I don't want to owe anyone for them. I want to have them free and clear. I love that this month's Visiting Teaching message (for church) is all about managing our resources and getting out of debt. There are some very wise words found in this month's message. I have linked it here for anyone who would like to read them. There are a lot of tips for helping people to save money and get out of debt -- things that perhaps some people don't think about, like preparing meals at home.

Not that I meant to pontificate on that. Sorry. Kinda segued there. (That word still looks goofy to me).

My dilemma is this... Now that I have my tax return money, my intentions are fully to buy myself a laptop outright. Naturally, I want to get the best bang for my buck. Currently I am really considering this laptop. I have looked at the specs (hah! as though I know what I'm looking at ;)...). I have read the reviews on both Amazon and at the Wal-Mart website. In both cases, the majority of the reviews are very high and the one consistent complaint in anything negative is the keyboard. Which Mary, who also has a Toshiba (though not the same model, I don't think) also confirmed. I know that cheaper isn't always better. Sometimes you get what you pay for when you go that route. I want something that will do what I need it to do (which really isn't much, honestly... I just want something for typing and web-surfing, and watching DVDs basically) for a long time. I don't need a million bells and whistles. I'm a functional kind of gal, so functionality is my main concern. So, that being said... I appreciate any and all advice. I'm not tech-savvy. At all. Kira suggested a Mac, but I don't know how comfortable I am with that. (I'm sure I've mentioned before that I am a late-adopter of new things... I'm also "traditional" in the sense that I've always used a PC, so the thought of changing to something very different is a little daunting for me. Which I know is close-minded, and I don't mean to be... I just don't want to move out of my comfort zone in an area in which I am already so woefully inexperienced and inept!). So, that's my story :).

P.S... My next blog will have pictures of Desiree and Emily. Today was Christina and Desiree's birthdays! Christina is 25. Desiree is 5. Where does the time go!?