I'm so lost.. I'm in need of advice

[L0veLy]

hi there, anyways my hubby and I only saved a couple thosand dollars, and seems like forever that we will get a house with a down payment. Saving up for 20,000 seem like that is never going to happen. So i decided to go out and buy a laptop with the money. the laptop is for my online school of course. but the question is do i really need it? I really want a house, (but who knows when we can save that kind of money up, do you guys think that it was a bad idea that i bought a laptop with the money? and now we have only 700 in the bank. Please give me advice on what to do.. thanks

 

[obliviousmama]

Did you and your husband discuss buying the laptop together? Will the laptop help you finish your schooling more successfully which in turn will help you better in the financial end upon completion? Will it help you reach your goal of buying a house?

There are many programs available for purchasing a house w/ little or no down payments. Are any of these options for you? Have you talked to a financial planner or mortgage lender?

I would say it would depend on the other situations in your life. Buying a laptop is not bad in and of itself, unless the outside factors don't balance that.

Saving money is hard, but is that an area that you need to work in? Is God trying to teach you anything here? I would examine that part of my life. Saying this from experience - been there done that.

Good luck and hope everything turns out OK.

 

[rogsr]

If you think about it, the laptop was kind of like an investment. In that, the money that it cost you to purchase the laptop will be made up for exponentially when you complete school and get a good job. However, I do understand how you feel when it comes to spending money. I hardly spend money on things of that nature and when I do I often times feel guilty for doing so. It's good to be like that I think, not a miser, but rather a prudent spender. If you spend spend spend soon you will have nothing left to spend, but if you spend some and save some then you will never go without.

Peace and I hope God blesses you with success in school-

P.S. -- What are you going to school for?

 

[L0veLy]

obliviousmama: yes i bought this with my hubby. he bought this for me to make me happy. . School is the only thing that i am ever so proud of.
We heard abbout the no down payment and i believe that if theres a will there's a way. Knowing God will open doors to get a house whether with a down payment or not. Yes, we can save again and we are going to save. But having a house is also important because we live with his mother in law and sis in law with 2 children and her hubby ad my dad in law and us and my dear child. Thinking about it's crowded and and I never feel at ease. But I don't want to feel like Im spending and God says why do you spend your money that way and I do not want to bless you. That's how I feel.

Rogsr: When I spend I do feel guilty whethers it is my hubby's money or ours.I want to take this laptop as a blessing but it's so hard, because I want to save that money also.why? maybe because I am greedy or something I do not know. I hope God will continue to bless me even if i spend like this .


O yeah i am studying premed and i am trying very hard. I take classes online because of my 2 months daughter..

 

[rogsr]

maybe because I am greedy or something I do not know.

Greed my friend is a whole other issue then what you are describeing, at least that's what it seems like to me. It sounds to me like you just re-routed funds from one financial project to another. I think it was a wise decision. An example of a greed-like action would be if you spent the money on something strictly for yourself, however, the new computer will help you save time and enhance your productivity in school, which in the long run benefits the entire family unit.

Peace-

 

[L0veLy]

you really think so...? am i just condemning myself? maybe i should see this as a blessing, that God wants me to continue my education to be that someone in life for my family.. ok thanks.. this laptop might even help my hubby too for his auto mechanic and engineering school..


oh yeah, he also told me this is the last laptop i am getting..lol

 

[rogsr]

you really think so...? am i just condemning myself? maybe i should see this as a blessing, that God wants me to continue my education to be that someone in life for my family.. ok thanks.. this laptop might even help my hubby too for his auto mechanic and engineering school..


oh yeah, he also told me this is the last laptop i am getting..lol

Positive thinking changes things quite a bit eh? I always look at things from as many angles as possible before making semi-large or large decisions. Sometimes I even make a chart .

Peace-

 

[TheMainException]

I think that you should speak with your husband about the matter and talk it over...let him know how you feel and then pray together..pray that you will have better faith in Christ on this matter, that you will be able to pull together that money and that you will be able to have patience. I personally think that you should return the laptop...but that's just me...do what you think God wants you to do.

 

[dasielady]

On a related topic... have you thought about trying to get a mortgage with no down payment? Look into an FHA loan with your bank or credit union. Perhaps you can get your house without a down payment.

 

[fishstix]

As long as buying the laptop hasn't caused your family to suffer in other areas (eg. groceries and other necessities) then I don't think it is really a problem. And a laptop for your education is an investment in the future - so in the long run it may even pay for itself. That said, if you are saving for something specific - like a house, the sum grows a lot faster if you don't dip into it to buy other things And it's always good to have a little set aside for a rainy day

 

[Rand1956]

You're going to need that laptop in pre-med. ... I think it's a very justifiable purchase; it'll probably be more useful than some of your textbooks! And the portability will be a joy, particularly if you're trying to keep up with a 2-year-old.
Good luck!
Randall

 

[L0veLy]

thanks randall.. makes me feel not so guilty for buying such things.. my hubby also said that its for school so don't even worry about it..


thanks everyone for the encouragement..may god bless you

 

[bubblegirl23]

Hi,

you're speaking to the right person here. Don't get a laptop - get a Pocket PC. They are smaller, cheaper & easiert to use. Have a read of my PDA articles at www.bubblegirl.net/work.html

Have a read of all the articles because they teach you a lot. In one of my articles it says how to buy refurbished ones for $160. An e740 would be perfect for you!

Bubblegirl

If you have questions, email me from the contact page.

 

[forgivenmuch]

hello.. i was going to let you know that you can get a loan without any money down. there is so many loans out there today. i think its a good idea to have some money for closing cost. however you can still get a nice house without any money down ..if you have a low debt ratio and a good credit score. i would work on building my credit up first and making sure my debt ratio was low before thinking about buying a house. the banks are very strict on ways to get a loan and what kind. in the process of saving ..check your credit out see how good it is.. (if you have not) and build more up into that. i hope you the best.

 

[Melody42]

invest

 

[L0veLy]

forgiven: so if i want to do no money down on a house, is there any other cost involving..? Good credit well ours is umm.. bad.. should we work on rebuilding it?
Or are there loans out there for people with bad credits also? please give me more advice.. I am really interested and praying...

bubblegirl: PDA but theres alot i want to do, like my homework because of online classes.. so how will this work?

 

[fishstix]

Good credit well ours is umm.. bad.. should we work on rebuilding it?

Working on rebuilding good credit is always a good idea. Even if there isn't something specific that you want a loan for at the moment.

 

[bubblegirl23]

A Pocket PC can be used for html, programming, word processing, desktop publishing, and many other literary tasks. For a $100 you could buy the adapter to plug an ordinary PC USB keyboard into it. Look up the link here to find these models - that will be able to do the above mentioned.

Toshiba e740 - $160 - I have one myself & love it!
http://www.epinions.com/pr-PDAs_Toshiba_Pocket_PC_e740_Handheld_PA3170E_1P03
Toshiba e330 - $120
http://www.epinions.com/pr-PDAs_Toshiba_Pocket_PC_e330_Handheld_PD330U_00001

Both of these would be more than suitable! These pages include "refurbished model" sellers

 

[bubblegirl23]

A Pocket PC can be used for html, programming, word processing, desktop publishing, and many other literary tasks. For a $100 you could buy the adapter to plug an ordinary PC USB keyboard into it. Look up the link here to find these models - that will be able to do the above mentioned.

Toshiba e740 - $160 - I have one myself & love it!
http://www.epinions.com/pr-PDAs_Toshiba_Pocket_PC_e740_Handheld_PA3170E_1P03
Toshiba e330 - $120
http://www.epinions.com/pr-PDAs_Toshiba_Pocket_PC_e330_Handheld_PD330U_00001

Both of these would be more than suitable! These pages include "refurbished model" sellers

Forgot to add, a Pocket PC can link to a PC. This means you can use your PDA at school the copy your work to the desktop you are using now.

 

[CeCe]

forgiven: so if i want to do no money down on a house, is there any other cost involving..? Good credit well ours is umm.. bad.. should we work on rebuilding it?
Or are there loans out there for people with bad credits also? please give me more advice.. I am really interested and praying...

bubblegirl: PDA but theres alot i want to do, like my homework because of online classes.. so how will this work?

100% loans are out there but your credit has to be pretty good. And you're probably looking at PMI and maybe even a higher interest rate. It's like a lot of things in life--it's a trade off.

The thing you want to remember is that when you own a house, you own its problems as well. So if you come home one day to busted pipes and water ankle deep (or worse), you don't call the landlord. You call a plumber. And there's more than just a monthly mortgage payment. You'll have to have homeowners insurance and property taxes to pay. It is a HUGE responsibility. If you are strugging in any way financially, I think it might be better to rent for a while which will give you an opportunity to rebuild your credit and save up some money. The last thing you want to do is get a house and wind up losing it. That will only make the next time a much higher mountain to climb. A foreclosure is a bad bad thing on your credit report.