Covid is no friend to finances. Many are either unemployed or underemployed. We are living on less while having to do more. The bills didn’t go away just because the work did. Now might not be the best time to buy a new car, or for that matter, a new smartphone.
There is always the option of buying preowned items. You will pay a lot less than buying new. You also don’t have the same commitment to a used item. It is a great solution for a temporary need. You can always replace it with something new again after the current crisis is behind us.
Even so, a preowned purchase is still a purchase. There is a good chance that you can repair something you have for even less money than buying something used. You know what your own items have been through and what they need by way of repairs. You never know that when you are buying from someone else. While some things can’t be repaired and have to be replaced, consider these options before making a purchase:
Make It Look Like New Again
Sometimes, the only real problem with an item is that it looks old and busted. When that happens, we tend to have a weaker emotional connection to it. A car that has a cracked windshield and a huge dent in the side from that grocery cart looks bad. At some point, you become embarrassed to be seen in it.
Do yourself a favor and find the best collision repair California has to offer and make it look like new again. Once it does, you will fall in love with it all over again, remembering why you chose it in the first place. When you love your car, you treat it better. And when you treat it better, it lasts longer. Begin that virtuous cycle by seeing what a good body shop can do for you.
It Could Just Be the Battery
These days, computing devices are sealed and cannot be opened by consumers. Take a good look at your iPhone. Can you find a seam, a screw, or anything that would imply easy access? Long gone are the days when you could just pop open a compartment and replace the aging battery for yourself.
Don’t despair. That iPhone can still be serviced by Apple professionals. They can replace the battery under warranty for a lot less money than you would expect. Smartphone batteries lose the ability to take a charge after a while. And that can feel like your phone is no good. But a battery replacement at an authorized service provider can give that phone another 2 years of life.
Far too many people load up the credit card or use a personal loan to replace items that don’t need to be replaced. Apple just released 4 new iPhones. However, there is a pandemic going on and the phone you have right now can get you through to better times with the least bit of maintenance. Check and see if a new battery would make it feel like a new phone.
Assign Them a Different Function
Sometimes, replacing an item with something newer can’t be avoided. That doesn’t mean you have to throw out the old if it is still functional. You just need to give it a second life as something else.
You can always pass the device down to a younger family member who does not have the same needs as you do. A computer with half its capacity is still amazing to a 10 year old. You can also use those old phones and tablets as dedicated security cameras. Even if the battery is dead, the camera is still good. Leave it plugged in all the time and you have an instant baby monitor.
Sometimes, the best of all options is to just bite the bullet and buy something new. The pandemic shouldn’t stop you from living your life. But it is a bad time to make new purchases that are unnecessary. So before you shop till you drop, try making what you have look like new. Try a new battery. And try repurposing an old item and give it a new life.
