New laptops are the best although there's a lot of cheap technology out there making second hand ones great value I guess. With people changing over for no apparent reason as well, just to have the latest, I guess there's probably some good quality units around.
Life is getting more and more costly these days with no sign of letting up; I often wonder how people cope but they manage to somehow, to a point; credit spending I guess.
Someone else suggested I get my old Surface Laptop overhauled and I might go ahead and do that to be honest. I know someone who could use a complimentary laptop and would appreciate the gesture. I'll be making some enquiries next year and see what sort of cost is involved.
Boots are expensive for sure (I saw that post you did). I have my eye on some Merrell Tactical boots at the moment...I'm going to try and resist all year.
I'm still furious about the Cash for CLunkers program which paid people with taxpayer dollars to destroy the inexpensive cars we need for affordable transportation and spare parts. And that's only one link of the economic policy chains holding us down. I bought the boots because they will never get cheaper, and they may become literally invaluable if we can't find a way out of this economic mess. Honestly, my reluctance to assume debt has been my best financial decision ever. It's been not a lot of fun living poor, but I don;t have debt looming over my head, and it's hard to put a price on that feeling.
I didn't know about that cash for clunkers thing...seems bonkers. And yet they keep pumping out cars, millions and millions of them with shorter and shorter lifespans. Par for the course for humans I guess.
I'm with you on the next two points; I am a prepper and am on it all the time, always looking for things that may come in handy and especially for things that are likely to be needed but are rising exponentially in cost. A good pair of boots goes a long way. With the debt thing...I agree. I've had some in my day, houses mainly, but I soon learned a better way forward and as the debt fell away I felt better and more free as it did.
There's so many people out there who can't, or don't want to see what's coming and...well, it'll not go well for anyone, but least of all those people.