The hardest purchase

The most difficult purchase I ever had to make was my laptop computer before beginning college. I had just graduated high school, only had a little money, but had just received a large amount of cash and checks from my family and friends as graduation presents. I knew that Ohio University already provided computers in each residence hall room and had countless computer labs scattered across campus available for free usage. Although many of my friends had already ordered or obtained their own computers, I still felt reluctant to spend so much money on an item I wasn't sure I needed.

My ultimate decision was influenced by my parents, convincing me that despite my perceived lack of need, having my own computer would come in extremely handy once I began school. Fortunately, I had a relative who was an employee at Dell and was eligible for a sizable discount. Unfortunately, I had to foot the bill for the entire cost of the computer. More than four years later, however, my computer has never had to be fixed or rebooted. This type of fix is common among laptop computers, especially the Dell brand. Despite my initial anxiety about the large purchases, I have experience no cognitive dissonance whatsoever. In addition, I am confident in its speed and capability and can name countless occasions when I was immensely thankful for having access to my own machine.

My two most influential values were based on the utility of my purchase and the social status associated with owning one's personal computer. I realize that there are still very few people in the world that even have the option of owning their own laptop or desktop. Among my peers, there is a further divide between those who own more high powered computers and those who own a Mac vs. PC. Owning no computer at all sets one aside into an entirely different category. While I am thankful for the needs that my computer is able to fulfill, I am well aware of the status boost associated with it. Therefore, it can be accurately described that I own my computer and enjoy it based on it's value for my work as well as the social mobility.