u/BananaTheArtist

I quit the game a while ago however I collect alicorns and am fully willing to hop back on for a week or two in order to get one.

Not planning on any huge hyper realistic projects since I’m not there yet for art.

This one at Walmart costs $679 but there are some other ones that cost $100-$200ish more. Think there’s something different about them but I don’t know if this one’s good enough.

For context I’m 17 (18 at the end of the summer) and living with my parents still and I just got my first job right after my last year of high school ended. I haven’t started working yet. I will be paid $13.25 an hour and will be working around 20 hours a week starting out, might go up to 30-40 hours a week as I ease into the work force. I will be paid around $1,000 a month including taxes. (not paid monthly.)

I have been wanting this item that i found for around $400 for about a very long time now. It’s not beneficial to me outside of enjoyment, as it’s only a figurine. (Albeit a fairy large and very detailed one. Specifically the 15th anniversary strawberry shortcake hatsune miku figure.)

I broke my first computer (Chromebook) after several years of usage due to something completely out of my control while at an airport. My mom got me a second computer but it’s 1. A Chromebook and can run literally nothing I want it to, but that’s not a “I need to buy a new computer asap” thing for me and 2. It arrived broken. Not unusable, but it gets very.. glitchy. I think some sort of ribbon thing or something arrived broken when I got it and it’s more expensive to repair then it’s worth.

The laptop I’m wanting is around $679 (give or take) and fills every need I’m wanting from a computer. I can use it for standard games and more importantly can use it for my art and future schoolwork. (IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 16" WUXGA Touch Convertible AMD R7 AI 16/1TB Luna Grey is the laptop for reference, just in case any of you computer nerds here want to tell me if it actually sucks or not.)

I’m not going to be starting college for a while and plan on saving until I have enough money to cover standard college expenses and live fairly comfortably so I don’t have to go through the “broke college student barely making ends meet” thing. It’s going to be a community college first, then a bigger school later.

My mom is also going to be covering some to all of my living expenses as long as I’m in school.
My mom also said that since were a relitavely poor family (not broke and struggling poor but still poor enough that my mom thinks I may receive benefits) so I’m not sure how that’ll work but mom says college may be cheaper.

Also I have a neurodevelopmental disorder and plan on attempting to get financial support from the government because of it. (No clue how that works, but I’ve heard talking about it from my parents aswell as from my caseworkers.)

I also have no plans on moving out yet, since I’m fairly comfortable right where I am (and so are my parents, I’ve talked with them about it) and also don’t want to take out of my saving journey by having to spend on major living expenses. Mom also said it wasn’t my job to spend money on things like issues with the house, but she may charge me rent someday. Maybe.

Already I have something from my school that lets me get $100 for my first account I open (haven’t opened one yet, plan on doing so) and got $300-$700 (potentially more, maybe less than $700 but definitely more than $300) from my graduation party. I think it would be selfish and a waste of the purpose of the gifted money if I spent it on anything other than my future, so that’s all going into savings.

My mom may also lend $200 to help with the computer.

Right after this month of spending on 2 purchases I plan on saving 50% or more (depending on how much of my spending money I end up spending, I plan on splitting my extra money in half and putting half into savings savings and the other half into “what if you want something someday?” savings.

I have been told that buying the figurine and a computer is potentially irresponsible (by somebody who didn’t know I had savings already but still) and I’m worried this isn’t the right thing for me to be doing. However this figure has been on my mind for quite some time now and so has getting a computer and I think it’d just be best to get those out of the way so I can focus on saving but I’m not sure.

Is it an okay idea? Or is this financially irresponsible and am I throwing myself into a pit of financial despair due to my own greed. I’m not quite sure, which is why I’m asking you all.

Looking for something portable so I can carry it around in my backpack, hence why I’m looking for a laptop but it’s not a necessity as long as it’s still portable.