First of all, I don’t want this to come across as bragging. But for me, personally, becoming a TV owner under 30 was an investment for my future. Sure this purchase may seem frivolous now, but this baby is much more than a 32-inch conversation piece. It’s a status symbol few my age can boast. It represents the hope of a better life. Plus it has those red, yellow, and white cables so I can plug in my N64.
That doesn’t mean my decision was easy. It took a lot of hard work, scrimping, and saving to fulfill my dreams of owning this Panasonic at such a young age. First, I developed an understanding of the market by googling ‘TVs.’ Next, I went to a ton of TV open houses. Best Buy had the best selection, but my neighbor’s house had better hours because I also googled ‘bolt cutters.’
From my research, I learned I’d need at least $200 as not to compromise on the factors that were important to me, like not buying it from a sketchy stranger in a parking lot. Then, I ruthlessly budgeted my money. I stopped going out to eat, made coffee at home, and didn’t buy any new clothes, even from very tempting, personalized Instagram ads.
Since all this saving required an initial investment of groceries, a latte machine, and non-trendy clothing that I could wear for long periods of time, by the end of the month I had only saved $15. I got creative though and spent the $15 on a poster board and glitter markers, made a vision board of flat-screen TVs, and meditated in front of it, visualizing myself watching my very own TV.
Then I called my dad and asked to borrow $200. At first he was like, “no” but when I said it was for something very important and that it could be an early birthday present he was all, “sure.”
Though my journey was arduous and complicated, I’d still recommend that everyone my age become TV owners. You too can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that if anything were to go wrong, you have an asset you could pawn.