You want to protect your laptop from damage as best as you can. You’ve applied skins to protect the surface from scratches, scrapes and scuff marks. You’ve gotten the strongest screen protector that you could find and a sturdy carrying case for whenever you need to travel. You’ve gotten a silicone keyboard protector to stop liquid from getting under the keys. You’ve even gotten a laptop stand to prevent it from overheating!
Those are all great steps to protect your laptop, but the truth is — it can still get damaged. There could be a day when you forget to zip up your laptop case firmly, and the device slips out onto the floor, or a day when you spill a glass of water onto your naked keyboard. Accidents happen all of the time.
Don’t get caught by surprise! How can you do this? Take some additional steps to make sure that you can handle your laptop’s repair costs right away:
Emergency Fund
The simplest way to prepare for the costs of repairs is to put together an emergency fund. An emergency fund is a collection of savings reserved for urgent, unexpected expenses. In this moment of crisis, you can pull out the necessary savings from your fund and get your laptop repaired immediately.
So, start building your fund right away. Set aside savings every month and watch your safety net grow!
Online Loans
What can you do if you don’t have enough emergency savings? There are online emergency loans that can help you deal with urgent, unexpected expenses. If you meet all of the qualifications for one of these loans, you should apply! You just might get approved and get the funds you need.
It’s important to know that online loans should only be used for emergencies. If you can’t afford to wait to get your laptop back in working condition (for example, you need it for work), then you should consider it as a viable solution. If you can wait to save up for repairs, then you should do that.
Warranties
If your laptop is still under warranty, it could cover the costs of repairs. However, not all essential repairs get coverage. For instance, standard plans often don’t cover repairs for water damage.
You might be tempted to get an extended warranty for your tech to help you manage the costs of repairs. This isn’t the most financially savvy idea since the monthly warranty payments could end up costing you more than a single repair.
Another reason why you don’t need to get an extended warranty? Your credit card might already offer one. Many credit cards offer extended warranties for electronics, as long as the cards were used to purchase those electronics.
Homeowners Insurance
Your homeowner’s insurance can offer laptop coverage in very specific scenarios: it’s vandalized, it’s stolen or it’s destroyed during a disaster (for example, a housefire). So, during these worst-case scenarios, you can rest assured that you’ll get financial help for repairs and replacements.
This will also be available with renters insurance.
You can’t guarantee that your laptop will never get damaged. What you can do is prepare for that moment so that you’re ready to pay for repairs right away.
