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Sadly this mode is near impossible to exist unless you are in big cities.
I live in a small city with about 70,000 people. Here I can go everywhere by bike. And trains will get me to other cities. In Germany you can use all local public transport in the whole country for 49 Euros per month. I did not sign up to that, but I could if I had a longer commute.

The problem is that many roads in the US do not have sidewalks or bike lanes. That could be changed over time. If bike lanes are possible in Manhattan, they should be possible everywhere.
 
So a lower income person shouldn’t buy computer over installments bc they can’t outright afford one. What you are saying is so classist and ridiculous.
Especially if you have a low income, you should stay away from 24 month financing. It means that for the next 24 months your income will be even lower.

I just came back from a $10,000 trip around the world. I saved the money in cash and started the trip when I had it together. Of course you could do it the other way around. Do your trip now and then pay for it for 24, 36 or more months. That means though that once your trip is over, you are left with a lot of money to pay without getting any additional reward. If you save your money first and then do the trip, it feels like the trip is free, because you do not have to pay any more money when you do the trip and neither in future. The same is true for consumer products. Start saving for your next TV, when the old one is still working! That pile of money will grow and grow and one day gets you into the situation that you can buy a TV just from that saved money without worrying about financing.
 
Especially if you have a low income, you should stay away from 24 month financing. It means that for the next 24 months your income will be even lower.

I just came back from a $10,000 trip around the world. I saved the money in cash and started the trip when I had it together. Of course you could do it the other way around. Do your trip now and then pay for it for 24, 36 or more months. That means though that once your trip is over, you are left with a lot of money to pay without getting any additional reward. If you save your money first and then do the trip, it feels like the trip is free, because you do not have to pay any more money when you do the trip and neither in future. The same is true for consumer products. Start saving for your next TV, when the old one is still working! That pile of money will grow and grow and one day gets you into the situation that you can buy a TV just from that saved money without worrying about financing.
So if a lower income person needs a computer for work or school, you are suggesting since they can’t afford one not to buy it? That sounds really dumb. At least financing the computer over a two year period the y can have a decent computer while not being in a tremendous amount of debt.
 
Apple can suck it! I will not be buying any new Mac anytime soon. The prices are too high and now don't offer any means for someone like myself to purchase.
 
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So if a lower income person needs a computer for work or school, you are suggesting since they can’t afford one not to buy it? That sounds really dumb. At least financing the computer over a two year period the y can have a decent computer while not being in a tremendous amount of debt.
At a low apr or 0
Especially if you have a low income, you should stay away from 24 month financing. It means that for the next 24 months your income will be even lower.

I just came back from a $10,000 trip around the world. I saved the money in cash and started the trip when I had it together. Of course you could do it the other way around. Do your trip now and then pay for it for 24, 36 or more months. That means though that once your trip is over, you are left with a lot of money to pay without getting any additional reward. If you save your money first and then do the trip, it feels like the trip is free, because you do not have to pay any more money when you do the trip and neither in future. The same is true for consumer products. Start saving for your next TV, when the old one is still working! That pile of money will grow and grow and one day gets you into the situation that you can buy a TV just from that saved money without worrying about financing.
and do you even hear what you are saying. You just came back from a $10,000 trip. Most ppl can’t even do that. That is a luxury what you are doing that most people can’t afford.
 
Especially if you have a low income, you should stay away from 24 month financing. It means that for the next 24 months your income will be even lower.

I just came back from a $10,000 trip around the world. I saved the money in cash and started the trip when I had it together. Of course you could do it the other way around. Do your trip now and then pay for it for 24, 36 or more months. That means though that once your trip is over, you are left with a lot of money to pay without getting any additional reward. If you save your money first and then do the trip, it feels like the trip is free, because you do not have to pay any more money when you do the trip and neither in future. The same is true for consumer products. Start saving for your next TV, when the old one is still working! That pile of money will grow and grow and one day gets you into the situation that you can buy a TV just from that saved money without worrying about financing.
Ppl have to pay rent, food, and bills and your talking about a 10k trip paid out right. Yes, if a low income person went on a 10k trip we would be in agreement. What you are not understanding is ppl NEEd a computer to function in the 21st century. Your head is clearly in the clouds skyscraper!
 
Precisely what I mentioned as well. Those that buy upfront usually lose money than those that buy on instalments. Smart money always win :)

That is true if the person uses the money not spent upfront, wisely.

I may be wrong but I think that a great majority of people spend the money that they aren't paying upfront rather than investing it :(.
 
So if a lower income person needs a computer for work or school, you are suggesting since they can’t afford one not to buy it? That sounds really dumb. At least financing the computer over a two year period the y can have a decent computer while not being in a tremendous amount of debt.
There are less expensive options that they can save for, rather than financing themselves into inescapable debt. It used to be called living within your means. Instead of financing a $2500 MacBook Pro, get a $500 Windows laptop.
 
Hence why it differentiate smart people vs finance dummies.

There is a reason why tons of people live paycheck to paycheck and CCs are big part of that. Spending habits play a role too.
Those that were educated early and follow reasonable path will always win long term especially if they get to compounding. :)

That is true if the person uses the money not spent upfront, wisely.

I may be wrong but I think that a great majority of people spend the money that they aren't paying upfront rather than investing it :(.
 
Hence why it differentiate smart people vs finance dummies.

There is a reason why tons of people live paycheck to paycheck and CCs are big part of that. Spending habits play a role too.
Those that were educated early and follow reasonable path will always win long term especially if they get to compounding. :)

Agreed, but I think most people are uneducated in finance rather than smart or dummies.

As a general rule, I believe that these type of people would be safer paying upfront.
 
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People who think you shouldn't be in debt to invest in higher rewards clearly don't have the brains for business. Do you think Apple would be where they are now if the three guys in a garage didn't borrow money, let alone Microsoft's 1997 investment when they were on the brink of bankruptcy?

These people talk like they know what success looks like. People are talking like..."Look at me paying off my credit card every month!" and "I just came back from vacation on my fully saved-up funds!" Cringe.
 
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Oh please, some of you are just being classist.

Paying zero interest on ANYTHING will always benefit the consumer because you don’t have to foot the bill upfront, and you can put that money saved on, guess what, a 4.15 savings account that pays you back even more for the product. Also, at least in the states, you get the 3% cash back on any Apple product when you use the Apple Card.

There is no argument here, you're just being arrogant, and quite frankly, fiscally irresponsible if you think otherwise.
I completely agree with your financing argument. Also, I stopped reading at this post because similar reasoning kept coming up.

Apologies in advance if someone mentioned this after. What about the nice bump in one’s credit score paying off these devices with just dividing up the total amount due by 24 with no interest?
 
I finance all of my apple products through Apple cards 0% interest. It's awesome. Just plan your budgets and try to pay off earlier if possible. I'm planning to do it again for a new computer and new iPhone this fall.
 
Because the popularity of and desensitization toward financing everything is artificially driving up prices for the rest of us.

💡 So that’s why prices keep rising these days! /s

Hasn’t some kind of financing, be it through a cell carrier or bank/cc, always been available for iPhone? If we could flip a switch and eliminate those options, I reckon sales of Apple products would start taking some considerable hits.
 
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So if a lower income person needs a computer for work or school, you are suggesting since they can’t afford one not to buy it? That sounds really dumb. At least financing the computer over a two year period the y can have a decent computer while not being in a tremendous amount of debt.

Ppl have to pay rent, food, and bills and your talking about a 10k trip paid out right. Yes, if a low income person went on a 10k trip we would be in agreement. What you are not understanding is ppl NEEd a computer to function in the 21st century. Your head is clearly in the clouds skyscraper!
A computer you need for work is a business expense. I talk about consumer products. A computer for work pays back. Consumer products do not. And there is something wrong with a country if poor people have to buy a computer for school. In Germany the school has to take care that even students from poor families get their iPad for school.

Having a new computer for your entertainment and daily life is a luxury. A used $100 notebook from Ebay will do the job. Apple products especially are a luxury. If you a short on money, you should not buy Apple products at all. Financing is just a psychological trick by companies to make a price seem low. $2,400 seems a lot of money for a MacBook, but $100 per month for two years does not look so scary. You get a brand new notebook and the first payment is just $100. That leads people into debt. Imagine those people lose their job. Then they still have to pay the $100 and it will be difficult to sell a used MacBook.

In Germany we say "First the work, then the joy". That means that you first earn your money and then spend it. If you finance stuff, you get into a downward spiral. For 24 months you have $100 or so less per month that you could have saved for a future purchase. If that costs interests on top, the deal is even worse.

For rich people the calculation may be different. For them it might even make sense to finance stuff, because it frees some money that they can invest for up to 24 months. That's why even billionaires often do not buy luxury items in cash, but finance them.
 
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mother f%&^&*ers!

I was hopping to get the M2 Studio in the fall on 0% APR. Damn, now I have to pay the full amount on the spot.

As to those that think that if you can't pay it upfront you can afford it - here is little math for you:

if you pay on the spot you are actually losing value as if you pay in instalments you pay lets say 8% a month which means that at the beginning you have 92% extra money for your disposal - if you invest that money into something smart and get return on it (lets be conservative here and say 10%) then the product cost you less. Its far better to apply this as long as the initial APR for the product is 0%.

Sure, you carry a little risk here but if you have been doing this for a while you know how and where to invest with little risk. Extra discount on the product. Simple as that.
A conservative return for you is 10%? Where are you putting the money? Laundering for cartels? Any legit company that promises that return is selling junk level debt.
 
A conservative return for you is 10%? Where are you putting the money? Laundering for cartels? Any legit company that promises that return is selling junk level debt.
Sure, keep believing that
 

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💡 So that’s why prices keep rising these days! /s

Hasn’t some kind of financing, be it through a cell carrier or bank/cc, always been available for iPhone? If we could flip a switch and eliminate those options, I reckon sales of Apple products would start taking some considerable hits.
No. When the iPhone launched, it was $600 and you had to pay out of pocket.

Financing was introduced because Apple wanted to keep bumping the price higher and higher with more premium models to the point that many people simply wouldn't be able to afford it, and no rational person who actually could would lay out that much up front.

Over the past 6-7 years, the strategy has largely worked with the Plus, then more recently, Pro Max models becoming some of the increasingly most expensive; yet also, best selling models.
 
mother f%&^&*ers!

I was hopping to get the M2 Studio in the fall on 0% APR. Damn, now I have to pay the full amount on the spot.

As to those that think that if you can't pay it upfront you can afford it - here is little math for you:

if you pay on the spot you are actually losing value as if you pay in instalments you pay lets say 8% a month which means that at the beginning you have 92% extra money for your disposal - if you invest that money into something smart and get return on it (lets be conservative here and say 10%) then the product cost you less. Its far better to apply this as long as the initial APR for the product is 0%.

Sure, you carry a little risk here but if you have been doing this for a while you know how and where to invest with little risk. Extra discount on the product. Simple as that.

100% correct. Any person who’s insisting if you can’t pay upfront you have no business making the purchase is either being intentionally misleading or knows nothing about what they’re talking about.

That money in my own accounts and investments makes me more money than in Apple’s.
 
Once a company gets into making money on interest, the intoxication of that easy(est?) money can take over. Too many great companies in history eventually became IMO overly enamored on the finance operations such that all other things fell to second or lower priority. There is a near endless well of profit made on people's debt in that direction.

Hopefully, that won't be the case here, but the temptation will be great once the interest profits start to pile up. You think "services" revenue is something? Just wait if this policy spreads globally.

Interest profit has no product costs, no supply chain costs, no warehousing, etc. Some people will obviously take on any level of rate as long as the monthly payment hits some level, etc. Apple has a mountain of cash + credit to fund their own, for-profit financing operation. Literal bean counters can fully run this.

Spectacular for shareholders concerned with only one thing but TBD- at best- for us consumers. Making easy money on credit is near impossible to resist for those most concerned with "another record quarter in revenue & profit."
Subscription will end up being the same.
 
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Sure, keep believing that
It’s the long run aggregate that matters. The market has been on a bull tear for the past couple of months. Any portfolio can show strong double digit or even triple digit returns over a selective timeframe. Example say if NVDA was one of your largest positions in a portfolio then you could post a 100%+ gain YTD.

All of my investment portfolios are showing double digit returns YTD. Over the long run meaning decades 8-12% is the reality. Consistent returns of over 15% over the course of decades requires Bernie Madoff levels of criminal talent.
 
Who's smarter, the person who pays $10,000+ up front for their Mac Studio and XDR display home studio setup or the person who takes advantage of Apple's 0% APR to buy the same setup and then take their time to pay it off over 12 months while freeing up those funds for something else (1 yr Treasury pays 5.33%, many 1 yr CDs pay 5%+)?
Or the person that has 10k, uses their Apple Card, gets 3%, pays it off in 45 days, and makes payments in their account at 5% to pay themselves back. The key point, never buy any discretionary item one does not have a 60 or less payoff cash available. Nothing in this world is zero interest loans.
 
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