Turn a Free iPad into Reality!

Apple’s supply problems for the iPad 2 seem to be largely solved and most outlets now have at least some of the models available from stock. The only problem is that you can’t afford one! Well, put your frugal thinking cap on and you might just be able to manage it and get a free iPad…..read on to learn how.

You might think there is a conflict between high technology and frugal ideas, well nothing could be further from the truth. The iPad revolution is only just beginning and will soon turn the stranglehold of PC’s and Microsoft into a thing of the past….and this will bring us the benefits of cheaper products, cheaper software and lower running costs. Think back just a couple of years when a standard PC could cost $1000 and software packages cost hundreds of dollars or Euros. Now we have an iPad available for around $500 with wifi and 3G, but best of all thousands of apps are completely free or cost just a couple of dollars. Why try to find illegal downloads which might be contaminated with viruses when the real thing is so cheap? Then look at the running costs….a standard PC will have a 400 Watt power supply plus the monitor…the iPad has a 10 Watt charger, 10 hours of battery life and doesn’t need a separate monitor. Looks like a pretty good frugal choice to me.

Your First $59:

Lets just look into the running costs in a bit more detail. If you run a PC for say six hours a day it will cost around $5 a month or $60 a year in round numbers. Many sites document this calculation in a lot of detail but here is a good example http://www.dslreports.com/faq/2404 Based on the same calculation methods the iPad charger would cost around $1.50 a year if it was plugged in for 6 hours a day….in reality you will only charge the iPad perhaps twice a week so lets say that is a whopping $1 a year running cost. There you go, you already have your first $59 towards the cost.

Lets Find the Rest of the Money:

Ok, just another $441 to find, and don’t even think about trying to monetize the saving in software because that is just way to easy. You work in an office right, or at least a place with a vending machine. Just do an audit of what you spend in that machine in one day & you will be surprised. Where I work coffee costs $0.50 a cup and most people have at least four cups a day. In Europe we work around 230 days a year. Yes we do get long holidays but don’t forget that the beer tends to be warm so it’s not all roses. So here we go with the math….

$2 a day for coffee x 230 working days in the year = $460

There you go, get rid of your PC and give up coffee and you can get a free iPad and the clever magnetic cover thrown in as well!

The Bottom Line:

If you have a creative imagination and are not afraid of making a plan and sticking to it then you can leverage your frugal ideas to get you what you want, even the much coveted gleaming whitefree iPad.