Sometimes, Cheap Is Expensive

Summary

The author explains their journey through purchasing three keyboards, ultimately justifying the decision to invest in an expensive $200 (CAD) Apple Magic Keyboard to reclaim lost productivity and opportunity cost.

Abstract

The author initially purchased a cheap keyboard for its price, style, and USB-C cord, but it proved to be unreliable, particularly for coding tasks. A second, Windows-based keyboard was also inadequate due to ergonomic issues and common hardware failures. Despite these setbacks, the author continued to use their Macbook Pro's keyboard until recognizing the significant time and money lost due to reduced productivity. By switching to the Apple Magic Keyboard, the author regained 45 minutes of productivity each day, which they calculate as a worthwhile investment that pays for itself in less than a week. The author encourages readers to consider the long-term cost of seemingly cheap purchases, especially when it comes to tools that are used frequently and can impact both productivity and health.

Opinions

The author believes that the initial cost of a quality tool, like a keyboard, is justified by the productivity gains and the resulting financial benefits.
They suggest that the true cost of a product should be evaluated by its impact on one's efficiency and well-being, rather than just the purchase price.
The author emphasizes the importance of investing in quality equipment for professionals who spend significant time on their computers.
They also imply that ergonomic and reliable tools can prevent additional expenses, such as medical bills, by maintaining one's health.
The author advocates for considering the long-term value and savings of investing in premium products, using their own experience with the Apple Magic Keyboard as a case in point.

Why I bought a $200 keyboard and don’t regret it

In the past year, I’ve bought three keyboards. The first one I bought for three reasons:

It was cheap

It matched the style of my Macbook Pro

It had a USB-C cord

I’m sure you’ve bought a keyboard for the low price and for the style before, right?

Sadly, it turned out to be a turd of a keyboard. I had to madly press on the g, ;, and [ keys for them to register. While that might not sound too bad, when you’re a coder like me and use ; at the end of every line and [ very frequently, that’s a massive loss of productivity.

So, I said “screw it” and I bought another cheap keyboard, but this time it was proven to work. It was a Windows keyboard. It was massive and loud, but for the most part, it worked. I used it for three months before I realized I still wasn’t as productive as when I was using the keyboard from my Macbook Pro.

But I couldn’t really use it ergonomically with my setup. Yet, I still did it. I overused it and the keys started falling off. Apparently, that’s a common problem with the model of my Macbook Pro. The h and t keys just keep falling off. The n key sometimes double or triple prints.

It was terrible, but still, that was better than the previous two keyboards. I didn’t do anything about the situation until a few weeks ago when I realized I was losing precious time and money by loss of opportunity.

Let me explain.

If having a perfect keyboard saves me 45 minutes per day of productivity (I confirm it did), that means I have 45 minutes more to spend on productive things. My main activities during the day are (1) writing for one hour and (2) programming for the rest of the day.

My stats tell me I spend an average of 9.5 hours per day on my computer. Most of that time is spent typing. Any productivity gain I make typing is time I can use doing other things, or more of the same things.

No matter how you value your time, a 45-minute gain daily is easily worth $200. For me, that means I pay it back in less than a week of using it. I’ve cheapened out for so long for something that would have made me more money in the end.

I’m writing about all that for you to evaluate the things you’re cheapening out on but really shouldn’t. Time has a price, and a lot of times, it’s a price you’re overlooking.

I can only work with music on. The higher the sound quality, the better I perform. As such, I don’t buy cheap headphones anymore.

I’m in front of my computer at least 9 hours per day, so I don’t buy shit chairs anymore. Chiro bills are more expensive, and frankly not as fun as sitting on a comfortable chair.

What are you postponing buying because of a “steep” price? Would it make you more productive or healthy?

It just might be worth getting.

What are you not buying but should be?

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