As a fan of Apple, it should come as no surprise that the repairs for your MacBook won’t come cheap and that these repair costs get much higher when you are out of warranty.
Customers that are out-of-warranty should expect to pay $199 to get battery service for their MacBook or MacBook Pro. The only exceptions are for customers who have MacBook Airs (13 or 11 inches). They will have to dole out $129 for the service.
Other types of damage will cost you even more. For instance, if you need to replace the touch bar and logic board, you may need to spend upward of $1000 for the repairs.
So, how can you prepare for these costs? Read ahead to see your options.
Emergency Fund
An emergency fund is a simple way that you can prepare for urgent expenses like laptop repairs. You don’t have to use it for this sole purpose. The fund is a versatile safety net that you can rely on for emergency home repairs, car repairs and medical appointments, too.
How do you start one? Inspect your budget to determine how much you can afford to dedicate to emergency savings every month. Add it into a separate savings account — this will be your emergency fund. Repeat this process. Over the course of the year, your emergency fund will grow and become a reliable backup plan for managing urgent and unexpected expenses.
Emergency Loans
One of the main issues with emergency funds is that they take time to build. You likely won’t have enough to cover the costs of an urgent tech repair when you first start putting one together.
So, what can you do? There are plenty of flexible ways to borrow online when you don’t have enough savings to pay for an emergency expense right away. For instance, you could apply for a personal line of credit. If you’re approved, you could request a withdrawal from your line of credit and use the funds to handle your laptop repairs quickly. After that, you can manage a steady repayment plan and replenish the account.
AppleCare+
Apple products tend to come with a limited warranty that covers hardware failures and manufacturing defects. That warranty expires after one year. Apple gives their customers the option to extend their warranty and increase their repair coverage with an AppleCare+ plan.
Should you get Applecare+? It depends. Some tech pros think that getting any extended warranty for tech isn’t worth it because the costs of the warranty could potentially surpass the costs of a single repair. But that may not be true with a MacBook. MacBooks are easily one of the most expensive Apple products that you own, and their repairs could potentially cost you much more than the fees of an AppleCare+ plan.
It can also depend on how you use your MacBook. If you need to use your MacBook daily, either for work or schooling, then the extended warranty plan could be really beneficial for you. You could respond to this tech emergency immediately and pay reduced fees for the repairs.
On the other hand, if you only use your MacBook occasionally, and you won’t panic if it needs a repair, then the plan might not be the best fit for you.
Finally, AppleCare+ can give you protection for problems outside of basic damage and repairs. In the United States, your plan can offer coverage for loss or theft of your device.
Other Coverage Options
You can also look into other coverage options available to you. You might be surprised to find that you already have some protections handy!
Did you pay for your laptop with a credit card? Then, you just might have coverage for future repairs. Many credit card companies offer extended warranties for products that you purchase with your card. Check to see what your credit card’s policy is to see what type of coverage you can expect.
Homeowners insurance and renters insurance can help you get coverage for laptop repairs or replacements in very specific circumstances. You can get coverage for incidents of theft or vandalism. You can also get coverage after your laptop is damaged in a home-related peril (for example, a housefire).
However, these types of insurance will not offer coverage for accidental damages to your laptop. If you knock over a glass of water onto your keyboard or drop the device on the floor, you will have to find another method for covering the repair costs.
You can’t neglect your laptop when it needs repairs. You need to get it fixed right away. So, you should know exactly how you’re going to pay for those repairs when they happen.
