I’m always looking for a good deal on office equipment. Who isn’t? Sometimes I find something for a low price and I use the product for years with no problems. But other times a product that I bought at a ridiculously low price breaks constantly and reminds me daily of what a bad deal it was.

Don't forget that you get what you pay for.

Before you spend any money on new equipment or on modifying your existing equipment, consider a few questions.

• Will the new equipment help you save time? A new cell phone may improve your productivity. A printer that prints more sheets than your current printer can cut your printing time and printing costs significantly.

• Can you afford to buy the latest, greatest, top-of-the-line computer or will you have to settle for a less expensive, less effective system? If possible, wait until you can afford the more reliable, better-performing system. You’ll save time later on. I still drool when I see people with the latest Mac. Guess I should have followed my own advice and not settled for my MacBook (although it works fine).

• Will you know how to use the equipment? If it’s going to take you six months to learn how to use something—or if you’re like me and you refuse to read manuals—be willing to pay someone to teach you how to use the equipment immediately. Either pay a high school or college kid to figure it out—trust me, they can do it—or use a professional service like Geek Squad.