3 surprising ways a budget laptop supercharged my writing career

It’s not easy to admit now, but once upon a time, I was at rock bottom. Unemployed and living with friends in New York, finding a job was harder than usual during the pandemic.

The only thing I had was my budget laptop, a Dell Inspiron. But being a writer, that was everything I needed to start fresh.

Don’t get me wrong, writing is no easy task, but most of the processing power comes from your head, not your hardware. You don’t need a fancy setup to get started.

In 2022, the opportunities were plentiful for remote work, and to my advantage, I had already been doing it for some time, claiming a small portfolio of articles that helped me land a freelance writing gig.

What kind of budget laptop should I get?

As far as hardware goes, any working laptop helps.

The only things you really need are an internet connection and a writing app. You can even ditch this last one if you’re comfortable writing in a basic notepad, but remember that office software comes with some neat resources — like proofreading — that come in handy more often than not.

Also, you don’t need fancy, expensive, and mostly unavailable gear, since you're not using this laptop to play Cyberpunk 2077.

Tired of working at home?

Take your laptop and go elsewhere.

Want a change of scenery?

Take your laptop and go elsewhere.

I certainly did that a lot, which allowed me to meet and talk to new people, reinforce connections, and expand my network.

Also, laptops are easy to carry, so you can bring your work with you when you travel. This allows you to enjoy your holidays at your parents’ house without a fixed date for returning.

See also: The best laptops under $1,000

See also: The best laptops under $500

By now, you might already be convinced that you don’t need anything fancy to start writing, but how exactly do you do it? Let’s go over some important points.

First, being a writer doesn’t mean you’ll always write. On the contrary, it’ll probably be one of the things you do less. You will need to spend a long time researching your topic, which means lots of reading and watching videos.

Since you’re using a budget laptop, sometimes you’ll need to access content that doesn’t work well on your machine, such as heavy websites or YouTube videos. In these cases, you’ll turn to your other trustworthy tool: Your phone.

See also: The top 5 most important specs for a budget laptop

Sometimes, while writing, you’ll need to write to your contacts or sources or even call them for an interview, which means you’ll need a phone anyways. So, why not use it to complement everything your laptop can’t do?

Some apps allow you to use your phone on your computer like a camera, a mouse, or other peripherals. Spend some time searching at your app store, and you’ll find an app for that.

While you can write directly on your phone in a pinch, it's not recommended. A smartphone keyboard is slower to use than a regular mechanical keyboard, less comfortable, and can lead to finger injuries over longer periods.

Three ways a budget laptop actually supercharged my freelance writing career

1. Resourcefulness became my superpower. Working with a budget laptop taught me how to maximize limited resources. From discovering lightweight, free tools for editing and research to learning how to keep an older device running efficiently, these lessons shaped my problem-solving skills and built my confidence in tackling challenges.

2. Fewer features, more focus. Paradoxically, the lack of high-end distractions like multiple screens, unnecessary apps, or excessive multitasking actually boosted my focus. The simplicity of my setup helped me create a distraction-free zone where I could prioritize writing over tinkering.

3. Unexpected connections through shared struggles. As I navigated the limitations of a budget laptop, I found online communities and forums of like-minded people doing the same. This led to networking opportunities, collaborative projects, and even client referrals, proving that resourcefulness often attracts resourceful people.

Getting started

I started writing a long time before I started getting paid for it. At that time, the best way to begin a career was having a blog, and this tip still holds up today. There are lots of options to start a free blog online — Blogger, WordPress, and others. Choose the one who best suits your needs and create your account.

Then, get started! Choose a topic you’re familiar with and put those words out of your mind! Let’s be fair: your first article will not be good, but don’t worry! This means you need to spend more time doing research.

See also: I love a good budget laptop, so here are 4 that I recommend with one critical feature in common

Research means you’ll need to read a lot. However, don’t read only about your topic; you need to read about writing too. You’ll only improve as a writer as you learn new techniques about storytelling and structure. Did you notice that this whole article followed a linear progression of topics? This was not an accident.

Writers know and use these techniques all the time for a simple reason: they work. You might feel compelled to reinvent the wheel, but take your time; you’ll be able to do that later.

For now, focus on learning and practice your learning.

Remember that Aristotle said that art is the art of imitation, and, according to Oscar Wilde, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

The people whose writing you admire also began like this. If you keep going on this path, maybe one day they’ll read and like your stuff. It happened to me, and it made me very happy.

Getting to the next level

At this stage, your routine will revolve around constant reading and writing—reading more than you write. Over time, as you refine your skills, compare your latest work with your first, and you’ll see noticeable improvement.

While you’re doing this, try to get someone to proofread your articles. Their job will be to point out misspellings and logical mistakes. Listen to their advice and try to improve your weaknesses.

Remember to spread the word to make more people read your articles. Send your link to friends and family, join writing communities, make new friends, and read each other’s works. Over time, you might even make money on your own space without relying on others — who knows?

Meanwhile, you’ll reach a point at which you start to feel satisfied with your work. When this happens, select the ones you like more, pack them in a neat portfolio, and hunt for work opportunities.

Nowadays, there are many job boards, such as LinkedIn and Guppy. You can search for opportunities there and submit your material for review.

Take full advantage of these tools. With remote work, you can explore job opportunities anywhere. Coming from a small town with only two poorly paying newspapers, I would have had to give up writing if not for remote work.

Thanks to the Internet, I could work for companies in other towns, states, and even countries without leaving home.

What's next

One of the best things about writing is that it requires minimal hardware to get started. As you progress, you can gradually upgrade your budget laptop to a more advanced one.

But you’ll notice that these improvements won’t impact the experience of writing. And, if you don’t need to, you can keep using your old gear.

Throughout my writing career, I’ve relied on budget laptops, replacing them only when necessary. In fact, I wrote this on an outdated 2021 model that I bought in 2022, with no plans to upgrade.

Writing relies on skill and creativity, not expensive hardware. Keep that in mind, and you’ll be ready to launch your career.

Now, get out of here and start writing. I’m looking forward to reading your articles.d