The first thing I try to keep in mind is that these jumps become more satisfying the longer you take to make them. “Meaningful changes in gadget technology tend to happen every three to four years,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner, a technology research company. When laptops became thin and light in 2008, it became easier for people to carry them all day, Mr. Gartenberg pointed out. And when notebook screens went ultra-high-resolution last year, it allowed people to fit more apps on the screen at once. Cellphones that work on 3G and 4G networks made it practical to download photos and videos on the go. Despite how often you buy new gadgets, remember that satisfaction from a purchase comes with getting an appropriate amount of mileage from your gear. You can do that by working out a new gadget’s true cost over the number of hours you are likely to use it. In my experience, this has made frequent, high-dollar purchases of gadgets I use all the time seem relatively logical and even practical. Likewise, frequent upgrades to my rarely used television and digital single-lens reflex camera would make little sense.