Save or Splurge: Accessorizing Accessories

In the age of sleek electronics, portable laptops, must-have cell phones and other gadgets that need skins, cases, protectors and baubles, accessorizing your accessories is definitely in. I'll be the first to put a case over any future iPod I purchase. My first one looks like a truck ran over it (but still works!). My current iPod has only been out of it's case a handful of times so I could clean the case. It looks like it did the day I got it, but it doesn't look any cuter.

My laptop is getting pretty scratched up so I wish I had purchased a cover for it. I'm contemplating this pretty pink (I'd get purple or red though) cover my friend had on her MacBook when I saw it the other day. It's cute, but it costs a little more than the cheap clear or less vibrantly colored covers.

I dropped my cell phone a couple weeks ago and gave the pretty purple finish it's first nick. I don't want to cover of my cute phone with an ugly black cover so I'd like to buy it a cute case, which costs a little more.

If there are cheap cute cases for my electronics, they usually sacrifice a lot of protection. My iPod could have been wearing some like the cute Hello Kitty case pictured. I actually paid a little more for my case, which is rubberized on the sides with a super hard, locking shell. It took a nasty fall, but nothing happened to it. In the cute case it would have died for sure. In a way I guess I splurged, but not for style because a stylish and functional case would have cost a ton.

Aside from cases there are also skins, decals and other decorations that don't come cheap. I can't bring myself to spend money on personalizing my electronics like that. Any decor on my laptop would have to be free or a gift. This is a major save for me.

Do you save or splurge on cute trappings for your electronics? Would you rather it be cute or functional? Do you spend for both?