We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
If you’re on a tight budget and looking for the right balance of practicality and price, you can get this refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2020 with solid specs (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and a 2GHz quad-core Intel i5 processor) on sale for just $419.99 on StackSocial. On its own, this MacBook model originally sold for over $1500, but now that it’s several years old, it’s pretty cheap. It also comes with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. That license alone typically costs around $219.
Now, about that MacBook. It’s not the latest M-series chip, but this Intel-based version still holds up for work, school, or light creative projects. The 16GB RAM makes a difference if you’re editing videos or managing large spreadsheets, and the 512GB SSD gives you enough room to avoid the external drive shuffle. The 13.3-inch Retina display is crisp and bright, with Apple’s True Tone tech adjusting the color temperature to reduce eye strain. There’s also a Touch Bar and Touch ID, along with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, so you won’t be short on connectivity. It’s listed as Grade-A refurbished, meaning very little cosmetic wear, if any. Still, it’s worth noting that it comes with only a 30-day third-party warranty, which may not be ideal for everyone.
On the software side, the Microsoft Office license is a one-and-done deal—no subscription, no recurring fees. You’ll get full versions of the apps (not just web-based ones), and you can use them for work or personal use on one Mac. It won’t work with virtual machines like Parallels, but otherwise, the setup is straightforward. Just make sure to redeem the license within seven days of purchase.
If you don’t need the latest Apple silicon or are trying to set up a reliable workstation without breaking the bank, this combo is a pretty practical way to do it. It’s obviously not future-proof in the long run, but for everyday tasks today, it gets the job done.
