ORAC
A couple of suggestions that might help reduce your bill:
1. Not sure how much this might be worth, but as a bona fide student (which I'm sure you are

) you may qualify for Apple's educational
discount scheme.
2. Never, ever buy upgrade RAM from Apple, it's extortionate - get it from
Crucial or some other reputable memory outfit and fit it yourself if able.
Hope this proves helpful.
Jx