Best & Affordable Laptop

Hey ya'll! -- I'm a southern college student and I was thinking about purchasing a laptop. I currently have an HP desktop that's fairly new, but would like a laptop for "on-the-go" situations. I have a fairly well paying job this summer, but I also have to pay for rent & other bills coming up this fall. Can anyone share the best & affordable deals they've heard of recently? Also, does anyone know of any brands or kinds of laptops to steer clear of? Would selling my desktop as a refurbished one and getting a laptop be a good idea? Thanks for any feedback!!