Is it obligatory to sell an appliance to pay off accumulated expiations (kaffarat), and is it obligatory to save up expenses to pay off expiations, or to resort to fasting?

If you were in need of the device at the time of its purchase, then you are not obligated to spend its value on expiation. However, if you were not in need of it, then the majority of scholars hold that it was obligatory to spend the money on expiation immediately.

Regarding selling the device to pay for expiation: it is not obligatory if you are in need of it. However, it is obligatory to sell it if it is surplus to your needs and can be sold, because expiation is due from what exceeds one's basic needs.

As for expiating by fasting now, if you were wealthy at the time of breaking the oath and did not expiate, this is a matter of scholarly disagreement:

- The Hanafis, Malikis, and one opinion among the Shafi'is: The determining factor is the time of performance. - The Hanbalis and one opinion among the Shafi'is: The determining factor is the time of obligation. - Another opinion among the Shafi'is and Hanbalis: The stricter of the two states, from the time of obligation until expiation, is considered.

The more cautious approach is not to expiate by fasting in such a case, and to wait until you are able to do so financially. However, if you do expiate by fasting, there is no harm, as a questioner is permitted to choose among differing scholarly opinions as long as it does not lead to cherry-picking concessions.