Need help - charging port issues

The cable running from my power brick to my laptop has started fraying right where it meets the connector plug. You can actually see the tiny internal wires peeking out now. I tried a quick fix with some electrical tape, but honestly, it’s a joke—the second that wire shifts even a tiny bit, the whole laptop just dies instantly. What should my next move be if I don't want to go broke fixing this? To be clear, the cord from the wall outlet to the adapter itself is perfectly fine; it’s just the part connecting the adapter to the machine that's shot. My laptop is a Dell Latitude. I wanted to check here first because I know these cables aren't one-size-fits-all. Every port seems to have its own specific shape and size, and since I'm definitely not an IT pro, I really don't want to guess and end up buying something useless.
Thanks!

Honestly, just take it to a local TV repair shop or some tech guy who knows their way around a soldering iron. You could probably find an old broken charger with a working cable and have them swap the internals onto your current one... or, you know, just grab a brand new charger from Best Buy. It’s much easier.
The main thing is making sure they don't mess up the charging port on the laptop itself. Fixing that is a total headache because you usually have to tear the whole machine apart, which ends up costing way more in labor.

I wouldn't use it like that if I were you. You might end up causing a short, and then you're looking at a fried adapter or a dead laptop...

So, I picked up a new charger yesterday. It seemed fine at first—used, $40, but everything looked good. I actually tested it out right there with the guy selling it, and it worked perfectly. But then I get home, plug it in, and suddenly the connection keeps dropping. If the connector shifts just a little bit or tilts downward, it loses contact entirely. It feels like the port itself has loosened up or something. What am I supposed to do now? My laptop is a TI-84 Plus.
The old charger I mentioned a few months back was basically on life support. I had it wrapped in electrical tape and held together with a scrap piece of plastic just to act as a brace so the wires wouldn't bend too much—they were literally starting to poke out. Is it possible that all that extra bulk was putting pressure on the port and caused it to loosen? I’ve honestly never heard of someone's port just giving out like this.
Now I'm sitting here wondering if I just threw $40 down the drain or if I'm just losing my mind... Though, honestly, I'd probably get a nasty shock from that connector if I wasn't careful.
Just a heads up: this laptop is secondhand and doesn't have any kind of warranty, so I don't think a repair shop is an option.

I’ve basically been keeping my laptop glued to one spot just to keep it safe; I really don't want to mess with the smart pin port because I'm pretty sure it's fine, and honestly, I don't have the cash right now to go out and buy a replacement.

Then this popped up today, and the screen brightness immediately dropped:
"The Smart AC Adapter connected will power your computer, but
potentially at a reduced performance level. Your computer is designed
to vary performance as needed when a smaller capacity Smart AC Adapter
is connected. Resource intensive tasks may cause your system not to
perform at its highest level with a smaller capacity Smart AC Adapter.
Please connect a higher capacity Smart AC Adapter for full
performance."

So, what’s the deal? Is this a sign that my laptop is about to kick the bucket or what?

The power adapter has that round plug that goes right into the charging port soldered onto the laptop's motherboard. In your case, that connection has snapped. You’ll just need to swing by any local repair shop so they can resolder the joint back together.

I can tell you from experience—my old laptop is about 5 or 6 years old now, and I’m already on my fourth charger. They all seem to die after a while. The first original one bit the dust after just a year, then I started grabbing ones for $117, and later moved on to the $50 ones... honestly, they're all pretty much the same.

The good news is the laptop itself barely moves—it's still solid.
But yeah, looks like you'll need to pick up a new charger. You can find them for around $120-$50, and most come with a warranty anyway.

Just make sure you grab the exact one for your specific model and double-check that the wattage matches up perfectly.