Frivolous spending

[partinobodycular]

Wow. I have to say, it pains me to think of anyone who really plays an instrument that much not having a truly inspiring instrument. Or at least a fully functioning one.

I would've made a very good homeless person. I would've made a very good this person:

My life doesn't require much.

 

[dzheremi]

I've been this way with movies for the past 4 years or so, ever since I moved to an area where Comcast has a monopoly on internet services. For anyone who does not deal with Comcast, they are widely regarded to be terrible (and deservedly so), but nevertheless often have agreements set up with city governments to provide internet service in exchange for the payment of fees to the city (which are then passed on to their customers; check your bill -- it's there under the various bewildering taxes and other charges). This way they maintain a virtual monopoly in particular geographic areas, no matter how terrible their service is. Case in point, earlier this week my internet went down for 5 hours in the middle of the day (from around 3:30 pm to 8:30), for no real reason that I could tell (they sent me a text saying "It looks like you're experiencing internet connectivity issues; we're working to get it restored"), and so I just had to sit there until whatever the problem was got fixed. Since this is how it is, I can't rely on streaming services for entertainment like a lot of younger people seem to, and so my collection of movies has grown a good bit. I do periodically cull it to make sure that stuff I don't think stands up on a re-watch is gone, and can thereby make a tiny bit of money from stuff I no longer want anyway. I don't feel particularly bad about it because it's not like it has ever kept me from paying rent or buying cat food for my cat or anything else that's actually important, and if it ever seemed like it was going to, obviously I could just stop. But I dunno...I like movies.

I think I have something of an addictive personality, though, seeing as how I've always been the same about books and music, too (only the movies are a more recent thing), and for his part my dad was also like this, with his thousands of CDs stored up to the rafters in our old house. Thankfully, I'm not that bad. All my stuff fits inside the living room. Still, maybe it's genetic. I guess this is what happens when you have both the music industry and serious addiction issues in your family background. Hey...at least it's not actual drugs, right?

 

[Carl Emerson]

I'm exactly the opposite of everyone else here. I'm EXTREMELY frugal.

For example, my clothing budget for an entire year is $75.
My average cost per day for food and drink is $2.79
I don't use air conditioning, and during the winter I have my thermostat set at 58 degrees. I'd set it lower, but I don't want to risk the pipes in the outside walls freezing.
I have a keyboard on which I practice three hours a day, every day. It now has six keys that don't work. I should probably buy a new one, but I don't. I figure that if it was good enough yesterday, then it's good enough today.

On the other hand I have a rule to live by, never sell anything that you can give away, and I've given away just about everything that you can think of. If I no longer need it, I'll give it away.

For me, having stuff to give away is far more important than simply having stuff. I don't need stuff.

I would really like to have a dog though. Does anybody wanna make an offer?

I have a 16 year old lab retriever - getting a bit slow but very loving.

All essential organs healthy.

You are welcome to him if you cover the freight from New Zealand.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Just to say that this issue exists as a symptom of a consumer society that depends on independent provision.

This is in contrast to what happened when Jesus Love broke out in the early church.

Acts 4
32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each to the extent that any had need.

 

[Chesterton]

I wonder what drives this kind of thing, and what people think about that and about the ethics of buying stuff you don’t need and will rarely use.

Maybe what drives it is we get a dopamine rush when we acquire something we want. I think that's bad. I think dopamine should be a controlled substance. I only ever buy food, water and electricity, except I had to pay for a parking space the other day.

 

[Tom 1]

Maybe what drives it is we get a dopamine rush when we acquire something we want. I think that's bad. I think dopamine should be a controlled substance. I only ever buy food, water and electricity, except I had to pay for a parking space the other day.

No socks?

 

[Chesterton]

No socks?

No, I'm very blessed. I think I might have enough socks and other clothes to last the rest of my life. Except that due to a very physically active lifestyle, I've roughly estimated that by 2025 I may need to buy new underwear. But really, people should try not wanting things. I don't want things, and it's very liberating.

 

[Tom 1]

No, I'm very blessed. I think I might have enough socks and other clothes to last the rest of my life. Except that due to a very physically active lifestyle, I've roughly estimated that by 2025 I may need to buy new underwear. But really, people should try not wanting things. I don't want things, and it's very liberating.

You’ve enlightened me. Perhaps I should move into the orchard and let the birds have the house.

 

[jayem]

Interesting thread. I'm a bibliophile. I like books. Though I buy them almost exclusively from estate sales for 5 bucks or less. Some fiction, but more often non-fiction--especially history, science, biographies, music, art, and philosophy. At the last census, my home library is >2000 volumes. Which--at my wife's insistence--is pared down quite a bit. Our deal is that for every new book I find, I have to get rid of an old one. I've found several that have some value: a 1936 3rd printing of Gone With The Wind (with the dust jacket,) a second printing of To Kill A Mockingbird (also with the dust jacket,) a 1st edition of Roots signed by Alex Haley; a 1st edition of E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime; and a book on Margaret Keane's art (she painted the "Big Eye" children) signed by Margaret Keane. Inside the book was a print of a big-eyed little girl with her equally big-eyed kitten. The print was also signed by Margaret. I had it framed and it's hanging in my upstairs den.

 

[Tom 1]

Our deal is that for every new book I find, I have to get rid of an old one

Nice. I suppose that makes you consider each purchase carefully.

 

[MehGuy]

All I really need in life is a good internet connect, a good laptop, a good TV and some gaming systems and I'm content. I'd rather just save up my money in the bank than buy items I'll probably never use. The last purchase I regret was buying the Oculus Rift 2 VR set. Spent 400 dollars on something I probably used a total of 5 hours on and is currently sitting in the closet collecting dust. The VR system is actually nice, but the technology isn't quite there; and it really hurts to wear for more than 5 minutes at a time.

As a single guy who doesn't have any great desire for relationships or ever getting married, I don't have much of a need to impress. All I really need is my media and the peace of mind of not being in debt and having plenty of emergency money for unexpected life events. My father being a Christian always hammered to me how evil being in debt is, and how I should never use a credit card if possible.

Perhaps in some ways I am frivolous. I am too lazy to do coupons and will shop at the same stores regardless of whether or not there is a better deal elsewhere. I also have a lot of streaming plans and whatnot that I never use yet find it to be too inconvenient to actually cancel.