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  • Author Author: the-dubster
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A strange quandary

the-dubster

Recently something unusual has happened, my finances have taken a rather positive turn for the first time in over a decade, maybe two! I now find myself more able to afford the things I want as opposed to just the things I need.

 

Now I'm not saying this to brag - that's not my style - plus I'm not that well off, just less restricted; the reason I mention it is I now have a new problem (a 'first world problem' I admit, but one I wasn't expecting).

 

I'm now finding myself trying to justify if I actually need what I wanted to buy!!

 

That nice Touch LCD Shield for Arduino - under £30 GBP - cool, would I use it? Probably! Do I need it? Nope, not really, but it would help me develop my Arduino skills . . . .   and back on the shelf it goes and I leave the store!

 

I'm confused, is this normal, or is it just me? Because maybe, deep down, really deep down, I know what I'm like; I kinda know I might get around to using it, possibly, but maybe not.

Probably not . . . .

 

So there we are, anyone else had the same experiences or am I alone here?

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. I'm the kinda guy who, if you gave me £1M GBP to buy whatever car I wanted, I'd probably build my own instead!

Go figure!

  • It's a long way from being less poor to being a capitalist.  This electronics stuff is good for war and it is useful if you have a bunch of moieties to manufacture or track.  The ordinary person has little use for custom electronics.  Fun to play with. . .

  • It's not just me then!

     

    - Discounts are just great aren't they! My wife works in a charity shop and often puts aside things she thinks I might like, they range from really cheap to 'dug outta the rubbish bin' free!

     

    - I see a kindred spirit in 'buying stuff that looks like a bargain', I too have a plan to use it at a future time - I think I need a time machine to go that far into the future though!

     

    - And it's that doubt that keeps money in my pocket and products on the shelf!

     

    Thanks for your inputs all, I appreciate finding out that I'm not alone here!

  • If I doubd more than just a little bit, I put it back.

     

    I usually only buy things for learning purposes. If I see good use for them, I keep 'm.

    Else I trade or give them away.

    I also receive things from fellow enthousiasts regularly.

  • It is a good idea to figure out how much time you will spend playing with any new toy before acquiring it.

    If it will have a limited period of use, you can always resell or donate it. If it is electronics, you can add value before selling.

    Another approach is to figure out what things you actually use regularly and try to build better versions.

    I seem to have a penchant for buying stuff that looks like a bargain, with a vague plan to use it at some future time. It often pans out, but many times it doesn't, or rather, hasn't yet panned out. With electronics it is especially tricky to do this as they often go obsolete or the price falls before you get a chance to use them. I don't worry about it though - I just stay within budget and try to maximize what I get out of it.

  • Being frugal is its own reward.

     

    Even after you have more means, your basic tendency is still to get the most value you can for what you spend.

     

    I grew up with limited means and I too now have more than I ever thought I could accumulate.

     

    Even so, I still use discounts and sales to buy my stuff.


    A life long habit of not wasting anything just stays with you always.

     

    DAB