Comments on: Ten Things I Want to Buy, But Won’t

By: eric

eric — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:05:06 +0000

i have a wii, i played with it for 3 weeks, now it sits, my kids rarely play with it and they are between 6 – 10. i had a new car once, your right, you hate yourself after you do the math, especially if you trade it in a couple years later and have to pay them to take it because it is worth a lot less than you owe. i got some new brushed aluminum appliances, they look like stainless, but do not need to be cleaned. and i got them for a great deal from lowes on a weekend, because thats when they put out their “scratch and dent” stuff, as long as the scratches and dents are behind the units, then i dont care, and saving anywhere from 10% – 60% is great. i got a big screen, i dont watch it much, but when i do! ohh im in visual delight, my kids watch it the most though, but then again, i did not pay full price, i bought it for 50% off on clearance from walmart. im with you on the motor home, we have a old camper, we use it one week a year, cannot justify spending $$$$$ for a new or even newer but used one. i have the iphone 3g, got it for $99 from att.com you must get one! i had a prepaid for years but once i started using $60 a month in prepaid time i went to att, all att to att cell calls are free, and the basic package gives me more than enough minutes and the internet has been a life save a few times, you must get one. magazine subscriptions…i was in your shoes a few years back except it wasnt people it was architectural digest, but i went on ebay and got a 3 year subscription for about $6…thats right, just six bucks, so go to ebay for the subscriptions. i havent been interested in a treadmill pool, but i wanted a hot tub, for years i wanted one, then the magical day came and i finally got one…guess what, it sucked, and i returned it 3 weeks later….then i started telling my stories to neighbors that had one, and guess what, they hated theirs too, they never used it, it cost too much in upkeep and electric (northern indiana its cold up here) and they usually would break down on year 2. and once they finally got rid of theirs they did not buy another one, i dont know anyone that has had more than one hot tub.

By: Meaghan

Meaghan — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:29:13 +0000

What a great post! These are absolutely those impulse buys that you really want, but are soooo not worth it!

By: Breton Wench

Breton Wench — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:34:17 +0000

Ummm. the new car…..why? Husband and I have never bought (or wanted) new cars – we have always been able to pick up perfectly good second hand for cash – no credit arrangements there! Husbands current work vehicle is a 21 year old Renault Nevada – and she runs as sweet as a nut.
….and in 2 years she will be vintage!!!

By: Natural

Natural — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:10:15 +0000

i play my wii once a month. i don’t regret the purchase though. i’ll play a game when i get home.

i’m with you on the rest of the stuff. i want a new car V6, stick shift, but i won’t and can’t do it.

By: Neil

Neil — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:14:41 +0000

I agree totally with the spirit of your list. You say you travel extensively and I think that is exactly the sort of thing that is worth spending money on (if you can afford it). Pay for experiences, prefereably ones shared with your friends and family) and the memories will be with you forever.

Much better than a “thing” that will inevitably become obsolete/worn out!

By: mickeylily

mickeylily — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:41:16 +0000

it’s easy to get a designer purse, if you don’t mind discount items. You can easily find such items at followsales.
I once found a Bottega Veneta 50% off, and saved about $1000~ there.

By: Debbie M

Debbie M — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:32:43 +0000

Interesting. I was thinking my list was different, but now that you mention it, iPhones are cool (except for that expensive monopoly on the phone contract).

Also on my list:

* mansion – too expensive and hard to maintain
* big piece of wooded land full of hiking trails – too expensive and too far away
* my own ballroom dance hall and set of ultimate frisbee fields – too expensive, I’d rather retire early
* paint job for my car to make it a prettier color – just a waste of money
* glamour shots, quick before I get too old – too late
* mansion in a big piece of wooded land full of hiking trails, with a big ballroom dance add-on and several large open fields for ultimate frisbee with my freshly painted sparkly midnight blue 17-year-old car in the driveway. Oh, wait, I sort of mentioned that already.

The buying-used strategy won’t work for me, but the occasional rental strategy does.

By: David Stillwagon

David Stillwagon — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:28:04 +0000

I didn’t realize that a subscription to people mag. is 120 dollars a year! I think I’d pass on that to.

By: C.S.

C.S. — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:28:06 +0000

The only thing I would have to disagree with would be on the “designer” handbag. I do love my labels, but generally, “designer” pieces are made to last. I can buy the cheap misfits at TJ Maxx or the trendy items at H&M, or I can invest in quality pieces that will last a long time. In other words, the previous poster has it right – you can spend $20 at WalMart or Target for a bag that will fall apart, or you can get two to three purses that you will carry for the rest of your life. (And try eBay … I got a Kate Spade bag that’s perfect for both the office and the weekend for $20.)

I will say that the SJP line at Steve & Barry’s is all under $20, and is better made than most cheap clothing. But to me, quality is always better than quantity (and some initial sticker shock.)

And I really, really want an iPhone, too. I don’t use the phone that often, but I know I would use it for the Internet access along with music. But I still can’t justify that price to myself. I also can’t bring myself to go back to AT&T.

By: rsenwood

rsenwood — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:25:44 +0000

I agree with everything except the purse. It doesn’t necessarily need to be ‘designer’, but when I graduated from college, I had some gift money, and splurged on a $300 purse. I’ve carried it every day since then, except on trips to third world countries, where I carry a woven bag purchased in one of those countries for about $2. My experience with poorly made bags is that they fall apart quickly, meaning they have to be replaced frequently. so in the last five years I would have gone through five to ten $20-$30 bags. That’s $100 to $300. I plan on keeping this purse forever, becuase it’s very classic and well made. It’s one thing to buy expensive handbags and treat them as trendy throwaway items, but in the long run, you’re better off investing in a high-quality handbag and keeping it forever. Having a mentality of throwaway consumerism will keep you poor, and sucks up resources and generates waste. If you plan on using that $20 bag every day for the next five years, good for you! Odds are, that $20 is manufactured to last about six months at best.