Yes, yes, I know I said I was going to write on technology and society on Wednesdays, but sometimes things come up. And I lied.
OK, try this. I am presently going through a list of Nine Things that Will Disappear in (Your, My, Our) Lifetime(s). So far I have reflected on checks and privacy (I think). Anyhow, I came across another list so this post is related in that it pertains to a list. So I hope that makes a difference. If you have complaints, please send them to:
Harrison Bergeron, Blogmaster
Biscuit City Productions
Biscuit City VA 20007.3
The list is from a Kiplinger magazine article on "Seven Things Worth Splurging On." Here's a link if you don't believe that I am not making this up. And it has pictures in case you have never seen something like a watch: http://money.msn.com/shopping-deals/7-things-worth-splurging-on-kiplinger.aspx?cp-documentid=250086734
(An aside here: Isn't "splurge" a funny word? I think so. I hope you do, too.)
So, the seven things are:
1. A kitchen renovation. Agreed. We had ours redone about three years ago and we love it love it love it. Sometimes I walk into the kitchen and think I'm in another house. Then I forget what I came in for. Usually, it's to eat something, so that narrows it down.
2. Apple stock. $610 a share. If I invested directly in the stock market, maybe. But we have our investments through an investment counselor. I have no idea what they are. We meet with him and he shows us colorful graphs and charts, and I still have no idea what is going on. A financial genius I am not, other than to tell you, "Buy low, sell high." There. Who says blogs are useless?
3. Non-Stop Flights. It says they save time and money. No duh. You can fly directly to Atlanta in about an hour and a half or you can take a two-stop through Cleveland and Orlando and take all day. Your choice, Sparky.
4. A Digital SLR Camera. Sure. Why not? I take lousy pictures, and I'm sure they would be lousy if I used said digital SLR camera or my Kodak Instamatic.
5. An American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card. C'mon now. I have so many credit cards now I'm not even sure what they are. I need another one about like a hole in the head, Gold Rewards or Golden Calf or whatever.
6. A Cartier Watch worth $4650. No, thanks. I like my $29.95 Timex. The Cartier is supposed to last a lifetime. I calculate I can by 155 Timexes the price of one Cartier. If the Timex lasts only a year (and they last four or five years), I would be 219 years old by the time I made up the price of the Cartier.
7. Prix Fixe Fine Dining. Sure would, if I could find a place within 200 miles of where I live that offers such a thing. In the meantime, we have coupons for Red, Hot and Blue.
I know, I sound like a cheapskate. I am. And I have my own indulgences, including guitars that are worth the equivalent of three Cartier watches. But you can't play "Stairway to Heaven" on a watch. I've tried and it doesn't work.
But you indulge yourself however you want. You work hard, and you've earned it.
Heresy! Prix fixe fine dining is just up the road from you in DC, and we do splurge occasionally. I can give you a list, beginning with Rogue 24, whose prix fixe is ridiculously high, but is (almost) worth it for the experience alone. With you on the watches, kitchen, and non-stop flights. Amex platinum is the way to go--gets you tickets when they are unavailable anywhere else, if you go for that. As for stock...we have a graph-master too. Same effect. My rule is: find someone you trust who is younger than you (don't want him/her retiring just when you need him most) and turn him/her loose.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on cheap watches, Dan, except mine usually cost less than $20, more often under $15. I've also got a thing for clearance shopping, online stores that offer coupons and free shipping, the Salvation Army thrift store and eBay. Sorry, but I refuse to spend $30 on a freaking t-shirt or more than $30 on a handbag. The denim bag I got for $4 at Wal-mart three+ years ago is still in excellent condition, holds everything I need and makes me look cool.
ReplyDeleteAs for Apple shares, well, let's just say there's no way I would gamble $610. I'd rather put it in our savings account. We don't eat at expensive restaurants (how stuffy), are quite comfortable with our kitchen and have a few cameras that serve us well. A non-stop flight? Yeah, I'd take that, but you can't take a flight and not have a place to stay, right? Those expenses add up. We end up driving a lot.
And you don't sound like a cheapskate at all! I was just carrying on this past Sunday at Splashdown about their cheeseburgers that cost $5! Their water bottles cost $2 or so. I bought two large cups of tap ice water for $0.50 apiece. When it was time to leave, the water was gone, but the ice remained. I told my group, take the cup. I wanted my 50 cent ice, dammit.