Things I wanted To Buy But Talked Myself Out Of
We all have moments when we think that some tangible item or intangible service is necessary. Then begins the planning for obtaining the said item/service. Those of us who are naturally frugal will determine whether they want the item or whether they need it. This includes vacations, cars, homes, plastic surgery or gardening services etc.
Here are the 2015 items that I recall wanting and was able to talk myself out of purchasing. I have also listed the items that I wanted and ended up buying but probably didn’t need.
$300k House
When looking to buy a place I wanted a house. I was tired of living in condos so I started shopping for $200k single family homes and soon realized that unless I spend closer to $300k I wouldn’t find a house. I decided to stick with a condo and I’m happy with that decision.
LASIK Eye Surgery
Seems like everyone is getting this done (from my limited perspective of course). So I started shopping around and even got some quotes. Then I did the math and risk/benefit and realized my $150 glasses from glasses.com are just fine.
Electric Bike
This was a toughy. Back in San Diego, in 2014, I added an electric bike kit to my bike because I wanted to commute to/from work and since I wasn’t used to those long distances I needed a little help. The Hill Topper was a fantastic purchase! It got my strength up in no time. After just 2 months I didn’t need it any longer and sold it for half what I paid.
Fast-forward to Portland. I am biking almost daily and a few times a month I bike around 40 miles which has been tough on my knees. The left meniscus is pretty fucked up so I wanted to get an electric bike ~$3,000 for the longer commutes. With my Brompton bike an electric kit isn’t really a good option because it will cost me damn near the same amount. Still, I’ve held out.
Expensive Rain/Cold Weather Jacket
I didn’t have anything that could withstand the wind and rain and colder weathers of the Pacific NW coming from SoCal. I did fine for almost a year but found some used shit in the thrift store. It wasn’t the best purchase. So I wanted to just buy one nice decent jacket… price tag of nearly $350. I regrouped instead and bought 2 very nice jackets from the thrift store for $50 total and I am VERY content.
Chromebook Laptop
I’m using my work laptop most days. It has a lot of shit on it that won’t let me access certain websites and takes a long time to boot up etc. Me, being the big baller doctor, decided that I needed something simpler/easier. I slapped myself and reminded myself that another electronic item was just stupid. Not only that, I also realized that I had a 7″ tablet that I wasn’t using enough so I sold that on Craigslist for $100.
Bluetooth Headphones
Being the badass daily biker that I am I wanted something fancier than my shitty wired headphones for listening to music, podcasts and audio books. I am a doctor, goddamn it, I deserve something easier. My wired headphones keep getting stuck on my seat, handlebars, clothes…. argh! I’m ‘merican damn it, I don’t need to be dealing with this entanglement bullshit. I flicked myself in the nuts and reminded myself that electronics just create more waste in landfills, deplete natural resources for their circuit-board and pollute the environment in other ways. Not to mention that the more shit you own the more you become identified by tangible things.
New Appliances & Furniture For My Condo
For a while I wanted to really personalize my condo and customize it to my liking. It has some pretty old fixtures that are functional but ghetto-looking. I wanted to redo the kitchen, get an under-cabinet drawer fridge, a better washer/dryer and some sweet-ass furniture. I have since decided against this… but we shall see, I haven’t moved in yet… will Dr. Mo succumb to West Elm? (I’ve finally moved in but still holding out)
New Walking Shoes
This was a failure. I decided that I wanted to hike more and that my old shoes just weren’t cutting it. I needed new shoes damn it (vegan, of course). Well, I bought a pair that I’ve worn 2x…. two… goddamn… times. Good job Dr. Mo, solid investment. That’s $75 per use and since it’s made of rubber and plastic it is degenerating in my closet as we speak.
Throwing A Housewarming Party
This also is a fail. I am going to be spending just shy of $1,000 to throw this party. A DJ and a vegan caterer, some lighting and lots of ETOH. I am looking forward to it (hasn’t happened yet) but I wish I didn’t make it so elaborate. A simple BYOB and potluck would have sufficed. But wait… good news on this, I cancelled it and so I only spent $400 on deposits, so I lost $400 but saved another potential $600.
Can you think of the things you wanted but held out on?
What objects did you buy in 2015 that in hindsight you wish you didn’t buy?