Moral Support Please

FredSnerd (Claude) · #1 03-11-2009, 06:32 PM

I know the scope I want and I’m retired so if I don’t buy one now I will eventually so it may as well be sooner rather then later right. SO WHATS WRONG WITH ME!!! Why cant I pick up that phone and place the order. Its all that $$$ that’s what it is. Not that, compared to what other people spend, its very much. How do I pick up that phone. I need help!!!!

renormalised (Carl) · #2 03-11-2009, 06:43 PM

How do you pick up that phone??. You think "well, if I don't get it now, tomorrow it's going to be dearer because of the dollar, and I can see the scope I want, now. Yeah, it might seem expensive, but isn't anything worth the effort expensive in their own way. How do I put a value on it. So, instead of prevaricating over it and talking myself out of it, I'll just do it!!!!"

Pick up the phone!!!

Astro78 · #3 03-11-2009, 06:44 PM

Unless you have 2 or 3 other hobbies that will suffer (make your own beer and grow your food if you have to), you buy that darn scope!

casstony · #4 03-11-2009, 06:55 PM

If you can make the purchase while still living within your means go for it - you never know when your health will take a turn for the worse.

matt · #5 03-11-2009, 06:59 PM

Buy it....or don't.

If you need others to legitimise or justify the outlay, maybe it's not a good idea.

Unless you are just naturally tight with money?

PCH (Paul) · #6 03-11-2009, 06:59 PM

Go for it mate

Ignore the pre-purchase remorse and make that call - provided of course that the necessaries don't have to suffer. I say do the things you want while you still can, cos you really don't know what's round the corner.

Get the scope

Waxing_Gibbous (Peter) · #7 03-11-2009, 07:05 PM

You have been culturally conditioned toward deferred gratification by decades and decades of the ideology of sacrifice and the idea that self denial, is of itself, a virtue, rather than a means to an end. You have allowed yourself to fall prey to that most insidious of ideologies:
The Puritan Work Ethic!!!
Or:
Personal gratification=improvidence/self-indulgence=low moral fibre & indolence=godlessness and poor hygene.
Its not your fault. Many of us are children of the children of the Great Depression. Saving for tomorrow was a tangible benefit and anything that didn't clothe, feed or house you was a luxury. If I ate to much fruit as a kid my father would bind on about how you couldn't get Bananas/Oranges/Pineapples during the '30s and how spoilt we were and when he was kid they had too steal bark to eat...yadayadayada.
I tried to point out to him that this was 1960s North America, far removed in time and space from depression-era England, and his job paid about 3 times the average, but still....
Now we have 120 days interest-free credit. It is our duty to spend. If we don't spend, others do not work.
We have no valid reason to carry guilt for indulging our harmless passions. It is our right & responisibility to seek happiness where it harms no others. We need bear no burden for spending on ourselves.
Indeed we should feel proud at having done so, knowing that we have benefitted the commonwheal, and made ourselves happy at the same time.
If we as ouselves are not happy, how can we be of use to others?
If we are of no use to others, what peace can we find and what place in society do we occupy?
Go ye therefore into the world and preach to every living creature:
"I have a credit-card and I would have a Takahashi" "Who amoung ye is with me?"
We are here but once and no man knoweth the hour...
Spend in peace, and spend well!!!
PJH

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 03-11-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casstony

If you can make the purchase while still living within your means go for it - you never know when your health will take a turn for the worse.

I'll second this piece of good advice.

lacad01 (Adam) · #9 03-11-2009, 07:15 PM

Just do it, at the end of the day $$$ - you can't take it with you

Robert9 (Robert) · #10 03-11-2009, 07:18 PM

Claude,
Will anything suffer because of the purchase? No? Then, if not now, when?
Robert

dugnsuz (Doug) · #11 03-11-2009, 07:20 PM

This purchase will give you immense amounts of pleasure far outweighing it's monetary value - dive in Mr Snerd!
Doug

Bassnut (Fred) · #12 03-11-2009, 07:25 PM

Oh, Ive been through this dilema

.

Its funny, I see posts firmly stating "Id never spend lots on just a hobby", or "its a bad investment", as if houses, cars and investment returns are critical to the pursuit of happiness. And hobbies are not worthy because.................well, because they are hobbies, no other reason other than some percieved, socially derived "importance".

Seems to me, a hobby, given the TIME invested in such, can give a greater return in general well being than a house or a car, or any other utility device. (given you have these of course, to some basic degree ).

Astrophotgraphy is a noble pursuit, forefilling, esoteric even, and can give more of a challenge and enjoyment than any mundane "utility".

Its an art, creative, satisyfing. Spend up I say, debt is just a passing irritation, easily forgotten, just eat less

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #13 03-11-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casstony

If you can make the purchase while still living within your means go for it - you never know when your health will take a turn for the worse.

+1.

Dave

kinetic (Steve) · #14 03-11-2009, 07:55 PM

With all due respect, I think if I went out tommorrow and bought
my dream setup after reading Fred's great post....and my wife found
out about it.....my health would certainly take a turn for the worse!

Steve

Bassnut (Fred) · #15 03-11-2009, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinetic

With all due respect, I think if I went out tommorrow and bought
my dream setup after reading Fred's great post....and my wife found
out about it.....my health would certainly take a turn for the worse!

Steve

Wooze

Barrykgerdes · #16 03-11-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredSnerd

I know the scope I want and I’m retired so if I don’t buy one now I will eventually so it may as well be sooner rather then later right. SO WHATS WRONG WITH ME!!! Why cant I pick up that phone and place the order. Its all that $$$ that’s what it is. Not that, compared to what other people spend, its very much. How do I pick up that phone. I need help!!!!

Hi Claude

I have seen the equipment I would like. The problem is not paying for it. It is "Where am I going to put it". Like you I am retired. No debts and an indexed pension that is more than I need and a top up from the OAP, Just bought my new toy a G11 with Gemini. (thank you Mr Rudd for the extra $3000 I got from you this year but I still won't vote for you) I bought a 16" lightbridge recently (to use some surplus cash) but it is too big for me to use without help.

So my advice is Go for it! You only live once!

Barry

Darth Wader (Wade) · #17 03-11-2009, 08:29 PM

Carpe diem, Fred. Go forth and purchase. Do what makes you happy. After all, the most important things in life are family and happiness.

Bassnut (Fred) · #18 03-11-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

Hi Fred

I have seen the equipment I would like. The problem is not paying for it. It is "Where am I going to put it". Like you I am retired. No debts and an indexed pension that is more than I need and a top up from the OAP, Just bought my new toy a G11 with Gemini. (thank you Mr Rudd for the extra $3000 I got from you this year but I still won't vote for you) I bought a 16" lightbridge recently (to use some surplus cash) but it is too big for me to use without help.

So my advice is Go for it! You only live once!

Barry

Barry, that would be "Claude", im not retired, that helps, a lot

Barrykgerdes · #19 03-11-2009, 08:41 PM

Sorry Fred

Yes I meant Claude. The Fredsnerd confused me.
(That's a problem of being old and why you should do it now while you can still remember what you wanted.)

Barry

TrevorW · #20 03-11-2009, 09:08 PM

Buy before you die

he who hesitates, just doesn't

I reiterate "you can't take it with you so enjoy it while you can"

"you may get hit by a bus"

Probably don't chase young women, indulge in drugs (recreational) or excessive alcohol so why not

Do you waste it on smoking (except the occasional medicinal cigar)