[Salty]

I'm not talking about like things like rent, mortgages, etc. I'm talking about that money that you COULD spend on other things but you choose to spend on other things.

I was at my sister's apt the other day and she was talking about all the things she was going to do to redecorate her already tastefully decorated apartment. And while my apartment doesn't look that bad, fact is the thought of spending over a grand on new furniture when I could get a new MacBook for that just seems really silly to me.

So yah, what have been your big purchases that other people would think were silly?

I've mainly had geeky things new tablet, iPhone, stuff to convert my PowerBook to a media centre under my TV, the only really responsible things I've bought for my apartment have been a couch and love seat used from a friend of the family for 150... (comfy though, even if they have a big rip in the leather at the front of the couch.) and a counter top dishwasher for 200.

I probably should've bought new blankets and sheets by now, perhaps my own set of towels, some dishes other than the second hand ones I got from my mom.

Really most of my non saved money has gone toward groceries or rent which I'm pretty proud of myself for. Some people live carrying a big debt load. I've got a couple grand sitting in my savings which after four years of post secondary and now living on my own is pretty good

[PB2K]

maintenance hungry cars (which i should abandon) , university education and travelling/philantropy . and computer stuff. and quality beers

i don't have a dining table. i dont have a tv. i dont even have a nice bed to sleep on. i do have a nice place to live along a lake (rent). summers are wonderful
i cant take all that with me while i travel, it would be a burden. so i wont buy stuff that make my house neat. i refuse to settle

[Shaddim]

Under this roof? I'll give you two guesses.

[subego]

Shoes and guns?

For us it's pillows.

2 beds, 1 cup 16 pillows.

The dog has 3 hand me down pillows, and two full size dog pillows.

[shifuimam]

We've been on sort of a spending kick lately, but we're sticking to a budget now so we can get back on track.

Biggest purchases?

$1200 at IKEA - bed frame, entertainment center, desk chair, coffee table, misc. stuff
$700 at Newegg - finally built a new computer for myself and relegated my five-year-old machine to acting as a server

Plus other semi-expensive stuff here and there... Espresso machine, a grill (and a tank of propane), a new mouse for my desktop, stuff from DealExtreme, Harmony remote for the entertainment stuff, etc.

Since graduating college, I've made a few really big purchases - a mattress and boxspring, a mattress to replace that mattress (turns out it was WAY too soft for me and was causing back pain; I've since replaced it with a $500 memory foam one from Sam's), a sofa, IKEA furniture from various trips, and my Sony 40" LCD TV. Oh, and $12k on a car.

I tend to spend a lot at one time and then not spend much at all for a few months. Our spending has edged toward out-of-control status in the last three months, though, so I'm really working on pulling the reins in on unnecessary purchases.

But, like Salty, I have no debt and pretty substantial savings - enough that, if we keep to our budget, we'll have around $40,000 (provided that income doesn't change at all in the next year and a half) in the bank by June 2011, which is when we plan on buying our first home.

[ghporter]

We're looking at a bunch of stuff:
a) new landscaping in the back yard-the original drainage "sculpt" of the back yard wasn't quite right, so there's some areas that need work, plus we have a couple of big dogs so the perimeter just inside the fence is kind of beaten down.
b) replacing kitchen counters with something OTHER THAN laminiate.
c) out goes the carpet, in goes the tile (allergies, you know)
d) widescreen TV, probably about a 42"-46", along with a major change in
e) entertainment center furniture and
f) entertainment center electronics

So I need to get a VERY well-paid job really soon so we can do these things and still eat...

[lexapro]

I use my money to support my habit of stealing books from the library.

[Kerrigan]

I usually spend my disposable income on entertainment (bars mostly), clothes, and recreational things like a new wakeboard or something. I put a very low priority on technological purchases.

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

b) replacing kitchen counters with something OTHER THAN laminiate.

Corian FTW. Granite and quartz are so overrated IMO, and way too trendy. Corian lasts forever, and you have the option to get the Corian sink, so that there are no seams or anything between the sink and counter - which is a favorite place for mold to grow.

d) widescreen TV, probably about a 42"-46", along with a major change in
e) entertainment center furniture and
f) entertainment center electronics

Our setup:



I got an insanely good deal on my TV, but you might get as lucky - 40" Sony Bravia 1080p LCD for $799 at Big Lots on December 26 of this past year. If you have a Big Lots in your area, check them out - they sometimes have great deals, and usually have pretty limited stock on electronics.

Also, WRT the electronics and whatnot - our entertainment center was $180 at IKEA. It's really great quality (about as good as MDF and particle board will ever be, compared to solid wood) and holds everything we use. Our receiver is 6.1-channel and has HDMI (no audio via HDMI; you have to spend $400 minimum for audio pass-through). It's an Onkyo and was $215 shipped from Amazon. Boyfriend already had speakers - they're from when he worked at RadioShack. We don't have a sub, but the speakers are good enough to carry the level of bass we like when watching TVs and movies.

You can do pretty well on entertainment furniture and electronics without breaking the bank. My TV was an awesome deal - I was at Wal-Mart today, and the only 40-42" TVs under a grand were crap brands like Emerson and Sanyo.

[harbinger75]

My recent influx of "retirement" money from the fire department has been spent on photography equipment for my new business. Otherwise, "disposable" income has normally gone towards electronics/Mac stuff and software.

Oh, and the occasional piece of furniture or accoutrement for the house.

[glideslope]

Originally Posted by harbinger75 

My recent influx of "retirement" money from the fire department has been spent on photography equipment for my new business. Otherwise, "disposable" income has normally gone towards electronics/Mac stuff and software.

Oh, and the occasional piece of furniture or accoutrement for the house.

Good Luck with your studio. Since your retired, don't let the business end drag you down. Pick what you want to shoot.

[harbinger75]

Originally Posted by glideslope 

Good Luck with your studio. Since your retired, don't let the business end drag you down. Pick what you want to shoot.

I appreciate the words of encouragement! I've most certainly thought of that exact business model: shoot what I enjoy (which has been just about everything up to this point), so we'll see how well that works in this area.

[Eriamjh]

I just can't stop buying Macs.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Corian FTW. Granite and quartz are so overrated IMO, and way too trendy. Corian lasts forever, and you have the option to get the Corian sink, so that there are no seams or anything between the sink and counter - which is a favorite place for mold to grow.

Corian with an integrated sink is our plan. Or at least a "Corian-like" solid surface material; LG and (amazingly) Formica have really good looking products.

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

I got an insanely good deal on my TV, but you might get as lucky - 40" Sony Bravia 1080p LCD for $799 at Big Lots on December 26 of this past year. If you have a Big Lots in your area, check them out - they sometimes have great deals, and usually have pretty limited stock on electronics.

Also, WRT the electronics and whatnot - our entertainment center was $180 at IKEA. It's really great quality (about as good as MDF and particle board will ever be, compared to solid wood) and holds everything we use. Our receiver is 6.1-channel and has HDMI (no audio via HDMI; you have to spend $400 minimum for audio pass-through). It's an Onkyo and was $215 shipped from Amazon. Boyfriend already had speakers - they're from when he worked at RadioShack. We don't have a sub, but the speakers are good enough to carry the level of bass we like when watching TVs and movies.

You can do pretty well on entertainment furniture and electronics without breaking the bank. My TV was an awesome deal - I was at Wal-Mart today, and the only 40-42" TVs under a grand were crap brands like Emerson and Sanyo.

I'm currently enthralled by Samsung's 600, 700, and 800 series LED TVs They're thin, VERY cool, very bright, and have almost 180º viewing angles. I don't have any real plan about tuner/receiver/media switch hardware yet, though I've had Sony products for quite some time and liked them a lot. I want to get at least a 5.1 speaker setup, which may involve some "interesting" wiring to get the back speakers hooked up...

And I don't buy furniture that is made of "wood products" anymore. I got tired of "oh no there goes that drink all over!" and the materials disintegrating. I get solid wood now. There's an Oak Express near the house that has some really great looking stuff (we are sticking with stuff that goes with Mission style furniture) for not a lot, and we're especially looking at stuff that will work as a sort of credenza with space for the receiver and such underneath with the TV on top.

And of course that doesn't even touch on ripping up the carpet and putting down tile...

[shifuimam]

I wasn't real sprung on the super glossy piano black frame on Samsung TVs. My Sony has a brushed metal frame that is very subtle. The picture quality is amazing - I'd say that Sony and Samsung are about equal when it comes to image quality.

I do agree that solid wood furniture is just about universally superior to stuff made from MDF, but I'm too cheap to spend a grand on an entertainment center. Plus, there's almost no chance of water coming into contact with mine, unless the roof collapses during a storm and brings down the second floor with it - in which case I'll have a lot more to worry about than water on my entertainment center.

FWIW, wiring the rear speakers was pretty easy for us. The bulk of the wire is running under an area rug. The space between the rug and the couch and the rug and the entertainment center is taken care of with some of that rubber cable covering stuff - it's a little expensive, but it's definitely the best solution for wires. Our living room has beige carpet, so the beige rubber blends in well (plus only a little bit is visible). If you have drywall and a crawlspace, though, I'd recommend running the wires under the flooring and into outlets on the wall (or floor - I don't understand why builders don't put outlets in the floor). Looks much nicer and makes mounting a lot easier.

[Laminar]

Disposable income in the past few months has gone toward paying off my debt to my dad, buying an engagement ring (of course she's allergic to nickel, so I had to spring for platinum), and motorcycles. Lots of motorcycles and motorcycle parts. I just dropped about $325 last week on misc parts - jets, cargo net, tires, passenger helmet, pod filters, exhaust baffles, rear shocks, grips, etc. Luckily I found a coupon code for JC Whitney that saved me $40 and got me free shipping. But all of this should hold me for a while, It's fun being able to choose which motorcycle to ride to work in the morning, and I have another one on the way. Now if only I could actually get my car working again...

[Gankdawg]

Ammo and food stocks for this winter.

[Ω]

Only thing that eases the pain. Alcohol.

[mattyb]

Not spending too much ATM except for the 8K€ on a (new to us but 2nd hand) car a couple of weeks ago.

I've got a budget for a dSLR but still haven't made up my mind which one to get.

Might need a new DVD player soon since my son thinks its funny pushing the DVD drawer back into the DVD player. We are not going to get a nice new flat-screen TV due to the two terrorists who would destroy it within minutes.

[paul w]

I have no car, don't wear no snazzy clothes. My wife is impossible to shop for. My computer/TV/home entertainment situation is set for a while. We have no room for new furniture.

Yet:

I have a 6 month old baby, and I do film photography.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Our setup:

Mmm...Pizza by Alfredo.

[SpaceMonkey]

Wait, are you saying that I shouldn't be sending all of my disposable income to the MacNN administrators?

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by paul w 

I have no car, don't wear no snazzy clothes. My wife is impossible to shop for. My computer/TV/home entertainment situation is set for a while. We have no room for new furniture.

Yet:

I have a 6 month old baby, and I do film photography.

Sell the baby NOW, they only get more expensive.

[residentEvil]

boats n hoes!

[paul w]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Sell the baby NOW, they only get more expensive.

Yeah, can't do it. But then again I sure as hell ain't selling my Leica either.

[osiris]

Socks. I buy lots of socks.

[Salty]

I should also mention I eat out way more than I should... food costs so much!

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

Wait, are you saying that I shouldn't be sending all of my disposable income to the MacNN administrators?

Of course they're not saying that! That would be crazy talk. Your real disposable income is the part we send back to you... Now stop worrying and get that check in the mail.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

I do agree that solid wood furniture is just about universally superior to stuff made from MDF, but I'm too cheap to spend a grand on an entertainment center.

With pets or children, ANY safeguard needs a backup. And the credenza-thing we're looking at comes out to less than $400 (making it even more attractive).

[kmkkid]

Beer.
Plasma TV.
Beer.
Pride T.O. Savings
Beer.
New Mac soonish (Probably MBP & ACD).
Beer.
Blu-Ray Player.
Beer.
CC Debts.










Oh, and did I mention lots of beer?

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by kmkkid 

Oh, and did I mention lots of beer?

But what kind of beer? That's important.

[Paco500]

Horses are taking up a lot right now (wife and kids riding them, not betting). And we just moved house, so new appliances, some new furniture, lawnmower- all that stuff that's necessary without being fun.

[rickey939]

Rickey Henderson baseball cards.

[@pplejaxkz]

I'm also with kmkkid, lots of beer.

1.Beer (Stella Artois mostly, Heineken, Corona)
2.Starbucks
3.CC Debts
4.Applications
5.Clothes

[ThinkInsane]

I bury most of mine in mason jars. What I don't bury I usually spend on ammo and fortifications.

[Railroader]

cheese

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

cheese

Unpasteurized ?

[Railroader]

all

[kmkkid]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

But what kind of beer? That's important.

The cheaper the better!

This is Canada after all, no such thing as a bad beer

Well other than the imported American crap.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by kmkkid 

The cheaper the better!

This is Canada after all, no such thing as a bad beer

Well other than the imported American crap.

*snort*

Self-perpetuating the myth, eh?

Tons of crap Canadian beer, with Molson and Labatt at the top of the list IMO.

Luckily, I've been finding a lot of microbrewing pubs around random streetcorners lately. FTW!

On-topic:
1. Tuition
2. Food
3. Snowboard(s)(ing)

That's pretty much it.

greg

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Mmm...Pizza by Alfredo.

It's like eating a hot circle of garbage!

[gaming4fun]

1 - Computer hardware
2 - Fast Food
3 - Beer