What Logical Inconsistencies Have You Noticed in Your Own (and Others) Spending

outlander on 20/07/2018 - 12:43

I'm generally a pretty frugal person. I try and get a good deal for everything if I can, even if it means waiting a bit or doing things creatively.
Sometimes I can get quite creative in my methods of saving a buck. However, there are other times when I go out and splurge, like the other day when I spent $50 on alcohol and nibblies without much of a second thought. Likewise I see plenty of inconsistencies in other people, from family members who spend hours at op shops only to buy expensive worn clothes, or friends who shell out $400 for top of the line graphics cards and then pair them with the shittiest keyboard/mouse combo's known to man.

Where are your inconsistencies with spending? And, does it bother you

Financial

Comments

  • fantombloo on 20/07/2018 - 12:59

    I'll dodge a toll and cop the scorn of my family.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2018 - 13:00
    +3

    $50 on alcohol, you rebel.

  • redfox1200 on 20/07/2018 - 13:33
    +22

    $400 top of the line graphics made me lol

    • dimitryp on 21/07/2018 - 10:29

      aye. you'll need to be nearer the $1000 mark to get top of the line

  • HighAndDry on 20/07/2018 - 13:37
    +3

    I think it happens all the time, especially here where some deals save you mere dollars, and yet people will spend multiples of that amount on unnecessary stuff from Zapals or Gearbest.

  • trustnoone on 20/07/2018 - 13:37
    +7

    I spend like over $2k for all my laptops I've ever bought even though I only use it for like light development and browsing reddit.

    A big one is, if I want to buy something that costs $50 but free shipping I'll happily buy it, but if something is $45 plus $5 shipping I'll get to the price page and completely bail and not purchase it.

    I'll happily pay like 6 bucks for Vegemite on toast at a coffee shop because for some reason it tastes better then the same thing at home.

    • HighAndDry on 20/07/2018 - 14:32
      +5

      Oh god I'm in this situation myself. I just splashed about $2k on a new computer build. And 90% of what I use it for is browsing the web and Youtube. It's not even that I don't have games - I'll start one up… mess around settings for a bit, start a game…. and then be too lazy to keep playing. It's terrible.

      Anyone want a basically brand spanking new, mini-ITX, AMD Ryzen 5 2600, GTX1060 6GB, 16GB RAM, 500GB NVMe SSD, 4TB HDD computer? (I'm not even sure how much I'm joking here…)

      • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2018 - 14:45
        -1

        You should liquid cool it.

        • HighAndDry on 20/07/2018 - 14:46

          With my lack of coordination, that would at least solve the problem of having a $2k computer and not doing anything worthwhile with it…

        • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2018 - 14:49

          @HighAndDry:
          Pro tip - don't let it leak. Simples.

        • xravisher on 04/08/2018 - 16:31

          Mate did just that with his setup.

          Opened up the side to let me have a peek.

          He moved one of the hoses, and a single drop went onto the GFX card.

          Computer started w/o any display.

          Had to spend another $750 on a replacement.

          Liquid cooling is mostly a waste unless you're considering overclocking. Which is also a great way to reduce the lifespan of the hardware you've got.

          Happy to get other opinions on the matter. But you're best bet is to get hardware that matches your requirements, and buy hardware powerful enough to support your activities without needing to overclock.

        • [Deactivated] on 04/08/2018 - 16:37

          @xravisher:
          I've drained my setup dozens of times. Just need common sense and a good design.

          Have a drain valve at lowest point of the loop.

          When loosening fittings, power needs to be off and paper towel around the fittings.

          Never move hoses while it is filled as soft pipe fittings can slip off the push barbed fittings. Better to not use soft piping anyway. Again, no changes made while power is on.

          Water cooling and overclocking is not entirely useless. Most games do not utilize multi GPU setups well.

          Your friend may spend much more throughout his life to learn common sense. The $750 is relatively nothing if he doesnt smart up.

      • Neenie Beamer on 20/07/2018 - 16:12

        Gee you remind me so much of myself it's almost painful to read this!!!

  • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2018 - 13:50
    +2

    I spend thousands on work related items (generally lenses, microscopes, carbide goodies) on a weekly basis. Not necessities but sure does make work fun.

    I walk into total tools and I find it very hard to justify paying for a Milwaukee over a Ryobi and can spend far longer deliberating on the few hundred bucks for something I'll probably not replace for years.

    PS. 3 months and I'm still deliberating. Still have my Ryobi 18v but the drill smells gloriously like burnt clutch.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2018 - 10:33
      +1

      My partner does this constantly (work stuff) always with the catch cry of “but it’s tax deductible!” Or “but I need XYZ for work (top of the line)”.

      • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2018 - 10:56

        Mine are all tax deductable too. Tax deductions doesn't mean it is free though.

        ToTL is the way to buy. ;)

    • outlander on 16/08/2018 - 13:03

      I'm rereading some of the comments on my threads, and I gotta say I'm uber jealous. I don't really give a toss about fast cars, boats or flashy computers, but high powered microscope? Damn it I want one!

      Think of the possibilities… the doors it opens..

      of course I don't what it takes to walk through those doors atm, so buying one myself would be a bad move logically, but it doesn't stop me wanting one.

  • dasher86 on 20/07/2018 - 14:13
    +3

    The amount I spend on take-away coffees.

    And also the amount I can spend when i'm out with my friends compared to day to day (willing to go out to more expensive places and not complain).

  • retiredfeline on 20/07/2018 - 14:27
    +4

    I go for odd shaped fruit and veggies at the grocers to save a buck or three but I'll happily splash for a good meal.

    Whatever makes you happy is logical.

    • HighAndDry on 20/07/2018 - 14:33
      +1

      In Japan, you'd pay extra for funny shaped fruits and veges. But agree completely with:

      Whatever makes you happy is logical.

  • burhanr on 20/07/2018 - 14:29
    +2

    Monitoring of fuel price cycle and tracking website to make sure i fill up at the lowest or closest to lowest price. Will also ensure tank is filled to the brim prior to the cycle restarting.

    But.. 160 dollars for a bottle of Scotch, not even a second thought.

    • HighAndDry on 20/07/2018 - 14:34
      +1

      Yup. I'll drive like 10kms out of my way for cheaper fuel - and it ends up saving maybe $4 for a tank at most.

      • blwnhr on 21/07/2018 - 08:15
        +2

        I see so many people doing this.

        The ATO says cars cost $0.90/km to run (fuel, servicing, tyres, depreciation etc.).

        Driving 10km for 5¢/L cheaper fuel (for example) means you'd need to buy 180L just to break even!

  • R-Man on 20/07/2018 - 14:54
    +3

    Live in the inner suburbs of Melbourne but have a phone plan with Telstra, paying more and getting less data than I could at Optus or Vodafone. It's illogical but I always think I might need Telstra's rural coverage every now and then so I'm paying more every month.

  • coxjon on 20/07/2018 - 15:20

    $3.50 for a bottle of Coke Zero (until September) at the servo when I've got cans at home in the fridge.

  • ihbh on 20/07/2018 - 15:55
    +2

    Buying books occasionally at great discounted prices, still, when I've got many thousands at home, a large percentage I haven't read!

  • Cheaplikethebird on 20/07/2018 - 16:03
    +8

    Step 1 - Decide to do a bulk cook to start saving money on meals
    Step 2 - Decide that I want something that tastes good and I wont get bored of
    Step 3 - Find some super complicated recipe with a million hard to find ingredients from seriouseats.com
    Step 4 - End up spending more money than I would if I'd eaten out for those meals because I had to buy every single ingredient (young male so pantry isnt well stocked)
    Step 5 - Eat meal, realise I'm not that into the flavour, put the rest in the freezer only to throw out at a later date

    • HighAndDry on 20/07/2018 - 16:05
      +3

      Yup. Have had this happen. A lot of "cheap meal ideas" are cheap calculated on a per-meal basis because they only count the ingredients you use. Problem is, you can't buy a teaspoon of some spice or a single leaf of some herb. So you buy a bottle or a bunch, use one, and the rest gets put into your fridge indefinitely unless you want to eat the same thing for a week.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2018 - 10:29
    +1

    I find it easy to spend on lots little things I kind of want (not desperate to have) than I do on one big purchase of something I really want. The little things often end up being more in total than the one bigger thing.

    A lot like you I guess. And it does annoy me :(

  • MrBear on 21/07/2018 - 10:32
    +2

    Is it inconsistencies?

    Perhaps it is more of a case of "I won't spend much money in this area of my life, so I can spend it how I want in other parts of my life".

    For example, I'll not go out much to restaurants or bars and cook at home a lot, but then that money I saved from doing that I can go on a two-week holiday to a resort Fiji and not blink at the price of a cocktail.

    • ozbjunkie on 21/07/2018 - 15:39

      Yeah same here - one reason I bargain and budget is so I have the option to blow money on dinners or cabs or beer etc without a care for the cost.

      My spending is not illogical, but my interest in being a tightwad is not consistent.

      I bought a bottle of wine in a restaurant the other night, I never do that… But out with friends and they wanted a drink - guess it was still a bargain.

  • minklet on 21/07/2018 - 11:14
    +1

    I spend a few hundred dollars a month on vinyl, but I'll balk at $2 extra on delivery for anything I buy online.

    • Inzo on 21/07/2018 - 20:55

      vinyl? but music is free on the internet?

      • retiredfeline on 22/07/2018 - 12:15

        Ours not to reason vinyl, ours but to do WiFi.

  • tellhimhesdreaming on 23/07/2018 - 13:19
    +2

    I'm an idiot who will waste time (where I could be earning money) in order to save dollars.

    Eg. spend 4 hours researching headphones under $80, when if I just bought something and worked the other 3.5 hours, I'd have more available time and money for hobbies/tasks I enjoy.

    Bargain connoisseur comes at the expense of being time poor :(

    I'm trying to change this habit for the small purchases without spending recklessly. Spending hours/days on a big purchase is totally fine

    • retiredfeline on 23/07/2018 - 16:14

      Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

      https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/11/time-you-enjoy/

    • outlander on 24/07/2018 - 11:33
      +1

      I do this too.

      I traced to back to having past purchases were something went wrong, that could have prevented had I only researched more into the product before buying. What I realize now is that there is an extensive list of things that can go wrong, and checking all of them is more expensive (in time as you've found) than just taking a chance.

      Then you have the dubiousness of the information available. Who writes reviews? The people who stand to gain from them. I'm wagering most of the easy to obtain information on the net is so tainted that its virtually worthless.

      In the end I try and accept that most of the stuff I can afford is going to be garbage, so I just deal with it until I can make my own. Or more likely, because I don't have the means to test and balance speakers, modify existing designs to suit my needs.

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