<p>Someone sent me an email about the issue of idad and financial priorities. I answered that you have capital purchases and recurring expenses. In general, if you want to build wealth, you try to minimize recurring expenses. Capital purchases are a one-time expense for a given purpose and hopefully a long lifetime. I do the same thing. I maximize income streams that require little effort and work hard to minimize expense streams. I do not mind capital expenditures that have a long useful life.</p>
<p>Running can actually be quite expensive. I received a catalog from Runners World - pretty easy to find running shoes from $100 to $200, high tech shirst, shorts, socks, etc. A new iPod and a good pair of Adidas or Nike sports headphones can set you back $225. Warmer clothes for the winter can be expensive too.</p>
<p>$500 for a bicycle isn’t that much. I used to build them 30 years ago and you could spend $1,000 for a frame and high-end components without too much trouble. One guy in the office recently bought a bicycle for $3,000.</p>
<p>You can have the texting function disa bled on your phone. The thing is…those who SEND you text messages do not know that you aren’t receiving them. I had the function disabled on my phone for a while and folks sent me text messages a lot. The didn’t KNOW I wasn’t receiving them.</p>
<p>Many young people use texting as a primary means of cell communication. I would guess that students would just assume that everyone else does. My kids also got text messages from their TEACHERS in college…sometimes to do things like reschedule due dates, or sessions, or with updated information. It was MUCH easier for them to send a text to multiple students than to call them all on their phones. Many folks are more mobile these days and texting is more mobile than sending an email.</p>
<p>If you want to build your assets, you consider BOTH one time expenses AND reoccuring expenses. If you have very limited funds (as one poster here says he has), you need to be cautious about your expenditures…period. AND you have to prioritize NEED vs WANT. </p>
<p>I walk for exercise. It costs me nothing extra. I have shoes anyway…and I go with a friend for social/conversation/moral support. It’s really free.</p>
<p>You can run for free. No one NEEDS to buy expensive running shoes, etc. We are talking recreational jogging, not competitive racing. No need for $150 specially fit shoes or all that other nonsense you mentioned. No need to buy any of that stuff. Please. Dont be silly. Then again, you could buy all that cr*p to go bike riding too. Don’t forget the backpack and the nalgen waterbottles or camelbacks. Nice and costly too.</p>
<p>And at $20/mo for a phone, it will take over 2 yrs of a cell phone cost to equal the cost of that $500 fixed price bike (thay will probably need repairs and have other additional costs). Another place not to skimp (pricewise) is on the helmet. Long term care for a head injured person is not cheap.
So you think that a fixed cost purchase (lke a new car or camera equipment or a high end bike) is more logical than $20/mo for a cellphone?? Really?? REALLY??? Wow.</p>
<p>One-time expenses are not the same as capital expenses. The latter is an investment while the former isn’t necessarily.</p>
<p>Lots of folks have a competitive aspect of their personality (I find that a lot in CC) and they like to compete against others or themselves. A little time on the Charles River provides evidence that there are a lot of people that run and that Apple’s success with the iPod is quite evident with runners.</p>
<p>Recreational jogging can turn into competitive running. It’s pretty amazing how quickly the cardiovascular system can improve but the joints and muscles usually don’t improve as quickly as the cardiovascular system can. So those improving on distance and time too fast can run into joint injuries or other repetitive issues. I don’t spend $150 on shoes but I do get good quality running shoes and good quality aftermarket inserts.</p>
<p>My cell phone costs me $8.33/month. My internet+landline costs $33/month. We don’t have cable television. We have low heating costs and a lot of other low costs. I’ll spend $3,000 for a computer though. The capital costs and recurring costs mentioned here are really unrelated. The idea is that you drive those recurring costs down, just as you improve on recurring income.</p>
<p>BCeagle-
Are you being argumentative on purpose? So what that some runners you happen to see use ipods or what have you. Plenty of non-runners have ipods. It is not a necessary item for running-- just a necessary item for your argument. There are also plenty of stupid bicyclists who use ipods and cant hear the oncoming traffic. Again more reason for that expensive bike helmet. </p>
<p>I’ll wait for a thread to be started on all the unnecessary cr<em>p for bike riding as I mentioned above (camelbacks, backpacks, nalgen bottles, high tech bike riding outfits, reflectors, shoes, and yes-- the helmets and ipods). Those *fixed costs</em> sure add up-- especially when none but the helmet are necessary. NONE of the stuff you mentioned for running is necessary. Silly silly argument.</p>
<p>And recreational bikeriding can turn into competitive racing. Lets not predict what someone MIGHT do. Lets talk about what someone IS doing. Sheesh.</p>
<p>BTW, bceagle, there are plenty, PLENTY of great computer deals-- top of the line stuff with lots of bells and whistles that don’t cost $3K. But if you want to justify spending it on a computer (that you will probably depreciate as a business expense and then replace in a few years) go right ahead.</p>
<p>You can substitute the word “bicyclist” for “runner” in your arguments, bceagle. It doesnt matter what the sport is. There are lots of unnecessary things anyone can buy for any sport and in any price range. If you are going to ride long distances- best invest in a good high end bike seat as well. I have a friend who has chronic pain from a bad bike seat-- and lots and LOTS of medical expenses as a result.</p>
<p>The reality is- we arent talking about competitive bicyclists or runners. We are talking about some people who are pennywise and pound foolish, and who bi*ch and whine and complain about spending 5 bucks in one area while fishing for information on high end, totally unnecessary purchases in another. Simply outrageous.</p>
<p>As for fixed vs ongoing expenses-- if one lives within a budget they will do fine. Spend recklessly, no matter how they justify it, and they will not.</p>
<p>I do development work on my systems on both Windows, Linux and Mac OS
X. This is for work and pleasure. Some of that work landed me a job
offer. What’s an engineering job worth these days?</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Well, I disagree. Good equipment complements the athlete. Bad equipment
can result in injuries.</p>
<p>You are being argumentative and trying to deflect the issue. You are now intertwining software costs with hardware costs. Separate issue. And we are talking recreational exercise, not competitive sports. Ther is NO NEED to spend a fortune on high tech gear for recreational activities. But you go ahead and convince yourself that there is. You sound just like our OP now.</p>
<p>No need to beat this to death- and please stop derailing the thread.</p>
<p>You don’t know what you are talking about. I was not talking about
software costs. Apparently you aren’t familiar with the Mac platform
and its pricing.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>I don’t see that spending $500 on a bicycle is a fortune and it
certainly wouldn’t be considered high-tech gear.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>You seem very confused and a little obsessed.</p>
<p>Back to the OP
As many have said- quit being ridiculous. If you can’t afford a cheap phone, you cant afford an expensive bike. If you haven’t already spent your discretionary $ on that bike, spend it on a phone. And please, please stop whining about it and claiming you are poor and cant afford it.</p>
<p>The cheapest Mac Mini is $699. I work at Cafes and in multiple
locations and sometimes travel with my MacBook Pro and carrying a
MacMini, Keyboard, Mouse and monitor would be a little cumbersome.
Furthermore I do also work in areas where a wall sockets are not
readily available.</p>
<p>This particular MacBook Pro has WUXGA resolution and you typically
need to buy at least a 24 inch monitor to get that kind of real
estate. Not something that I’d like to carry into the local Starbucks.</p>
<p>Some people choose to have top of the line computers. Some choose to have top of the line cell phones (and plans to go with them). Some folks choose to be recreational runners/bikeriders etc…with no aspirations to become competitors…others choose to “upgrade”.</p>
<p>The point here is IF you are whining about the amount of money you have and how POOR you are, and how your kids are wanting for SO MUCH…(you don’t do that BCEagle…but another poster does it a lot), then perhaps you need to think about your priorities. It’s not even about what you spend if you whine about not having money…it’s IF you should spend at all.</p>
<p>I guess what I’m saying…buy whatever you want to buy…conserve in anyway you choose, but don’t whine about it. It’s annoying to hear someone whine about their low income status and then post about expensive trips, bikes, new car, dinners out, and other discretionary spending. </p>
<p>If you want a less expensive cell phone plan because you don’t use your cell phone much, fine. BUT don’t whine about the expense of a cell phone, your low income status…and your desire to buy some unneeded piece of hardware.</p>
<p>When I think of capital expenditures, I think of things that last a heck of a lot longer than a bicycle or a cell phone…or even a computer. I think…house, land, appliances, furniture…things that last 10 years or longer.</p>