I’ve been telling my boss’s boss that when I’m rich and famous I’m going to purchase a Vitamix blender, a Dyson vacuum, and a laptop of approximately two grand. To me these things represent wealth. They are symbols of upper middle class. The blender is just under $400 and the vacuum cleaner mostly just under $300. To spend over $50 on an appliance and over $100 on a vacuum cleaner suggests splendor and excess cash. To me they represent solid items with lifetime guarantees (the Vitamix anyways).

What things represent wealth to you?

Cars that you don’t buy outright or houses you buy with a mortgage attached do not count. I’m referring to products you can walk in and buy with cash. That is a privilege for those who do not live paycheck to paycheck, especially if you’re splurging mid-year without a holiday’s excuse in sight.

Recently, to represent my newfound wealth of two incomes I purchased a (used but great condition) handheld GPS and a year-membership to Geocaching.com ($30).

When I was in college I spent six months debating whether to purchase my then $90 Vibram 5-finger shoes.

Between high school and college I spent three – six months debating whether to buy my own archery supplies (bow, arrows, etc) and then did, spending about $150 but later selling everything to another budding archer for $75.

In my mind, purchases over $100 necessitate some thinking. Are they worth it? But most importantly, are they as valuable as their price tag? Or as my dad would say, what is the use per dollar? A bed would have high use per dollar. A sandwich has one use per however many dollars you spend.

This is the financial thought process I go through when I want something and think I can “afford it” Certain products and services I value over others. Learning I value higher than cosmetic services. I do not think a haircut is valued over $20 but I think several hundred on a class is worth it (Bartending School). I think good healthy food is worth extra dough. I do not believe community-centered activities should cost anything (dodgeball, card game clubs, book clubs, etc).

How do you place value on the things you buy and do?

I would like to take a moment to discuss my immense disappointment in Dubai. After reading about the Norwegian woman who was convicted after being raped I was horrified. Dubai is basically admitting that rape is the woman’s fault and therefore when it does occur (if she is married) then she is committing the crime of “unlawful sex” aka adultery. This backwards thinking is shocking but more so is how quick Dubai was to give up on its ‘morals’ after the western world’s outcry. Dubai doesn’t want to be in the world’s negative light but that does not pardon them for sentencing the woman and for their behavior in regards to the incident. I think there should be more retribution against Dubai and their atrocious behavior. Human rights were violated and all that happened was a pardon for the crime? What will happen if another woman is raped in Dubai? If it is not made public, will the woman just suffer in jail as well as from the rape itself? Despicable. I sincerely hope that there is an afterlife and that those in charge of these kinds of deplorable decisions meet their just desserts.

If the USA takes it upon itself to invade another country for the purpose of democratizing, then wouldn’t this be similar cause? Re-education is needed in Dubai.

Tomatoes?

Yay or Nay?

Is there a website where you can input a tv show or movie you like and it will find similar titles? Like Pandora but for movies/tv shows. You could even refine your search to include the aspects of the movie/tv show you like such as actors/actresses, genre, etc.

          I’m sure you have made one at some point. Some call it a New Year’s Resolution. Others call it a bucket list. I refer to it as a to-do list because I always finish what’s on my to-do list (or I amend the list).

I was going over my extensive to-do list and I had noticed that I had completed one of them!