Budgets and the S.O.?

madgardener · Mar 11, 2015

I was going to say spouse, but in these PC times, i have to be mindful, but anyway.

I've read many threads about this or that film being discontinued and someone inevitably goes out and buys an extreme amount of said film, or someone will just because they want to will go get 20 cases of something, just about everybody here seems to have a pretty big stash

How do you do it? I'd like to know. Especially if you're attached/married/engaged/civil union/etc. How do you sneak the film past the other person in your life? Hide the receipts, find the money? Can anyone offer me some tips?

Rick A · Mar 11, 2015

We don't have secrets, honesty IS the best policy. My hobby is my extra income as well, but never needs justification.

Moopheus · Mar 11, 2015

My wife and I each work and have our own money. Sure, we have joint accounts for things we need them for, household expenses, savings, etc. But if I want to spend money on cameras and film, I do. If she wants to spend money on video games and yoga things, whatever. We don't have debts and we don't spend what we can't afford to.

hoffy · Mar 11, 2015

"Its just an order for consumables"

She understands.

paul_c5x4 · Mar 11, 2015

As long as she has a bowl of fresh food & water and the litter tray cleaned out daily, the kitty doesn't pass comment.

ruby.monkey · Mar 11, 2015

madgardener said:
I was going to say spouse, but in these PC times, i have to be mindful, but anyway.

I've read many threads about this or that film being discontinued and someone inevitably goes out and buys an extreme amount of said film, or someone will just because they want to will go get 20 cases of something, just about everybody here seems to have a pretty big stash

How do you do it? I'd like to know. Especially if you're attached/married/engaged/civil union/etc. How do you sneak the film past the other person in your life? Hide the receipts, find the money? Can anyone offer me some tips?

Me: I'm going to buy X, which costs Y, because Z.
She: OK. Leave some space in the freezer for food, though.
Me: Will do.
She:

That pretty much covers it.

Truzi · Mar 11, 2015

I will get film when it's on sale, or ask for it as birthday and holiday gifts. My stash isn't huge, and it is slowly accumulated, bit by bit. Similar to buying a savings bond every payday (no, I don't buy film every payday - it's just an example of smaller but more-or-less frequent buying).
I am not begrudged small purchases, especially when they cost less than most people spend on lunch in a work-week. I rarely eat out, choosing more economical fare.

Equipment is another story, considering it's a larger expense. I won't lie or sneak, so I have to control myself. Fortunately I do NOT feel the need to "acquire" gear for the sake of having it, but there are a few things I would really like to get.

removed account4 · Mar 11, 2015

buy it expired, it doesn't cost much $$

snapguy · Mar 11, 2015

Simple

You pose a rather simple piece of business. Here is what you should do. First, you ask yourself "am I a man or a mouse." Then you go someplace, nibble on a piece of cheese, and think about it some more.

mauro35 · Mar 11, 2015

Capitalism is based on the concept that people have to spend as much money as possible, even if they do not physically have it. They have to have constantly need for everything and the advertisment industry pushes everybody to buy anything without thinking about it twice (actually not even once). I sometimes have the feeling that in our society it is more of a problem if you try not to spend your money. Maybe that makes for a good argument to justify your purchases...

ParkerSmithPhoto · Mar 11, 2015

mauro35 said:
Capitalism is based on the concept that people have to spend as much money as possible, even if they do not physically have it. They have to have constantly need for everything and the advertisment industry pushes everybody to buy anything without thinking about it twice (actually not even once). I sometimes have the feeling that in our society it is more of a problem if you try not to spend your money. Maybe that makes for a good argument to justify your purchases...

Wrong. Capitalism is based on the concept of value creation. You create values (food, clothing, cameras, etc) and offer them to people in exchange for money.

The core principle is that whatever product or service you are selling has to be worth MORE than the currency exchanged for it. If the value of the product is not greater than the actual cost, no one would buy it. Just think about any product that saves people TIME, those sell like crazy because most reasonable people value time (which is fixed) more than money (a fairly renewable resource) and any product that saves you time is, in essence, saving you money.

This value creation is the whole reason anyone gets paid to do any job. XYZ Corp pays you $75,000 a year because you actually produce more than $75,000 a year in value. And this is the folly of arbitrarily raising minimum wages to, say, $20 an hour: at that price, anyone who isn't producing more than $20 in value for a company will become unemployed.

The profit incentive is why we have film, and iPhones, and limburger cheese. It's the greatest thing that's every happened to humanity. If you don't like a product or service, don't buy it. But don't assume that no one else wants it, or that it is somehow trivial to their existence.

The big problem is easy credit (which causes people to go into debt by buying now rather than later) and easy credit is caused by cheap dollars being flooded onto the market by poor government policies. Which is why we in the US have 90 million working age adults out of the labor force, yet the stock market is skyrocketing.

Byclops · Mar 11, 2015

ParkerSmithPhoto said:
Wrong. Capitalism is based on the concept of value creation. You create values (food, clothing, cameras, etc) and offer them to people in exchange for money.

The core principle is that whatever product or service you are selling has to be worth MORE than the currency exchanged for it. If the value of the product is not greater than the actual cost, no one would buy it. Just think about any product that saves people TIME, those sell like crazy because most reasonable people value time (which is fixed) more than money (a fairly renewable resource) and any product that saves you time is, in essence, saving you money.

This value creation is the whole reason anyone gets paid to do any job. XYZ Corp pays you $75,000 a year because you actually produce more than $75,000 a year in value. And this is the folly of arbitrarily raising minimum wages to, say, $20 an hour: at that price, anyone who isn't producing more than $20 in value for a company will become unemployed.

The profit incentive is why we have film, and iPhones, and limburger cheese. It's the greatest thing that's every happened to humanity. If you don't like a product or service, don't buy it. But don't assume that no one else wants it, or that it is somehow trivial to their existence.

The big problem is easy credit (which causes people to go into debt by buying now rather than later) and easy credit is caused by cheap dollars being flooded onto the market by poor government policies. Which is why we in the US have 90 million working age adults out of the labor force, yet the stock market is skyrocketing.

AMEN!

eng1er · Mar 11, 2015

Film is like cameras, tools, darkroom gear, etc. Once you have enough of it, adding one more box of film, another camera, a new enlarging lens, an additional power tool or whatever isn't discernible from the herd. You just need to get to that point.

Moopheus · Mar 11, 2015

ParkerSmithPhoto said:
The profit incentive is why we have film, and iPhones, and limburger cheese.

And in addition, collapsable Bangladeshi garment factories and rising sea levels. That's some added value, right there.

film_man · Mar 11, 2015

madgardener said:
I was going to say spouse, but in these PC times, i have to be mindful, but anyway.

I've read many threads about this or that film being discontinued and someone inevitably goes out and buys an extreme amount of said film, or someone will just because they want to will go get 20 cases of something, just about everybody here seems to have a pretty big stash

How do you do it? I'd like to know. Especially if you're attached/married/engaged/civil union/etc. How do you sneak the film past the other person in your life? Hide the receipts, find the money? Can anyone offer me some tips?

Easy.

I bought 50 rolls of film and she said nothing because we both enjoy very the much the photos plus she actually uses some of it herself. The other day I bought a 2nd Leica R8 body and she commented "oh you got a silver one too, looks nice". Then last week she bought a pair of shoes that cost more than the two above items combined and I said "they look really really nice on you".

And life goes on.

You only have to justify if you can't afford it. But then you should be justifying first to yourself rather the one that caught you buying it. If I couldn't afford that R8, or the the 50 rolls of film or that pair shoes then both of us would have to justify it to each other.

mgb74 · Mar 11, 2015

Any and every economic system can be (and has been) abused and lead to the excesses Moopheus describes. Hardly unique to capitalism. Unconstrained (fill in the blank) is always bad.

The fact is that in almost every case societies move towards capitalism. Case in point - China, Cuba, Eastern Europe, and even the Soviet Union. All are loosening - albeit in baby steps - state ownership of all production. What about revolutions in China, Cuba, and (then) Russia? They were invariably an overthrow of what was essentially a feudal, not capitalistic, system.

To bring it back on topic, my spending tends to be pretty moderate, so my wife is more concerned with physical volume, not cost.

wy2l · Mar 11, 2015

Are you asking advise on how to hide expenditures of money from your wife?

pbromaghin · Mar 11, 2015

Because I never complain about anything she buys. Besides, I got a daytime job, I'm doin' alright.

DanielStone · Mar 11, 2015

OP,
If you have to hide it, you probably shouldn't be buying it and trying to hide it from your "s.o."(gosh how I hate these "PC" terms...)
Just my opinion, of course

Ricardo Miranda · Mar 11, 2015

Ufff! I had to Google S.O. to find out what it is!

At times I'm so glad that I'm middle age, bachelor and don't have to justify anything to anyone except myself.

Hatchetman · Mar 11, 2015

The other day I said something about "my other Leica." She said, "wait, what do you mean your other Leica!??"

ParkerSmithPhoto · Mar 11, 2015

Hatchetman said:
The other day I said something about "my other Leica." She said, "wait, what do you mean your other Leica!??"

My wife: "wait, I thought you sold your Mamiya to pay for all that darkroom equipment..."

Me: "Uhhhhh...."

winger · Mar 11, 2015

Cameras and film don't take up a lot of room. My husband likes cars. They do.

But I don't have to justify anything because we have separate slush funds for such things. It's tougher for me to find the time to use my toys. And that irks me more than either of us buying things.

hoffy · Mar 11, 2015

pbromaghin said:
Because I never complain about anything she buys. Besides, I got a daytime job, I'm doin' alright.

Ahhh, but can you 'Play The honky tonk like anything'?

(sorry, couldn't resist)

zehner21 · Mar 11, 2015

I live my mother and while at first she didn't like these (almost) monthly expenses, now she's fine with it, also because I'm improving with my printing technique and I can show her some of my work.
Let us not forget my grandfather, who is fascinated by the Polaroid. He seems like a child, a 93 years old child
So, no problems for me!

Budgets and the S.O.?

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