That is a very well written document, Stick. Excellent, really. Long read and at times very entertaining. Ok, I actually laughed out loud a couple of times! :grin:

David

 

Stick - that was very well done.
Funny and had some great points!

 

I laughed out loud when I saw the picture of the board in the wall with the accompanying text...

 

Fortunately, I never have to justify anything to anyone except my own conscience. I just go by need or want. But I'm the hardest person to get it past. I always have to consider the amount of use (need) or the act of buying (want). My want says "why not", and the battle is on with my frugality (need). Even after I purchase something I don't use it immediately. Frugality may come back and bite me. I always have to consider if I'm worthy of buying something for just me. Now Freud would have something to say about that.

 

I love it! (written like Christmas Story, "you'll shoot your eye out").

 

Way too funny.....so that's how non (bachelors or bachelorettes) have to do it.....interesting, totally parallel with car modifications/parts purchases.......

Sure explains why there's rarely a second date.......

 

I'm well aware of the persuasion necessary to get accounts to say OK.
I'm sorry that the shots are difficult to read. They show that I was very persuasive with the company accountant.

 

What methods have you successfully used to "justify" a tool purchase? What have you tried that did
not work? Let me know.

I just say "Gee honey, since I can't work in the shop without a new xxx, I'll get to be with you all day and night!

 

Here's one: Although I have no restrictions but my own I still casually mention that it would be handy or whatever if I had an xxx which would allow me to do xxx better or more safely.
The reply, something like this" If that's what you think you want then get it. No one's stopping you. It's your hobby. You don't smoke or drink or waste money." Pause.. "then if you realize it's a waste, you've got no one to blame but yourself".
Now is that passive aggressive or what?

 

Very amusing article. There was a period where I was making gobs of money. At the same time, my wife spent at least $12 K on quilting stuff, then she upgraded it and sold the first stuff for a loss. So I just bought the tools I wanted, and later upgraded saws. One afternoon, she walked into the shop while was happily working away and she asked, "are you ever going to make any money with all this stuff?" I replied, "well, about as much as you will with the quilting equipment." End of any resistance to new tools. But I did make sure I accumulated cash and paid in full for every new tool and accessory, so there were no credit card purchases for my stuff. She handles the payments, so she would have noticed.

One day, she said something about liking to have me around, but not underfoot. Then I started making frames for her paintings (she gave up quilting). By now, I probably have $10 to 12 K in my shop, and I am very thankful I didn't wait til retirement to buy that stuff. Even though health is now an issue (improving BTW), I would have missed out on all those years of generating sawdust.

 

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER believe you've had the "last word" in a discussion with SWMBO...you have paid for that without knowing it... :grin: ...and will continue to do so until the end of time...

 

Justification? What she doesn't know won't hurt either of us...

 

I went the CO-OP route...
as in, we're in this together..

 

I also prefer to think of it as "rationalization" rather than "justification"...it makes it so much more credible.

You've heard the saying..."if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with B--S---"...:sold:

 

That 'last' word isn't...

 

but it just might be your last...

 

Silence is golden.

 

healthier too...

 

@DesertRatTom

I understand understand your approach very well but have one better. my wife invested in a quilt shop! That shut my tool acquisition down for a year or two but no more. If I want it and have the cash I buy it. �� the consequences are not life threatening and my shop is heated.

 

You have a couple of her quilt 2nds for use in the shop? Nights can get cold...

 

She would claim "justifiable" homicide and any jury would acquit.

It says so in the "Book of Things", Chapter 3, page 67, paragraph 4... It also states "The Art of War" was not written by Sun Tzu but rather by SWMBO...where she specifically wrote "If you stand by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by"...

 

papasombre

Humorous article, Stick.
Buying new tools is not an issue for me. My wife is not my enemy, she shares with me some time at the workshop as a helper.

 

'Enemy' is a little strong, Alexis. We were thinking more along the lines of economic competitor...

 

As an active shop user, I would go with co-conspirator! A strong defense is the best offense.

 

As any woodworker/carpenter/construction guy knows. You can't use "do I need it?" as a criteria for buying a new tool. Whether or not you'll even ever use it is besides the point!
For all you confused people out there, I will give you the listed reasons for buying a new tool straight from "The Man Bible" Chapter 35 Section 72 Subsection D Paragraph 23 states:

You simply buy a new tool because:
a) It's there
b) You can
*
I hope this has cleared up any questions any of you may have for buying new tools, and hopefully relieve some of the guilty feelings you may have about purchasing that new tool with the money you should have spent on a new dishwasher for your wife.

 

As any woodworker/carpenter/construction guy knows. You can't use "do I need it?" as a criteria for buying a new tool. Whether or not you'll even ever use it is besides the point!
For all you confused people out there, I will give you the listed reasons for buying a new tool straight from "The Man Bible" Chapter 35 Section 72 Subsection D Paragraph 23 states:

You simply buy a new tool because:
a) It's there
b) You can
*
I hope this has cleared up any questions any of you may have for buying new tools, and hopefully relieve some of the guilty feelings you may have about purchasing that new tool with the money you should have spent on a new dishwasher for your wife.

"guilty feelings"...? Didn't know they existed when it comes to tools...:smile:

 

And the overriding rational...
c) I want it
That's what drives our economy.

 

nothing irrational about that...

 

there's this fret....

.