4 ms·

Probably has more to do with age. 20 years ago retirement was 40 years away; now it's only 20, and have kids college to save for. Though I'm making 3x what I

Probably has more to do with age. 20 years ago retirement was 40 years away; now it's only 20, and have kids college to save for. Though I'm making 3x what I did 20 years ago, I'm a lot more frugal. Nothing impresses me anymore either. A used car is just fine. I don't need any more guns. I buy my clothes at Costco. Really nothing to spend money on, despite being in upper 5% income bracket.

mlvljr 9y ago
I like the guns part :) Which ones do you have already?
- madengr 9y ago
  Several AR, FAL, misc battle rifles and carbines, 1911s, shotguns, etc. Let's just say more than I have fingers and toes to count them. What I don't have is any east block guns, other than an old Mosin Nagant; I'd like a few good AK. Also a Fostech Origin 12, and maybe SCARs. The gun industry has grown so much over the last 20 years there is just too much to choose. Don't worry, all securely in safes, except for the 1911 on my hip.
  - mlvljr 9y ago
    Not bad, any SMLEs?
secfirstmd 9y ago
"I don't need any more guns." Haha, that's not a phrase you often hear at a dinner table in Dublin :)
- madengr 9y ago
  Well I didn't say I didn't "want" any more. My grandmother lambasted that I only had 2 hands, and didn't need so many guns. I only need more when some politician is trying to take them.
  - tonyedgecombe 9y ago
    I only need more when some politician is trying to take them. That sounds so strange from the other side of the Atlantic.
    - wavefunction 9y ago
      It sounds strange on this side of the Atlantic as well, and I own a few firearms myself.
      - madengr 9y ago
        Well Obama was the best gun salesman ever, so I'm not alone.
    - madengr 9y ago
      I'm sure it does, but there is a gun culture in the USA. You can go to a large gun store on a Friday night and just hang out and discuss guns. There will be 80 and 18 year olds there all chatting. Gun shows are not even about buying guns, it's a cultural gathering. When you attack guns you attack the culture, and there will be pushback. Same can be said for fox hunting, confederate flags, whaling, etc.
      - secfirstmd 9y ago
        Having served and learned to use weapons in the military. With a hell of a lot of training both as a solider then as an instructor, being around civilians and watching how badly/unsafely so many of them use weapons, I always find myself slightly nervous. Though as military I would also same the same about police :)
        madengr 9y ago
        Totally agree. The two NDs I have seen in classes are cops, but only 10% of cops are probably gun enthusiasts; teh rest just shoot the minimum required per month, which is probably 25 rounds. I had my NRA instructor certs years ago, but won't teach due to insurance costs. Then again, the chances of civilians using weapons defensively in public are pretty low, so it's really not a risk worrying about. Just don't go to public shooting ranges. The number of holes in the ceilings tell it all. I feel perfectly safe doing IDPA, etc. and shooting on private ranges and clubs.
chiph 9y ago
The $13 Costco jeans have a terrible fit .. but $13! Car shopping these days is: "What can I pay cash for, and will likely last 3 years without unanticipated repairs?" A 10 year old Lexus is often still in it's prime.
- pm90 9y ago
  Let me ask you this: would it not be a good way to spend $30 more for a good Levi's, that fit well and last at least twice as long, besides looking very good? I don't expect to change your mind, just to present alternative views on utility and money. Personally, I love the fact that an excellent quality jeans (Calvin Klein) can be had for less than $100 in today's world. My point is that even luxury goods are not that unaffordable today, and maybe people should give more thought to their purchases than just the price. Another example: I've been buying Hanes/Fruit of the Loom underwear all my life (I'm a guy). Recently I invested in luxury underwear. The difference is just staggering; the new ones are so much more comfortable and fit so snugly. I couldn't believe I had lived so much of my life in the discomfort of cheap underwear.
  - madengr 9y ago
    My wife has been buying these lightly used jeans on eBay for $15, the ones with all the crap studded onto the pockets. She says they cost +$150 new. I joke she can probably wear them out and sell them again for much more. I keep telling my kids to buy jeans, cut and tear holes in them, through on some bleach, and sell them 2x what they paid for them.
  - notyourday 9y ago
    > Let me ask you this: would it not be a good way to spend $30 more for a good Levi's, that fit well and last at least twice as long, besides looking very good? No. Levis are made on the same factory as Old Navy. A few of their lines are completely the same. Old Navy jeans can be had for $15/each in a store or $10 at discounters.
    - pm90 9y ago

mlvljr 9y ago

I like the guns part :) Which ones do you have already?

madengr 9y ago
Several AR, FAL, misc battle rifles and carbines, 1911s, shotguns, etc. Let's just say more than I have fingers and toes to count them. What I don't have is any east block guns, other than an old Mosin Nagant; I'd like a few good AK. Also a Fostech Origin 12, and maybe SCARs. The gun industry has grown so much over the last 20 years there is just too much to choose. Don't worry, all securely in safes, except for the 1911 on my hip.
- mlvljr 9y ago
  Not bad, any SMLEs?

secfirstmd 9y ago

"I don't need any more guns." Haha, that's not a phrase you often hear at a dinner table in Dublin :)

madengr 9y ago
Well I didn't say I didn't "want" any more. My grandmother lambasted that I only had 2 hands, and didn't need so many guns. I only need more when some politician is trying to take them.
- tonyedgecombe 9y ago
  I only need more when some politician is trying to take them. That sounds so strange from the other side of the Atlantic.
  - wavefunction 9y ago
    It sounds strange on this side of the Atlantic as well, and I own a few firearms myself.
    - madengr 9y ago
      Well Obama was the best gun salesman ever, so I'm not alone.
  - madengr 9y ago
    I'm sure it does, but there is a gun culture in the USA. You can go to a large gun store on a Friday night and just hang out and discuss guns. There will be 80 and 18 year olds there all chatting. Gun shows are not even about buying guns, it's a cultural gathering. When you attack guns you attack the culture, and there will be pushback. Same can be said for fox hunting, confederate flags, whaling, etc.
    - secfirstmd 9y ago
      Having served and learned to use weapons in the military. With a hell of a lot of training both as a solider then as an instructor, being around civilians and watching how badly/unsafely so many of them use weapons, I always find myself slightly nervous. Though as military I would also same the same about police :)
      - madengr 9y ago
        Totally agree. The two NDs I have seen in classes are cops, but only 10% of cops are probably gun enthusiasts; teh rest just shoot the minimum required per month, which is probably 25 rounds. I had my NRA instructor certs years ago, but won't teach due to insurance costs. Then again, the chances of civilians using weapons defensively in public are pretty low, so it's really not a risk worrying about. Just don't go to public shooting ranges. The number of holes in the ceilings tell it all. I feel perfectly safe doing IDPA, etc. and shooting on private ranges and clubs.

chiph 9y ago

The $13 Costco jeans have a terrible fit .. but $13! Car shopping these days is: "What can I pay cash for, and will likely last 3 years without unanticipated repairs?" A 10 year old Lexus is often still in it's prime.

pm90 9y ago
Let me ask you this: would it not be a good way to spend $30 more for a good Levi's, that fit well and last at least twice as long, besides looking very good? I don't expect to change your mind, just to present alternative views on utility and money. Personally, I love the fact that an excellent quality jeans (Calvin Klein) can be had for less than $100 in today's world. My point is that even luxury goods are not that unaffordable today, and maybe people should give more thought to their purchases than just the price. Another example: I've been buying Hanes/Fruit of the Loom underwear all my life (I'm a guy). Recently I invested in luxury underwear. The difference is just staggering; the new ones are so much more comfortable and fit so snugly. I couldn't believe I had lived so much of my life in the discomfort of cheap underwear.
- madengr 9y ago
  My wife has been buying these lightly used jeans on eBay for $15, the ones with all the crap studded onto the pockets. She says they cost +$150 new. I joke she can probably wear them out and sell them again for much more. I keep telling my kids to buy jeans, cut and tear holes in them, through on some bleach, and sell them 2x what they paid for them.
- notyourday 9y ago
  > Let me ask you this: would it not be a good way to spend $30 more for a good Levi's, that fit well and last at least twice as long, besides looking very good? No. Levis are made on the same factory as Old Navy. A few of their lines are completely the same. Old Navy jeans can be had for $15/each in a store or $10 at discounters.
  - pm90 9y ago