...for a while. I am all moved in, as of last friday. I am out of my old apartment as of sunday. Two rooms are painted, and one hallway primed, as of wednesday night. Last night I just took a break from the place, and had a couple of drinks with my friend Mike after work. We talked sharecrop. Then I had dinner with Andrea and her "crafternoon" compadres, Korrine & Harrie. Her husband [my amigo] Bronson, was not there on account of GRE studying. Good luck on that.
I got my first pieces of non-bill-related post yesterday--a lovely little note from Sonali, who wins the first piece of "good" mail award, and a flyer from my local hardware store that I signed up for. Both Chris and I are hardware store junkies. It is kind of neat to see my name on a piece of mail, and know it's coming to my house. No apartment number needed. I'm buying, thanks. I'm sure I'll still be asked about it, as it is the logical first question for anyone. "So Ben, how's the house?" But I'm going to cut back from writing about it as I think I've just about exhausted the writing possibilities for now. At least, I want to write about other things.
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I want to write about my washer and dryer. Now, this may seem very house-related, but it isn't, really. I was thinking about a call for entries that my friend Kate posted on Friendster asking for submissions to her grad project. She calls it "What did you buy today?" and as I just wrote a check to Nebraska Furniture Mart to pay on my account, my washer and dryer are what I bought last.
I dropped over a thousand dollars on high-end, high-efficiency Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer. I talked to several friends about appliances before I bought, and I decided that the extra money was worth it. You save money in the long run by using less electricity and gas--the latter I expect to continue to rise in price given the current administration's interest in oil and the mideast. And the oil industry as a cartel. But I digress. We're talking about appliances.
I'm interested in the idea of false poverty, of people who claim to be poor because they just got back from Europe, for example. Or the idea of someone who preaches out against conspicuous consumption, whether it's suburban mansions or S.U.V.s, lives simply, but then drops $3-500 on an iPod or Gore-Tex jacket. I'm not against any of these things, per se, I'm guilty of all of them. I just object to the righteous attitude.
When I got serious about whittling away at my debt, I told myself I would sleep on most major purchases. I can't just buy a CD b/c it just came out, or b/c I think I really want it. I have to figure out if I have enough money after paying bills, making a good effort at paying my debt--always at least double my minimum payments, usually within $50 of my paycheck. I can get by on $50 every two weeks for food, as long as I cook and don't go out much.
However, when I do buy, I buy top of the line. I like to research the hell out of things, buy once, and own it for the rest of my life. I usually wait until these things are on sale. Brand name items I own that I have gotten this way: Caphalon pans, North Face jacket, iBook, Whirlpool Duet Washer & Dryer--on sale & a 1/2 price floor model, respectively. I don't need to own things, but if I'm going to, they're going to be well-designed, they're going to have a warranty, and I'm not going to have to think about them b/c they'll fit in with the rest of my life.
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The second part of deciding to purchase has to do with politics. Now, to be truly politically correct, you would have to grow your own fibers from which to make clothing, grow non-GMO foods using organic fertilizer, build & maintain your own roads, vehicles & etc. Basically, bypass the politics of society and leave all the benefits at the same time. While I let politics inform my decisions and purchases, I'm not that fanatical.
I do try to buy products that are sustainable, or at least low-impact on the environment. Hence the high-efficiency appliances. I have a showerhead I need to install that restricts the flow of water, reducing consumption. I drive a small, fuel-efficient Honda. It's a two seater, and carries me where I need to go with a minimum of envinronmental impact. Humvee owners can go to hell. Unless they're driving it across the desert on a mission of freedom. Then, they're allowed, in some cases.
Basically, what this comes down to--and this is a discussion I keep having with my friends--is that every act is political. Every purchase you make can either be based on an informed opinion, or not. I'm not out to berate most people for their igorant purchases, I have my share of impulse buys. However, I am against a culture of ignorance--of the desire to purchase based on advertising, rather than actual need or want. I am against consumer products that damage the environnment [in their production or consumption], or even if they just clutter my visual space. The former is a crime, the latter is a matter of taste.
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