Comments on: Sometimes Free is Expensive: A Cautionary Tale http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/ personal finance that makes cents Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:27:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: mike http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4247 mike Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:56:24 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4247 One more thing, I have a keyboard which obviously turns off, but I protect the keys from the cat using a little table cloth runner over them. Problem solved pretty much. The runner is nice fabric, it doesn't look ghetto rigged or anything. One more thing, I have a keyboard which obviously turns off, but I protect the keys from the cat using a little table cloth runner over them. Problem solved pretty much. The runner is nice fabric, it doesn’t look ghetto rigged or anything.

]]> By: mike http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4246 mike Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:53:41 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4246 I agree with the above posters. Definitely the free means really a cost savings if you were going to get a piano anyway. In this case, his piano probably will be cheaper than if he bought a 300 dollar piano, which would still need tuning. As far as the key cover goes, just build a little cover with thin wood or use cloth until you find another broken piano which has the pieces you need. Or try a music store to see if they have pieces for you. Or just do without it. If you are spending time collecting free pianos, obviously your life doesn't need perfection. Surely there are more innovative ways to protect the keys in the modern age anyhow. The reason pianos look and work the same is tradition rather than practicalities anyway. Solve the problem cheaply. I agree with the above posters. Definitely the free means really a cost savings if you were going to get a piano anyway. In this case, his piano probably will be cheaper than if he bought a 300 dollar piano, which would still need tuning. As far as the key cover goes, just build a little cover with thin wood or use cloth until you find another broken piano which has the pieces you need. Or try a music store to see if they have pieces for you. Or just do without it. If you are spending time collecting free pianos, obviously your life doesn’t need perfection. Surely there are more innovative ways to protect the keys in the modern age anyhow. The reason pianos look and work the same is tradition rather than practicalities anyway. Solve the problem cheaply.

]]> By: J.D. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4003 J.D. Tue, 25 Jul 2006 15:57:18 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4003 Yeah, that's a good point. My neighbor is moving. He's an old man, and has collected a lot of stuff over the years. He had a dark room in his house, and has a lot of old photography equipment. He knows that I'm into photography, and so has offered me all his stuff for free. I'm torn. I don't know how to use a darkroom. I might have space for one, but it would require fixing things up. I'm perfectly happy with digital. And yet I feel like it's a bond I can share with him. (He's just moving one house over, so I'll still see him lots.) Ultimately, I've decided to take the free darkroom equipment. I have plenty of room to store it. And if I decide I don't want it, there's always craigslist! :) Yeah, that’s a good point.

My neighbor is moving. He’s an old man, and has collected a lot of stuff over the years. He had a dark room in his house, and has a lot of old photography equipment. He knows that I’m into photography, and so has offered me all his stuff for free. I’m torn. I don’t know how to use a darkroom. I might have space for one, but it would require fixing things up. I’m perfectly happy with digital. And yet I feel like it’s a bond I can share with him. (He’s just moving one house over, so I’ll still see him lots.)

Ultimately, I’ve decided to take the free darkroom equipment. I have plenty of room to store it. And if I decide I don’t want it, there’s always craigslist! :)

]]> By: Through a Glass Darkly http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4002 Through a Glass Darkly Tue, 25 Jul 2006 15:53:00 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-4002 I think free only makes sense if it's something that you just love and that's been on your wants list already ... not something you start wanting just because it's free. I think free only makes sense if it’s something that you just love and that’s been on your wants list already … not something you start wanting just because it’s free.

]]> By: Adam Jaskiewicz http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-3990 Adam Jaskiewicz Tue, 25 Jul 2006 14:34:39 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/#comment-3990 Getting a piano tuned is an expected expense, though, when moving a piano from one place to another. Changes in temperature, humidity, and even the changes in stress loads brought on by moving the piano around are enough to put it slightly out of tune. If it is mroe than a little bit out of tune, it might go out of tune faster than usual after the first few tunings, but once the strings get used to being in tune, it should be as stable as any other piano would be. Musical instruments really aren't conducive to saving money. Good instruments are expensive, good repair and maintainence is expensive, and they require proper climate control to stay in good condition. A piano in a house that gets cold and dry in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer will go out of tune very quickly, whereas a piano in a house kept at a more-or-less constant temperature and humidity will need tuning very seldom. Getting a piano tuned is an expected expense, though, when moving a piano from one place to another. Changes in temperature, humidity, and even the changes in stress loads brought on by moving the piano around are enough to put it slightly out of tune. If it is mroe than a little bit out of tune, it might go out of tune faster than usual after the first few tunings, but once the strings get used to being in tune, it should be as stable as any other piano would be.

Musical instruments really aren’t conducive to saving money. Good instruments are expensive, good repair and maintainence is expensive, and they require proper climate control to stay in good condition. A piano in a house that gets cold and dry in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer will go out of tune very quickly, whereas a piano in a house kept at a more-or-less constant temperature and humidity will need tuning very seldom.

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