The Curse of the Money-Saving Gadget

The last thing I did this with was a filofax (very 80s) so that I could implement a variation of GTD. The little filofax is still with me, and I use it, but a lot more like a sectioned notebook, which probably would have been cheaper in the first place.

I think this is a lesson I’ll be taught repeatedly!

This post really hit home as I just bought my wife an MP3 Player for Christmas. She really wanted one and hinted at it many times. She opened it up a few days after Christmas and put it in a drawer in her nightstand. She has not taken it out since.

I really like the second to last idea – borrow one before you buy. My wife really wants a new digital camera, but I think I will let her borrow one for a while before I go get her one.

Maybe this is something that carries over from our childhood.

My boys are always wanting the latest greatest toys. They see something new and think that it would be great fun. Then if they get it, 9 times out of 10, they play with it for a few days and then it gets put on the shelf and they go back to the good old toys that they always play with (Hot Wheels, Legos, Lincoln Logs).

We’ve been trying to teach them the value of taking their time in deciding what to spend their money on (they seem to think that they have to buy something just because they have some money) and thinking about how much they will really play with them. (Of course it doesn’t help that their parents are not always the best examples of this.) Seems like the same issue to me.

Also, I believe that it is alright to buy something just because you think it is neat and want to play with it (if you can afford it.) The problem is tricking yourself into thinking you need it. Just be honest with yourself and admit that you just want it so you can be cool. Then go buy one cheap from someone who thought they really needed it but never used it.

I’m always alittle hesitant to buy new gadgets; 2 or 3 years ago I spend £30 on a AAA battery powered MP3 player (3 gig) and it’s still going strong, i’ve no considered buying any kind of IPod; hell, I recently received an iPod Nano for a present but still choose my 3 year old MP3 player!

I agree that a lot of this stuff is sort of aspirational–we want to become the kind of people who make batches of fresh organic ice cream, or gorgeous, foamy capuccinos, so we buy the gadgets that make it possible without either making the personal changes that make it possible or, really, considering whether or not we are that kind of person.

This reminds me of one small instance where a gadget worked out for me. Since I don’t drink coffee, I like to have one of those small protein drinks on the way to work in the morning, kind of a pre-breakfast deal that gives me a few calories and a little bit of protein, etc. The problem is, they are crazy expensive. A 6 pack is typically about $8 at the grocery store. Someone gave us a little Magic Bullet blender as a gift, it’s pretty neat. Now I just mix some instant breakfast powder or better yet- chocolate protein powder, with some milk, and take that with me. It’s really more convenient than a regular blender, because you just take the rim off one of the cups that came with it, add whatever you’re blending, screw the blender attachment on the cup, turn it upside down and push it on the blender base for 10 seconds or so, and you’re done. I’ve used regular blenders for protein shakes in the past, and cleanup is more of a pain, so eventually I get lazy and quit using them.

I used to need to be on the cutting edge of technology, but I gradually learned how expensive that can be. I now lag behind on purpose. Example – I just got a PS2. It cost $129 and I can get great (game-of-the-year-in-2004 type) used games for under $10. They are still award winning, fun, and new (to me) so it works out great.

As for exercise equipment. See if you can stick to a regular running routine outside for several months before you buy a treadmill. Or try doing pushups and situps 3x a week for 3 months straight before you buy weights or an ab-roller. If you can’t stick to the “free” exercises, you won’t use the equipment either.

I was given my friend’s unused ice cream maker and use it frequently in the warm months. You can use it to make frozen yogurt and margaritas, not just ice cream. We have trades several unwanted items like that, it’s really good to find a friend to trade with.

English Major writes, “I agree that a lot of this stuff is sort of aspirational–we want to become the kind of people who make batches of fresh organic ice cream, or gorgeous, foamy capuccinos, so we buy the gadgets that make it possible without either making the personal changes that make it possible or, really, considering whether or not we are that kind of person.”

Back when Martha Stewart started becoming a cultural force, I heard someone explain why her domestic projects had such resonance–that they were “time porn”. People fantasized about having the luxury of time and mental space to take on a project like gilding their driveway, or whatever.

I think your idea about the aspirational aspect of kitchen gadgets is right on, and along those same lines. Is it time porn? Food porn? Some of both?

Great topic. I used to be hooked on gadgets, but have cut back on purchases by the simple act of asking myself if I’m really going to use it long term, and by reminding myself that it’s not going to change my life in any appreciable way.

One item, however, which I really do enjoy is my Ipod. I received a ‘freebie’ one-gig Nano for opening up a new chequing account, and I love it. I used to be somewhat of an audiophile and listened to music constantly, but just don’t have the time for it any more. The Ipod allows me to listen ‘on the go’, which is wonderful.

That aside, too many items I’ve bought in the past ended up in the gadget graveyard.

“Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.” – Henry David Thoreau

As a follow-up to my own comment, I just read Matt Hutter’s blog where he had a post about how versatile your cell phone can be. My phone (a Razr) is pretty clunky on the calendar and organizer portions, but it does have a digital voice recorder that (I just discovered) is pretty easy to use. Nice!

That’s great advice. Maybe the best thing to do is to borrow a gadget from a friend for a week or two. Then if I get bored of it I’ll know not to purchase it.

oh, and another thought, so many times I’ve been able to talk myself out of purchasing something extra by telling myself I have to use it the next day. Sounds simples but it works for me because then I have to picture myself going home, unboxing the item, reading the directions, figuring out how it works, or I have to picture myself cutting off the tags of the piece of clothing and washing it and ironing it, or I have to picture myself making time in my schedle to open that book or read that magazine … and so many times I’ve thought to myself: forget it! I don’t have the time, energy, or interest in it after all.

I could not agree more, we sometimes think gadgets will simplify our life but we never look at the time that goes into these gadgets.

Buying a cup of coffee is more convenient than to make it at home and sometimes we do not want to break the convenience habit. So we continue to buy.

Your friend just did not want to break his convenience habit.

For the past several years I’ve been enjoying an intentionally simple lifestyle: not spartan, just downsized. It helps to have a smallish (1000 sq. ft.) condo and very limited kitchen space; when we have more space, we often want to fill it up with stuff.

I avoid buying gadgets and other things these days, as they would just clutter up and complicate my life.

In tandem with this way of living has been a developing skepticism of the role of technology and gadgets in my life. Of course, I have kitchen appliances, a computer, and other machines, but I’ve been very happy for years without a tv, and I can’t say my life is at a loss without a cell phone, palm pilot, and such. I guess if you can train yourself to value a moderate or simple approach to gadgets, you’ll be able to put them in context and purchase cautiously.

All their lives my parents have been inveterate collectors of “stuff.” My dad has four or five computers (most non-functional) around the house, three automobiles (he only uses one), and all sorts of other things he really doesn’t need. Perhaps the act of purchasing a gadget has a therapeutic effect; perhaps you feel like you’re part of some inner circle of savants, or a prestigious community. But every time I see my parents’ house, filled with all of that stuff, I remind myself that Simple is Better!

Good post. I think people need to undertake an “efficiency” evaluation before making purchases.

When considering a “gadget” purchase, it does make sense to wait 30 days. For example, I recently wanted to replace my “slow” Canon digital camera with a new Nikon digital SLR. But I waited, and I’m glad I did — the current camera I have works great. I’m not shooting covers for Sports Illustrated; the DSLR would have been me throwing money away.

Just waiting 14 or 30 days is the key. If more people did this, they’d have a lot more money to put in the bank for investments. But instead of their money working for them, it’s been thrown away on useless “gadgets.”

On the other hand, I always spend top dollar to get the best gadget that I know I will use. For example, computers: I know I will use the computer every single day for work, for managing investments, and for saving time by avoiding stores/malls/restaurants.

A fast computer is important for efficiency. Hence I spend the money for a top-of-the-line computer, with plenty of RAM, a booming 10,000 rpm hard drive, and a nice big LCD monitor to boot. Why?

I’ll have the computer and monitor for many years to come, it’s lightning fast, and it saves a ton of time in getting important things done (10-second Window XP boot times do indeed add up when you consider a computer is used nearly every day for years). Thus the top-flight computer and monitor together are big, amazing time-savers and worth the investment.

Same thing with our television. Instead of wasting money on movie theaters, sporting events, and all kinds of income-sappers, I instead did lots of research and purchased a top-flight HD TV. We use it a lot to watch movies, excellent educational programs, and watch sports and similar events from the comfort of the living room.

When you consider going to the movies nowadays costs $20, minimum, and other events cost literally hundreds of dollars (been to a baseball or football game lately?), I found the HDTV to be an excellent entertainment investment we’ll use for a decade.

To sum, if you are certain the purchase you are contemplating will, without doubt, be used by you, and it will increase efficiency or save money, it makes sense to buy quality.

But if you’re uncertain whether an item will be used, stop. Stop and wait 30 days before you make that purchase.