(A preface. NOTHING was accomplished on the stereo system tonight. I even ate candy in front of him.)
BNL announced part of their summer tour today, and there are about four planned stops I can comfortably drive to in a day: Tulsa, Davenport, Nashville, Louisville. And it struck me, I’ll spend $300 on a hotel when I get there – but spending $300 on a flight and going cheap on the hotel is UNthinkable.
So there must be a meme for that somewhere. What is the maximum you would spend if you had unlimited money? Like $100M. What are your limits for these items? What discrepancies do you have, like Clarice’s’ expensive purse and cheap shoes?
Hotel room:$500. I’ve never done it, but I can’t imagine hitting $500 USD.
Couch: I saw a couch for $2000 once, and I thought it was madness. But if money were not an object, yes, I’d spend $2K.
Socks: $65. I’m not saying it was right, I’m saying I’d pay it. But even if I had $100M, cashmere socks should really max out at $20.
Scarf: $118.
Shoes: No more than $100, unless they were some type of medicinal shoes. Or magic dancing shoes.
Purse: $250. I’ve paid more than that before, but never again.
Car: $25,000. I know people with as much money invested in the cars in their garage as the asking price for their house. And you can get a car with seat warmers for that 25K.
House: $3.5 million. Or, I could spend 11 years in a hotel at $500 a night.
Stove: $5,000. I don’t even know if they sell $5,000 stoves.
Stereo system: working stereo system? Priceless.
Refrigerator: $500. No ice-maker, water spigot, dual doors, or wood finish. Reach in. Is it cold? Sold!
Flight to anywhere in the US: $300.
Flight to Europe: $1000
Concert: Okay, $250, if it is a legendary act, AND the act is playing St. Louis, AND I can make it through the swarms of flying pigs. (Not much legend love, except for the time the Beatles played at Busch Stadium). Yes, I think $250. Sorry, Paul McCartney.
BNL Concert: Fifth row center? $250.
This list reminds me of the motto I learned early: “Spend your money on things that last, like a vacation, instead of things that don’t, like a refrigerator.”
10 responses to “Max Money Meme”
My fridge cost $1000, and the “budget” one that I bought with my dad for his house the year before that was $600. You might want to rethink that one.
You know what? Looking at your list we vary wildly. I can’t compare socks fairly, though, mine are custom-sized support hose, and they go for $220. I don’t think it’s fair, though.
I have a $2000 couch. It has actual whole pieces of wood in the frame. The couch itself and the cushions are all muslin covered, and the tailored upholstery is removable for cleaning (or replacing if I start hating it). It doesn’t squeak or wobble, sag or droop (it’s 10 years old). It seats 3 comfortably, 4 if they are mini-people. Pull off the back cushions and is a single bed. It is wonderful to sleep on. I plan to have it buried with me.
It’s also currently in storage because the rental pseudo-house we are in now doesn’t have a living room that will fit an actual couch (and anything else). I miss it so much.
I currently have a $500 refrigerator. I hate it. I hate anything that requires I get on my hands and knees to find rotten tomatoes (because everything is so damned cramped that I can’t SEE them without excavating, and I forgot them), that has cheap-ass wire shelves that bend under a gallon of milk, and has a freezer that throws frozen items. HATE. VICIOUS, SEETHING HATE.
I go to appliance stores to look a refrigerator porn. If I just wanted cold, I’d use an ice chest. If I want storage that is practical and usable, I want that sexy $1200 fridge.
Haven’t seen a $5000 stove, but I have no doubt they exist. I’ve seen $3000 stovetops, with the grill and the warming circle and edges raised over the countertop so crumbs and spills don’t get caught to rot and feed bugs. My next oven will be a wall unit, because, again, the whole getting on my knees to reach into a hot oven and lift out a heavy pan? Over it. Had a wall oven at my dad’s house. Loved that thing, cranky and old as it was. I WILL have one again.
Hotels? Oh, I’ve seen those $1000 a night hotel rooms. I’d do it — for about 4 days. and I’d REVEL in it. The Mini bar would be MINE. I’d steal towels.
Concerts? $0. I don’t care who it is, I’m not paying money to have my ears blasted out, have people spill drinks on me and shove me around, and go home with a migraine (every. damn. time.) I’ll watch it on TV later. If Zombie Elvis and Zombie John Lennon were resurrected to do a memorial concert for Zombie Frank Sinatra, I’d still wait for the DVD.
Working Stereo system? Cost me $150, hooked up to the TV and everything. MP3, multi disk, with USB. I likes it. Didn’t require the Husband to hook it up, either (because it was simple and I had a diagram)
I’m indifferent to socks for the most part. Cheap and cotton are all I require. Shoes? My feet are a genetic gift from my parents. I SHOULD buy expensive ones, but considering the fate in store for them, I don’t have the heart $150 tops and I better love them to death. They better love me, too. Also, for $150, they should be BOOTS. Actual shoes, $100 and I’d cry, but it would be love.
I’ve paid that much for books, though. I could toss down money on books (and beautiful book shelves) without blinking.
I can’t imagine having a top end for prices on anything if money was no object. That $25k a night bridge hotel room on Paradise Island in Nassau would totally be mine for a week or more. I routinely pay more than $100 for shoes but my feet are my problem area and I refuse to give up cute shoes so that means they have to be good shoes. I hate going to non-classical concerts so you pretty much have to pay me to attend those on the other hand.
It’s easier to look at what you splurge on when funds are limited. Most of my disposable income goes to concert tickets. I have cut off my home phone and cable, my house has siding only on the first floor, I have one work uniform, but I will buy cage free eggs and organic milk.
Look! http://www.universal-akb.com/585agafoovco.html?productid=585agafoovco&channelid=FROOG A $19,000 stove! Yeah, I rounded up. But only a little. And sales tax and delivery would probably make it a $20,000 stove.
I’d rather have a car for that $20,000.
$500 fridge – I thought so too,until I bought one. I hate it.
$2000 sofas – No. Mine cost $200 from the Salvation Army. It will probably be dead in 7 – 10 years, and then I’ll buy another one for $200.
I always get a cheap hotel room and I always regret it.
I gave 1/4 of my hearing to rock and roll. I don’t need to give it any more. However, I have gone to Bruce Hornsby concerts when flat broke and paid $15 for SRO. This just made it easier to dance with the Dead heads.
Flight to Europe? (Or even NZ? Just the 22 hours…) Splurge on Business Class, at least. I wouldn’t know about First Class (I suspect it might be a bit sycophantic, even for me) but Business Class is brilliant: first on, cocktails or champagne while the masses squeeze into their seats down the back, heaps of room, big personal TV, excellent food that just keeps on coming, lie-flat beds, feather duvets and pillows, nifty little zipped pouches full of goodies… And then first off, first to get processed, pick up luggage, get out of the airport. It’s the only way to go if money’s not important – fabulous start to a holiday.
Tami- Oh, you are being hosed for those hose. Not fair!Sherri – Gary reminded me the fridge cost $500 20 years ago. $679 is what it would cost today. Glass shelves though, not wire. Amy in StL – Strangely, it doesn’t appeal to me: http://www.atlantis.com/accommodations/royaltowers/bridgesuite.aspxI wouldn’t pay more than $10k a night for that.Wendy – Good point! Cage free eggs are a recent luxury for me. I’ve always splurged on sheets, because Gary call tell the difference between 250 and 350 threads.Magpie – Oh, when you add the wok and the griddle that jacks right up by a grand each right there. Becs – Is there paper inside your sofa. Gary bought a $200 sofa and when we moved we tossed it off the balcony. It broke open and we found no springs, just wadded newspaper.Big Dot – That does sound good. Next time I’m headed someplace for more than a weekend I’ll do that. I need to figure out this points / miles / upgrade thing. I’ve never used them.
Ellen : ) Are you road-tripping it to a BNL concert? I thought the ticket system was being stupid when I looked. I think seeing Steven is awesome too!
Rachel – We haven’t decided about Nashville, but we’re going to take a long weekend in Tulsa (since Monday is memorial day) and then Louisville is an easy road trip, and thats a weekend too, so we could spend two nights in a hotel. Seeing Steven would have been awesome – I’m missing it right this moment.