Hello again Lemmy! I have another question.
Context: I took a motorcycle safety class, was nervous but enjoyed it, researched motorcycles, found a few I liked, talked to a dealer about them but ultimately, I couldn’t finalize a deal, talked myself out of it basically.
I was curious how others might justify a purchase that has no purpose other than wanting something.
For clarity, I don’t need anyone to justify me buying a motorcycle. I want to read about your thought processes for buying something you want 🙂
As always thanks for replying and have an awesome day/night!!
You need to enjoy your life. Otherwise what is the point? If buying the thing helps you accomplish that and it’s not going to ruin your ability to acquire the basics, why not?
I guess the one pitfall to avoid is trying to evaluate if you ACTUALLY want it. Is this actually satisfying some desire beyond random consumption? Could you fulfill that desire more cheaply or for free? If you do get it, are you going to use it or are you going to forget about it and move on to another thing to fill the void?
I go back and forth on having either end of this problem. Sometimes I will spend somewhat recklessly to try to overcome boredom but the things I get don’t really do that and then I end up spending more to keep trying to fix a problem that clearly isn’t getting solved by what I’m doing. Other times I will get so unwilling to try or commit to new things that I stop myself from getting anything even though something might make me happier.
Also, your enjoyment of things isn’t static over time. For example, when I was a kid, getting a new piece of technology, a phone, a new computer, a tablet, a console, etc. was super exciting. It was shiny and new. It opened up all of these new possibilities to me and I had fun both with the things I could do with it but also just fiddling around with the tech. Now? I get a brand spanking new computer or phone or whatever and… it just feels normal. Sure it might be faster, but I can more or less do the same things I used to do. I’m sort of just getting it to maintain what I already had. So now I’m not as quick to go get the new shiny thing. I pretty much hold on to what I have until it’s borderline unusable.
I appreciate your perspective on this. I’m actually starting to believe that I’m not supposed to enjoy life 🙂
I’m just here to go through the motions.
Your point about want is a struggle for sure. Not just for me but a lot of people I assume.
In my case I have no idea if it will bring any happiness or satisfaction. TBH, it will probably end up in the graveyard of hobbies. Which is probably why I won’t buy one.
It’s a challenge for sure… spend to find out you don’t like something but, you had to spend money to find out if you like something.
Thank you responding!!
good budgeting takes away all the guilt in spending on wants. I look at my budget see if I have enough fun money to pay for it and get it if I do.
This seems like a common approach as well. I appreciate you adding to the discussion.
I find it helpful to try to quantify the time I’ll enjoy with a thing before I buy it. Or maybe there will be some amount of cost savings if it’s a tool. You could do both with a motorcycle.
Unless you get a shitty Harley, it will almost certainly be more fuel efficient than an ICE car/truck, so if you plan to commute by motorcycle at all, there is some cost savings there. That will probably offset the cost of registration and insurance, and maybe regular maintenance, so not really a net gain, but at least pays for itself to some degree.
So after approximating the cost after those savings, then you can approximate how many hours per year and how many years you expect to enjoy the thing for. Divide the cost by that number of hours. Would you pay that hourly rate for the enjoyment you expect to get from it? If so, buy. If not, don’t buy.
There are obviously some abstract things to factor in too, though. Would you make friends through your motorcycle? Do you enjoy working on stuff so in addition to the riding do you plan on doing aftermarket work on it? Is there a bucket list aspect to this?
I can tell you that, as a former motorcycle owner, I would probably not get one again. They’re super fucking dangerous, almost entirely because other drivers are fucking morons. It’s impossible for me to ride without being on edge with the assumption that every other driver is actively trying to kill me. At this point, I would only get one as a fun time to ride once in a while, and the upkeep isn’t worth it for that. Even an electric one would be hard for me to justify for myself because of insurance, registration, and ride gear.
That all being said, there are considerations that you and you alone will need to apply to this decision. I just strongly urge that if you do buy a bike, you wear all recommended gear. Never shorts. Never sandals. Never without a helmet and jacket. Dress for the slide, not the ride.
I find it helpful to try to quantify the time I’ll enjoy with a thing before I buy it. Or maybe there will be some amount of cost savings if it’s a tool.
This is how I finally let myself buy video games I’ve wanted for years. I find the average playtime, divide the cost by that and look at the “per hour” price rather than the whole price. Bonus points if it’s on sale or second-hand.
I usually exceed said playtime since I’m a slow gamer but it’s still a good way to return the value of joy to our limited time on earth.
And here is me starting for a motor license in a few weeks.
My use case isn’t very high way oriented so hopefully i’ll stay whole…
Good tips all around tho :)
Excellent. Idk if you have deer or similar stuff in your area, but be very vigilant. If you lock up your rear tires and fishtail, just keep your tire locked. If you let off the brake while not perfectly straight, your bike will violently realign and you’ll get bucked off.
Overall, I recommend these motorcycle safety courses to all drivers. It pushed me to be much more actively aware while driving.
One thing to consider is the type of motorcycle you may buy and how new / old it is.
Safety is definitely a concern. Newer motorcycles can have some rider safety features. The one I was looking at… well drooling over actually… had ABS, traction control, slipper clutch, quick shifter (not exactly a safety feature per se).
So there are things to help make them safer, not to mention air bag jackets.
Just some additional perspective.
The reasonable voice in me tells to get my license and a second hand bike for max 3k ish. The unreasonable voice wants a new Triumph Scrambler 400x or a Suzuki Gsx 8s. Scrambler new is 7.5, almost no used models in my country. Gsx 8s can be found used around 8k.
One is a way safer fun 400 cc bike. The other quite bit quicker. Both financial disasters tho lol. Will probably end up on a older bike with less tech.
Fair enough, I do realize not everyone can get something new. Was really just lowering the fear factor a little by noting the availability of the tech these days 🙂
Whatever you end up with, I hope you truly enjoy every minute riding!!
Specific to motorcycles everything you mentioned was going through my mind. Wit the exception of the time quantification. It would be used for nothing more than tooling around and maybe learning to ride on a track.
I truly have no need for one.
Would agree that anyone who rides needs to be diligent and safe. Motorcycles truly are not at the top of anyone’s mind when driving.
I do have a better appreciation for them after taking the safety class.
Appreciate your perspective and detailed post!!
I started buying more of what I want as I get older. I also have experienced death of an immediate family member. So this puts things in perspective for me. I ask the question how much time do I have left? Is this the right time for me to buy something I just want versus need?
More of my perspective reasoning. I have a chronic illness and it will progress and has already. So I don’t know what a month or year will be for me. I need to accomplish what I can while I can.
Ultimately not all wants will be acquired. Some are fleeting thoughts of maybe another life. I have a rule about electronics. Do not buy electronics or vehicles that are just released. The chances are they will have problems. Let others testing them first so corrections can happen. Then buy the items when on sale and hopefully bugs are worked out. Video games can apply to this logic as well.
I’m sorry. I hope what’s left will be the best time possible for you. ❤️
I truly hope your illness gets better and not worse! Also, I am sorry for your loss of a family member.
Asking the question about time left is not something I really considered. I have no misgivings on how long anyone has to live.
However it’s usually more mundane things that are considered.
Appreciate you responding and sharing your perspective!!
I don’t justify it, i just buy it.
If i want a motorcycle, and i have the money for it…
When i was younger i used to think about things a lot. I’m 44 now. I lost my dad 5 years ago, and my mom last year. It really changed my views on life. Yeah i save some on a savings account, but at the end of today, tomorrow is always a promise, never a guarantee. And so i live a much easier life. I buy what i want, when i want, where i want.
I used to think that would make my cynical, but it actually made me a more pleasant person, less worrying on my part. If that makes any sense?
I think this is something that many of us only learn with age, and reminders of how short life actually is.
Saving money for a rainy day is sensible, but you can get really locked into that mentality to the point where you don’t actually realise the roof’s leaking because you didn’t keep on top of the repairs.
This! Every time I see an article about retirement and how much you need to survive… it makes me pull out my spreadsheet and see where I am.
I still have a way to go also. Always worried about “will I have enough” and not worried about “am I having fun / am I happy” ☹️
First, want to say, sorry for your loss. It’s always tough losing a loved one.
It’s odd, rationally what you say is spot on! I just never seem to get past it… and live the mantra.
Your comment is very much appreciated! I think we should all think like this. Thank you so much!!
Wait a few months or even a year. Go on with your life. If you still want it then, buy it. Also a good way to put money on the side for this specific item, then it will hurt less.
True, I would agree in general with this. In this situation I have the money but waiting too long might make me too nervous to try riding.
Right now the lesson learned from the safety class are still pretty fresh in the brain. But subject to spoiling if not used 🙂
Appreciate the response!!
Let it simmer. If I still want to buy it after weeks/months than I buy it.
I think this a good approach overall. Just trying to decide how long is too long to wait. Good deal on a motorcycle and still fresh in the brain safety course. If I don’t do anything soon I may loose out.
Thanks for posting!!
I had the same dilemma about buying a motorcycle after taking my classes.
I told myself that I could die any day from anything and I am very financially prudent with everything else. Live a little because everyone is living their best life on credit while I am sitting at home daydreaming about things because I’m too cheap.
Yolo’d it and financed a motorcycle. I’m having such a blast. No ragret.
We could be twins reading this comment. Although I haven’t YOLO’ed buying one yet 🙂
I get it, and for me it’s not just the motorcycle it’s… waves hands around 😆
Thank you for the response and perspective!!
If you can comfortably afford it in your budget then you owe it to yourself
YOLO
I get it… I just don’t always think that way personally 🙂
I’m lucky enough to be able to budget for things I want. If it’s in the budget, no justification is required. If it’s in the budget but expensive, then I just have to figure out if I want it more than the other things I want (or will want) that I won’t be able to afford as a result.
Agreed, being financially secure in your decision to buy something makes sense. Weighing it against other items is also a smart take!
Thank you!!
I let it simmer. If it’s still on my mind in a few weeks (sometimes months) without me setting a reminder of sorts, apparently I really do want it.
The other part is can I afford it. If it’s a bigger expense, I make sure to save up for it by setting apart what I can over a period of time. This also combines nicely with the “do I still want it” period.
True, this seems to be a common way folks are handling the purchase of things they want.
Appreciate you posting!
If I want something and can afford it, I buy it. The best purchases retrospectively are always the ones I get a lot of enjoyment out of. For example I don’t regret spending a lot of money on my bicycles because I’ve got a lot of enjoyment out of riding them for thousands of kilometres every year. The only purchases I regret are ones I don’t end up using as much as I thought I would.
Obviously if you share expenses with others, you need to consider their needs to. For me that means not spending money on a bike that I’m going to need for a shared holiday or whatever later on.
That’s one of the things I personally struggle with. How much will I use this new thing I just bought. Will I justify the money spent? If I don’t how much do I lose if I sell it, etc. etc.
Luckily for me, it’s just me, so no considerations aside from myself.
Thanks for the response!!!
If I want something then I generally categories it in 1 of 3 ways. it is must needed, it will significantly improve quality of life, or it is just for fun.
If it is must then no choice buy or lease.
If it will improve quality of life then how much does it cost. there is no real formula but if it is less than my 1 day’s income then I’ll mostly buy it. Eg. Flying instead of taking 17-20hr train ride.
If it is just for fun then it has to be significantly cheaper than my 1 day’s income plus it should bring some enjoyment. Eg. going on fun trips, etc.
Edit - I’m currently mostly living on paycheck to paycheck + 3 months reserve in case of emergency. But if you are making much more and are able to save then of course go ahead and buy it.
Thank you so much for responding. I like how you categorized things. Makes complete sense regarding how you justify purchases.
I will consider this with other purchases. I hope all is well and thank you so much for the response.
Honestly, desire is a justification on its own. If you have limited resources, then it’s really about whether you can afford to prioritize those desires or not. For those with enough money, desire is enough of a reason to justify a purchase.
Without enough money, the question is whether the desire outweighs other more practical ways that money could be spent. When I was depressed sometimes I would make irrational spending choices because it helped me feel good and even helped me pretend I was not as poor as I actually was, by spending the money irrationally I could create the illusion of having more money than I had. This was a dangerous game, though.
Right, I agree, no one should spend money frivolously (generally speaking). It’s easy to go down a rabbit hole even with a hobby. Then you have to deal with the fallout of that.
Thank you!!
I budget and save for it.
Thanks for responding! This seems to be a pretty common approach and a solid one at that!!
