Is it a Sacrifice to Not Spend?

The liquid cooling device I installed on my computer.
Wifey worries about me a lot. Small things, big things... apparently, I'm a magnet for troubles.

Most recently, wifey worries that I'm not happy because I'm not spending any money on myself. It is a valid concern. I haven't bought anything for myself since March.

However, I'm unusual in this way. I'm perfectly content doing stuff for free that makes me happy. Currently, I also feel I have enough.

Do I really need to buy myself a tablet when wifey doesn't use her iPad as much since she got her Nexus 5?

Do I really need to upgrade the RAM on my computer from 16GB to 32GB?

Do I really need to buy myself a new shirt for work?

The answers to all these questions are an emphatic no.

I only use the tablet just before we go to sleep. Ten to twenty minutes a day. Not really worth spending $400 or more for something we already have.

Two years after I built my computer, it's still very fast. The difference between 16GB and 32GB is quite a bit, but I don't do much on the computer to justify the upgrade. I play some games and maybe have a browser or two open at the same time. I've already upgraded the SSD from 120GB to 240GB last year. I found I was running out of storage space quickly. Additionally, I installed liquid cooling last summer when the CPU fan got noticeably loud during an intense battle while playing Diablo 3. Of course, this meant I needed a new tower, so the $100 liquid cooling kit turned into $180 with a new tower. Anyway, after the upgrades I've made, I feel there's not much else I need to do to my computer. It's still fast enough for me.

As for clothing, I have enough shirts and pants to cycle through at least 40 days without wearing the same combination twice. If you throw in my ties and suits (minus the pants since suits are a set), that's at least 400 days without wearing the same combination twice. Of course, some combinations might not work, but the trick is buying things that will go together with things you already have.

So how is it that I can "sacrifice" not spending money?

Well, for one, I don't see it as a sacrifice since I feel I have enough.

As for my hobbies? Well, I'm content with doing things I don't have to pay for.

Riding my bike to the grocery store or work allows me to throw in some exercise in addition to not spending money on gas.

I recently had enough Eternity Splinters (600!) to trade for Iron Man in Marvel Heroes. I still play this free video game from time to time. There is no shortage of things to do within the game and there's no need to spend a penny in this game to play.

I also like visiting web sites. Whether to catch up on the latest sports news or reading about a new strategy in Marvel Heroes, there's also a lot of things to read up on.

I also have a bunch of hobbies that I've previously spent money on and still have. Magic: The Gathering* comes to mind. We have a few board games lying around. I also have two chess sets you see at school with chess clocks. Most of these, I got when I was younger so it's not costing me any money when I pull these out from storage.

Finally, I have plenty of video games consoles. I have a PS2, PS3, Wii and PSP. I haven't touched the PSP since 2011. The PS3 I haven't touched since Christmas 2013. The PS2 and Wii have been collecting dust since 2012. Theoretically, if I feel like it, I could pop in an old game and start playing.

Wow, now that I put all this stuff down, I really do have enough.

Wifey is starting to understand why I don't spend money on things. She still worries, though.

Maybe I should smile more.



*I have a lot of cards. I started collecting these in 1995 and stopped in 1998. Picked it up again in 2002 and stopped in 2005. Still collect from time to time (2008, 2011). However, that's usually trading with others. I believe my most valuable card is Force of Will. Last time I checked, this card sells for $50. I have eight.

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