What is your one material weakness ?

[mountaintosea]

Wow! Books seem to be a major addiction! I'm in that category. When I get too many, I donate them to the library. Then I swear I'm going to cut back. But it starts creeping back. Although I'm getting much better lately. Library doesn't cut it for me. I read somewhere that libraries are trying to organize their books similar to bookstores. I think that is a good idea.

 

[mb]

I have three!

Books (surprise) - This has been MOSTLY cured by ~ weekly visits to the library.

Outdoor/sports related magazines. At one time subscribed to Runner's World, Trail Runner, Bicycling, Triathlon, National Geographic Adventure, Outside and a now defunct adventure racing magazine.

Outdoor/sports related toys. Bikes, kayaks, skiis, etc. REI is my favorite store but the only time that I set foot in a Nordstroms is to find a bathroom!

MB

 

[youbet]

1. Vintage shortwave radio equipment, especially telegraph keys.

2. Tools

3. Pints at the pub

 

[citrine]

I have several:

Books
CD's (Meditation, New age, Native American)
Massages, manicures, and pedicures
Canvases and Oil paints
Diamonds

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I wish I knew we could have three.

2. Stupid electronic crap (as my wife refers to it)
3. Vida Guerra

 

[YVR-Terri]

Books. I give away a few boxes a couple times a year since I am a clutter-phobe, but I still have multiple bookshelves all throughout my home.

Clothes and shoes to a lesser extent, too. Fortunately I shop pretty cheaply - no designer addictions here!

 

[chinaco]

Travel... Nice Vacations. The expense in a year is more than our mortgage.

Since we work... we have to squeeze travel into a few weeks a year. Sometimes we are able to economize in certain ways... but our vacations often involve airfare, reasonably nice hotel, etc... It is a treat (retreat) from work to decompress and enjoy.

when we ER, we have a fairly generous travel budget... But we intend to stretch of basic fixed costs of vacations by going to a location for extended travel. Plus we will economize on accommodations.


We are wanting to travel to Western Europe. I am hoping for a resurgence in the value of the $ compare to the Euro in the next few years. If the $ is still in the toilet... We will travel to other (lower cost) locations first.


The odd thing is I will wring my hands over the selection and purchase of something for $300 - $500... but drop several thousand on a vacation with much of a second thought.

 

[bookworm]

Books, hence my user name.

Shoes, purses

 

[Joss]

My life-passions have seemed to run in phases. The really serious ones are the ones I come back to after dormant periods.

Shooting; sporadic, but life long and all consuming when in season. No local range any longer where I live, but more paraphanalia than I can possibly use.

Bikes, speed; got back into bikes after a 25 year layout. Ended up racing before I was done. Now RACING is an activity that can suck you dry. There's a question newbies ask: "How much does it cost to race?" The answer is "It costs whatever you have." Contributed my share, both in cash, crash and broken body parts (not the bike's body parts either). @ 50+, healing time becomes noticably longer than track time. Out of racing now but just dormant on riding.

Sailing - I read all the Patrick O'Brian novels about CPT Aubry and fell in love with sailing... I thought. Actually I found that I hate sailing. I just liked outfitting the boats (= money pits). Took me numerous $K's to realize this though. Glad that one's over and never again.

Re-enacting, 1730's - 50's coloinal Georgia. Clothing, guns, tools, camping gear, odds and ends. Dormant.

Each of these activities seem to offer entire garage capacities of "necessities" that must be bought. I just consider myself lucky that I've never had any of them double-up on me and I'm not currently in a "being consumed" state.

I'd like to think that I'm mature enough now that I'm no longer suceptible to these passions..... right.

 

[kaudrey]

1) Travel
2) I bought a used convertible 4 years ago - it was the most impractical thing I ever did (and I couldn't even bring myself to buy a NEW one!). So, now I have two cars, and I refer to the convertible as my "toy", my "summer car" or my "weekend summer car".

 

[Martha]

novels
motorhomes
scooters and motorcycles
shoes
oriental rugs
Riviera ware china
mohair upholstery


Got it under control, I think

 

[greg]

velvet

 

[brewer12345]

velvet

I really, REALLY don't want to know.

 

[bow-tie]

Cars - luv 'em. And being a lbym-type creates a tremendous amount of mental gymnastics trying to balance the two.....

 

[Outtahere]

Depression era glass (carnival glass)
Dolls

I have a very small abode so it keeps me in check to a certain extent. Dh likes to collect motorcycles and old cars.

 

[RunningBum]

Running shoes. I'm like Imelda Marcos with sneakers. The cushioning wears out before they fall apart, and you need different shoes for technical trails than you do for running roads, so I'm constantly buying a new pair, but I try to stay ahead by watching for sales.

 

[wildcat]

Running shoes for me. I beat my death when I run and most have to be replaced every 6 months or so. I try to catch the previous years style but that is the one thing I drop some $$ on. Can't wait to start biking but I am sure I will find that I wear through some of that stuff just as fast.

Vacations too but to me that isn't a material thing per se.

 

[Dawg52]

Golf stuff. But not a weakness, just a necessity for my happiness.

 

[Danny]

I like to carry a lot of cash - bigger bills are better - when I know I need to have folding money "on-hand" for traveling (tips, etc.) or off the books stuff I get my money clip out and load it up...

 

[bright eyed]

clothes/shoes
jewelry
nice kitchen ware

 

[Wonomo]

It would have to be travel for DH and myself

 

[cj]

Eating out. Waaaaaay too often.

CJ

 

[CuppaJoe]

...
3. Housecleaning service....
Coach

Yeah, $50/week for a cleaning lady who adores my cat; so she doubles as cat entertainment. I love walking barefoot on clean floors and find that I like being an "employer" and seeing how immigrants with limited English get a foothold in this county. My first one (who speaks adequate limited English) got herself elevated to nanny and sends her friends to me; they move on just before the social security, etc. requirements would kick in.

I also try to stay off of eBay but do occasionally buy small collectibles which I keep in places where I might get very bored, like over the kitchen and bathroon sinks.

And of course, eating out, I'm a bad cook in the great restaurant environment; and truly fear retiring to a place with bad restaurant food; I don't want to bash places from my travels but in one town all food was deep fried, even club sandwiches. So I believe in eating well now for tomorrow I retire to my own kitchen; I can easly slash my food expenses then.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

cars, boats, sex, chocolate, pistachio nuts & california navel oranges but i would trade it all for just a little mana from heaven.

 

[Moemg]

Thanks for all the great answers .It's amazing how many of us love books .
I had tons of them sitting around and donated tons but now I sell them on Amazon after I'm finished reading .