Let's spend $10K!

[JohnDoe]

iPad with data plan
travel pocket camera
HD video camera
new mattress (king)
42 inch hd lcd tv
new golf clubs
hardwood floor
new furniture

Did I hit 10k yet?

[Purron]

Wow W2R! This thread sure was a bit hit! Posted my entry which was a sunroom addition but haven't read the many other posts since then. Just so darn busy with stuff associated with selling our house.

Just now thought why not give an unexpected windfall like this to charity? Bet others have thought of this so I apologize if I missed it. You know, doctors without borders, local animal shelter, or many other great causes.

Purrs and headbumps,

Purron

[web_diva]

lots of ppl are dreaming of travel but that was one of the no-no's!

[NW-Bound]

I know. Flaunting the rule.

No $10K checks for them!

Seinfeld - Soup Nazi - NO SOUP FOR YOU! - YouTube

[kumquat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I think I will go eat some bacon now. That should cheer me up.

How much bacon will $10K buy? I hope you become a veritable barrel of cheer.

[NW-Bound]

What $10K sir? I paid for my bacon with my own dimes, out of my alloted 3.5% WR.

PS. Still, you scared me, so I just stepped on the bathroom scale. Wow! BMI going down to 24.2 from 25 a few months ago. I am getting leaner and meaner. See what having to live within 3.5% WR once you stop working does to you?

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron Wow W2R! This thread sure was a bit big hit!

Fixed it for me. Meant to say "big" not "bit".

[RunningBum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords I Have you seen the Gizmodo article on Steve Wozniak's backpack? The Amazing Contents of Steve Wozniak's Travel Backpack I almost called "urban legend" on the article because I can't believe that the guy carries his own luggage, let alone flies on public aviation-- or even travels that much. But yet here's one of the world's top engineers who can't get beyond the end of his block without enough hardware to power practically any of his electronics no matter what the source of the electricity. I'd hate to see what would happen if he had to go camping for a week and be alone without bandwidth. Talk about being hostage to a bad case of George Carlin's "stuff".

Just getting it through security has to be a nightmare. He says that sometimes they ask him to take electronic stuff out? I'm really surprised it isn't "always". I'm going to stay more alert and make sure I never get behind him in the security line.

[NW-Bound]

I surely did not notice the "bit" typo. As usual, the mind sees what it wants to see, not what the eye tells it.

Anyway, about charity donations, some people like to give close to home, and I understand that. We have often donated to the Red Cross's general fund. But to really ease human sufferings, I like to help people in 3rd world countries, where the money goes much farther. The problem with that is we do not really know how much reaches the people we intend to help. My sister-in-law found a religious charity organization in Australia, who has been helping people in Burma. The poverty in the remote regions there is at the same level as what we usually see in Africa. As she has vetted this organization, I have been sending money through her to donate. This organization has no presence in the US, hence I get no tax deduction, but that does not really matter.

PS. I hope people here donate to Wikipedia. I use it a lot, and it deserves my support.

[obgyn65]

If given $10k today, I would buy more medicines and medical supplies for women and children in third world countries. I will bring $1k of meds already during my next trip to Central America next month to run clinics.

We are planning to start an orphanage for abandoned children in Ecuador in 2013, and $10k there would go a long way also.

[coalduck]

A new roof, a new driveway, new carpeting. Then I could be ER'ed all the sooner.

[Ronstar]

Until the motorcycle moratorium is lifted, I'll have to go with hardwood floors

[ShokWaveRider]

I would Pay my house taxes with it.

[LeavingOhio]

I'm a musician, so I'd buy myself about a $3,000 Nord keyboard and a Gibson Les Paul guitar for about $2,000 and then spend 5,000 on flooring...kitchen, dining room, living room.

[freebird5825]

I would finish replacing all of the 1977 vintage windows in my house. Some of the casement style ones do not open/close properly, so I leave them closed.

I am already saving up to do that. I had planned it for this fall, but my recent lawn tractor purchase and some car repairs in the spring put a medium size dent in my "window fund". I may still be able to pull it off before the snow flies.

If there was change left, I would subscribe to one of those fruit-of-the-month delivery services for several years.

[reubenray]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Custom roll-down hurricane shutters, including two big roll-down ones to go over both sets of French doors looking out on the back yard. I would have this done anyway, but it is one of those upgrades that probably wouldn't pay back on resale, so not a good investment. But hey, if the $10K is mine only on the condition that I spend it....

Ditto with these or a Generac whole home generator.

[Rick2012]

I would buy a custom baritone ukulele and I'd make an offer on LeavingOhio's Les Paul, if its vintage.

[FinanceDude]

I would put it toward my mortgage, to get it paid off even quicker.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by web_diva lots of ppl are dreaming of travel but that was one of the no-no's!

Those rules were arbitrary (and W2R doesn't really care for travel. She only travels when a hurricane forces her to leave town!)

For many of us who don't want more "things" travel is the most enjoyable way to spend it. So if you're going to give me permission to spend an extra $10K, I'm going to spend it on what I enjoy most!

[W2R]

It has absolutely zero to do with things vs experiences, both of which obviously can be had whether at home or away. It has to do with creativity and imagination.

For those who post without having read the entire thread (I can hardly blame you!), and who don't understand the rational behind the parameters of this poll without seeing the explanation, here it is:

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R The reason that I set it up this way has to do with happiness. I think that many (or at least some) of us are motivated to travel when we cannot instantly think of anything else that would make us any happier where we are. In other words, we don't always travel because we actually want to GO someplace, but sometimes some people travel because they can't easily imagine any other way to spend our available funds that would make us happy. As a group, we can benefit from exercising our imaginations a little more. So, I removed travel and vehicles used for travel, in order to make people THINK - - there are probably things/experiences/whatever that you could buy with $10K that would enhance your life and bring you closer to your personal nirvana, right where you are. Also, I admit it. I get tired of people saying that I should spend more money. So there is also a more secret, secondary motivation for the thread. It is an exercise that I was hoping may help some realize that if one isn't an avid traveler, it is not hard to be content without infinite spending. And perhaps (dare I hope?) some might choose to contemplate their own motivations for traveling, whatever they might or might not be. So who is the winner? Hopefully all of us. Some answers really stand out, though. Even on the first page we have a great answer from Nords: Obviously he has had a lot of practice with this exercise, since he and his wife do it and that is what gave me the idea for the thread. Also, I like BestWifeEver's answer, where she seconds the idea of plastic surgery and adds more: