Sunday, February 3, 2008

Electronics

I have a weird phobia that I'm going to share with you.

I hate buying electronics.

Heres some proof:

Computer: Purchased in August 2002. 2.2Ghz, 500mb RAM, & DVD burner all still working fine.
Computer Monitor: Purchased in September 2002 for $25 dollars from a classified posting in my old apartment. Not bad for a 17" CRT.
DVD player: Christmas 1998.
TV: 19", purchased at Best Buy right after Christmas 1998, because I didn't own a TV to go with the DVD player. Now in storage.
Rio MP3 Player: Purchased after my last one broke in March 2003. Online, refurbed. (it still works; much longer than my Nike which lasted maybe a year.) It has 64mb internal memory.
Camera: I'd always wanted a nice digital, but it took me til 2005 to buy one. I'd been relying on the camera of my cellphone for a year. It worked surprisingly well. Right before my Norway trip, my digital broke, so I bought a very similar one. On Amazon. I think this one kinda sucks, and I have my eyes set on a new one. Hopefully it won't be for a while.
Cell Phone: over 2 years old, acquired for free when my old phone, also nearly 2 years old was returned to verizon in a class action lawsuit. FYI--Razr's are JUNK. It's on the verge of breaking, and I'm dreading buying a new one. It keeps telling me I'm using an "unauthorized charger."
Heart Rate Monitor: My favorite device, a Garmin 305, acquired from Amazon in September 2007 when my Suunto broke. The Suunto was purchased from Steep&Cheap in May 2007 when the Nike broke. The Garmin is mega sweet because it allows me to have one device for all 3 bikes, running, skiing, mountain climbing, and whatever else. It gives me heart rate, real-time speed, altitude, navigation, and other stuff I haven't discovered yet.
Stereo
: Probably a decade older than me, It's a hand-me-down from my mom. She bought it from one of my dad's friends, who had in his NDSU Sigma Chi room back in the day. It has 2 large no-name speakers, a record player, and an ancient Kenwood receiver. (I threw the reel-to-reel out a few years ago.) The volume goes from 1-10, but anything over 1 is too loud for an apartment dweller. I'm sure 2 would register as a 4 on the Richter scale to my neighbors. I look forward to cranking up futuristic music in my future home on this thing.
Guitar:
Gibson Les Paul. Winter 2002-2003. I will never need to buy another electric guitar.
Amp: Marshal MG100. circa spring 2003. Loud enough to play the Metrodome.

Why is this? I don't know--it's totally irrational, but walking around in Best Buy or similar stores creeps me out. It always gives me a not-so-fresh feeling. Perhaps much like the feeling most women get when someone says the word "moist" in passing conversation. That kind of feeling. I hear nothing, but my cerebral cortex hears someone saying, "moist, moist, moist, moist," while wandering around at Best Buy.

I haven't even bought DVD's in recent history. I asked for & received 300 & Anchorman for Christmas 2007.

It could be that I just hate spending money on things I deem to be non-essential, but this has been going on much longer than my frugal nature has taken over.

I hope nothing breaks this year. I've not budgeted for any electronics.

2 comments:

Erin said...

If I would have stayed away from the shiny wall o' HDTVs at Best Buy, I probably wouldn't have the one I bought. I hate those bastards.

Chad Bruels said...

We really disagree on this one. I love electronics, I want to buy everything...well, everything that is designed to be simple and sexy.