DH/$ Vent

NJinAustin

Men and their toys...

1 month before LO is born. I "give" DH permission to buy a $600 non-working pinball machine to fulfill his dream... and he says by LO's first birthday, it will be working.

Currently, 9 months later, it's still not working.. it's covered up in our already packed garage... but, he put in a phone call to a friend this week to come and look at it. Awesome.

BUT... wait... there's ANOTHER pinball machine, that doesn't work, that he wants to buy that he's getting for a STEAL at $500. He can choose when he wants to work overtime/make more money so... he is justifying that he can buy it because he is putting in more overtime this month.

Our garage is PACKED with his crap. In our, newly, shared office... which is tiny... there are two non-working pachinko machines covered up in corner... and more of his crap.

If it wasn't about the money... which it is because we don't have any savings (see my P.S. below) and we've been having budget meetings where it's so obvious we need to get our act together .... we're not in big debt but, we are just coasting - it IS about the space and how he ALREADY HAS 3 things that don't work... that don't benefit the family right now in any way.

ps - Dear DH... Retirement savings money isn't "savings" ... yes, you can access it any time but, it's not like we may or may not use it in the future... it's already accounted for. It's not money you should even remember that you have unless you have a huge life emergency.

mcgee

What is he planning to do with all of these non-working machines? I mean, if he can fix them up and sell them and make a profit, that's one thing, but if he's just buying them to have them, that sounds like a huge waste of $.

GuavaGal

My XH and I developed a "1 in, 1 out" system for his expensive and space-wasting collection.  (That is, he couldn't buy a new one until he got rid of an old one.)  It was a little easier in that case because he had his man room/study crammed full of his stuff, and I didn't have to deal with it taking up space in other areas.  But, the 1I1O system did at least slow down his collecting/spending!

Good luck!

joyco

Dude, I've been watching Pawn Stars and they wouldn't even buy a non-working pinball machine for $300 the other day and it was a Evel Knievel one!  Your husband needs to talk them down on the price or just not buy it.  That's crazy.

mlf625

I think it's time to put your bitchpants on and just say "sorry, no".  It sounds like it should be pretty clear to him that it's not a wise decision, so I wouldn't be afraid to just lay the smack down.

Sorry.  Boys can be kind of dumb.