Posted by Anothermous I, again on September 03, 1999 at 00:28:51:
In Reply to: Re: HOW#%$!(AT)#%$ CAN YOU AFFORD TUBA$$$$$$$$$ posted by Gary S on September 01, 1999 at 23:21:14:
I have found the "waiting game" to be effective, but this game must be played alongside the "pay attention game" and the "ready-for-an-opportunity" game.
Example: Suddenly, I needed a decent, dependable car because of a weekly commute that involves a job that I accepted as a fun diversion (a TUBA thing). I am of some means, but NEVER bought a decent car, because I didn't want to waste money on insurance (I live in a high thefts and wrecks town) or cry every time my kids spilled something or when I scratched it, and I never needed to go very far. (I have ALWAYS have rented a car for out-of-town trips.)
My car was getting so bad that it was dangerous. I started looking around, but everyone who had a decent car was asking what they were "worth". (Heck, it's no fun to pay what something is "worth".) Suddently, I found someone in serious money trouble who needed to quickly liquidate his second "fun" car. (It is a factory "muscle" car under the hood, and a luxury car inside.) This car is about eight years old, has been garaged (and "sitting up"), and only has 65,000 miles on it. It is "worth" $7,500, but this person offered it to me for $2,500. (He couldn't afford to spend $500 on it to make it sellable for what it was "worth".) This solved his problem AND my problem.
Moral: The "waiting-pay-atention-ready" thing works just about every time that it is tried, so don't allow your testicles to get control of your wallet, nor your loan-contract-signing hand.