Friday OT - Had To Have It
- Thread starter Angie
- Start date
More of a regret than overpaying.
Best buddy does wedding videos. I hired him to do my nephew's wedding. $1,400. Told the couple that was my wedding present. I don't know if they thought since he was my buddy it was free or what, but I never even got a thank-you card.
That - and 5 years later they are divorced.
Best buddy does wedding videos. I hired him to do my nephew's wedding. $1,400. Told the couple that was my wedding present. I don't know if they thought since he was my buddy it was free or what, but I never even got a thank-you card.
That - and 5 years later they are divorced.
Feels good to get this one off of my chest and sorry for the TLDR...
My wife turned 40 this year so I was feeling pressure to get a meaningful gift. We have been married 15 years and never really splurge on gifts for each other. We prefer to spend the money on getaways or nice restaurants. Between our schedules being crazy busy this summer and thinking that it'd be nice to have a physical gift that she could look back on I decided I would get her a pair of diamond earrings. I had previously given her earrings, that were probably around $200, when we were dating. She really loved the set and would wear them at least once a week for the next 11 or 12 years until she unfortunately lost one of them.
I had previously looked to replace the lost set, but the comparable price was now $500-$600 and I didn't think she'd be happy if I pulled the trigger. For the 40th, I decided I was going to do it. I took our boys (ages 10 & 7) with me when I went to the jeweler, partly because I thought it'd be a nice touch for them to be involved in the decision and I was running out of time before her birthday and there was a window that she wouldn't know that we had gone shopping for her present. Anyways, found a pair that I really thought she'd like and ended up spending $1,000 on them. I regretted having the boys there for that large of a "splurge" purchase. I was worried that my wife wouldn't really enjoy the earrings or if she knew the true cost and I didn't want them going around saying how much they were so I told them that I didn't want them to talk about how much they were. I was envisioning her opening the box and then one of them shouting the price tag.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten that the week prior we didn't let the boys get these junk plastic swords at a renaissance festival. The swords were $30 a piece, and we would have had to get 2. $60 for swords that were going to lead to tears within the hour because 1 of them would have swung it too hard at the others and broken it wasn't happening. When the boys and I got back in the car from the jewelers, the 7 yr old instantly yelled at me, "dad, last week you said that $60 was too expensive, but you just spent $1,000!" He was legit upset about it. Apparently explaining that if you say no to enough of those $60 purchases, it allows you to spend $1,000 on something that is special and will last a long time doesn't quite work with a 7 yr old...
Fast forward to the birthday party. My wife ended up opening gifts with other family there (I was planning on her opening the earrings when it was just the immediate family). I was super nervous about what the 7 yr old was going to do, especially now that there was an audience. Well, he didn't tell her how expensive they were, instead the punk low-balled me and said that we should have boughten the swords because if we could afford $100 earrings, we could afford $60 in swords!! He thought if he went low on the price he wouldn't get in trouble.
Between the 7yr old being rude at the opening, then thinking that the big 40th birthday present was just $100 pair of earrings, my wife was disappointed in the gift because she didn't really know what she had. But because I thought my wife would be upset with me if she knew I dropped a $1,000 on earrings and it was awkward with other family members there I couldn't be like, these were way more than $100...well played 7 yr old.
My wife turned 40 this year so I was feeling pressure to get a meaningful gift. We have been married 15 years and never really splurge on gifts for each other. We prefer to spend the money on getaways or nice restaurants. Between our schedules being crazy busy this summer and thinking that it'd be nice to have a physical gift that she could look back on I decided I would get her a pair of diamond earrings. I had previously given her earrings, that were probably around $200, when we were dating. She really loved the set and would wear them at least once a week for the next 11 or 12 years until she unfortunately lost one of them.
I had previously looked to replace the lost set, but the comparable price was now $500-$600 and I didn't think she'd be happy if I pulled the trigger. For the 40th, I decided I was going to do it. I took our boys (ages 10 & 7) with me when I went to the jeweler, partly because I thought it'd be a nice touch for them to be involved in the decision and I was running out of time before her birthday and there was a window that she wouldn't know that we had gone shopping for her present. Anyways, found a pair that I really thought she'd like and ended up spending $1,000 on them. I regretted having the boys there for that large of a "splurge" purchase. I was worried that my wife wouldn't really enjoy the earrings or if she knew the true cost and I didn't want them going around saying how much they were so I told them that I didn't want them to talk about how much they were. I was envisioning her opening the box and then one of them shouting the price tag.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten that the week prior we didn't let the boys get these junk plastic swords at a renaissance festival. The swords were $30 a piece, and we would have had to get 2. $60 for swords that were going to lead to tears within the hour because 1 of them would have swung it too hard at the others and broken it wasn't happening. When the boys and I got back in the car from the jewelers, the 7 yr old instantly yelled at me, "dad, last week you said that $60 was too expensive, but you just spent $1,000!" He was legit upset about it. Apparently explaining that if you say no to enough of those $60 purchases, it allows you to spend $1,000 on something that is special and will last a long time doesn't quite work with a 7 yr old...
Fast forward to the birthday party. My wife ended up opening gifts with other family there (I was planning on her opening the earrings when it was just the immediate family). I was super nervous about what the 7 yr old was going to do, especially now that there was an audience. Well, he didn't tell her how expensive they were, instead the punk low-balled me and said that we should have boughten the swords because if we could afford $100 earrings, we could afford $60 in swords!! He thought if he went low on the price he wouldn't get in trouble.
Between the 7yr old being rude at the opening, then thinking that the big 40th birthday present was just $100 pair of earrings, my wife was disappointed in the gift because she didn't really know what she had. But because I thought my wife would be upset with me if she knew I dropped a $1,000 on earrings and it was awkward with other family members there I couldn't be like, these were way more than $100...well played 7 yr old.
Was waiting for you to say: huge diamond engagement ring, ope nevermind, that was cubic zirconium.
I overpaid to see ISU v. UCONN in Louisville, as UK v. Western KY was the other game. In the end it was totally worth the extra money as the trip was awesome, we won the game, and got to see that loaded UK team in essentially a home game v. a completely overwhelmed opponent.
Plus after the UK fans bailed our seats got exponentially better
Plus after the UK fans bailed our seats got exponentially better
I've only had one bottle of Driftless Glen but was impressed, good stuff.
Nothing. I can't think of anything I would pay way above retail price for, and, in fact, would try to get it at below retail price, if anything. If you can't get it below retail, you don't know how to dicker.
Wedding, it cost $1000s and $1000s, could have gotten the same result for $15 with a Justice of the Peace.
Still have the wife at least, since she's remarkably tolerant.
Still have the wife at least, since she's remarkably tolerant.
That's an impressive collection! I'm up to around 60 bottles, with a Well CYPB, Elmer T Lee and a Blantons Straight from the Barrel beign some of my better bottles. I see a bottle of Pikesville and McKenna 10 as well, which I love.
