Stern Views

Originally this post had a much longer title, “Priorities, and, why I didn’t buy that $800 lens I just had to have.” I’ve realized in the past couple of months my ability to prioritize. Call it a change of heart in regards to the economy, or maybe just a realistic view of my bank account and what it means to spend money. 

My boss let me know one day about a great deal on a camera lens that I would love to own, a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens. This lens runs $1500 new and only a few hundred less used if in good condition. On Craigslist, an individual was selling this lens, in excellent condition, for $800. It was my bosses way, he even admitted this, to “get Kyle to spend a little money.” I felt so much pressure to buy this lens, that I absolutely had to take advantage of this deal because its not like I’m going to find another deal like this, right?

That’s when something amazing happened in my brain. I finally made the connection that what I buy now will directly affect what I can buy in the future. And I don’t say “can” in the way of “can I buy this please?” but more in the way of if you have 5 apples and you eat 3 you only have 2 left. You might be able to get more apples, but these were really good apples that are only in season for a while. I think I am finally starting to think of my money as temporary, not just something that will always be there. I take for granted the money that I have, which is why I seem to spend so frivolously. 

In the end I did not buy the lens as there are things that I would rather spend my money on. There’s a yoga teacher training in Omaha in March of ‘09 that I need to go to if I want to be certified to teach yoga. There’s also an additional teacher training with instructors that I highly respect in June of ‘09. Adding them up, these two teacher trainings will cost about the same as the lens, actually just a little more. So if I would have spent that $800 on that lens, it would have been a huge undertaking to save up for the teacher trainings that I want to go to. Yes, at the time I had enough in the checking account to take care of that cost, but I’m so glad that I was able to make that priority. I realized that more deals like this will come about. Lenses don’t do anything but get cheaper. And sure there are better lenses out there just like there are better cameras out there, but I don’t go out buying new cameras as soon as I see good deals on them because I’m absolutely satisfied with the one that I have now. 

I guess this is all to say that priorities feel very solid in my life at the moment, and I hope that it stays that way. I’ve had such a hard time setting them in the past that now that it feels like I have a good grip on them I just want to hold on and not let go no matter how much I feel pulled other ways. I hope that going into the new year I can be mindful of how I spend my money and what each purchase I make affects.