DAY 8: Sticker Shock

This weekend I bought a big flat panel TV. My wife and I had this on our spending list. After installing it and watching football in exquisite detail for hours, I started to add up the spending in my head. BAD MOVE.

Buying the boat is only the first step in the process of going broke. I had to get the $400 trailer hitch, the $650 trailering cover, and the $100 VHF radio. And yesterday I started realizing all the other crap I don't have.

Now mind you I have a fully stocked rigging box, tools, Loos Gage, rigging tape, etc. I have another boat, albeit antique (1984 Melges E-Scow). So I assumed I wouldn't need much more.

But yesterday I had to take the old TV to the lake house, the lake house TV back home to the basement, the basement TV to the bedroom, and the bedroom TV to...actually I'm not sure where that goes. Yes, to answer your question my back REALLY HURTS today.

While at the lake I collected the crap I need to sail: life jacket, wet suit, foul weather gear, gloves, lines, etc. I could not find the paddle or anchor for the E-Scow. So add that to the purchase list. I also started making plans to travel. Gas will be like $400. Add hotels, food, regatta registration, and of course drinking money and the boat has sucked my funds dry before I have even seen it in person. I haven't even purchased the velocitek yet. My wife asked me to deposit my "jug."

The jug is a 5-gallon glass wine-making thing that I have next to my dresser. I drop loose change into it. The funds cover our drinking money for vacations. In general I get $200 to $300 per gallon of coins. That deposit is yet to be made.

I also took my POS snow blower to the dump. I hope we don't get any real big snows. The leaf blower is good for dustings and even up to an inch or so. But dishing out another load of cash for a snow blower is now off the table.

So the old saying is a boat is just a hole in the water into which one pours money. Yup. It sure is.