My world and welcome to it....

I guess I need to start a blog...why not?  Yes, I am over 50.  Not happy.  Dealing with it.

But, who wants to read whiny rants?  I believe in posting a few credos of irresponsibility that will hopefully strike a chord with someone out there.

Like spending too much money.

I've spent my whole life on a budget.  I have accumulated stuff and am doing alright.  Alas, I am now actually paying interest charges for the first time in my life.  I am couponing.  Grouponing.  Bargaining with Directv to please give me some premium channels for free so I can feel good about the cash I spend on them.

Then, Apple has their press release yesterday and unleash the new iTouch.  And a couple of weeks ago, Amazon lowered the price of their Kindle.

And I want both of them.

I don't care that I really can't afford them.  But, when I passed the magic 50 mark, I began to adhere to my magic formula about spending.  At my age, I should live a minimum of 25 more years (unless I made an accidental end to my life - which would probably be something incredibly stupid of my own making).  I feel great.  But, from the looks of others around me and my experiences with others, my really useful years left - the time that I have before other people start patting me on the back while thinking "he's old now" - are about maybe 12 years.

So, I am adding in my head the costs of the 3G Kindle ($189) plus new iTouch ($229) plus inevitable Apple accessories plus tax and I come up with about $475.  Divided by 12 equals $40 a year.  Ka-ching!

But, you scoff - those items will barely last four years!  True enough but maybe I only last four years before Something Bad.  Then, as I am lying there in some hospital be 47 months from now, I'll be thinking, darn, should have bought a Kindle and iTouch because I would at least have those to play with while I lie here.

Either way, I can rationalize it.  And that's one of the great things of my age.  Rationalization.  Everything I buy can be defended.  I bought a laptop in April and a turntable with a USB port in May.  Didn't need them but I wanted them and for the first time in ages, I got something primarily for me.  It felt good.

Of course, I am still paying them off slowly.

But, when I do pay them off - watch out!