Some good stuff coming up.
PRS SE Custom 24 (I think that’s the one) MSRP at just over $1,000 will be selling for $400. 18 months, same as cash. Wife actually told me to buy it and stop crying poverty. o.O
She doesn’t realize we are actually tight financially, but with 18 months and her approval how can I say no?
Hey Larry,
I’ll try not to sound like a dad, but why add debt when things are tight? Why not build or fill a nest egg instead? There will always be other deals when you have the extra money to spend.
Meh… thats just me focused on not having debt so I can retire early.
Something struck home for me a few months ago. I was talking to an older gentleman and he said to me: “Tom, at my age you don’t think about buying extravagant things, you focus on eliminating all your debt.”
There’s a scent of freedom in that… and it made me appreciate what I already have a whole lot more.
Because, at 18 months, $450 (incl. tax) is $25 a month. I have a few recurring payments that will be finishing up releasing nearly $300 a month in payments, so $25 is doable.
Plus, this year, I’m tracking a lot better with the credit card. What that means is that, because 30% of my salary is commission based and the first 6 months are typically a drought, I run the risk of not being able to fully pay off the credit card in full monthly usually around this time of the year. Then the big checks come in, and I catch us up. This year things are better, so I should be able to allocate the big checks to getting some high priority repairs done on the house and putting some money away for next year’s drought. That will finally break the cycle for us, assuming I can slap my wife around when she tries the same ole’ tricks next year.
Sounds like you really want that guitar! 
Ever since I first saw it played live in the 90’s. I want to say it was Alex Lifeson, but that doesn’t seem right since he’s always been a Gibson person (and, occasionally, a Strat).
It’s either this or a Focusrite 18i20. (I also really want 8 ins and 8 outs without breaking the bank.) But the wife would notice a new guitar if I didn’t buy it now and tried to get it on the DL. She wouldn’t notice a new piece of rack mounted equipment if I did, so I can get that later. 
It was Alex Lifeson on the Roll the Bones tour. I saw them on that tour in MSG, which must be why I remember it.
And I got the guitar, an amp stand, and another 5 guitar fold-up rack (to complement my 7 guitar one).
The only thing I needed was a tuner, and I forgot to get that. 
Finally, I got back just over $100 of unexpected money, so I’ll be getting the Komplete 8 upgrade for $78.
Buy two, wait a few months and then sell one on ebay/craigslist for $600. So, you’d only end up paying $200… 
I’m close to selling my 2004 Ibanez Artcore for $250-ish so that’ll put a dent in the cost of the PRS.
I used to have a custom Artcore (AF100) and deeply regret selling it. It had a very warm and beefy jazzy sound and the look was fantastic (natural maple finish, cello-style bridge, butter-smooth action, proof that awesome instruments CAN be made in China…)
I’m a keyboard player, so guitar to me is just a “hobby.” Once in a while, I feel guilty having too many guitars and I sell a couple. Then of course later I will buy a couple new ones… 