ok..judge away, need some outside opinions!

[rainbowtrout]

it's 220 or 110, depending on the house and the plug...very little reliable outlets. Is there something to test the outlet with?
Also, electronics are much more expensive there.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 7/27/2006 5:05:20 PM
Author: ladykemma
stop!

before you buy (a digital) camera. inquire what electricity they have where you are going. you may need to buy one there.

or a year''s supply of batteries. good point LK!

 

[ladykemma]

you can tell by the shape of the plug
US 110 volts two prong plug
morrocco 220 Volts 2 pin plug
UK three pin plug

would a step down transformer do the job?

 

[perry]

I''ll give you another take on the situation:

I have no problem with your buying stuff you want if you can do the following:

Are you putting 15% of your - and your SO''s gross income (before takes) away in a retirement account that you will never touch except for retirment or an extreem emergency (invested in resonably secure investments).

If you are doing that - and paying your debts down in a reasonable fashion (more than the minimum payments) ==> Then feel free to get whatever you can get without upsetting the above nest egg.

If not: You need to start such a savings plan. This will allow for retirement at a resonably age and allow you to live a resonable life after retirement.

As far as to what you would spend your money on: I vote for buying (and maintaining) a really good skin care system before you buy camera''s, jewelry, and other items. 20 and more years from now you will stand out as amazing if you are using a good skin care system (and the good ones arn''t cheap).

Perry

 

[rainbowtrout]

Well, he has an income, and he puts away (hang on, doing math..grimace)...a little over 15% a year. He doesn''t have any student loans or other debt. He correspondingly buys himself lots of shiny new toys

I have a job for the summer which I am putting away nearly all of the money from--but next year I can''t save any US currency. After that I get a living stipend from NYU...I am going to try to put away at least 100.00 every month to use as a lump payment on my student loans when my deferral ends after my PhD. I don''t know if it will be possible since my grant from NYU does not allow me to hold a second job or they yank my funding. I can work in the summer though, so I may be able to sock away some extra money then.

Then of course after 2 years he goes to med school, and we enter a whole new world of debt.

 

[asscherisme]

I say no. My husband and I JUST paid off his med school bills last year . When he turned 41!!

I say buy that camera and then save the rest. For my wedding day I wore my grandma''s pearls. Anybody in your family have pearls you can borrow? I actually loved the fact that they were grandmas pearls instead of mine. And she ended up GIVING them to me 2 years later. I was so glad I never bought my own.

I think you know what you want to do, you just wanted to think out loud

 

[rainbowtrout]

*dies* 41..yes, that is what I am afraid of! It is terrifying to contemplate that much in non-subsidized loans. Add to that the fact that I would like to have a child sometime before 30-32...oi.

Basically, yes, I did just want to talk out loud. It''s hard to get my family to give me an honest opinion--they tend to shrug and say "do what you want," or they say "you should buy yourself something" or they just don''t get it. I didn''t want to make my decision in a bubble, in other words.

My grandmother doesn''t have any--but my mother has a strand she may let me borrow. Also I may just get my late grandmother''s rings make into earrings or something of that nature, depending. She had a very unhappy marriage, so I don''t feel bad recycling them for her memory.

 

[justjulia]

I''m chiming in late but I just saw a pretty set of imitation pearls that are supposed to be jackie onassis reproductions on QVC tonight- for way less than the real thing.

 

[JulieN]

You know the set she wore in the White House was fake?!

My brother came up to me and told me to look at them, and mentioned that they didn't have much luster.

I've taught him well.

 

[movie zombie]

oh, perry, you are so very very right re skin care!

good skin at 40, 50, 60 even 80 can''t be bought. my mother at 81 has great skin and people think she''s much younger because of it. however, she''s never in her life used an expensive system: she has always covered her head in the sun and properly cared for her skin.....she''s a Pond''s woman and if anyone remembers the product. i''ve had to find a source on the internet for her as its no longer commonly available. she''d make a great ad for them, though!

rainbowtrout: i commend you for thinking out loud with a group you know is pretty outspoken! but then like someone else said, i think you actually wanted confirmation that you shouldn''t get the pearls but should get the camera. have you decided on which one yet?


movie zombie

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/29/2006 12:33:32 AM
Author: JulieN
You know the set she wore in the White House was fake?!


My brother came up to me and told me to look at them, and mentioned that they didn''t have much luster.


I''ve taught him well.

No, I didn''t! How funny--people selling something as a repro of a repro.