Buying the best you can afford

I have noticed that if I buy an item that is just "good enough" I eventually end up being fed up with compromised product and eventually end up buying the best.

If you can afford to buy better product, do it. In the long run the better product will last longer, will work better and will cause less headaches for you.

My example is my photo camera.

I bought Canon 5D as my first "serious" camera. Eventually the mirror fell off (just a week before a big trip to India). I panicked and bought Canon 1Ds series body as a replacement (fortunately I found a good deal on a used one). Although I got my 5D fixed, 1Ds has become my "go to" camera. It is heavier, the body is better made and just feels better in hands. If it was available when I was buying 5D, I should have bought it instead and saved the money.

The second example are lenses for my camera. At the end I bought several Leica R primes and zooms and I am more than pleased with quality of the images.

So now I am contemplating to buy new compact camera and I am torn between Sony NEX-7 (I can use my Leica R glass on it), Fuji X100, Olympus m4/3 or Leica M8/9/10.

Based on my experience I should determine which camera is the best and just go for it. So far Sony NEX-7 looks most promising on paper. Leica M8 is second on my list. Third is Fuji X100. Olympus m4/3 is on the bottom.

Meanwhile I will keep shooting my Canon 1Ds.

Updated: I forgot to add Ricoh GRX with Leica M module - it might work as well.

Getting rid of non essential

Where to put things you don't need?

This is one of the options. You could also recycle your stuff on ebay or take it over to charity shop (Goodwill is my favorite).

My room used to be full of stuff that I did not use. Like a chipmunk, I would buy things, then store them for the "rainy day".

A boat weighted with too many barnacles will slow down and even sink - you don't have to be a slave to your things.

Get rid of things you don't use! Focus on what you need. Do not confuse wants and needs. Repeat the process till you are free from clutter.

Less is more.

Cell Phones - how not to pay too much

If you get seduced by shiny adds and buy a brand new cell phone, don't. It will cost you dearly.

So what are the actual costs in maintaining a smartphone?

Let's take a look at Verizon iPhone4.

16GB iPhone4 costs $199.99 to buy on a 2 year contract. 450 minutes a month - $39.99. Mandatory data plan - $29.99. So before taxes we are looking at $270 for the first month, and then $1610 for the remaining 23 months. The total cost of ownership for first 2 years is $1880. I am sure there are taxes on top of all that. 

Wow, that's a lot of dough.

How can you do better?

This is what I did. I purchased unlocked iPhone 3GS through eBay for about $300. Then, I purchase T-Mobile prepaid sim card for $100, which gives 1000 minutes. Validity is 1 year.

I am not a heavy user, so 1000 minutes lasts me about 6-8 months. After that I get another $100 worth of minutes. So during a year, I am only out the most $200, plus $300 for the phone. Over 2 years my expenses are no more than $700, usually less than that. That is a far cry from $1880 I would spend with Verizon.

There is no free lunch - my service does not include any data. I can purchase 1 day pass for $1.49 a day, which I would if I am on the road and need internet on my phone. I have not had the need for it yet.