Hiding purchases from the wife....

[MCI2424]

...How do you explain the large, guitar shaped box that got delivered today while you were at work?

QUOTE]

You tell her you sent out a faulty item , it was repeired under warranty and now returned postage pre-paid.

Works every time.

Oh yeah, When I want something I walk around it with her in tow and whisper that this _____ is a excellent deal. How rare they are etc.

I talk the item down and both me and the salesweasle both tell her how this is a once in a lifetime find etc. ad nauseum.

You get the picture. Works occasionaly.

 

[notCardio]

I can't understand it. How can anyone NOT like the look of mike cables running through the house like a giant black spider web? And guitars... what looks better than guitars all over? Tell me. Am I right?

Yes, you are right!

Actually, she doesn't mine the guitars being out. The other day she said "You know, if you want to hang them on the walls, I don't mind."

Makes me think she's up to something.


Besides, if they're hanging on the walls, then it'll be really obvious when a new one shows up.

 

[gvarko]

Not that I've EVER done this myself

But how many of you have bought something and had to sort of sneak it in to your collection without the wife finding out?

Do you ever round-down the price to make it more acceptable?

Do you sell something on Ebay for X dollars and then use that to justify the next Ebay purchase for 3X dollars?

How do you explain the large, guitar shaped box that got delivered today while you were at work?

Have you ever sold something and proudly proclaimed that you almost broke even on that very expensive piece of gear... Only to discover that you sort of forget to tell her about it when you first got it several years ago?

Just curious....

All of the above, all the time!!

 

[ch2os7]

yes I have

It's been a blast reading this thread! I can identify with most of what's been said.
I admit, I have sneaked stuff in the house in the past but it has been a while. My wife is pretty cool with the fact that I have G-A-S all the time. She doesn't like all the cables, mic stands, amps, guitars, keyboards and various other instruments cluttering up the house so I am banished to "my room". As long as I keep the door closed when we have guest so they can't see the clutter, she tolerates it.
When she asks me what I want for my birthday or Christmas I usually tell her, "don't worry about it, I'll just order something for myself, from you." Then there is the occasional "deal of a lifetime" that I meant to mention. Another often used line that she's always seen through is: "I thought I told you about that? " She's a good sport. I'm a lucky guy.

great thread

 

[NRS]

I'm not sure hiding new gear is always possible so I find it's usually better to just drastically minimize what you actually paid for it since most wives dont know or even care to know the value of your musical gear anymore than they care to know the value of all the greasy parts under your car hood. The trick is consistancy about this though. She has to think ALL music gear is reasonably priced from the get go and that you've always been a savy shopper about it.

 

[kmaaj]

There was a time @8 years ago when I had really bad G.A.S, but we are not talking about $600 strats, but rather $3500 classicals. That almost landed me in divorce court, so I thought I'd learn to build my own. She thought that was a hairbrained scheme at 1st, and I had to sneak tools and tonewood into the house for awhile, but when guitar #2 sold for $600 right when our oldest daughter was getting married, she changed her tone. As my prices have gone up, she has actually taken an active part in helping me stock up on tonewoods and upgrading my tooling. So when I felt the need to put out my own cd, she inquired about getting me some blocks of studio time. When I responded that I did not want to be intimidated by a clock, I put a wishlist together. Maybe 8 years ago she would have written that off as a hairbrained scheme as well, but it seems she is giving me a lot of latitude now; she got the stuff for me herself.

I fired it up for the 1st time today, and am very happy with it. I'll try to ge ta sample up soon.

 

[Mr. C]

Considering we have 8 kids (blended family) money is not exactly flowing out of the faucet so I understand my wife being nervous when I'm on ebay or looking at the new MF mag. Overall though she always accepts what I buy, so I TRY to be financially responsible. I did want a new guitar over a year ago and told her I would build one because I could get parts a little at a time. This worked out fine with her until I screwed the bridge up, and found some other little problem which cost some $$$ with a luthier to fix my mistakes. Sort of took the off her face. But in the end, she still has lived with it and I've cooled the big purchases off for awhile. (Besides, w/3 kids going to college next year I might have to go look for another job!)

 

[jtomme65]

I have done it a couple of times. But I always get caught. And when I didn't I felt so guilty it didn't matter. The funny thing is she will let me have just about anything I want. I have a Tacoma EK36c Acoustic Limited Edition that was HER idea so I don't have much to complain about. I can't help my G.A.S.

 

[killthepixelnow]

Is good to see some guys have support from your wives. That's cool. I don't have any troubles purchasing because I don't have one. The problem is I can't purchase a lot beacuse my month pay is not the best The good thing is I'm a saver so... soon or later I'll get my stuff.

 

[Jouni]

I put aside some 700euros a month for household expenses on a joint account. Rest of my money is MINE.
We both work, and buy our own crap. I don't hide it, There is no reason. Though... If I'm wondering where to spend the next checks extra 1k, she shouts out loud that she prefers platinum.
Over 10years together and I'm still ducking engagement.

 

[greenascanbe]

"Um, hey wifey dear, I just bought his amplifier for $1000 and I know I can sell it for at least $900 easily, so my actual cost of owning this really nice amp is really only $100. Aren't I a smart shopper dear?"

Really she doesn't mind me buying toys. It keeps me home instead of hanging out on the streets and I do reciprocate and buy her a few toys once in a while too.

I tried that one too, and it didn't work as well as I hoped. But I got a new JSX anyway, but am going to have to pay for it and I don't mean monetarily.

My wife knew I had some stuff before we got married, so sometimes a new mic, pedal or toy will come down the from the attic. Software plug ins and loops are easy to sneak in through the "Slusher" (Slush fund from my gas allowance from my company) But the big stuff like Guitars, Amps and boards, that needs to be discussed.

It's hard to justify when she's bought me one guitar (Epiphone Les Paul) and let me buy an American Strat a year later. (I used the Slusher to get new pick-ups and tuners for the Les Paul) I use my old Charvel as an example of I paid big money for it but I take care of it and it lasts. Still when my wife grabs a quarter you can hear the Eagle screech from a mile away, so justifying $1200.00 for a JSX combo was quiet the chore.

I've had to back off for awhile after turning her former guest room into a studio. There is still a battle over space with her keeping her Stamping stuff and X-mas decorations in the closet leaving me little room to store stuff. But the battle is going well, it used to be the spare bedroom, then she referred to it as the office. The other night she called it the studio.

Victory will soon be mine.

 

[gibson59neck]

My wife is a non-musical hag and complains if I buy a pack of gum, never mind anything that actually costs real money - that is why I buy what I want, when I want, so it pisses her off. I wnet down to guitar center two years ago, opened an account, and maxed it buying a tube amp and a Les Paul Special - I went home and told her and I swear, she actually split right down the middle so two of her could gang up on me. After about a weeks worth of unceasing, irrational anger, she gave up, because she knew that NOTHING SHE COULD DO would amke any difference. I got the stuff, it's mine, get over it, you raging witch! The truth is, if I didn't buy guitar stuff just because she is a penny-pinching ass and doesn't understand anything of importance, then I would go through life always hoping for, but never actually having. Eventually, I would be forced to take her far away and leave her there, which wouldn't be nice at all...I wear the pants around here, and since I have but one life, I'll do as I please. ( shit it's cold out here in the shed...anyone got an extra blanket???)

 

[true-eurt]

...LMAO at Gibson59neck!!

I thought this thread worth bringing up from the grave....

 

[jimistone]

...ah the wife and the gear....never the twain shall meet
In my case, it created real problems. She was my best/worst critic when it came to my songs, but at the same time, she could not bring herself to say 'yes', no matter how well-thought through and financially responsible I tried to be in presenting a purchase.

Now, we are not talking adding another guitar to a collection of 20; we are talking basics here: a good digital piano so I could get back into playing, and a multitrack so I could go further than my 8-track allowed.
In both cases, I would stew for a while after getting 'no', then go out and buy it and just have it front and center when she came home, with the attitude of: "so there, now what are you going to do about it?" I know it sounds awful, but it became that kind of power struggle.
We are separated, but not divorced. I hope that can change. The gear didn't do it, and I think by now that part is something she can live with. And I do miss her input on my music, among many things.

Best,
C.

That's kind of how I do it. If she says "you don't need another guitar" I know that when I buy it anyway I will have to listen to some bitching.

I do the bitch test...I ask myself is having this piece of music gear worth the bitching it's purchase will generate.

recording equipment she never knows about...because I have my own bank account, it's in the studio, and she's not familiar enough with recording euipment to know a new piece of recording gear if it bit her on the ass.
Guitars she knows about, becuase I set them up at home and gig with them.

I just bought a les paul studio for $500. I calculated the bitching/want the guitar ratio. I figured on a scale of 1 to 10 the bitching about spending $500 on a les paul was about a 4 (she like LP's)
I have an hour drive home from the office (most of it with no cell phone signal), so, when I left I called and told her;

"I found an incredible deal on a les paul babe...$500

She said "you didn't buy it did you?"

I said "yes, I couldn't pass it up...I can sell a Les Paul any day of the week for 500 bucks so it's actually an investment that could be liqudated quickly"

She started to bitch and I said "hello...hello...can you her me...hello...If you can hear me I'm losing my signal...bye"


By the time I got home she was OK with it.

 

[joeym]

I always start the strategy a couple of weeks in advance, so by the time I get the stuff, it's not out of the blue......Like today I got my new studio monitors and a couple of mic-stands and she asks "what do you need new speakers for...and why do you need more than 1 mic-stand, you're just one musician...", bla, bla.... yes dear!

Then a couple of weeks ago, I strummed a few chords for some friends we had over for dinner and she asks "since when do you own a 12-string acoustic?"

My answer: " Darling, you got it for me last year for my birthday......!"

Females....they'll never understand!

 

[kojdogg]

unless you're financially secure (i.e. rich) this kind of strategy always seems to end in separation or divorce (the singer in my band is dealing with this right now and i've read many a sad tale). that's why i'm squeezing in all of my major purchases before i get married (november). aside from future computer and interface upgrades, i think i'm almost set (knocks on wood)

 

[MK-Ultra]

My wife has found this very informative!