Spend -verb- :to pay out, disburse, or expend
Waste -verb- :to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return
I have a great many interests, hobbies, and passions. The one common denominator between them all is that they are expensive. I have been told countless times through my life that I waste money. False. I spend money.
To waste money would be to purchase something on a whim, only to become disinterested in it shortly afterward. To waste money would be to pay for a service which you do not utilize regularly. To waste money would be to purchase something simply because of an idea associated with it. One example of this would be to buy a BMW 335i. Why did you buy it? For the silly circular badge on the front of the car, of course. The car starts at $42,000 before you ask for a single option. What is the most expensive Nissan Maxima money can buy? About $42,000 for the SV Premium with Sport Package. I promise you the Maxima is better equipped when comparing the two $42,000 models. Sure, the 335i is one second faster to 60, but if you’re buying for speed you’d be an idiot to pick a BMW when less money could buy you a faster STi.
The long and short of it is this. BMW 335i…waste of money. Nissan Maxima SV Premium with Sport Package…money well spent. One gives you more return on your money. The other is for pompous ass holes who prefer a badge that supposedly indicates a fat wallet. They will use every excuse in the book to convince you otherwise: “Oh it’s German engineering!” “But it’s so much faster!” “It’s totally the Ultimate Driving Machine!” Shut up. No it isn’t. Those are excuses you use to justify wasting your money on a status piece…
That rant over, we’ll get back to me. I spend a lot of money. At 19 I bought a 2005 Subaru STi for $21,000. I have an upper-trim MacBook Pro. Over the course of the last 4 years I have invested over $8,000 in the sport of airsoft. “But that’s not an investment,” you say. Sure it is. It is an investment in myself. Maybe the return I take from my investment is not monetary. To me, my own happiness and enjoyment is far more important than monetary return. I don’t spend money on material things so I can net a monetary return. I spend my money because it brings me happiness. I have come to realize that with enough money, you really can buy happiness.
This is the story of my life…