Tuesday, November 24, 2020

December can't come fast enough

I have plans for when I've finally paid off all my scholastic debt.  Before I start saving in earnest, I do aim to get a little spendy.  There are several things I've been wanting to buy, but I've been holding off because debt-relief comes first.  

One thing I need to buy is a decent pair of glasses.  When not wearing contacts, I've been relying on my mother's glasses since before she passed away nearly eleven years ago, and my eyes have aged enough that her glasses are no longer as helpful as they used to be.  While it's sad to put this pair of glasses away (they do still work, to be sure, but they're no longer ideal, and I don't plan to throw them away), it's high time I got myself a new pair of glasses that I can wear in public without looking overly foolish.  

Another thing I want to buy is a new desktop computer—probably another Mac, but I wouldn't necessarily be averse to getting a solid Windows machine.  (I'd have to do some research, though, since I've never bought a Windows computer.)  My MacBook Air laptop, only recently brought back from the dead, will last me for several more years, but staring at this tiny screen has long been a burden, so it's time to get me a new computer.  Along with a new computer, I'd like to get a better printer.  My current printer does what it's supposed to do, but it prints a bit crookedly, and I think I'd like to have the option to print in color (laser, not inkjet).

A third item I want to buy is related to the computer and printer:  a new, decent desk and a new, decent boss chair.  I've been doing the poor man's thing for years, now, sitting at my desk on a cheap, fifteen-dollar Costco folding chair.  A pair of such chairs, actually:  I like to sit with my legs folded, so I drag over a second chair to support my legs.  A nice, heavy-duty boss chair that is roomy enough for me to assume a cross-legged position would be very nice, indeed, and a desk that's wide enough (and modular enough) to accommodate a two-monitor configuration plus stationery-store items would also be nice.  (My current desk is a used one that I got from a friend—a creaky hand-me-down that does its job well but needs to be upgraded.)  Does Korea even sell chairs that are as large as what I'm looking for?

Depending on where I go with self-publishing, I might also want to invest in the machinery needed to have a home printing press, i.e., the ability to crank out perfect-bound, softcover books, covers and all.  That's a whole new level of investment, though, in the tens of thousands of dollars, and it's not an immediate priority.  Other things come first.

At some point, I'll also have to think about what I'll need for next year's walk.  I think I've bought most of the requisite equipment, but there will doubtless be other necessaries, such as sports goggles to deal with wind and sand along the Korean east coast.

Anyway, December can't arrive fast enough for me.  I'm impatient to pay off the rest of my debt and move forward with the rest of my life.  This has been a long time coming.*



*And I keep expecting to be diagnosed with terminal cancer, once I'm debt-free, because in my life, the Lord always giveth and taketh away at the same damn time.  I can never seem to get a clean victory, no matter what I do.

ADDENDUM:  I forgot to mention that my faithful shoulder bag is now dying:  one of its handles popped off yesterday, so I can use only the shoulder strap to tote it around.  It's only a matter of time before the fabric whether the strap attaches to the bag rips open.  There's already a hole on one end of the bag.  Another thing I need to buy, and soon.




3 comments:

John Mac said...

I have it on good authority you have at least 30 healthy years ahead of you. Use them wisely!

John said...

Kev, when you get cash- don’t bank it. Buy shares. Interest rates are so low it just ain’t worth putting money in the bank.

Kevin Kim said...

John Mac,

Yikes—30 sounds optimistic!

Kiwi John,

Good idea, although I know next to nothing about how to do that wisely. Do I hire a broker? Find a "For Dummies" book and do it myself? What do you suggest?

Hold on—I just found this online:

Step 1: Find a good online broker.
Step 2: Open an investment account.
Step 3: Upload money to your account.
Step 4: Find a stock you want to buy.
Step 5: Buy the stock.
Step 6: Review your share positions regularly.

That's a start, anyway.