A question for you.....

[disney1990]

If my financial house was in order, yes I would spend that much on a camera. I would want nice pictures of those 4 children -- they grown up way too fast.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

With 4 kids under 10 - that's a lot of memories to capture on film. For me personally, having a top quality camera is well worth it to be able to have great pictures of my children growing up.

ITA! Plus, discretionary income is just that....look at all the Disney trips in your signature. How is one frivolous expenditure more justified than another?

 

[wdwfan16]

You have a spouse and 4 children under 10. One parent works while the other stays home with the children. Household income is under $100,000 per year. You do have a mortgage to the tune of about $1600 per month.

Do you spend $1500 on a camera?

No

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I would consider an expensive camera to be a non-essential item. If I had enough money in savings to also cover any essential items that might be needed in a pinch (water heater, refrigerator, medical bills, etc.) then I might consider buying an expensive non-essential item. If the only way I could afford it was by using a credit card, payment plan, etc, then I would not buy it.

 

[DizBelle]

1974? - offsite * 1982? - offsite * 1/1990 - offsite * 11/1995 - Grand Floridian * 11/1996 - Polynesian * 10/1997 - Contemporary * 08/1998 - DL * 11/1999 - Boardwalk Inn * 12/2001 - Animal Kingdom Lodge * 02/2004 - Wilderness Lodge * 11/2004 - Port Orleans French Quarter * 8/2005 - DL Bonus Trip! * 11/2005 - Grand Floridian * 11/2006 - Yacht Club * 11/2007 - Polynesian * 11/2008 - Boardwalk Inn * 5/2009 - DL Grand Californian * 12/2009 - Wilderness Lodge


From OP's siggy.
I would bet there are lots of people who think going to WDW as much as you do is a waste of $$ also

We have expensive hobbies & i'm sure people have criticized our having a boat



However-I think there are great cameras out there a LOT cheaper than what you asked about.

Sorry, we are not the ones that bought the camera.

 

[DizBelle]

How can anyone give an accurate response based on so little information? It's impossible..

Yeah, I know. I apologize for the lack of information. I was deliberately being kind of vague. I didn't want any truly identifying information posted.

 

[DizBelle]

OP, you have worded your post to receive the response you want to hear, which is no.

However, I can't really say "no" without a lot more information.

1. Where do these people live? $100K in Kansas is a heckuva lot more $$ than $100K in NYC.

2. Is the camera in any way a profesisonal expense?

3. Does the person who wants the camera buy him/herself a lot of "toys"/have expensive tastes or is this a rare occurrence?

4. Can the camera be purchased on a payment plan which would be easier on the family budget?

5. Will spending this $1500 severely damage the family budget?

When DH or I want to make an expensive purchase, we tend to look at all of the above points before deciding. It then becomes a practical decision as opposed to an emotional one.

My DH is a person who doesn't ever need too many toys and is usually very giving and involved with our family and if this is the one thing that he has been pining for...well, I would figure out a way to make us be able to afford it. But that's because my DH generally buys very little in the way of "spoiling" himself.

If my DH was more of a "flashy" guy...expensive clothes, expensive electronics, expensive cars....I'd probably have more of a problem with him buying himself something else....

1. Let's say middle America where cost of living is average. It isn't NYC nor is it where $200000 can buy a 4000 sq foot house. I think your $200000 can buy a 2400 sq ft house.

2. No. But scrapbooking is done.

3. Yes

4. Don't know but my guess would be that they didn't finance due to what I know about their "philosophy" on debt.

5. There are reports of not being able to pay for health insurance nor repair a car. One joke is that they "now have a camera that is worth more than their car" - this is their joke by the way. I have a feeling that one of them objected to the purchase but I don't really know. I'll grant that I think their financial and employment picture was different when this purchase was made.

 

[DizBelle]

Does anyone else think that it is oddly bizarre to be equating salary to what kind of camera to buy?

I was just trying to give a picture (pun intended!) of the situation.

 

[PaddingtonBear]

Why do you care about what anyone else is doing . Here's my .02: you'll always have friends/family that are smarter than you and some that are dumber. You can't fix the dumb ones. If stupid decisions are thier MO why sweat it every time it happens.

 

[Carly_Roach]

1. Let's say middle America where cost of living is average. It isn't NYC nor is it where $200000 can buy a 4000 sq foot house. I think your $200000 can buy a 2400 sq ft house.

2. No. But scrapbooking is done.

3. Yes

4. Don't know but my guess would be that they didn't finance due to what I know about their "philosophy" on debt.

5. There are reports of not being able to pay for health insurance nor repair a car. One joke is that they "now have a camera that is worth more than their car" - this is their joke by the way. I have a feeling that one of them objected to the purchase but I don't really know. I'll grant that I think their financial and employment picture was different when this purchase was made.

If this isn't you or your DH, then it's none of your business what this couple does. It's none of our business what this couple does, either.

 

[Disney Doll]

See bolded

1. Let's say middle America where cost of living is average. It isn't NYC nor is it where $200000 can buy a 4000 sq foot house. I think your $200000 can buy a 2400 sq ft house. Nope. I have a house for sale up the street from me which is a 900 SF house (living room, kitchen, bedroom bathroom) on approxiamately 1/2 acre which is selling for $269K and it's pretty well-priced. I do not live in the "upscale" part of town either. I live in the cute little neighborhood part of town where most houses are 5 or 6 room Capes or Ranches on about 1/3-1/2 acre of land. My own house is a 6 room 2 bath Cape on about 1/3 acre which would probably sell for about $375-$425K if I were selling it.
2. No. But scrapbooking is done.

3. Yes

4. Don't know but my guess would be that they didn't finance due to what I know about their "philosophy" on debt.

5. There are reports of not being able to pay for health insurance nor repair a car. One joke is that they "now have a camera that is worth more than their car" - this is their joke by the way. I have a feeling that one of them objected to the purchase but I don't really know. I'll grant that I think their financial and employment picture was different when this purchase was made.

So you asked a question that you knew the answer to.

 

[maddmike]

Everyone chooses to spend their money different no matter how much they make. Some people need $500 a week spending money for food, drink or whatever and other get by just fine on $20. We don't go out to dinner much or to other entertainment but we spend a lot on cars, cameras, computers and tvs. I just make sure I have the money before I spend it.
I used to be a professional photographer and have spent a fortune on cameras over the years. Spending $1500 on a camera body and lens is about normal for a decent slr camera. For me its just a hobby now and I spend a lot more than that on photo equipment.

 

[dejr_8]

If this isn't you or your DH, then it's none of your business what this couple does. It's none of our business what this couple does, either.

beat me to it.

We all have different sets of spending priorities. Most non-Disney people would consider what most us spend on Disney to be obscene.

We have friends that spend "a lot" on new electronic gadgets. No only for themselves but their kids as well. However, they rarely take family vacations. Our kids don't have a cell phone, itouch or portable video game system and our cells phone are as cheap and basic as you can get. But we take three or four major vacations a year. So tell me which one of us is not spending our money wisely in your opinion?

 

[RadioNate]

really why is this any of your business??? Are they asking you for money? Scrapbookers like good photos and even you admit that their financial picture was different when they bought the camera.

Do you think they should sell the camera? They wouldn't get $1600 for it. Maybe $500 which IMO isn't worth it.

I just don't see how any of this is any of your business.

So they made a joke. Maybe in hindsight, knowing their financial picture now, they regret it but figured since they can't return it there is nothing they can do.

My entire point is why do you care????

 

[BelleWDW]

Sorry, we are not the ones that bought the camera.

That wasn't my point.
Some people might look at your siggy and think "Wow that person goes on a LOT of WDW trips and stays at very expensive hotels there."
They are making a judgement on you-when its none of your business.

Same thing that you are doing.

 

[DizBelle]

really why is this any of your business??? Are they asking you for money? Scrapbookers like good photos and even you admit that their financial picture was different when they bought the camera.

Do you think they should sell the camera? They wouldn't get $1600 for it. Maybe $500 which IMO isn't worth it.

I just don't see how any of this is any of your business.

So they made a joke. Maybe in hindsight, knowing their financial picture now, they regret it but figured since they can't return it there is nothing they can do.

My entire point is why do you care????

I never said I did care. I was only asking or other's thoughts on what they would do in the situation. No crime in that is there?

I thought a discussion board was for discussions? Isn't it?

Whatever you infer from my posts is only that, what you infer. It has no bearing on what I may or may not be thinking.