Spending my Fur Money

[Worker 11811]

A few of you may remember me mentioning that I'm putting my extra money away to save up and buy my wife a fur coat for Christmas or Anniversary.

 

I have a few hundred dollars saved up. I have enough to buy a fur on Ebay if the right one comes along and probably enough to make a down payment on a new one. Yes, my wife would be happy with a second hand fur but you know girls... There's just a special "sparkle" to wearing a brand new fur.

 

Among the other things that have happened lately, our household budget is getting tighter. I have come to the realization that I'm probably going to have to spend my "Fur Money" just to balance the budget.

 

As you can imagine, I'm not very happy right now. I'm pretty sad thinking that I'm not going to be able to keep my plans on schedule. Sometimes, I feels like I'm not going to be able to get her a fur ANY time in the near future.

 

It's not just about the fur fetish. And I KNOW she won't think any less of me because she doesn't have the fur we promised to buy. It's really just a symbolic thing. I guess it's because I grew up in the time when a man was "supposed" to buy his wife a diamond ring and a fur coat. I don't know if a lot of people, nowadays, understand that ethic.

 

I've got the diamond covered. The only thing left is the fur. It's not really about the money. It's just the feeling of doing something nice for somebody you care about. The loss is more emotional than monetary.

 

So, I've been practically beside myself, lately, worrying about my other problems but also feeling the loss at this setback.

 

It's even been hard to look at the pictures of people with fur in the Gallery or to check into The Den as much as I liked to before. It just, sort of, makes me feel even more depressed than I already feel.

 

I don't know if I even have a closing to this story. I guess I just needed to vent a little. So, thanks for listening.

[Guest]

I know how frustrating it can be to be short and not leave a savings untouched. I do hope things pick up and are more fluid for you both.

The only way I have any furs is for the generous gifts I've received over the years, and can't afford to throw money on them myself. Not trying to brag at all, just say that I understand and wish you much luck in getting that fur.

[Guest]

Hey don't worry, life just takes a wong turn at times and puts us at some crazy intersection.

 

You will get her that coat, it just might not be this year. It sucks though, but you will.

[galianos829]

Sorry to hear that Worker. Sticking to a budget can be rough I know i'm just starting out and can't afford much either. I have a few small fur items I bought of ebay. But, I would love to have the cash to go on a spending spree at PurpleShoshana's Of course if I had that kind of cash I would have to outfit my dream girls Chelsea, MissTheresa, and TryxieTrash. Sorry my mind wandered when I started thinking of unlimited budget for fur and then thinking of women in those furs. Back to the subject, Things will pick up and it will make the coat more special that it was something you had to work very hard to buy. In the meantime, how about if you save up some money and have a romantic date one weekend find a place that might let you rent a fur for a period of time and show her what waiting for the coat will be worth? Just a thought.

[FurLoverinFL]

I understand your frustration, Worker. Sticking to your family's budget is (to me anyway) more important than a fur coat. I'd love to buy 1 or 2 (or, hell 10 new coats) this year but it won't happen... there's the thouands of dollars that must be spent on the house here first. Stick to your budget. Prioritize. You're learning (and teaching the other members of your household) about financial responsibility. Learning that lesson will make you and yours appreciate the furs you purchase even more!

 

FLinFL

[Guest]

I say this gently...but ask yourself: "is the fur for me, or for her?" Be honest with yourself.

 

That said, I definitely sympathize with your financial issues. That can be a strain on a relationship. If you really want a new fur, I've found February to be the time of the best retail deals. Granted, you don't get to wear it out much until the following season, but you can still use it in the meantime! Good luck.

[Guest]

Worker

I saved for years and this kept happening. Then one Christmas I had a budget of about $800 ( I only had that because I won it on a horse) which was way short of the coat I had been looking at in a dress agency (crystal fox) which was $1600. I had a customer who went bust on me so that was the end of that idea. Anyway the coat when it came was Dior, and far better than any new coat I could imagine!

 

I checked ebay and found that my budget gave me a massive selection. and I bought a Dior full length fox...it was awesome, and still gave me plenty of change.

 

Funny thing then, is I have manged to get one, or at least something special in fur, nearly every year.

 

If I don'y have a big budget, I get here something like this:

 

ebay item 110007588371 awesome and only $69 for a new blue fox extra long boa

 

or

9330712642 for only $29 . That is stunning and they have lots of different colours. I have bought from them in the past and the stuff is really good. They have some stunning stuff and for a fraction of the real, even wholesale, price. And no auction...you can buy it now.

 

Then there are items which aren't that expensive. Even black mink can be saved for and needn't be extortionate;

200021547244 $699

 

And some auction houses can sell furs really low sometimes. I have no idea what the reserve on this crystal fox coat is, but i bought a fabulous brand new mink from them once for $450, so it may only be about $400/$500 reserve:

250023249234

 

Then you can always go for a fabulouis timeless vintage for a casual kate moss kind of look. How about this black bomber in sheared musquash for

peanuts:

190001505729

look in the gallery at my newly posted kate moss pic to see where I am coming from.

That would be easy to wear casual with jeans and wouldn't upste the antis

like the power furs do.

 

Anybody else got some suggestions for some low cost alternatives until worker can manage to get his budget up again? Or ideas for nice items when he gets back up to a few hundred?

 

And don't worry worker; maybe even someone here can help you with a low cost item to tide you over.

[ILOVEFURTOO]

Dear Worker,

 

I

[furboy1973]

I know how you feel.

 

When I bought my latest fur, the silverfox jacket I bought from Berni's husband. I actually paid for it in installments,

[FrBrGr]

Yup, Worker - Been there, done that! Frustrating, huh? Last year I had saved up to buy myself a new fur. "The Duchess" and I returned to our home from vacation (holiday, my Brit friends! ) to find that our hot water tank had ruptured and the lower level of our home had been flooded. Insurance took care of the clean up, and it covered some of the replacement costs, but since we replaced all of our old furniture with new, there was a remarkable difference in what we had to pay and what we received from insurance. Guess where my fur money went . . . ? There was another crisis this year (although not as big as last year's) so I guess it will be 2007 before I get the new fur. I'm not holding my breath . . .

[White Fox]

Say Worker...

I'll give a quick PM to all of our gals on site here and send 'em your way. A day with them and you'll be ready to roll again.

 

And seriously. Hope things begin to go better soon. One great thing about this old world is that after every down there is always an up if only we look for it!

W

[allfurme]

Ain't life a b*mmer. Still i always think if we always got what we want life would see to lack purpose. As others said, you will get it in the end.

 

It is all relative i suppose. My quandry is to either have this:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Luxurious-Golden-Russian-Sable-Fur-54-M_W0QQitemZ2891402573QQihZ006QQcategoryZ63862QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

or pay my mortgage for the next four and a half years; oh, who needs a house anyway.

[Guest]

Worker,

Just do what you feel is right, not what you think your suppost to do.

[Ravens8]

Hi worker

 

Been there, so know just how you feel.

 

hang in there, things will pan out.

 

It's a hard choice but domestic budget has to come first, so you've made the right choice. Stay poitive, and keep faith in the goal

 

Not a bad suggestion about saving a bit each month with a furrier. That way you cant get the money back. Then when you are approaching the target amount, hopefully the furrier will have ear to the ground tp find you a nice coat. new or second hand. Bit like asking a secondhand car salesman to keep his eye out for the car you want.

 

Anyway, things will change mate, just stay positive.

[bigfur1]

Worker,

You sound a lot like me,a man who know how to treat a lady.You'll get that new coat for her when you can. I use to get my wife a fur every couple of tears, but when the kids came and she stopped working things changed. We went about 15 yrs between furs but I always was glad she had that 15 year old mink(still looks new!)to wear. Enjoy what you have now and when the time comes(and it will)you will enjoy the fur even more!

[Guest]

This is interesting The realization that I wasn't the only fur fetishist wasn't really a surprise, the size of our group was.

 

But it's even more interesting (and somewhat comforting, even if it's not a position any of us want to be in) that it's a struggle from time to time (or often in my case) to actually pursue what we want.

 

Things usually get better after a while. This X-mas/winter I might actually have enough to get what I want (to give, it's pretty much the same when it comes to the missus eh? ) for a change. This christmas (after a few years) it's likely that things work out. Hopefully, the same is going to happen for you, and if not this one, there's always the next one

[ReFur]

Worker,

 

Yes, ... diamonds are nice.

 

And, ... furs are incredible!!

 

But, ... a man that you can love, and be loved by, cannot be replaced with diamonds or even furs.

 

Don't ever forget that.

 

You are priceless to your wife.

 

Linda

[Worker 11811]

I very much appreciate the moral support! It helps a lot!

 

Yes, I like fur more than she does. But, catch her in the right mood and... well... That's too much information.

 

There is a certain sense of loss at the realization you can't have what you wished for but that's not the whole story. It's more about the pride than about the property.

 

Just saving up the money feels good. I only put away $10 per week, up to, maybe $50 a month. But it makes me happy to know that I'm working towards something I want.

 

The last time I did this sort of thing, I bought my computer. I was able to put away over $1,000 to buy myself a brand new iMac in just under a year. Yes, it was fun when I actually got what I wanted but there' was a deeper, emotional component when I was putting the money away. Every week when I put the money in my piggy bank it was like a little triumph. Each time, when you know the total of the money inside the piggy bank is growing, the sense of accomplishment grows, too!

 

So, you see, the fur is really just the icing on the cake, so to speak.

 

In this case, the sense of disappointment is greater because I promised my wife that I'd do something nice for her. A lot of times one's sense of happiness is tied, not to how happy one can make himself, but to how happy one can help the person you care about feel.

 

I KNOW the fur doesn't matter so much to her but I also know that she'll be happy when she gets it.

 

Just to be clear, this isn't the only thing that's getting me down, lately. I've been having a hard time getting along at work, too. Melanie's job hasn't been so hot lately, either. There's plenty of stress to go around, lately. Spending the fur money is just the latest in a series of problems.

 

If the car and the clothes dryer and the dishwasher broke down any other time I would have just cussed about it and moved on. With all this other crap on my mind, this just feels like pouring salt on an open wound.

 

So, tonight, I actually went back to work and did some things by myself, for a change. It's nice to be able to accomplish something and not have to have 9,000 people all bothering you when you're trying to get stuff done. And, it sort of helps keep my mind off how disappointed I feel.

 

Thanks again for the kind thoughts! They really DO help!

 

I think it's time for me to grab a Bear and head off to beddy-bye!

 

G-Nite!

[Guest]

Worker,

why dont you take your glock and go fire off 50 to a hundred rounds of ammo at the range? That would help reduce tension very easily.

You might need to do that soon. Last thing you need is an ulcer from the tension.

[Worker 11811]

Been looking over the budget at the end of the month.

 

The bad news is that I will, indeed, have to spend a little of the fur money.

The GOOD news is that I won't need to spend nearly as much as I thought.

 

The new car ended up being a used car and didn't cost nearly as much as we thought. It's still a nice car. It's a 1995 model. Just old enough to have the bugs worked out of it. Not so old that it's had all the life driven out of it. Some people say that it's unwise to buy a brand new car anyway.

 

Even though the car is an initial expense on the budget it will be a net SAVINGS to the bottom line.

 

The old car wouldn't pass inspection without having to spend several hundred dollars in repairs. I had been patching up the body with Bondo for two years just to pass inspection. By the time this year rolled around, there wasn't any fresh metal to attach the Bondo to!!

 

The new/used car is more fuel efficient than the old one. There will be about a 10% savings in gasoline alone. Add in the fact that we won't need to do nearly as much maintainence on the car and we come out farther ahead. On the monthly basis, we MIGHT even be ahead of the game by a few dollars! (There's a tiny sigh of relief! )

 

The dishwasher that we were going to replace is still hanging on by a thread. It's still running. We'll hold on to it, either until it conks out completely, or until we have money saved up via the cost savings from buying the new car.

 

The clothes dryer that I thought had conked out only had a burned out gas valve solenoid. I was able to replace it for about $50. While I had the dryer apart I had to replumb the gas supply lines. The original owner of the house simply used copper tubing from the gas main to the dryer. As many of you know, this is a "No-No!" I ran 1/2 inch iron pipe from the main the way it was supposed to be in the first place. I used a vinyl-covered stainless steel flex line with an emergency cut-off valve to connect the dryer then I cleaned out all the lint and dirt from the exhaust ports. Finally, I replaced all the exhaust duct with new flexible metal dryer hose instead of the old plastic stuff.

 

In the end, that dryer repair was the only part that ended up eating into my fur savings. All together, I only had to siphon off about $150.

 

If the dishwasher conks out in the near future, before we have a chance to put away some savings from the car, we can probably wash dishes by hand for a while. Further, we're coming off the "Home Repair Season". Prices MIGHT just fall a few dollars. (But, then again, if a hurricane hits they could go UP! )

 

So, all in all, the picture isn't nearly as gloomy as it seemed at first.

 

When there is so much stress at work. (Both our jobs!) It's easy for little things like this to get blown out of proportion. I know this problem is small comared the the grand scheme of things but I often have a hard time keeping myself from feeling depressed. When things like this all pile up at once it really makes me feel helpless.

 

So, finally... Thanks for all the moral support!

It really does help!

[sethsable]

I would say hold out and wait until you have the money to buy what you want, years if thats what it takes. After buying some so-so quality stuff on ebay (people have different opinions on "no damage" and "like new") i found you get what you pay for. i saved for almost three years but finally got my dream silver fox.

[FurLoverinFL]

Welcome Sethsable! We hope you enjoy the time that you spend here at the Den!

 

FLinFL

[Worker 11811]

Welcome aboard, sethsable!

 

You're right. I think it is better to save up and get a good coat instead of buying cheaper ones just to have something.

 

Normally, I keep my fur money in a coffee can, hidden in the colset. After I pay this month's bills it's all going into my passbook savings account. It won't make much interest. (What does, these days?) But it will be safer. I won't be able to steal from it for unimportant things but, if something really important happens, I can still get at it.

 

Nice to see somebody who's saved up for a nice fur! It gives me encouragement.