Surprisingly difficult

[MybirdIStheword]

I have an extremely bad habit of buying parts when I can afford them, not when I actually need them. This has led to quite a few "oops" moments wherin the parts I ordered don't fit and are beyond the return window. Now, I don't have so much as a garage space to suffer in, so I need practically perfect weather to wrench. This might not come around till april-may, but fingers crossed as it has been a mild summer so far.

Do you have a technique for keeping yourself distracted oppo? Anything car related is edging me closer to that "add to cart" button.

[ItalianJobR53]

@mybirdistheword Gaming. Lots of it.

[gmporschenut also a fan of hondas]

wait 24hours ad still need them, purchase

[ST80MND]

@italianjobr53 Hell yeah brother! I've turned more laps during COVID than I could ever have hoped for without a pandemic.

[Krusty Walnut]

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas I will second this. Sleeping on most decisions is the best practice .

[MybirdIStheword]

@italianjobr53 said in Surprisingly difficult:

@mybirdistheword Gaming. Lots of it.

Just not racing games I guess.

[MybirdIStheword]

@st80mnd said in Surprisingly difficult:

@italianjobr53 Hell yeah brother! I've turned more laps during COVID than I could ever have hoped for without a pandemic.

I need a sim race setup already.

[nth256]

@krustywantout said in Surprisingly difficult:

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas I will second this. Sleeping on most decisions is the best practice .

Crude-but-effective advice I've received about making major decisions: before you leap, make sure you eat something, jack off, and take a nap/sleep; then reevaluate and make your decision from there.

[ItalianJobR53]

@mybirdistheword no, lots of racing games
iRacing predominantly, but also Assetto Corsa, Forza Horizon and Wreckfest

[nth256]

@italianjobr53 - Same here, but I'm finding that it's so easy to lose hours of my day before i realize it. I spent years abstaining from gaming, and now I've kinda been going through a binge period, and struggling to manage my impulse control.

[Zaphod's Heart of Gold]

I'm in the opposite boat, my project needs tons of parts that I know about but if I bought them all now I'd feel bankrupt (really I'd be fine but spending a ton doesn't feel good to me) so I constantly need a little thing here or there to button up what I was just working on...

I don't have a good idea for distractions unfortunately

[BicycleBuck]

@mybirdistheword

Having a reasonable plan goes a long way toward determining when parts should be ordered. Budget it out, set dates for ordering and installing. Set up a savings account specifically for parts. Put the money for those parts into the account when you're flush and treat it as if you'd purchased the part. When it comes time to install, pull the money from savings and spend it.

[MybirdIStheword]

@bicyclebuck the budgeting is fine. The problem is chomping at the bit just for the parts to sit on a shelf

[Tripper]

@mybirdistheword I'm in a similar situation. I have parts and things I want to do to all the cars, no garage, sloped driveway. Easily be April before I'll want to get out there. I usually go hobby CRAZY in the winter and snowboard a lot. However I'm pretty much hobby crazy all the time now because of rona. Recent hobbies include:

Customizing diecast models
3D Printing
Woodworking
Electronics projects
Legos
Mountain Biking (not winter rider)
Running
Most recently, I bought a DSLR and am giving that a go with minimal success.

My distant wrenching future is brighter, however. We're adding a garage and should break ground in the spring. Currently working with an architect.

[Tripper]

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas Waiting has kept me out of a lot of really stupid purchases. Some times I only have to wait a few minutes lol but a day is a good rule.

[Bandit]

@mybirdistheword said in Surprisingly difficult:

This has led to quite a few "oops" moments wherin the parts I ordered don't fit and are beyond the return window.

I identify so much with this sentence, it's cost so much monetarily that you think we'd learn by now to not do that.

I have to be active and doing something or I go crazy so when I can't work on a car I'll take up computer gaming or do other hands-on fixing type projects like clean up furniture, tune up my guitars, clean guns, etc. For large purchases my rule is if I want something, I will wait a week and if I still want it by then I probably can buy it. This gives my brain time to forget and move on to the next object of my desire.

[BicycleBuck]

@mybirdistheword said in Surprisingly difficult:

@bicyclebuck the budgeting is fine. The problem is chomping at the bit just for the parts to sit on a shelf

That's where the plan is important. "Spending" the money by putting it into savings should help with the desire to actually buy the part. I'd have a folder with a printout of the part and the cost and the transfer where I "spent" the money to buy the part.

[sony1492]

For a big project, make a list of things that need to be done laborwise, then upcoming purchases you'll need to continue work. And remember that some cool new parts are just going to be more labor, and the car will stay off the road longer

If its just something you want, look up similar products, try finding dimension specs, and research forums. Usually after taking an hour sifting through that you've got a good idea if its what you want.

[CobraJoe]

@mybirdistheword said in Surprisingly difficult:

Do you have a technique for keeping yourself distracted oppo? Anything car related is edging me closer to that "add to cart" button.

Easy.

No new parts until your last purchase is installed.

It doesn't work if you're collecting parts for a big project or restoration, but it can slow down the "small upgrades" buying train.

[davesaddiction]

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas

Amazon's wish list function has saved me SO MUCH MONEY.

Oh cool!! I really want/need this! [a couple days later] Nope.

[RallyDarkstrike]

@mybirdistheword said in Surprisingly difficult:

@italianjobr53 said in Surprisingly difficult:

@mybirdistheword Gaming. Lots of it.

Just not racing games I guess.

@ItalianJobR53 and I have been playing a lot of Elite Dangerous!

[ItalianJobR53]

@rallydarkstrike said in Surprisingly difficult:

@mybirdistheword said in Surprisingly difficult:

@italianjobr53 said in Surprisingly difficult:

@mybirdistheword Gaming. Lots of it.

Just not racing games I guess.

@ItalianJobR53 and I have been playing a lot of Elite Dangerous!

Would be great if you could play Elite with me
Jk, but do need to murderize some pirates

[orneryduck]

@italianjobr53 my trick is to stress over it for days, until the item is no longer available, then be angry at myself for not just getting it.

[MybirdIStheword]

@tripper said in Surprisingly difficult:

@mybirdistheword I'm in a similar situation. I have parts and things I want to do to all the cars, no garage, sloped driveway. Easily be April before I'll want to get out there. I usually go hobby CRAZY in the winter and snowboard a lot. However I'm pretty much hobby crazy all the time now because of rona. Recent hobbies include:

Customizing diecast models
3D Printing
Woodworking
Electronics projects
Legos
Mountain Biking (not winter rider)
Running
Most recently, I bought a DSLR and am giving that a go with minimal success.

My distant wrenching future is brighter, however. We're adding a garage and should break ground in the spring. Currently working with an architect.

I'm making new cocktails, and I was going to build a portable retro emulator console, but my father went and decided to do it for me for my birthday... So now I'm screwed.

[Tripper]

@davesaddiction Me adding things to my Amazon list: "I MF NEED THIS!"

Me looking at those things a few days/weeks later: "WTF Is this, I don't want that. Pretty sure I never did. Maybe my account has been hacked."