A "Solution" to the price rises

[Output]

I wouldn't want to even try to attempt doing something like that myself, as I'd never trust myself to be capable enough to do so.

As Saracen said, prices will come down sooner or later.

Obviously the question of when is unknown, even if it doesn't seem likely it'll be in the near future, but I would guess it to be at some point around when the "AI" bubble finally pops.

That is of course assuming that enough people don't treat it like they did the graphics card shortages and be willing to pay the much-inflated prices anyway, thus prompting the companies to decide to make the higher pricing levels permanent.

[Saracen]

Time to do a "you-only-live-once" build then Saracen? Dual Threadrippers, 192GB RAM, 5090.

Then play HL2 on it.

I won't say I hadn't thought about it. I've even done a bit of that ... up to a point. I have a "fun fund" I set up on getting the diagnosis (nearly 6 years ago now). It's why, for instance, I've indulged in ... erm ... 'several' sets of fairly high-end headphones. They ARE for different things, with different limitations, but still ...

I did look very seriously at some FAR more expensive headphones than I ended up with. One pair were about £4500. Another, north of £6k. But tempted though I was, and the "fun fund" was adequate, I just couldn't see (or more specifically, hear) enough difference. Oh, and one pair, while impressive for sound, were just too damn heavy to be comfortable.

I did rather indulge in an espresso machne though. And grinder. And bits and pieces.

To be clear, no kids or dependents to worry about and the wife has her own money. So even the fun fund is self-limited when it need not be. Or not so much, anyway. But like those pricey headphones, I can't bring myself to things like threadripper. As for GPU, well, I keep thinking about a whole PC and it won't be low end (I still dabble in video editing/encoding) and 5090? I could, I suppose. But again, it'd be excessive for little or no real benefit. 5070Ti? Well, maybe. I'm inclined towards AMD and if they hadn't abandoned high end, might even do it.

Also, I keep threatening myself with a 3D printer. I have been for some years. But it's been hard to get what I want without either buying quite an exensive machine, or starting an upgrade path, and I really want a one-and-done. I can't be doing with lots of upgrade hassle. I have an eye on a Prusa Core One L, with that Bondtech tool changer system, but it doesn't ship for a few months, at least, not in ready-built, and I don't want to faff with kits. Why that? Essentially, for fancy materials, like ABS and CF, and so on. So, enclosure, heated enclosure, heated bed (hot enough) and, hardened hot end, filtration/extraction (to outside) etc, etc. There's always been something just down the road that's better. That Core One L may well be it. We'll see.

In summary, I KIND-OF am tempted to splurge. But I'm very conscious of the law of diminishing marginal returns and can't quite convince myself to be extravagant to the point of silliness. Relating it back to "you-only-live-once", yes, very much so. Up to a point. I am not denying myself much (read "anything" for that) that I REALLY want. I'm just not spending just because I could (until the fun fund runs out). My priorities have changed, forr sure. Just not that much.

[Rob_B]

What fun is a fun-fund if you can't splurge on the fun?

I'm going to make assumptions about you here that I think are reasonable so apologies if I'm miles away, I also am very unlikely to know all of the relevant details of your life.

Please bear with me as I'm going to tell you to do something and I'm fully aware you can do what the hell what you want and you likely know all of this.

My folks are getting on now (even older than you, wow!) And my dad occasionally talks about things he's leaving for me and the grandkids that don't have sentimental value, but are worth a few quid. My answer is always "I dont care about those, buy yourself something over the top that you want". He never does.

They're mortgage free, minimal outgoings, they're by no means rich but they could spend a few grand on something and it wouldn't hurt them. I'd love him to find something he enjoys and go crazy, it was motorbikes but that's not so feasible any more.

As much as I know about you (which isn't really much after all these years over the Internet) is that you can probably also do this, with no dependants what are you keeping it all for?

What's your motorbike? Get it before you can't ride any more would be my advice.

Or buy a load of scratchcards.

[BlueBall]

What fun is a fun-fund if you can't splurge on the fun?

This! Have fun my friend! You deserve it.

[Saracen]

...

What's your motorbike? Get it before you can't ride any more would be my advice.

Or buy a load of scratchcards.

The assessment is pretty much spot on. Mortgage paid off aboout 20 years ago, no debts, modest income but even more modest outgoings.

No motorbike. Often came close, never got to it. That boat has now well and truly sailed, mainly for health reasons. As for scratchcards, to do what? Hopefully win even more money I'd struggle to spend? Or more likely, lose most of it.

The problem is, I'm still here, despite being told in April 2020 (at onset of lockdown) I had "probably 6-18 months". So, 6 years (and counting) isn't bad. But that's not to say there is no health deterioration. Stage 4 essentially (if you don't know) means it's not curable. Treatable, but not curable. It's also spread from primary (kidney) to bones and lungs. The result is that walking is hard enough, I can still JUST make it up and down stairs but a bike? Not a chance. That said, I was on one last week. Unfortunately, it was an exercise bike ... in a hospital. And I was wired up making me into something looking like a jet fighter pilot, or an astronaut. Breathing was fully monitored through a mask and tube (which was the point of the test) but I had a load of ECG electrodes, a BP cuff checkng every minute or two, and so on. The results (which I don't yet have) but clearly were that even on a highly stable fixed exercise bike, my capabilities were ... shall we say, "modest".

There's a lot I used to do, or wanted to do, that are simply no longer possible. That's all part of what I had in mind when I said it made me reassess priorities. This may all make it sound like I feel a bit sorry for myself, but in fact, not at all. It made me realise something - for a start, however badly off I am (health wise) there are a LOT worse off than me, and by no means all are old farts. I realised that actually, nobody knows how long they have. I probably have less than most but, nobody actually knows. And we all only live in the present moment. So whatever I can't do (like motorbikes), just forget about it. It'd be easy to mope but it achieves zero benefit. Instead, do what you can, while you can, and enjoy every day as much as you can. I just don't plan too for into the future. That might be simple pleasures, like watching the birds in the garden or soaking up summer sun, or it might be music, or watching TV you meant to catch but missed. It might be taking up a hobby, or learning a subject that interests you or, frankly, limitless other things. So do what you can and enjoy it and do NOT regret what you can't. Live for the positive and simply forget te negative. Anything less is at best failing to make the most of remaining time, and at worst, a recipe for misery and being a very sour old fart.

So, music. Speakers aren't always an option (like at night) but headphones are and different headphones can sound very different. So several pairs let me enjoy different types of music with different types of sound.

What I don't see the point in though, is sending for spending's sake. Whatever I leave from the fun fund will go to the wife (with everything else). She's been amazing in what she's put up with the next few years so if she wants a world cruise, or a fancy new garden, or whatever, she's better prepared for it, without depleting her own capital.

So if I really want it (like 3D printer) even if it's just to find out what it's all about, that I'll do. But I won't spend just for the sake of spending. As there's not much I do really want, it does mean I can get just about whatever I want without worrying about the price.

BUt even "not worrying about the price" is ... perhaps misleading. I don't mean just buy the most expensive. I mean buy the one that actually best suits me, whether it's the most expensive or not. And it probably isn't. Like with a 5090. Will I get anything much from a 5090 that I won't get from something much less, like a 5070Ti? I doubt it. So why do it? BUT ... if I want 32GB of RAM in a PC, then that's what I'll get ... if I consider the cost to be worth it, given my utilisation of it. It's hard t explain what I mean. Mainly, it's that the price is some way down my list of criteria.

And the fun fund is a decent size, but it won't be for long if I keep spending "silly" money on whims. Rich, I'm not, though that's a very relative term. It's a decent pot, but by no means bottomless. I'd rather it sat there and eventually goes to the wife, because meantime, the fact that it's sitting there means I can do pretty much anything (short of Ferrari's, yachts or the like, but 'normal' stuff) without having to wonder if I can afford it. It pretty much removes cost from being a concern, or much of a limitation. And that is surprisingly liberating.

[BlueBall]

This may all make it sound like I feel a bit sorry for myself, but in fact, not at all. It made me realise something - for a start, however badly off I am (health wise) there are a LOT worse off than me, and by no means all are old farts. I realised that actually, nobody knows how long they have.

My wife used to work for SBIRS as a Physio. SBIRS is (was) the Scottish Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service and they would take people from bed-bound to walking out of hospital.

My wife would often talk about some of the poor souls she was looking after and, just as Saracen says, it would put things in perspective; yes I have a (currently) incurable illness but compared to what others are going through it could be a hell of a lot worse.

#Whistles Always look on the bright side of life.

[Trig]

I love how we've gone from, f*** me, RAM's silly prices these days to mortality in less than a page

At the end of the day, none of us are getting out of here alive....

However, on the 3d printer side of things, do you want to just hit print and off it goes, or, do you want to 'learn' about 3d printing?

[Rob_B]

Its expected as its the ramblings of a bunch of mostly middle aged men

3D printers are great, I picked up the A1 mini due to space constraints and love it. For the cost the standard A1 would be amazing if you have somewhere to put it and want to tinker. Theyre just so cheap now.

[BlueBall]

If you had a 3d printer, which type of cheese would you make?

[Saracen]

I love how we've gone from, f*** me, RAM's silly prices these days to mortality in less than a page

At the end of the day, none of us are getting out of here alive....

However, on the 3d printer side of things, do you want to just hit print and off it goes, or, do you want to 'learn' about 3d printing?

Yeah, we (I) did kinda throw a curveball in there. Going off topic? Me? Who'da thunk it?

On the latter question (and at risk of another swerve) I kinda just want it to work. But for the aforementioned time limitation, maybe I'd be more "learning about" (and much more inclined to Prusa in kit form).

BUT ... I do not want to get locked in, or significantly inconvenienced in avoiding lock-in, to walled gardens, no matter how slick and "just works" Bambu (for example) are. Sure, I've seriously been tempted, but it'll be no surprise to most (probably any, by now) of us ol' regulars, that I pretty highly value privacy (except that this specific thread is far more open than I normally would be on certain matters). Despite the Bambu temptation, I just can't get on board with the app lock-in.