Note: This is a pretty personal message but I suspect it'll resonate with some folks, hope you find it worthwhile. I know it was helpful for me to put this into writing.
When you get into the mechanical keyboard hobby, you learn a few things right away:
- Acquiring stuff is part & parcel of the hobby -- it's an inherently materialistic pursuit
- There's always something new to try, and the 'perfect switch' to chase
- You're always subject to the fear of missing out (FOMO) because of Group Buy and artisan dynamics - the really interesting stuff isn't available at regular retail, so there's constant pressure to buy now or get left behind
- Building a collection this way is addicting - it's called WalletHack for a reason
I got my first mechanical keyboard, a Das Professional, in January 2011. That lasted me a couple years because I didn't know I was missing out on anything. That, of course, changed when I stumbled upon GeekHack in 2013. I lurked for quite a while before joining on 1/31/14. So my one-year anniversary is coming up in about a week.
2014 was an amazing year for me business-wise, so I had disposable income -- a lot more than ever before in my life (I'm 26 for context) -- and I spent a
damn lot of money on this hobby in 2014. Like, I'm not going to say how much because I don't want you guys to think I'm out of my damn mind. It was too much. I don't think I was the number one spender on GH but I've read some threads on the subject, and let's just say it was quite a bit more than average.
You might think this sounds great, to have a great year and be able to go nuts on keyboards. Well, let me tell you, it wasn't that great.
It did bring me happiness (and of course the pleasure of interacting with you all
) but reflecting on it, it did
not bring me a proportional amount of happiness. Not even close, really. Moreover, I often felt I should scale back, but I had acute GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and FOMO, and honestly, I didn't feel in control of my spending. In fact I would say that it caused almost as much anxiety in the end as happiness.
I'm not trying to be melodramatic. I didn't break the bank or go into debt, my financial situation is fine. But I spent a LOT of money that, looking back now and ahead to my future, would do me a lot more good in my savings account than in keyboards.
It's uncomfortable to think about, but this kind of thing really does have a lot in common with, say, substance addiction. I know personally, I bought many expensive setups that I told myself would be my end-game, only to find that weeks later, I had my eye on something else completely and then I'd rationalize buying it too.
I made another big purchase this month, something I've wanted for a while (And I'll definitely post about it when I get it.
) But, this really made me pause for a while and assess my situation. The way I've spent on this hobby in the past won't do any lasting damage, fortunately, but that doesn't mean it wasn't reckless, because it was.
The thing about growing up is that you become responsible for all your own decisions. No one can tell you how to live your life. If you want to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and experience new things, put yourself in challenging situations (personally, socially, professionally, etc) you can do it. Or you can stay in your comfort zone, nerding out and living a low key life. When you're a kid, your parents (hopefully) push you to try new things, and the system keeps you advancing -- through middle, high school, maybe college, etc. But once you hit adulthood, which many of us are barely into, or still looking ahead to, nobody makes you do anything. You are the captain.
My dad's a white collar professional. He does well for himself. However he also spends at the edge of his means. He's not in debt or living paycheck to paycheck like so many Americans, but his spending patterns have been such that he doesn't really have a solid retirement plan. He spends a lot of money on hobbies, travel, etc. Lives a high quality of life now but eventually there will be consequences for it. I know he understands this but it does not seem to change his actions -- the habits are ingrained.
Looking back at 2014 I can see his behavior manifested in my own behavior. Kids tend to grow up thinking that what their parents do is OK, and the way things should work. In that respect I realized my money management skills were shaping up to be too much like my dad's. (Disclaimer: I love you Dad and if you ever for some reason stalk me and read this, don't take it personally, you are still the best Dad ever...)
But we are all ultimately captains of our own destiny, and there is no guardian angel who is going to come down and say, "Hey intelli78, maybe you should get these dumb ass habits under control before they become a lifelong pattern."
This is getting to be more epic than anybody needs in GH Off Topic, so let's take it back down to keyboards:
I am committing to unhacking my wallet in 2015, and I'm posting about it so maybe it'll inspire someone else to unhack theirs as well. By now, I know what are my favorite switches, and I own plenty of awesome boards.
I don't need any more. In the remainder of 2015, I'm going to enjoy what I already have and take a step back from the constant Classifieds section madness. I hope it gives me a new appreciation for what I have and that's a big thing that I hope goes deeper than just the keyboard hobby. I also hope it helps me put some serious money into savings instead of into keyboards, and gives me more time to level-up my keyboard knowledge. (There's another aspect too: GH is a bad distraction at work. Gotta stop checking it all the time!)
That's not to say I'm going 100% cold turkey, that is rarely the right approach. There are a few purchases I've been planning that I'm going to go through with:
- A Phantom project that I'm doing right now.
- When they happen, GMK Hyperfuse and Photekq's Classic Beige.
- Finally, a Triumph Adler G80-3000 that
should be getting plucked from the depths of China later this summer - my personal holy grail.
Those purchases represent a reasonable annual budget for the hobby, at least for me. Much more reasonable than my first year, at least. Probably will come out to be around $1-1.5k, or a little more than $100/month over the year. That's a reasonable amount of money to spend on a hobby.
I'm also going to sell some neat stuff so for those of you still in the hack, you can look forward to that.
But all other purchases are receiving a moratorium. If the HHKB 3 itself comes down from heaven next month, I'm going to force myself to sit it out until next year. I'm also going to sit out cap sales for the rest of the year. Why? To develop new habits of delaying gratification and improving my money management skills.
The final part of this is, I
know I am not the only one here who's experienced this. We had a thread recently about avoiding debt and so on, and I know for some people there is more truth than they would like to admit about the Wallethack joke. I hope that by sharing this, it makes you think about your own experience. I know some members like Melvang have a strict budget that they stick to, and I just really admire that. Others may be at the opposite end of the spectrum like me in 2014. If your gut tells you you're getting wallethacked to the point it's a problem for you, maybe consider stepping up and joining me. You don't have to set the same goals as me, just whatever makes sense for yourself. And we can commiserate together
If you have read this far, thank you, and I really hope that you gained something from reading. Some of this was actually really uncomfortable to write, I don't usually like sharing anything personal. But there it is.
Finally, I hope this didn't come off as overly narcissistic.
) I know in some respects this comes off as a first-world problem, but in my opinion it's really about some core universal issues that apply to everyone in the hobby (and really, in life).
