You don't want to be me.
I'm sure that, at times, there may be some of you that would look on the snippet of my life that is presented here and think, "that Jim guy is one lucky bastard". And, for the most part, I'd agree with you. But it comes at a price. And today, that price was quite evident.
2 years ago, Jess and I were at Target in need of, among other things, a backpack. She selected some $5 "value" backpack and tossed in the cart. I objected. She thought I was silly. I insisted that we buy something comfortable, versatile and long-lasting. A few minutes later I had chosen a $50 variety that suited my needs. Today, I find myself impressed with my ability to select so quickly.
Toby (my cat) peed on the backpack. I'm not exactly sure why as, other than one small spot in the corner of our living room, he doesn't really pee on anything any more. But, for whatever reason, the backpack was left on the floor of the dining room, and he peed all over it. Jess washed it, but the smell it terrible, still. So, I need a new backpack.
The thing that makes it so terrible to be me sometimes, is my inability to make a decision and accept it as final. I'm still looking for better deals on the truck I bought last weekend. Every time I use my studio lights I curse the fact that I wasted money buying cheap crap. I still wonder if we couldn't have gotten a house that suits us better for the same price we paid. It seems that I am never satisfied when it comes to making large purchases.
Jess told me this morning that $20 would be reasonable. I know that she is way too frugal for her own good, and doubled that number in my head. At lunch, I set out to the sporting goods store to buy something. 2 hours later, I returned to work with nothing at all.
They had a huge selection of backpacks. An entire wall of them. They ranged in price from almost $200 down to about $15. I looked at every back pack on the wall under $50 at least three times. I didn't like any of them. I looked again for backpacks under $75 and managed to find two or three that I liked but, were they really worth $75?
I have this same problem with *everything*. It's sort of a new development. As best as I can tell, my indecision comes from a few places:
# My eagerness to please Jess by spending less
# My fear of buying yet another terrible product in the long line of things I've wasted my money on
# The knowledge that, despite how long an item *could* last, with me, our animals, our lifestyle, and the kids that we will eventually have, it's not likely to last that long for me.
# My desire to get a good deal
# My attempt to save money and still buy high quality items by doing the best I can to ensure that those items I do buy will be as versatile as possible
So, I still don't have a backpack. And I need it tonight. That means I'll have to stop and buy something that I don't like on my way home from work. I'll probably hate it. I'll either spend too much, and realize, later, that I could have gotten what I needed for much cheaper. Or, I won't spend enough and I'll find that it's missing some feature I'd like or that the quality is so poor it can't keep up with my intended use.
So, I ask you. How much should a decent, long lasting backpack cost me? Should I purchase one backpack to meet all of my needs, or a different backpack for all of the different situations in which I would use one? Here's what I intend to use it for:
# To carry a bottle of water, a jacket, some snacks, and my camera equipment when biking, or hiking.
# To carry a bottle of water, a jacket, a small amount of camera equipment and various purchases when walking around in a city.
# To carry a day and night's worth of supplies and my camera equipment for an overnight, camping trip.
I've found that I prefer nice, comfortable shoulder straps. Because I want quick access to lots of things, I find that, most often, more compartments is better. I'm always carrying a handful of electronics and personal items, so a decent organizer is useful. A waist strap and a sternum strap both making biking and climbing with it on a lot easier. I'd prefer that there be some padding at the back and on the bottom, so that, if I have something breakable in the bag, I can be less careful with it. Plus, with the waist strap, I can clip on lens holders for the lenses that I use most often when actively shooting.
I found one made by JanSport at Target that seems to meet most of my needs. It doesn't have a waist strap or a sternum strap. It has very little padding on the bottom of the bag. It was $40.
HELP! I'm going crazy.
