“Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.”

After this coming weekend (payday) I will have just under $4,000 in savings. I will continue to save up for my vacation (to Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Egypt and Italy) through about October...

I want to have an iPad for my trip.
I want to have entertainment for the flights (over 30 hours on a plane), I want to be able to journal my entire trip. I want my itinerary and information at my fingertips. Not to mention access to maps and directions while we are in Italy (ya know, as long as I find wi-fi.)

I bought a TV in 2006. It was just over $100.
I bought a camera last January. It was just over $100.

I have never spent more than $150 on ANYTHING, EVER.

I keep staring at this iPad...the single item in my cart...

OVER FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS
($640 if I want the 32GB)

I just can't pull the trigger on it yet.

Over five hundred dollars.
Sheesh.

I'd have to do 34 mens haircuts to pay for that. (Ahem, I'd have to have more than a few male clients who pay me to cut their hair.)

I'd have to get a decent tip from over 160 clients at work to pay for that.


Somehow I can feel OK with paying $4,500 for a vacation but appalled at paying $500 for an iPad. Maybe because I haven't actually paid for the vacation yet...or because it is broken down into smaller pieces: flight, cruise, hotel etc.