Can't Buy What I Want

Why make a list

• Unfortunately, I don’t have enough money to buy everything I want or experience everything I want, so I have to make trade-offs
  • I still live with my parents, so it’s not like I’m destitute or can’t afford tuition
• I have a habit of buying things I want and see in front of me without thinking carefully
  • On the internet, ads show things I’m interested in, but that doesn’t mean they’re things I should buy. In fact, in most cases, they’re designed to get me to notice them and make me want to buy. It’s a cleverly designed system intended to get consumers to buy as much as possible.

On this page I cover not only things I want but also experiences I want

Here’s my Amazon list! I’m not asking for anything, but thanks anyway! https://www.amazon.jp/hz/wishlist/ls/2RPOFYPJ8C6O7?ref_=wl_share

Want to play games

Steering wheel (racing wheel controller)

• Reasons I want it
  • It’s on sale right now (Dec 11)
  • I’ve wanted one many times before but gave up because I didn’t have the space
  • I’m bad at real-life driving, so maybe I could practice a bit
  • I now have the space for it
• Reasons I’m hesitant
  • It costs around 40,000 yen. That’s expensive for a controller. It’s the thing I want most right now, but I might regret buying it if something else comes up
  • It takes up space
  • I haven’t been playing games lately, so even if I buy it, it’s unclear whether I’ll start gaming again

VR/XR devices

• Reasons I want it
  • A lot of people around me have them
  • I played VRChat on PC a bit
  • A field that seems likely to grow in the future
• Reasons I’m hesitant
  • They essentially contain ordinary PC or smartphone hardware, so they’re quite expensive
  • I’ve bought one before and sold it without using it

Computers

• Reasons I want
  • You can never have too many
  • I want to upgrade my gaming PC (it’s gotten a bit outdated)
• Reasons I’m hesitant
  • I already have a lot at home and don’t feel inconvenienced. Would buying one actually make things more convenient?
  • I already have many: Raspberry Pis, ESP32s, a Mac mini, a MacBook, a desktop PC… Thankfully most were gifts, but I especially haven’t had time to make use of the Raspberry Pis.

Camera (interchangeable-lens)

• Reasons I want one
  • I sometimes borrow one and try it, and it’s definitely different from a smartphone
  • Even if I want to take telephoto shots, my current gear (a smartphone & an Osmo Pocket 3) can’t do it
  • Friends who own cameras enthusiastically recommend it
• Reasons I’m hesitant
  • It’s an expensive hobby
  • Buying it doesn’t guarantee I’ll use it
    • I would understand buying because I’d use it, but there isn’t a reason like that right now
  • I might be too busy with university to have time to enjoy it (same as with games)

Travel

Personally, I think experiences have more value than things you buy with money, and even the items above can become more valuable if you successfully turn them into experiences. For travel, I think that’s even more likely and you can get more out of it.

Maybe it would be a bit cheaper if I go with friends.

Travel around East Asia and return

• Reasons I want this experience
  • I want to explore many places
  • When I lived in Malaysia, there were quite a few places I didn’t visit
  • I’d like to visit China, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, etc.
• Reasons I’m hesitant
  • It costs money. Even more so if you visit multiple countries
  • I haven’t thought about when to go
  • The projects I’m working on would be interrupted while I’m gone.

Domestic travel in Japan

• Reasons I want the experience
  • Despite living in Japan, there are many places I haven’t been to
    • I’ve only visited major cities
  • I want to visit acquaintances who live all over the country and whom I usually only see in Tokyo
  • I like trains, but I’m a casual fan who won’t ride them unless I have a reason, so I want to travel by train
• Reasons I’m hesitant
  • Travel, accommodation — all costs are high. For popular, tourist-friendly spots, it can even be more expensive than going abroad
  • Everyone comes to Tokyo anyway, so maybe then…

Conclusion

• In the end, isn’t the solution just to have so much money that impulse purchases don’t matter?
  • For now, hoping that I’ll have no money problems next year, I bought the steering wheel. A first-year university student who just goes between home and school probably doesn’t need a camera… (Besides, I can borrow one on campus anyway.)