WSpohn4@aol.com wrote:
>
> <<I just did a dumb thing......I added up all my receipts for purchase of
> 69 MGB, parts, paint, etc.....$9172!!!!!! To me this is a fantastic
> example of 'ignorance is bliss'!!!! Wish I didn't know now what I
> didn't know then.......And I'm not done yet!!!!! >>
>
> It's not dumb to add it all up - it gives you an idea of the extent of our
> lunacy!
> It _is_ dumb to leave the calculations lying around for significant others to
> see. I had done up a total for the engine and turbo conversion on my street
> Fiero (around $7000 Can.) because someone else asked for it, but left it lying
> around for my wife to see. Big mistake!!! A friend of mine who is older and
> wiser told me that he learned very early on that the stock answer to any
> question about money spent on any car is "It cost $100, dear", whether she is
> referring to a new clutch or a new engine.
> Something in that, perhaps.
>
> Bill S.
Adding up the receipts to figure out what you spent is not how you go about
something like this. Before you can figure out the total costs, you should
apply
the following rules.
1. If you purchase a tool to help with a job, it is not to be included in the
total. It does not matter if the tool is MG specific.
2. Never add in shipping costs or tax.
3. Do not forget the sale rule: If an item is on sale you did not spend
money,
you saved money. For example, if you bought a $100 item at a 25% discount, the
total is not $75, but ($25). So if you buy enough things on sale you can
actually make money while you restore your car.
4. If the item is used somewhere else do not add it to the cost. If you bought
paint, but used it elsewhere, it does not count.
I am sure I forget something else but this type of accounting can help make the
final number easier to take. If anyone wants me to rationalize anything else
let me know.
--
William M. Gilroy
Lucent Technologies
Room 4F-434
200 Laurel Ave.
Middletown, NJ 07748-4801
E-mail: wmgilroy@lucent.com
Telephone: 732-957-4775
Fax: 732-957-4775
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