Do You Always Tell the Truth About Hardware Purchases?

What do you do when new hardware shows up?

  • Try to hide the box in another room so it’s never brought up

    Votes: 17 35.4%

  • Put the new part in a currently used case so they have no idea

    Votes: 16 33.3%

  • Tell them the part came from work so it didn’t cost anything

    Votes: 6 12.5%

  • Tell them that it’s a work project, so it’s no big deal

    Votes: 8 16.7%

  • Tell them that it’s your hobby, and you don’t stop them from their hobby

    Votes: 20 41.7%

  • Tell them the truth that you have an addiction to trying to cure diseases and this hardware helps

    Votes: 16 33.3%

  • Tell them the truth that you have an addiction to one day becoming the person with the most points

    Votes: 11 22.9%
  • Total voters
    48
L

lelliott731

[H]ard DCOTM April 2017
Joined
Mar 15, 2002
Messages
941
Ok, so my question to everyone out there is:

Do you always tell the truth to your spouse, significant other, parents, or whomever you might not want to know how much hardware you're purchasing for the [H]orde?
 
Yep, its my money...

Plus my GF is into folding just as much as me and she supports me (not financially). She even wants to pay for part of the electricity bill each month! everyone in [H]armony /AWWWWW

 
Oh man, this is a great poll. I personally use the "put it in and they'll never notice" one and the It's my hobby, i let you spend money on your hobby. That usually shuts her up unless i make a 100+ purchase.
 
I have put some thought into this this morning actually. I just purchased a GTX 260 that I am trying to decide how to introduce her to it. For the most part she realizes that I spend more money on her than I do on the computer, so as long as I don't start asking her for money its all good.

My gf is still in college for a few months though, so I just try not to rub it in her face that I can spend chunks of money on fun stuff. She lacks that ability at the current time. Damned unpaid internship...

 
Being single FTW !!!

However, with my ex-gf, I often either hide the shipment (I receive everything at work) and she doesn't know or I tell her of a purchase claiming a great deal or to fix a broken component. Since she know nothing about computers, she cannot really contest the facts :p

 
Let her buy an item of equal value, but the trick is to get her to want her thing before you bring up what your buying.
 
When I first saw the title of the thread, and the part of telling the truth about hardware purchases, I was not thinking of my family, but of my fellow folders.

For example, a hypothetical --- Let's say I am in a contest or throw-down with MixManSC--- do I tell him via the DC sub-forum about my recent purchase of a GTX-260? Do I tell him that I actually purchased two of these? Or do I sandbag him and say, "nah, I just got me a new 8600GS, nothing special!"

I responded to the poll correctly, thinking of my family.

Thanks for the poll! We have not had a poll in far too long!
 
I've been guilty of the 'hide the box' and the 'install the part right away' as they somewhat go hand in hand. Now that I have my own place it's not an issue though.
 
Great poll. I'm in an interesting situation here. Still in college (so I have to answer to parents still) and I'm in a serious relationship (which puts me in the place of having to answer to her to an extent too) so it can be a nice bunch of conversations whenever I make a purchase. In the end though, I end up telling the truth usually. Hell, I got to school full-time, work full-time, pay all my own tuition and bills, so if I want to make an occasional purchase I'm not going to let a few people stop me. The parents see me as financially responsible, and the girlfriend wastes money all the time on things that make no sense to me, so I can pretty much get away with doing what I want. Problem is, I still have to be financially responsible, which makes it tough to buy all the things I want.
 
I do independent consulting work (at least I'm trying to, still working on that first contract that will actually pay all of my bills). I consult now for a firm which pays the bills, but want more (who doesn't).

I told my wife that when I go independent, I will need the equivalent of a large server. To accomplish this, I've told her I can get a bunch of smaller boxes and distribute the work to the smaller boxes thus giving me the capabilities of a large expensive server without the high costs. Distributed Computing 101. She actually understood it (she's not much into computers). So, long story short, when I get that first contract that will allow me to quit my job, I will be allowed to build my DC farm. With the advent of the GPU2 client, I've got an excuse to stick a GPU in each box (was not planning on it previously).

Till then, I just buy small parts here and there and then eventually have enough for a full box. Still working on my second box so just one for now.

 
Yeah man, this is an interesting poll :), the only thing you left out was "if you don't like it, blow it out yer arse" . In my case I try not to ask anyone for anything and, after almost 60+ years, I figure what I do with my money and my time is 100% my business. ;)

No one has my SS# and, besides my cat, no one depends on my limited funds. (except maybe the landlord or nosey arse people that might worry about my income :rolleyes:)

FOLD ON!

 
jws2346 said:
Yeah man, this is an interesting poll :), the only thing you left out was "if you don't like it, blow it out yer arse" . In my case I try not to ask anyone for anything and, after almost 60+ years, I figure what I do with my money and my time is 100% my business. ;)

No one has my SS# and, besides my cat, no one depends on my limited funds. (except maybe the landlord or nosey arse people that might worry about my income :rolleyes:)

FOLD ON!

Click to expand...

You and your cat put out a ton of points every month! Fold on, kitty!
 
I just checked them all.
...does that make me a bad person?

:D
 
Holy crap you're 60! Awesome. Got any good stories from the Crusades?
heh, sorry. I'm bored at work on Friday :( But, extremely excited that you are 60 and still dig computers. I plan to do the same!

As for me, I inform people of the item. Try not to disclose the price. Place it in a case, and never mention it again :)
 
Shambler said:
Holy crap you're 60! Awesome. Got any good stories from the Crusades?
heh, sorry. I'm bored at work on Friday :( But, extremely excited that you are 60 and still dig computers. I plan to do the same!

As for me, I inform people of the item. Try not to disclose the price. Place it in a case, and never mention it again :)
Click to expand...

Sorry Shambler :( I haven't got any stories about the "Crusades" (too young :p), but Mr relic might. Of course he coulda' been too old to be part in them :D

Only kiddin Mr relic, only kiddin' :D)

Personally I think computers are the future of mankind and in a way I'm a little jealous of the younger generation. It's an uncharted frontier out there, just as explorers have faced thru history. It's up to you guys/gals now.

FOLD ON!

 
I'm almost young compared to some of our folders like JWS and BillR. ;)

But BillR has reminded me many times "It ain't the age, it's the miles".
(I'm still fairly certain that Bill has 'turned over' a time or two more than I :D)
 
jws2346 said:
Sorry Shambler :( I haven't got any stories about the "Crusades" (too young :p), but Mr relic might. Of course he coulda' been too old to be part in them :D

Only kiddin Mr relic, only kiddin' :D)

Personally I think computers are the future of mankind and in a way I'm a little jealous of the younger generation. It's an uncharted frontier out there, just as explorers have faced thru history. It's up to you guys/gals now.

FOLD ON!

Click to expand...

And I will feel the same way when Minority Report-esque items will be available shortly after I have gone... What sucks even more is... no flying cars. Seriously, its 2008!

Back to folding/purchases: Sometimes I lie and say the purchase is to replace a broken part, when we all know that part isn't broken.

HA, BillR's mileage counter may be similar to Rolls... 1 mil odometer :) So, the printing press... did they meet launch dates?
 
Shambler said:
And I will feel the same way when Minority Report-esque items will be available shortly after I have gone... What sucks even more is... no flying cars. Seriously, its 2008!

Back to folding/purchases: Sometimes I lie and say the purchase is to replace a broken part, when we all know that part isn't broken.

HA, BillR's mileage counter may be similar to Rolls... 1 mil odometer :) So, the printing press... did they meet launch dates?
Click to expand...

It's "broken" if that part cannot fold ;)

 
You need one more option on that poll: Just tell the truth (without trying to justify it). Hiding stuff from you wife is never a good idea. Stuff like that always comes out in the end and then it is much worse than if you had just been up front with it in the first place. Although if I was to check one box I would say I do move the hardware out of sight before installation....no need to remind her I just spent a lot of $$ on a GTX260 when the 8800GTX is perfectly good if just a little bit slower.

 
Another option:

Tell her it's my hobby and my job. So, the better I am at my hobby, the better I am at my job. The better I am at my job, the more stability/security I have since I have marketable skills to take elsewhere if the present job goes away.
 
My wife is home when UPS shows up at the door. She knows who NewEgg is. She knows I am taking her out to dinner tonight.
 
LOL one of the selections should have been folding? Nah.. I'm installing heaters...

 
Pocatello said:
You and your cat put out a ton of points every month! Fold on, kitty!
Click to expand...

Yeah but Mr P, a 10,000 ppd ain't that big a deal anymore, I realize every pernt counts, but I kinda' wanted to pee in lower medium high grass and to do that now with the [H]orde is to have a ppd a few more than 10,000 (more like 20,000) :(

PS I've got some "primo" cat nip, straight from Mexico, err... Hawaii, err.., some place that grows primo cat nip :D

FOLD ON!

 
my whole farm is at work, free power! :D

plus everything i buy i have shipped to work, and i purchase everything via paypal so its harder to figure out what it is :)
 
My sig other knows computer's are one of my hobbies so it's really not that big of a deal. Doesn't even come up most of the time -- I did say "hey, I bought a second monitor" and she thought that was cool.

 
I'm currently single and even when I'm not I don't give a damn. My ex-fiance tried once to say something about my computer purchases and I quickly put her in her place. She didn't say anything after that.

A more recent girlfriend asked me about my computers (and this was when I only had one quad and was getting ready to get the second and third) and I just told her about DC and that's why I was purchasing the systems. She didn't really say anything but she didn't try to bitch at me.

To me it's very simple. I've been raising my son on my own for a number of years now. I don't make a whole lot of money but I make sure everything is taken care of before I make any more computer purchases and any woman that can't understand that gets booted out the door really fast.

Basically, I do what I want and take care of what I need to take care of so I do what I want. I make sure I have some extra money for the SO in my life so it should all be good. Besides, I make sure the machines need as little attention as possible so I have time for her. (Those of you who have been messing with computers for a number of years know how much attention a folding farm needed even five years ago compared to now.)

It's my money and I'll do what I want with it. I don't go overboard (relatively speaking of course) and I'm actually somewhat responsible so I see no need to justify my purchases. Sure, I'll explain my reasoning but if the SO has a fit, then she's either going to get over it or get out. Then again, what else do you expect from an old crazy cur?

 
JRitt said:
My wife is home when UPS shows up at the door. She knows who NewEgg is. She knows I am taking her out to dinner tonight.
Click to expand...


Man, I love that one JRitt :D Just tell your better half you're helping the local economy by investing in restaurants. Tell her about how you're helping the UPS man/woman buy shoes for her/his kid(s) and all the cows that had to be raised by people to make the shoes, all the people that work in the shoe factory, etc The ideas are endless, by the time you're done your wife won't even remember what NewEgg is or you either (only kiddin' :p)

FOLD ON!

 
SmokeRngs said:
Sure, I'll explain my reasoning but if the SO has a fit, then she's either going to get over it or get out.

Then again, what else do you expect from an old crazy cur?
Click to expand...

right on!





 
Yup, wife knows all sees all.

Anyone in here that thinks they have pulled the wool over your spouse's eys is dumber then a cobb;)

 
JRitt said:
My wife is home when UPS shows up at the door. She knows who NewEgg is. She knows I am taking her out to dinner tonight.
Click to expand...

It's always easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. :cool:

I love it. :D
 
How can this be? The guy in italics is winning!


216
 
I tell them that they have to upgrade (usually truthfully) and them help them out if I get their old computer in return. I will hopefully be getting my mom's old Dell GX260 for a folder/server and then borging her new GX620...
 
This is great!

The wife an I read all of the choices. I got an elbow int he ribs on a few of them ;)
 
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