tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post8520436751355746554..comments2024-03-03T11:13:39.377+11:00Comments on Moomin Valley: Shuffling Money AroundmOOmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440274434662150925noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-5432864283068539282010-06-09T17:49:13.483+10:002010-06-09T17:49:13.483+10:00I'd also have to buy Windows versions of all m...I'd also have to buy Windows versions of all my software then. I think that would definitely wipe out any supposed gains. The new Mac laptops do seem more robust and the previous one I had was definitely defective from the get go. There is though just no way I'd switch to Windows after 20 years of using Macs.mOOmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03440274434662150925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-65915013968440654972010-06-08T21:16:36.461+10:002010-06-08T21:16:36.461+10:00Of course you could have bought a similar-spec Del...Of course you could have bought a similar-spec Dell Laptop for under $1000 rather than the Apple ;)<br /><br />Since your last Apple laptop only lasted a couple of years before kicking the bucket, I'm surprised you didn't shop around for computing grunt.<br /><br />Perhaps there are some apps you use for work that aren't available in Windows version? If you spent the extra $1,500 simply for "ease of use" I'd question whether you really *had* to spend that much for the new laptop...enoughwealth@yahoo.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09371028394685288035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-50888484226269081402010-06-08T10:00:16.597+10:002010-06-08T10:00:16.597+10:00I agree that it is a bad idea if you are anywhere ...I agree that it is a bad idea if you are anywhere near your borrowing limits on your margin loan. But this was only 1/8 of the available borrowing power. So we are nowhere near that. And of course, we could use the credit card in the event of a margin call. It's very sensible not to borrow too much, but people often seem to go to the other extreme and become afraid of any borrowing. Somewhere in between there is a sensible use of credit.mOOmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03440274434662150925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-75547085300617741012010-06-08T09:40:53.903+10:002010-06-08T09:40:53.903+10:00That's exactly the way I was thinking when I l...That's exactly the way I was thinking when I last did this, but that was back in mid 2008. Shortly afterwards, stocks dropped further than I thought they would, and I ended up with some relatively nasty margin calls. It worked out that had I not "borrowed" the money from myself, I would have avoided the margin calls, and ended up much better off in the long run. Particularly bad timing on my part perhaps, but something I have since regretted.Bigchrisbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13948410395168741379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-65369924858712413312010-06-08T09:37:39.632+10:002010-06-08T09:37:39.632+10:00The laptop isn't discretionary - I can't r...The laptop isn't discretionary - I can't really work without it which is why it's tax deductible. And $A2,500 of the flights isn't discretionary either. I just have to pay myself up front to fly to Sweden to work (will get paid expenses plus SEK50k).mOOmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03440274434662150925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-74948154044378294712010-06-08T09:35:20.050+10:002010-06-08T09:35:20.050+10:00Well, I could sell some shares or mutul fund units...Well, I could sell some shares or mutul fund units immediately to cover the cost. After all they are worth about 50 times what I just borrowed... But where the stock market is right now that doesn't sound like a good idea. So instead borrow against them for a little while. That's the point of the post. I'm waiting to get paid $US3,000 very soon and $A2,500 of this expense is refundable in a few months. That more than covers the extra borrowing here. So seems justified to me. I don't believe in having to "save up" the money for every expense.mOOmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03440274434662150925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22517597.post-46507974935021012762010-06-08T09:23:14.822+10:002010-06-08T09:23:14.822+10:00I remember shuffling money around like this too. ...I remember shuffling money around like this too. However, looking back, when I was doing this, it was because I had bought things I couldn't really afford... If you don't have the liquidity for $8,000 of discretionary consumption, should you really be spending it? Just a thought.Bigchrisbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13948410395168741379noreply@blogger.com