100xOdds
100xOdds
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:07:47 PM permalink
my fridge is leaking. the drain hose is clogged but it's not ice thats clogging it. i defrosted it and water still wont go down.
the quick fix is take everything out of the freezer and chip out all the ice before it melts in the defrost cycle.

takes 15min to do and i have to do it every 2weeks.

a cheap 10 cu ft fridge is $500 on sale at Lowes/Sears/Home Depot.
a nice stainless steel one is like $1000.

so why wont i buy it?
yet i have no problem losing $1000 at the casino? (i've lost my bankroll twice this month, but also doubled up twice so i'm break even.)
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
EvenBob
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:38:40 PM permalink
My big fridge broke last year and I bought one
half the size and love it. Most fridges are full
of junk we'll never eat, condiments we'll throw
away one day. A smaller one is more efficient,
keeps things colder and is cheaper to run. It
also makes you police it for junk you know
you'll never use.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
sodawater
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:39:15 PM permalink
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sodawater
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:41:27 PM permalink
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EvenBob
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:46:42 PM permalink
Quote: sodawater

The biggest reason is that before you gamble it in the casino, you're not GUARANTEED to lose it.



Thats it. My wife, who would never spend $400 a
new TV, thinks nothing of putting it the slots. Its
because there's a remote chance she'll win.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
buzzpaff
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:47:03 PM permalink
Unfortunately, too many gamblers can always find cash for a game, but not for child support payments.
100xOdds
100xOdds
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:50:15 PM permalink
Quote: sodawater

The biggest reason is that before you gamble it in the casino, you're not GUARANTEED to lose it.

However when you buy a fridge for $1000, you are guaranteed to have 1000 fewer dollars afterwards.

So in many ways, if you are cash-strapped, it's a big indulgence to make a purchase that costs $1000, but not as much an indulgence to gamble $1000 -- because you might win or at least not lose.

If you put $1000 on the pass line in craps, your expected loss is 14 bucks. Your expected loss when buying a fridge is $1000 although you do get to keep the fridge.



wow on expected loss of gambling vs guarenteed loss when buying. never thought of it in those terms.

here's the kicker: i'm not cash strapped. i have no debt except mortgage (and this Jan is my last mortgage payment!)
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
EvenBob
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:53:59 PM permalink
Quote: 100xOdds



here's the kicker: i'm not cash strapped. i have no debt except mortgage



Gambling is based on greed. What you're describing is
classic greed; you squeeze nickles till they scream when
it comes to your personal budget, but if there's a chance
to make an 'investment' at a gaming table and increase
your holdings, thats a different story.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
rainman
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September 29th, 2012 at 7:56:14 PM permalink
You are addicted to gambling as am I. You are not addicted to your fridge/freezer.
sodawater
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September 29th, 2012 at 8:10:52 PM permalink
deleted
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s2dbaker
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September 29th, 2012 at 8:26:17 PM permalink
This is funny. I just went shopping for a new stove/range and a new 22 cu.ft. refrigerator tonight. I didn't buy the ones that I had picked out because the installation fee from Sears was $300 to hook up the oven to the gas. I thought I could find a better deal at Lowes across the street. Didn't, went home empty handed. Will try again on the web tomorrow.

But I'll plop down four crisp hundred dollar bills on a Texas Hold'em Bonus table and not think twice.
Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez
EvenBob
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September 29th, 2012 at 8:38:13 PM permalink
Quote: s2dbaker

installation fee from Sears was $300 to hook up the oven to the gas.



Rip off. We installed a new furnace last year
and did it all ourselves, which is illegal here,
of course. Hooking up the gas is easy, the
whole thing is easy.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
rdw4potus
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September 29th, 2012 at 8:44:16 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Rip off. We installed a new furnace last year
and did it all ourselves, which is illegal here,
of course. Hooking up the gas is easy, the
whole thing is easy.



I think that's illegal everywhere, but it's certainly both fast and easy (and, I guess, a little dangerous). That's maybe 15 minutes worth of work if you know what you're doing. $300 * 1/4 hour= $1200/hour. Goddamn! There's a job that could support my gambling habit!
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
EvenBob
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September 29th, 2012 at 9:31:15 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

I think that's illegal everywhere, but it's certainly both fast and easy (and, I guess, a little dangerous).



Dangerous if you're an idiot. I've always installed
everything all my life. The great thing since the
last time I installed a furnace is that now there's
flexible heating and cooling duct. Brought tears
to my eyes.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
kenarman
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September 29th, 2012 at 9:58:46 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

I think that's illegal everywhere, but it's certainly both fast and easy (and, I guess, a little dangerous). That's maybe 15 minutes worth of work if you know what you're doing. $300 * 1/4 hour= $1200/hour. Goddamn! There's a job that could support my gambling habit!



A homeowner can do any gas work to his own home in BC. It takes a permit and must be inspected but is legal. Very few people take advantage of the opportunity.

I am suprised that the law is not the same in the US with generally less government interference in peoples lives and homes.
Be careful when you follow the masses, the M is sometimes silent.
EvenBob
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September 29th, 2012 at 10:21:40 PM permalink
Quote: kenarman

A homeowner can do any gas work to his own home in BC. It takes a permit and must be inspected but is legal.



Ya, its the same here, which makes it illegal
without the permit and inspection. You can't
even buy a furnace here without a licence.
But you can order one from out of state that
has free shipping. The new one is half the
size of the one I installed in 1988 and has
more BTU's. I love progress.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
Wizard
Administrator
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September 29th, 2012 at 11:16:28 PM permalink
Regarding the original post, I don't know whether the OP is just too lazy to buy a fridge, or down to his last $1000. I can be lazy too. My ice dispenser hasn't worked for at least a year but I'm happy to just grab ice cubes form the holding bin.

My third commandment of gambling is: "Thou shalt expect to lose -- The Las Vegas Strip was not built by winners. Even with good rules and strategy the odds are still usually in the casino’s favor. So don’t get mad if you lose. Think of it as the price you pay for entertainment."

If you are a recreational gambler, you should only be betting with what you can afford as entertainment money.

I should start a "Can I afford to gamble" thread, with all due respect and credit to Suzie Orman.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
odiousgambit
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September 30th, 2012 at 12:46:55 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

Regarding the original post, I don't know whether the OP is just too lazy to buy a fridge, or down to his last $1000.



well, he does say he has one more mortgage payment to go, and he's done.

As someone said, he still will have house payments, though. Insurance, maintenance, and taxes. Just not monthly anymore. But I think we can quit worrying about him.
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
odiousgambit
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September 30th, 2012 at 1:30:28 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

I should start a "Can I afford to gamble" thread



Sure, consider this the first post and split it off.

I think quite a bit about this, maybe because I don't come from a family tradition of gambling. That means, almost by default, a family tradition of frowning upon gambling. So, this puts me on the spot, I don't want to go down as the idiot who stumbled.

Furthermore, I am pretty focused on my retirement horizon. Big gambling losses just don't fit into the picture! Now I do believe in spending money on recreation, but I also have other such things besides gambling to figure in.

Since I am not "gambling with an edge", I expect to lose money as per your commandment. I noticed for my comfort level of losses in gambling, for target, to be similar to 0.1% of net liquid assets [not counting home equity or things like annuities]. This went from being a coincidence to really being what I go by. At the start of the year, I set that as the budget for losses [not the same as bankroll] and I keep track of it down to the dollar.

Since it is a target, I can go in the red without fretting, but to have losses get near or bust the budget, really does pretty much stop me from further wagering, especially if not on vacation. BTW, I guess I am comfortable with saying the target does not amount to 5 figures.

I get the feeling that most gamblers, even disciplined ones, consider this pretty conservative. I can accept that without judgement, but really do think some kind of loss limit based on something is in order. Problem gamblers of course view 100% of liquid assets as fair game, and will go into debt as well. I just think beginning with sober target, conservative or not, is a step in the right direction towards avoiding such calamity. Obviously, I'd like to hear from others.
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
100xOdds
100xOdds
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September 30th, 2012 at 5:04:25 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

Regarding the original post, I don't know whether the OP is just too lazy to buy a fridge, or down to his last $1000. I can be lazy too. My ice dispenser hasn't worked for at least a year but I'm happy to just grab ice cubes form the holding bin.

My third commandment of gambling is: "Thou shalt expect to lose -- The Las Vegas Strip was not built by winners. Even with good rules and strategy the odds are still usually in the casino’s favor. So don’t get mad if you lose. Think of it as the price you pay for entertainment."

If you are a recreational gambler, you should only be betting with what you can afford as entertainment money.

I should start a "Can I afford to gamble" thread, with all due respect and credit to Suzie Orman.



lol.. not down to my last $1000.
i'm comfortable and can afford to lose $1000.

now laziness...
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
tsmith
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September 30th, 2012 at 6:27:29 AM permalink
Whenever I have to make a large purchase I tend to put it in terms of how long it would take me to spend that much in a casino. If it's 1 or 2 hours' worth, like for a celing fan or a pair of cowboy boots, it doesn't bother me to make the purchase, but over that I sometimes hesitate and really have to talk myself into spending the money.

I don't think I could ever talk myself into spending $1,000 for a refirgerator tho; that would be like foregoing an entire casino trip for me, and I'd much rather have the time away from home than sit and look at a kitchen appliance. :)
FarFromVegas
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September 30th, 2012 at 7:01:36 AM permalink
My casino money comes from the entertainment budget, so a refrigerator wouldn't have an impact on that spending.

However, once I'm on a gambling trip, I don't like spending any CASH on non-gambling things. Meals and shows come out of comp dollars and the remainder goes on a credit card to get more miles, then get paid off when I get home. Once the cash hits my grubby little paw it's headed for the slots or tables (except for the small bills kept aside for tips.)
Each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Preparing for a fight about your bad decision is not as smart as making a good decision.
ahiromu
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September 30th, 2012 at 7:36:26 AM permalink
I think the problem is that the long-term rewards of having a refrigerator, or anything that you need (but can painfully live without), are much harder to grasp than the immediate rewards of gambling. You can play Jedi mind tricks trying to convince yourself that you might come ahead at the craps table, but in the end a refrigerator has got to be a +EV move or you shouldn't buy it in the first place.

^Firefox's spell check forced me to capitalize Jedi.

As to the Wizard's comment... "Can You Afford to Gamble" would be an amazing thread but I think it would require too much personal information.
Its - Possessive; It's - "It is" / "It has"; There - Location; Their - Possessive; They're - "They are"
whatme
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September 30th, 2012 at 9:37:47 AM permalink
While some look at gambling as a chance to win while a refrig is a guaranteed loss.

I think the bigger picture is CHOICE.

Not everyone is addicted to gambling and those who are not choose to do it.

We SHOULD budget for gambling and expect to loss. Happy if we breakeven, thrilled if we win, but still should expect to loss.

When it comes to a refrig breaking even if we can afford to buy a new one we have lost the choice and try to prolong the purchase as long as possible.
NickyDim
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September 30th, 2012 at 10:07:41 AM permalink
The answer to your question is simple. We look at forced spending intrusive to our income and feel every penny we are required to spend is one less penny we get to spend of our choosing. And none of us like that.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Ben Franklin
Mission146
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September 30th, 2012 at 10:16:49 AM permalink
Why not continue going to the casino, but buy a new refrigerator if/when you win 1k next?
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/gripes/11182-pet-peeves/120/#post815219
aceofspades
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September 30th, 2012 at 10:50:30 AM permalink
Quote: kenarman



I am suprised that the law is not the same in the US with generally less government interference in peoples lives and homes.





Uhmmmm...when is the last time you've been to the US!
Mosca
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September 30th, 2012 at 10:50:38 AM permalink
Man, I've been there. Not on necessary things, but on fun things. Just the other night, we went up to the casino ([1]against my better judgement, and [2]see, I only write full reports when I win) and I lost $500 in about an hour. And driving home I was thinking, "You asshole, you could have had that new camera lens you wanted, but you had to go to the casino, didn't you?"

I liken it to way back when I used to do drugs. And I'd wake up the next morning with my nose all plugged up, feeling like hell, the house a mess, broke, and I didn't get laid, thinking what an idiot I was and that I'd never do that again (and eventually I didn't). I'm not so compelled over gambling, but it's better for me to make it part of a trip, rather than going to the local casino. The local casino feels more like the drugs did.
A falling knife has no handle.
FarFromVegas
FarFromVegas
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September 30th, 2012 at 10:55:23 AM permalink
Quote: Mosca

Man, I've been there. Not on necessary things, but on fun things. Just the other night, we went up to the casino ([1]against my better judgement, and [2]see, I only write full reports when I win) and I lost $500 in about an hour. And driving home I was thinking, "You asshole, you could have had that new camera lens you wanted, but you had to go to the casino, didn't you?"

I liken it to way back when I used to do drugs. And I'd wake up the next morning with my nose all plugged up, feeling like hell, the house a mess, broke, and I didn't get laid, thinking what an idiot I was and that I'd never do that again (and eventually I didn't). I'm not so compelled over gambling, but it's better for me to make it part of a trip, rather than going to the local casino. The local casino feels more like the drugs did.



The gambling at least wouldn't physically kill you like the drugs can.

My niece's funeral is in a week.
Each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Preparing for a fight about your bad decision is not as smart as making a good decision.
100xOdds
100xOdds
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September 30th, 2012 at 11:59:15 AM permalink
Quote: Mission146

Why not continue going to the casino, but buy a new refrigerator if/when you win 1k next?



i'd probably double down instead... +2000 or 0
:)

thus i need to immeidately stop off at the nearest Sears/Lowes/Home Depot after the $1000 win and buy the fridge in cash.
do not go home. do not pass Go.
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
buzzpaff
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September 30th, 2012 at 12:08:38 PM permalink
Quote: FarFromVegas

Quote: Mosca

Man, I've been there. Not on necessary things, but on fun things. Just the other night, we went up to the casino ([1]against my better judgement, and [2]see, I only write full reports when I win) and I lost $500 in about an hour. And driving home I was thinking, "You asshole, you could have had that new camera lens you wanted, but you had to go to the casino, didn't you?"

I liken it to way back when I used to do drugs. And I'd wake up the next morning with my nose all plugged up, feeling like hell, the house a mess, broke, and I didn't get laid, thinking what an idiot I was and that I'd never do that again (and eventually I didn't). I'm not so compelled over gambling, but it's better for me to make it part of a trip, rather than going to the local casino. The local casino feels more like the drugs did.



The gambling at least wouldn't physically kill you like the drugs can.

My niece's funeral is in a week.




Can i ask her age? Lost a niece a few months ago, age 29. Last time I saw her she was 16, barefoot, and hopping from foot to foot because the pavement was hot. What a sweet kid. Mary Frances was her name.

Made me so damn mad, I got a 3 day suspension for taking it out on a young man on the forum who thought he had problems !
FarFromVegas
FarFromVegas
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September 30th, 2012 at 12:14:32 PM permalink
Quote: buzzpaff

Quote: FarFromVegas

Quote: Mosca

Man, I've been there. Not on necessary things, but on fun things. Just the other night, we went up to the casino ([1]against my better judgement, and [2]see, I only write full reports when I win) and I lost $500 in about an hour. And driving home I was thinking, "You asshole, you could have had that new camera lens you wanted, but you had to go to the casino, didn't you?"

I liken it to way back when I used to do drugs. And I'd wake up the next morning with my nose all plugged up, feeling like hell, the house a mess, broke, and I didn't get laid, thinking what an idiot I was and that I'd never do that again (and eventually I didn't). I'm not so compelled over gambling, but it's better for me to make it part of a trip, rather than going to the local casino. The local casino feels more like the drugs did.



The gambling at least wouldn't physically kill you like the drugs can.

My niece's funeral is in a week.




Can i ask her age? Lost a niece a few months ago, age 29. Last time I saw her she was 16, barefoot, and hopping from foot to foot because the pavement was hot. What a sweet kid. Mary Frances was her name.

Made me so damn mad, I got a 3 day suspension for taking it out on a young man on the forum who thought he had problems !



23. Another sweet kid who made the wrong friends and the wrong choices.
Each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Preparing for a fight about your bad decision is not as smart as making a good decision.
FarFromVegas
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September 30th, 2012 at 12:20:27 PM permalink
Quote: 100xOdds

i'd probably double down instead... +2000 or 0
:)

thus i need to immeidately stop off at the nearest Sears/Lowes/Home Depot after the $1000 win and buy the fridge in cash.
do not go home. do not pass Go.



I've only won 1k+ twice in my short gambling life, and I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't been staying in the casino's hotel and scooted right upstairs to put the money in the room's safe!
Each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Preparing for a fight about your bad decision is not as smart as making a good decision.
buzzpaff
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September 30th, 2012 at 12:28:25 PM permalink
Gee, 21 SIGH. Makes me feel a little better about a dealer I once pushed out of a car on a back road doing 80.

But it sure doesn't do her any good.

Watch her Mom closely for a while, will you ?
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