how do you hide your purchases from your partner?

[Mulger bill]

Was that a Nigerian address Norbs?

If you're looking for a Vic agent...

Shaun

[norbs]

:lol: Was that a Nigerian address Norbs?

If you're looking for a Vic agent...

Shaun

Oh, maybe we should have a brainstorming session.

The first meeting of O.T.S.P. (On The Sly Purchasing) is in session.

[Mulger bill]

Methinks that second level distribution is the key. I work CBD so collection from my workplace will be simple for most Melbs riders. There's a couple of old lockers I could sweep the cobwebs out of...

[giwi2]

No need to hide cos it was my partner that got me into cycling in the first place.

Every purchase does tend to cost double though.......

[notwal]

Well I just bought another house ($700k) and a bicycle.
"WHAT!?" she yelled. "We can't afford another mortgage. Get rid of it."
So I cancelled the house. he he he.

Lies. I just made that up.

[deekrockingbeat]

did you say you were getting married soon.... here's your chance! some people are not so lucky!

you can tell her i'll stop buying stuff if you stop aswell..... let see how that goes down!

[igstar]

I was complaining to my partner for a while about how uncomfortable my knicks have become, so one day I came home from work and found a new Assos outfit! Now everytime I mention something else she tells me to shut up and just get it.

[dungee]

No need to hide stuff from my wife, I made sure last time I got a new bike that she got one too. Hell she even got me new wheels for xmas

[bychosis]

When I was rebuilding my MTB previously I bought heaps of stuff, all 2nd hand or at very good prices, but when she added it up from ebay even I got a shock. Was in the bad books for a while.

Now there is no real need to hide stuff, my wife knows that it's pretty much the only thing I spend money on, other than home reno stuff which is a mutual decision. If its bigger, get 'approval' up front. Bike frame cracked last year and she pretty much told me to go for it as "it's your only hobby". I don't go crazy and work well within our financial limits. My four your old now knows that if a parcel arrives at the front door it's bike stuff for daddy!

Also have the advantage of me usually being the 'group buyer' for O/S orders to get the free postage/discount. I can play it down a little using "but it's mostly for the other guys". when it gets intohte garage all the parts disappear into the bike mound

[razon]

I simply say the true price on 1 item and the rest is for free, and the seller was very generous man

[Bentnose]

I have a budget of $100 a month along with $200 of share dividends a year and my birthday and Christmas present to myself. Plenty enough for my needs and if the wife questions anything, yes it is within the budget! 40th birthday this year, bring it on

[Nispro32]

hahaha I was planning on getting engaged soon but maybe i should reconsider. Never thought marridge would turn into hidding purchses lol Whatever happenned to open and honest

[Bentnose]

Think of all the things you'd like to do in the future that don't involve the company of your future wife, if you can do without them then by all means get married. I'm working on getting my wife to come to Forrest next year to do the Forrest Festival stage race, saying to her the the kids will love walking around the bush etc, when really all I want to do is go to the race by myself. I'd love to do the Cape to Cape in WA but thats never going to happen, that MTB race in Timor I'd love to do, no hope.

[toppity]

Once you get to a critical mass, another frame or another bike just blends in with the rest. I went to the LBS's recent sale just to say 'hi, how's it going' and walked out with a new frame. Just hung it in the shed with all the other stuff. Perhaps I will get questioned when the credit card bill comes in........Then again even the missus will appreciate the bargin I got.

[Bentnose]

I have my own credit card and the missus never gets to see the statement, I could cheat but I don't, unless you count justifying in my mind that bike shorts, shocks and tops are really just clothing and I don't need to include them in the cycling budget.

[15wilsonwu]

I get about 200 bucks of pocket money a month (includes everything), which is more than enough for me. (im 13)
So what I normally do is head to my LBS and purchase the things I need and then see if he'd like to trade my old replaced product for a new one and if he refused, I act all sad and stuff to get sympathy (works damn well for a kid).
My parents have literally no knowledge in cycling so they'd never detect my upgrades

[MarkG]

I've never heard of a bike store trading old worn stuff for new stuff before..

[15wilsonwu]

I've never heard of a bike store trading old worn stuff for new stuff before..

i.e.
I recently purchased a new crankset (6700 Ultegra) to replace my old one (5700 105).
The original value of the old crankset when new was 200 and I offered to trade it for a 105 Pedal (Value - About 50).
So normally I trade the old item for something thats worth a quater of what the old item is worth.

edit* this doesnt always work

[cippo]

its broken!! thats what you say anyway. must get a new one. works every time

[HLC]

+1 Spot on. We've been married for 25 years and have always had mine, hers and ours savings accounts as well as a central bill account. Based on our different earnings different amounts go into each. What is left in our own accounts, we spend as we see fit. Works for us, removes the need for lying, cunning kits etc.

My finances are set up the same way with my missus. Works well. I just bought myself another track bike as a street beater... she think's she's getting a puppy... jokes on her!

[find_bruce]

I had adequately broken the ground with SWMBO that commuter #2 should be upgraded to discs for safety reasons, entailing new fork, new wheels, shifters. Only old bits remaining are the frame & bars. It appears she has now figured out that new bikes come into the garage one piece at a time.

[RRalphy]

fortunately for me (or maybe wiggle et al.) I am not married so all separate finances makes it easy to hide purchases if I need to, though when I do need to justify bike stuff to the better half two strategies have worked really well:

a) explain the safety benefits of the product and how it is really needed to prevent me from having an accident (exaggeration makes this more effective... This strategy got me upgraded to Di2, because a gear cable snapping mid ride would be disastrous )

b) talk about the upgrade / item all the time for a few weeks until eventually she says something along the lines of "I dont care, just buy it" or "if you buy it will you shut up about it"

[Gerry.M]

b) talk about the upgrade / item all the time for a few weeks until eventually she says something along the lines of "I don't care, just buy it" or "if you buy it will you shut up about it"

This.

I just threaten to buy something for long enough until she says, so have you bought it yet??

[DarrylH]

First, work out how your partner is hiding her purchases from you. If you can't work it out, you are not smart enough to hide your purchases from her.

[dynamictiger]

Perhaps age does breed wisdom...

I have tried the "Oh this little thing...Ive had it for ages" trouble is it doesn't work so well with a car...hmmm go figure.

I have tried the "It was on sale" but apparently this is a sexist statement i.e. only works for women to justify their spending not vickies verka

Recently I have been trying "I think I would like to buy a ............" as I have been helping out the Brother In Law who has several cancers at the moment it is working