If you plan carefully, you too can own some of the best lenses and photographic equipment.

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

I love to buy new lenses, just like everyone else. If you read this blog, you already know about (LBA) Lens Buying Addiction, and you may already be addicted. It's difficult to break the habit. I have tried to reason this out and prioritize my expenses. After listing where I spent my money, it became easier to rationalize and prioritize my purchases.

Here's my list of expenses, in no particular order. House payment, car payment, gas for car, food, clothing, entertainment, savings, medical, emergencies, lenses and camera equipment. If you look at these expenses one at a time and analyse them, you can come up with a well balanced budget.

House Payment: The way the mortgages have gone up and the house values down, they can come and get the house. A used travel trailer is much cheaper.
Car Payment: The car manufacturers are in such trouble that they can take my current car in trade, sell me a new one for 40% less than a year ago, and with no financing charges. I will get a new car, at half the payments.

Gas for car: Heck, I'm buying an hybrid.

Food: There are no needs to be fancy in these times of economic crisis. Macaroni and cheese and Top Ramen soup are good and nutritious. If you need crackers with that, they're free at McDonald, so is the ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, napkins, and if you're over 55 or look like your over 55, they'll give you free coffee. If you buy one soft drink, the super size one, you can keep going in for refills, at any McDonalds.

Clothing: Who needs more than two pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts, socks and underware? Oh...maybe a pair of shoe. It's too cold you say? Move to California, it's warm all year round and the social benefits are the greatest in the nation. If you're smart about it, you'll get food stamps (which you can sell for 40% less and get the money in your hands instead) you may be eligible for welfare...no, you will be eligible, low cost housing, (You can rent a room or two and the Section-Eight house is free) school money (photography classes at the Junior College), they even give you vouchers for gas.

Entertainment: Just watching CNN is entertainment enough for me. It's all rolled up into one big show; Politic, drama, comedy, reality show and science-fiction.

Savings: I do save an undisclosed amount of my income, so that I can buy new lenses.

Medical: Don't go see a doctor because if you feel good, the doctor will find something wrong with you. What you don't know can't hurt you.

Emergencies: I only save money for planned emergencies. As of now, I have no plans for having any emergency in my life.

Lenses and Camera Equipment: Now is the time to buy, as I understand that prices will go up in April.

As you can see, with proper planning and regular savings, you too can get the lenses you didn't know you needed.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque