Author Topic: Fireworks  (Read 4605 times)

talltexan

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Fireworks
« on: July 05, 2017, 08:11:43 AM »
Can there possibly be anything more un-mustachian than buying and setting off fireworks? (I want to facepunch myself for not realizing it before I actually did this)

gardeningandgreen

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2017, 08:17:40 AM »
Possibly taking $100 bills and directly setting them on fire? At least the fireworks provide a small amount of entertainment for a very short period of time. I like to watch my cities fireworks!

sokoloff

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2017, 08:42:13 AM »
There are a lot of expenses in life that are frivolous. For me, the point isn't to drive them to zero, but to drive them below a point where they matter and then enjoy life.

$100 bottle of wine, $50 steak, $100 in fireworks, $500+ upgrade to business class on a special trip, all fall into the category of "unnecessary and wasteful" spending, yet I don't want to eliminate them entirely.

techwiz

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2017, 08:56:10 AM »
They can be expensive for a small bit of entertainment ,but it all depends on the balance of cost vs happiness. 

I done it a few times up at the lake with family and it's creates happiness and family memories that last much longer than the fireworks.  So for me it was worth the $75 spent on the box of fireworks.

My kids still think my small lame firework shows are better then going someplace to watch the big shows.  We don't like having to wait around for a long time, try to get a good viewing spot and deal with the crowds.

Added bonus is we always have a bonfire and toasted marshmallows to go along with our own firework shows. 


Travis

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2017, 10:16:33 AM »
I prefer the larger firework events. The explosions are bigger and quite often it won't cost you anything to attend.  The fireworks at home can cost a small fortune, but I don't spend the money. Every summer we end up with my in-laws and they drop a $100 bill on fireworks for the kids to watch.  When combined with the two other families on the street and their contributions it makes the night drag on.  I end up being the one to have to light up all of our stuff, and frankly the kids are more interested in the handheld stuff than the big colorful cans. The pool party and barbecue earlier in the day is infinitely more enjoyable.

LiveLean

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2017, 01:49:25 PM »
Given the amount of alcohol usually involved, I'm amazed more people haven't blown off a finger or two like that NFL player from a few years back.

redbird

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2017, 02:10:19 PM »
I enjoyed my 4th of July in a very Mustachian way. The in-laws were out of town and I offered to water their plants. In return, I got to see fireworks (the city's fireworks are visible from their house) and watched Orange is the New Black on their Netflix account. Pretty much no expense, just minor gas costs of getting to their house. It was great!

Given the amount of alcohol usually involved, I'm amazed more people haven't blown off a finger or two like that NFL player from a few years back.

People do. It just generally doesn't make the news. Just like the Thanksgiving Day turkey fryer incidents (burns on people, house fires, etc) usually don't make the news.

Travis

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2017, 10:04:57 PM »
I enjoyed my 4th of July in a very Mustachian way. The in-laws were out of town and I offered to water their plants. In return, I got to see fireworks (the city's fireworks are visible from their house) and watched Orange is the New Black on their Netflix account. Pretty much no expense, just minor gas costs of getting to their house. It was great!

Given the amount of alcohol usually involved, I'm amazed more people haven't blown off a finger or two like that NFL player from a few years back.

People do. It just generally doesn't make the news. Just like the Thanksgiving Day turkey fryer incidents (burns on people, house fires, etc) usually don't make the news.

The local news at my in-laws had stories of burns and missing fingers just a couple days before the 4th.  The incidents had happened in the previous week, so some people got an early start to their ER visits.

talltexan

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2017, 07:19:19 AM »
I enjoyed my 4th of July in a very Mustachian way. The in-laws were out of town and I offered to water their plants. In return, I got to see fireworks (the city's fireworks are visible from their house) and watched Orange is the New Black on their Netflix account. Pretty much no expense, just minor gas costs of getting to their house. It was great!

Given the amount of alcohol usually involved, I'm amazed more people haven't blown off a finger or two like that NFL player from a few years back.

People do. It just generally doesn't make the news. Just like the Thanksgiving Day turkey fryer incidents (burns on people, house fires, etc) usually don't make the news.

Three years ago I learned of the death of a childhood friend of mine at the age of 28. None of the postings by family/friends gave a cause of death, so I'd assumed it was some accident. Given the timing, I suppose it makes sense that it was fireworks-related.

nobody123

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2017, 07:20:38 AM »
There are a lot of expenses in life that are frivolous. For me, the point isn't to drive them to zero, but to drive them below a point where they matter and then enjoy life.

$100 bottle of wine, $50 steak, $100 in fireworks, $500+ upgrade to business class on a special trip, all fall into the category of "unnecessary and wasteful" spending, yet I don't want to eliminate them entirely.

+1.  I spent somewhere around $400 for fireworks this year.  About $300 of it was contributed for the neighborhood show (about 5 folks throw in a similar amount) and the rest for small stuff for the kids to shoot off over the course of the long weekend.  I can afford it and it makes a lot of folks happy, so I think it's a worthwhile expense.  Plus, you get the added excitement of wondering whether or not the cops will show up.

Going to the public shows are such a PITA around here.  You have you get there two hours early (at least) for a good seat, you're packed in amongst sweaty strangers of uncertain hygiene, vendors are constantly pushing glow wands and other overpriced disposable crap, half of the kids around you start screaming and crying when the fireworks start, and then you're stuck in the parking lot for an hour afterward. 

Amanda

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2017, 07:30:32 AM »
There are a lot of expenses in life that are frivolous. For me, the point isn't to drive them to zero, but to drive them below a point where they matter and then enjoy life.

$100 bottle of wine, $50 steak, $100 in fireworks, $500+ upgrade to business class on a special trip, all fall into the category of "unnecessary and wasteful" spending, yet I don't want to eliminate them entirely.

+1.  I spent somewhere around $400 for fireworks this year.  About $300 of it was contributed for the neighborhood show (about 5 folks throw in a similar amount) and the rest for small stuff for the kids to shoot off over the course of the long weekend.  I can afford it and it makes a lot of folks happy, so I think it's a worthwhile expense.  Plus, you get the added excitement of wondering whether or not the cops will show up.

Going to the public shows are such a PITA around here.  You have you get there two hours early (at least) for a good seat, you're packed in amongst sweaty strangers of uncertain hygiene, vendors are constantly pushing glow wands and other overpriced disposable crap, half of the kids around you start screaming and crying when the fireworks start, and then you're stuck in the parking lot for an hour afterward.

+2 We spent <$50 on stuff for the kids to light off in the street. They are finally old enough to handle the matches themselves and had such a fun time. I considered it money well-spent.

mrl

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2017, 10:09:10 AM »
I'll just add a small anecdote that my usually cheap dad would do when we were little. Not necessarily the safest or smartest idea, but it definitely prolonged the "fun" of fireworks. He would buy a large package of black cats (500?) and jumping jacks(200?) - the type that were intended to be lit, and have a 1 minute or so display. He would then take the wick that held them together and slowly unravel the package into its individual firecrackers. These would then be doled out to us throughout the day as needed. Typically we could spend the better part of the day blowing up ant hills, cans and whatnot.

Apocalyptica602

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2017, 01:18:41 PM »

Given the amount of alcohol usually involved, I'm amazed more people haven't blown off a finger or two like that NFL player from a few years back.

People do. It just generally doesn't make the news. Just like the Thanksgiving Day turkey fryer incidents (burns on people, house fires, etc) usually don't make the news.

I work for a company that makes wound dressings, grafts and other assorted burn treatment devices. We increase inventory levels around these two holidays (4th of July, Thanksgiving) to meet expected demand.

Not joking.

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2017, 08:21:27 AM »
TNT Fireworks has a factory/store near-ish to my home, and they have buy one get two free sales every year around march/april. I spent $60 on fireworks three years ago and just used the last of them this year. They are high quality and I didn't experience any duds until this last 4th of July, and even then it was only maybe 1 in 12 for the better ones (the bottle rockets that they sell by the gross are hit-and-miss after a couple of years). They even have "ground blaster" firecrackers that are guaranteed no duds, or your money back. I have been using from the same box of those for over 5 years now.

I also like to turn it into a nice, romantic evening with my partner where we sit in the back yard by a fire and shoot off bottle rockets and do other cute stuff.

Spending a ton of money on mortar-style fireworks, however, I will never understand.

By the River

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Re: Fireworks
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2017, 12:49:39 PM »
I admit that I usually buy fireworks twice a year.  I bring the kids with me, tell them I'm spending $75 and make them keep track of the total purchase price. (I then go over because of sales tax.)    They always want to buy these huge packs that are >$100 each but I always nix that.

This year, my oldest has a decent job and still lives at home so limited expenses (basically gas, phone and insurance only).  Him and his youngest brother went by themselves.  I saw the bag of fireworks that they bought.  It was probably the same or less than what I would buy every year.