What's the stupidest thing you're lusting after right now?

[mspym]

@Metalcat seems accurate to me either way.

Back to the topic - We're sick and can't leave the house and I really wish we had some hotcross buns. And some honey for lemon, honey & ginger drinks.

[jnw]

The GV black tea tastes as good as expensive black tea I have consumed.  It also does it for me in the morning with respect to caffeine. I really do like tea over coffee now.  To each their own.  I'm saving over $1000 per year now drinking tea instead of coffee & cream  along with making homemade liquid stevia with bulk supplements stevia extract powder.

I don't have to worry about burr grinders and fancy espresso machines etc.  Just a $3 flea market whistling kettle.

[Dollar Slice]

The GV black tea tastes as good as expensive black tea I have consumed.  It also does it for me in the morning with respect to caffeine. I really do like tea over coffee now.  To each their own.  I'm saving over $1000 per year now drinking tea instead of coffee & cream  along with making homemade liquid stevia with bulk supplements stevia extract powder.

I wonder how much my morning pint of tap water costs. I never bothered to calculate my annual savings! :-)

(Young people who haven't developed a strong daily habit yet should take note of the non-negotiable "I can afford it" "it's worth it" caffeine addictions being discussed in this thread and realize it's 100% optional.)

[RWD]

The GV black tea tastes as good as expensive black tea I have consumed.  It also does it for me in the morning with respect to caffeine. I really do like tea over coffee now.  To each their own.  I'm saving over $1000 per year now drinking tea instead of coffee & cream  along with making homemade liquid stevia with bulk supplements stevia extract powder.

I wonder how much my morning pint of tap water costs. I never bothered to calculate my annual savings! :-)

(Young people who haven't developed a strong daily habit yet should take note of the non-negotiable "I can afford it" "it's worth it" caffeine addictions being discussed in this thread and realize it's 100% optional.)

I've never developed a taste for coffee and don't care much for tea either. Hence never developed a caffeine addiction. Over two decades I bet the savings have added up to five figures (maybe even close to six figures if you compare to a daily Starbucks habit)..

[Metalcat]

The GV black tea tastes as good as expensive black tea I have consumed.  It also does it for me in the morning with respect to caffeine. I really do like tea over coffee now.  To each their own.  I'm saving over $1000 per year now drinking tea instead of coffee & cream  along with making homemade liquid stevia with bulk supplements stevia extract powder.

I wonder how much my morning pint of tap water costs. I never bothered to calculate my annual savings! :-)

(Young people who haven't developed a strong daily habit yet should take note of the non-negotiable "I can afford it" "it's worth it" caffeine addictions being discussed in this thread and realize it's 100% optional.)

Yep, I had a MAJOR coffee addiction until I quit cold turkey and once the withdrawal passed, I had about the same energy. Now if I have a cup of coffee I feel like my brain is going to explode.

I only drink tea now because my MD wanted to put me on prescription stimulants and I was like "uh, overkill? Maybe I'll just have some tea, k?"

[TreeLeaf]

The GV black tea tastes as good as expensive black tea I have consumed.  It also does it for me in the morning with respect to caffeine. I really do like tea over coffee now.  To each their own.  I'm saving over $1000 per year now drinking tea instead of coffee & cream  along with making homemade liquid stevia with bulk supplements stevia extract powder.

I wonder how much my morning pint of tap water costs. I never bothered to calculate my annual savings! :-)

(Young people who haven't developed a strong daily habit yet should take note of the non-negotiable "I can afford it" "it's worth it" caffeine addictions being discussed in this thread and realize it's 100% optional.)

Yep, I had a MAJOR coffee addiction until I quit cold turkey and once the withdrawal passed, I had about the same energy. Now if I have a cup of coffee I feel like my brain is going to explode.

I only drink tea now because my MD wanted to put me on prescription stimulants and I was like "uh, overkill? Maybe I'll just have some tea, k?"

Prescription stimulants??? Holy shit, you type like 1,000 words a minute on a smartphone.

You don't seem like the kind of person who needs to be stimulated, lol.

[Metalcat]

Prescription stimulants??? Holy shit, you type like 1,000 words a minute on a smartphone.

You don't seem like the kind of person who needs to be stimulated, lol.

It doesn't take much energy to lie in bed and type on a phone.

[TreeLeaf]

Prescription stimulants??? Holy shit, you type like 1,000 words a minute on a smartphone.

You don't seem like the kind of person who needs to be stimulated, lol.

It doesn't take much energy to lie in bed and type on a phone.

Perhaps not physical energy - but you seem to put a certain amount of attention and mental effort into everything that seems like the personality type that is ... what is the word ... not high strung, but, someone who has a high level of alertness and mental energy at all times.

Maybe I am completely reading too far into things. idk.

[Metalcat]

Prescription stimulants??? Holy shit, you type like 1,000 words a minute on a smartphone.

You don't seem like the kind of person who needs to be stimulated, lol.

It doesn't take much energy to lie in bed and type on a phone.

Perhaps not physical energy - but you seem to put a certain amount of attention and mental effort into everything that seems like the personality type that is ... what is the word ... not high strung, but, someone who has a high level of alertness and mental energy at all times.

Maybe I am completely reading too far into things. idk.

Mental energy? Yes. Actual physical energy? No. Pain is really tiring.

[Dollar Slice]

Stupid thing I'm lusting after: the grocery circular for the new grocery store had some Easter specials including a prepared food section, which featured a picture of a whole roasted turkey with $10.99 in a big red font. I thought, damn, I would buy a cooked turkey for eleven bucks! Even if it's small. I've been trying to eat more meat because I'm anemic, and turkey stock from the bones in my instant pot? Hell yeah.

Then I saw the tiny font indicating that it was in fact $10.99 *per pound*. Not some kind of loss leader, just typical shitty Manhattan grocery prices. Now I'm just dreaming about roast turkey and sad about it.

[SEAK]

36 day trek on the Tran-Bhutan Trail is currently on my mind as a 50th birthday bucket list present to myself. Ouch on the price though!

[Alternatepriorities]

36 day trek on the Tran-Bhutan Trail is currently on my mind as a 50th birthday bucket list present to myself. Ouch on the price though!

Can it be done on your own? I was really interested in an Everest base camp trek REI was offering years ago. A friend of mine convinced me that we should just go do it ourselves. I spent 7 weeks in Nepal, did the Everest trek as well as the Annapurna circuit and still spent less than the REI trip would have been for two weeks.

[eyesonthehorizon]

... (Young people who haven't developed a strong daily habit yet should take note of the non-negotiable "I can afford it" "it's worth it" caffeine addictions being discussed in this thread and realize it's 100% optional.)

I'll second this about not cultivating an expensive habit out of social default, though with certain caveats.

Given the choice between crappy-tasting caffeine or no caffeine, I'll (nearly always) go with no caffeine, as with alcohol. Though all a human needs to drink is water, that's also like saying all a human needs to eat is unseasoned boiled beans, rice, & cabbage with a multivitamin. Mustachianism need not equal asceticism. But if you don't truly enjoy it, it would be irrational to spend money on it.

There's also a high probability of habitual users self-medicating for ADHD, as many undiagnosed people do. Coffee & tea are both distinctly better for you over time than the usual stimulant prescription drugs for the diagnosis, if somewhat less predictable in dosage from plant sources, & cheaper (though if all you want is cheap, they do make caffeine pills....)

Re: the roast turkey - wait until after the holiday. That's the time to load up on roasts, when the grocers are purging unsold stock (usually frozen will be your best price because they're unwieldy shapes which take up a huge amount of commercial freezer space & demand is low outside holidays - though with a later Easter closer to Mother's Day coming up that might push the best sales out to mid-May.)

I'm currently craving a cola, which we had in the house as a holiday treat, but I'll excuse it by using a tiny glass & lots of lime. It's still nothing but pricy sugar, thus stupid.

[SEAK]

"Bhutan is radically revamping its tourism model – instead of paying a daily fee of US$200-250 for an all-inclusive package, tourists will now be charged a daily Sustainable Development Fee of US$200, with extra costs for food, accommodation, transport, and everything else that used to be part of the package. "

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/bhutan-daily-tourist-fee-increase

36 day trek on the Tran-Bhutan Trail is currently on my mind as a 50th birthday bucket list present to myself. Ouch on the price though!

Can it be done on your own? I was really interested in an Everest base camp trek REI was offering years ago. A friend of mine convinced me that we should just go do it ourselves. I spent 7 weeks in Nepal, did the Everest trek as well as the Annapurna circuit and still spent less than the REI trip would have been for two weeks.

[Serendip]

36 day trek on the Tran-Bhutan Trail is currently on my mind as a 50th birthday bucket list present to myself. Ouch on the price though!

Oh wow. I will need to add this to my stupid-lust-list :)  I've been interested in tackling the Snowman Trek which is challenging but not 36 days..that's huge.

Might need to just go for a local hike to quell the urge.

[Dollar Slice]

Re: the roast turkey - wait until after the holiday. That's the time to load up on roasts, when the grocers are purging unsold stock (usually frozen will be your best price because they're unwieldy shapes which take up a huge amount of commercial freezer space & demand is low outside holidays - though with a later Easter closer to Mother's Day coming up that might push the best sales out to mid-May.)

I'm not actually interested in roasting a whole turkey for my household of one in a tiny apartment kitchen (among other issues I probably can't fit the frozen turkey in the fridge, I don't have a big roasting pan, and I currently have a shoulder issue that would make it tough to lift a very heavy pan out of the oven).

I was just intrigued by what I thought was a loss-leader price on essentially an XXXL rotisserie chicken. Cooking is a struggle at the moment and that sounds pretty nice!

[Alternatepriorities]

"Bhutan is radically revamping its tourism model – instead of paying a daily fee of US$200-250 for an all-inclusive package, tourists will now be charged a daily Sustainable Development Fee of US$200, with extra costs for food, accommodation, transport, and everything else that used to be part of the package. "

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/bhutan-daily-tourist-fee-increase

That seems like a real bummer. I don't think I could sell myself on paying 200 dollars a day just to be in a place. There are just so many places I can hike for free.

[Valley of Plenty]

There's a costume I'd like to put together for conventions and comic-cons. It would require a ton of extremely detailed custom design work that is far beyond my skill to accomplish. I've seen designs like it for sale online from costume designers who specialize in 3D printing. The going price for what I want is about $5-7k

I'd never consider spending that kind of money for something as silly as a costume, but boy do I sure want it.

[Taran Wanderer]

"Bhutan is radically revamping its tourism model – instead of paying a daily fee of US$200-250 for an all-inclusive package, tourists will now be charged a daily Sustainable Development Fee of US$200, with extra costs for food, accommodation, transport, and everything else that used to be part of the package. "

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/bhutan-daily-tourist-fee-increase

That seems like a real bummer. I don't think I could sell myself on paying 200 dollars a day just to be in a place. There are just so many places I can hike for free.

Nepal is ending solo trekking, so that won’t be an option as long as the new rules stay in place.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/mar/30/nepal-imposes-ban-on-mountain-trekking-without-a-guide

[Alternatepriorities]

"Bhutan is radically revamping its tourism model – instead of paying a daily fee of US$200-250 for an all-inclusive package, tourists will now be charged a daily Sustainable Development Fee of US$200, with extra costs for food, accommodation, transport, and everything else that used to be part of the package. "

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/bhutan-daily-tourist-fee-increase

That seems like a real bummer. I don't think I could sell myself on paying 200 dollars a day just to be in a place. There are just so many places I can hike for free.

Nepal is ending solo trekking, so that won’t be an option as long as the new rules stay in place.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/mar/30/nepal-imposes-ban-on-mountain-trekking-without-a-guide

That was really disappointing to read. That's more per day for a guide to walk along a clearly marked trail as the food and accommodation was when I was there. I found myself thinking almost exactly the same thing as Ed Douglas when they cited safety though. “Trekking agents will be very pleased, because it’s more business for them, but forcing tourists to behave in a certain way will put some people off,” he said. “It also remains to be seen whether it will make trekking safer. They haven’t managed it yet with aviation. And I question whether Nepal has enough qualified trekking guides to meet demand.” While I was there 21 people died on a flight I had booked for myself and my friends. The only reason we weren't on it is they didn't have the seats they sold us so we were scheduled for the next one.

I can afford the guide now, but I hope they rethink the policy before too many people with the resources I had in 2012 decided they can't afford to go.

[Arbitrage]

Hahaha, the safety pitch is wayyy off, just FYI.  More confidence = more speed = more likelyhood that you end up on the ground wondering WTF happened. 

Oh, I agree 100%.  Certainly, my speed keeps increasing naturally as I ride more, without consciously trying to do so.  Going at the speed I feel comfortable at...a number that keeps increasing.  I don't imagine that would change if I'm riding a more capable bike that makes me feel comfortable at higher speeds or over nastier terrain.

Well, jeez, I went and hurt myself again.  Not nearly so bad as the last time, *just* a moderately sprained ankle.  Hoping I'll be back at it in 2 weeks or so.  After the ride, one of the guys I was riding showed me his wife's bike he is planning to sell, and happens to be one of the models I'm looking at right now (one generation earlier/3 years old, but still a very modern geometry and a higher trim level than I'd normally purchase).  Offering it at a killer 'friends and family' price point, but I was in too much pain to really pay attention.  May get a chance to test ride it after recovery. 

[sonofsven]

Performance series Wrangler jeans. They are stretchy, soft, and have ultra deep front pockets for large cell phones.

They are $28 dollars though, at wal-mart. Over twice the price of the last pair of jeans I bought a few years ago.

I also already own four pairs of jeans, so I don't really *need* more jeans.

I have already concluded these will be my next pair of jeans, so it's mostly a matter of how long will I think about buying them before I actually buy them. Finding cheap jeans with deep pockets is fairly challenging.

Sometimes I find Wranglers for cheap at Sierra trading post.

[Metalcat]

A second full suspension mountain bike for DH that he can leave in Newfoundland.

Update: we bought the bike, crazy nice bike for a fantastic price though.

[OurTown]

This isn't so much "right now" as 2-3 years ago. A 1948 Steinway Model M grand piano.  It would fit nicely in my front parlor if I took out every other piece of furniture!  I am a classical musician by training so it would have fit right in with my "passion."  The instrument was in near perfect condition and the price was excellent.  It was exactly the touch and tone I have always dreamed of.

Instead, I took that money and I bought 2 (two) low-mileage recent-model-year used cars (a Subaru and a Jag(!)) and gave my previous car (a Benz!) to my college-aged daughter.  Practicality won out over passion.

I have a little Kawai studio upright at home that my parents bought for me in college about 35 years ago.  I had a technician come in and refurbish it, so it suits my needs just fine.  I am still open to trading up in the future, LOL. 

[Money Saver 1]

I am starving for privacy and freedom from social suppression through public scrutiny.  I dont owe these people anything, Im not a public figure, Im not a key person in anything at all really.  Why should I be forced through this unnacceptable coercion/manipulation?  Im finally stepping out of a terrible life experience, free of the bonds and  burdens they tried to scapegoat me into, that weight of someone elses troubles thrown off my back.  I feel light as a feather but why do they persist?  I should be free to move on without being targeted and singled out.  You get one life, and dammit, my life isnt some strangers to decide.  Its a deep starvation that if allowed to continue,.will cause permanent damage to my health and well being.  I will not be slowed or halted as I make this critical move from the worst to a better life.

[Sugaree]

I want someone to come clean my house a couple of times a month.  What I really want is someone to help me catch up on dishes and laundry, but no one really does that so I'll settle for someone doing the sweeping/mopping/toilet scrubbing/etc. 


If I get that long-shot 20% salary increase that people in my office keep talking about, I will absolutely be hiring someone.

[jnw]

Lusting after coupon inserts that only come in the printed Sunday newspaper.  I'll never spend the $4 per paper.  I remember the good old days where everyone had a paper and probably could score inserts easily back then :)

Just started playing around with extreme couponing.  Not like the big hauls you see on TLC but smaller ones where I pay nothing for enough sundries for our household.  Building a little stockpile :)

[zolotiyeruki]

I want someone to come clean my house a couple of times a month.  What I really want is someone to help me catch up on dishes and laundry, but no one really does that so I'll settle for someone doing the sweeping/mopping/toilet scrubbing/etc. 

My wife would *love* for someone to handle folding the laundry.  The problem is that in a big family, it's a Sisyphean task.  The moment you think you're done, there's another basket.  It's never actually done for more than a day.

[Sugaree]

Lusting after coupon inserts that only come in the printed Sunday newspaper.  I'll never spend the $4 per paper.  I remember the good old days where everyone had a paper and probably could score inserts easily back then :)

Just started playing around with extreme couponing.  Not like the big hauls you see on TLC but smaller ones where I pay nothing for enough sundries for our household.  Building a little stockpile :)

At this point, if I were inclined to get back into "extreme couponing" I'd probably look at some of the clipping services rather than trying to source inserts locally. 

[englishteacheralex]

I am starving for privacy and freedom from social suppression through public scrutiny.  I dont owe these people anything, Im not a public figure, Im not a key person in anything at all really.  Why should I be forced through this unnacceptable coercion/manipulation?  Im finally stepping out of a terrible life experience, free of the bonds and  burdens they tried to scapegoat me into, that weight of someone elses troubles thrown off my back.  I feel light as a feather but why do they persist?  I should be free to move on without being targeted and singled out.  You get one life, and dammit, my life isnt some strangers to decide.  Its a deep starvation that if allowed to continue,.will cause permanent damage to my health and well being.  I will not be slowed or halted as I make this critical move from the worst to a better life.

Um...what?

[Sugaree]

I want someone to come clean my house a couple of times a month.  What I really want is someone to help me catch up on dishes and laundry, but no one really does that so I'll settle for someone doing the sweeping/mopping/toilet scrubbing/etc. 

My wife would *love* for someone to handle folding the laundry.  The problem is that in a big family, it's a Sisyphean task.  The moment you think you're done, there's another basket.  It's never actually done for more than a day.

This is true.  It's just me and the kid so we don't go through *that* many clothes.  In the interest of full disclosure, my mom helps out with a lot of my laundry because reasons.  I'd really like to not have to do that anymore. 

[Sandi_k]

I want someone to come clean my house a couple of times a month.  What I really want is someone to help me catch up on dishes and laundry, but no one really does that so I'll settle for someone doing the sweeping/mopping/toilet scrubbing/etc. 

You do know that there are wash-and-fold laundries, right? When we were renovating our former house, the basement was a major construction zone, so I took two large baskets of laundry in for washing every 3 weeks or so. One was DH's work clothes, where they laundered, de-greased, etc. The other was my white collar clothes, and I included hangers in my basket. So they would hang up my work clothes.

Cost was ~ $30 for ~ 6 loads, and was the best $30 I spent all month. ;)

[Sugaree]

I want someone to come clean my house a couple of times a month.  What I really want is someone to help me catch up on dishes and laundry, but no one really does that so I'll settle for someone doing the sweeping/mopping/toilet scrubbing/etc. 

You do know that there are wash-and-fold laundries, right? When we were renovating our former house, the basement was a major construction zone, so I took two large baskets of laundry in for washing every 3 weeks or so. One was DH's work clothes, where they laundered, de-greased, etc. The other was my white collar clothes, and I included hangers in my basket. So they would hang up my work clothes.

Cost was ~ $30 for ~ 6 loads, and was the best $30 I spent all month. ;)

There are none in my county.  I've looked.  It's very sad

[Dollar Slice]

I'm not actually interested in roasting a whole turkey for my household of one in a tiny apartment kitchen (among other issues I probably can't fit the frozen turkey in the fridge, I don't have a big roasting pan, and I currently have a shoulder issue that would make it tough to lift a very heavy pan out of the oven).

Moms to the rescue... turns out my mom has been holding on to a frozen turkey since the holiday sales, looking for an excuse to make it, so I'm going there this week and we're going to have a roast turkey dinner. Hopefully she'll let me take home some bones for stock, too.

[GuitarStv]

Tatami floors for a room in the house!

[Villanelle]

I want someone to come clean my house a couple of times a month.  What I really want is someone to help me catch up on dishes and laundry, but no one really does that so I'll settle for someone doing the sweeping/mopping/toilet scrubbing/etc. 

You do know that there are wash-and-fold laundries, right? When we were renovating our former house, the basement was a major construction zone, so I took two large baskets of laundry in for washing every 3 weeks or so. One was DH's work clothes, where they laundered, de-greased, etc. The other was my white collar clothes, and I included hangers in my basket. So they would hang up my work clothes.

Cost was ~ $30 for ~ 6 loads, and was the best $30 I spent all month. ;)

There are none in my county.  I've looked.  It's very sad

There are likely stay-at-home-parents or similar who would love to wash and fold your laundry for a modest fee, especially if you have somewhat loose time constraints.  I'd guess they'd charge less than a regular housekeep because they can work on more or less their own timeline and from their own home.  I know this is an incredibly non-mustachian expense but it sounds like it may be worth it to you.

[Valley of Plenty]

I am starving for privacy and freedom from social suppression through public scrutiny.  I dont owe these people anything, Im not a public figure, Im not a key person in anything at all really.  Why should I be forced through this unnacceptable coercion/manipulation?  Im finally stepping out of a terrible life experience, free of the bonds and  burdens they tried to scapegoat me into, that weight of someone elses troubles thrown off my back.  I feel light as a feather but why do they persist?  I should be free to move on without being targeted and singled out.  You get one life, and dammit, my life isnt some strangers to decide.  Its a deep starvation that if allowed to continue,.will cause permanent damage to my health and well being.  I will not be slowed or halted as I make this critical move from the worst to a better life.

Um...what?

+1

[Dancin'Dog]

Traveling the world on a motorcycle.  I know it'll never happen, but I'll start taking some little overnight trips and maybe they'll grow into longer trips.  I don't have any good excuses not to, but the bad excuses have been pretty effective.  ;)

[Alternatepriorities]

Traveling the world on a motorcycle.  I know it'll never happen, but I'll start taking some little overnight trips and maybe they'll grow into longer trips.  I don't have any good excuses not to, but the bad excuses have been pretty effective.  ;)

Just go do it :)

I have a friend who set off from Alaska riding to Argentina. Somewhere in Mexico he met a girl... never made it to Argentina.

[Taran Wanderer]

I have a friend who set off from his house to ride to Argentina. Somewhere in Bolivia he smeared a wayward bicyclist and woke up in a Bolivian jail…

Do be careful out there if you’re riding on two wheels, with or without a motor.

[DagobertDuck]

Traveling the world on a motorcycle.  I know it'll never happen, but I'll start taking some little overnight trips and maybe they'll grow into longer trips.  I don't have any good excuses not to, but the bad excuses have been pretty effective.  ;)

Just do it! I spent a year bicycling the America's and it wasn't a 'wise' thing to do * I will remember it 'till my last days.

[Metalcat]

I have a friend who set off from his house to ride to Argentina. Somewhere in Bolivia he smeared a wayward bicyclist and woke up in a Bolivian jail…

Do be careful out there if you’re riding on two wheels, with or without a motor.

Wouldn't you expect to land in jail for doing this anywhere??

[Dancin'Dog]

I have a friend who set off from his house to ride to Argentina. Somewhere in Bolivia he smeared a wayward bicyclist and woke up in a Bolivian jail…

Do be careful out there if you’re riding on two wheels, with or without a motor.

Wouldn't you expect to land in jail for doing this anywhere??

I think he was referring to how the locals ride around on bikes without lights or even reflectors at dusk, or even after dark.  I drove around Costa Rica for a few weeks last year and the bikes really made me nervous.  It would be easy to hit one by mistake. 


You see a lot of other really unsafe things on the roads there.  Many of them are things we "used to do" here in the US, but the laws and attitudes have changed.  I fondly remember riding in the back of my dad's pickup truck with my brothers & our dog, back in the 70's.  Nobody does that here anymore.  (I doubt it's legal.)

[GuitarStv]

I fondly remember riding in the back of my dad's pickup truck with my brothers & our dog, back in the 70's.  Nobody does that here anymore.  (I doubt it's legal.)

Hell, I used to do that all the time for hunting trips in the 90s - my friend, his dog and me in the back of his dad's truck.  :P

[Villanelle]

Not sure if this is stupid but...

kinda out of the blue, I'm considering going to dog grooming school.

There seems to be a massive shortage of groomers.  In my area, they are charging $120+ for medium and larger dogs, and many places are so full that they just have recordings on their business phones and email auto-replies that say, "we are not currently taking new clients".  This is crazy!

So I'm thinking I could go do dog grooming school and then donate my services to local rescues and maybe a few local seniors who have trouble physically caring for their dogs and affording a groomer.  I might also take on a very few paying clients, just because, but I'd be very picky and only work with dogs and owners I really like. 

I'm sure the full equipment is spendy, but it seems I could write it off.  I think I'd be able to use my spouse's GI Bill benefits to cover the training.  (If I wait until he's out of them military, I'd actually get paid a modest housing allowance during my training, I think, but I'm not sure I want to wait if I decide to go forward with this.)

If course, this could also be a nice side hustle that I could scale up if needed, perhaps with help from my then-retired spouse, since it seems there's not requirement for any certification for a groomer's assistance.  (Or even for a groomer, at least in some states, as far I can tell.)  It's physical work so I don't know that we'd be doing this in our 80s, but I suspect we could manage a couple grooms a few days a week without suffering, well into our AARP years, if we wanted to. 

Is this totally crazy??!!?

[zolotiyeruki]

There seems to be a massive labor shortage in every industry, with the possible exception of all the folks getting laid off at the big tech companies

[GuitarStv]

There seems to be a massive labor shortage in every industry, with the possible exception of all the folks getting laid off at the big tech companies

Unfortunately, those of us who work in tech have no practical skills at all.

[TreeLeaf]

There seems to be a massive labor shortage in every industry, with the possible exception of all the folks getting laid off at the big tech companies

Unfortunately, those of us who work in tech have no practical skills at all.

As a software engineer I approve of this message.

[Dancin'Dog]

There seems to be a massive labor shortage in every industry, with the possible exception of all the folks getting laid off at the big tech companies

Unfortunately, those of us who work in tech have no practical skills at all.

A bit of YouTube binging can open all kinds of options.  And, just in case whatever you choose doesn't pan out you can make money from making YouTube videos about your attempts!

[Villanelle]

There seems to be a massive labor shortage in every industry, with the possible exception of all the folks getting laid off at the big tech companies

Unfortunately, those of us who work in tech have no practical skills at all.

Maybe you too should consider dog grooming.