Confessional!! Tell us how you hid a purchase from your significant other!

[Art]

So, let's start a confessional thread. I'm hoping your significant other doesn't frequent this forum.

While we all love our partners, we all have had to hide a purchase here or there from them. Just a little white lie.

Tell us about a time you hid a purchase from your partner!

Did you REALLY have that plant before?

 

[ayman.roshdy]

She never asked me about how much I spend in my hobby, at first she was reluctant of the space I need to keep one single tank, then two tanks, then now she is actually encouraging me or at least she stopped opposing buying new tanks; probably for two reasons 1) She knows now that I do care about this hobby for years now, and it is not a temp casual thing 2) She sees that this hobby is helping me to relax which is very positive probably for both my mental and physical health ... actually she is always there to help me in pulling, pushing or lifting heavy objects like the glass tanks for example, in a couple of cases when I had like water spelling accidents she was always there to help me cleaning everything

Having said that and since she never asked but I am not going to try and tell her how much did I spend in total on this hobby since my start like 3 years ago, and definitely won't tell her the amount I am going to spend on my new high tech tank ... you can consider this as hiding but without the white lie ... actually I have a good justification which is my hobby expenses represent only like a fraction of all our house hold expenses which increased dramatically during this year because of the inflation

My main problem currently is not the expenses but rather that I need more space to have my 6th tank

 

[GreggZ]

Having said that and since she never asked but I am not going to try and tell her how much did I spend in total on this hobby since my start like 3 years ago, and definitely won't tell her the amount I am going to spend on my new high tech tank .

One thing I have learned and a piece of advice I will share.

Never, ever.....EVER.....add up everything you have spent in the hobby!

I don't hide the cost from wife as I myself don't know the true cost and don't want to. If I did I am sure it would be shocking!

 

[ayman.roshdy]

One thing I have learned and a piece of advice I will share.

Never, ever.....EVER.....add up everything you have spent in the hobby!

I don't hide the cost from wife as I myself don't know the true cost and don't want to. If I did I am sure it would be shocking!

I have been collecting how much I spent during the last 3 years just to make sure that I don't spend too much, but it is already too much, now I am trying to divide this in a way that looks to me as normal expenses, so at first divided the total amount by the number of months to get the monthly expenses, added a monthly budget for myself which I overran already, so decided to divide this on the number of weeks and again I overran the weekly budget, yesterday I divided this on the total number of days and trying to convince myself that this is a negligible daily expense

But you are right, I can't divide this on the number of hours as it will be a complete nonsense so the only option is to stop doing this as you advised

 

[Art]

Great advice @GreggZ ! If I looked at the number of hours I have put in x the cost of the items, it would be shocking. The good thing, that's not the point.

This is a hobby. An outlet for your creative expression. A tool to learn about our world and meet fine folks from across the globe that truly care about nature and beauty. That's priceless!

 

[Yugang]

The safest place to hide an aquarium purchase from your significant other is behind your new Harley Davidson.

 

[HardeeParty]

 

[Count Krunk]

I bought a 135g tank from a dude leaving the hobby after being told to "not buy a tank" lol. Too good of a deal to pass up!

Can't hide a 6' tank lol.

 

[FrankZ]

Im very luck in that I never get asked. I try not to be stupid with the money I spend on hobbies but I don’t think I could’ve picked more expensive ones. Water fowl hunting, tuna fishing, high tech planted tanks….

 

[Pepere]

One thing I have learned and a piece of advice I will share.

Never, ever.....EVER.....add up everything you have spent in the hobby!

What bothers me the most has been the money I wasted on things that are nigh unto worthless and even more the money I wasted buying cheaper things to save money and then buying what I should have the first time…

The money I wasted on multiple bacteria in a bottle products alone could have paid for the canister filter I got to replace the incredibly poorly designed HOB that the Youtube Presenter told me was so good we should bow down before it….

Not naming any names here… but I dont much pay attention to most youtube presenters anymore…. I believed so much lousy information it wasnt funny….

 

[GreggZ]

Not naming any names here… but I dont much pay attention to most youtube presenters anymore…. I believed so much lousy information it wasnt funny….

LOL I totally agree. Many of the popular youtubers that so many beginners follow have no clue what they are doing. But that doesn't stop them. They just want to create more content....good or bad.

 

[GreggZ]

Im very luck in that I never get asked. I try not to be stupid with the money I spend on hobbies but I don’t think I could’ve picked more expensive ones. Water fowl hunting, tuna fishing, high tech planted tanks….

Very true. I have other hobbies that make my planted tank seem like a bargain!

 

[HardeeParty]

Im very luck in that I never get asked. I try not to be stupid with the money I spend on hobbies but I don’t think I could’ve picked more expensive ones. Water fowl hunting, tuna fishing, high tech planted tanks….

That is lucky. I traded a very expensive hobby for planted tanks and two kids.

Sure do miss those Z’s though…

 

[FrankZ]

That is lucky. I traded a very expensive hobby for planted tanks and two kids.

Sure do miss those Z’s though…
View attachment 4247
View attachment 4248

My oldest is to blame for the water fowl game. He loves it and is amazing in the goose call. Can’t say no when then kids want to do it. Hundreds of decoys later…..

 

[HardeeParty]

My oldest is to blame for the water fowl game. He loves it and is amazing in the goose call. Can’t say no when then kids want to do it. Hundreds of decoys later…..

I haven’t the slightest idea what that is, but I totally support the sentiment.

 

[Ed Wiser]

My wife doesn’t worry about what I buy. She is more concerned about how good the tank looks. An that I don’t waste money. Having been in the hobby for 60 years. I can tell junk when I see it.
I only buy well made equipment from companies that are not reselling Chinese aquarium equipment. So I buy ADA, GHL equipment.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I humbly plead the 5th and it would behoove you all to do the same

 

[Carsonbd]

Had to spend about 80k on remodeling the house before I was given "permission" to create my fish room. Hmmm, I still didn't tell what my costs were and never will. Heck, I don't even keep my receipts from the lfs. None of you are really keeping a secrete. Ever notice your wife goes to Target about every time you spend money.