Politics starts at home. My wife and I both share the responsibilities of the finance portfolio. However major investments (aka woodworking power tools) have to be budgeted for, scrutinized and first seen to be cost beneficial. Here are some of the tips that can help you speed up getting all your dream tools sanctioned.
1. Your birthday. If you have not been celebrating your birthday, start now. Within reasonable limits you can claim a power tool for your birthday. Keep in mind that you must be ready to shell out a reasonably similar amount for future birthdays for others in the family. You cannot be seen as one who consumes maximal resources. Upside : Easy to justify. Downside. Future financial implications can be scary.
2. Accompany your wife shopping. On every shopping trip abstain from purchasing the same amount as your wife. On the trip home perhaps it will dawn on the family that you have bought nothing for yourself. With a sigh say " O yes ... perhaps some other time" or perhaps say " I am a man of few needs..." etc. What this does is prime everyone when for the time when you ask for your table saw. Upside : Works with sensitive members of the family. Downside : If they catch on to your strategy you can go broke very fast with nothing to show for your efforts.
3. Make kitchen items. Be quick to put up every nail in the kitchen. Make shelves for pots and pans, masala racks and the works. Offer to make a kitchen table. Then suggest that a table saw would help to make a really good kitchen table. It is worth a try.
4. Never pretend anything is easy. Do not undervalue your efforts, even to hammer a nail into a wall. Talk about good workmanship, the art of woodworking etc. Build up an aura about your work such that you are perceived as a good carpenter. A good carpenter deserves his tools.
5. Involve your family. Carpentry should not be your hobby. It should be the sacrifice you make with your time to help the family. Do not spend your time shut up in the workshop (if you have one) and leave your wife to take care of the kids. If you do so you will gradually be asked to do "something useful for a change". Instead promise your kids that they will be able to use your tools when they are older. Let them use some of your harmless tools such as spanners, or waste block pieces. Let them watch you (at a safe distance of course). Involve everyone in the process of hammering a nail. This is family time. Hammering, bonding. Let someone hold the chair, someone hand you the hammer, someone switch on the switch for the drill, and hopefully someone else clean up. This makes your fun, fun for the family. You just may get your power tool.
6. Think big. Talk big. Of course you can make a bunk bed if you had a table saw! The chic furniture you saw in the shop is something you could make... of course if you had the right tools. Once you say this repeatedly you may actually get what you ask for just to see if you can actually do it.
7. Let your wife see your blog posts before you post them. You would not want her to stumble on posts like this by accident would you!
8. Use your tools! There is no chance of buying new tools if you have not used your previous ones. This is common sense.
Wishing every potential woodworker the very best as they prioritize and plan how they would buy their tools.
1. Your birthday. If you have not been celebrating your birthday, start now. Within reasonable limits you can claim a power tool for your birthday. Keep in mind that you must be ready to shell out a reasonably similar amount for future birthdays for others in the family. You cannot be seen as one who consumes maximal resources. Upside : Easy to justify. Downside. Future financial implications can be scary.
2. Accompany your wife shopping. On every shopping trip abstain from purchasing the same amount as your wife. On the trip home perhaps it will dawn on the family that you have bought nothing for yourself. With a sigh say " O yes ... perhaps some other time" or perhaps say " I am a man of few needs..." etc. What this does is prime everyone when for the time when you ask for your table saw. Upside : Works with sensitive members of the family. Downside : If they catch on to your strategy you can go broke very fast with nothing to show for your efforts.
3. Make kitchen items. Be quick to put up every nail in the kitchen. Make shelves for pots and pans, masala racks and the works. Offer to make a kitchen table. Then suggest that a table saw would help to make a really good kitchen table. It is worth a try.
4. Never pretend anything is easy. Do not undervalue your efforts, even to hammer a nail into a wall. Talk about good workmanship, the art of woodworking etc. Build up an aura about your work such that you are perceived as a good carpenter. A good carpenter deserves his tools.
5. Involve your family. Carpentry should not be your hobby. It should be the sacrifice you make with your time to help the family. Do not spend your time shut up in the workshop (if you have one) and leave your wife to take care of the kids. If you do so you will gradually be asked to do "something useful for a change". Instead promise your kids that they will be able to use your tools when they are older. Let them use some of your harmless tools such as spanners, or waste block pieces. Let them watch you (at a safe distance of course). Involve everyone in the process of hammering a nail. This is family time. Hammering, bonding. Let someone hold the chair, someone hand you the hammer, someone switch on the switch for the drill, and hopefully someone else clean up. This makes your fun, fun for the family. You just may get your power tool.
6. Think big. Talk big. Of course you can make a bunk bed if you had a table saw! The chic furniture you saw in the shop is something you could make... of course if you had the right tools. Once you say this repeatedly you may actually get what you ask for just to see if you can actually do it.
7. Let your wife see your blog posts before you post them. You would not want her to stumble on posts like this by accident would you!
8. Use your tools! There is no chance of buying new tools if you have not used your previous ones. This is common sense.
Wishing every potential woodworker the very best as they prioritize and plan how they would buy their tools.
Very well written and absolutely hilarious!
ReplyDeleteYou've seen some of them in action! :-)
ReplyDelete