A question to us bargain hunters. (Not a deal)

[MrFigg]

I'm just wondering if I need to check myself in to rehab. I really feel as if I'm on this forum for hours every day. Pick up phone, check what's happening, put down phone, pick up phone a minute later and repeat ad nauseam. I know also that it's pretty much the same gang here every day, day in day out. I just wanted to know...how are you doing it? Same as me? Page open at work? Same as me but without putting your phone down or leaving your computer screen? I know I'm not alone. I'm just having serious difficulty breaking free.

[MrFigg]

...I'll be back in another two minutes to check if there's any answers or updates.

[jngnz]

Yeah, this **** takes up half my free time every year from November to New Year’s at least. But then for the rest of the year I have all these new tools to scroll past on my way to not ever making any music, so it’s worth it.

[Walter Cruz]

1 hour ago, MrFigg said:

I'm just wondering if I need to check myself in to rehab. I really feel as if I'm on this forum for hours every day. Pick up phone, check what's happening, put down phone, pick up phone a minute later and repeat ad nauseam. I know also that it's pretty much the same gang here every day, day in day out. I just wanted to know...how are you doing it? Same as me? Page open at work? Same as me but without putting your phone down or leaving your computer screen? I know I'm not alone. I'm just having serious difficulty breaking free.

meh, you're ok!

we are not crazy. we are not, right?

But honestly, about the black friday bargains, I kinda felt like this year was just.... ok.  The only standout for me was the 50% U-He everywhere.

[GoncaloL]

Ohh ok… im in the right room.. do you know where is my seat?

[audioschmaudio]

I came for the deals, I stayed for the good vibes. ?

[Lee D]

Gotta get your dopamine from somewhere...

[pseudopop]

1 hour ago, MrFigg said:

I'm just wondering if I need to check myself in to rehab. I really feel as if I'm on this forum for hours every day. Pick up phone, check what's happening, put down phone, pick up phone a minute later and repeat ad nauseam. I know also that it's pretty much the same gang here every day, day in day out. I just wanted to know...how are you doing it? Same as me? Page open at work? Same as me but without putting your phone down or leaving your computer screen? I know I'm not alone. I'm just having serious difficulty breaking free.

Visiting this forum is like gambling, because it's easy to do and it randomly rewards you for it. And sometimes those rewards are big. Add to that those times when you missed out on a really good deal because you didn't visit this forum during that one hour window when some glitch was active, and you have a pretty big incentive to hit that refresh button every chance you get.

I think you need to ask yourself two questions:

1. Is there something more important I'm doing less because I'm always here?
2. Should I be spending this money on something else?

Edited December 5, 2023 by pseudopop
add quote

[PavlovsCat]

I think it's a bit of escape from everyday pressures,  at least it is for me. It's a place to nerd out on everything music-related and though we're spending our time here talking gear, music is the common bond here between us, regardless of what genres everyone is into. 

I wish this same group ventured into the song section and we all shared our music more often.  I'd love to hear what everyone is doing musically. I'd suggest people check out that subforum. It's an encouraging little group. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by PavlovsCat

[Fleer]

Wait… Sonokinetic’s next Xmas deal is up in 3 minutes…

[telecode 101]

its a form of computer software consumer addiction. i am working on it. but you need to break it. its similar to when i was younger and used to be addicted to spending money on TV and DVDs. you would hang around places where you would hear about deals and buy  stuff. its all just junk and garbage. it all goes into the garbage in the end. the best thing to do is stop following it.

Edited December 5, 2023 by telecode 101

[GoncaloL]

5 minutes ago, telecode 101 said:

its a form of computer software consumer addiction. i am working on it. but you need to break it. its similar to when i was younger and used to be addicted to spending money on TV and DVDs. you would hang around places where you would hear about deals and buy  stuff. its all just junk and garbage. it all goes into the garbage in the end. the best thing to do is stop following it.

You’re absolutely right!! I will stop following RIGHT NOW!

… hummm ok maybe tomorrow…

… wait what?!? Twelve days of Christmas??

[Marc Cormier]

I will admit to going off camera and muted a couple of times at work during BF—not to score deals, but to see what was being reported.  It was definitely a distraction.  I also wear shorts and koala slippers with my work dress shirts so it’s not the first time I’ve deceived my co-workers.

[Hillmy]

I have not created music in months, just feeding my G.A.S. ?

[Carl Ewing]

2 hours ago, MrFigg said:

I'm just wondering if I need to check myself in to rehab. I really feel as if I'm on this forum for hours every day. Pick up phone, check what's happening, put down phone, pick up phone a minute later and repeat ad nauseam. I know also that it's pretty much the same gang here every day, day in day out. I just wanted to know...how are you doing it? Same as me? Page open at work? Same as me but without putting your phone down or leaving your computer screen? I know I'm not alone. I'm just having serious difficulty breaking free.

Mentioned before - but I do almost all my buying in November / December. These forums save me so. much. damn. money. Fully worth the time. I will check multiple times a day over these two months, because so much crazy stuff pops up, and Vi-Control / this forum, etc. are filled with people that are really scouring the net for obscure deals, or know how stackable deals work, or know what region to buy things from. This is a goldmine of info. 

But after January 1st, the buying is done and I try to avoid newsletters, forums, Youtube channels, etc. as much as possible until summer sales - but will just up in occasionally to see if some crazy deals are going on throughout winter / spring. 

As for making this a more healthy activity: make lists. Make critical lists of what you need. Be very specific. Ignore literally anything that's not on the list. If you needed it, it would be on the list. Deadlines also help. No time for gear love when a contract is on the line. But I know some people like the communities and talking about things, which is great. Nothing wrong with that. 

But if you're buying stuff you don't need, and it's affecting your finances, or happiness, or stopping you from getting thing done. Then ya, might be time to put a padlock on the computer.

 

[satya]

I just come here to see who is not doing their job well so that I could disturb

[tansetter]

3 hours ago, MrFigg said:

 I just wanted to know...how are you doing it? Same as me?

Well, I'm a complete amateur, as opposed to some of the folks on here, but I've slowed down a bunch because I've acquired tons of things that I've never checked out, and years of things to use. I could get more, but feel I have more to gain by learning to use what I have and improving my technical chops. Any growth through gear I would have to drop serious money, either in hardware or moving to top tier software, and I can't justify that until I've done the things that I intended to do with what I have now. I have goals, and they're not acquisition-related at the moment.  Consider setting or changing your goals.

You're probably getting a dopamine hit (? - not a psychologist) from minor interactions like finding a bargain, or having a nice interaction/response from comments. I like Pavlov's idea of getting deeper into this forum, and think he's on the right track. You want to go deeper and more of that interaction - unless you're studying penguins at McMurdo, face-to-face is the healthy way mammals scratch that itch. Focus on dope hits from the real world - join a local group, network, play in clubs, set attainable goals and work towards them. (working on this myself)

I check for deals once a day (mostly). Best wishes!

[Doug Steinschneider]

Since my music day job (not my actual day job ?) is playing bass I limit what I will spend on tools for music creation and recording. This forum has helped me build up a pro quality set of tools on a shoestring budget. It also helps in avoiding shiny objects that aren't all that useful. Finally, I use many of the freebies discovered here on a regular basis. I get the collector mentality, years ago when I had my Roland D10 and later Korg M1 I was always desperately looking for useful patches which were few and far between but very rewarding when found. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Doug Steinschneider

[CSistine]

I think it is obvious: When Larry is not here, then there grow these discussion threads like this one, instead of hunting deals! ?

As soon as he is back, then there is almost no time for pribble-prabble! Then everybody is busy reading deal threads!

[kitekrazy1]

9 hours ago, MrFigg said:

I'm just wondering if I need to check myself in to rehab. I really feel as if I'm on this forum for hours every day. Pick up phone, check what's happening, put down phone, pick up phone a minute later and repeat ad nauseam. I know also that it's pretty much the same gang here every day, day in day out. I just wanted to know...how are you doing it? Same as me? Page open at work? Same as me but without putting your phone down or leaving your computer screen? I know I'm not alone. I'm just having serious difficulty breaking free.

I also check KVR and VI-Control.  Then there's the emails from developers who give you personal discounts. Pro Tools Expert mails deals about products.

Plus there are 2 I check for other software.

Then it gets worse with Steam and Epic games.

Then having a sub from Groove 3 and MPV I'm checking deals on Udemy.

Plus there's the emails from loop makers. 

Live and Image Line forums are usually not as toxic for GAS.  Users there actually talk about real DAW stuff. 

I've turned a blind eye to the deals from NI, Izotope, and PA.