Santas Helper Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I don't know if any of you have had the same experience. This is my first year and we bought a controller and the software. I have been programing like mad, and have 10 song done. The day before she snapped the wallet shut, I told her I wish that I had another 16 or 32 channels, an fm transmitter, and I still had to buy stuff to build a tree. I told her that I'm not sure I have time to program another 16 channels and build the props I have planned. I guess I should have kept quiet. I have been told that we need to seriously watch our spending. She has been supportive but the line has been drawn. I have all the light strings I need, just got pulled back a little short of where I wanted to be for the first year. Have any of you run into this or have I fallen in too deep to this hobby? After the first year did your spouse become more or less supportive? Tell your wife you plan to get another job to pay for the rest of what you need (and show your drama side).IF she REALLY is a good wife, she will not let that happen and raise your spending budget.I actually did this one time and it worked. My wife didn't want me gone in the evenings or weekends to make extra money when we had the money in the first place.Reverse psychology works pretty well sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I have the perfect setup with my wife. Its the she doesn't ask and I never tell how much I have spent on this hobby. Having 22 controllers, 16 CCR's, tons of lights and packages always arriving in the mail for me I am sure she knows its a lot and doesn't even want to know. Been married 42 years and she has never asked once how much we have or were its at or what I am doing with the finances. As long as I keep her happy and don't complain when she wants something new it works out fine. Of course at this time of year when I am starting to stress about getting everything set up and wondering why I put myself through this I almost wish she would have put her foot down and made me end the madness. But I know she loves the season and the lights as much as I do and I know she is proud to tell people that I do this.After reading your post, I thought I wrote it. LOL!!! I'll be married to the Queen 43 years this coming weekend. And she sounds like your lady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 First year, 1 controller, then 2, then 3 more, for a total of 5 my first year, not including the DC-MP3 Showtime Director and FM Transmitter, plus all the Cat5 cables and extension cords and I still need more extension cords! LOL I haven't added any additional controllers or gotten into RGB stuff, but as for the wife, if we had the fund$, she's all for adding more, More, MORE to the display. She'd love it if we could get into the RGB stuff, but I'm basically happy where I am with what I have. The wife is the one that is ALWAYS looking to spend more on the display than me! So I guess it's a bit teversed for our situation, I'm the one that puts the brakes on the spending for the display. If I allowed my wife to spend all she'd like, I'd definitely be in the poor house deeper than I am now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roverdish Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 My wife's Birthday is Christmas day so she feels all the decorations and celebrations are hers also. Wonderful woman never complains about the spending and she even insisted we start early with the lights. Spends her days off singing Christmas songs around the house. Gotta love her. I did spend all year just a little each month. Then I had a 150' length of rope light fail at the power supply and the vendor said so sorry. Only 90 day warranty. Fixed it with another power supply and decided to change vendors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcrawford2 Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 We now have an entire storage unit just for Christmas stuff. 3 boxes are for indoors. My wife keeps bringing me home stuff to add in and I am tired of programming in new channels! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 First year on LOR controller and software was $300, and another $500 in lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 First year on LOR controller and software was $300, and another $500 in lights. Welcome aboard. Just keep in mind that the $300 for controller and $500 for lights is JUST A DEPOSIT. and future payments should be expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 I had everyone in the near family here the other night for a full blown test. They loved it! Saw two strings out and fixed those the next day. Then found two strings on one of the megatrees were reversed so those were fixed too. I think I'm done and ready to go but still have a few strings of lights left but no available channels. Oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 My wife supports me 110%I have to say no to myself.I am using a bunch of controllers and things a bought 2 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschwotzer Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 Well my wife and I have been talking the last few days about the show. She ask how I was going to get the music so people could hear it. I told her that I had planned on buying a fm transmitter and use a radio that I had picked up at a garage sale (no harm in a $2 radio dyeing if it gets wet). I told her that since I was not allowed to spend any more money I had been thinking how I was going to be able to get the music heard. I told her I found in the basement an old stereo system that had an audio in and was going to find some old speakers and just broadcast the music. I knew that the stereo was hers from long ago and the speaker that I was going to use was hers as well. I told her that I was trying to think of a way to keep the stereo from getting wet in our screened in porch where I have plans to put my mp3 director. About two days later she ask how much a fm transmitter was, and where there any on amazon. She said that she had been hiding the amazon card for college school books, but was willing if the balance of the card would cover the fm transmitter. So I showed her the one transmitter I would like to have on amazon. The next day she said the fm transmitter was going to been her Monday. So I guess I could say I have support, but the pennies are being pinched. By the way I think that my wife is starting to get excited but is trying not to show it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Messer Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 LOL.. I put the big boy pants on and buy what I need. Then I ask if I can get it !!! LOL.. Wife does support my hobby but anything 500 and above I always ask first. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubado Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 LOL.. I put the big boy pants on and buy what I need. Then I ask if I can get it !!! LOL.. Wife does support my hobby but anything 500 and above I always ask first. JeffSo do you spend $499 multiple times?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a31ford Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 OMG !!! I never thought of that !!! I have had LOR on the brain since spring, went nuts in Home Depot a SECOND time (even worse that the first), she not only went ballistic, she told me to give her the HD card..... LMAO !!! now I can use the M/C ! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainyoregonchristmas Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Buy your HD stuff online at home and set it for in-store pickup. That way you can hand her the card before you leave for the store, and she won't be the wiser....for a month until the statement comes......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainyoregonchristmas Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 (argh edit button is gone)... Also if you are buying from HD online go through Ebates or Savingstar's website to shop at HD. That way you'll get a rebate check for anything you buy saving you money and making the wife at least a little happier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilM0nkey Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 This is the one place I divert from the typical LOR community. This thread comes up and makes me ill every year. My wife likes the system a lot and she fully supports me doing it. She even gets upset if I wear headphones when I sequence. If she didn't support it I wouldn't be doing it. If I don't support something of her's then she won't do it, that's how our marriage works. We're discussing making a several thousand dollar investment into the system right now actually. Did you know the #1 reason for divorce in America today is money fights and money problems? I know most of this is said in jest, but there are quite a few in here that sound like a 5 year old on the floor throwing a temper tantrum in front of mommy! Rather than a grown adult in communication with their spouse and being on the same page with finances. Sorry if it sounds like a rant, because it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Wow, really EvilM0nkey? I haven't seen any posts or comments in this thread that sounds anything like that. But since you put it that way, this is for you: Wahhhhh, wahhhhhh, MOMMMMMMEEEEE, my "spouse" {make it wife or husband depending on case} won't let me spend any more monry on my display. "Spouse" won't allow me to get all the controllers I need or want to do what I need to do. Why won't "spouse" allow me the funds for what I need. Will you please talk to "spouse" for me mommy? I really need to spend all this money on props, lights, controllers, fm transmitters, extension cords and any other things I need to make my display the biggest and best in the neighborhood. Wahhhhhhh, wahhhhh, please talk to my "spouse" so I can get everything I need.....Wahhhhhh wahhhhhh wahhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm sorry, but I just could not resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Most couples talk about money situations BEFORE they get married.I work, I have my own bank account and my own hobbies.My wife works, has her own bank account and has her own hobbies.We pay the bills together and everything else is free game. If my wife said "no light show", I'm going to have to give her blinders because I'm having my light show damn it.I work damn hard for my money. I Will Have My Light Show!!! You only have one life to live. So Live It!!! No cryin to mommy here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columbus27 Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 This is what I do. I buy magazines and books from libraries and craigslist all year. And sale them on eBay. Then I make all my purchases from paypal. And my wife is OK with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I have a great wife. She asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her 12 CCR's from LOR. She said O.K. Now I guess I'll have to wait and see if she comes through. LOL!!! I don't think she knows the cost yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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