I have so enjoyed the "what we tell our wives when we’re buying equipment’ posts that I wish to re-open it…so…what’s the latest way to get that latest piece of equipment with or without the wife’s approval???
I had a race wheel sitting at a friends house for 6 weeks before I “won” it at a race! My ex wife was thrilled for me.
The keyword there is EX-wife 
.
Always buy the same color of bike.
Put whatever it is in the attic. Put dust and dirt on it. Ask her if she has seen “you old whatsit”. She will say no. Conduct a search for two or three weekends. Keep her apprized of the fact you are looking for it. Find it in the attic, and tell her. She will be happy for you. Hire a lawyer, because this is the beginning of the end.
I suggest a different course of action. Quit the sport for a few weeks or months (call this the investment). Hang around at home more than ever before. Take a stalker-type interest in what she does. In no time, she will be begging you to buy the latest $1200 wheels or telling you that she heard about an Ironman in Brazil or New Zealand and that you should go…alone.
I had a race wheel sitting at a friends house for 6 weeks before I “won” it at a race! My ex wife was thrilled for me.
Heh heh. We’ll keep letting em think we’re clueless.
Anything I buy from now until December will be counteracting by the numerous “diamins” commercials that are about the flood the advertising scene. “If you love her …”
My wife can rationalize me buying her a $3K ring/bracelt/whatever to being equal to me buying myself a $15 triahtlon book. =)
My ride partner had major surgury this last July. Doc told him not to lift more then 15 lbs. I felt this was an excellent reason for him to buy a new bike. His wife has viewed me with a great deal of suspicion ever since.
You really have to ask to buy something??? Should have married somebody with the same interest, although… I did get a little look when Tom D told my the price of my Felt DA 700, so I bought the wife something at Tom D’s shop and she was OK. Happy purchasing…
Something along these lines :
“honey, how much did you spend on clothes this year ?” “and how much did I spend ?”
“how much will you spend next year and each following year on clothes ?” “and how much will I spend ?”
“Good, now, considering that I will buy a bike every 4 years on average, and considering our budget difference for clothes in the next four years, my budget for the new bike I intend to buy next week is 2000$”
If 2000$ are not enough, try somehting like : “Honey, would you like to shop more often ? You’ll have plenty of time while I go riding on my new bike.”
I have to say… this is kind of a depressing thread! I am one of ‘the wives,’ and I would hate for my husband to have to be deceptive about the things he buys, whether triathlon equipment or whatever. Since we are both into triathlon, that certainly helps, but he spends far, far more than I would on gear. Nevertheless, I would never want him to not tell me what he plans on getting next, and he has never complained about how many shoes I have, or the clothes I buy or anything else. (in fact, he encourages shoe purchases 
We’ll discuss whether some things are really necessary, and I am often the beneficiary of his purchases - he just got me 404 clinchers in June, but now says I need tubulars, for instance - but we always reach agreement and there is never any deceit involved. And we don’t spend far above what we can afford (only a little above it) so I can’t say he’s putting us too far into debt. I roll my eyes sometimes and question his sanity, but I would not want to be in a relationship where we couldn’t be honest with each other.
This just hits way too close to home. My wife is convinced I am just obsessed with all this gear (hmmm maybe she is right). She got sick of hearing “would you rather I spend my time/money at the bar with the guys?” so my latest approach is “boy, you wouldn’t want me to experience an equipment failure at high speed (she doesn’t really know how slow I am) would you…gosh this purchase is for safety sake”. We are doing kitchen remodel so that is making her happy. I thought the tile counter tops looked fine but she wants that granite. Guess there is an analogy there…
Mike
Diamonds. That’ll shut her up.
This whole thread is high on the list of reasons why I’m not married.
The inflatable doll never argues.
Just pulling your leg Tom
M,
not sure if I agree with you. when I was shacked up with my now hubbie, he bought all kinds of car crap. I didn’t really know what he spent, but I could have cared less.
The only time I raised an argument is when I couldn’t get a new couch–“you spend how much on cars? and I have to sit on this stinky piece of crap sofa?”
The deal is-in all truth, she might not really give a shit what you spend on your stuff as long as you are happy and allow her to have some fun too.
IMO, it’s a 2 way street…if you can spend, so can she. If it’s not like that, there will be trouble. So, maybe that’s the situation, and you’re not aware of it (don’t be surprised if you get married and she want to re-build the kitchen or something…that’s how it works! LOL!)
I try to give her the same courtesy I’d expect if she was going out and spending thousands of dollars on stuff that was only of value to her.
It’s really though for me to be kind in these “discussions” since my stuff is so clearly justified while hers is usually something stupid like furniture or clothes for the kids.
ok, i admit I sneak in stuff…
I snuck in a case of expensive wine and it’s hidden in my office closet. sure, my hubby wants nice wine, but god forbid I actually buy it (?does he think good wine appears like magic?)
also, for new clothes, I buy them all in the day when he’s at work. right when I come home I put them away and he has no idea that I bought them. since I get the mail and pay the bills, he doesn’t really know.
for gear, again, I buy it in the day, and put it away. now, if I had a set of new wheels or something, I would just put them in the basement and not bring it up…and act nonchallant if he asked about them. he’s got 2 freaking olds 442’s in the basement, so wheels (or whatever) are small in comparison. (my ride isn’t a 70 thousand dollar machine that has been in restoration for 20 f’ing years).
if he saw what I buy he would freak out. I see what car crap he buys and never say a word…boo hoo for me, right? LOl!
meow.
I hope most of you are joking about all of this. For me it works this way.
I say; “Honey I’m going to get new wheels, aerobars, frame, etc”
She says: Do you have the money for it? If you do then go buy it. (We both put away a certain amount of money every paycheck for “toys”).
If I don’t have the cash I don’t buy it. No sneaking, no hiding and I like it that way.
Finally an adult on this forum!
My wife always supports my purchases. The last mountain bike I bought ended up costing $2500. The bike shop gave me a great deal on a bike for just under $1000. When she found out, she bought the $1500 piece of furniture she wanted. It is all in the accounting method used.
Gar