Sticker Shock

One of my "projects" in progress is sorting through the "stuff" I've accumulated over the years. Deciding what should be kept and what should be tossed, shredded, or given away. I started in July but have only gotten through three boxes. It's slow going. I get distracted by what I find, and other things want my attention also.

Yesterday I came across some receipts:

• My first laptop computer purchased in February 1997 was just a very basic Windows 95 laptop. Including sales tax, it cost $4,723.95 !! I still have it although it wouldn't boot up the last time I tried, over a year ago. Why do I still have it? 'Cause I don't know what to do with it.
• The second laptop was purchased in March 2002. It cost $2149.95 and has recently been handed down to my niece and her son. It still works though it has a couple issues, such as several keys on the keyboard not working occasionally, so an external keyboard has to be used.
• The new laptop bought about 2 weeks ago was less than $1000. Hm, looks like laptop computers last me about 5 years.
• For my first (and only) digital camera, purchased in June 2000, I paid $899.98 - it is an Olympus 3 megapixal with 3x zoom. Very cutting edge at the time. I've been thinking about getting another and have been checking prices. The one I'm looking at would be about $300.

Another discovery was my Mother's notebook of our trip from Indiana to California in July 1976. She made note of what we paid for some of the motel rooms:

• Freeman, South Dakota $11.50 for a single and $13.50 for 2 beds and "leave the money in the room when we leave."
• Rapid City, South Dakota - "made reservations at Best Western $32.00 for 2 beds but stopped at Western Motel Lodge and got room with 1 bed $19.61 - Becky slept on floor."
• Cheyenne, Wyoming $18.50 for queen size bed at Sands Motel
• Bought some food before going to Rocky Mountain National Park - Pepsi 80¢ a 6 pack, got 4, chicken, cheese & crackers, lettuce, tomatoes, spent $16.00 on food.
• Grant's Pass, Oregon - Rogue Haven Motel, 3 bedrooms and kitchen $14.00
• Alameda, California - Royal Inn Motel $22.26 per nite

Two weeks ago I made reservations for the motel in Springfield, Missouri - $72 per night plus another $12-15 in taxes, but that is at a "special" rate.

Isn't it amazing, as the cost of nearly everything else is rising, computers and electronic goods are significantly less than 10 years ago!