Are you too cheap?

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Olivia

I can't speak for the other posters but the idea I got from this thread wasn't bashing people for wanting to save money but to instead think about your orchid spending priorities.

That's the way I understood it as well. If you are planning on spending money on the orchid hobby anyway, it's a question of deciding if the priority is to buy more orchids, or improving the living conditions of the ones you already have.

[mujacko2002]

Mabuhay!

i'm not CHEAP but i'm FREE


oh my...you're talking about orchids. Anyway, my general motto that sometimes prices don't dictate the quality of the products that we get. Whatever works for you...works for you.

i have not given it much thought yet...but i'm the type of person that when i have extra moolah i would want to buy the best product for myself, family or plants whatever.

When choosing orchids....just like others here, most of the time i go by what i see, what pleases my eyes and senses and if its within reach why not and i'm sure there will be another day.

When choosing ferts/pesti/fungic...well, its more of an emotional response, i have this fert mentality (sythetic or organic) whether its cheap or not i just got to have it. Because when i apply ferts its always at random, there's no particular order or brandname like this week it will only bloom boosters...its random.

But maybe, in infrastructure, the basics should be as much possible the best for your budget. . Sometimes i'm DIY-er so whatever is available in my surroundings i'll use or recycle it first.

But then again, for me, its not really a sin or a bad thing when you go cheap on your orchids just like what I said..what works for you works for you.

JMTCW

[Eyebabe]

I would buy "relatively" inexpensive orchids when I grew them in my kitchen.

Then one day I added them up
Yeah, not the number of orchids, but the number of dollars! This one 5 bucks, this one 20 bucks etc...

I decided to improve my growing area with nice humidifiers, grow lights, support trays etc.

Now I was ready for some more expensive plants

Then one day I added them up

So I built a greenhouse

Needless to say, I am still keeping my "day job"

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Eyebabe

I would buy "relatively" inexpensive orchids when I grew them in my kitchen.

Then one day I added them up
Yeah, not the number of orchids, but the number of dollars! This one 5 bucks, this one 20 bucks etc...

I decided to improve my growing area with nice humidifiers, grow lights, support trays etc.

Now I was ready for some more expensive plants

Then one day I added them up

So I built a greenhouse

Needless to say, I am still keeping my "day job"

I don't even DARE calculate how much I have spent on this hobby!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Junebug

During a recession what's more important, buying pricey orchid supplies or keeping the lights on and putting food on the table? I find this topic offensive considering our country's current financial crisis. One becomes extremely frugal, not cheap, when they're out of work and barely getting by.

I'm sorry you find this offensive, as it certainly wasn't intended that way.

My position at the chemical company where I worked for 28 years was eliminated more than two years ago, and I have been unable to find another job. I definitely understand what's happening in our current economy.

Nobody was trying to pit ones hobby against ones survival. The "seed" for thread was someone battling a severe insect infestation, but refusing to buy "expensive" insecticides. They will no doubt lose plants worth a lot more than that trip to Home Depot would have cost them.

[Eyebabe]

I agree, I thought it was a discussion about being penny wise but dollar foolish, to quote a cliche.

Certainly, in this significant economic situation we all must adjust how we spend and what we spend on.

Hobbies are luxuries. I thought the point was the distribution of the finite dollars allocated to that hobby.
Many don't have the dollars in the first place and for those of us who do, we should appreciate our good fortune.

[Leafmite]

Sorry you lost your job, Ray. I have an chemical engineering degree and there aren't many jobs out there, either, in that field, not in the US. I think, to be honest, the hobby can be as cheap or expensive as one wishes it to be. But there are other considerations as well. When you consider fungicides, expensive fertilizers and insecticides, you also need to consider how safe all of them are for us, for the environment and for the orchids, especially long term. I spray my fruit trees and it is advised to wear goggles and mouth covering, to rinse your clothes and to shower afterwards which I follow to the letter after all that I learned in my college classes and reading. I honestly do not think you should mock anyone for not choosing to use these products on their house plants. As for the money, with the future looking grim, it is wise to plan ahead. I use lava rock because it is cheap and never needs to be replaced. I don't have a large collection so that I can actually enjoy each and care for each so alcohol, scissors, cinnamon are just about all that I need to care for my orchids adequately.
Leafmite