I'm Not Making That Mistake Again

Some of you may recall my tale of woe several years ago lamenting the fact that I did not purchase a more powerful leaf blower given the volume of soggy, difficult-to-move leaves in our yard.  When the electronic version blew its last leaf and needed a repair I was thrilled to purchase a much more powerful version that reduced my yardwork time substantially.

I did not make the same mistake when it came to purchasing a snow blower.  We have a wonderful neighbor with a pickup truck and plow, and for years he has cleared the snow from our driveway.  However, I always felt guilty drinking hot chocolate from the warmth of my house while he was moving the piles of snow.  So inevitably I would shovel his sidewalk to return the favor.  I was also fearing the day he would come home with a new car announcing he had sold the truck and my snow removal “gravy train” would be finished.  So several years ago when there were predictions for a very snowy winter I made the trip to the local hardware store.

I felt like Goldilocks looking at the three models they had available; big, bigger, and the ‘useful for clearing airport runways’ version.  Recalling my leaf blower regrets I immediately opted for the biggest model.  The first several winters we had maybe one storm that warranted using the snow blower, and it felt like I had the proverbial umbrella so it never rained.  However, this year my purchase was justified with two or three hefty storms.  While the snow blower is much less work than using a shovel, it still requires a lot of effort to maneuver the machine.  However, I do not mind in the least after watching the town plows leave another mountain of snow at the end of our driveway.  I’m just curious what piece of equipment will be next on the quest for more horsepower.

The author of this article is Richard Ropelewski CFP®, MBA, Wealth Manager at U.S. Wealth Management.

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