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I recently bought a watch. It's the first watch I've bought since I impulse bought a Rolex in 2005 while in Aruba. Looking back on this purchase, it's really amazing how much I've changed since then. Being 22 years old yet having made maybe high six or low seven figures from poker after having deposited less than two years back was a pretty wild thing to experience. Up until the Rolex, the only things I had purchased with my money were some PS2 games, DVD's, and some clothes. It was my second trip to Aruba (UB Tournament) and my first where I could legitimately walk into a high-end watch shop and consider buying something. You don't really realize it until you experience it and then look back on it, but luxury good makers are so good at making you implicitly desire whatever it is that they sell. I left for Aruba not even realizing I wanted a watch, then left Aruba not understanding how I lived life not ever owning a nice watch. Three days later, I wondered why I owned the high-end watch. That's the interesting part of the whole Rolex story, I brought it back home to Chicago, felt cool showing my parents and a few friends, and then didn't even take it back to Champaign (school) because I was too embarrassed to wear a rolex out to bars where on expensive nights drinks might run $3 each. All in all, I probably wore that watch 20 times, I don't even know where it is now. Note to self: find watch.
The Rolex story is reflective of my tastes in general. Simply put, my tastes have changed over the last few years. It's funny, because I actually do spend a pretty good amount of money. I just spend money on things I once wouldn't have considered buying and I don't spend money on the things I always thought I would want.
I like to eat at nice restaurants, I enjoy not having to cook as often as possible so I order delivery quite regularly. I actually went almost an entire year without stepping foot in a grocery store, impressive or sad: you be the judge. I stay at nice hotels and I waste money on taxis when taking public transportation or driving would be a much more economical form of transportation. I often buy expensive clothes, but rarely do I buy something that looks expensive or that flashes a name brand that people would know to be expensive. Compare these things to how I lived before poker: I had dinner at maybe three "fancy" restaurants in my life, I ate at a restaurant or ordered delivery at most five times my entire freshman year of college, I walked or took the bus everywhere, and I don't think I had ever stayed in a hotel besides when traveling with my family (yet I've slept in cars, on couches, on floors, or [sadly] in bars on numerous occasions). The only clothes I bought were whatever I could get my parents to spring for, which by no means was anything extremely fancy.
Now, let's talk about the things I don't spend money on. I always thought I would want a really nice collection of watches. It seemed to me that having a lot of nice watches was a symbol of success in the world. After buying one, it's clear I'll never make a point to start a collection, but I do see myself getting a nice watch or two sometime down the line. When I was 19 I set a goal to own a BMW by the time I was 30. I bought one (used, 3 series, nothing over the top) when I turned 23, and it's arguably been a pretty poor purchase. I don't drive often, I don't know much about cars, and I don't find a whole lot of additional satisfaction in owning an entry level luxury vehicle. I thought I would want to own a bunch of real estate because "that's what rich people do." Well, I bought a place when I graduated but have since moved out and have been renting for a few years. I still get questions all the time as to why I am "burning money" renting, but it's been one of the best decisions of my life. If anyone is genuinely curious, I'll do another blog post about that, just let me know.
While I'm thinking about it, I read an article somewhere (wish I could find it) that basically talked about the utility that people receive from spending money on different things. It's (supposedly) been proven that you get more enjoyment from spending money on experiential things -- vacations, dinners, sporting events, etc. than on tangible goods -- clothes, jewelry, cars, etc. The reason is that the human mind tends to focus on the positive things about past experience. We remember all the amazing times we had during college, the parties, the co-eds, the friends, but forget about all of the all night study sessions, the politics of the social scene, being broke, etc. Same goes with vacations and restaurant experiences, the study went on to "prove" that when you look back on these experiences months and years later, you recall them more fondly than if someone asked you about them the very next day. Furthermore, when you spend money on tangible goods, you're much more likely to find that they have less value to you as time goes on. You can lose things, break them, or they may just go out of style. It's pretty hard to lose a memory of a nice meal or conversation with a family member on a vacation.
My friends often give me crap about some of the tangible goods I do buy. My friends Coop/Craig told me last weekend: "Taylor, why is it that you like to buy really expensive things that look really cheap?" They were just giving me some (I think) good natured shit about all of the sneakers and non-logo'd polos/tees that I typically wear, all of which are generally very nice but you wouldn't look at them and think they were very expensive. My tastes have definitely changed, I like to look good but the last thing I want to do is walk into a room and make it look obvious that I'm flashing something expensive or overly trendy.
So, where am I now? Was this just a long winded way of telling people I bought a freaking watch? I hope not, but that's where I am. I bought a watch recently, and here's a picture and a link about the watch. 
I think the watch actually sold out at the website I bought it from, because I can't find the original link to the watch there. It was $80 and is probably the cheapest watch I'll ever purchase the rest of my life. I like it a lot, but I'm curious as to what readers of this blog think. Retro? Cool? Trying too hard? I like the watch, it makes me happy. I think what I like the most about the watch is it reminds me how I've changed over the last few years. Crazy to think I get more enjoyment out of this thing than a watch that was fifty times as expensive and a thousand times more "baller" than a Timex. Something tells me I'll wear this one more than twenty times, but who knows for sure, maybe my tastes will change again :)
Alright, time to go play some hoops. I'm headed to Dallas for a day at Jim's sweatshop then I'll be back in Chicago until the New Year. Good luck in life and at the tables.
Taylor
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