Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing – Teddy Roosevelt Speech in New York, September 7, 1903 – 26th president of US (1858 – 1919)

I had Columbus Day off a few months back. My wife had to teach and the kids were in school that day. I went to the local Barnes and Noble book store and found a Dave Ramsey journal in the finance section. Having found a chair near an open window overlooking other shops and people walking by, I came across this quote reading that that book and froze in thought. I am fortunate to be doing work worth doing. The work however; leads me to make purchases that I justify as work related and later write off as a work expense.

I don’t golf so I don’t justify a new club or golf shoes because the deal is made on the links. I listen to stories of people who believed that have been wronged. I take pictures of work they claim is poor or not completed. I justified a new digital camera for that. I drive to where the work took place and to where the other parties operate or live. I justified a new GPS device for the car. I am called to testify in court and can always justify new clothing for that. Hopefully soon the camera, the added lens, the GPS, and projector for the laptop will be paid off when CC#1 is clobbered. Yes, I did claim partial use as a business expense in the tax years, but I am still paying for them years later on credit.

I don’t have an answer to the dilemma other than to be reminded to recognize the excuses that I use to justify buying work related ‘tools’ using credit instead of cash. That is one tool that I need to leave debt end street.