Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Why bikes not bookshelves?

I have already gotten questions about why we can afford to buy new bikes but can't afford to buy bookshelves. There are three reasons.

First, we need an inexpensive way to get around town.

Ben needs a way to get to school every day that isn't too expensive or too time consuming.
  • There are no parking permits on campus, only parking meters, and parking is $1/hour. Ben would be on campus for several hours everyday, and calculated over time, paying the meter is more expensive than buying a parking permit on BYU campus.
  • Walking would take him about 45 minutes. Biking takes 15 minutes.
In addition, I need a way to get around town that is inexpensive. Gas can be expensive, and we want to conserve it as much as possible.

The second reason we got bikes instead of shelves is a money reason.
  • We would need 10 to 12 shelves. Ben wanted shelves that could be folded or collapsed and moved easily. Those kind of shelves cost $80 each. We looked and looked, and shopped and shopped. And $80 x 10 shelves = $800. So taping cardboard boxes that we already own together is good enough for us.
  • The bikes were on sale. $99 each. That is $200. We can kind of manage $200 better than $800.
And the third reason: it is cute to have matching bikes and go for rides together.

Any more questions?

3 comments:

Bec said...

well thats all seems pretty logical to me! good thinking.

Sarah said...

I have a question... can you buy us bikes too?? Just kidding, but it would be fun! We wouldn't get far in this heat and humidity. I decided it would be fun to get one of those baby carrier things (that you pull) and go on bike rides as a family. And, Shane and I think your boxes look fine. From the pictures, you can only sort of tell they are boxes anyway. Is it hard to live in such a small place after your condo?

Carolyn said...

You're so funny. You don't need to explain why you bought your bikes instead of bookshelves. I think the shelves look fine. Grandma Irvine told me she once had bookshelves made of cardboard, so you're in good company.