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Aviation articles by Garth Wallace
11/ The gender spending gap
More women should fly. Look at this way. Because most
females in Canada don’t fly, it’s much harder for them to spend money than
men.
My wife, a non-pilot, shops for clothes, cosmetics, gifts and groceries at the
mall. It can take her days, sometimes weeks to shop for a new outfit. When she
finds what she wants, she might spend $200, maybe $300.
I can burn that on a Sunday morning flying somewhere for breakfast with a
friend.
My wife will come home from the mall with a big smile and a new outfit. I’ll
enjoy the breakfast flight and arrive home with another logbook entry and higher
cholesterol.
It's not fair
The most expensive items my wife has purchased are
appliances. She has to work hard to spend over $1,000 on a dishwasher, fridge,
stove, clothes washer or dryer. She likes to check out the latest features at
the different dealers but every time she tries to walk away without buying, the
salesman knocks another $100 off the appliance.
In the meantime, I can stay home and easily spend $1,000 on the latest headset
by phoning or emailing one of the advertisers in COPA Flight. Since the
need for headsets comes in pairs, the bill can top $2,000. Or I can spend the
same $2,000 on a new colour portable GPS. What the heck, while I have the
supplier on the line, I could order two headsets and the GPS together and save
on shipping.
It gets worse
My neighbour complained that his wife spends $200
every month on new shoes.
"The woman only has two feet," he moaned.
The same guy goes out on a Saturday morning and buys a new bass boat: 225
horsepower, sparkle paint and all the toys. It has to be worth well over
$20,000. In the afternoon he swings by the car dealer and picks up a new $40,000
4x4.
"I need it to tow the boat," he explained.
The next day he went fishing after stopping by the local bait shop to upgrade
his tackle. With tax included, his first fish must have cost him $70,000. His
wife could have worn new shoes to the supermarket and bought fillets of the same
fish for under $7 ready to cook.
If my neighbour was a pilot, he could have picked up a four-seat airplane or two
two-seaters for the same price as his car and boat. They’d cost about the same
to operate and store but the airplanes would fly higher, faster and further than
the boat and they’d do it year round. The kites wouldn’t be new but they’d
be worth a lot more than his fishing rig five years from now.
Either way, my neighbour and I can royally out-spend our wives in less time than
it takes them to find parking spots at the mall.
How about auctions?
My wife likes estate auctions. She and her buddy
love to watch all the different characters. Occasionally they bid on antique
glassware, jewelry or linens. If they hit an estate loaded with all three, their
spending spree can go as high as $200, each, but it usually doesn’t.
The auctions that attract men are for cars, boats, motorcycles, tools, equipment
and aircraft. Try spending just $200 at one of those.
I went to a municipal yard auction recently. There was a 1979 fire department
pumper/ladder truck being sold. The ladder extended to 75 feet. It had to be the
world’s biggest pressure washer. It would also have been useful for building
hangars and trimming trees. With that baby parked at the airport, I bet the fire
insurance premiums would go way down. Too many other guys had the same idea. It
started at $2,000 so I didn’t bid.
Or gifts?
It is difficult for women to buy gifts for men.
When a man wants something he buys it for himself. The expensive gift purchasing
has been done. The ladies are stuck buying ties or socks for their men. They
never think that there might be an airplane or a fire truck that he has denied
himself because he rarely does.
Men only buy one gift, something for their lady. It only takes five to ten
minutes to pick out a diamond or fur coat. There goes the gender-spending gap
again.
Conversely
My annual shopping trip for clothes takes less
than an hour including travel time. I avoid the "exclusive" men’s
stores with dark panelling and fitting rooms that look better than my living
room. Everything is too expensive and the staff members act like they are at the
top of the food chain.
I go to discount stores where there are too few staff to bother the customers.
It takes me about 10 minutes to try on four pairs of pants, four shirts and a
sweater in the aisles. On my way to the cash, I pick up a year’s supply of
underwear and socks.
It takes me about the same time to shop for groceries. Have you noticed that the
sale stuff is at the end of the aisles? I go along the front and back of the
store and grab everything there.
I could buy appliances even faster. "What’s on sale in white? Does it
include delivery and set up? You have a deal."
It’s impossible for women to shop like that.
Solutions
I have some suggestions for narrowing the
gender-spending gap.
1/ Ladies, learn to fly. I bet the few female pilots and aircraft
owners who are out there can spend serious money on aviation. Try it, it’s
fun, interesting, challenging, useful and a great way to get out of the house.
2/ Not enough time for flying lessons you say? Get your man to do your shopping.
It won’t take him as much time or money to buy your clothes, cosmetics,
appliances and groceries. Of course he won’t buy what you want but the money
he saves will pay for your flying. As a bonus he won’t be flying as much
because he’s at the mall.
3/ Don’t want to fly? Well forget golf, tennis, quilting or bridge. If you’re
going to jack up your spending, take up boating, motorcycles or car racing.
4/ Not interested in those things? Then shop for your man. Tell him that it’s
impossible to buy gifts for him so from now on you’re going to do all of the
aviation shopping. I bet you could balance the gender-spending gap in no time
and save your family a pile of money.
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