Most of you will agree that this is NOT being frugal...
By reinydawn
@reinydawn (11643)
United States
January 11, 2009 10:32am CST
I have this pencil... It was given to me as a graduation gift 6 years ago when I got my Accounting degree. It's a Mont Blanc, which costs a couple hundred dollars - yes, for a PENCIL! Well, last Christmas, my boss bought me the matching ball-point pen, which was a FEW hundred dollars - for a PEN! So, now I have this pen/pencil set that costs more than some people make in a week. Now, mind you, my job - being a CPA - comes with a certain "image" and this set fits right in. I use them every day, mostly for work, but also for personal use.
Here's the kicker... About a year ago, the pencil kinda quit working. When you twisted it, the lead would not come out. You'd have to twist and twist and FINALLY the lead would come out, but about an inch of lead would come out and it took a while to get the lead at the right writing length. Last week, I'd had enough and decided it was time to try to get it fixed. Most places wont touch it and told me that I have to contact the manufacturer - in Germany. I found a guy that would fix it and we went to his shop yesterday. Well, unfortunately, the peice that's broken/missing is not something that he can repair. Mont Blanc doesn't sell it's parts so we have to send it to them to fix it. The minimum repair cost (and I already knew this and was trying to avoid it) is $75, plus like $11 for postage. He's going to call me when he gets it back, probably a few weeks.
Yeah, so I'm spending $80+ to fix a PENCIL!!!! My husband looked at me like I was crazy! We were really hoping that the guy could fix it. I can tell you this much, it's definitely going to be a business expense on my taxes, that's for sure!!!
So, how crazy do you think I am???
10 people like this
24 responses
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Nah, I don't want to wait for retirement to use it. I want to get as much use out of it as I can!
@moondancer (7431)
• United States
11 Jan 09
Not crazy at all in my opinion. It's something that is worth alot and would cost more than double that to replace it. As this is something that you use a lot and feel strongly about...I feel it's not extravagant and not crazy to do at all. Plus you do so much and I feel that we all deservve to have something or many things of value depending on what we can afford.
There is nothing wrong with indulging yourself once in awhile.
4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Thanks! If it ends up breaking again though, I think I might have to think twice about fixing it. Not sure I can keep indulging on this...
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
They usually do stand behing their pens, pencils and watches and stuff. But you can't expecet everything to be covered either... They are in business to make a profit, even if it's overpriced to start with...
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
11 Jan 09
I didn't know that there were pen and pencil sets that cost that kind of money. Any way if it was me I would look at a couple of things. The most important being would I offend my Boss if I did not get it fixed. The other which is equally important is whether I can afford that kind of money to get it fixed. If I had the money I would get it fixed simply so I would not hurt my Bosses feelings.
4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
The pencil was a gift from my previous employer, this boss gave me the matching pen. While we were in the pen store, we saw quite a few pens that were over $1,000. I certainly don't have that kinda money!!!
@hildas (3031)
•
11 Jan 09
Well expensive things need looking after and of course they are expensive to fix. I think it would be worth doing though and I would certainly get it fixed if it happened to my expensive pencil.
I do not think you are crazy. It is not your fault that it's that price to mend. If you did not get it fixed it would be a waste of money lying in a drawer somewhere. You use that pencil and it means something to you, so do get it fixed as you will be glad you did in the long run.
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Thanks! It does mean a lot to me, it marks the end of a very trying time. I would hate to think it was just lying in a drawer somewhere...
@KatieDidit (989)
• United States
11 Jan 09
Wow, to each his own! I couldn't do it. I would have though framed it and put it on the wall next to my degree / certificates etc as a really good hint to the boss for what he could get me next!
4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Actually, he may pay for the repair, but I'm going to wait and see. He also knows that I want a 2nd pen because I like to use green ink, but have to keep chaning it to use blue on "official" documents.
@leonag (33)
• Canada
11 Jan 09
You are not at all crazy. You enjoy using the pen and it means something to you. If it lasted for six years before breaking then it is a great pencil. You use it all the time so it is worth it to fix. look at this way, you are getting another 5-6 years out of it for only $85. Being a CPA you would probably go through that much money buying regular pencils anyway.
4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Yeah, you got a point... 6 years of pencils would add up after a while!
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
11 Jan 09
Being one that is so tight that my butt cheeks squeak when I walk, I will tell you that you are crazy! LOL! 
The item was a gift to you. Things break and whether you choose to fix it or not is up to you. The first thing you have to take into account is the expense of fixing the item. If you can find something to replace it at a lesser cost would be the next thought. Personally, I would replace it with one that is of good quality, but cheaper. If your boss wants you to have one that is the same as the one he gifted you, ask if they would like to pay for the cost of repair.
The item was a gift to you. Things break and whether you choose to fix it or not is up to you. The first thing you have to take into account is the expense of fixing the item. If you can find something to replace it at a lesser cost would be the next thought. Personally, I would replace it with one that is of good quality, but cheaper. If your boss wants you to have one that is the same as the one he gifted you, ask if they would like to pay for the cost of repair. 4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Well, the pencil was bought for me by my previous employer, my current employer bought me the matching pen so I'd have a set.
I know it was my choice to pay for the repairs, but I was hoping that I didn't have to send it away. I had already done some research and was prepared with the price, my husband had no clue.
They are pretty sturdy though, because I lost the pencil once and we found it a week later in our gravel driveway. I'd been running it over almost every day.
It was strange today using a different pencil, I had a hard time holding it.
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
12 Jan 09
Since the pencil cost so much I may have gotten it fixed also. I agree with you it is cheaper to fix it then buy a new one. No matter what your husband thinks.
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
That is so true! But I'm sure he was thinking it would be cheaper to go buy a cheap pencil :)
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
14 Jan 09
I don't think he thought it was going to be that much. I already knew because I'd looked it up, but he probably thought it was gonna be like $20.
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
14 Jan 09
He does not seem to understand what the gift meant to you does he.
1 person likes this
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
11 Jan 09
I don't think you are crazy at all. You worked hard for that pencil and you deserve to have it fixed to keep on using it for work and especially now that you have the matching pen. My daughter is working hard to get her bachelor's degree in accounting so I know for a fact it is not easy.
4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I commend your daughter. If she has a love for accounting is will be much easier. I love what I do! Fortunately it's a career that pays pretty good, so I can actually afford to fix this pencil!
@thebeaddoodler (4262)
• Lubbock, Texas
12 Jan 09
I don't think you're crazy. . . exactly. I wouldn't do it, but that doesn't make you crazy for doing it. I think I would leave it on my desk for clients to see (because it matches your ball point) and buy another good quality one to use. That still gives you the "image" your boss is looking for.
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I tell ya though, I had a job somewhere else for a little while, and I think this pencil was actually what got me the job. When the owner of the firm saw me writing with it, he asked if it was real or a knock-off. He was quite impressed that it was real. Of course he was an idiot and that job didn't last too long...
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
12 Jan 09
Hey reiny! Well if it really costs a couple of hundred dollars
then I would only use it on rare occasions! I certainly wouldn't
be using it every day! I would just use it when I was seeing
"special" clients! I would use a cheaper pencil set every day
and save that nicer one for later! I guess if it means that
much to you I could understand that you wanted to have it fixed.
It's the wanting to use it every day that I don't understand!
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I would consider it a waste to not use it. I mean, why put something that nice aside to "look" at. Eh, I use everything the same, expensive or cheap.
@chantalgiardina (2523)
• United States
12 Jan 09
i would not have fixed it. it would have just left it broke lol
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I had been debating over this for about a year and finally just said it was time to do it and get it over with. It's a waste to have something that nice not working.
1 person likes this
@Autumnrose2008 (1478)
• United States
12 Jan 09
I know its a lot but really the type of pencil you are talking about is worth lots of money. And your right being a cpa you need a pencil that works it is tax time after all. 
Any way if I had an extra 80 dollars I would do the same I will probably spend more than that to fix my laptop that my husband destroyed. I just hope that its fixable. LOL. I guess we all just place different values on what we own. Well I hope you get your pencil back soon and it works better than before.
Any way if I had an extra 80 dollars I would do the same I will probably spend more than that to fix my laptop that my husband destroyed. I just hope that its fixable. LOL. I guess we all just place different values on what we own. Well I hope you get your pencil back soon and it works better than before.3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Oh I know, expensive stuff is expensive to maintain also. But, when you think about it, I mean, it's just a pencil... I do miss it already though and hope to get it back soon!
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
12 Jan 09
Personally I would say that this is a little Crazy. There is no way even if someone else would pay for it, that I would want to even get something like this fixed. And since it was originally a Gift, I agree with your husband and everyone else that you are Crazy spending this type of $$ to get it fixed. Couldn't you have just gotten a cheaper one to use instead, and saved the $80. How will you explain this one on your Taxes without it getting looked at strangely as well?
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Well, since I use this pencil every day, all day long, it's a business tool. Getting it repaired is a business expense. It's legit, even if I had bought a NEW pencil to replace it that was $200, it would be an expense item.
It's the same with a computer. If you pay someone $100 to fix it, it's an expense, even if you have 3 other computers that you can use. Or lets say you but the $2000 laptap instead of the $800 laptop. The $2000 is still a write off, even though you could have bought the $800 one.
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
23 Jan 09
Actually, I've been using the regular mechanical pencils we have in the office and I so miss my Mont Blanc... I can't wait to get it back, it really does handle much nicer. Strange but true!
1 person likes this
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
16 Jan 09
I understand you on many levels on this one. Ex-Accountant here, and Mont Blanc lover myself.
I learned this lesson years ago.... with companies that know they are a part of 'the imagine' of business, if you would have contacted them directly they likely would have just sent you an all new pencil. This is especially true if you had given them the whole picture... CPA, gift from boss, etc.
But, then of course it would not be the original pencil you received for your achievement.... Sentimentally, that would have mattered to me.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
19 Jan 09
I don't know that they'd have given me a new pencil, but they would have offered to fix it for the same $75 I'm sure! They have their repair policy on the website, so I pretty much knew what to expect if this guy wasn't able to fix it. I hope it comes back soon, it's only been a week and I really miss it!
1 person likes this
@beaniecat (329)
• United States
4 Feb 09
I wouldn't have paid that much to fix a pencil. However, you have to decide what's important to you. I hope it lasts a long time at that rate.
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
4 Feb 09
Me too!!! If it breaks again I do believe I'm going to have to complain about it. I can understand it happening once...
1 person likes this
@Lexus656 (672)
• United States
16 Jan 09
TO be honest with you reiny I cant be mad at ya or tell you that you are crazy lol. If it was something that was that important to me then I would probably spend the extra money as well. I know there's been several of my sons toys that he's broken but they were really important to him so I had to get them fixed or buy new ones. I know we feel crazy doing this things sometimes but its what is best for us. But honeslty I think anybody that pays 5 or 600 for a pencil is absolutely nuts. I think thats just becuase I am working two jobs going to school full time and raising a two year old without help or child support so I hear eagles screaming most of the time lol.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
19 Jan 09
I know how ya feel! When I recieved the pencil as a gift, I was working full-time, with 2 kids (teenagers at the time) at home, by myself and I'd just finished going to school almost ful-time also. There's no way I would have ever bought that for myself, but as a gift I wasn't going to turn it down. If I was still in the same situation I was then, it would be going unfixed still. Fortunately, things are going a bit better for me than they were then and I'm able to afford a little bit of extravagance now and then.
1 person likes this
@TheCasualReporter (283)
• France
12 Jan 09
From a financial perspective it doesn't seem sending it to germany is a great move, but not all decisions must be made with finance being the deciding factor, even for a CPA! If you love that pencil, or it has some other meaning deeper than a writing instrument, and you can afford to have it repaired, do so. There's a good argument that money needs to keep flowing at this moment even more than before.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Mont Blanc is pretty weird about their stuff. They like to do it all themselves. You can' always get it fixed locally - a lot of people wont even touch it.
It's only been one day and already I'm missing it. Using the other pencils is now kinda strange...
