DINKs Can Play With Toys Too

If you are in your 30’s like me then you may be a product of the 1980’s.  Some people hate on the 80’s, but I loved it.  Life was much simpler when I was under 10 years old. My parents were together and I loved my sister.  We didn’t yet encounter any complications that would later in life tear our family apart.

My sister, Tara, and I had a great childhood; we had every toy on the market.  I would come to learn later in life that my boyfriend Nick and his younger sister had a very similar childhood. This may be the reason that Nick and I still want to have all of the latest adult toys available.  Yes, DINKS you know what I’m talking about.  Some of the latest adult toys include the New IPhone and the Xbox Kinect.  I ask you DINKs, what have you bought lately?

I decided to write about the adult toy craze because this week a client called me from Los Angeles in a panic when his credit card was declined at the Apple Store in downtown LA.  He was trying to purchase over $5000 of electronics with only $3000 of available credit on his credit card.  He wanted a temporary limit increase, or needed to make an emergency payment so he could purchase adult toys for personal use…not even computers for his office.

I admit that Nick and I have both a Nintendo Wii as well as a Playstation 3. I enjoy the Nintendo because I can play the old school Super Mario Brothers and Super Mario Brothers 3; I was never a big fan of Super Mario Brothers 2. The buttons and the levels are exactly as I remember them from my childhood, although the graphics have improved.  There is also a new version of my favourite childhood video game called Super Mario Galaxy which I don’t particularly like.  My video game philosophy is classic with a twist.

I enjoy the simplicity of Super Mario Brothers 3 combined with the new age technology, where I don’t have to blow into my Nintendo box every fifteen minutes when it freezes.  Every time there is a newer version of something we like, Nick and I have to buy it.  This can become very expensive.  I believe that the original Super Nintendo costs about $100 in the late 80s and early 90’s.  Our new Nintendo Wii cost close to $300.

The night before the Playstation 3 was released to the public my boyfriend Nick waited outside in line all night for the store to open. Of course he was on the waiting list and already made a deposit to guarantee his purchase. However, the store took 100 deposits and later found out that they were only receiving 75 Playstation 3 units.  This Playstation 3 cost $750 plus one sleepless night, and a mad dash through the store once it opened.  Luckily no one got physically injured at this location.

Xbox Kinect is the newest video game craze.  Luckily Nick and I have not yet jumped on this band wagon.  Let us also not forget the Apple craze.  It seems that these days Apple can market anything and people will continue rushing to purchase I pods, I pads, and Mac Books.  Of course I love my I pod but electronics can be costly.  I consider these to be adult toys, not living necessities.  Of course I love listening to music on my IPod but I could definitely live without it.

Photo By GoodRob

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.