Spent Sunday shopping for laptops with D14. She wanted the latest and gretest that is very expensive. She asked the entire family to give her checks for her birthday so she could contribute to the laptop. We went looking at various stores, and the choice came down to 2 machines. One was twice the price of the other. We sat in the car and had a long talk. I told her that I was at war inside. Part of me wants to say "yes, you should buy the expensive one because I love you and want you to have everything you desire." Another part of me wants to say "I am your father and I love you and it is my job to help you avoid foolish mistakes. To me, spending so much money on a laptop that will be obsolete in a few years is foolish. So part of me thinks the loving thing is to help you get comfortable spending less on the laptop if the lower priced on is good enough, which it seems to be".

In the end, she agreed to buy the less expensive laptop. Last night she told me she loves it. And that she is glad she let me convince her not to spend so much more money. Kudos to me.