Help Me Make a Decision, Oppo

"SVTyler" (svtyler) 04/16/2015 at 17:20 • Filed to: None

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In the summer I will have $1500 of extra money to spend on whatever my little heart desires, most likely a motorcycle since that's what it was originally earmarked for. However, a new opportunity has since presented itself.

Me and a buddy have always jokingly kicked around the idea of going to one of Europe's gigantic music festivals over one of our college summer breaks. It's never been anything serious, more of like, "dude wouldn't it be awesome" kinda musings we could always dream about and put at the bottom of our imaginary bucket lists. Well, he now has a internship in the Netherlands starting this month, and it ends just in time for one of the biggest metal festivals in the world.

Hellfest.

3 days, 120 bands, 100,000+ attendees. It's the Woodstock of heavy metal.

Budgeting out transportation costs I've found flying in and miscellaneous travel plus a ticket in is going to run in the neighborhood of - you guessed it - $1500. So, I could either spend my money on another vehicle I really don't need, or spend three days in France partying and listening to all the HEAVY METUHL my ears can take... which I also really don't need, to be honest.

Because I'll be graduating and entering the workforce in a couple years and the only reason I'm going is because my friend is (and he's only going because he's in Europe to begin with), I don't think I'll ever have a chance to go to a festival like this again. It's a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I don't want to pass it up for something I could buy any other time in the future.

On the other hand, $1500 for three days of entertainment (realistically more about 20 hours amongst the bands I'd want to see) doesn't seem like an entirely prudent way to spend such an amount of money. A motorcycle would be a much better investment since it will last me years and years and (if end up using it as a commuter bike like I'm planning) it would actually save me quite a bit of gas money too. That's not even considering the fact I could just resell the bike later and recoup most (if not all) of my money if I get bored of it. I'd also have to take off roughly a week of work thanks to time zones and airline scheduling, so I'd not only be spending money but not making any either. Despite the tone of this post the actual monetary value is irrelevant, I'm just looking for the best bang-for-the-buck so to speak.

Oh and I don't know how to ride a motorcycle yet, so there's that too.

So yeah, that's the gist of it, one of those 'heart says one thing, brain says another' type deals I'm always terrible at dealing with. Any input would be welcome.

TL;DR: Motorcycle or metal.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:21

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Motorcycle. You'll only partially lose your hearing.

Groagun > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:24

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As a fellow OPPO and JalopoNAUGHT, I have to say, go to FRANCE! The bike will be here when you get back, the experience wont!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:26

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Put it in the bank. You never know when A) Something better comes along and you've saved up even more or B)Actually need the money.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:27

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To be quite honest IMO. Experiences are worth way more than material things. Yes you will remember both the bike or the festival in 20 years. but which one will you most likely still remember in exact detail and still be able to feel it like it was just yesterday. I'd say probably the festival.

And I'm pro bikes and I strongly dislike Metal music but this is as honest as I can be.

E. Julius > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:29

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Travel. Plenty of other opportunities to get a motorcycle, and the memories will almost certainly get better with age. If that's not an investment, I don't know what is.

lonestranger > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:32

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\m/

Bluecold > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:35

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You can always buy the bike if you're old. You can't go to concerts if you're old. Also, your friend picked a good month to start in the netherlands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koningsda… <— That will leave him probably thoroughly confused about the netherlands.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:44

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Old guy here: There will be other motorcycles in your future. While you are young, go do stuff like that. Travel, do something stupid. Have an adventure! There is nothing worse than growing up and spending the rest of your life having to listen to people your own age say " I wish I had done ____ "

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:48

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If you have your heart set on doing something fun with it rather than turning it into more (unfortunately easier than it sounds) then go to the festival. There are always bikes for sale and you said yourself this is a one in a lifetime opportunity.

Textured Soy Protein > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 17:50

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Put the $1500 in a low-fee, indexed ETF, and let it sit for the next however many years earning interest.

472CID > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 18:19

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Surely there's you can get your metal fix for less than $1500. On the other hand that is a lot of bands you could check of the list in one easy pass.

desertdog5051 > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 18:20

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1. *As your financial adviser* Put some of it in your retirement account. Spend the rest on fun.

2. *As your fun adviser* Don't listen to that. Just party 'til you spend it.

Seriously, If I had not done that, #1, I would not be able to retire when I get ready. Small bits add up over time. I know, I know. I sound like a parent.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 19:01

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Dude if you have the chance to go to Europe do it. Motorcycles will always be aplenty all over the US for cheap

SVTyler > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 04/16/2015 at 19:53

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Definitely get where you're coming from and that's the attitude I've had since I started working (which is why I have an 'extra' $1500 laying around now), but I'm kind of ready to spend it and have fun and enjoy what I've worked for.

SVTyler > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 04/16/2015 at 19:58

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Well we've been to Italy and Spain with my family and my brother stayed in France for a few days and said that (besides some a-hole Parisians) he liked it better than either of those so that's what I'm leaning towards.

SVTyler > Textured Soy Protein 04/16/2015 at 20:02

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I already have quite a bit more than that in a Roth IRA and a mutual fund that my mom's financial adviser set me up with a few years ago :) For once in my life I want to do something stupid and fun man, don't give me that logical, responsible adult advice lol.

Textured Soy Protein > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 20:04

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You seemed to have doubts about both options. So...when in doubt, don't spend the money. But if you're really set on doing one of these things, it's not so much money that you will put yourself in the poor house.

As for which one, I got nothing.

AdverseMartyr > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 20:06

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I think I will agree with the pro-Europe crowd on this one. If you've gone this many years without the skill of riding a motorcycle then one more year won't kill you.

But I think you should still learn to ride this summer. Find the MSF course for beginners that is near you and take it. That will allow you to learn to ride, and should get you well on your way to a license. Then you can still look for a bike after Europe.

Europe with a friend is better than Europe with the family. ...Unless the family is your European wife.

SVTyler > 472CID 04/16/2015 at 20:10

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Well the problem is that I live in an area that bands don't really come through (I'd have to drive ~3 hours to Chicago), and a lot of the bands at the festival either don't really tour the US anyways or do so very infrequently or only hit the East Coast venues so this would be the only chance I have to see them. Hypothetically if all the bands I'd see at the festival all came to Chicago I'd spend almost the exact same amount of money on gas and food and the like (not to mention extra wear and tear on my car) so while $1500 may seem like a lot of money it's actually not that bad, more like $55/band which is what people I know pay for more mainstream acts anyways.

SVTyler > E. Julius 04/16/2015 at 20:14

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We've gone to Italy and Europe in the past and I've been blown away by how amazing both those trips were, which is why I'm leaning towards going to the festival. As morbid as it sounds I'd rather look back on my life as I lay dying on my deathbed than remember how much money I have saved up that my kids or whoever will all get.

Also since you're actually in France, do the people there understand and speak English pretty well?. I'm obviously planning on trying to learn a bit of rudimentary French anyways, but just curious since my brother (who visited last summer) seemed to have no problems getting around.

SVTyler > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 04/16/2015 at 20:14

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That's the way I'm looking at it. I've always been super-conservative and careful with my money, maybe now's the time to have some fun with it.

SVTyler > desertdog5051 04/16/2015 at 20:19

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No it's cool, I actually think like you do 99% of the time which is why I have such the money saved up anyways. I'm got a decent amount invested with my mom's financial advisor in a Roth IRA and some in a mutual fund so it's not like I'm draining my account or anything, I've just always saved and saved and never done anything fun with my money besides buying my car, maybe it's time to do something a bit stupid.

E. Julius > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 20:21

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You will have no problem getting around. Maybe if you go to some real out of the way little village, but if you're going anywhere that people from other countries might go you'll be fine. Especially in Paris, so many people speak such good English it can be tough for me to practice French with them!

SVTyler > Bluecold 04/16/2015 at 20:24

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That's my thinking, especially since I've only been to other two concerts so far as a 21-year-old (most of the bands I like don't tour in my area or went to 21-and-older venues). Gotta catch up man, and there's 28 bands I'm planning on seeing if I do go.

He's really looking forward to it and I can't blame him, I've heard nothing but good things about the Netherlands and the Dutch people. He also thought it was funny that one of the country's main attractions is a flea market of all things.

SVTyler > AdverseMartyr 04/16/2015 at 20:32

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There's a weekends-only MSF I was planning on taking that's starts about three weeks after I get out of school so I'm covered there. And actually my family's been to Europe twice before so I'm really looking forward to experiencing it without having to have my hand held and being able to do my own thing.

SVTyler > Textured Soy Protein 04/16/2015 at 20:39

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The way I look at it is that the money is already spent, I just need to decide what to do with it. You think exactly like I do the other 99% of the time I deal with anything money-related so I definitely get where you're coming from, but like I said just this once I want to do something fun and exciting without worrying about the money aspect of it.

SVTyler > E. Julius 04/16/2015 at 21:05

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That's what my brother said about Paris, people speak it pretty well but some of them don't want to lol. The concert itself is in a small town called Clisson on the coast but I'd imagine with the influx of foreigners the actual event organizers and vendors speak English almost exclusively so it shouldn't be a problem.

desertdog5051 > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 22:35

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Sounds like you are on course. Have some fun.

472CID > SVTyler 04/16/2015 at 22:43

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Years ago you could have seen about a quarter of those bands in at Ozzfest in Wisconsin, and it would have only cost you a couple hundred bucks.

SVTyler > 472CID 04/16/2015 at 23:36

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Not trying to be argumentative obviously but I really couldn't have since my parents were super-over-protective of me as a kid and didn't let me go to concerts nor go on trips without them. Hell, I had plans to go to Warped Tour with a few friends in high school and they basically grounded me and said they wouldn't let me go see " those bands and hang out with those people" like I was going to a leper colony or something.

Besides that, not many of the bands at the festival (ignoring the main stage headliners) are are the kind to do Ozzfest (if even tour the US at all) thanks to them being mostly small-time European groups or American ones that can't afford to do shows anywhere but the US coasts. This will literally be the only time I get to see some of them unless they all somehow get to Ozzfest/Mayhem levels of popularity.

SVTyler > desertdog5051 04/17/2015 at 00:32

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Will do man, thanks!

dr861 > SVTyler 04/17/2015 at 13:21

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Or you could do the Bmw m3 full day driving school for $650...