Well said Lebeau Hunter. My friend is the same way. Our other buddy says "if I really want something bad enough, I don't buy it. I just wait long enough for himto buy it and then ask if I can borrow it."

That said, I "need" a lot of gear since I've only been at it a few years. I spread my purchases out over the year and that way they don't seem so signifigant. Plus, if you have a good relationship with your spouse and you work hard to provide for your family, you can get away with a lot.

Afteryou do some really labor intensive task around the house that she couldn't or doesn't want to do and that she really appreciates, start talking about how happy hunting makes you and then say, "But I really shouldn't buy it. So and so down at the pro shop just showed me how cool it is, but I'll just make do with this one for a few more years."