So.... it seems popular opinion agrees that G.A.S. is more about buying things we don't really need as opposed to buying the tools we have to have to get the job done.
In my case, where I'm currently dropping a fair amount of cash into the gear I feel I need to cover all my recording criteria, I guess that wouldn't exactly be considered G.A.S. I have recently discovered that the computer desk I've been using is no longer going to work as far as mixing goes, and I've resolved to replace it with something more suitable to the task.
I looked into studio work stations and producer stations, but either the affordable ones are too small, or not practically designed, and the larger ones are WAYYYYY too expensive, and out of the question. So I shopped around online and found a 60"x 24" Credenza styled desk for around $100, Two 8U studio racks for $104 each, and isolation stands for the studio monitors at around $109 each, and an articulating Keyboard/mouse tray for around $80. So for under $600, I can put together a workstation that I can expand on later if I want to, that is set up exactly as I want it to be. That's $200 under the closest thing I could find online that is prefabricated for such a purpose.
I'm also looking at a cheap 5-string bass guitar that I'll need to lay down some bass tracks with, so I don't consider that G.A.S. either.
What I would consider to be G.A.S. would be my desire to buy an old Fender Stratocaster Elite, like the ones I used to own. I had two of them, but sold them to get into the Ibanez Jem guitars, which I eventually got tired of, and got rid of. but I have always regretted selling the Elites. No other Strat could get the sounds that those could, and I couldn't help but notice how I seem to try to do that with the Strats I have now. Don't get me wrong, each one I have sounds great in it's own right, but nothing like the Elites. I've been watching them come up on ebay, and have come close to pulling the trigger a couple of times, but I held back. Right now, there is a sunburst one that is exactly like one that I used to have, but he's asking about $500 too much for it. Maybe because he's in Canada. However, one of these days, one of those is going to come up for sale, and G.A.S. is going to take over...and you guys know the rest.
For right now, I'm going to make do with what I have, but I can't help but wonder how the Elite will sound through the Classic, since it makes my current Strats sound great.
Just sharing a few thoughts here...