the thing is, and we all know this is true, we can't always go by what dh thinks or 'knows'. when it's his field of interest i try to stay out of the decision making process, and when it's MY area of expertise, i expect the same respect. the other day my 23 yr old kenmore bit the dust. so i needed a machine in a hurry-- long list of commitments due now. dh wanted to surf the net, and watch e= bay to see what came up. NO! needed something NOW. anyway, i saw him sit down and stare at the machine and after a little bit he stood up and said, "let's go to the mall." we were off to buy a new machine! not my dream by any means but it will get my projects done almost on time and then i can search for what i really want. the point is-- he had no idea what he was looking for, or at and realized it. so if i said it didn't work, then it didn't work. he respected my area of expertise. you just need to make sure your dh knows that this is you area of interest, and you know what you're talking about and whether or not it's time to buy that machine. good luck ! 8-)