What purchase saved you the most money?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
barreg
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by barreg »

confusedinvestor wrote: Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:07 am +1
$7 Apothic Red
UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:55 am Cheap wine.
Also, appropriately named for this forum, any of the Bogle wines. They're surprisingly good without even needing to throw in the qualifier "for the price" (they're great for the price)
EnjoyIt
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by EnjoyIt »

wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm I'm going to be contrarian here.

Things that saved you money but cost your labor seem to come up a lot - i.e. washing your own car, mowing your own lawn, etc. Why do people tend not to value their labor?
Things that saved you money but aren't really comparable - i.e. buying a Honda over a BMW. People who shop for one tend not to shop for the other. Buying a Honda gets you reliability. Buying a BMW gets you thrills. Thrills are much more subjective in value.
Things that saved you money but you haven't considered opportunity cost - i.e. buying a house vs renting. This has been debated many times and I don't want to derail the main topic. Suffice to say that you should be benchmarking your money vs house price inflation to get at an accurate savings number.

Finally, survivorship bias. All of the listed examples are successful examples of an action that resulted in people saving money. What is the success rate of any one particular action? We don't (and likely can't) know because imperfect data.

Things I consider true savings of money? Buying an OTA antenna and Netflix to replace cable. Something like this seems more like a perfect substitute and has zero compromises. Unless you want live sports.

Not meant to attack anyone, just wanted to offer a different look.
There are pros and cons on doing your own labor. Doing something yourself provides a certain level of satisfaction and happiness as opposed to just hiring out the work. Using your own body as opposed to sitting in a chair is healthy and likely worth much more than one realizes. In addition cutting expenses and saving money allows not only your wealth to grow but also the need to build as much wealth since your expenses are lower. Just because a person can make more money at work and then outsource everything at home does not necessarily make it an all around best decision.
A time to EVALUATE your jitters: | viewtopic.php?p=1139732#p1139732
JackoC
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by JackoC »

TheOscarGuy wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:25 am
wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm I'm going to be contrarian here.

Things that saved you money but aren't really comparable - i.e. buying a Honda over a BMW. People who shop for one tend not to shop for the other. Buying a Honda gets you reliability. Buying a BMW gets you thrills. Thrills are much more subjective in value.
I tried BMW for 6 years; had a lot of thrill but also lost a lot of money in maintaining it. By selling it and buying a Honda I saved money. In my case this isn't subjective, I know I would have spent more money and the "thrill" wouldn't have been worth the cost.
"...and the 'thrill' wouldn't have been worth the cost" is the epitome of a subjective statement, even if preceded by a claim to the contrary. :D

You spent less money. Perhaps the question would be clearer with that slight change in phraseology, 'spend less' v 'saved you money'. A number of answers imply the posters interpret 'save money' as getting the same thing for less money. The Honda is not the same thing as the BMW*: objective fact. But it's a better value for the money you believe: subjective judgement.

On one hand one might say it makes more sense to just consider 'spent less', and not argue about what you got for your money. OTOH if it's just about not spending money, the biggest savers are the things you *don't* buy at all.

Switching gears ( :D ), I'm also surprised by a number of answers saying buying houses saved a lot of money, when there's also such a widespread belief here, as expressed on other threads, that stocks are the Super Asset. It would seem you'd have to include the superness of the stocks you missed out on at least with downpayment on a house in saying that saved money over not buying a house, along with other considerations of the endless buy/rent debate (like people tend to rent less space than they buy, etc). I've been a homeowner for decades, and paid cash, so I'm not against home ownership, I just find it interesting houses put forward as biggest money savers. I *really* like our house, an old work of art, owning and maintaining it is kind of like being a conservator, but I don't particularly think of it as having saved us money.

*there might even be comparisons where it's reasonable to claim the Honda is the superior performer, say Civic Type R v my BMW 328 (not as much as a stock 328, mine is tuned up, but still) and there would still be a price difference in H's favor there though not so much, also the Civic R is not as refined a cruising machine, and even performance wise it would also depend one's feel for the FWD platform as opposed to R/AWD: not the same personality. Even among cars in either stable there are different personalities, esp BMW's. My M2 has a distinctly different personality than the 328, more raw, tighter (steering, suspension), louder, even inside, than the 328. But the 328 makes you feel competent taking windy road curves a bit fast, the M2 makes you feel like a professional driver. I smile every time I see my M2, chuckle every time I push the start button (that 'exploding' sound on start), cackle every time I drive it out in the wilds. That's subjective.
Bubbacat
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Bubbacat »

By percentage of cost to savings:

1. Online drivers safety course. GA state law mandates a 10% premium reduction if all drivers 50+ on a policy complete such a course. Reduction carries over several years. AARP course had a buy one get one for $10. Total about $40. We have an 18 year old son on our policy, so rates quite high. The premium reduction worked out to about $400/yr. We also use our carrier"s monitoring app, for a savings of about $200/yr.

2. Started shopping at Aldi. Food quality greatly enhanced over last couple years. Estimated savings 35% over comparable stores. Plus it's easy to get in and out due to small store footprint.

3. Dental tourism. Not outside of US, just a 90 min drive from south ATL to Alabama. Paid out of pocket (lousy dental insurance) and saved approximately $1600 over what the local oral surgeon I consulted quoted for the procedure. Both board certified, no worries about quality of care. Why not drive a little? I slept on the way home and DH took good care of me. BTW, the above works for all kinds of out of pocket medical - if you do your homework you can save a bundle.

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wabbajack
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by wabbajack »

EnjoyIt wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:47 am
wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm Things that saved you money but cost your labor seem to come up a lot - i.e. washing your own car, mowing your own lawn, etc. Why do people tend not to value their labor?
There are pros and cons on doing your own labor. Doing something yourself provides a certain level of satisfaction and happiness as opposed to just hiring out the work. Using your own body as opposed to sitting in a chair is healthy and likely worth much more than one realizes. In addition cutting expenses and saving money allows not only your wealth to grow but also the need to build as much wealth since your expenses are lower. Just because a person can make more money at work and then outsource everything at home does not necessarily make it an all around best decision.
Emphasis mine.
The counterpoint to doing your own manual labor is the same as the point you brought up. Your time has an opportunity cost. The hour you spent mowing is an hour you could have done something more enjoyable over the weekend (let's say play golf). The point I'm trying to make is that you have to attach value to your own (and other hired) labor, in order to look at this objectively. If we equate time = money, and that mowing is an undesirable activity, then mowing your own lawn is the equivalent of spending money to do something you don't enjoy.

Please don't get caught up in the specific activities I stated (mowing and golf). I'm just trying to provide more context to the supposed savings people claim. FWIW, I do mow my own lawn (and that's not the point).
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wabbajack
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by wabbajack »

JackoC wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:56 am
TheOscarGuy wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:25 am
wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm I'm going to be contrarian here.

Things that saved you money but aren't really comparable - i.e. buying a Honda over a BMW. People who shop for one tend not to shop for the other. Buying a Honda gets you reliability. Buying a BMW gets you thrills. Thrills are much more subjective in value.
I tried BMW for 6 years; had a lot of thrill but also lost a lot of money in maintaining it. By selling it and buying a Honda I saved money. In my case this isn't subjective, I know I would have spent more money and the "thrill" wouldn't have been worth the cost.
"...and the 'thrill' wouldn't have been worth the cost" is the epitome of a subjective statement, even if preceded by a claim to the contrary. :D

You spent less money. Perhaps the question would be clearer with that slight change in phraseology, 'spend less' v 'saved you money'. A number of answers imply the posters interpret 'save money' as getting the same thing for less money. The Honda is not the same thing as the BMW*: objective fact. But it's a better value for the money you believe: subjective judgement.

On one hand one might say it makes more sense to just consider 'spent less', and not argue about what you got for your money. OTOH if it's just about not spending money, the biggest savers are the things you *don't* buy at all.
Thank you for restating my point with more eloquence. This belies my entire viewpoint. Spending less to get less is not the same as saving money to me. To count as savings, you have to get the same thing for a lower cost. Good value is not the same as savings because it is inherently a compromise on cost.
JackoC wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:56 am I smile every time I see my M2, chuckle every time I push the start button (that 'exploding' sound on start), cackle every time I drive it out in the wilds. That's subjective.
When I had my Audi, I remember the compliments it got. Just about every date said something about it. Sitting in it and going to work just felt 'better'. It's all subjective and admittedly shallow - but I enjoyed it while it lasted. It also figuratively opened doors to allow me to rub shoulders with wealthier people. Basically the equivalent of wearing 6-inch heels for a guy.
rashad3000
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by rashad3000 »

15-year mortgage through NACA.

0.125% rate.

No PMI.

No closing costs.

Estimated savings of over $70,000.
bubbadog
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by bubbadog »

retiredjg wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:03 am
wootwoot wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 2:35 am Condoms, they saved me from having a baby in college.
Considering the cost of raising and educating a child....I think we have a winner!
Dilly dilly!
MrBeaver
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by MrBeaver »

wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm I'm going to be contrarian here.

Things that saved you money but cost your labor seem to come up a lot - i.e. washing your own car, mowing your own lawn, etc. Why do people tend not to value their labor?
Ok, I’ll bite.

Mine: a trimmer that I use on my beard. By growing a beard and trimming once a week instead of shaving every day, I’ve saved roughly 5 minutes of time six times a week, or 26 hours per year for going on twenty years.

At a conservative rate of $50/hour, that $20 trimmer has saved me $26,000 in time.
TheOscarGuy
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by TheOscarGuy »

JackoC wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:56 am "...and the 'thrill' wouldn't have been worth the cost" is the epitome of a subjective statement, even if preceded by a claim to the contrary. :D
Point taken!
BogleMelon
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by BogleMelon »

a $150 paid to the US embassy 7 years ago, saved me my life (by being able to legally immigrate to US and have a way better life) :happy
"One of the funny things about stock market, every time one is buying another is selling, and both think they are astute" - William Feather
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Doom&Gloom »

BogleMelon wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:08 am a $150 paid to the US embassy 7 years ago, saved me my life (by being able to legally immigrate to US and have a way better life) :happy
This one is gonna be hard to beat!
EnjoyIt
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by EnjoyIt »

wabbajack wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:40 pm
EnjoyIt wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:47 am
wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm Things that saved you money but cost your labor seem to come up a lot - i.e. washing your own car, mowing your own lawn, etc. Why do people tend not to value their labor?
There are pros and cons on doing your own labor. Doing something yourself provides a certain level of satisfaction and happiness as opposed to just hiring out the work. Using your own body as opposed to sitting in a chair is healthy and likely worth much more than one realizes. In addition cutting expenses and saving money allows not only your wealth to grow but also the need to build as much wealth since your expenses are lower. Just because a person can make more money at work and then outsource everything at home does not necessarily make it an all around best decision.
Emphasis mine.
The counterpoint to doing your own manual labor is the same as the point you brought up. Your time has an opportunity cost. The hour you spent mowing is an hour you could have done something more enjoyable over the weekend (let's say play golf). The point I'm trying to make is that you have to attach value to your own (and other hired) labor, in order to look at this objectively. If we equate time = money, and that mowing is an undesirable activity, then mowing your own lawn is the equivalent of spending money to do something you don't enjoy.

Please don't get caught up in the specific activities I stated (mowing and golf). I'm just trying to provide more context to the supposed savings people claim. FWIW, I do mow my own lawn (and that's not the point).
I fully agree and each outsourcing is a personal decision. Just remember we pay for that outsourcing with our time at work in two ways. 1) We have to work for that money now to pay the laborer. 2) We will need to save more money for retirement to continue paying for that outsourcing in retirement as well.

For example: I suck at keeping my pool clean due to lack of time and inconsistency. We pay a service about $2000 a year to do it for us (it is actually less but for math purposes let’s use $2,000 and let’s assume I make $200/hr and pay 40% state and federal taxes for all additional dollars earned. Therefor I make $120/hr after tax and need to work an additional 16.7 hours a year for my pool. Plus, to continue paying for that pool in retirement I will need an additional 25x expenses saved up which means I will need to save an additional $50K which will require one to work 6 hours a year for 30 years at a rate of growth of 5% yearly after taxes. Let’s add that all up (16.7 + 6) * 30 = 681 hours or an additional half a year at work.

Also, cleaning a pool takes a bit of physical effort that uses every muscle in my body which is very healthy for me. On days I clean the pool I may not need to go to the gym that day which saves me another hour every week if that is what I decide.

As you can see this time saving endeavor is costing me a lot of my current and future time. Maybe the answer is to simply not have a pool or maybe this extra time at work is worth the benefit today. Each individual needs to decide their own value.
A time to EVALUATE your jitters: | viewtopic.php?p=1139732#p1139732
greenback
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by greenback »

Building a home gym! I used gift cards and rewards points to get my total spending down to $220 - Power Rack, Bench, Barbell & Weights.

This paid for itself in 7 months by eliminating a $33/mo gym membership to use the same exact equipment. Not to mention all the time saved commuting, waiting for weights/equipment, etc. :moneybag
You shouldn’t retire until your money starts making more money than you made in your best year.
bbees
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by bbees »

Geothermal for upgrade on heating and cooling. Been through some extremely hot years, never a bill over $100.
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Pizza_and_Beer
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Pizza_and_Beer »

bo105954027 wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:45 pm
Pizza_and_Beer wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:17 pm My bicycle to get around town/commute to work. Paid for itself in six months and saves me from having to buy a $121/month transit pass. Not to mention, the 1.5 hours of exercise each day has kept the doctor away.
How do you handle burning/freezing/rainy/windy/snowy days?
I thought about bicycle commute when I started working but it looks not pragmatic.
Proper clothing is what makes it possible for me. Basically, for any weather condition, someone has thought of some sporting outwear to make it possible for someone to perform in it.

I can handle the heat pretty well so in the middle of the summer, all I need in a good pair of sport sunglasses to not only block the sun but also keep the road dust out of my eyes. I wear shorts and a t-shirt.

In the winter, I invested in windproof gloves, wear multiple layers with a breathable windbreaker on the outside, and a balaclava to wear under my helmet. I feel cold initially, but after pedaling you start to warm up.

In the rain, it helps to have a bike that has fenders so you don't get the road dirt all over you. Waterproof outwear is important to make sure your ride is enjoyable.

I don't bike commute when the roads are icy or have more than a dusting of snow on them. Some people do with studded tires, but I can't be bothered to.
moehoward
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by moehoward »

HIinvestor wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:06 pm The things that have saved us the most money:
Staying married to same wonderful spouse who is on same page on spending/saving—priceless
Keeping vehicles for many, many years
Staying in same “starter home” we bought and not “upgrading/upsizing”
Preparing many meals at home
Buying quality, low-priced luggage and using it for s decade
Having child attend U where he got 50% tuition scholarship
Having kid attend CC
This is exactly my experiences. We do like very nice wine though....
ETadvisor
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by ETadvisor »

StormShadow wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:34 am Toyota instead of BMW.
This ^ For me it was a Honda instead of Mercedes.
MathWizard
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by MathWizard »

All my purchases cost me money.
I guess that I could say that I bought used cars instead of Ferraris, so I "saved" lots of money.
Nicolas
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Nicolas »

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peetsperk
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by peetsperk »

Sandtrap wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 11:00 pm 'The Little Book on Common Sense Investing" by J. Bogle.
Worth every penny.
Bought for $15
Saved me at least 10 million percent of that.
+1
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peetsperk
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by peetsperk »

Above all else, there are 3 things that have saved us untold thousands of dollars. In addition to Jack's "Little Book on Common Sense Investing", they are Financial Peace University and Vanguard.
Cruise
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Cruise »

Photovoltaic system. Thanks to government subsidies, it has paid for itself, and is now saving us around $3300.00 a year.
bberris
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by bberris »

No one volunteering "Prenup?"
dsmclone
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by dsmclone »

Nicolas wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:30 pm
TheOscarGuy wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:25 am
wabbajack wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:43 pm I'm going to be contrarian here.

Things that saved you money but aren't really comparable - i.e. buying a Honda over a BMW. People who shop for one tend not to shop for the other. Buying a Honda gets you reliability. Buying a BMW gets you thrills. Thrills are much more subjective in value.
I tried BMW for 6 years; had a lot of thrill but also lost a lot of money in maintaining it. By selling it and buying a Honda I saved money. In my case this isn't subjective, I know I would have spent more money and the "thrill" wouldn't have been worth the cost.
What is the thrill in owning a BMW? Is it increased pep, handling, luxury, or brand conceit, what? I now drive a used 2015 Honda Civic after trading in my broken-down and rusted 1996 Toyota Corolla, and I'm thrilled every time I start my Civic. Maybe I should buy a BMW. I never drove or even rode in one. You don't miss what you never had I guess.
Based on the cars you mentioned, it doesn't sound like you get enjoyment out of cars so to answer your question, you're probably not missing anything. I can't only speak for myself but vehicles bring me something that nothing else can bring me. The feeling you get when you hear a Mustang GT-350 drive past, a Honda S2000 hitting 8,500 RPM, knowing that I can hit triple digit speeds in about 5 seconds on a sport bike, closing the door on a 10 year old Lexus LS, etc.
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8foot7
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by 8foot7 »

bberris wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 7:19 am No one volunteering "Prenup?"
Probably because the divorce that caused them to want a prenup was so expensive
Kevin8696
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Kevin8696 »

Navy ROTC paid my way through college, and then the GI Bill paid for grad school. Never paid a nickel myself.

Go Navy !!
hq38sq43
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by hq38sq43 »

Two books purchased 40+ years ago:
Making The Most Of Your Money (Jane Bryant Quinn)
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need (Andrew Tobias).

Best regards,
Harry at Bradenton
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boglesmymind
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by boglesmymind »

My wife, while grocery shopping, was rummaging through the frozen turkey bin, and found a nice 15 pounder priced at an amazing 11 cents. When she took it to the cashier, the cashier confiscated her turkey and claimed that it was hers, and that my wife could not have it! A big fight ensued, and my wife demanded to see the manager. After explaining what happened, the manager told the cashier to sell it to my wife for the marked price of 11
cents. What a score!
We love retelling this true story.
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dumbbunny
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by dumbbunny »

Pizza_and_Beer wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:17 pm My bicycle to get around town/commute to work.
Same for me (for 19 years commuting 12 miles round trip and for 6 years commuting 25 miles round trip)
“It’s the curse of old men to realize that in the end we control nothing." "Homeland" episode, "Gerontion"
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retiredjg
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by retiredjg »

hq38sq43 wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:56 am The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need (Andrew Tobias).
I too stumbled on this book many years ago. It was my only guidance in financial matters for most of my adult life. It kept me from making a lot of mistakes. The edition I read was more about financial matters than investing as I recall. I'm sure I saved money by not falling for mortgage and car loan and insurance "deals" that benefited others more than me.

It was many years later when I became a Boglehead. :happy
LiterallyIronic
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by LiterallyIronic »

I feel like this thread has left the original intent. Everyone is saying things they bought instead of buying a more expensive thing (cheaper car, cheaper house, etc), when OP was asking for something that was more expensive upfront but then it hit the break-even point and became less expensive.

For me, I'll say my bowling shoes. $30 upfront; saves me $2.50 every time I bowl. Broke even after my 12th bowling trip, which was many, many games of bowling ago.
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dm200
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by dm200 »

In 1973, I "fell in love" with a 1973 Volvo 144E - and paid cash. BROKE my heart. The entire model year were all lemons. Finally got rid of it a few years later. Learned my lesson: NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A CAR...
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David1986
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by David1986 »

I'm surprised no one said health, disability, umbrella or auto insurance. These have not saved me anything yet. Anyone?

By the way, my favorites so far are condoms, bicycles for commuting and personal finance books.

So my initial takeaway from this thread is that Bogleheads should start bicycling to work while listening to personal finance audio-books with a condom their pocket! We'll all become fit and rich! 8-)

And don't forget to bring along the lunch you made and a couple tools to repair your bike yourself if needed.
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GerryL
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by GerryL »

Upgraded windows in my house (~15 years ago). Can't say that I have recouped the expense, but they have made my house more comfortable without raising cost of heating (and cooling).

I wanted to upgrade my old furnace to a high-efficiency model, but I knew it would be a waste as long as the old, aluminum windows were allowing so much heat to escape. So first I had all the windows replaced. Immediately made the house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Then I upgraded to a high-eff furnace a few years later.

Now instead of bundling up with a quilted jacket and Bob Cratchitt gloves while sitting at my computer, I can be comfortable and still keep my energy bills low. It was a large expense that improved the liveability (and value) of my house without raising the ongoing operational cost.
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peterinjapan
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by peterinjapan »

Investing For Dummies, Fifth edition. Got me started thinking about investing and entrepreneurship.
Filemaker for Dummies 3.0. I founded my business on this program and book, 22 years ago.
Nicolas
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Nicolas »

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Ependytis
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Ependytis »

I know this thread is old, but I could not resist. I was looking for purchases that provided the most value and came across it. Below are the purchases that saved me the most money.
  • Education to become an Engineer
    Paid off house
    No load low fee mutual funds
    DIY investing
    Refinancing at a lower rate
    Going to happy hours for meals
    Generic groceries
    Tello cell phone service
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VictoriaF
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by VictoriaF »

Education (several degrees)
Books
Microsoft Excel

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
mrsmitt
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:14 pm

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by mrsmitt »

:sharebeer Lol, I got the same deal multiple times over the years and then bought dozen of printers from Craigslist with original ink, printer head etc. Sold part for 2x-3x. Good times:) no time for this hobby anymore:(
livesoft wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:20 pm Bought a $650 camera and received a $350 photo printer and 13 x 19" photo paper free.
spth
Posts: 259
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 8:31 am

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by spth »

NavyIC3 wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 5:53 pm Insulating the attic. Saved the cost of the insulation in the first year.
This
JDave
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by JDave »

Florida Prepaid Tuition. Bought it for my daughter when she was 8 months old for $5,800. It guaranteed to pay 4 years of tuition at any Florida state college. Daughter graduates from University of North Florida this spring, tuition now is well over $5,800 per semester.
sailaway
Posts: 8215
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by sailaway »

Interestingly enough, our boat. We lived on it for several years and will be moving back onboard in a few months. Slip fees are less than 1/2 our current rent* and I frequently picked up odd jobs for other boaters. Our favorite vacations involve anchoring out. Even when we choose to visit harbors, guest slips are cheaper than waterfront hotels. Moreover, it has given us a focus and a purpose for our savings so that we have time to travel further afield.

*Actually, our current rent gets an honorable mention here, as well. We chose to rent across the street from DH's work when he had an issue that made driving painful. He was able to work an additional 3.5 years, as well as be closer to his pain management team. Even with HCOL rent, we saved an average of what twice what we spent, which is way better than spending down the portfolio.
Last edited by sailaway on Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nowizard
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Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:33 pm

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Nowizard »

Houses with a larger mortgage than required in order to invest the proceeds.

Tim
VanGar+Goyle
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Joined: Sat May 29, 2021 1:31 pm

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by VanGar+Goyle »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:55 am Cheap wine.

Cheap wine and cigarettes before I was old enough to legally buy either.
I thought they were cool. They were terrible, and (almost) never bought any wine or cigarettes again :mrgreen:

It is important to make many small mistakes in life, to avoid making bigger mistakes later. :)
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AnnetteLouisan
Posts: 7261
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:16 pm
Location: New York, NY

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

Health insurance with a wellness rider covering massage etc.
(goodbye massage appointments at $150/pop and reflexology appointments at $90!)

Revlon Root Erase
Clairol root touch up
Bliss ceramic flatiron
(Goodbye $360-540/mo hairdresser bills! Woo!)
(I miss you though, John Barrett at Bergdorf’s)

Intuition razors
Nads home wax strips
(Good bye salon waxing appointments $40-80/mo!)

Curved pumice heel exfoliator wand
Disinfectant pedicure spray
Nail brush
(Goodbye pedicure appointments $60/pop!)

Amore pacific treatment enzyme peel gentle exfoliator
Prevage anti-aging serum
(Goodbye $120 facial appointments!)
Last edited by AnnetteLouisan on Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
UpperNwGuy
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Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by UpperNwGuy »

VanGar+Goyle wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:35 am
UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:55 am Cheap wine.

Cheap wine and cigarettes before I was old enough to legally buy either.
I thought they were cool. They were terrible, and (almost) never bought any wine or cigarettes again :mrgreen:

It is important to make many small mistakes in life, to avoid making bigger mistakes later. :)
That wasn't quite what I meant when I said that cheap wine had saved me money. Just to be clear, I love wine, and I buy and drink a lot of it, but I try to keep the average price per bottle down.
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AnnetteLouisan
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Location: New York, NY

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

VanGar+Goyle wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:35 am
UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:55 am Cheap wine.

Cheap wine and cigarettes before I was old enough to legally buy either.
I thought they were cool. They were terrible, and (almost) never bought any wine or cigarettes again :mrgreen:

It is important to make many small mistakes in life, to avoid making bigger mistakes later. :)
I second that! One carafe of pink champale (UGH!) at age 12 (and the logical consequence immediately thereafter) saved me from a lifetime of drinking and its myriad expenses. Similarly with one atrocious cigarette at the same age. We couldn’t stop coughing.
Saving$
Posts: 2518
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:33 pm

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Saving$ »

Trying to keep the original intent of purchases that were initially quite expensive but ended up saving the most (or generating the most):

1. Name brand college education that cost an >$50k which was exorbitant at the time. Amazing how many doors that opened to me in the first 30 years of my career and how that translated directly into lucrative job opportunities.

2. Index funds that I learned about here. Saved me the cost ER's I was paying.

3. SodaStream carbonator. Until I read here that the refill cartridges were only 1/2 of the new cartridges, I could not figure out how this was economical. Not only is it quite economical, it has helped save the environment by eliminating buying carbonated water in 2 liter plastic bottles.

4. Superauto coffee machine that I learned about here on Bogleheads; after 1000's of cups, I'm on my second one, each bought for under $500, but even after the cost of the machine, expensive coffee, water filters and calc clean supplies, it has totally eliminated the prior (somewhat infrequent) trips for expensive coffee, and is so easy to put coffee in a mug and take it in the car that I totally stopped buying coffee elsewhere once I bought it.

5. Replacing all the exterior wood trim on a house with synthetic material, and being OCD about the paint job on the trim. The upcharge on the trim materials was about $400 at the time and everyone thought I was crazy. Labor was the same as wood. I invested some of my time in end priming every board each night they were working (the work went slow enough to allow this). Used Red Devil indoor/outdoor spackle for the nail holes, high quality primer and 2 coats of expensive paint. Did this almost 20 years ago, and have not needed to repaint the trim since. An annual hosing off, with a light scrubbing from a brush on a pole every 5 years or so keeps the trim looking as new as the day it was painted. All the neighbors have repainted at least twice to the tune of $1000's, and most still end up replacing the trim due to rot before they sell the house; one house has had the cheap trim replaced twice. After 20 years mine could use recaulking, but that is it.

6. Tools - I learned long ago that the time it takes to find a vendor to fix something, schedule them, take time off to meet them, prep the area so someone who does not care about your house does not damage it, clean up after them, call them back to fix what they did wrong, or meet them a second time when they need to come back because they don't have the correct parts, etc. etc. is far more time then learning to do simple things yourself. So I buy the tools, and knock things out on my schedule.
Saving$
Posts: 2518
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:33 pm

Re: What purchase saved you the most money?

Post by Saving$ »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:39 am Health insurance with a wellness rider covering massage etc.
(goodbye massage appointments at $150/pop and reflexology appointments at $90!)
Please tell us more. Is this Medicare or ACA coverage or something your employer offers?
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