What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
JorgeLeon
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Re: A Bottle of Champaign!

Post by JorgeLeon »

Sandtrap wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 5:42 pm
Taylor Larimore wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:13 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:30 pm Hi everyone.
Long time lurker.
What is the BEST thing you ever spent money on?
Shalom:

The best thing I ever spent money on was a bottle of champaign. I'll explain:

It was New Year's Eve 1950, I went to the New Year's Eve Bachelor's Ball on Miami Beach. I saw a very beautiful lady (the 1949 Orange Bowl Spirit of Youth) sitting with an older man at a nearby table. Deciding to make her acquaintance, I asked the maitre-de to give the couple a bottle of champagne.

A few minutes before midnight (carefully planned), I went to their table and asked the lady for a dance.

On the dance-floor at midnight I asked for a kiss. That did it. We were married a year later and had three children. Our marriage lasted 62 years until her death in 2013.

Splurging on that bottle of champagne was "the BEST thing I spent money on."

Best wishes
Taylor
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: “Every winter my wife and I take a week off and go to a resort in Florida.”
Thanks so much Taylor.

What is most meaningful and why we strive.
j🌺
Wow - amazing story! That is the best spend by far!
Point
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Point »

Great Mexican food at our local DDD.
gerntz
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by gerntz »

All the great vacations across North America, Europe, & Oz/NZ.

And top-notch walking shoes.
bagle
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by bagle »

Our dogs, no question.
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

I saw I think WillThrill (?) bought an RV...
It crossed my mind to buy an Airstream and use a truck to drive around the national parks. Anyone have an Airstream? I read that one horror story online but would be interested in people who RV what they think. I don't really know anything about it, but I'd like to do some camping trips or camping style trips (real camping or RV camping - haven't decided yet). I would lean toward a separate trailer rather than a real RV because I could use the truck for a truck and leave the trailer (Airstream or whatever) when I am not RV'ing. I know I have to do my own research - I don't even know where you can park these things, and how you hook them up when you do park them. Is this a "thing" for anyone here? I would assume you would recommend renting for a trip or two before buying. I looked at Airstream online and they just look SO COOL!
GreenLawn
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by GreenLawn »

Internet access. My recent purchase of a 17 inch, 3 pound LG Gram laptop has made it even better. Couch, bed, desk, the internet is available in glorious color and comfort wherever I might find myself.

Life changing in many ways. Online dating for starters. No need to hit on the ladies squeezing tomatoes in the produce section, or at least that's the advice I'd read in the how to dating books :D
Last edited by GreenLawn on Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JackoC
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by JackoC »

GreenLawn wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:35 pm Internet access. Life changing in many ways. Online dating for starters. No need to hit on the ladies squeezing tomatoes in the produce section, or at least that's the advice I'd read in the how to dating books :D
Not online dating (married 38 yrs) but it reminds me of difference between relative and absolute, which economists would call 'consumer surplus' which seems to be what's asked. Ie in the classic graph where supply is line sloping up the right with price and demand the line sloping down to right with price, and the market price and volume where they intersection, most people are somewhere to the left of that intersection (ignoring for a moment that the curve also represents the same people buying more or less of some things), some far to the left: the market clearing price is a great deal from their perspective.

This is also how I feel about internet, and particularly the combination with iPhone. My iPhone is worth so much more to me than what I paid for it it isn't funny. A little device where I can look up almost any answer. As random example I can draw a Chinese character I don't know with my finger on the character dictionary app screen and it tells me all about it (anybody else originally use paper Chinese character dictionaries? big difference). Times 100's of things like that for various interests and people. Just using it as a phone I wouldn't pay $100's for, but everything it does, super value to me.

In total $'s though this is more true for me with my car, BMW M2. Relatively it's not as good as value as the iPhone, but in absolute $'s it's worth to me a greater margin over its price than the phone.

I'm not mixing in stuff which is not really about material things, like expenses related to family's personal needs (education, gifts), or the nearly infinite ratio of value of our late dog to me compared to the donation required at the shelter. I take it for granted non material things ultimately trump material things, the latter can just also be enjoyable.
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

praxis wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 7:45 am ebag Motherlode Travel Backpacks for both of us. That purchase forced us to hone our "travel light" strategies. We've carried them on twenty international and US trips and because we never check them, they stay in good shape. Fully packed for a 3 week trip including warm and cool weather our packs weigh usually 18 pounds. Rick Steves taught us to ask "what happens if I DON'T pack this item?" rather than "can I imagine ever needing this item?" It's a fun challenge and has often made a difference with a tight connection or cobblestone streets or keeping track of our belongings while traveling. Side benefit,:we exercise daily at home. Carrying the packs helps us stay fit.
What are your thoughts on underpants? Socks? Fresh pair each day or recycle? For city travel (eg Europe) or backcountry camping? Thanks, Keith
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

JackoC wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:12 pm
GreenLawn wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:35 pm Internet access. Life changing in many ways. Online dating for starters. No need to hit on the ladies squeezing tomatoes in the produce section, or at least that's the advice I'd read in the how to dating books :D

I'm not mixing in stuff which is not really about material things, like expenses related to family's personal needs (education, gifts), or the nearly infinite ratio of value of our late dog to me compared to the donation required at the shelter. I take it for granted non material things ultimately trump material things, the latter can just also be enjoyable.
Yeah I thought explicitly to exclude "the best things in life are free" kind of things like marriage, family, charity, education. Obviously those are the most important things in life. Kindness. Honesty. But I thought it would quickly turn into a philosophy discussion. My intention was what material things have brought you the greatest pleasure, independent of cost?
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:50 pm Yeah I thought explicitly to exclude "the best things in life are free" kind of things like marriage, family, charity, education.
I forgot that education is free, mostly because I was busy paying for it :D

I haven’t dared to add it up, but I’m easily into 7 digits and still smiling.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
stoptothink
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by stoptothink »

MMA gym membership and training for my wife and kids. They're obsessed, training 5-6 days a week and twice on Tuesdays and Thursday. Kids already have a nice trophy collection from jiu jitsu tournaments. I am (slowly) recovering from a broken back and wrist, so no grappling or striking for me for another 4-6 months (at least).
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:03 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:50 pm Yeah I thought explicitly to exclude "the best things in life are free" kind of things like marriage, family, charity, education.
I forgot that education is free, mostly because I was busy paying for it :D

I haven’t dared to add it up, but I’m easily into 7 digits and still smiling.
Ha! Yes well you know what I meant!
As they say, if you think education is expensive, try ignorance!
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:04 pm MMA gym membership and training for my wife and kids. They're obsessed, training 5-6 days a week and twice on Tuesdays and Thursday. Kids already have a nice trophy collection from jiu jitsu tournaments. I am (slowly) recovering from a broken back and wrist, so no grappling or striking for me for another 4-6 months (at least).
I've been looking into practical martial arts but have been too lazy to follow through. My best material investment has been a Peloton that I use religiously. My other best was the Peloton tread that I used more than the bike until I developed some bursitis and my hip is killing me and I've been unable to run for about six weeks. I just bought a Hydrow that I like but I find I push myself too hard and I think I am getting ready to develop some overuse. I think if you use it, fitness equipment is among the best investments. I love being fit. Many people don't use it, but if you use it, it's hard to find a better bang for the buck.
stoptothink
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by stoptothink »

Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:17 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:04 pm MMA gym membership and training for my wife and kids. They're obsessed, training 5-6 days a week and twice on Tuesdays and Thursday. Kids already have a nice trophy collection from jiu jitsu tournaments. I am (slowly) recovering from a broken back and wrist, so no grappling or striking for me for another 4-6 months (at least).
I've been looking into practical martial arts but have been too lazy to follow through. My best material investment has been a Peloton that I use religiously. My other best was the Peloton tread that I used more than the bike until I developed some bursitis and my hip is killing me and I've been unable to run for about six weeks. I just bought a Hydrow that I like but I find I push myself too hard and I think I am getting ready to develop some overuse. I think if you use it, fitness equipment is among the best investments. I love being fit. Many people don't use it, but if you use it, it's hard to find a better bang for the buck.
I have $15k-$20k in our garage gym. Exercise is a huge part of our life (and my career). I have not been able to use any of our equipment since this past summer (due to the back), but I refrained from selling anything despite countless offers.
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:22 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:17 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:04 pm MMA gym membership and training for my wife and kids. They're obsessed, training 5-6 days a week and twice on Tuesdays and Thursday. Kids already have a nice trophy collection from jiu jitsu tournaments. I am (slowly) recovering from a broken back and wrist, so no grappling or striking for me for another 4-6 months (at least).
I've been looking into practical martial arts but have been too lazy to follow through. My best material investment has been a Peloton that I use religiously. My other best was the Peloton tread that I used more than the bike until I developed some bursitis and my hip is killing me and I've been unable to run for about six weeks. I just bought a Hydrow that I like but I find I push myself too hard and I think I am getting ready to develop some overuse. I think if you use it, fitness equipment is among the best investments. I love being fit. Many people don't use it, but if you use it, it's hard to find a better bang for the buck.
I have $15k-$20k in our garage gym. Exercise is a huge part of our life (and my career). I have not been able to use any of our equipment since this past summer (due to the back), but I refrained from selling anything despite countless offers.
Aren't you a physician? I work in orthopedics.
edgeagg
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by edgeagg »

My Surly Long Haul Trucker Disk. Over 35K miles on it now and ridden every day + 1 WA -> CA and one transamerica trip.
jeremyl
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by jeremyl »

Usually, it's beach vacations with my family. Drinking a beer at the beach is so therapeutic.

A close second is a massage gun I bought for $90. I've had back pain for about 2 1/2 years & using it on low back, glutes, hip flexors & quads has been the only thing that has relieved it.

Now I'm back to running & lifting again. Weights & treadmill are the next.
stoptothink
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by stoptothink »

Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:33 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:22 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:17 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:04 pm MMA gym membership and training for my wife and kids. They're obsessed, training 5-6 days a week and twice on Tuesdays and Thursday. Kids already have a nice trophy collection from jiu jitsu tournaments. I am (slowly) recovering from a broken back and wrist, so no grappling or striking for me for another 4-6 months (at least).
I've been looking into practical martial arts but have been too lazy to follow through. My best material investment has been a Peloton that I use religiously. My other best was the Peloton tread that I used more than the bike until I developed some bursitis and my hip is killing me and I've been unable to run for about six weeks. I just bought a Hydrow that I like but I find I push myself too hard and I think I am getting ready to develop some overuse. I think if you use it, fitness equipment is among the best investments. I love being fit. Many people don't use it, but if you use it, it's hard to find a better bang for the buck.
I have $15k-$20k in our garage gym. Exercise is a huge part of our life (and my career). I have not been able to use any of our equipment since this past summer (due to the back), but I refrained from selling anything despite countless offers.
Aren't you a physician? I work in orthopedics.
No, I have a PhD in exercise physiology and run a cardiometabolic health program for a medical facility.
Luckywon
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Luckywon »

GreenLawn wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:35 pm Internet access. My recent purchase of a 17 inch, 3 pound LG Gram laptop has made it even better. Couch, bed, desk, the internet is available in glorious color and comfort wherever I might find myself.

Life changing in many ways. Online dating for starters. No need to hit on the ladies squeezing tomatoes in the produce section, or at least that's the advice I'd read in the how to dating books :D
Along these lines paying for a backup internet service is not the best thing I ever spent money on but well worth it. I'm in an area where both cable and FIOS are available. The two systems have never gone down simultaneously. IMO the peace of mind knowing I'm unlikely to entirely lose internet access is well worth the cost of the second line.
BogleFan510
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by BogleFan510 »

1. Quality, fresh ingredients for food. Keeps me alive and healthy.
2. Taxes. Helps society, keeps me out of jail. Keeps roof over my head, since house paid off.
3. Good hiking shoes.
helloeveryone
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by helloeveryone »

a lot of things but top things

lasik
specialized gravel bike (was first "high quality" bike I have ever gotten)
the money spent on a road trip to Sedona, Az and Grand Canyon. (in terms of value for the money spent - it was an AMAZING trip for the health and wellness benefits)
Jura espresso machine from costco
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El Greco
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by El Greco »

Sandtrap wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 4:05 pm ShadowCat (pure black) and AngelGirlCat (pure white)
My Sleeping buddies for 18 years, recently passed.

j :D
Image
What a pretty kitty, Sandtrap. I'm with you, my cats have been my smartest investments. They have given me great, great joy over the years. My current sleeping buddy is getting up there in years and has had some recent health issues. I hope I can still have him for a few more years.
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Toons
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Toons »

AirBnb
3 months
Jupiter Florida
This Winter
:wink:
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
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tooluser
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by tooluser »

My house. Not sharing walls, floors, or ceilings with anyone is priceless.
But I wish I was further away from my neighbors. I hope to get that in retirement.

Runner up but not one thing is every vacation I have ever taken by myself, and there have been many. Blessed, blessed freedom from darn near everything!

On the cheap end, a Victorinox Fibrox 8 inch chef's knife. Endless daily joy.
manatee2005
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by manatee2005 »

A can of tuna when I didn't eat for 2 days because I had no money.
GreenLawn
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by GreenLawn »

tooluser wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:17 pm My house. Not sharing walls, floors, or ceilings with anyone is priceless.
But I wish I was further away from my neighbors. I hope to get that in retirement.

Runner up but not one thing is every vacation I have ever taken by myself, and there have been many. Blessed, blessed freedom from darn near everything!

On the cheap end, a Victorinox Fibrox 8 inch chef's knife. Endless daily joy.
+1 on the chef's knife. Had a girlfriend who requested a nice knife and the Victorinox had great user reviews so I bought that (I know nothing about knives). She dumped me before I could give it to her so I kept it. I ended up liking the knife more than her:)
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

manatee2005 wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:21 pm A can of tuna when I didn't eat for 2 days because I had no money.
Wow. From reading your other posts sounds like you were very fortunate and your life turned around to a better place in a substantial way.
Paradise
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Paradise »

A few things that are not my usual frugal self:

I love my Tesla. The autopilot helps reduce one of the more stressful/aggregating aspects of my life (driving in traffic). The falcon doors make hauling two small children around so much more pleasant. What’s better it was the first car I paid in cash. Such a great experience.

Every Apple product I’ve ever used. I know that people think that it’s the same cheap electronics that everyone else makes, but Apple uses the best parts. iMac, iPhone, iPad... each time I buy one within a month I wonder how I ever lived without it.

A used Steinway. It was super expensive but well worth it. I don’t think that I can play another piano anymore.
50% VTI | 20% VXUS | 20% BND | 10% QQQ
Nicolas
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Nicolas »

Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:55 am I saw I think WillThrill (?) bought an RV...
It crossed my mind to buy an Airstream and use a truck to drive around the national parks. Anyone have an Airstream? I read that one horror story online but would be interested in people who RV what they think. I don't really know anything about it, but I'd like to do some camping trips or camping style trips (real camping or RV camping - haven't decided yet). I would lean toward a separate trailer rather than a real RV because I could use the truck for a truck and leave the trailer (Airstream or whatever) when I am not RV'ing. I know I have to do my own research - I don't even know where you can park these things, and how you hook them up when you do park them. Is this a "thing" for anyone here? I would assume you would recommend renting for a trip or two before buying. I looked at Airstream online and they just look SO COOL!
Airstreams are the Rolls Royces of RVs. So nice but oh so expensive. I used to see more of them decades past. I’ve never been in one myself.
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BeerMoney
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by BeerMoney »

poker27 wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:37 pm
Strayshot wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:44 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:25 pm And drinking good scotch! Old glendronach is the best!
I wish I could bring myself to drink mine! I have a 20 and a 24 bought at the distillery around 6 years ago and can’t seem to open them up. The 20 was the last bottle of some special edition they had.

Others have said it, but LASIK was a game changer. That would get my vote.

Next up would be something I wish I could have spent money on, a condo in northern New Mexico. Parents owned it for 15 years or so and it provided many fond memories for years of my life, when they sold it I wasn’t in a position to buy it. Now I could pay cash. I could buy a different condo, but
that particular one was just perfect and everything else seems to fail comparison.
All of these lasik posts has me looking up lasik near me. The thought of not having to poke contacts into my eyes every morning sounds amazing. I’m just a baby
I would avoid LASIK like the plague. It was the absolute WORST thing I ever spent money on.

I know asking questions about medical conditions is against the rules, but I'm not asking a question so maybe this post can stay up. It only seems fair that if we're letting people post about their positive outcomes I can post about my negative outcome.

For me it gave me a life sentence of messed up vision in low-light settings, full of ugly visual aberrations like halos/starbursts. Glasses can't fix these sorts of problems. I can't see up-close anymore. I can't even see my own baby girl when I hold her on my shoulder without her face being blurred out. I've been furious about what this surgery did to my eyes every day for well over a year now.

And this was from going with the most experienced, most highly reviewed surgeon I could find in my area.

This should be required reading for anyone thinking of doing it:
NY Times: Blurred Vision, Burning Eyes: This Is a Lasik Success?

Excerpt: “Nearly half of all people who had healthy eyes before Lasik developed visual aberrations for the first time after the procedure, the trial found. Nearly one-third developed dry eyes, a complication that can cause serious discomfort, for the first time.
...
But the study also found that even after all those years, nearly half had dry eyes at least some of the time. Twenty percent had painful or sore eyes, 40 percent were sensitive to light, and one-third had difficulty driving at night or doing work that required seeing well up close.”


And I'm on the milder side of just how bad these surgeries can go. There's a very active facebook group for people suffering from refractive surgery complications. It's at 7400+ members with refractive surgery complications and counting (the group only accepts such members). More people join every week. Some of these folks are at the end of their rope, contemplating ending it all because of just how much constant pain they are in or because they are otherwise no longer able to lead a normal life. Nobody who spends an hour reading posts from these poor souls would ever consent to this surgery.

Keep your glasses, save your eyes.
dbforbes
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by dbforbes »

Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:26 pm
dbforbes wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:34 pm
Wannaretireearly wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:42 pm Toto Washlet
Various trips.

All time: lasik
Current: clearlight sauna
Lasik for my wife was huge too. Such a tremendously positive life changer for a loved one. If I had realized she wanted it and how much it would help both of our lives, I would have made it happen years earlier.
For me the risk with lasik is shed finally see what I really look like! That’s when the trouble begins! Bad eyesight is currently my friend!
HAHH! I took that risk as well but the goodwill compensated for the changed view!
dbforbes
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by dbforbes »

BeerMoney wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:51 pm
poker27 wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:37 pm
Strayshot wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:44 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:25 pm And drinking good scotch! Old glendronach is the best!
I wish I could bring myself to drink mine! I have a 20 and a 24 bought at the distillery around 6 years ago and can’t seem to open them up. The 20 was the last bottle of some special edition they had.

Others have said it, but LASIK was a game changer. That would get my vote.

Next up would be something I wish I could have spent money on, a condo in northern New Mexico. Parents owned it for 15 years or so and it provided many fond memories for years of my life, when they sold it I wasn’t in a position to buy it. Now I could pay cash. I could buy a different condo, but
that particular one was just perfect and everything else seems to fail comparison.
All of these lasik posts has me looking up lasik near me. The thought of not having to poke contacts into my eyes every morning sounds amazing. I’m just a baby
I would avoid LASIK like the plague. It was the absolute WORST thing I ever spent money on.

I know asking questions about medical conditions is against the rules, but I'm not asking a question so maybe this post can stay up. It only seems fair that if we're letting people post about their positive outcomes I can post about my negative outcome.

For me it gave me a life sentence of messed up vision in low-light settings, full of ugly visual aberrations like halos/starbursts. Glasses can't fix these sorts of problems. I can't see up-close anymore. I can't even see my own baby girl when I hold her on my shoulder without her face being blurred out. I've been furious about what this surgery did to my eyes every day for well over a year now.

And this was from going with the most experienced, most highly reviewed surgeon I could find in my area.

This should be required reading for anyone thinking of doing it:
NY Times: Blurred Vision, Burning Eyes: This Is a Lasik Success?

Excerpt: “Nearly half of all people who had healthy eyes before Lasik developed visual aberrations for the first time after the procedure, the trial found. Nearly one-third developed dry eyes, a complication that can cause serious discomfort, for the first time.
...
But the study also found that even after all those years, nearly half had dry eyes at least some of the time. Twenty percent had painful or sore eyes, 40 percent were sensitive to light, and one-third had difficulty driving at night or doing work that required seeing well up close.”


And I'm on the milder side of just how bad these surgeries can go. There's a very active facebook group for people suffering from refractive surgery complications. It's at 7400+ members with refractive surgery complications and counting (the group only accepts such members). More people join every week. Some of these folks are at the end of their rope, contemplating ending it all because of just how much constant pain they are in or because they are otherwise no longer able to lead a normal life. Nobody who spends an hour reading posts from these poor souls would ever consent to this surgery.

Keep your glasses, save your eyes.
Really sorry for the bad result you received. God bless.
manatee2005
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by manatee2005 »

Shalom Aleichem wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:33 pm
manatee2005 wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:21 pm A can of tuna when I didn't eat for 2 days because I had no money.
Wow. From reading your other posts sounds like you were very fortunate and your life turned around to a better place in a substantial way.
Yes, I lived in public housing in high school, then got a STEM college degree and after that it was smooth sailing.
Dontwasteit
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Dontwasteit »

El Greco wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:00 pm
Sandtrap wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 4:05 pm ShadowCat (pure black) and AngelGirlCat (pure white)
My Sleeping buddies for 18 years, recently passed.

j :D
Image
What a pretty kitty, Sandtrap. I'm with you, my cats have been my smartest investments. They have given me great, great joy over the years. My current sleeping buddy is getting up there in years and has had some recent health issues. I hope I can still have him for a few more years.
Gorgeous cat.
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ResearchMed
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by ResearchMed »

Dontwasteit wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 8:19 am
El Greco wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:00 pm
Sandtrap wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 4:05 pm ShadowCat (pure black) and AngelGirlCat (pure white)
My Sleeping buddies for 18 years, recently passed.

j :D
Image
What a pretty kitty, Sandtrap. I'm with you, my cats have been my smartest investments. They have given me great, great joy over the years. My current sleeping buddy is getting up there in years and has had some recent health issues. I hope I can still have him for a few more years.
Gorgeous cat.
Do you share the name of the hair coloring salon?
:happy
Absolutely beautiful!

RM
This signature is a placebo. You are in the control group.
runninginvestor
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by runninginvestor »

ER2023 wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 11:11 am Every dog I've ever owned
...
Ditto. Especially my recent one that is a service dog.
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Sandtrap
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Sandtrap »

Musicianship and music performance, etc, with encouraging furry buddies.
A lifetime of rewards and joy to others.
j :D :D
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RJC
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by RJC »

Outsourcing tedious tasks (shopping, dry cleaning, car washing/detailing, etc.)
Polymorphic
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Polymorphic »

A two-week honeymoon, even though we were poor.

2019 Honda Odyssey - Cocooned my entire family in a horrible multiple-vehicle accident, allowing us to walk away.

Prana Stretch Zion pants - Comfortable and nearly indestructible. I almost never wear jeans anymore.

Stihl chainsaws, blowers, and weed eaters.

Great IPAs and stouts.
ensign
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by ensign »

Greens fees. Paying $20 to spend 4-5 hours walking at a brisk pace with friends and playing the game we all love is priceless! Riding in carts doesn’t cut it with my group.
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Info_Hound »

Haven't done this nearly enough....vacations of a lifetime.

Honeymoon for 2 weeks in Grand Teton National Park and surrounding area. A week's vacation with (then) young daughter to Walt Disney World. We also went to the coast for a space launch and night time beach watch/hike looking for endangered turtles coming ashore to lay eggs (part of a sanctioned environmental group effort) and finally a late in life solo trip for 2 weeks exploring Alaska and hiking in Denali NP.

All gave me memories, did not clutter the house and reminded me...life IS short. As soon as travel restrictions are lifted I plan to book my next great adventure.
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by jayjayc »

BeerMoney wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:51 pm Keep your glasses, save your eyes.
Wow, thanks for sharing these stories. My eyesight is relatively good but I do want eagle-eyed, laser sharp sight. I've heard so many good stories about LASIK. Being informed and educated is always good. I now have more data points to consider. Thank you.
brajalle
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by brajalle »

jayjayc wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 11:41 pm
BeerMoney wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:51 pm Keep your glasses, save your eyes.
Wow, thanks for sharing these stories. My eyesight is relatively good but I do want eagle-eyed, laser sharp sight. I've heard so many good stories about LASIK. Being informed and educated is always good. I now have more data points to consider. Thank you.
While trying to avoid going off-topic, I'll just say that the alternative you are looking for is corneal wavefront-guided (CWFG) trans-PRK - or trans-PRK for short. If you research that, I'll save you some time and also mention - PLEC - Pacific Laser Eye Center - Vancouver, Canada - Dr. Lin Holland. I'd discuss the benefits of it & PLEC more, but not really the thread.

To answer the OP in a wordy way, and ignoring the big obvious ones like house/spouse/pets/smartphone/laptop/etc -
Comfort - A Simmons BeautyRest high-end mattress - huge improvement on our sleep comfort
Outdoor Maintenance - Toro Titan Zero-Turn mower with MyRide - wow, this changed my life in terms of what it's like to mow 4+ acres of grass with a hill and rough areas, comfortable, fast (almost 6hrs->90min or less), and makes mowing enjoyable
Bonus Outdoor Maintenance - Ego String Trimmer with Powerload - amazing how much I hated trimming weeds with a gas engine and winding heads, this eliminated so many irritants. Did I mention it winds the head itself? I can change the string in under 30 seconds hassle-free.
Feeling Good/Healthy - Blendtec Blender - healthy smoothies & shakes can change breakfast and other meals, and thus how you feel your entire day
Personal Accessory - Citizen Eco Drive watch w/titanium band - Bought used for under $150, durable, has sapphire crystal, synced to atomic clock, doubles for everyday wear and good enough to wear with dress clothes, it has helped me cut down on how much I pick up my cell phone to check the time too
Consumer Benefit - Citi credit cards with +2yr extended warranty - Exceptional protection of my purchases, especially because it stacks with extended warranties in many cases and pushes product protection into areas of much higher failure rates on several products (laptops, phones, etc)
Entertainment - MiSTer - Open-Source Emulation Hardware. One of the best ways to downsize an arcade/retro video game console collection but still be able to play almost everything
Lifestyle - Samsung The Frame tv - Actually haven't purchased yet - money is set aside waiting for the 2021 to be released, but already a winner, here is why - not a bad TV by any means per all information, but not top tier or the absolute best (you want OLED for that). What it is, is the best compromise possible for my wife and I on the age-old TV argument. I want a large screen for movies and so I don't have to wear glasses while watching the TV (think 65-75in+). She hates big black TV screens and wants minimalism (think sub 32in). This is a very thin, wall-mounted TV. When not watching TV, but when you are around (it has sensors), it camouflages the TV as a giant picture. No really, having seen the 2020 model, it looks great, and the 2021 is slightly better. Even has a changeable "frame" option, and the matting looks good. It really looks like art on a wall. $6/mo to access a huge licensed gallery of famous stuff - or you can use your own pictures. Now my wife will be able to show her photography and favorite views. If the Toro & Ego were my star purchases for 2020, I think this TV will be both of ours for 2021.
Bonus Lifestyle - Annual pass to state parks - we've taken the dogs some and done alot of enjoying nature, not bad for $25/yr
Inside Maintenance - Robovac with self-emptying docking station - Amazing, keeps the tumbleweeds down from the infinite dog hair shedding - in our house, it is mostly meant to keep up with this rather than do deep cleaning
Bonus Inside Maintenance - Lupe Vacuum - I never thought I'd pay this much for a vacuum, but amazing. I hated vacuuming, I enjoy it now. I may get a few bad looks here from some people, but despite the expense, it is a very boglehead vacuum design. Easy to repair/maintain, parts available directly, great air filtration, cordless, light, easy to maneuver & use, great features/design, amazing suction - designed by former Dyson engineers. I'll repeat it - I hated vacuuming, now I actually don't mind doing it - never thought a vacuum would be good enough for me to say that. Has helped wife's asthma for sure.
Wardrobe - SPF50+ shirts - The best endorsement I can give is that these are both the sweatpants & jeans of t-shirts for us now. This product category started out as rashguard t-shirts for surfers I believe, but when it becomes loose fitting, you create a neat product category for everyday wear. It takes a bit to get used to the material and it can snag (I say that as a guy who is thinking about thorn bushes snagging on it while mowing, not as compared to delicate clothing at all), but we found the positives drastically outweigh the negatives - give it a try. It's incredibly comfortable - water wicking and keeps you cool - and has integrated SPF protection. Comes in long or short sleeve, various neck designs, tons of colors. Tons of brands out there. Wife loves them too. Wear long-sleeves in summer no problem if you want and get sun protection. Great for hopping in a pool too. Hanes has it under the cool-dri line, and Amazon has an Amazon Essentials line - we stick to those. Great pricing, especially if you wait for the frequent Hanes price drops on Amazon (check camelcamelcamel) or the Hanes.com discount code 20%/off stuff.
Last edited by brajalle on Thu Mar 25, 2021 2:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
Norsky19
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Re: A Bottle of Champaign!

Post by Norsky19 »

Taylor Larimore wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:13 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:30 pm Hi everyone.
Long time lurker.
What is the BEST thing you ever spent money on?
Shalom:

The best thing I ever spent money on was a bottle of champaign. I'll explain:

It was New Year's Eve 1950, I went to the New Year's Eve Bachelor's Ball on Miami Beach. I saw a very beautiful lady (the 1949 Orange Bowl Spirit of Youth) sitting with an older man at a nearby table. Deciding to make her acquaintance, I asked the maitre-de to give the couple a bottle of champagne.

A few minutes before midnight (carefully planned), I went to their table and asked the lady for a dance.

On the dance-floor at midnight I asked for a kiss. That did it. We were married a year later and had three children. Our marriage lasted 62 years until her death in 2013.

Splurging on that bottle of champagne was "the BEST thing I spent money on."




Best wishes
Taylor
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: “Every winter my wife and I take a week off and go to a resort in Florida.”
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Sandtrap
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Sandtrap »

Marying my wife after 35 years of marriage in a quiet small church ceremony with family, children, grandchildren, etc.

We were both so busy in our early years and money was very tight so marriage was what we could fit in on a lunch break. I wanted a “do-over”. We both felt silly like young newlyweds. Priceless and cost was pennies.

j🌺
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fireman
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by fireman »

Here are a few off the top of my head beyond wedding ring, house, etc. (not sure any of these are the "best" but all were really good):

In-ground basketball hoop - hours and hours of use by our family. Cost was less than $2000 installed 10+ years ago. Guessing cost averages out to less than a penny an hour at this point.

Bidet attachment bought in early 2020 before any knowledge that there would be a run on toilet paper

Home gym equipment

Bikes

Hiking/walking shoes
Dottie57
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Dottie57 »

BeerMoney wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:51 pm
poker27 wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:37 pm
Strayshot wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:44 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:25 pm And drinking good scotch! Old glendronach is the best!
I wish I could bring myself to drink mine! I have a 20 and a 24 bought at the distillery around 6 years ago and can’t seem to open them up. The 20 was the last bottle of some special edition they had.

Others have said it, but LASIK was a game changer. That would get my vote.

Next up would be something I wish I could have spent money on, a condo in northern New Mexico. Parents owned it for 15 years or so and it provided many fond memories for years of my life, when they sold it I wasn’t in a position to buy it. Now I could pay cash. I could buy a different condo, but
that particular one was just perfect and everything else seems to fail comparison.
All of these lasik posts has me looking up lasik near me. The thought of not having to poke contacts into my eyes every morning sounds amazing. I’m just a baby
I would avoid LASIK like the plague. It was the absolute WORST thing I ever spent money on.

I know asking questions about medical conditions is against the rules, but I'm not asking a question so maybe this post can stay up. It only seems fair that if we're letting people post about their positive outcomes I can post about my negative outcome.

For me it gave me a life sentence of messed up vision in low-light settings, full of ugly visual aberrations like halos/starbursts. Glasses can't fix these sorts of problems. I can't see up-close anymore. I can't even see my own baby girl when I hold her on my shoulder without her face being blurred out. I've been furious about what this surgery did to my eyes every day for well over a year now.

And this was from going with the most experienced, most highly reviewed surgeon I could find in my area.

This should be required reading for anyone thinking of doing it:
NY Times: Blurred Vision, Burning Eyes: This Is a Lasik Success?

Excerpt: “Nearly half of all people who had healthy eyes before Lasik developed visual aberrations for the first time after the procedure, the trial found. Nearly one-third developed dry eyes, a complication that can cause serious discomfort, for the first time.
...
But the study also found that even after all those years, nearly half had dry eyes at least some of the time. Twenty percent had painful or sore eyes, 40 percent were sensitive to light, and one-third had difficulty driving at night or doing work that required seeing well up close.”


And I'm on the milder side of just how bad these surgeries can go. There's a very active facebook group for people suffering from refractive surgery complications. It's at 7400+ members with refractive surgery complications and counting (the group only accepts such members). More people join every week. Some of these folks are at the end of their rope, contemplating ending it all because of just how much constant pain they are in or because they are otherwise no longer able to lead a normal life. Nobody who spends an hour reading posts from these poor souls would ever consent to this surgery.

Keep your glasses, save your eyes.
I had a cornea transplant over 20 years ago. I prize the gift someone made me - never gonna do lasik.

Sorry about what happened for you.
Last edited by Dottie57 on Thu Mar 25, 2021 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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NAVigator
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by NAVigator »

Medical bills. Doctors have saved my life and provided ongoing guidance for maintaining my health. Not a day goes by that I am not aware of the fragility of our existence. I am grateful for physicians and nurses who help when a need arises.
"I was born with nothing and I have most of it left."
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Ice-9
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Ice-9 »

Currently, a lot of money is going towards adoption effort, for which we have no results yet but hope it will be the best thing, but that was on the OP's Do-Not-Count list anyway. :)

A few possible answers:
* Two trips to wife's home country of Vietnam (though everything was so less expensive than we were expecting, not sure if it should count as an answer!)
* bathroom remodel in our 1950s home
* new windows in our 1950s home, including larger ones in the bedrooms that allowed our house to pass the special inspection required for aforementioned adoption
* bay window for the wife to keep her 20+ orchids
expatish
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by expatish »

What a great question...and such interesting answers! The best thing I spent money on was a family adventure: my husband and I abandoned corporate life and traveled abroad (Europe, Mexico, SE Asia) for 9 years to give our daughter (10yo when we left) a rich, travel-based education. Our annual COL was lower abroad, but we’d have a much higher net worth now had we followed the more traditional path and stayed with the 6-figure income. So in a net-worth sense our wanderings cost a fortune, but the experience was priceless, and I wouldn’t change a thing. (The bull market of the last decade was very convenient though. 8-) )

Edited to add: If I’m required to pick a THING, I’ll say the used RV we bought online and picked up in Amsterdam. Lived in it for 18+ mos at the start of our journey and traveled all
over Europe and Turkey.)
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