What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
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What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
We have received an unexpected $1000 bonus. It is a gift card to spend on any purchase, so looking for spending ideas, else would have VTSAX'ed it away.
Wanted to spend it on something that improves our quality of life at home. Any recommendations for what you would buy (or have bought), that costs around $1000-$1200 and is something most or all members of your family enjoy?
Wanted to spend it on something that improves our quality of life at home. Any recommendations for what you would buy (or have bought), that costs around $1000-$1200 and is something most or all members of your family enjoy?
Comparison is the killer of all joy.
- LiveSimple
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Puppy !!!
Invest when you have the money, sell when you need the money, for real life expenses...
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Maybe where you live. Where I live there are way too many puppies that can be had for <=$100 from various rescue agencies.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Bidet, office chair, mattress?
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
New mattress.
Kids won’t get any benefit, but you and spouse will enjoy it.
Kids won’t get any benefit, but you and spouse will enjoy it.
Retired life insurance company financial executive who sincerely believes that ”It’s a GREAT day to be alive!”
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Bodacious: Add a family helicopter tour to your next vacation.
Bookish: Buy a membership/donation to your favorite museum at a higher-level tier that provides some extra benefits. Deduct the donation on your taxes to the maximum allowed by law.
Bogleheadish: Buy groceries for the next 2-3 months, and invest the $1000 you didn't spend in VTSAX. Tell your kids they'll inherit it later.
Bookish: Buy a membership/donation to your favorite museum at a higher-level tier that provides some extra benefits. Deduct the donation on your taxes to the maximum allowed by law.
Bogleheadish: Buy groceries for the next 2-3 months, and invest the $1000 you didn't spend in VTSAX. Tell your kids they'll inherit it later.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Use it for daily expenses and put $1k in VTSAX
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
A bike, but ours were that much each.
Stand up paddle board.
Switch with active games.
Weekend getaway.
Stand up paddle board.
Switch with active games.
Weekend getaway.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
A backyard brick oven or DIY oven kit
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Kommado Joe grill
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Recently? A desk chair (work paid for half though)
Agree with someone else who said mattress (though I can't recall if I spent that much as it was a while back)
If you really don't want the gift card and would rather save, there are sites online where you could sell in and get cash
Agree with someone else who said mattress (though I can't recall if I spent that much as it was a while back)
If you really don't want the gift card and would rather save, there are sites online where you could sell in and get cash
"Anyone who claims to understand quantum theory is either lying or crazy" -- Richard Feynman
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Well this will be highly influenced by personal circumstances but I'll try-
Pool robot. Hands down. Less than $1000 and saves me an hour or three every week. We used to have the kind that attached to the pool suction and would only run when the pump was on and made circles in the deep end while failing to do much of anything. Now it runs when you press the button and cleans the pool while I relax and sip on a cocktail or enjoy a cup of coffee.
Maybe a Peloton (or other exercise bike)? Yes, there is an ongoing subscription cost.
Noise cancelling headphones for the entire family?
Pellet grill?
Pool robot. Hands down. Less than $1000 and saves me an hour or three every week. We used to have the kind that attached to the pool suction and would only run when the pump was on and made circles in the deep end while failing to do much of anything. Now it runs when you press the button and cleans the pool while I relax and sip on a cocktail or enjoy a cup of coffee.
Maybe a Peloton (or other exercise bike)? Yes, there is an ongoing subscription cost.
Noise cancelling headphones for the entire family?
Pellet grill?
- quantAndHold
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Mine was a new bike, but an argument could be made for a weekend away, too.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Easily the best ~$1k I ever spent was for a sprinkler system for our “lawn” in the dry Bitterroot Valley of Montana. Prior to the sprinkler system we would drag hoses around the property after work all summer. The first evening the sprinklers engaged we enjoyed gin and tonics on the porch.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
For about $400: Vitamix blender.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
A pair of very light, rimless prescription glasses.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
A nice selection of Lismore vintage Irish crystal.carloslando wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:55 pm We have received an unexpected $1000 bonus. It is a gift card to spend on any purchase, so looking for spending ideas, else would have VTSAX'ed it away.
Wanted to spend it on something that improves our quality of life at home. Any recommendations for what you would buy (or have bought), that costs around $1000-$1200 and is something most or all members of your family enjoy?
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Pellet grill is a good one. I bought a Rectec this spring and have been cooking like crazy since. A cheaper option is a Sous Vide and $800 in meat to cook in it.
We’ve put Amazon Echo speakers around the house that get a lot of use.
Nest or some sort of wiFi thermostat, it’s nice being able to adjust the temperature from bed.
Mesh wiFi routers, fast wiFi all over the house.
We’ve put Amazon Echo speakers around the house that get a lot of use.
Nest or some sort of wiFi thermostat, it’s nice being able to adjust the temperature from bed.
Mesh wiFi routers, fast wiFi all over the house.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Apple Watch - $399 and up. Fantastic for fitness tracking.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Living trust
(Kids won’t appreciate it until you are gone.)
(Kids won’t appreciate it until you are gone.)
A dollar in Roth is worth more than a dollar in a taxable account. A dollar in taxable is worth more than a dollar in a tax-deferred account.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Yes, puppies (and doggies) and kittens (and cats) are lower cost from a shelter or a rescue... but all the things they need once they arrive at your home are not.
I highly recommend shelter and or rescue doggies and cats (puppies and kittens). A bit of effort and thought and patience looking for the right one will get you the perfect for you pup or kitty.
Last edited by LittleMaggieMae on Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
I debated several answers in my head for a minute, but then realized the answer for me is Dyson cordless vacuum by a huge margin.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
I'd spend the money on one of my hobbies - or I'd find some way to "share" the money on an experience with family or friends without it being a "gift to them" - cause really it's a "gift to me! from me! woo hoo!!"
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Kayaks
This isn't just my wallet. It's an organizer, a memory and an old friend.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Buy a handful of gift cards for different restaurants and go on a few dates.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Upgrade internet speed + Router + Subscriptions
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Go crazy at the local fireworks stand (presuming they’re legal in your area). $1000 will buy a huge amount of fireworks.
Shoot them all off on July 4.
Your kids (and your neighbors) will never forget this Independence Day.
Shoot them all off on July 4.
Your kids (and your neighbors) will never forget this Independence Day.
Retired life insurance company financial executive who sincerely believes that ”It’s a GREAT day to be alive!”
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Buy one for each member of the family.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Ditto and mine didn't either, but:
Top of the line "Outsize Absolute+" with floor rack and free extra tools is currently $1049.98 at their website.
I use the cordless Dyson about twice a week now. much more frequently than I used to vacuum. A powerful cordless vacuum is amazingly convenient.
Last edited by tooluser on Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Vitamix (refurbished with extra attachments), $480
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
You might think it is funny, but one of my friends rented his condo through AirBnB to a foreign couple. Anyway, there's no way to put this lightly. They must have been into pee stuff and were applying their interest while on vacation, because the mattress in his place was soaked in urine, like more than any "accident" could have produced. Yet another risk of real estate investing.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
To add to the chorus the two things I will spend money on are dogs and bicycling. Both are the biggest factors in my quality of life.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
I'll +3, but correct the spelling to Kamado Joe, and note that my Big Joe was unfortunately a good bit more than $1k. Much closer to $2k once I added a FlameBoss smoker controller and a Kick Ash Basket. But being able to turn out absolutely perfect Brisket while I am literally sleeping is totally worth it.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Matching set of golf clubs for the out of state vacation home and 2 Amazon fire sticks for the TVs. No Ned to check bags and no longer need cable subscription which actually saves money (1 month paid for both fire sticks) as well as standardizes the viewing habits.
- unclescrooge
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Weekly maid service.
- anon_investor
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Ruger 10-22 Suppressed
- RickBoglehead
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
I don't rank expenditures by quality of life. Never heard anyone do that.
Last edited by RickBoglehead on Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Avid user of forums on variety of interests-financial, home brewing, F-150, EV, home repair, etc. Enjoy learning & passing on knowledge. It's PRINCIPAL, not PRINCIPLE. I ADVISE you to seek ADVICE.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Oh, it is a very good measure of where to best put your money! I can't believe it isn't more common.RickBoglehead wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:19 am I don't rank expenditures by quality !of life. Never heard anyone do that.
- RickBoglehead
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
When I want to buy something, I buy it. I don't say "I have $X, what should I spend it on?". Why do you feel the need to have measures on spending money?sailaway wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:27 amOh, it is a very good measure of where to best put your money! I can't believe it isn't more common.RickBoglehead wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:19 am I don't rank expenditures by quality !of life. Never heard anyone do that.
Avid user of forums on variety of interests-financial, home brewing, F-150, EV, home repair, etc. Enjoy learning & passing on knowledge. It's PRINCIPAL, not PRINCIPLE. I ADVISE you to seek ADVICE.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
Get the house professionally painted.
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
We all have some criteria to decide what to spend our money on. Like you, I do not look for things to spend money on just because I have it or I got more than I expected, but when an idea for spending pops into my head, enjoyment and quality of life figure into the consideration.RickBoglehead wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:35 amWhen I want to buy something, I buy it. I don't say "I have $X, what should I spend it on?". Why do you feel the need to have measures on spending money?sailaway wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:27 amOh, it is a very good measure of where to best put your money! I can't believe it isn't more common.RickBoglehead wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:19 am I don't rank expenditures by quality !of life. Never heard anyone do that.
- RickBoglehead
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
For $1,000? Do you live in a Tiny House?
Avid user of forums on variety of interests-financial, home brewing, F-150, EV, home repair, etc. Enjoy learning & passing on knowledge. It's PRINCIPAL, not PRINCIPLE. I ADVISE you to seek ADVICE.
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Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
New Hoka sneakers for everyone. They're so bouncy!
Re: What was your best quality of life improvement for $1000?
not $1000, but good noise cancelling headphones (for traveling)