What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I’m not sure that it qualifies as lifestyle creep, but this morning, with half a foot of snow and 17 degrees F outside, upgraded insulation and geothermal heat making it comfortable indoors sure made me happy.

We lost power for a bit overnight, and batteries made it a non event. Worthwhile lifestyle creep. 😁
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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WoodSpinner
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by WoodSpinner »

Wanderingwheelz wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 8:14 am
WoodSpinner wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 11:08 pm
Wanderingwheelz wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 7:18 am Our current splurge is a 19’ Class B motorhome that we bought June 2019. It’s our vacation home that takes us wherever we point it, which has been way more fun (and convenient since there’s essentially no pre-planning involved). We just returned from a 26 night tour of the north east visiting everything from Niagara Falls to Acadia National Park. We actually slept in free campsites in National Forests and Walmart/Cabela’s For all buy 7 of those nights. Roughly $400 in gas/propane and about $180 in camping costs was all it set us back! Yes, a 26 night vacation that we will remember for the rest of our lives for less than $600. (We didn’t dine out a single time)

This RV cost us less brand new than three cars we’ve owned during our marriage, so though it was an expensive splurge it wasn’t something we haven’t done before when buying 4 wheels.
We have a 22’ PleasureWay. What did you get?

It’s a great way to travel. Although we rarely stay in campgrounds.....

WoodSpinner
We have a RAM Promaster based Winnebago Travato. So just a little more than 19’ in length.

We’ve never stayed in a commercial campground, but we do often stay in State and National Parks when they’re open. All the parks in the northeast are closed for the season which is why we only used them early in our trip. We actually stayed a couple of nights inside Acadia NP and nobody bothered us.
Sounds wonderful!

WoodSpinner
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arsenalfan
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by arsenalfan »

Cutting down work hours, to trade time for money.
First gave up taking call and sleeping in hospital.
Then worked 5 days a week, no weekends.
Currently 3.5 days a week, going to 3 next year.
EnjoyIt
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by EnjoyIt »

arsenalfan wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:03 am Cutting down work hours, to trade time for money.
First gave up taking call and sleeping in hospital.
Then worked 5 days a week, no weekends.
Currently 3.5 days a week, going to 3 next year.
Same here. Cut to 3/4 time and loving life. In a few years I’ll cut back to 1/2 time eventually.

Best money never earned.
A time to EVALUATE your jitters: | viewtopic.php?p=1139732#p1139732
hvaclorax
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by hvaclorax »

This.
Neil Young said it best “ A Man Needs a Maid”.
hvac
koryg75
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by koryg75 »

Heated garage. Just enough to keep my soul from being crushed when I go to work from Dec-Mar.
desiderium
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by desiderium »

arsenalfan wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:03 am Cutting down work hours, to trade time for money.
First gave up taking call and sleeping in hospital.
Then worked 5 days a week, no weekends.
Currently 3.5 days a week, going to 3 next year.
I went to 3.5 days about a year ago. I was offered the opportunity to ramp up my hours this winter. I did my best to respond politely.
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Lee_WSP
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Lee_WSP »

if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
chuckb84
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by chuckb84 »

Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
Thought a lot about OLED, but ultimately went with a 75" Samsung QLED with local dimming zones (Q80T). With a good 4K input it's astonishingly good. I think covid and streaming have, sadly, accelerated the demise of movie theaters, so that was the reason for the purchase.

It's for sure lifestyle creep, but OMG is it a visual feast.
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
I watch A LOT of TV and yes over 15 years I plan to have this TV, it's worth it.
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

koryg75 wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 6:35 pm Heated garage. Just enough to keep my soul from being crushed when I go to work from Dec-Mar.
For me this is the main reason why I live in the south.
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

Keeping the thermostat at 75 in the mild SoCal winter.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

manatee2005 wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:09 am
Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
I watch A LOT of TV and yes over 15 years I plan to have this TV, it's worth it.
I think the break even point, for me, is much shorter. Coupled with a decent Soundbar at least, or a full blown audio setup, has me not missing movie theaters (or the sticky floors and incessant talkers).

Mind you, I am almost 70 years old, and my vision is not what it was, but even I can see improvements, even between my 2018 OLED and my 2020 version; I still watch both, but prefer the newer one.

I am, admittedly, a TV aficionado.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
1TheGame
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by 1TheGame »

desiderium wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:08 pm
arsenalfan wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:03 am Cutting down work hours, to trade time for money.
First gave up taking call and sleeping in hospital.
Then worked 5 days a week, no weekends.
Currently 3.5 days a week, going to 3 next year.
I went to 3.5 days about a year ago. I was offered the opportunity to ramp up my hours this winter. I did my best to respond politely.
I did something similar (in an engineering field). I dropped from FT to 4 days a week at 55. Over the next 3 years I slowly ramped down to 2.5 days per week, then retired. This trade of less income for additional time off was very worthwhile and let me ease into a retirement lifestyle. It helped that my employer had a standard process to go from FT to PT, with a straightforward approval process. As long as you worked at least half time still get all benefits, with prorated vacation and sick leave.

I still do some occasional consulting work for my old employer (at less than 0.1 of full time), and surprisingly have gotten higher raises (on my hourly rate) since I retired!
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:32 am
manatee2005 wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:09 am
Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
I watch A LOT of TV and yes over 15 years I plan to have this TV, it's worth it.
I think the break even point, for me, is much shorter. Coupled with a decent Soundbar at least, or a full blown audio setup, has me not missing movie theaters (or the sticky floors and incessant talkers).

Mind you, I am almost 70 years old, and my vision is not what it was, but even I can see improvements, even between my 2018 OLED and my 2020 version; I still watch both, but prefer the newer one.

I am, admittedly, a TV aficionado.
Same here, I always have a movie on TV. It's great now that I'm working from home, I can have TVs playing in the background. I only went to the theaters to watch the new Star wars movies. I like to be on the phone when I watch the TV so being stuck in a seat for 2.5 hours without my phone was torture.
The only reason why I went to see star wars in theaters was so that it wouldn't get spoiled.
Cruise
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Cruise »

Today’s example of lifestyle creep: Purchased (for wife) an IPhone 12 Pro and Watch 6. Both of her current products could have lasted longer, but her IPhone 8 was irritating her, and she desired a a larger screen for both phone and watch.

BTW, the 12 Pro camera is absolutely incredible.
iamlucky13
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by iamlucky13 »

Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
I'm going to say no. While OLED screens will provide the best picture quality currently available, LCD screens continue to incrementally improve. If you are satisfied with your current screen, I don't see enough value to warrant the price for you. That's a lot to spend on something that wasn't a problem until you found out other people are pickier about it.

Of course, different financial situations affect the decision, too. I am fairly picky about color quality, dynamic range, and smooth action, but $2,000 would be too much for me. I've got other priorities for my limited discretionary budget. If my income were 50-100% higher than it currently is, on the other hand, I could max out my tax-advantaged savings contributions, and have enough left over that I'd probably consider it.
stoptothink
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by stoptothink »

iamlucky13 wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:22 am
Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
I'm going to say no. While OLED screens will provide the best picture quality currently available, LCD screens continue to incrementally improve. If you are satisfied with your current screen, I don't see enough value to warrant the price for you. That's a lot to spend on something that wasn't a problem until you found out other people are pickier about it.

Of course, different financial situations affect the decision, too. I am fairly picky about color quality, dynamic range, and smooth action, but $2,000 would be too much for me. I've got other priorities for my limited discretionary budget. If my income were 50-100% higher than it currently is, on the other hand, I could max out my tax-advantaged savings contributions, and have enough left over that I'd probably consider it.
Definitely in this camp. Can I tell a difference between my brother's and parent's OLEDs and my LCD? I guess. But they paid over 3x as much for their TVs (of similar size) as I did mine. Of the things I would like to do with an extra $1500-$2000, a TV that has a slightly better picture (that doesn't IMO really move the needle as far as quality of life) isn't anywhere near the top of that list. When we move in ~5yrs and get a dedicated TV/theatre room; probably.
Sconie
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Sconie »

For my wife and I, both retired, it is having two homes, one in southern Arizona for the "winter," and one up in northern MI on the shore of Lake Superior for "summer." It sometimes can be a bit of a hassle, but gosh, for us it really is the best of both worlds.

Not a lifestyle "creep" issue, but I've found that life is better after making a concerted effort to spend less time on internet and especially the major social media platforms (Bogleheads.org excluded of course!)----not to mention that the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., are nothing more than a data mining and surveillance operation----all designed to collect, analyze, package and sell your personal information.
I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. - Alan Greenspan
RevFran
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by RevFran »

Better wine. I have found a few $40-$50 reds from Novelty Hill and Lagier Meredith that are, to me, really worth the money. An indulgence, to be sure, but if I can afford it, I'll keep drinking them a few times a month.
an_asker
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by an_asker »

Just keeping my trap shut as rest of the family "creeps their lifestyle" ;-)

There was a time when I used to object to every unnecessary expense around the household. Now I am comfortable enough with our financial progress* that I just grin and bear it. Also, I have realized that some of the expenses that I considered unnecessary did actually work out (though, literally speaking, they were unnecessary) in one way or the other, though the same result might have been obtained less expensively.

* needless to say, this is a personal thing. In other words, the financial progress which makes me comfortable might be quite inadequate for many of you and way overboard for the few others ;-)
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by an_asker »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:32 am [...]
Mind you, I am almost 70 years old, and my vision is not what it was, but even I can see improvements, even between my 2018 OLED and my 2020 version; I still watch both, but prefer the newer one.

I am, admittedly, a TV aficionado.
Wow!! I had pegged you at at least a decade younger!! Keep it up!! :sharebeer
an_asker
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by an_asker »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:04 am I’m not sure that it qualifies as lifestyle creep, but this morning, with half a foot of snow and 17 degrees F outside, upgraded insulation and geothermal heat making it comfortable indoors sure made me happy.

We lost power for a bit overnight, and batteries made it a non event. Worthwhile lifestyle creep. 😁
We are in FL. In winters, that would be lifestyle creep lol!!
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

an_asker wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:18 am
TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:32 am [...]
Mind you, I am almost 70 years old, and my vision is not what it was, but even I can see improvements, even between my 2018 OLED and my 2020 version; I still watch both, but prefer the newer one.

I am, admittedly, a TV aficionado.
Wow!! I had pegged you at at least a decade younger!! Keep it up!! :sharebeer
Thanks. I'm having my annual physical tomorrow, so I will carry your kind thought into the session. :D

As an aside, something I recently learned, if our concierge doctor doesn't meet certain milestones annually, they get pay clawed back. So, I negotiated that I would come in, but first patient of the day after a night of full powered HEPA filtration. And, since our doctor is getting a CDC approved temperature monitoring system, she will be among the first to have vaccine availability. Wheeeee!
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
poker27
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by poker27 »

I dont make a ton of $, but I'm not thrifty in most areas of my life. That being said, I certainly fret over some upgrades.

For example, have a flight to Mexico next month that was $400 round trip in Economy for two people. I can upgrade to United's first class for $300 one way for both of us. Would make the sub 4hr flight slightly more enjoyable, but I probably still wont do it. I hope at some point in my life I get to the point that I'm just able to do it without thinking :D
FireSekr
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by FireSekr »

I've found that anything that helps to free up time and get basic chores out of the way has been worth it. My most recent "lifestyle cree" was a $169 robot vacuum so now I never really have to think about vacuuming the floors. I'm surprised how much better it cleans than just using a Dyson or something, since it's able to get into areas where I don't go. On top of that, my floor is now always clean because it just runs on a schedule much more frequently than I would normally vacuum.

Another thing I really appreciate is my smart lights and thermostats in the house. My outside lights automatically turn on at dark and off at sunrise. And I have my downstairs lights to automatically turn on and the heat to increase when we walk past the motion detector outside our bedroom on the second floor in the morning. It's nice having the house wake up with me.

I know these are small things, and maybe they Don't even save a ton of time, but it means I have less to think about and weigh me down mentally and I value that greatly.
chazas
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by chazas »

After my divorce I bought a big new house, because I didn't want to live like a late middle aged divorced dude. Bogleheads style, it's located in a decidedly unfashionable DC exurb, but it's walkable and has mass transit and the housing and other costs are super inexpensive for the metro area.

Also my neighbors are diverse in all respects, which I love. That also means they include contractors. I put in a pool and a home theater solely for my own joy, but without the normal DC suburban markup.
Vtsax100
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Vtsax100 »

flaccidsteele wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:22 pm

Cattle class is just a different kind of torment
I resemble that remark.
lazydavid
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by lazydavid »

vtMaps wrote: Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:56 pm Three days after roasting, a professional coffee taster can taste the staleness of the roast.
Three hours after grinding, a professional coffee taster can taste the staleness of the grind.
Though the principal is good, I don't think this is quite accurate. Most roasts have to "rest" (which means outgassing) for a few days before they reach peak flavor. It varies by the varietal, but most coffee tastes best between 3 and 10 days of roasting. Also, the oils dissipate from the grounds a lot sooner than 3 hours.

Rules of thumb are always suspect, but the one I've always gone by is:

"Coffee that is roasted more than 15 months after harvest, ground more than 15 days after roasting, or brewed more than 15 minutes after grinding, is stale."
Hebell
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Hebell »

Husband and wife Catrike recumbent trikes. Fast, responsive, a joy to ride. Riding keeps us sane in pandemic times (and healthy too)
flaccidsteele
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by flaccidsteele »

Vtsax100 wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 4:19 pm
flaccidsteele wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:22 pm
Cattle class is just a different kind of torment
I resemble that remark.
🤣
The US market always recovers. It’s never different this time. Retired in my 40s. Investing is a simple game of rinse and repeat
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

Elena wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:05 pm
KlangFool wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:58 pm OP,

This cannot be considered as lifestyle creep since it fits within my annual expense:

A) My $1,700 foldable electric bicycle.

B) More expensive tea.

KlangFool
I am seriously itching for one, but since I will not be traveling with it I wonder whether I need the folding feature. Every time I read one of your posts, I hear my gut screaming "I want an electric bike to replace my car altogether!!!".
+1 to home location, 15 min. drive to work, smaller place, much more expensive per sq. f. than my old place. Best expensive decision.
Do you get to work from home now?
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

prairieman wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:11 pm Paying for a snow-plowing service. I love coming down in the morning after a snowstorm and seeing my driveway and sidewalks already clean!
That’s a good one! You live in the prairie?
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

FireSekr wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:35 am I've found that anything that helps to free up time and get basic chores out of the way has been worth it. My most recent "lifestyle cree" was a $169 robot vacuum so now I never really have to think about vacuuming the floors. I'm surprised how much better it cleans than just using a Dyson or something, since it's able to get into areas where I don't go. On top of that, my floor is now always clean because it just runs on a schedule much more frequently than I would normally vacuum.

Another thing I really appreciate is my smart lights and thermostats in the house. My outside lights automatically turn on at dark and off at sunrise. And I have my downstairs lights to automatically turn on and the heat to increase when we walk past the motion detector outside our bedroom on the second floor in the morning. It's nice having the house wake up with me.

I know these are small things, and maybe they Don't even save a ton of time, but it means I have less to think about and weigh me down mentally and I value that greatly.
What do you use for smart hub?
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

stoptothink wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 7:10 am
iamlucky13 wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:22 am
Lee_WSP wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:52 pm if you’re not a TV aficionado, Will buying an OLED TV truly make watching television $2,000 better? Serious question. I'm contemplating it since it's Black Friday season, but I'm worried that it's the quarantine boredom talking.

Or is this more like a "for the person whose already got everything else" purchase. Or a "hit my FI goal; don't need to worry about money too much" purchase?
I'm going to say no. While OLED screens will provide the best picture quality currently available, LCD screens continue to incrementally improve. If you are satisfied with your current screen, I don't see enough value to warrant the price for you. That's a lot to spend on something that wasn't a problem until you found out other people are pickier about it.

Of course, different financial situations affect the decision, too. I am fairly picky about color quality, dynamic range, and smooth action, but $2,000 would be too much for me. I've got other priorities for my limited discretionary budget. If my income were 50-100% higher than it currently is, on the other hand, I could max out my tax-advantaged savings contributions, and have enough left over that I'd probably consider it.
Definitely in this camp. Can I tell a difference between my brother's and parent's OLEDs and my LCD? I guess. But they paid over 3x as much for their TVs (of similar size) as I did mine. Of the things I would like to do with an extra $1500-$2000, a TV that has a slightly better picture (that doesn't IMO really move the needle as far as quality of life) isn't anywhere near the top of that list. When we move in ~5yrs and get a dedicated TV/theatre room; probably.
I don’t know what kind of tv model and manufacturer you and your parents have but I can totally see the light bleed when the screen is dark on my TV downstairs and perfect black color on my LED upstairs. I didn’t pay that much for LG OLED, the cost was on par with Sony lcd tv.
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

Tycoon wrote: Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:49 amChildren.
How old are they?
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

ge1 wrote: Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:50 pm House. We did extensive renovations, including converting old garage to media room / bed room / bath room and adding a new garage with gym on the second floor. Also added a nice screened porch. Literally every time I drive up to our house i love it.

And our annual vacation on an expensive Dude Ranch in Colorado, highlight for the whole family.

Daily Starbucks Coconut Latte.


We have other nice things (cars, latest apple gadgets) and enjoy using them, but they don‘t make me „happy“ at all.
Can you PM me the name of the ranch?
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

BoglePaul wrote: Thu Jan 24, 2019 10:04 pm Chipotle WITH Guac
Woa let’s not get too flashy here :D
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

msk wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:08 am Charity! A few years ago I made a 7 figure endowment to our family's alma mater (7 of us went to the same university, either as undergrads or as postgrads). I realized quite quickly that that endowment is what gave me the most joy. Each year we receive a list of the student beneficiaries and some of the students send us their stories as to how their own families fell on bad times and without our help they would have had to drop out. So, recently I decided to disburse substantial sums of cash to each of my heirs (about $50k each annually divided into monthly installments). I announced it to all on my birthday in 2018 and I have all the monthly transfers made on my birth date. So now each month I get to smile when all the bank notifications come in. Even though this largese runs into $300k annually I can't think of how else I can use that much to creep up my own lifestyle and not feel guilty about it. Yacht? Not my interest. Private jet? Business Class is wasteful enough.

Least rewarding: changing from Economy Class to Business Class. I still feel it's a rip off! I do it because even some of my heirs, to whom I give the monthly stipends, travel Business or First. I may switch to First if I get to 9 figures in NW, unlikely seeing that I am in my mid 70s. I used to fly First back in my working life in the 1980s. It did teach me how to fall asleep promptly after take-off. Since I now sleep well even in Economy, Business is wasteful enough.
I didn’t have 7 figures to donate, but just 3 years after graduating from undergrad I started a scholarship at my alma mater. It wasn’t much but it was nice to get thank you letters as you said. I discontinued it in 2009 due to recession and I’m thinking of starting it back up.
Last edited by manatee2005 on Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

jayk238 wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:44 am
OnTrack2020 wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:52 pm SiriusXM
Am thinking about Netflix
Not flying coach
We have sirius xm and are happy to let it go. With apple carplay i get everything i want already
That’s funny, I use CarPlay to play SiriusXM in my car from my phone. That’s the only reason I have SiriusXM. It just fits for listening in a car.
manatee2005
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

EnjoyIt wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:02 pm
randomguy wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 7:20 pm
shell921 wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:46 am
Hospice people and other who work with the dying report most people on their deathbeds what to know 2 things:

1. Was I well loved ?
2. Did i love well ?
Sure but that is a vastly different question. I have talked to a lot of 75-90 year old people that talk about the regret they have for not doing lifestyle creep. They say things like I wish I went to europe when I was healthy. I wish I would have bought the porsche when I could still drive. I wish I did that activity with my kids when they were young. I wish me and my husband played more golf more before he died. And so on. Obviously it is easy to look back as a winner and say you should have spent more. It is a lot harder when the outcome is unknown.
There is nothing wrong with owning a fun car. There is nothing wrong with traveling. But does a $85k Porsche every 3 years provide lore happiness as compared to a $65k porche every 10 years. Does staying in a $400/night room provide that much more happiness compared to staying in. $250/night? That is lifestyle creep and I honestly don’t think it adds any significant value to our lives. They seam like they do at first but a few weeks or months later it’s gone.

An example I would like to share from a few years back. There was a German coupe I was coveting for a few years and one day after saving enough cash I went and bought it. But instead of replacing my 10 year old German sedan I decided to keep them both. I used my sports car for fun and track days and my sedan as a daily commuter and grocery getter. Whenever my wife and I would go out on “date night” we would take out the sports car. So, one nice evening the wife and I were going to drive to one of our favorite restaurants about 40 minutes away. We cleaned up real nice for each other, jumped into the car and went. We had some great music playing, my wife and I were chatting about the day and having a great time. About 15-20 minutes into the trip we realized that we were in the old car now 11 years old. We were amazed how it made no difference which car we took when evaluating the fun we were having.

It was a huge realization that just because it is nicer and newer does not mean it will provide any increase in happiness.
It took your 15 minutes but you did notice it. I think your point would have been made if you drove there and back and didn’t even notice the car you’re driving.

We have a 1 year old 2019 Mazda and a 2007 Mazda and we definitely know which car we’re taking cos the 2007 one is a piece of junk haha. It definitely makes us happier to take the 2019 one.
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

ThankYouJack wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:43 pm I'm curious for those who were able to make increase in their lifestyle, what things actually made you happier?
Brand new car for the first time in my life, and I’m in my mid 40s.
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Afty »

I subscribed to Hulu for $2/mo during their Black Friday sale. Started watching some shows, and it turns out they have some good content. But there are so many ads! I couldn’t take it anymore and upgraded to the ad free plan for $12/mo. That was a good choice.
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AerialWombat
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by AerialWombat »

.....
Last edited by AerialWombat on Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
This post is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real financial advice is purely coincidental.
Elena
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Elena »

manatee2005 wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:16 am
Elena wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:05 pm
KlangFool wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:58 pm OP,

This cannot be considered as lifestyle creep since it fits within my annual expense:

A) My $1,700 foldable electric bicycle.

B) More expensive tea.

KlangFool
I am seriously itching for one, but since I will not be traveling with it I wonder whether I need the folding feature. Every time I read one of your posts, I hear my gut screaming "I want an electric bike to replace my car altogether!!!".
+1 to home location, 15 min. drive to work, smaller place, much more expensive per sq. f. than my old place. Best expensive decision.
Do you get to work from home now?
Welllll.... since you ask... I get to work, not only from home, but from abroad! I managed to cross the ocean last June, not without difficulty, after which my return flight was cancelled. I figured, since winter was going to be risky virus-wise, I would stay and keep an eye on elderly parents. Traveling across the sea has become difficult, so I will stay put for now, which makes for an interesting tax situation (residency days become null under a state of emergency), but that merits a new thread altogether.
My new lifestyle creep is Iberian ham!
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

Elena wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:48 am
manatee2005 wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:16 am
Elena wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:05 pm
KlangFool wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:58 pm OP,

This cannot be considered as lifestyle creep since it fits within my annual expense:

A) My $1,700 foldable electric bicycle.

B) More expensive tea.

KlangFool
I am seriously itching for one, but since I will not be traveling with it I wonder whether I need the folding feature. Every time I read one of your posts, I hear my gut screaming "I want an electric bike to replace my car altogether!!!".
+1 to home location, 15 min. drive to work, smaller place, much more expensive per sq. f. than my old place. Best expensive decision.
Do you get to work from home now?
Welllll.... since you ask... I get to work, not only from home, but from abroad! I managed to cross the ocean last June, not without difficulty, after which my return flight was cancelled. I figured, since winter was going to be risky virus-wise, I would stay and keep an eye on elderly parents. Traveling across the sea has become difficult, so I will stay put for now, which makes for an interesting tax situation (residency days become null under a state of emergency), but that merits a new thread altogether.
My new lifestyle creep is Iberian ham!
Wow, that’s great. I wish I could have been WFE (work from Europe) hehehe. I saw some Americans travelling in Non EU countries like North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania but I’m not that adventurous.
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by Elena »

It is odd, to say the least. I was not ready on the tax side, as this was just a future plan for me. I guess someone pushed me into the pool while testing the water! Not complaining, but reading about international taxation in an emergency situation.
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by prairieman »

manatee2005 wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:20 am
prairieman wrote: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:11 pm Paying for a snow-plowing service. I love coming down in the morning after a snowstorm and seeing my driveway and sidewalks already clean!
That’s a good one! You live in the prairie?
More of a suburban mix of forest, prairies, lakes, and houses with lawns. However, shortly before joining the forum we installed a small prairie on part of our property, mostly to reduce future lawn care, and it has been a constant source of pleasure for me.
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by canadianbacon »

I got a cat. He definitely isn’t cheap but in part from choices I made: wet food only, indoor cat so lots of litter changes. He still has to go in for Mr. Snippy.
Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered.
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Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Post by manatee2005 »

Elena wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:57 am It is odd, to say the least. I was not ready on the tax side, as this was just a future plan for me. I guess someone pushed me into the pool while testing the water! Not complaining, but reading about international taxation in an emergency situation.
It’s worth getting an international tax lawyer.
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