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
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Topic Author
Shalom Aleichem
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What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

Hi everyone.
Long time lurker.
What is the BEST thing you ever spent money on?

OK now you're not allowed to say the socially approved answer of:
1) Charity
2) Wedding ring
3) Adopting a child.
Frankly, those are the best things you can spend money on (well (1) and (3) for sure - (2) alludes to marriage not necessarily literally the ring!)
The point of the question is what is the best THING?

Vacations/experience might count. For me it's definitely charity but that can't count here. In that case - Peloton bike. I use it nearly every day. It led me to eating healthy and a generally very healthy lifestyle. Probably also my first and only NICE mountain bike that before Covid I used to use with friends weekly.

I have a nice watch - from reading this website I chose a Grand Seiko. I wanted something rugged, that looks nice, but most of all something that keeps time. I had a nice watch before but as it was mechanical it lost time regularly and yearly or so needed expensive maintenance. I love the reliability of the Grand Seiko. Per recommendations also here on Bogleheads I tried Darn Tough socks. I like them.

For vacations I took one daughter (the other did not want to go) skydiving. I am terribly afraid of heights, but it was what she wanted to do so I did it. I've been to Iceland with the girls (they didn't care for it. I liked it but I think there are other places to go rather than return there). I'd like to go to India or Nepal or Vietnam or similar for a couple weeks. I've been to many Western national parks and those are great. I'd like to learn to camp and am considering a camper (having read avidly the adventures of one of the posters here ... WillThrill?) vs just throwing a tent in a truck vs getting the skills to go backcountry.

I'm not a car guy but if I could morally justify it I'd look into the Tesla Roadster. But I'd think of all the people who didn't get to eat today, and at $200,000, that's a lot of people that could have been fed so that's out.

Anyhoo...

What are the best THINGS you purchased, regardless of price. Best meaning the things that gave you the most pleasure? I think for me Peloton definitely and Grand Seiko maybe.
lightheir
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by lightheir »

Home/house in Norcal.

Was insanely and frightening expensive when my wife and I bought it. It nearly doubled in value in a mere 2 years, and is close to triple now less than a decade later so a good financial move, but far more more importantlyit has been a great home and location for our lives and for our long-term future. (the home appreciation really only matters for refinancing which we did twice, or if you plan to sell, which we aren't.)

It's hard for me to think of an expenditure that has had a more direct improvement on quality of life than my home. I've made long-term investments that people might say yielded more dollar value, but the quality of life improvements of those are limited to adding to financial security (admittedly which is still a very high priority for me, but doesn't quite match up to the home.)

Cars are very low on our family list of life improvements but my wife enjoys her newish car and I still enjoy my somewhat oldish car and will only replace it when it becomes troublesome. I'll admit that if I were a billionaire I might have a lot of fun messing with cars and all their accoutrements, but it doesn't make sense for me either timewise or finacially to pick up such a hobby, so it's easy to pass on it.

It is amazing to me though aside from the home, how little correlation there can be with money spent and satisfaction/happiness from the purchase. It's not a zero correlation, but many of the things I enjoy most don't cost a lot. Like exercising, listening to popular podcasts, and reading books in a foreign language. Even video games, which I also love but don't have any real time to spend playing, cost very little over the long run if you get deeply into them - I think I spent $10 on a Metro Redux game on a google Stadia sale, that was incredibly good!
Last edited by lightheir on Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bluebolt
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by bluebolt »

Are you asking what's the best in terms of value per dollar or what's the best in terms of overall value regardless of cost (appears to be the latter, but just checking)?

Let's see.

Overall - $20 I spent on entry fee to the place where I met my wife, college degree, house, GOOG, VTI, VTSAX.
Value per dollar - $20 I spent on entry fee to the place where I met my wife, iPhone, Apple Watch, treadmill, high-speed internet
hicabob
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by hicabob »

Probably a bunch of nvda at $9/share?
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Beensabu
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Beensabu »

Avocados
"The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next." ~Ursula LeGuin
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

My kids’ college education. I know it’s not every BH’s way, but figuratively I wrote every check with a smile. Paid off too :D
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Doom&Gloom »

Beer and barbecue.

They make life worth living.
HyperCat
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by HyperCat »

A riding lawnmower. Worth every penny compared to push mowing.
sschoe2
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by sschoe2 »

1. Poodles
2. Road bike
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

The 2 adult cats I adopted from the shelter 12 years ago (they were "on sale" - the shelter threw in the second one for free!). They are now "elderly cats" at this point - but they have been (and still are) really good cats. I chose well.

In the last year:
The refurbished Herman Miller office chair I bought a month after I started working from home. worth.every.penny.
A "Comfy" - the "wearable blanket" - a surprisingly good purchase for $40.00 (I'd get the version with the zippered front if I was going to re-buy one).

A family pass to the local zoo - so much fun to go with relatives and their little ones (especially during Covid19) it's park like and nice to walk around even if the critters aren't out (and the buildings are closed to the public).

If I had to look back to the past - I'd say the 3K I spent on my jr. college 2 year degree... best bang for the buck ever.
My house was a good purchase too - it's centrally located, can walk/take public transportation to work, can walk to bars, restaurants, banks, convenience stores, groceries - so don't have to rely on my car. Lots of intangible goodness there.

And last but not least - replacing my 25 year old water heater before it failed (it was running ok....but 25 years old!!!) and being able to plan and do it as a DIY project. If that's not good use of money to avoid an "emergency" I don't know what is :)
Last edited by LittleMaggieMae on Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Starfish
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Starfish »

C-section.
Topic Author
Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

bluebolt wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:47 pm Are you asking what's the best in terms of value per dollar or what's the best in terms of overall value regardless of cost (appears to be the latter, but just checking)?

Let's see.

Overall - $20 I spent on entry fee to the place where I met my wife, college degree, house, GOOG, VTI, VTSAX.
Value per dollar - $20 I spent on entry fee to the place where I met my wife, iPhone, Apple Watch, treadmill, high-speed internet
Hi. Overall what are the absolute best things you've purchased, regardless of cost?
Topic Author
Shalom Aleichem
Posts: 263
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

lightheir wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:39 pm Home/house in Norcal.

Was insanely and frightening expensive when my wife and I bought it. It nearly doubled in value in a mere 2 years, and is close to triple now less than a decade later so a good financial move, but far more more importantlyit has been a great home and location for our lives and for our long-term future. (the home appreciation really only matters for refinancing which we did twice, or if you plan to sell, which we aren't.)

It's hard for me to think of an expenditure that has had a more direct improvement on quality of life than my home. I've made long-term investments that people might say yielded more dollar value, but the quality of life improvements of those are limited to adding to financial security (admittedly which is still a very high priority for me, but doesn't quite match up to the home.)

Cars are very low on our family list of life improvements but my wife enjoys her newish car and I still enjoy my somewhat oldish car and will only replace it when it becomes troublesome. I'll admit that if I were a billionaire I might have a lot of fun messing with cars and all their accoutrements, but it doesn't make sense for me either timewise or finacially to pick up such a hobby, so it's easy to pass on it.

It is amazing to me though aside from the home, how little correlation there can be with money spent and satisfaction/happiness from the purchase. It's not a zero correlation, but many of the things I enjoy most don't cost a lot. Like exercising, listening to popular podcasts, and reading books in a foreign language. Even video games, which I also love but don't have any real time to spend playing, cost very little over the long run if you get deeply into them - I think I spent $10 on a Metro Redux game on a google Stadia sale, that was incredibly good!
Where in NorCal? I was in San Francisco (first inner sunset, then marina) for a few years. SoCal now. I enjoy my house a lot too. Firepit, drinking wine with friends, soft music in the background. What do you like best about your house? View? Any particular creature comfort or design feature?

My car is a ten year old (at least) Lexus. So far it starts when it's supposed to and gets me where I need to go so I don't feel I need anything new.
Aaand...it'sgone
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Aaand...it'sgone »

Home gym for powerlifting. I can train whenever I have time, and I don't have to share the squat rack with anyone. Also, hopefully I'll still be in relatively good health to enjoy all my retirement savings.
shans2000
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by shans2000 »

My house
Safari vacation to Kenya
Toto washlet
Marathon Man
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Marathon Man »

Entry fee to my first marathon ($150), my best friend bet me $10 I couldn't finish. Led to losing 60 lbs and getting in the best shape of my life at 52. Made me change my diet permanently and solve my previous weight problem.
Wannaretireearly
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

Toto Washlet
Various trips.

All time: lasik
Current: clearlight sauna
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
dboeger1
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by dboeger1 »

An exceptional mattress. This one is so criminally underrated by many people. I think it's honestly such a good investment that it might be a top financial priority before stocks and bonds. If you don't sleep a healthy number of hours, you should. If you already do, then you spend about 1/3 of your life asleep in bed (and more on lazy days). After graduating and starting my career, I bought a pull-out couch bed because that seemed like the thing to do as a new grad in a studio apartment. I think I bought it used for around $200. It was certainly good for a while, but it wasn't particularly comfortable to sleep in, changing forms was a hassle so I never did it, and it deteriorated fairly quickly. After about 2 years, the support under the thin mattress was breaking down so my body would press onto the metal bars underneath, and the couch fabric started releasing these glittery flakes that I was oddly allergic to and would press into my skin and cause these horrible itchy rashes. I got rid of it and spent about $1,100 on a proper memory foam mattress. It was from a fairly niche online-only brand that is no longer around, so it was a phenomenal deal for the density of the foam at the time (even much more expensive brands rarely had the number and variety of support layers of this mattress). It's now been about 6 years, and this thing is still going strong. It's super comfortable and gives me a good night's sleep, which is invaluable for my work and overall mental state. It seemed really expensive at the time, but amortized over many comfortable nights, the cost is really trivial. I'm actually excited for the next mattress to replace this one because it seems like there has been quite a bit of mattress innovation since then. We've tested some $2k+ models that we really like. That may seem outrageous to some people, but honestly, there aren't many things you can buy for that cheap that will instantly and effortlessly improve 1/3 of your life.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't mention video games. It's one of the most cost-effective hobbies in existence if done carefully. Gamers certainly can and do spend good money on hot new releases, subscriptions, hardware upgrades, etc., but with so many classic games in existence now, cheap digital distribution sales, and free-to-play games, the barriers to entry are extremely minimal.
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abuss368
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by abuss368 »

A ring to marry my best friend and awesome wife!

Tony
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
TomWambsgans
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by TomWambsgans »

Boy, the COVID home gym I put in my backyard is definitely up there. Squat rack, bumper plates, the whole shebang--better than the gym(s) I was paying for, and all in my own backyard.
YeahBuddy
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by YeahBuddy »

Aaand...it'sgone wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:28 pm Home gym for powerlifting. I can train whenever I have time, and I don't have to share the squat rack with anyone. Also, hopefully I'll still be in relatively good health to enjoy all my retirement savings.

Just be careful with your form! Took me about 15 years of heavy lifting before I hit snap city. Herniated L5-S1. Could've been the snow shoveling too but who knows.
Light weight baby!
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TxAg
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by TxAg »

Good beer, good underwear, and good socks
New Providence
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by New Providence »

Apple products.
They are, by far, best consumer electronics in the market.
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Taylor Larimore
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A Bottle of Champaign!

Post by Taylor Larimore »

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.”
"Simplicity is the master key to financial success." -- Jack Bogle
Case59
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Case59 »

Jeep Wrangler. As the saying goes, "For those who say money doesn't buy happiness, explain Jeeps and tacos."
"Most quotations on the internet are incorrect."-Mark Twain
YeahBuddy
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by YeahBuddy »

This is tough.

1) A reproduction of my moms high school year book (Xmas present) a few years ago. The chase was extensive. Her reaction was priceless. She passed away last year. Rip.

2) Our home. We don't vacation. It's our kids everything - school/playground/ etc.

3) My 2nd education. I went back to school at age 29 for a career change from criminal justice to the healthcare field and it was life altering.
Light weight baby!
lucha
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by lucha »

I did a lot of travel in my 20s... northern lights in Tromso, Norway and safari in the Serengeti were the two best experiences which were less budget-friendly.

Stateside, my singing groups and music classes. Music education is my greatest joy in life. :happy
dbforbes
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by dbforbes »

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.
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AerialWombat
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by AerialWombat »

.....
Last edited by AerialWombat on Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This post is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real financial advice is purely coincidental.
runner540
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by runner540 »

House 6 months before COVID. It was hard to commit but I’d been saving over a decade for it and it checked the boxes. Down payment was huge, and we put more money in updates.
Really glad we have had a comfortable place to live and work the last year.
MindBogler
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by MindBogler »

Home theater. We derive many hours of enjoyment and, if you like movies/TV, the ROI is there.
jginseattle
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by jginseattle »

Vacations.
Gifts.
Musical instruments.
Selective investment books. (Many other books as well).
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Bogle7
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Bogle7 »

I think the win goes to Taylor.
Old fart who does three index stock funds, baby.
Kookaburra
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Re: A Bottle of Champaign!

Post by Kookaburra »

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.”
Such a heart-warming story, Taylor. Curious who the older man was that she was with at the table? Did you manage to swoop in at just the right time and pull her away from another suitor?
Mike Scott
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Mike Scott »

A specific piece of art. It was a completley irresponsible purchase at the time but I get to enjoy it every single day.
TallBoy29er
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Re: A Bottle of Champaign!

Post by TallBoy29er »

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.”
I continuously enjoy your posts, Mr. Larimore. Thank you for sharing. That is a touching and wonderful memory you shared with us.
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6miths
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by 6miths »

My education.
'It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so!' Mark Twain
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quantAndHold
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by quantAndHold »

House. Purchased with the woman who later became my wife. The two core elements of an amazing life.
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

TxAg wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:07 pm Good beer, good underwear, and good socks
Some thread here mentioned darn good socks. I like them it I don’t know that they changed my life. So I thought to look up good underwear. I bought some saxx. Price is crazy but Nordstrom rack has them for less. Like them a lot but don’t love them. I like the idea of a great bed. I just bought a sonos sound system but it hasn’t arrived yet. I’m hoping it’s great.
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Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

RobLyons wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:18 pm This is tough.

1) A reproduction of my moms high school year book (Xmas present) a few years ago. The chase was extensive. Her reaction was priceless. She passed away last year. Rip.

2) Our home. We don't vacation. It's our kids everything - school/playground/ etc.

3) My 2nd education. I went back to school at age 29 for a career change from criminal justice to the healthcare field and it was life altering.
What at your home do you enjoy the most? We have a fire pit and bbq and outdoor movie projector. The best nights are inviting friends over cooking bbq and watching a movie outside by the fire. And drinking good scotch! Old glendronach is the best!
fatcoffeedrinker
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by fatcoffeedrinker »

Deleted
Last edited by fatcoffeedrinker on Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Topic Author
Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

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!
Strayshot
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Strayshot »

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.
poker27
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by poker27 »

Without including travel, dinner, events...

Motorcycle. It was cheap, pain in the a$$ to store and maintain, however it’s a thrill to ride.

Air pod pros. They are a POS (have had them serviced by Apple 3x in the first year), however they are much more comfortable then my other cheap headsets.

Nice shoes/boots. I probably own 15ish pairs of resoleable shoes. I don’t know if they are more comfortable, but they look so much better then a $100 plastic pair.

Eero router. Did not expect such better range or speed compared to my last net gear router, but so far so good.

Next thermostat. Turn up the heat while getting out of bed? Yes please.
Wk1014
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Wk1014 »

My pressure Canner
sambb
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by sambb »

apple iphone - far and away the best

nice sports cars, but also reliable toyotas!

nice travel amenities (great hotels, etc.)

attorney fees for great attorneys

copays for great physicians

nice ice cream

starbucks whenever i want it

earplugs

bluetooth products of any kind
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kelway
Posts: 391
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 1:37 pm
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

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

Post by kelway »

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?
A 1992 edition of a 1967 resissue Gibson SG Custom guitar... Worth twice what I paid for it new, and I've loved it ever since. This or the 2007 Honda Civic lovingly called "Soft Horse", which is now going on 300k miles.
Honu
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 9:40 pm

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

Post by Honu »

All Clad double pan set from Bed Bath & Beyond. But then I love food and my spouse loves them too! Bon appetit 😋
“Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” Lan Peters
mainiac
Posts: 212
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:41 pm
Location: Maine

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

Post by mainiac »

Our standard poodle puppy - 14 years ago, who went over the rainbow bridge a month ago.
fwellimort
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:41 am

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

Post by fwellimort »

A good pair of glasses AND earphone has been one of the BEST things I spent my money on

A very light flexible pair of glasses made of titanium or aluminum for those who wear glasses.
I am wearing an aluminium/titanium pair of glasses from prodesign denmark currently and it's so lightweight it's great. It feels like.. my eyes are 'free' from all the unrealized pains of heavier glasses in the past
I am seriously considering Lindberg titanium glasses if I need a pair of glasses again in the near future.
The lighter the glasses, the better. Sure you can go contacts but I am a glasses person.

A good listening device (whether headphones or earphones):
Earphone: I currently use 64 Audio U12T
For most people, I would recommend Etymotics ER series or Moondrop Starfield/Blessing

Etymotics ER4SR/XR is $129 and it's legit:
https://www.adorama.com/etyer4sr.html?s ... ailprice=t
https://www.adorama.com/etyer4xr.html?s ... ailprice=t
(For most people, ER4XR is way to go)
Etymotics have one of the best warranty services out there (2 year warranty + 1 year extended with most credit cards)
These earphones are like ear blockers. Blocks outside noise passively. And very detailed.
The only downsides is the small 2 dimensional soundstage/imaging and a 'lack' in bass.

For headphone users, Sennheiser HD 6XX is well received price/performance wise. Those are open back though (sound leaks on both sides) so it's meant for home usage. I'm not so knowledgeable in this domain so maybe some other Bogleheader can chime in if anyones interested.

Random stuff: Why not try a chocolate from rare Criollo beans (0.1% of all chocolate beans) with Francois Pralus Chocolate Bar. You'll taste the 'finest' chocolate beans the world offers ... and realize dark chocolate tastes just like standard milk chocolate :D

Groceries:
Ice cream (Ben n Jerry's Half Baked, Haagen Daaz Green Tea, Trader Joe's Premium Chocolate, etc.)
Fruits (Mini Seedless Watermelons, Avocados, Durian (if you dare))
Ikea Swedish meatballs

Restaurant Foods:
Unadon, Hainese chicken, Pho, Chinese dumplings like Xiao Long Bao, Wonton Noodle Soup, Lobster Seafood Paella, Texas Style Smoked Briskets, Monkfish, Chicken Tikka Masala, Japanese Shabu-Shabu, Otoro (Tuna), Neapolitan Pizza, Ricotta Cheese Salad, Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza, Egg Tarts, Cheesecakes (including Japanese), Chili Crab with Bun (Singapore), Peking Duck, Mochi, Korean Honey Pancake, etc.

Vacation:
4 day trip to Singapore (it's a small country (feels like a small city) and 4 days is enough: Gardens by the Bay, food courts, Orchard Road, Merlion Park, etc.)
A trip to Japan
USA: Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon
USA: Yellowstone National Park
USA: Yosemite National Park
I hear good things about Germany... so I'm planning on traveling there one day... one day... (apparently I traveled when I was a baby but that's baby me)
Last edited by fwellimort on Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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