What's the stupidest thing you're lusting after right now?

[blackomen]

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

I had to deal with my apartment building being under construction during most of the pandemic, extremely loud (power tools working on my living room and bedroom wall from the other side of the wall, drilling, cutting bricks, etc.). What works pretty well is those ear muffs that you wear at gun ranges. If the noise is at its loudest I would wear them over earplugs. If it's less loud (like they are working 50 feet away instead of on my actual wall) I could wear them over my earbuds and listen to a podcast or something.

They only cost about $25 and I suspect they block more noise than Bose. Something to consider if this is a long-term issue :-)

I might consider getting one of those muffs and wearing them over my Airpods..  don't feel like shelling out for another pair of headphones to the tune of 2x the cost of my airpods just to get rid of the noise.  Thanks for the suggestion!

[Glenstache]

An EV or plug in hybrid. The car will absolutely not pencil out as paying for itself, but a plug in hybrid would effectively halve my driving carbon emissions based on typical driving trips. An EV is just shy of working with needed range and charging infrastructure.

[zolotiyeruki]

An EV or plug in hybrid. The car will absolutely not pencil out as paying for itself, but a plug in hybrid would effectively halve my driving carbon emissions based on typical driving trips. An EV is just shy of working with needed range and charging infrastructure.

Our family is in an unusual situation where our we make 8-10 very short trips (1-2 miles) per day, and a Leaf or PHEV would work great for that...except that the aggregate number of miles is so low that we'd never make the gas money back!

[jinga nation]

$300 Bose QuietComfort II headphones.

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

Worth every penny. Also recommending the Sony WH1000-XM3/4.

I have the wired Bose QC 25, much older, but has NC. These block, or super-attenuate, the background noise of my kids when I'm working from home, or of the yard guys cutting my neighbor's grass. The only issue is that the mic is super-sensitive for audio pickup, so I have to adjust it on my work Mac or personal Win10 PC. Pretty good for watching movies or listening to music when flying. (I got mine for free, I was loaned these for some testing at my last workplace, then when I quit, they were going to be disposed of. The technician hinted I could make these disappear and he'd mark them as destroyed.)

My coworkers and CEO are fans of the Sony wireless models. I'd buy if I wasn't a mustachian.

Those coworkers who use Apple Airpods/Pro keep on complaining that their earbuds randomly switch between their work Mac, iphones, and ipads.

All anecdata gathered from workplace Slack discussions.

[Raenia]

I want an e-bike.  In theory I could use it to commute to work... but my work doesn't provide bike racks or any place to change clothes, plus even with the assist it would probably double my commuting time.  I'd like to think I would use it anyway, but hard to say.  I certainly can't justify the expense just for running errands that I usually do on foot now.  Even a lower end e-bike would run nearly my entire year of free-spend budget.  But it would be so nice for a trip to the library to be 15 minutes instead of an hour of walking!

[Metalcat]

I want an e-bike.  In theory I could use it to commute to work... but my work doesn't provide bike racks or any place to change clothes, plus even with the assist it would probably double my commuting time.  I'd like to think I would use it anyway, but hard to say.  I certainly can't justify the expense just for running errands that I usually do on foot now.  Even a lower end e-bike would run nearly my entire year of free-spend budget.  But it would be so nice for a trip to the library to be 15 minutes instead of an hour of walking!

The thing with an e-bike is that it so dramatically expands what you can do without a car, that it basically creates it's own need. There are so many places in my city where parking is a pain and they're way too far to walk, so since I've gotten my e-bike, I'm exploring so much more of my own city on a regular basis.

Also, why can't you change in the bathroom at work?

[Raenia]

I want an e-bike.  In theory I could use it to commute to work... but my work doesn't provide bike racks or any place to change clothes, plus even with the assist it would probably double my commuting time.  I'd like to think I would use it anyway, but hard to say.  I certainly can't justify the expense just for running errands that I usually do on foot now.  Even a lower end e-bike would run nearly my entire year of free-spend budget.  But it would be so nice for a trip to the library to be 15 minutes instead of an hour of walking!

The thing with an e-bike is that it so dramatically expands what you can do without a car, that it basically creates it's own need. There are so many places in my city where parking is a pain and they're way too far to walk, so since I've gotten my e-bike, I'm exploring so much more of my own city on a regular basis.

Also, why can't you change in the bathroom at work?

I mean, I could change in the bathroom, but that's extremely uncomfortable for both myself and any other bathroom users.  And to me, the bolded is a negative, not a positive.  Any product that creates a need that wasn't there before - in this case, enabling me to go places I don't currently need to go - needs to be looked at very carefully, IMO.

Also, I didn't post here to get talked into it.  I genuinely don't have the budget (see "entire year of personal spend"), therefore it's not a good idea right now.

[Metalcat]

I want an e-bike.  In theory I could use it to commute to work... but my work doesn't provide bike racks or any place to change clothes, plus even with the assist it would probably double my commuting time.  I'd like to think I would use it anyway, but hard to say.  I certainly can't justify the expense just for running errands that I usually do on foot now.  Even a lower end e-bike would run nearly my entire year of free-spend budget.  But it would be so nice for a trip to the library to be 15 minutes instead of an hour of walking!

The thing with an e-bike is that it so dramatically expands what you can do without a car, that it basically creates it's own need. There are so many places in my city where parking is a pain and they're way too far to walk, so since I've gotten my e-bike, I'm exploring so much more of my own city on a regular basis.

Also, why can't you change in the bathroom at work?

I mean, I could change in the bathroom, but that's extremely uncomfortable for both myself and any other bathroom users.  And to me, the bolded is a negative, not a positive.  Any product that creates a need that wasn't there before - in this case, enabling me to go places I don't currently need to go - needs to be looked at very carefully, IMO.

Also, I didn't post here to get talked into it.  I genuinely don't have the budget (see "entire year of personal spend"), therefore it's not a good idea right now.

Ah, so you're one of the rare people who posts in this thread to actually be discouraged. Neat.

In that case, an e-bike can barely do more than a regular bike, so unless you're disabled like I am and cannot ride a normal bike, it won't make that much of a difference for you, and even then, you can do without it.

Better?

[Raenia]

I want an e-bike.  In theory I could use it to commute to work... but my work doesn't provide bike racks or any place to change clothes, plus even with the assist it would probably double my commuting time.  I'd like to think I would use it anyway, but hard to say.  I certainly can't justify the expense just for running errands that I usually do on foot now.  Even a lower end e-bike would run nearly my entire year of free-spend budget.  But it would be so nice for a trip to the library to be 15 minutes instead of an hour of walking!

The thing with an e-bike is that it so dramatically expands what you can do without a car, that it basically creates it's own need. There are so many places in my city where parking is a pain and they're way too far to walk, so since I've gotten my e-bike, I'm exploring so much more of my own city on a regular basis.

Also, why can't you change in the bathroom at work?

I mean, I could change in the bathroom, but that's extremely uncomfortable for both myself and any other bathroom users.  And to me, the bolded is a negative, not a positive.  Any product that creates a need that wasn't there before - in this case, enabling me to go places I don't currently need to go - needs to be looked at very carefully, IMO.

Also, I didn't post here to get talked into it.  I genuinely don't have the budget (see "entire year of personal spend"), therefore it's not a good idea right now.

Ah, so you're one of the rare people who posts in this thread to actually be discouraged. Neat.

In that case, an e-bike can barely do more than a regular bike, so unless you're disabled like I am and cannot ride a normal bike, it won't make that much of a difference for you, and even then, you can do without it.

Better?

:)

I remember when this thread was full of facepunches for people considering buying self-proclaimed "stupid things" - how the times change!

[GodlessCommie]

An EV or plug in hybrid. The car will absolutely not pencil out as paying for itself, but a plug in hybrid would effectively halve my driving carbon emissions based on typical driving trips. An EV is just shy of working with needed range and charging infrastructure.

For the current state of (non-Tesla) charging infrastructure, plug-in hybrids are the best of both worlds. And there are some pretty good bargains on the used ones. The problem is, there aren't as many of used ones on the market, especially if you have criteria other than it being a plug-in.

[Glenstache]

I want an e-bike.  In theory I could use it to commute to work... but my work doesn't provide bike racks or any place to change clothes, plus even with the assist it would probably double my commuting time.  I'd like to think I would use it anyway, but hard to say.  I certainly can't justify the expense just for running errands that I usually do on foot now.  Even a lower end e-bike would run nearly my entire year of free-spend budget.  But it would be so nice for a trip to the library to be 15 minutes instead of an hour of walking!

If you don't have a secure place to store it, it won't get used.

[WSUCoug1994]

Currently obsessed with a John Deere 2038R with loader, backhoe and flail mower.  We just had 15 acres cleared of dead trees from the 2017 fires and now I want to maintain it.  Unfortunately it might be too steep for a compact tractor and might need to invest in a skid steer with tracks and a masticator.  Either way its gonna be expensive.  Not sure I can pull the trigger.

[Glenstache]

Currently obsessed with a John Deere 2038R with loader, backhoe and flail mower.  We just had 15 acres cleared of dead trees from the 2017 fires and now I want to maintain it.  Unfortunately it might be too steep for a compact tractor and might need to invest in a skid steer with tracks and a masticator.  Either way its gonna be expensive.  Not sure I can pull the trigger.

Goats are good for that too.

[RWD]

Currently obsessed with a John Deere 2038R with loader, backhoe and flail mower.  We just had 15 acres cleared of dead trees from the 2017 fires and now I want to maintain it.  Unfortunately it might be too steep for a compact tractor and might need to invest in a skid steer with tracks and a masticator.  Either way its gonna be expensive.  Not sure I can pull the trigger.

You don't want a John Deere.
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/26/1000400896/standoff-between-farmers-and-tractor-makers-intensifies-over-repair-issues
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-03-05/farmers-fight-john-deere-over-who-gets-to-fix-an-800-000-tractor
https://www.wired.com/story/john-deere-farmers-right-to-repair/

[use2betrix]

The stupidest thing I’m lusting after? The 2020 Ford Mustang GT500 that was released Monday that I’ve been waiting years for.

It’s a dream but hard to suppress. I’ve been a “vehicle” guy my whole life. Motorcycles, jeeps, trucks, a few cars, etc.

I spend hours nearly every week just reading and researching. Every single car, new, old, etc.

...

Yes, it seems stupid, and I’m lusting. I’ve just been dreaming for something like this since I was little, and on my single income this year I’ll orobabky save enough I could buy 2-3 of them outright.

I should also mention this has nothing to do with status or social aspect. I would probably honestly be too embarrassed to tell many people because that kind of spending isn’t me as much anymore. I just really really appreciate the beauty, power, and fine detail that goes into these things.

Hear, hear on obsessively reading about cars and congrats on saving so much in a year, well done.

Doesn't Hertz rent out Shelby GT Mustangs in the USA? Could you treat yourself to a week with one until you end up with a place with a garage?

That is a very good question. I looked at the Hertz’s website and it looked like some big cities might have them occasionally but couldn’t actually find them there when I looked.

Renting once in a while might be a fun option. Might be worth trying out and see if it helps alleviate that urge.

Unfortunately, I don’t know that I’ll ever own a home until FIRE, at which point it will be much harder to justify. I would also be very happy with a low mileage 2004 svt cobra which would be around $22k-$30k and already of taken a hit on depreciation.

Well, 2.5 years later and my dream finally became a reality. This week I bought a mint condition 2003 cobra which has clearly never seen rain. Only has 9k miles on it.

I’ve been wanting a sports car for 10 years and been putting it off (love cars). I could easily have put it off another 10 years.

We’re doing great financially and in a good position, so when this popped up 30 mins from the house (impossible to find mint and stock) it was a no brainer. Can always sell some day if needed and not lose much $.

[WSUCoug1994]

Currently obsessed with a John Deere 2038R with loader, backhoe and flail mower.  We just had 15 acres cleared of dead trees from the 2017 fires and now I want to maintain it.  Unfortunately it might be too steep for a compact tractor and might need to invest in a skid steer with tracks and a masticator.  Either way its gonna be expensive.  Not sure I can pull the trigger.

Goats are good for that too.

That was my first choice but HOA won't let me have livestock on the property and to "rent" the goats it is between $1000-2000 an acre.  Not sustainable financially compared to a larger piece of equipment.

[WSUCoug1994]

Currently obsessed with a John Deere 2038R with loader, backhoe and flail mower.  We just had 15 acres cleared of dead trees from the 2017 fires and now I want to maintain it.  Unfortunately it might be too steep for a compact tractor and might need to invest in a skid steer with tracks and a masticator.  Either way its gonna be expensive.  Not sure I can pull the trigger.

You don't want a John Deere.
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/26/1000400896/standoff-between-farmers-and-tractor-makers-intensifies-over-repair-issues
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-03-05/farmers-fight-john-deere-over-who-gets-to-fix-an-800-000-tractor
https://www.wired.com/story/john-deere-farmers-right-to-repair/

Wow.  Thank you for sharing.  Very insightful.

[Morning Glory]

We had an old Farmall 460 that was great for pulling stumps, plowing snow, etc. It was easy to work on and maintain. Our land was pretty flat and swampy so I can't say how well it would do on hills.

[Taran Wanderer]

Goats are good for that too.

That was my first choice but HOA won't let me have livestock on the property and to "rent" the goats it is between $1000-2000 an acre.  Not sustainable financially compared to a larger piece of equipment.

Climate change is driving hotter, dryer weather. Hotter, dryer weather creates the conditions for more fires. But HOA limitations force you to buy a tractor that contributes to climate change rather than use goats which do not. Totally makes sense.

[bryan995]

Unclear on the price, hoping for $39,990.
https://imgur.com/a/L904HPh

Imagine never having to cook, clean, fold laundry, mow lawn, change diapers, take out trash etc!
A real life rosey the robot.

Side note - Elon promised it would be slow so that a human could escape by running away in a worst case scenario…

[Glenstache]

Goats are good for that too.

That was my first choice but HOA won't let me have livestock on the property and to "rent" the goats it is between $1000-2000 an acre.  Not sustainable financially compared to a larger piece of equipment.

Climate change is driving hotter, dryer weather. Hotter, dryer weather creates the conditions for more fires. But HOA limitations force you to buy a tractor that contributes to climate change rather than use goats which do not. Totally makes sense.

The HOA for The Sea Ranch (spendy, exclusive, fire vulnerable CA community) owns/contracts goats and sheep long term. They have portable electric fences and move the herd around the community for brush and grass control in lieu of mowing. You might be able to pitch a system like that to your HOA as something that also reduces fire risk relative to a bunch of of novices using their own equipment. This would also reduce poison oak, which thrives in fire burned areas (speaking from personal experience following 2017 through 2020 fires in NorCal).

[WSUCoug1994]

Goats are good for that too.

That was my first choice but HOA won't let me have livestock on the property and to "rent" the goats it is between $1000-2000 an acre.  Not sustainable financially compared to a larger piece of equipment.

Climate change is driving hotter, dryer weather. Hotter, dryer weather creates the conditions for more fires. But HOA limitations force you to buy a tractor that contributes to climate change rather than use goats which do not. Totally makes sense.

The HOA for The Sea Ranch (spendy, exclusive, fire vulnerable CA community) owns/contracts goats and sheep long term. They have portable electric fences and move the herd around the community for brush and grass control in lieu of mowing. You might be able to pitch a system like that to your HOA as something that also reduces fire risk relative to a bunch of of novices using their own equipment. This would also reduce poison oak, which thrives in fire burned areas (speaking from personal experience following 2017 through 2020 fires in NorCal).

This is actually a great idea.  I am actually the controller for our HOA and could have some influence over that recommendation.  I hadn't thought about that.  Thank you.

[rothwem]

Goats are good for that too.

That was my first choice but HOA won't let me have livestock on the property and to "rent" the goats it is between $1000-2000 an acre.  Not sustainable financially compared to a larger piece of equipment.

Climate change is driving hotter, dryer weather. Hotter, dryer weather creates the conditions for more fires. But HOA limitations force you to buy a tractor that contributes to climate change rather than use goats which do not. Totally makes sense.

The HOA for The Sea Ranch (spendy, exclusive, fire vulnerable CA community) owns/contracts goats and sheep long term. They have portable electric fences and move the herd around the community for brush and grass control in lieu of mowing. You might be able to pitch a system like that to your HOA as something that also reduces fire risk relative to a bunch of of novices using their own equipment. This would also reduce poison oak, which thrives in fire burned areas (speaking from personal experience following 2017 through 2020 fires in NorCal).

This is actually a great idea.  I am actually the controller for our HOA and could have some influence over that recommendation.  I hadn't thought about that.  Thank you.

Stupid questions, get ready--
How long does it take a couple of goats to clear an acre? 
What is left when they're "done"? 
Do you have to worry about them being eaten by Coyotes and whatnot? 
Do you need to bring them inside at night? 

So many questions!

[Villanelle]

I had friends (American) who lived in the Netherlands for a while.  Their rental home included landscaping.  What that actually meant is "sheep delivery".  Periodically, a truck would come by and offload sheep into the large yard.  Some days later, the truck would pick up the sheep, leaving behind a nicely trimmed (and I suspect well-fertilized!) lawn.  We happened to visit when the sheep were working, and it was charming. 


And to Rothwem's questions, I don't recall the size of the yard, but I'd guess there were maybe 6-8 sheep.  Not sure how long they staye,d but I want to say it was a couple of weeks-ish. 

As for what they left behind--it was basically just a "mowed" lawn.  Short grass.  This was sheep, not goats.

And no, they weren't brought in at night.

[Dicey]

Goats are good for that too.

That was my first choice but HOA won't let me have livestock on the property and to "rent" the goats it is between $1000-2000 an acre.  Not sustainable financially compared to a larger piece of equipment.

Climate change is driving hotter, dryer weather. Hotter, dryer weather creates the conditions for more fires. But HOA limitations force you to buy a tractor that contributes to climate change rather than use goats which do not. Totally makes sense.

The HOA for The Sea Ranch (spendy, exclusive, fire vulnerable CA community) owns/contracts goats and sheep long term. They have portable electric fences and move the herd around the community for brush and grass control in lieu of mowing. You might be able to pitch a system like that to your HOA as something that also reduces fire risk relative to a bunch of of novices using their own equipment. This would also reduce poison oak, which thrives in fire burned areas (speaking from personal experience following 2017 through 2020 fires in NorCal).

This is actually a great idea.  I am actually the controller for our HOA and could have some influence over that recommendation.  I hadn't thought about that.  Thank you.

Stupid questions, get ready--
How long does it take a couple of goats to clear an acre? 
What is left when they're "done"? 
Do you have to worry about them being eaten by Coyotes and whatnot? 
Do you need to bring them inside at night? 

So many questions!

DH's company uses them, as does my city and nearby cities. The compamy, creatively named "Goats R Us' uses electric fences and dogs to contain and protect the sheep. When the sheep are finished, it just looks like the area was closely mowed. The shephard lives in a very muctachisn looking travel trailer nearby. When the sheep are transported to a new area, they use very oarge enclosed livestock trailers. I took pictures last Spring when I noticed a lot of babies in the herd. I'll see if I can find them later and I'll add them to this post.

[Mini-Mer]

A bigger TV and a faster boat.  Both of which would come with additional costs - wall-mounting system and possibly faster internet for TV; roof rack and storage rack for the boat.  There are a lot of house upgrades I should do instead, but these things are very shiny!

[StachelessNicholas]

It's ALWAYS a new bike for me... I've also been looking at small airstreams, but that is completely stupid because I have a GoFastCamper on the bed of my truck for biking trips!

[Just Joe]

Camper. But we already have a camper, a very moustachian older popup camper that was very low cost to purchase and in good condition. Seriously, I know people with more $$$ in their backpacking gear than we paid for the trailer.

The "one" is an Intech Explorer with double tip outs. Can double as lockable utility trailer. I'd use it to haul our bicycles. Want air conditioning, don't want the kitchen b/c it make the tongue too heavy and we have all that camp cooking gear.

The big travel trailers are nice but our tow vehicle is modest and the big trailer trailers are too nice for our needs. These smaller trailers have an easy to clean interior. ~$20K. Nice but way, way too much money for us.

Maybe in a few years after COVID prices calm down and the used market has clean examples to choose from at half the price.

[kite]

$300 Bose QuietComfort II headphones.

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

At least I'm not living in China and dealing with the far more ubiquitous noise like these guys:

https://youtu.be/hbsVFMr2f6g

https://youtu.be/-gsI0WRZiu4

I would have liked this about 6 million times.
The first leg of my last plane trip was made horrible by a person behind me in the midst of a psychotic episode, loudly flailing and complaining, there was nowhere to escape.  My very next stop, I purchased those noise cancelling beauties. The next trip also had some troublemakers, but oh was it ever so pleasant because I could not hear them. 
Worth every cent as far as I'm concerned.  Protecting your own mental health is important.

[Luke Warm]

Camper. But we already have a camper, a very moustachian older popup camper that was very low cost to purchase and in good condition. Seriously, I know people with more $$$ in their backpacking gear than we paid for the trailer.

The "one" is an Intech Explorer with double tip outs. Can double as lockable utility trailer. I'd use it to haul our bicycles. Want air conditioning, don't want the kitchen b/c it make the tongue too heavy and we have all that camp cooking gear.

The big travel trailers are nice but our tow vehicle is modest and the big trailer trailers are too nice for our needs. These smaller trailers have an easy to clean interior. ~$20K. Nice but way, way too much money for us.

Maybe in a few years after COVID prices calm down and the used market has clean examples to choose from at half the price.

one of my neighbors was giving away his pop-up camper. it needed some work but i was willing to try to fix it. someone beat me to it though. i agree that post-covid will be the time. maybe the campgrounds will be empty also.

[Dancin'Dog]

$300 Bose QuietComfort II headphones.

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

At least I'm not living in China and dealing with the far more ubiquitous noise like these guys:

https://youtu.be/hbsVFMr2f6g

https://youtu.be/-gsI0WRZiu4

I would have liked this about 6 million times.
The first leg of my last plane trip was made horrible by a person behind me in the midst of a psychotic episode, loudly flailing and complaining, there was nowhere to escape.  My very next stop, I purchased those noise cancelling beauties. The next trip also had some troublemakers, but oh was it ever so pleasant because I could not hear them. 
Worth every cent as far as I'm concerned.  Protecting your own mental health is important.

We just had the flight from hell with a kid screaming across the isle from us.  I had a pack of cheap foam ear plugs and they cancelled 95% of her high pitched screeching.  The remaining 5% was a nice little reminder of how bad it could have been.  They're about $5 for 10 pair and reusable for a long time, if you have clean ears. ;)


They're great for high-speed motorcycle rides and when running a wood planer for hours too.  I use the $2 ear muffs from Harbor Freight when mowing the lawn.  Low-tech hearing protection works fine for me, and who cares when they eventually get lost or broken. 


I'm afraid if I tried the Hi-tech noise canceling gear I might start hearing the voices in my head, and we all know how expensive those guys can be to quieten down!  ;)   

[Glenstache]

$300 Bose QuietComfort II headphones.

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

At least I'm not living in China and dealing with the far more ubiquitous noise like these guys:

https://youtu.be/hbsVFMr2f6g

https://youtu.be/-gsI0WRZiu4

I would have liked this about 6 million times.
The first leg of my last plane trip was made horrible by a person behind me in the midst of a psychotic episode, loudly flailing and complaining, there was nowhere to escape.  My very next stop, I purchased those noise cancelling beauties. The next trip also had some troublemakers, but oh was it ever so pleasant because I could not hear them. 
Worth every cent as far as I'm concerned.  Protecting your own mental health is important.

We just had the flight from hell with a kid screaming across the isle from us.  I had a pack of cheap foam ear plugs and they cancelled 95% of her high pitched screeching.  The remaining 5% was a nice little reminder of how bad it could have been.  They're about $5 for 10 pair and reusable for a long time, if you have clean ears. ;)


They're great for high-speed motorcycle rides and when running a wood planer for hours too.  I use the $2 ear muffs from Harbor Freight when mowing the lawn.  Low-tech hearing protection works fine for me, and who cares when they eventually get lost or broken. 


I'm afraid if I tried the Hi-tech noise canceling gear I might start hearing the voices in my head, and we all know how expensive those guys can be to quieten down!  ;)

Once you have cancelled out the outside noises, just turn up the volume until you have cancelled out the inside noises. :)

[Cool Friend]

I have some extra money I wasn't expecting, and have been wanting to buy an expensive electric guitar that I've wanted for a long time. It's like $2,000. I've been playing for a couple decades and it's my main hobby, but I'm not a professional musician and I already have a decent electric guitar. In fact, I was previously thinking about selling a couple cheap instruments I accumulated over the years to reduce clutter. I suppose it's aspirational purchase--a "dream axe" for a dream I no longer pursue.

It's weird--I know that buying it won't improve my life or well-being in any lasting, significant way (though I'm sure it would be fun to play). And yet, part of me thinks, "Why not? You can afford it, it's not a passing fancy, it will retain much of its value..." and other rationalizations.

What do you think? Stupid consumerist lust?

(Shia LeBeouf flex) "DO IT"

Lol I did it. The manufacturer raised their prices this year, but I bought it used for a great price--the kind of price used ones were going for before the price increase. Hedonic treadmill baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JLee]

$300 Bose QuietComfort II headphones.

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

At least I'm not living in China and dealing with the far more ubiquitous noise like these guys:

https://youtu.be/hbsVFMr2f6g

https://youtu.be/-gsI0WRZiu4

Don't pay $300...check slickdeals, they've been available for less than $200 twice in the past few weeks.

[Glenstache]

$300 Bose QuietComfort II headphones.

I work from home and there's incessant noise outside my apartment due to the landscapers coming day after day straight for the past several weeks.  Right now, I'm coping by wearing earplugs and putting my $70 headphones (that are falling apart after 1.5 years of use) over those and using their mediocre noise cancelling feature though I can't listen to music this way and they could fall apart any day.

At least I'm not living in China and dealing with the far more ubiquitous noise like these guys:

https://youtu.be/hbsVFMr2f6g

https://youtu.be/-gsI0WRZiu4

Don't pay $300...check slickdeals, they've been available for less than $200 twice in the past few weeks.

I have some knockoff MPOW noise cancelling wireless headphones. They are definitely not as nice as the Bose units, but still cancel out a lot of noise and for $60 are a pretty stellar value.

[Taran Wanderer]

We just had the flight from hell with a kid screaming across the isle from us.  I had a pack of cheap foam ear plugs and they cancelled 95% of her high pitched screeching.  The remaining 5% was a nice little reminder of how bad it could have been.  They're about $5 for 10 pair and reusable for a long time, if you have clean ears. ;)

I was the parent of that child once. Ever since, I buy those packages of earplugs and take them with me, and I offer them to everyone sitting around us. If people don’t take them when we sit down, I make sure they know they’re welcome to ask later.

[Dancin'Dog]

We just had the flight from hell with a kid screaming across the isle from us.  I had a pack of cheap foam ear plugs and they cancelled 95% of her high pitched screeching.  The remaining 5% was a nice little reminder of how bad it could have been.  They're about $5 for 10 pair and reusable for a long time, if you have clean ears. ;)

I was the parent of that child once. Ever since, I buy those packages of earplugs and take them with me, and I offer them to everyone sitting around us. If people don’t take them when we sit down, I make sure they know they’re welcome to ask later.

Very cool.  I'll have to start doing that. 

[Sandi_k]

A new jet ski. Mine is a 2007 MY, with 500+ hours on it. Only 131 HP, top speed of ~ 55 mph.

New ski: better ergonomics, and ~ 180 hp, with top speed of 65 mph. Cost: $12k plus tax, etc.

Deposit made.

[Dancin'Dog]

A new jet ski. Mine is a 2007 MY, with 500+ hours on it. Only 131 HP, top speed of ~ 55 mph.

New ski: better ergonomics, and ~ 180 hp, with top speed of 65 mph. Cost: $12k plus tax, etc.

Deposit made.

Congrats!


You won't be the Slow Poke in the group anymore.  :) 

[Feivel2000]

@Sandi_k

"Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a JetSki. And have you ever seen unhappy people on a JetSki?"

:-D

[Nutty]

@Sandi_k

"Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a JetSki. And have you ever seen unhappy people on a JetSki?"

:-D

On, no.  After getting it fixed, yes, I've seen a couple.  But it's a blast when it's working.  Kinda like hot rods. ;)

[Sandi_k]

@Sandi_k

"Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a JetSki. And have you ever seen unhappy people on a JetSki?"

:-D

EXACTLY. ;)

We've been riding since 1995, and owners since 2003. I've been riding my current one since 2005.

It's time!

[joe189man]

@Sandi_k

"Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a JetSki. And have you ever seen unhappy people on a JetSki?"

:-D

EXACTLY. ;)

We've been riding since 1995, and owners since 2003. I've been riding my current one since 2005.

It's time!

i LOVE that quote (thanks Daniel Tosh) and also true, i always smiled riding my folks' jet ski

[sonofsven]

PT Cruiser.
Teal blue.
Woodie (yes, it's plastic, shaddup!)

Future classic?

[2Birds1Stone]

PT Cruiser.
Teal blue.
Woodie (yes, it's plastic, shaddup!)

Future classic?

I just threw up in my mouth a lil'

[RWD]

PT Cruiser.
Teal blue.
Woodie (yes, it's plastic, shaddup!)

Future classic?

I just threw up in my mouth a lil'

Hahaha

[lemanfan]

Current object of lust: a new or new-ish Leica camera.   Not the rebranded Panasonic compacts, but the real deal.  M. Q2. SL2.

But I know I won't pull the trigger.  I have cameras that are better than my ability to use them.  I don't need anything at all, especially now when travel is still not on the table.  But I still consume all these reviews.... :)

[Askel]

PT Cruiser.
Teal blue.
Woodie (yes, it's plastic, shaddup!)

Future classic?

You may not be the hero this world wants, but you are definitely the hero this world needs.  :D

[rothwem]

PT Cruiser.
Teal blue.
Woodie (yes, it's plastic, shaddup!)

Future classic?

Definitely not a future classic, but I'm pretty sure the PT Cruiser Turbo was very similar to the Neon SRT-4, which is a legit performance car (and a future classic).  Classic adjacent?

[sonofsven]

PT Cruiser.
Teal blue.
Woodie (yes, it's plastic, shaddup!)

Future classic?

Definitely not a future classic, but I'm pretty sure the PT Cruiser Turbo was very similar to the Neon SRT-4, which is a legit performance car (and a future classic).  Classic adjacent?

My post was tongue in cheek, but it's hard to gauge what a "future classic" will be- look at how popular 60/70's station wagons are, or VW vans!  Performance is besides the point it seems.