Author Topic: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying  (Read 29192 times)

hownowbrowncow

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25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« on: April 22, 2016, 10:28:03 PM »

HappierAtHome

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2016, 02:22:01 AM »
Wuuut. First two items on the list are houses and trucks? Seriously?

Some of it is pretty niche, too - wine fridges! Fire pits! These are things I have zero use for and would regret even if they were FREE to acquire.

Metric Mouse

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2016, 03:54:12 AM »
Wuuut. First two items on the list are houses and trucks? Seriously?

Some of it is pretty niche, too - wine fridges! Fire pits! These are things I have zero use for and would regret even if they were FREE to acquire.

Those are literally the two things I regret buying most!  But really, a wine fridge is an investment.

Squirrel away

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2016, 04:05:10 AM »
Okay...:D I don't own most of those things.

I was actually considering getting a safe after reading a discussion on here.

Seppia

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2016, 07:32:10 AM »
A house can be a great investment for spendy people, as it forces them to save somehow.

FIREby35

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2016, 08:00:19 AM »
A knife sharpener is a real thing! So many of my family and friends talked about buying new knives becausethe ones they had were dull. I could not understand the problem until I realized they did not own a knife sharpener. I then told them they simply needed to buy a sharpener, not new knives. Being hyper consumers, this was unacceptable. Multiple were bent on buying $100 "never dull" infomercial ridiculousness. I finally bought, not kidding, half  a dozen knife sharpeners and actually handed them out. My wife made fun of me mercilessly. But I have been told repeatedly about how this was one of the best gifts ever by multiple people, repeatedly!

Our non-mustachian brothers and sisters never cease to amaze me.

Travis

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2016, 08:48:55 AM »
Wuuut. First two items on the list are houses and trucks? Seriously?

Some of it is pretty niche, too - wine fridges! Fire pits! These are things I have zero use for and would regret even if they were FREE to acquire.

"Things you won't regret owning if you live a pretty specific lifestyle and use those things."

shelivesthedream

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2016, 09:46:02 AM »
A knife sharpener is a real thing! So many of my family and friends talked about buying new knives becausethe ones they had were dull. I could not understand the problem until I realized they did not own a knife sharpener. I then told them they simply needed to buy a sharpener, not new knives. Being hyper consumers, this was unacceptable. Multiple were bent on buying $100 "never dull" infomercial ridiculousness. I finally bought, not kidding, half  a dozen knife sharpeners and actually handed them out. My wife made fun of me mercilessly. But I have been told repeatedly about how this was one of the best gifts ever by multiple people, repeatedly!

Our non-mustachian brothers and sisters never cease to amaze me.

Agreed. I thought about half the things on the list were pretty good and half were totally stupid. I'm generally pretty in favour of: house, fruit trees, safe, knife sharpener, french press, sewing machine. I'd personally love a meat smoker, but that's just me and my special interests. The rest of it was just junk, really.

Indexer

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2016, 04:48:52 PM »
Four wheel drive pick up truck!

If you asked people in 2007-2009 that might be the most regretted purchase they made in their entire lives.

MoneyCat

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2016, 06:37:28 PM »
Disagree with most of the stuff in that list (obviously), but buying a house was one of the best decisions I ever made. It's going to be very useful to sell and pad the nest egg when it comes time to retire, rather than throwing money down a bottomless pit by renting. I suppose it helps that I bought a modest house without HOA dues and with relatively low property taxes for my state.

asiljoy

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2016, 07:07:10 PM »
I took "never regret" to mean "useful stuff that most people underestimate". Most of the list wasn't garbage, but "never regret"? No so much.

sleepyguy

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2016, 07:10:10 PM »
Agreed or in "hot" markets like Toronto right now, if you bought 10yrs ago you would have pretty much triple your investment or more.

I agree some things all other things, meh.

A house can be a great investment for spendy people, as it forces them to save somehow.

Jakejake

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2016, 07:31:59 PM »
I love being a home owner. We have two more years to pay on it, but then we have free housing for decades, and we have established fruit trees now - and mainly peace and quiet with some space away from any neighbors.

We love our fire pit too - but we got it for $25 or so at salvation army. We have some woods so we aren't paying to use it, and the smoke from it keeps mosquitoes down so we enjoy sitting outside in summer a lot more with it.

A wine fridge though - that seems like overkill for the boxed wine that we buy. :)

Purple Economist

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2016, 08:47:06 PM »
I love being a home owner. We have two more years to pay on it, but then we have free housing for decades, and we have established fruit trees now - and mainly peace and quiet with some space away from any neighbors.

We love our fire pit too - but we got it for $25 or so at salvation army. We have some woods so we aren't paying to use it, and the smoke from it keeps mosquitoes down so we enjoy sitting outside in summer a lot more with it.

A wine fridge though - that seems like overkill for the boxed wine that we buy. :)

"Free housing for decades."  That's appropriate for this forum.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2016, 12:18:52 AM »
25 things I'll never regret buying:

1) A tubal ligation
2) Driver's education
3) Engineering degree
4) A bitsy house with a massive yard and the kind of layout where you can see the doors
5) Fruit trees for said yard
6) A decent set of kitchen knives because I use the living fuck out of those things
7) Rain barrels
8) Fuzzy socks (I regret NOTHING with regard to the fuzzy socks)
9) Martial arts lessons (actually 20+ years' worth, and it's the reason I still have fingers although my knees are still upset with me particularly following the sumo incident)
10) Ammunition
11) Vodka
12) A really awesome Russian hat made out of some fuzzy former mammal, I don't know what
13) Insurance
14) A passport
15) Ankle boots, well actually any kind of boots
16) Hair spikes
17) A waterproof camera (come to think of it, that was a gift, but I'd have bought it anyway even before the kayak incident)
18) Duct tape
19) A reliable furnace
20) A Hudson's Bay blanket
21) Chickens
22) A really badass electric guitar (and no, I did not pay top dollar for that)
23) Fireproof safe
24) High quality scissors
25) An alarm clock with a battery backup because I fucking hate mornings

Who's next?

JrDoctor

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2016, 12:19:47 AM »
Some of this stuff actually isnt bad.
Fruit trees- definitely mustachian, even better are nut producing trees.  Pretty much the only thing right my Dad did 40 years ago was plant a couple dozen walnut trees.  They produce ~100kg of walnuts a year.
French press - not a bad suggestion, I'd go aeropress but.
Camping equipment - if you like it and use it, can be mustachian.

The rest though...

Seppia

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2016, 12:53:17 AM »
25 things I'll never regret buying:

*Cut*

Who's next?

I'll play :)

1) hair clipper. Seriously, I had my hair cut by someone else three times since 2001. Hair clippers have possibly the highest ROI of any purchase ever.

2) scuba diving trips. My non-mustachian hobby.

3) stocks, also known as "how to be a business owner without any of the annoying aspects of it"

4) this bottle opener https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007FNM986/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1461479454&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=le+creuset+bottle+opener&dpPl=1&dpID=31H7-6FlMwL&ref=plSrch

5) good knives

6) good cooking instruments in general

7) my bike

8) the 6 Armani blazers I found at an Armani event for a grand total of $360

9) the 4 Armani pants I found at the same Armani event for a grand total of $160

10) good quality pasta (de Cecco is the best one)

11) good quality canned tomatoes (San Marzano -not the brand, the origin- or Stanislaus "Alta cucina"

12) pizza at Ribalta in NYC, or at sorbillo in Naples

13) any trip to Rome (can you tell I'm Italian after the last 4 points?)

14) the gas that propels me to the start of any mountain hike

15) knockaround (brand) sunglasses

16) good quality hiking shoes

17) good quality Modem & Router

18) Amazon's kindle

19) the occasional good quality whisky

20) chickpeas. I freaking love chickpeas

21) Brita pitcher

22) memory foam mattress (how is this #22???? Should be MUCH higher)

23) every Italian's most important morning survival tool https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CNY6UK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1461480504&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=moka+bialetti&dpPl=1&dpID=41rS5TnVKTL&ref=plSrch

24) the small, immortal, sage plant I have in my kitchen

25) good honey

asiljoy

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2016, 10:20:52 AM »
25 things I'll never regret buying:

*Cut*

Who's next?

I'll play :)

1) hair clipper. Seriously, I had my hair cut by someone else three times since 2001. Hair clippers have possibly the highest ROI of any purchase ever.

2) scuba diving trips. My non-mustachian hobby.

3) stocks, also known as "how to be a business owner without any of the annoying aspects of it"

4) this bottle opener https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007FNM986/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1461479454&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=le+creuset+bottle+opener&dpPl=1&dpID=31H7-6FlMwL&ref=plSrch

5) good knives

6) good cooking instruments in general

7) my bike

8) the 6 Armani blazers I found at an Armani event for a grand total of $360

9) the 4 Armani pants I found at the same Armani event for a grand total of $160

10) good quality pasta (de Cecco is the best one)

11) good quality canned tomatoes (San Marzano -not the brand, the origin- or Stanislaus "Alta cucina"

12) pizza at Ribalta in NYC, or at sorbillo in Naples

13) any trip to Rome (can you tell I'm Italian after the last 4 points?)

14) the gas that propels me to the start of any mountain hike

15) knockaround (brand) sunglasses

16) good quality hiking shoes

17) good quality Modem & Router

18) Amazon's kindle

19) the occasional good quality whisky

20) chickpeas. I freaking love chickpeas

21) Brita pitcher

22) memory foam mattress (how is this #22???? Should be MUCH higher)

23) every Italian's most important morning survival tool https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CNY6UK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1461480504&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=moka+bialetti&dpPl=1&dpID=41rS5TnVKTL&ref=plSrch

24) the small, immortal, sage plant I have in my kitchen

25) good honey

What makes good honey better than the stuff that comes in the bear?

Seppia

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2016, 11:43:24 AM »
First of all, there's a great chance whatever you buy in the bear is not honey at all, but some mix of corn syrup, other sweeteners and possibly a tiny percentage of honey.
 http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/
Second, assuming you managed to buy real honey, as with almost everything food, if you can get it from someone that actually makes/grows/raises/fishes it (whatever "it" might be), it's miles better than any industrial product.

Some things I do care, some others I don't.

Once you get to try this



There's almost zero chance you go back to bears.
Yes it costs about three times what I could pay in a supermarket, but we are still talking €5 for a jar that will last me three months so who cares :)

Travis

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2016, 01:08:56 PM »
25 things I'll never regret buying:

Who's next?

1. Second on the hair clippers. $25 investment three years ago which saves me $10 every single month.
2. A smartphone on E-Bay. I've had this phone for three years. Bought it new in the box at a used price. It was already close to two years old as far as the production run on that model.
3. Duct tape. This and loose cardboard have been my 6 year old son's primary source of toys since he was a toddler.  Just yesterday he insisted I make him a tank out of an empty wrapping paper roll and two empty tissue boxes.
4. My wife's car. The one mildly mustachian purchase when we were young and knew nothing. It was fuel efficient when we bought it 12 years ago and it was two years old when we bought it.
5. YNAB. It's how I got started down this road in the first place.
6. The crib/bed combo for my son. It was on the higher end price-wise, but he'll be able to use it until he's a teenager.
7. The Levis I'm wearing. I think I've had them at least a decade and bought on sale.
8. CFL bulbs
9. I'm about out of ideas. The majority of our appliances, utensils, and tools are wedding gifts from 2002. Half my clothes are Christmas gifts over the last 6 years or so.  We just don't own a lot of stuff, and a lot of what we have we didn't even buy ourselves.  If we start a list of Top 25 Things I Regret Buying I'm sure to fill it up.

asiljoy

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #20 on: April 24, 2016, 01:30:24 PM »
First of all, there's a great chance whatever you buy in the bear is not honey at all, but some mix of corn syrup, other sweeteners and possibly a tiny percentage of honey.
 http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/
Second, assuming you managed to buy real honey, as with almost everything food, if you can get it from someone that actually makes/grows/raises/fishes it (whatever "it" might be), it's miles better than any industrial product.

Some things I do care, some others I don't.

Once you get to try this



There's almost zero chance you go back to bears.
Yes it costs about three times what I could pay in a supermarket, but we are still talking €5 for a jar that will last me three months so who cares :)

I really need to start reading the ingredients on the back of the can. Gross.

PMG

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2016, 01:47:07 PM »
I don't regret buying things because I don't buy things I don't use or need or want. I try to consciously buy for the lifestyle I have and the woman I am, not the woman I think I'd like to be.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here but when I saw this headline I couldn't think of anything I really regret buying.


Seppia

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #22 on: April 24, 2016, 01:52:01 PM »
Congrats on your stoicism.
I regret buying a kajillion things in my life

kiwigirls

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #23 on: April 24, 2016, 02:30:20 PM »
OK my list starting with the things I do agree with

1. French Press (my morning saviour)
2. label maker - I love mine and I use it to label all the kids stuff
3. Cake Mixer - mine has had 12 years of service and is still going strong, cakes, pizza dough, pavlova
4. Our House- cosy, warm and full of the people I love
5. Camping Equipment - so many great family holidays
6. Holidays - these are the things you remember when you look back on life. 
7. Extra virgin olive oil - worth it to pay for the good local stuff
8. Kobo - free libray books on my e reader
9. My Zenbook - portable computing power
10. My 40L backpack - no more checked luggage ever
11. My mizuno inspire running shoes
12. My ski gear - no more mucking around hiring before we go or on the mountain and my boots are so warm
13. The basket for the front of my bike
14. French lessons - life long learning is awesome and Duolingo only gets you so far...
15. A deep freeze - makes bulk purchasing possible and saves us time and money
16. Quality furniture - once you are ready to replace the hand me down items of your youth buy classic quality pieces that will last you a lifetime (even better if you can buy them second hand)
17. Le Crueset casserole dish - was a wedding gift and I love it and cook with it most weeks. So expensive but so good
18. My ellesse watch - an expensive purchase when I was young and flush with cash but it has lasted 20 years, still looks great and is one of the few jewellery items I wear every day
19. Good cookbooks - How to Eat Nigella Lawson, The Cooks Companion - Stephanie Alexander, Jamie Oliver - any one...
20.Of course my share portfolio - really this should be top 5..
21.One way ticket to London for my big OE [for non Kiwis, Aussies and Canadians that translates to Overseas Experience  - a two year rite of passage living in London- working, travelling and partying in our 20's]
22.My university degrees
23. Any lunch with my old school friends - sadly only done a handful of times a year
24. Any dinner date with my husband - now few and far between but all the more special because of it
25. My black shift dress and matching jacket - it needs retiring after 10 years but I love it. Its comfortable, looks great and when I put it on I feel like I could take on the world

This may well be my most revealing post on MMM... It is surprisingly hard to come up with 25 but it makes you really think about what is important to you.

Gerard

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #24 on: April 24, 2016, 08:54:00 PM »
"Regret" might be too strong a word (especially as I don't want to get Arebelspy started), but I've definitely bought things that have since taught me that I didn't need to buy them.

Specific things I'm happy I've bought:
(1) Wahl hair clippers
(2) cast iron frypan
(3) half-decent chef's knife and sharpening stone
(4) firm thick pillow (I'm a side sleeper)
(5) clip-on vibration-type guitar tuner
(6) good bike
(7) large heavy-bottomed stockpot
(8) D-handle spade
(9) MEC backpack

All of these things make my life noticeably easier or better or cheaper. Pretty well everything else, I could do without or make do with a similar version or a hack.

shelivesthedream

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #25 on: April 25, 2016, 01:51:19 AM »
1. Bicycle (although I plan to upgrade when we move)
2. Pearl stud earrings
3. Sheepskin bootie slippers
4. Brora cashmere cardigan
5. Sabatier knives
6. Knife sharpener
7. Granny trolley (one of those wheeled shoppers)
8. 100% wool navy double breasted winter coat
9. Russell and Bromley monk shoes
10. Hair scissors, particularly the thinning scissors
11. My sunhat
12. Plants (on the balcony and on the allotment)
13. Chesterfield armchair (non-standard design (not bulky), second hand, somewhat worn, love it to bits)
14. Chaise longue (second hand, needs reupholstering after five years, love it to bits)

I've been thinking of the things that I would buy again exactly as they are if all our possessions got destroyed in a fire. It's kind of hard. There's lots of other things that I like and don't regret but probably wouldn't replace, or would replace with a different version. Interesting how many of mine are clothes!

Things I DO regret buying:
1. Beehive and accompanying bees (it was a stupid idea to get them at this point in our life. I wish we'd waited.)
2. Various items of clothing that were just wishful thinking, mostly nice dresses and smart accessories.
3. Sheepskin rug (collects dirt like nobody's business, too small)
4. My desk (I don't use it enough and it tends to become a dumping ground. I could have managed without it. Though maybe the psychological benefits are worth it.)

Torran

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #26 on: April 25, 2016, 04:20:09 AM »
25 things I'll never regret buying:

*Cut*

Who's next?

I'll play :)

1) hair clipper. Seriously, I had my hair cut by someone else three times since 2001. Hair clippers have possibly the highest ROI of any purchase ever.

2) scuba diving trips. My non-mustachian hobby.

3) stocks, also known as "how to be a business owner without any of the annoying aspects of it"

4) this bottle opener https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007FNM986/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1461479454&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=le+creuset+bottle+opener&dpPl=1&dpID=31H7-6FlMwL&ref=plSrch

5) good knives

6) good cooking instruments in general

7) my bike

8) the 6 Armani blazers I found at an Armani event for a grand total of $360

9) the 4 Armani pants I found at the same Armani event for a grand total of $160

10) good quality pasta (de Cecco is the best one)

11) good quality canned tomatoes (San Marzano -not the brand, the origin- or Stanislaus "Alta cucina"

12) pizza at Ribalta in NYC, or at sorbillo in Naples

13) any trip to Rome (can you tell I'm Italian after the last 4 points?)

14) the gas that propels me to the start of any mountain hike

15) knockaround (brand) sunglasses

16) good quality hiking shoes

17) good quality Modem & Router

18) Amazon's kindle

19) the occasional good quality whisky

20) chickpeas. I freaking love chickpeas

21) Brita pitcher

22) memory foam mattress (how is this #22???? Should be MUCH higher)

23) every Italian's most important morning survival tool https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CNY6UK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1461480504&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=moka+bialetti&dpPl=1&dpID=41rS5TnVKTL&ref=plSrch

24) the small, immortal, sage plant I have in my kitchen

25) good honey

This is a superb list.

I second food items. In fact I've hardly made any big purchases, ever, so most of mine are the small regular things.

1. Good quality food. The basis of good health, therefore, priceless.
2. Running shoes.
3. A good quality French Press (charity shop, though, so like £4)
4. My degree. Because I loved every bit of it, so it was worth it for wellbeing reasons if nothing else.
5. On-a-string travel around India years ago. Also priceless.
6. My laptop.
7. Earplugs
8. Memory foam pillows
9. Waterproof winter boots
10. A hot water bottle

I honestly can't think of anything else. I've never bought a car or anything that cost more than £700 (apart from degree and travel).
I'm currently in the process of buying my first house. I'm hoping that won't be a regret ;)

pbkmaine

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #27 on: April 25, 2016, 05:15:56 AM »
1) foam mattress with memory foam topper
2) down pillow
3) 100% cotton sheets
4) kitchen table with stone top (so practical) and chairs
5) good quality kitchen knives
6) knife sharpener
7) immersion blender
8) powerful hand mixer
9) box grater
10) Revereware pots and pans. I got mine from my mother, who got them from her mother. Still like new.
11) iPad. I use it for everything.
12) Head & Shoulders shampoo. Fixes my itchy scalp.
13) Subscription to The New York Times
14) Chair or sofa to curl up in
15) Timberland shoes (from eBay). I can walk forever in them.
16) fleece blanket

If I have those things, my DH, plates, cups, utensils, and spices, then I am home.

rawr237

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #28 on: April 25, 2016, 06:35:12 AM »
There's almost zero chance you go back to bears.


My morning brain translated this as "if you buy good honey you'd better not bring it out to the woods because the bears will chase you"

I think the article was mis-titled...should have been "25 Things I Don't Regret Buying", though that's not as catchy. Sure, the items aren't essentials, and buying truck/books is pretty antimustachian, but I feel like most people could point to at least a few of those things and say it would be worth it to them. (My parents own a wine fridge, but they can afford it as well as the accompanying expensive wine. They also have an artificial tree, which goes up every year--probably no worse than buying one every Christmas?) At least a handful of the items seem specific to the author's frequent power outages -- if that was an issue in my area I might consider a generator, idk.

My list:

1. french press and hand grinder
2. cast iron pan / dutch oven
3. Scanpan set. Use these nearly every time I cook.
4. inov8 shoes. Expensive but comfy for my wide feet
5. uniball ONYX micro pens.
6. Feetures socks...would love to eventually replace all my athletic socks with these
7. Contact lenses. HATE wearing glasses
8. Peace of mind via savings
9. Green tea (except when I buy a flavor that ends up being yucky)
10. Gap wireless undergarment.
11. Produce, high quality meat
12. Yarn that gets used for meaningful/custom gifts
13. Smoked salt
14. 3 dresses: 1 formal-ish, 1 summer-y, 1 maxi. Lived in dresses in Cali.
15. Gas/flights to see my grandmother near the end of her life last year
16. Rec center membership, $50/year for an awesome facility
17. Cole Haan flats. Pricey, but they last years and make my feet happy.
18. Glass tupperware
19. Bacon
20. Sheet pan

These are things I don't regret buying, not things I can't live without (obviously). Makes me realize how many of the things I enjoy (couches, bed, Kindle, engineering degree, jackets, knives, some clothing and accessories) are from my parents.

I do regret buying:
1. Too much clothing when I started working
2. Kitchen appliances, kinda-sorta. These days I use it all. Previous years, not so much.
3. Too many cookbooks/other books. I kept some of the cookbooks, worth it to get re-excited about cooking periodically.
4. An iPod shuffle in addition to my nano. Don't know what I was thinking. *self-facepunch*

NoStacheOhio

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2016, 07:00:26 AM »
I'm having trouble coming up with 25 things that I actually feel like belong here ...

1. Hand grinder and pourover (basically same price as french press, just a different method)
2. Good cookware (cast iron and stainless steel)
3. Good shoes/shoe maintenance
4. Good meat/poultry
5. Kitchen Aid mixer
6. Blackwing pencils
7. Wool, just wool anything
8. Pyrex lunch containers

EDIT:
9. Books for my kid
10. Kindle
11. Amazon Prime
12. Passport
13. LED lighting
14. Good (mid-priced) kitchen appliances
15. Gaff tape
16. Good over-the-ear headphones (I have a pair of Sennheiser HD280s I bought on sale in like 2009, and I scored a free pair of Audio-Technica M50s that I really dig)
17. Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Richard Goode)

Ironically, about half the stuff on my list was a gift or inherited in some way.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 07:21:57 AM by NoStacheOhio »

JLee

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #30 on: April 25, 2016, 09:05:08 AM »
I definitely agree with LED flashlights. I have one on my key ring and I use it frequently.

Four wheel drive pick up truck!

If you asked people in 2007-2009 that might be the most regretted purchase they made in their entire lives.

I bought one in 2008.  It was a fantastic deal because nobody wanted them!
« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 09:12:19 AM by JLee »

Trudie

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2016, 09:24:01 AM »
1.  Running shoes
2.  Two pieces of Le Crueset cookware
3.  Spotify premium
4.  Decent set of knives
5.  Kitchen Aid stand mixer
6.  Decent hybrid bike and paniers, bike light
7.  Wool socks
8.  In-floor radiant heat in my basement
9.  With a few exceptions, tickets to live music shows
10.  Padded biking knickers
11.  Trees, for my yard
12.  Memberships for NPR, PBS
13.  IPOD
14.  A couple of shares of BRK-B
15.  Trips to Ireland, Italy
16.  An artisan fused glass necklace in Montreal (wear it several times a week)
17.  Good shoes that support my feet
18.  Vietnamese noodles from my favorite restaurant (I could never make them like that at home)
19.  Good bras, especially athletic ones
20.  Bamboo pillow, high thread count sheets (Costco)
21.  Allergy meds
22.  Fresh, free range eggs
23.  Comte cheese at Costco (offset by my favorite Bota Box of red)
24.  A few small pieces of art, from artists I've met and appreciate
25.  Performance rain coat

Fishindude

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #32 on: April 25, 2016, 09:40:04 AM »
Nice article, I agree with most.
Some things we don't have a need or desire for include; Generator, Kitchen-aide mixer, Revere ware or a Wine cooler.

I would add that multi-tools are pretty much junk.  They aren't a good knife, aren't good pliers, aren't good saw, aren't good screw drivers, etc.  They ought to call them; heavy, bulky, finger pinching, barely usable tools.

Figured there would be lots of opposition to the 4wd truck.  I've owned one for years and wouldn't be without one now.

One necessity I don't see mentioned is a good pocket knife.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #33 on: April 25, 2016, 10:20:51 AM »
Figured there would be lots of opposition to the 4wd truck.  I've owned one for years and wouldn't be without one now.

I dunno, the 4WD Hilux was pretty useful for monsoon season in Sierra Leone, but I made it through three Syracuse winters in a Civic with low profile tires.

Jakejake

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #34 on: April 25, 2016, 10:44:24 AM »
heavily influenced by others here:

1.  House
2.  Waterbed (allergy free! no dust mites!)
3.  bike
4.  the bike helmet that saved my noggin during a goose attack
5.  panniers big enough to carry a case of beer (split across the two bags)
6.  padded bike shorts and padded fleece bicycle leggings
7.  shoes that support my feet well (redwing boots, dansko clogs)
8.  teva sandals (from thrift shop, wouldn't have paid for them new - but I love them)
9.  good regular & sports bras - yes!
10.  spring and winter jackets with arm pit vents
11.  goggles of various tints for biking in winter
12.  french press
13.  giant pressure canner off craigslist
14.  chest freezer for basement
15.  fruit trees
16.  mason jars
17.  food dehydrator
18.  smart phone (for tracking bike miles obsessively)
19.  tinted chapstick (instead of lipstick)
20.  electric razor
21.  kitchen scissors that can detach into the two pieces and get all the way clean (cutco, pricey multilevel marketing scam but worth it)
22.  instant pot (still newish, we'll see if it stands the test of time)
23.  excedrin
24.  melatonin
25.  a lightweight headband for 40-50 degree biking, a heavy fleece one I found in the road (!) for colder temps, and a similar thing that I sleep in. I HATE cold air in my ears!

dougules

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #35 on: April 25, 2016, 11:39:59 AM »
I guess I'll get in on this action:

1) Knife sharpener definitely belongs on the list. 
2) Good kitchen knives are still needed to make the knife sharpener worth it, though.
3) Food mill.  It makes homemade sauces so easy. 
4) Fruit trees, kind of since my best fruit trees I didn't actually buy.  One is a mulberry tree grown from a cutting of a wild one.  It is huge after just 5 years and produces gallons of mulberries.  Another is a peach tree that just came up in my old compost pile after a summer spent buying peaches. 
5) Good internet connection
6) Nice utility bicycle.
7) Panniers big enough to carry a watermelon, a cabbage, and two small cantaloupes.
8) Hobson bicycle seat.  Not for everybody but completely worth it if you have certain issues.
9) Bright bicycle lights.
10) Big freezer.
11) Vacations.  Yes I know, super spendy, but this one is worth it to me. 
12) Pizza stone.
13) Tomato cages.
14) Smart phone.
15) Older house in a convenient neighborhood.
16) Scarf.
17) Good winter gloves.
18) Spices.  Learning to use them will work wonders for your cooking. 
19) Food dehydrator.  Good call Jakejake.
20) A big supply of red scissors.  I use scissors to pick my garden and these stand out when I lose them.   
21) Cast iron skillet and griddle.  Am I the only person who thinks it's ironic when people cook organic food on PTFE?  I don't trust that stuff.  Well seasoned cast iron worked just fine for my great great grandmother, and it works just fine for me.
22) Pyrex lunch containers.  Thank you NoStacheOhio.  I'm squeamish about plastic just like PTFE. 
23) Blackout curtains.
24) TV Antenna.  Why pay for mediocre TV when you can get it for free?
25) LED Flashlights.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 11:46:18 AM by dougules »

merula

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #36 on: April 25, 2016, 11:56:50 AM »
A knife sharpener is a real thing! So many of my family and friends talked about buying new knives becausethe ones they had were dull. I could not understand the problem until I realized they did not own a knife sharpener. I then told them they simply needed to buy a sharpener, not new knives. Being hyper consumers, this was unacceptable. Multiple were bent on buying $100 "never dull" infomercial ridiculousness. I finally bought, not kidding, half  a dozen knife sharpeners and actually handed them out. My wife made fun of me mercilessly. But I have been told repeatedly about how this was one of the best gifts ever by multiple people, repeatedly!

Our non-mustachian brothers and sisters never cease to amaze me.

Can you recommend a brand/style of knife sharpener? We take our knives to get sharpened maybe twice a year and it's like $40 but they do a really nice job. My mother always had one of those run-blade-through-plastic-thingy sharpeners and it never seemed to do anything to help the sharpness.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #37 on: April 25, 2016, 11:59:52 AM »

12) Pizza stone.


I'm curious about this one. One of my coworkers has one, and thinks it's great. He was explaining how to use it, and it just seemed like a crapload of work, and not multi-purpose enough to justify the expense.

We have one of those round baking sheets with holes in the bottom, and it seems to work fine. Am I missing out though?

merula

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #38 on: April 25, 2016, 12:07:33 PM »

12) Pizza stone.


I'm curious about this one. One of my coworkers has one, and thinks it's great. He was explaining how to use it, and it just seemed like a crapload of work, and not multi-purpose enough to justify the expense.

We have one of those round baking sheets with holes in the bottom, and it seems to work fine. Am I missing out though?

I think those two things are serving opposite functions. The pizza stone is pre-heated so that heat gets to the crust more quickly to cook it faster. A pizza pan with holes in it means that less heat is getting to the pizza directly (since the crust over the holes only gets radiant/convection heat and not conducted heat), and the point is that the crust doesn't get soggy?

I have a pizza stone, but it almost never gets used since I discovered the amazing power of a cast iron skillet. I heat the skillet on the stove, put the rolled crust it and let it cook on the stovetop while I top the pizza. Then the whole thing goes under the broiler to finish up. It's delicious.

Seppia

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #39 on: April 25, 2016, 12:30:48 PM »
Just FYI, you get 25 years in jail if you do that in Italy.
"Pizza maltreatment" is the charge

shelivesthedream

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #40 on: April 25, 2016, 12:51:06 PM »
A knife sharpener is a real thing! So many of my family and friends talked about buying new knives becausethe ones they had were dull. I could not understand the problem until I realized they did not own a knife sharpener. I then told them they simply needed to buy a sharpener, not new knives. Being hyper consumers, this was unacceptable. Multiple were bent on buying $100 "never dull" infomercial ridiculousness. I finally bought, not kidding, half  a dozen knife sharpeners and actually handed them out. My wife made fun of me mercilessly. But I have been told repeatedly about how this was one of the best gifts ever by multiple people, repeatedly!

Our non-mustachian brothers and sisters never cease to amaze me.

Can you recommend a brand/style of knife sharpener? We take our knives to get sharpened maybe twice a year and it's like $40 but they do a really nice job. My mother always had one of those run-blade-through-plastic-thingy sharpeners and it never seemed to do anything to help the sharpness.

We have the medium one of these: http://www.niwaki.com/store/gouken-stones/ Really cheap, spend half an hour learning how to do it (youtube videos amply available) the first time and then have amazingly sharp knives forever in five minutes with no gadgetry.

dougules

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #41 on: April 25, 2016, 02:54:48 PM »

12) Pizza stone.


I'm curious about this one. One of my coworkers has one, and thinks it's great. He was explaining how to use it, and it just seemed like a crapload of work, and not multi-purpose enough to justify the expense.

We have one of those round baking sheets with holes in the bottom, and it seems to work fine. Am I missing out though?

I think those two things are serving opposite functions. The pizza stone is pre-heated so that heat gets to the crust more quickly to cook it faster. A pizza pan with holes in it means that less heat is getting to the pizza directly (since the crust over the holes only gets radiant/convection heat and not conducted heat), and the point is that the crust doesn't get soggy?

I have a pizza stone, but it almost never gets used since I discovered the amazing power of a cast iron skillet. I heat the skillet on the stove, put the rolled crust it and let it cook on the stovetop while I top the pizza. Then the whole thing goes under the broiler to finish up. It's delicious.

You need something with a lot of thermal mass to deliver instant extreme heat to the outside of the crust.  It's the way you get a crust that's crisp on the outside but still soft and fluffy inside.  They're not hard to use or maintain.  You just need to keep them seasoned the same as you would a cast iron skillet.  Maybe scrub them off if anything sticks to them.  They are kind of a specialty thing, though, but I love homemade pizza. 

To the Italian part of me, cast iron skillet pizza sounds like pizza maltreatment.  To the Alabamian part of me it's very intriguing.

LouLou

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #42 on: April 25, 2016, 04:10:01 PM »
This thread made me want to plant some fruit trees.

MgoSam

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #43 on: April 25, 2016, 05:46:11 PM »
This thread made me want to plant some fruit trees.

And get some real honey.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #44 on: April 27, 2016, 08:13:18 AM »
This thread made me want to plant some fruit trees.
I've planted several over the last few years.  I just hope they start producing in a couple years, so we can enjoy them while the kids are still young.

Cpa Cat

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #45 on: April 27, 2016, 08:46:36 AM »
This thread made me want to plant some fruit trees.
I've planted several over the last few years.  I just hope they start producing in a couple years, so we can enjoy them while the kids are still young.

I learned my lesson and started planting only fruiting-age trees. They still generally take a full year to bounce back from planting and to start producing reliably. But I'm five years in on a persimmon tree that I planted when it was two years old and it produced one fruit last year (a squirrel ate it).

Besides fruit trees, I also highly recommend:
Asparagus
Raspberries
Blackberries


Blueberries are too soil-finicky unless you live in an area where they naturally grow.
Strawberries - The squirrels, raccoons, rodents, opossum, and other assorted wildlife seem to really enjoy them. Personally, I can't comment on how my home-grown strawberries taste.


And for the record... I did regret buying a plug in Christmas tree.

mtn

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #46 on: April 27, 2016, 08:48:26 AM »
1: Good shoes 
2: Costco Clothes 
3: Maui Jim or Oakley sunglasses (I'm up to 4 pairs over a lifetime now, 1 lost, 1 worn out, 2 still in play) 
4: Hockey equipment 
5: Stanley Cup Tickets 
6: Concert Tickets 
7: Any of my guitars (over 20, 8 I still have) 
8: Awesome stereo 
9: Un-mustachian wedding and engagement rings 
10: Expensive umbrella 
11: vitamix

joleran

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #47 on: April 27, 2016, 09:00:34 AM »
To the Italian part of me, cast iron skillet pizza sounds like pizza maltreatment.  To the Alabamian part of me it's very intriguing.

It's a winner:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html

I usually finish on the stovetop to really crisp up the bottom of the crust (it's frying the dough).

merula

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #48 on: April 27, 2016, 09:28:23 AM »
To the Italian part of me, cast iron skillet pizza sounds like pizza maltreatment.  To the Alabamian part of me it's very intriguing.

It's a winner:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html

I usually finish on the stovetop to really crisp up the bottom of the crust (it's frying the dough).

I'll admit that the amount of oil used is probably pizza maltreatment, but in defense of the method, it's one of the few ways to get a significant amount of heat to the crust without special equipment. I'd love to have an outdoor fire-burning pizza and bread oven, but that's not really as cheap or as versatile as a skillet.

Inaya

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Re: 25 Things You'll Never Regret Buying
« Reply #49 on: April 27, 2016, 09:36:32 AM »
  • Tempurpedic mattress (bought WAY below market from a Sears going out of business; would NEVER pay full price)
  • Anything from our wedding
  • Fire pit (gift, but would buy)
  • Bread machine (gift, but would buy)
  • Kitchen Aid mixer (gift, but would buy)
  • Instant Pot (gift+cash back, but would buy)
  • Balcony-sized gas grill (came with the apartment, but would buy)
  • Magic bullet (gift, but would buy)
  • Location where I live
  • Pyrex bakeware/storage (good enough for science=good enough for my kitchen)
  • Kitchen shears
  • Foot surgery (parents+insurance paid, but totally worth it)
  • Gallbladder removal (ditto)
  • Lush RockStar soap
  • Epsom salts
  • Current super-expensive cat carrier (mostly paid with cash back, but would probably pay full price)
  • Cat
  • Raw cat food
  • Electric kettle
  • Restaurant food eaten outdoors (bonus for being near water)
Things I don't own (yet), but probably wouldn't regret:
  • All Clad/Le Creuset
  • Good chefs knife
  • Jeans that fit right
  • Shoes that fit right
  • Small-midsize pickup truck
  • Chest freezer
  • Costco memebership
  • Hair ties that don't snap or stretch out
  • Dog
  • Dog
  • Dog