The Money Mustache Community

General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: vand on May 18, 2020, 10:18:37 AM

Title: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on May 18, 2020, 10:18:37 AM
Tired of reading about people getting excited because they slashed their comms bill by $5?
Tired of discussion about where to stick the emergency fund?

Use this thread to shout about any particular purchase you recently made.

But no INVESTMENTS allowed.

I don't care if you bought Tesla and tripled your money, or if you extended your kitchen for a hundred bucks.

This is about consumption.. but tasteful consumption. Tell us about a thing you spent money on that you really got your money's worth from. Maybe it was a great value meal out, or a great little gadget that does exactly what you've been looking for.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on May 18, 2020, 10:24:54 AM
One thing that I purchased a few months ago that I'm delighted with are some quality blutooth headphones.

For the last few years I kept buying the in-ear earphones but they always kept dying after a few weeks/months as the wire in cable would eventually get too flexed and break inside. They were usually in the region of £15 a pair, but I reckon I have gone through at least 7-8 pairs in the last couple of years, so easily over £100 on them.

Then last Christmas I got a pair of these:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81M4KUrL5DL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

They've served me perfectly since. They're robust, and the battery life is excellent (30+hrs, compared to 6-7hrs on the in-ear earphones).

Buying the cheaper in-ear earphones was an exercise in false economy. These headphones were £40 and I consider it the best £40 I've spent in a long time!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: chemistk on May 18, 2020, 11:02:38 AM
Over the years there have been many (lookin' at you, basement trampoline).

The most recent? I surprised my wife with an early mothers' day gift - a stand mixer upgrade. We've had a standard tilt-head Kitchenaid for years and it's served us well (even repaired it myself once), but it's just not up to the kind of baking she's into anymore.

I was able to get the 6qt bowl-lift professional model for $249 at Costco late last month, and she uses it every other day. It's facilitated a budding interest in sourdough everything (bread, pancakes, pretzels) and definitely does way more than the tilt head model can. We'll be able to sell the old one for $50-$75 so a net <$200 is a huge win.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2sk22 on May 18, 2020, 11:29:44 AM
My Apple Watch has been one of the most useful things that I have. Apart from the health tracking features, I really like how well it handles notifications and the ability to take phone calls when away from my phone. I also use it to listen to podcasts through my AirPods when working out. I have been using an Apple Watch since they came out 2015 and am currently on my second one (series 5).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sibley on May 18, 2020, 11:31:05 AM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Buffaloski Boris on May 18, 2020, 11:40:08 AM
Cool idea @vand

DW spent $10 to have a bag of crisps delivered. Kraut Krisps (dill pickle flavor). I happen to be crazy about them, but the only store I know of that stocks them is across town and is generally expensive for other things so it wasn’t worth a trip for a large bag of junk food. No regrets.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on May 18, 2020, 11:41:36 AM
At least once a day one of us remarks on how much we love our kitchen sink. It's a single bowl stainless undermount that still looks amazing after 10 years.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on May 18, 2020, 11:44:27 AM
Following OPs lead on headphones:

I splurged on apple noise cancelling airpods for talking on the phone while working late last year. It's amazing how nice it is to have something that just works with no cord to catch on my arm.

Currently looking to spend about a grand on a small boat and motor that are capable of running in very shallow water. It will allow access to a lot more of my state.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: wenchsenior on May 18, 2020, 12:24:25 PM
Every bit of the not small amount of $ I have recently spent on swim club membership, specialized swim suits, equipment, etc. Best money I've spent since last time I spent it, several years ago.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ROF Expat on May 18, 2020, 12:53:48 PM
Kitchenaid bowl lift stand mixer --I like making bread, but this makes it much easier and more enjoyable. 

Baking steel --makes pizza and most breads come out much better.  Not very expensive and will last beyond my lifetime. 

My home gym equipment --Olympic bars, power rack, benches, bumper plates, etc.  I can lift whenever I want, use chalk, and make the occasional rude noise without fear of embarrassment.  I can listen to my own bad music and not have other people's bad music inflicted upon me.  I don't have to wait while guys admire themselves in the mirror or secretly check out the women in the gym.  I can wallow in my curmudgeonhood.  The equipment will eventually pay for itself in saved gym fees, but it would be worth it to me even if it didn't. 

SPCA dog.  Anybody who says money won't buy love never bought a puppy.  The dog started out cheap and turned horribly expensive when we had to pay for an international move.  But when I see my daughter and her dog, I know it was worth it. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iva on May 18, 2020, 12:57:07 PM
About a year ago decided to sign up for a fancy climbing gym membership - used to balk at the almost ~$100/mo, but goodness am I glad to have the friends + fitness habits I picked up there to help tide me over while all the gyms are closed.

Also, I don't often splurge on fashion but I found something secondhand online that I'd been looking for for years, and now turns out to be the perfect time to wear them! They don't stick out so much on a video call :)

(https://di2ponv0v5otw.cloudfront.net/posts/2020/02/13/5e45ef3dc953d86dc33d9d94/m_5e45efafb146cc25c07003fc.jpg)

Not my photo, yes my new-to-me overalls.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Much Fishing to Do on May 18, 2020, 01:09:01 PM
The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook....after 30 years of neglect I decided it was time to try to relearn basic guitar during this lockdown and thought this might give me a lot of funs songs I'd know to get back into practice....i had forgotten just how many of their songs I know and love and might not have been so good about practicing if it wasn't for this book

Not for me but I got my wife a Nespresso for the lockdown, not exactly cheap but she's enjoyed it more than a new car would have been....
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: scantee on May 18, 2020, 01:24:22 PM
For like ten years I had this crappy metal utensil holder from Ikea. Not something you put in a drawer to hold forks and spoons, something for a countertop to hold wooden spoons, tongs, spatulas, etc. Seriously every time I pulled a utensil out of this holder it would tip over. Every. Time. I never bought something to replace it because, it sort of worked I guess? Then about two years ago I was at target and I saw a nice, big, sturdy, utensil holder. $20. I put it in the cart and told myself not to second guess the purchase. And this silly upgrade has truly improved my cooking enjoyment tenfold. I still get satisfaction from the fact that I can pull a spatula out of this thing without it moving. So yeah, don’t be stupid like me and forego a small purchase out of principle alone.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on May 18, 2020, 01:42:39 PM
Peloton.  Well my wife spent the money actually, but close enough.  It came in very handy after surgery and has gotten a ton of use the past couple months with gyms being all closed down.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FINate on May 18, 2020, 02:01:22 PM
Recently added a Network Attached Storage (NAS) to my home network to safely store, index, and serve all of our photos, music, and digitized documents (going paperless by scanning and indexing searchable PDFs).

It's not an investment and not strictly necessary as we could have continued using Google Drive + Time Machine backups. But oh man, is it ever money well spent. It does exactly what I've long dreamed of: a smart network file server that can be used as a normal network drive/share, but also indexes and organizes libraries based on metadata embedded in the files. Copy over a bunch of music into a somewhat structured directory structure (of my own choosing) and in a few minutes it is all cataloged by genre, artists, album, etc. Same with photos, along with built in face recognition and image recognition to tag photo subjects. And I can securely access my files remotely over the internet.

Additionally the NAS does automatic detection and correction of data corruption (was starting to experience some bit rot on my primary computer), and has scheduling features for backups and other administrative tasks. Now have RAID redundancy plus local versioned backups to an external USB drive and off-site versioned backup to Amazon S3 (looks like this will run me about $3/month).

It wasn't cheap, but wish I had gone this route years ago.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: better late on May 18, 2020, 02:08:24 PM
Elliptical machine purchased 2 years ago and the weight set we purchased in early March. We schedule our days deciding what time each person will use the equipment. Started going to the gym about 6 months ago and having the equipment at home allows us to maintain the good habits.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PDXTabs on May 18, 2020, 02:08:59 PM
Both of my ~$1500 bicycles (Surly Pacer circa 2004, Surly Crosscheck circa 2012).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: chicagomeg on May 18, 2020, 02:27:58 PM
I bought a ~$25 cheese grater based on a Wirecutter recommendation last fall and it just delights me every time I use it. My boyfriend has a standard cheapo & I'm on the verge of carrying mine to his house every time I go over because the difference is so dramatic.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: use2betrix on May 18, 2020, 02:35:57 PM
Over the last couple years, we have been purchasing some “built for life” items that are expensive, since we know during FIRE we won’t want to spend the money on them (but will be good to have them).

Let me preface this that I spend my entire career dealing with everything Quality related on major industrial projects. As such, I have no issue spending more money on quality items. Some might not always be the most mustachian (i.e. nice jeans that cost 5x more than cheap jeans, but only last 3x as long)

1. Vitamix blender - we use it 1-2 times a day to make huge shakes. It’s a beast. It has like an 8 year warranty? Not much more to be said.

2. Red Wing Heritage boots - the quality of these boots are remarkable. They have Goodyear welt soles and can be resoled once they wear down. They are 100% American made, with American made materials. I do probably have more pairs than I can justify, however

3. Our Casita travel trailer. We have had many trailers over the year and the quality and build of this is leaps and bounds better than anything else we have owned. It’s taken us to many camping trips, beach weekends, cross state journeys, and even to the cities a few hours away to save on a hotel (plus easier to bring our dog). While a trailer is expensive, for reference, it was about the same cost as we are saving right now in a month. The Casita’s also retain their value very well. We got a deal on one about 3 years old.

4. Quality clothes in general. I have found buying nice denim, shirts, etc. just bring me a lot of happiness and I appreciate the quality. Also, a significant amount of my clothes are made in the U.S. Those not made in the U.S. are typically Canadian or Japanese.

5. Theragun G3Pro - this is like a $600 massage gun. We bought it about 5 months ago and have used it basically every day since. I run and lift a lot, and this has been a life saver

6. Bradley Mountain backpack and duffle bag. These are made in the U.S. with American materials. I searched months and months for the perfect backpack that would be a blend between being rugged, yet fancy, and built to an incredibly high standard with incredibly nice materials. I wanted something that was a blend of waxed canvas and leather. It’s something that I can wear with slacks to the office, a job site, or for a vacation.

7. iPad 11” Pro. Work actually reimbursed me the $1200 or so, but had I of known how much more productive this would be (typing on it now) I would have bought one years ago. The amount of efficiency it has added to my workdays is about worth it’s weight in gold. I can be out on a job site and pull up every drawing, every specification, code, etc. Use it to make action item lists, meeting minute notes, etc.

8. ProSeries Powerblock Dumbbells. These range from 5-70lbs in 5lb increments. They are insanely well built, and were a complete life saver when our gym was shut down for the last two months. When we own a home some day, they’ll be a fantastic addition to a home gym setup.


Big ticket items on my long term list are a nice guitar (likely a Gibson), some guns, weight lifting equipment, and a high end welding machine. We move so much and currently live in an apartment, that I can’t justify spending the money on these right now in the event they may become damaged in storage, and also unable to utilize.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on May 18, 2020, 02:55:25 PM
Another really good buy I had recently was a pair of Oru folding kayaks.  We have two compact sedans so no way to transport typical kayaks, and we also do a fair but of hiking where we could launch if only we had a way to carry the kayaks a couple miles.  The Oru check all those boxes.  They're very stiff and light - so far so good for us.  They are a bit pricey though, but a lot cheaper than be having to buy a truck or try to figure out a way to store two regular kayaks somewhere in my garage. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Watchmaker on May 18, 2020, 03:07:02 PM
4. Quality clothes in general. I have found buying nice denim, shirts, etc. just bring me a lot of happiness and I appreciate the quality. Also, a significant amount of my clothes are made in the U.S. Those not made in the U.S. are typically Canadian or Japanese.

@use2betrix can you provide the names of some of the clothing companies you like?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 18, 2020, 03:08:26 PM
My pizza cutter that looks like the Enterprise.

Plastic swimming pools and some agility items for the dogs to play with at home



Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MrThatsDifferent on May 18, 2020, 03:27:52 PM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.

Oh my cat loved that thing so much!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MrThatsDifferent on May 18, 2020, 03:30:30 PM
I’m doing online language lessons with private tutors and it’s so cheap and effective, I’ll never study with formal group classes again.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: WSUCoug1994 on May 18, 2020, 03:35:26 PM
My Thermos Travel Coffee Mug - I have had this thing for more than 10 years - keeps my coffee piping hot all day
Bowflex - 552 - adjustable dumbbells - they weren't cheap but I found set on CL many years ago - more valuable than ever for the home gym I have been forced to improve.
My high quality tools - seems like I use my tools everyday - the gift that keeps on giving.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: NotJen on May 18, 2020, 03:45:44 PM
An 8.5 lb turkey a few weeks ago for $8.  Holy cow, it was delicious!  I'm still tickled by how happy it made me.  We ate drumsticks for dinner with the fabulous gravy, I made stock from the bones, had a couple of delish turkey sandwiches, topped a couple of salads with turkey breast, made a batch of turkey mulligatawny soup and a turkey pot pie.  I'm going bigger next time :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Wrenchturner on May 18, 2020, 04:13:51 PM
Great thread, entertaining read!

I got a secondary monitor for my laptop.  Between the bluetooth adapters, wireless mouse and second monitor, this $400 laptop just keeps on giving! 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Samuel on May 18, 2020, 04:25:27 PM
For like ten years I had this crappy metal utensil holder from Ikea. Not something you put in a drawer to hold forks and spoons, something for a countertop to hold wooden spoons, tongs, spatulas, etc. Seriously every time I pulled a utensil out of this holder it would tip over. Every. Time. I never bought something to replace it because, it sort of worked I guess? Then about two years ago I was at target and I saw a nice, big, sturdy, utensil holder. $20. I put it in the cart and told myself not to second guess the purchase. And this silly upgrade has truly improved my cooking enjoyment tenfold. I still get satisfaction from the fact that I can pull a spatula out of this thing without it moving. So yeah, don’t be stupid like me and forego a small purchase out of principle alone.

I have a thousand stories like this. I'm somehow wired to put up with minor annoyances much longer than anyone else would think is reasonable, then eventually kick myself when I realize how little money (often just $20-30) it would take to remove that annoyance from my life. Things like: an auto off LED bedside lamp (vs. an old school incandescent lamp burning away all night after I fell asleep reading), or an electric kettle with temperature settings (vs. just boiling water in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove). Lasik eye surgery is probably the most extreme example of that. Should have done that 15 years earlier than I did.

The single biggest return in happiness for the dollar purchase I can think of was switching out a $125 (used) acoustic guitar I'd had for 7-8 years for a $300 (used) one. I liked the old one fine I guess but eventually decided I deserved something just a little nicer. The difference in playability and tone is night and day. I pick it up way more often than I ever did the old one and I smile every time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mm1970 on May 18, 2020, 04:25:57 PM
Fitness-wise:
my gym memberships (in the past)
Beachbody on demand (which is now getting a TON of use)
Weights - I had a few sets of dumbbells already, and about 10 years ago got two sets of adjustable.  Boy have I used those, because I always WANT 12.5 and 17.5 lbs, but don't want to pay for them.  Also: 2 kettlebells, but they get less use because I mostly use Beachbody.
Running shoes that fit my feet. I found Altras, yay!
A couple of running books

My blendtec blender
The instant pot.  Use it multiple times per week.
A desk chair for working at home
A hammock for the back yard
A blow up kiddie pool (bought 8 years ago) and a $20 plastic slide from a garage sale.  Can you tell we are stuck at home?

I really want:
a trampoline (alas, no space)
a new oven The current one has one burner that is broken - the big one, and the oven itself doesn't come up to temp about 1/4 of the time.  We'd just been thinking about replacing when COVID happened. (We paid to have the problems diagnosed.  The oven is probably an easy fix, the burner much harder and more expensive.)  Now I'm not only worried but also indecisive on whether we should stick with gas (which I have always used) or switch to electric.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ketchup on May 18, 2020, 04:41:01 PM
Audible membership.  $15/mo.  Makes my clown commute more bearable.
Weights.  Something like $300 total seven years ago and still paying fitness dividends.
Good (corded) headphones.  Good by my standards at least.  Sixty bucks or so about ten years ago, and I'm wearing them right now.
A $2500 car and an $1800 car instead of our last pair of $700 and $1000 cars.  It makes a difference.

Now I'm not only worried but also indecisive on whether we should stick with gas (which I have always used) or switch to electric.
As someone who had gas their whole life but two years ago switched to electric: you want gas.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FireLane on May 18, 2020, 05:22:20 PM
After putting up with a massive, ancient beast of a CRT TV for years, we switched to a flatscreen with built-in Roku. It was 100% worth it.

The picture is much better, the sound is much better, we finally have HDMI inputs to connect a laptop, I can use my phone as a remote control, and the free channels we get with Roku are more than enough. Combined with Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming to the screen, I don't miss cable TV one bit.

Also, it was only $250! We got one of the least-fancy smart TVs on the market and it's more than good enough for us.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 18, 2020, 06:17:50 PM
Not me, but a relative -- and I will definitely purchase this when we get our next puppy... Online puppy training school from https://www.baxterandbella.com/ -- tons of videos and interactive sessions, all with a kind, no-force approach to helping your puppy become a well-mannered dog. Also works for older dogs, even though it's marketed to puppies. And they have a free podcast, which is excellent.

For myself, a silicone bread loaf pan. My old aluminum ones stuck to everything (I don't use oil, butter, etc. in any of my cooking), and I was tired of messing with parchment paper. Everything just slides right out of the silicone pan. I'm in the same boat as those who said upthread that they tend to put up with minor annoyances for far too long!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 18, 2020, 06:35:33 PM
Most recently, it was buying an outdoor ping pong table in early March, as soon as we realized we were all going to be home for quite some time. We have two young adult sons and have talked about buying a table for close to 5 years -- it took a pandemic to make it happen. It gets played multiple times daily, and DH also enjoys taking a break during his workday to play a few rounds. Price went up by $100 within days of our purchase and our model was sold out for awhile, so I'm glad we jumped when we did.

In the kitchen, I have examples of the practical and the luxury. Today I'm baking sourdough sandwich bread with my several years old starter. I mixed the dough this morning in my Ankarsrum/Electrolux mixer, which handles the triple batch (7+ pounds of dough) with ease. I have a tilt-head KitchenAid which could never manage this, and tried out and returned a bowl lift model KA before making the decision on the Ankarsrum. It will last forever. I divided and formed the dough on a large silicone mat (Silpat Roul'Pat) which made adding additional four unnecessary. The bread is now baking in USA Pan large loaf pans, which are the best bread pans I've ever had. I don't have to grease them before putting the dough in, and all it takes to clean them is a quick wipe down. I'll test the internal temperature with a Thermapen, another fantastic purchase.

With the same mixer and the add on grinder attachment, I ground 4# of pork shoulder yesterday (the entire Costco package of pork doesn't fit in my slow cooker). Tomorrow morning I'll use the juicer attachment to make orange juice.

I've cooked 68 dinners in a row now, and also make most of what we eat for breakfast and lunch (granola, yogurt, soups, bread, etc.). I've used a 13 quart Le Creuset round oven most days, and I paid $90 at an outlet way back before The Food Network made them more popular and more expensive. Other great kitchen purchases are our rice maker, Vitamix, vintage electric Dutch oven (perfect for popping corn) and vintage electric griddle (love it!).

But for pure luxury, I would say it was money well spent in 2012 when we bought a Lello Musso Lussino ice cream maker, which is a compressor unit model. During the pandemic I've made simple vanilla ice cream, decadent vanilla ice cream with a real vanilla bean (for a birthday), dulce de leche ice cream (using reconstituted powdered cream and powdered milk), orange sherbet, lemon sorbet (free lemons from neighbors), peach sorbet (from canned fruit), and more. The compressor unit is head and shoulders above the old Cuisinart freezer bowl model we used to have. I almost sold it a couple years ago because we weren't using it much and it was selling used for more than I paid new, but I didn't, and now I'm glad. Our local fancy ice cream place is selling pints to go for $10.

Little things: an adhesive mount toilet paper holder for a tiny bathroom (stuck it to the pedestal sink) in a bathroom that hadn't had a toilet paper holder since we'd moved in (2000) -- it was $14 well spent and only took us 19 years to get. A drain protector for the pop-up clawfoot tub drain (we spent 16 years fussing with cleaning hair out of the drain before I found this). Silicone tongs for flipping meat.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: middo on May 18, 2020, 06:43:59 PM
My motorcycle. 

I bought it new.  The first vehicle we have ever bought new.  I bought it just after my wife bought hers.  I have explored so many places on it I would never have seen in a car.  It brings joy to me whenever I ride it.  I haven't ridden much lately with covid-19 lockdowns, and I am starting to get depressed.  I know a few rides will make me feel better again.

Definitely not mustachian, but I do commute on it most of the time (when we were commuting).  7 years on, and it still brings a smile to my face everytime I ride it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: use2betrix on May 18, 2020, 07:02:00 PM
4. Quality clothes in general. I have found buying nice denim, shirts, etc. just bring me a lot of happiness and I appreciate the quality. Also, a significant amount of my clothes are made in the U.S. Those not made in the U.S. are typically Canadian or Japanese.

@use2betrix can you provide the names of some of the clothing companies you like?

Absolutely. What I love about this type of clothing is that not only can you feel and see the quality, but since probably 99% of people have never heard, you know you aren’t paying for the name. To me, I feel that goes a really long way. Another thing that I love, is items like the denim jeans or jacket actually look better as they age. As they get worn in, they get significantly better wearing. Every time I put these jeans on I’m impressed by how they have worn and faded.

A good company that carries a variety of really nice men’s clothes is: https://www.blueowl.us/

Some of my favorite brands are:
3sixteen: US made clothes - their type III jacket in dark shadow selvedge is probably one of the most popular denim jackets you can buy. I have it and love it. The sizing is a bit crazy, I’m about 170 lbs and XXL. Their short sleeve button up shirts are also really nice

Naked & Famous: Canadian brand, great short sleeve button up shirts and denim

Freenote Cloth: American Brand - I have a couple of their flannels and they are incredibly well made. The material is probably 5x heavier than the crappy flannels on amazon for $30. I also have one of their waxed canvas jackets that I love. (Sidenote: Casey, in Yellowstone wears one of their jackets in the show. Most people would never know this)

Japan Blue: Japanese - I have two pairs of these jeans and they are by far more favorite. I bought them from Blueowl.

Iron heart: Japanese - these are probably the most expensive of this type of clothing. I have one long sleeve black denim shirt from here. The quality and fit of this item is probably as high as anyone could ever expect (but yes, you pay for it). In the future, since I won’t need very many more items since they last so long, this may be the brand I mostly purchase in the future. I had been wanting something of theirs forever, and once I finally got the shirt, it reinforced what I thought about their quality being top notch.

Below is a photo of an example of denim wearing in. These are my two pairs of Japan Blue jeans. Since they’re selvedge denim, you rarely wash them, then often just a soak. The dark pair has around 40 wears with never being washed or soaked. The lighter pair has around 300 wears, with a couple washes and a couple soaks.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: JoJo on May 18, 2020, 07:39:02 PM
I have a bit more expensive one... 

My 12 year old car broke down 2.5 years ago, and the cost to replace the engine was close to the value of the car, so I decided to apply that money to something new, picking up a Ford Transit Connect cargo van.  I put a bed in the back and have been van camping a few months a year since... drove all the way to Alaska and Arctic Circle & Ocean, down to spend the winter in the California desert, to several National Parks, etc.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Travis on May 18, 2020, 07:58:25 PM
The video games and related subscriptions for my son.  Being on the other side of the world this year has severely limited his social interactions with friends and family, but with him and everyone else locked away the last few months he's been able to be entertained and talk to his cousin and friends back home.  We bought him a quality headset for his Playstation. It means he can talk to those friends and play his games without disturbing us, but it also means we have to repeat ourselves sometimes and he doesn't realize how loud he's talking.


Recently added a Network Attached Storage (NAS) to my home network to safely store, index, and serve all of our photos, music, and digitized documents (going paperless by scanning and indexing searchable PDFs).


One of these days I'll splurge on quality storage. I have a stack of external hard drives piled up on my desk for all the files, music, and video I've accumulated.  They're all different storage capacities and I have this weird mix of redundancy where all my data is backed up on two drives, but it's a mix so that when a drive finally dies it's not gone. I want to shrink it down to a single device (or at least a RAID), but so far none of the drives have died.  I have a really cheap PDF scanner that I'm using to gradually back up all of my paper records. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: NV Teacher on May 18, 2020, 08:27:07 PM
My vitamix.  Years ago I watched a demonstration at Costco, thought about it overnight, and went back and bought one the next day.  Love my morning smoothies. 

Second would be my Singer Featherweight.  It’s beautiful and makes me happy every time I see it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Frankies Girl on May 18, 2020, 09:03:48 PM
I bought a giant pug dog mask at goodwill last week for a whopping $3. Now I can go out as Pickles Aplenty from Bojack Horseman.

And bonus points I can also make sure I am following mask protocol since it completely encases my head.

This is akin to the people wearing Halloween costumes to walk their dogs or go for a walk - both to be covered and also to give the neighbors something to laugh about.


This makes me very happy.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Chaplin on May 18, 2020, 09:09:40 PM
Laser eye surgery in 1999. Best money I ever spent.

Beyond that, I've rarely regretted choosing quality over cost.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: tjscanlon on May 18, 2020, 09:11:41 PM
This is an interesting thread and I feel conflicted that one of my first posts is about buying something:-). I am MMM lite but this website and forum has really been a joy to find and follow for the last few years.  I have learned a lot and it has encouraged me to plan out FIRE.  Was thinking we were about 4 years away from FIRE before COVID, maybe now 5.  Came to this mindset a little later in life but hope to be done having to work in about 5 years around 58 yrs old. 

So to the original question - oddly enough one of the best purchases was my Toro Personal Pace lawnmower.  I purchased it maybe 20 yrs ago.  Originally had made a check list of features I wanted such as large back wheels, etc. I can't remember all the items I wanted but a certain off brand at Home Depot hit all the boxes.  Got it home and was excited to try it out - man did it suck!  It met all of my needs except it sucked.  I brought it back and bought a Toro - I couldn't believe how well that thing worked, it was a joy to mow.  Approx 20 years later and it is still going strong.  Pulled it off a shelf in the attic and it started on the first pull.  I was so surprisingly pleased with it at the time I wrote a letter to Toro congratulating them on a job well done.

The other item that has brought me quite a bit of satisfaction is a Yakima Rack and Roll trailer I purchased used.  It is so light and easy to use for our kayaks and super easy to store.  It is just a really well made trailer.  It was expensive, even used on Craigslist, but when I am done using it I think it will be very easy to sell and get much of my money back.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Bloop Bloop on May 18, 2020, 09:49:42 PM
spent low 6 figures on a sports car

I have enough money to live comfortably and I get a lot of joy out of hearing the engine wail.

Easily pulls 1.1 lateral G's, 1.25 braking G's

A great economy on the highway (40mpg), not so great when being opened up on the twisty roads (9 mpg), but almost always a pleasure to drive.

Modest depreciation since I bought it used and I can deduct most of the running costs and depreciation because it's my "work vehicle" (not really but for tax purposes it legitimately is)

Will set my FIRE date back about 12 mths but I think it's worth it.

Not very aligned with mustachian principles but I disagree with a lot of those principles anyway.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 18, 2020, 10:16:10 PM
Bought one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer doodackies. Soooooo handy for canning the dozens of jars of apples I've just put up AND I got it in a thrift store for a few bucks.

(https://d3fa68hw0m2vcc.cloudfront.net/391/231499431.png)

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Catica on May 19, 2020, 04:43:28 AM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
Do you mind telling me what that toy is?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: js82 on May 19, 2020, 05:31:59 AM
Peloton.  Well my wife spent the money actually, but close enough.  It came in very handy after surgery and has gotten a ton of use the past couple months with gyms being all closed down.

My version of this was an indoor trainer for my bike, that let me ride my bike as a stationary bike indoors.

Cost ~$300 up front 6 or so years ago, but:

1) It lets me get on my bike when the weather's terrible(and where I live that's typically October/November through April)
2) I'm currently rehabbing post-foot-surgery in the middle of the pandemic where gyms are closed, and I've been very, very glad that I have it.

I've logged thousands of miles on it, and all things considered, it's been money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 19, 2020, 05:33:35 AM
Bought one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer doodackies. Soooooo handy for canning the dozens of jars of apples I've just put up AND I got it in a thrift store for a few bucks.

Does it really stay put on the counter or does it move around?  I'm thinking of getting one.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 19, 2020, 06:54:52 AM
Bought one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer doodackies. Soooooo handy for canning the dozens of jars of apples I've just put up AND I got it in a thrift store for a few bucks.

Does it really stay put on the counter or does it move around?  I'm thinking of getting one.

I have a wooden counter, so the suction was never going to work. I can't speak to how it would work on another type of counter. I find it quite easy to just hold in place, though. It requires a little effort to turn the handle, not much but my 70 year old friend with arthritis decided against getting one. Also requires a little effort to pull the core off the spike when you're done with an apple, but now I've got a chopstick that I fit behind it and lever it off. All in all, save a frickin shit load of time and effort!

I've seen ones that screw onto the counter like a mincer would, if that's any help. And also, aliexpress has loads of them if you want a good cheapie.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Photograph 51 on May 19, 2020, 08:06:18 AM
53 tomato plants for $7.92
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 19, 2020, 08:19:08 AM
Bought one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer doodackies. Soooooo handy for canning the dozens of jars of apples I've just put up AND I got it in a thrift store for a few bucks.

Does it really stay put on the counter or does it move around?  I'm thinking of getting one.

I have a wooden counter, so the suction was never going to work. I can't speak to how it would work on another type of counter. I find it quite easy to just hold in place, though. It requires a little effort to turn the handle, not much but my 70 year old friend with arthritis decided against getting one. Also requires a little effort to pull the core off the spike when you're done with an apple, but now I've got a chopstick that I fit behind it and lever it off. All in all, save a frickin shit load of time and effort!

I've seen ones that screw onto the counter like a mincer would, if that's any help. And also, aliexpress has loads of them if you want a good cheapie.

I have granite (yes I live in a fancy apartment).  Lee Valley has them and anything I have bought at Lee Valley has been quality.  They don't carry cheap stuff.  But given how often I would use it (not a lot) I should check out Aliexpress.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on May 19, 2020, 08:27:40 AM
Bought one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer doodackies. Soooooo handy for canning the dozens of jars of apples I've just put up AND I got it in a thrift store for a few bucks.

(https://d3fa68hw0m2vcc.cloudfront.net/391/231499431.png)

I bought a pricey  vegetable peeler to replace my old, cheap, vegetable peeler.

It  has a plastic, more comfortable handle and it peels very well.

I'd buy it again.

 



Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on May 19, 2020, 09:53:08 AM
Conversely, I once bought one of those vegetable spirialisers, which was one of the worst buys I've ever made as I don't think I've ever used it in the many years since I've had it and it still sits there taking up space in the back of my drawer.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mm1970 on May 19, 2020, 09:59:24 AM
a new oven The current one has one burner that is broken - the big one, and the oven itself doesn't come up to temp about 1/4 of the time.  We'd just been thinking about replacing when COVID happened. (We paid to have the problems diagnosed.  The oven is probably an easy fix, the burner much harder and more expensive.)  Now I'm not only worried but also indecisive on whether we should stick with gas (which I have always used) or switch to electric.
When we bought our house, the range had two burners on the right and a weird indoor electric grill on the left. It is also a downdraft range with no easy way to add a hood, so inordinately expensive to replace the range with another downdraft. The only thing I've ever done with the grill is pull  the burner out so I wouldn't accidentally turn it on. There were supposedly replacement burners to go in the grill slot, but the model numbers and level of effort were really difficult to make sense of (and I'm usually pretty good at that stuff). Long story short, my neighbor figured it out two weeks ago. It was a $300 part, but it was pure joy having a normal number of burners to cook on last night! Definitely money well spent and an inconvenience worked around for far too long.

For burners, gas is nice and for ovens I prefer electric. YMMV.
Yep, that's kind of where I am.  We will probably just order another gas stove, eventually.  Electric supposed to be more environmentally friendly.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mm1970 on May 19, 2020, 10:01:32 AM
Another one!
The rescue dog, $75, plus associated items, food, etc.  OH, and the $6000 hernia surgery.

Next up: online dog training (turns out one of my running buddies does it!)  She's a cranky old chihuahua (the dog, not the trainer), and was a stray for who knows how long.  She's very aggressive towards other dogs.  We've been working with her, but need formal training.  We'd have done it in person but we got her right before the holidays, then COVID.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MilesTeg on May 19, 2020, 10:02:25 AM
Every car I've ever purchased, modified, upgraded, fussed over, etc. Countless hours of entertainment driving, wrenching, detailing, etc.

Don't like how I spend my money and time? Sounds like your problem, not mine =P

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Bloop Bloop on May 19, 2020, 10:37:26 AM
Every car I've ever purchased, modified, upgraded, fussed over, etc. Countless hours of entertainment driving, wrenching, detailing, etc.

Don't like how I spend my money and time? Sounds like your problem, not mine =P

Cars are like children, only cheaper, and you can lock them in your garage when you're done with them.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 19, 2020, 10:42:04 AM
@mm1970 highly recommend this program, currently free! https://www.homeschoolthedog.com/login
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Laura33 on May 19, 2020, 10:54:09 AM
Right now, my gym membership.  This past two months of forced deprivation has brought home how much I miss my people and need that accountability.

Lifelong, our month-long vacation many years ago when DH got extra use-it-or-lose-it vacation.  I had a sort-of internal panic about how could we spend the money.  But it ended up being my Granny's last international trip and my second-to-last trip with my stepdad, which I wouldn't trade for anything.  We discovered a great place and made friends with the people there, and it spurred more travel and exploration in the area, and led me to my favorite food and wine ever.  It's funny to think of it, but that one trip has really shaped the past decade.

More pragmatically, my 6-burner generic residential-safe commercial-grade range (made by the people who make the restaurant versions).  I have wanted a giant (48-60") Viking range since I worked in a restaurant in HS -- the whole "Shrine to the Stove" thing.  But when we redid our kitchen, I just couldn't bring myself to spend that amount of money on it.  I was able to get a 36" range and a wall oven for well less than half the price of the 48" Viking, and doing them separately allowed me to buy the cheaper full-gas range (vs. dual-fuel) and still have an electric (+ true convection) oven for baking.  The range does not have lots of bells and whistles, but that's what I wanted; you can fundamentally disassemble the entire top for cleaning, and the elements are all plug-and-play.  In @15 years, I've now broken two igniters, and you just get them on the internet for like $15 and unplug/plug in.  Plus it goes from 22,000 BTU (borderline acceptable for wok recipes) all the way down to "melt a chocolate bar on a paper plate without burning the plate."  Freaking awesome workhorse.

Actually, as I look around the house, almost everything around me falls in the "money well spent" thread.  Having spent the vast majority of my life saying no to myself and focusing on saving, the things I did buy are both memorable and meaningful, from the Zuni fetishes in my window, to the pot rack that was DH's first gift to me after we were engaged, to the nice bed we finally upgraded to a couple of years ago.  Even my StupidCar, which is completely unjustifiable under any possible self-deluding rationalization.  It feels awesome to be in a position where I don't actually have to justify it, because who gives a fuck about what anyone else thinks?  I literally break into a smile every time I put the top down and drive, and that is enough.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Loretta on May 19, 2020, 11:14:29 AM
This dude was my kitty soulmate and had been at the Humane Society for so long that he was half off. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Phenix on May 19, 2020, 11:26:23 AM
I love my standing desk with dual monitors.  In 2018, my office started WFH 2 days a week so I recreated my office setup at home.  It has made my transition to full time WFH seamless while others have continued struggling to work off single a 14" laptop screen.  I've encouraged my team to make a trip to the office to get their docking station, monitors, keyboard, & mouse or go ahead and purchase at least one external monitor for their home.  You can get a decent monitor for around $100.  Not a huge price tag for people making $75k-$100k.  Beats the heck out of working from a laptop screen and is much easier than packing up your equipment from the office.

Our Instant Pot was also money well spent.  My wife made delicious fall-off-the-bone ribs when we couldn't get any hamburger or chicken breasts at the beginning of the stay at home orders.  It's also hard to beat the hard boiled eggs you can make in an Instant Pot.  They peel so easily, I'll never go back to making them on the stove top.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: firstmatedavy on May 19, 2020, 12:05:00 PM
On the theme of kitchen items, a set of Magma pots and pans for about $200. They're made from an extra rust resistant type of stainless steel, have thick bottoms that hold in the heat (which helps for keeping dinner warm, or letting rice finish cooking after turning off the burner), and the handles come off!!! This makes them way easier to fit into tiny cabinets, and usable in the oven. I baked a cake in my frying pan last week.

Much cheaper but equally handy are silicone steamer lids. I bought them for my husband to microwave steam vegetables with, but it turns out that they work well as pot lids on the stove also.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on May 19, 2020, 12:11:17 PM
More pragmatically, my 6-burner generic residential-safe commercial-grade range (made by the people who make the restaurant versions).  I have wanted a giant (48-60") Viking range since I worked in a restaurant in HS -- the whole "Shrine to the Stove" thing.  But when we redid our kitchen, I just couldn't bring myself to spend that amount of money on it.  I was able to get a 36" range and a wall oven for well less than half the price of the 48" Viking, and doing them separately allowed me to buy the cheaper full-gas range (vs. dual-fuel) and still have an electric (+ true convection) oven for baking.  The range does not have lots of bells and whistles, but that's what I wanted; you can fundamentally disassemble the entire top for cleaning, and the elements are all plug-and-play.  In @15 years, I've now broken two igniters, and you just get them on the internet for like $15 and unplug/plug in.  Plus it goes from 22,000 BTU (borderline acceptable for wok recipes) all the way down to "melt a chocolate bar on a paper plate without burning the plate."  Freaking awesome workhorse.



Last year as a gift my wife bought me a Viking French door electric convection oven since I do most of the cooking in our house.  It's gorgeous and works very nice.

BUT - for crying out loud the thing cost $6k and it doesn't have a friggen real-time temperature readout for the oven!!  It even has a meat probe that gives the real-time temp readout on the front panel but no internal oven temperature!  I was relegated to buying a $5 hanging oven thermometer.

It also weighs so much I had to hire someone to come and lift the thing into the wall ount cabinets :/
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 19, 2020, 12:16:00 PM
This dude was my kitty soulmate and had been at the Humane Society for so long that he was half off.

I support the photo addition
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Warlord1986 on May 19, 2020, 12:35:14 PM
Back in 2018 I went on a trip to Morocco. It was a highlight of my life, I kept a travel diary, saw amazing things and loved it. When I had to leave a job I would look through my pictures and read through my journal and remember happier times. It was worth every penny.

More recently I had a giant bouquet of flowers delivered to my mom for Mother's Day. Yellow is her favorite color, and they were yellow roses, lilies, and tulips. Expensive? Yeah, a little. But then we FaceTimed and she started raving about them and how she loves them and Dad brought them in so I could see it. Worth every penny.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Knapptyme on May 19, 2020, 12:54:01 PM
Ninja Blender. Hands down.

We had a functional blender. It broke, and we replaced it with a $5 craigslist blender that was also functional...for a while. We kept the bottom of the old one as an extra blade and gasket for the future. Ended up, we needed it. But after a while, the blender just leaked. Buying replacement parts was penny wise and pound foolish. Plus, these blenders never blended well, and we make smoothies every other day.

But, we were going to move out of the country and likely not take the blender with us within 7 months. Should we splurge the, on sale, $80 plus tax for a higher quality Ninja? Yes, yes, and yes. It's been delightful.

To make matters more real, two months after we bought it, I was going through our garage (to sell everything we could live without before we moved) and realized we still had my wife's mom's kitchen stuff which included a working blender (the older crappy style). No regrets. The Ninja has been fantastic, and I ended up selling that found blender anyway.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dadbod on May 19, 2020, 01:51:21 PM
Like wenchsenior, I'm a swimmer.  After two months of no swimming, I bought a wet suit and started open water swimming on mornings at a nearby lake with my swim buddies.  It has been cold, dark, and glorious.  I can't wait to go back on Thursday.  No regrets.

Every bit of the not small amount of $ I have recently spent on swim club membership, specialized swim suits, equipment, etc. Best money I've spent since last time I spent it, several years ago.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MilesTeg on May 19, 2020, 02:08:20 PM
Every car I've ever purchased, modified, upgraded, fussed over, etc. Countless hours of entertainment driving, wrenching, detailing, etc.

Don't like how I spend my money and time? Sounds like your problem, not mine =P

Cars are like children, only cheaper, and you can lock them in your garage when you're done with them.

Ha! I like that.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 19, 2020, 02:09:46 PM
Yes to all the kitchen stuff! I'm convinced many of the "I hate to cook" crowd only hate it because they're trying to do it with awful tools. I am reminded of this when well-meaning friends and relatives invite me to cook in their kitchens while I'm visiting because they know I love to cook, and they like my food. Well, it sucks. They have dull knives, crappy blenders, etc. But I could (and do, sometimes) spend all day cooking in my own kitchen.

One of the best-received gifts I've ever given was 3 bottles of wine delivered to the recipient's door by a local shop. (Average wine, nothing super fancy.) I had spent 3 nights at my friend's home in another country, and I was embarrassed that I hadn't thought to take anything with me as a thank you gift, so I ordered the wine a week later. She was absolutely floored. I don't always hit the nail on the head with gifts, but when you do, it's just the best feeling.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on May 19, 2020, 02:12:11 PM
We bought a chromebook the Friday before the governor closed the schools. Having our daughter be able to access online instruction and stay out of our way during quarantine has been so fantastic!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ketchup on May 19, 2020, 02:30:29 PM
How could I forget our expensive freeloaders?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 19, 2020, 02:44:10 PM
Quality content, @ketchup
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 19, 2020, 02:52:41 PM
How could I forget our expensive freeloaders?


Yeah, but those wagging tails, soft ears, wet noses...!

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a dog with a very good owner. My dog lounges around all day and gets free food and massages. What a life.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Warlord1986 on May 19, 2020, 02:54:16 PM
@ketchup that picture soothes my soul.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 19, 2020, 03:22:43 PM
@ketchup that picture soothes my soul.

Also, are those all Border Collies? You must be an ultramarathoner or have a massive herd of sheep or something to wear them out enough to snooze like that. I've only ever seen BCs in "caffeine with fur" mode.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: slappy on May 19, 2020, 03:43:38 PM
At least once a day one of us remarks on how much we love our kitchen sink. It's a single bowl stainless undermount that still looks amazing after 10 years.

I'm in the market for a new kitchen sink. What do you love about it? I just googled a picture quickly to see what it looked like, and it certainly looks spacious. Do you wash dishes by hand? If so, where do you store them while they dry?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ketchup on May 19, 2020, 04:30:42 PM
@ketchup that picture soothes my soul.

Also, are those all Border Collies? You must be an ultramarathoner or have a massive herd of sheep or something to wear them out enough to snooze like that. I've only ever seen BCs in "caffeine with fur" mode.
Australian Shepherds.  We live on 200 acres.  They get plenty of exercise.  Also, it's almost 70F in the house now during the day, and they're used to the furnace set at 55F all winter.  They always get tired more quickly in the spring once things warm up.  It's barely in the photo, but there's a box fan on the floor in the bottom right corner.  More of them are enjoying the breeze from that (otherwise they'd be more spread out in the other downstairs rooms), so they could all fit in the photo together.

It can get pretty crazy indeed when they are in "caffeine with fur" mode.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 19, 2020, 05:08:38 PM
Yes to all the kitchen stuff! I'm convinced many of the "I hate to cook" crowd only hate it because they're trying to do it with awful tools. I am reminded of this when well-meaning friends and relatives invite me to cook in their kitchens while I'm visiting because they know I love to cook, and they like my food. Well, it sucks. They have dull knives, crappy blenders, etc. But I could (and do, sometimes) spend all day cooking in my own kitchen.

Absolutely! I didn't think to mention good knives, which we bought in 1992 after 4 years with cheap knives -- I think they were our first quality kitchen purchase. When people watch me bake, they're constantly asking questions about the tools I'm using. Most have never seen a $10 bench knife, a dough whisk, or a silicone pastry mat. Friends watch me bake and realize it isn't some amazing talent I have, it's having the right tools and knowing how to use them.

That said, I bought my kid a cheap Mr. Coffee coffeemaker from Costco, because I had no intention of getting drawn into fancy coffee. He's a college kid and he can drink Costco ground coffee brewed in an electric drip coffee maker.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Optimiser on May 19, 2020, 05:14:03 PM
My electric bike. I bought a RadCity in November and have put over 1,000 miles on it since. Not enough use to make it pay for itself yet, but the joy I get riding it to work and leaving the car at home is totally worth it. I fully expect it to pay for itself on a strictly financial basis too eventually.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: geekette on May 19, 2020, 05:17:47 PM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
Do you mind telling me what that toy is?
I'm not @Sibley, but our cats LOVE the Yeowww (https://www.duckyworld.com/products/catnip-toys/yeowww-banana/) catnip bananas (and the stinky fish, too).  You can usually find them on Amazon or Chewy, or local pet stores.

Another "worth it" cat toy is the da bird (https://www.dabird.com), also frequently available on Amazon, but I don't recommend the pull apart one (since it tends to be more fall apart). 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on May 19, 2020, 05:33:42 PM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dignam on May 19, 2020, 05:53:31 PM
I bought a cheap single serve coffee maker off of Amazon last year.  I think it was like $30, and I use it every day.

Every penny I've ever spent on this fur ball:
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on May 19, 2020, 06:29:19 PM
This baby.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 19, 2020, 06:30:25 PM
I am extremely supportive of all pet content.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Catica on May 19, 2020, 06:38:01 PM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
Do you mind telling me what that toy is?
I'm not @Sibley, but our cats LOVE the Yeowww (https://www.duckyworld.com/products/catnip-toys/yeowww-banana/) catnip bananas (and the stinky fish, too).  You can usually find them on Amazon or Chewy, or local pet stores.

Another "worth it" cat toy is the da bird (https://www.dabird.com), also frequently available on Amazon, but I don't recommend the pull apart one (since it tends to be more fall apart).
Thanks!  I got da bird already.  I will get the banana now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Engineer93 on May 19, 2020, 06:38:54 PM
Following OPs lead on headphones:

I splurged on apple noise cancelling airpods for talking on the phone while working late last year. It's amazing how nice it is to have something that just works with no cord to catch on my arm.

Currently looking to spend about a grand on a small boat and motor that are capable of running in very shallow water. It will allow access to a lot more of my state.

As someone who where's headphones for 8+ hours a day (7 days a week) I LOVE my airpods.  Worth every penny.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on May 19, 2020, 07:00:39 PM
At least once a day one of us remarks on how much we love our kitchen sink. It's a single bowl stainless undermount that still looks amazing after 10 years.

I'm in the market for a new kitchen sink. What do you love about it? I just googled a picture quickly to see what it looked like, and it certainly looks spacious. Do you wash dishes by hand? If so, where do you store them while they dry?

We got ours from Ticor. We love that it's big (30? 33? inches wide - sorry didn't measure) stainless, deep, quiet, comes with a grate to keep things off the bottom. It also did not cost a million dollars (have you priced sinks????)  The one that was here before was overmount (which I find impossible to keep clean), shallow (which means things were still visible if they were soaking), rounded corners (meaning everything sloped down and the sink was even smaller than it seemed), and a double sink. A double sink is one of the things I find incomprehensible (lots of people love and swear by them; I am not one of those people.) We gave up some counterspace to have a large sink and love everything about it. I wish I could put the same one on the boat, but alas no space.

We do have a dishwasher that we use regularly, but when I do dishes by hand I just have a drying mat that I set out to the left of the sink. Drip dry for the win!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 19, 2020, 07:08:09 PM
@ketchup that picture soothes my soul.

Also, are those all Border Collies? You must be an ultramarathoner or have a massive herd of sheep or something to wear them out enough to snooze like that. I've only ever seen BCs in "caffeine with fur" mode.
Australian Shepherds.  We live on 200 acres.  They get plenty of exercise.  Also, it's almost 70F in the house now during the day, and they're used to the furnace set at 55F all winter.  They always get tired more quickly in the spring once things warm up.  It's barely in the photo, but there's a box fan on the floor in the bottom right corner.  More of them are enjoying the breeze from that (otherwise they'd be more spread out in the other downstairs rooms), so they could all fit in the photo together.

It can get pretty crazy indeed when they are in "caffeine with fur" mode.

Sorry! You must get the "Are they BCs?" thing all the time. I need to learn to tell them apart. But anyway, they must be such happy dogs! Sounds like the perfect home for them!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 19, 2020, 07:10:51 PM
Yes to all the kitchen stuff! I'm convinced many of the "I hate to cook" crowd only hate it because they're trying to do it with awful tools. I am reminded of this when well-meaning friends and relatives invite me to cook in their kitchens while I'm visiting because they know I love to cook, and they like my food. Well, it sucks. They have dull knives, crappy blenders, etc. But I could (and do, sometimes) spend all day cooking in my own kitchen.

Absolutely! I didn't think to mention good knives, which we bought in 1992 after 4 years with cheap knives -- I think they were our first quality kitchen purchase. When people watch me bake, they're constantly asking questions about the tools I'm using. Most have never seen a $10 bench knife, a dough whisk, or a silicone pastry mat. Friends watch me bake and realize it isn't some amazing talent I have, it's having the right tools and knowing how to use them.

That said, I bought my kid a cheap Mr. Coffee coffeemaker from Costco, because I had no intention of getting drawn into fancy coffee. He's a college kid and he can drink Costco ground coffee brewed in an electric drip coffee maker.

Exactly! I'm always telling people that there's no magic to cooking. Being able to read a recipe and use a few gadgets does not make me a genius. Whoever developed the recipe is the real genius.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Teachstache on May 19, 2020, 07:15:43 PM
Recumbent elliptical that's in our basement. Bought used but not cheap 5.5 years ago. Really paying for itself with our 5 year old 4k tv in our basement as our individual exercise/reprieve area of our house.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 19, 2020, 07:18:30 PM
At least once a day one of us remarks on how much we love our kitchen sink. It's a single bowl stainless undermount that still looks amazing after 10 years.

I'm in the market for a new kitchen sink. What do you love about it? I just googled a picture quickly to see what it looked like, and it certainly looks spacious. Do you wash dishes by hand? If so, where do you store them while they dry?

We got ours from Ticor. We love that it's big (30? 33? inches wide - sorry didn't measure) stainless, deep, quiet, comes with a grate to keep things off the bottom. It also did not cost a million dollars (have you priced sinks????)  The one that was here before was overmount (which I find impossible to keep clean), shallow (which means things were still visible if they were soaking), rounded corners (meaning everything sloped down and the sink was even smaller than it seemed), and a double sink. A double sink is one of the things I find incomprehensible (lots of people love and swear by them; I am not one of those people.) We gave up some counterspace to have a large sink and love everything about it. I wish I could put the same one on the boat, but alas no space.

We do have a dishwasher that we use regularly, but when I do dishes by hand I just have a drying mat that I set out to the left of the sink. Drip dry for the win!

Seconding the large single undermount sink. Sounds like yours is the same as ours except for the fact that ours is matte black. We got it from Home Depot and love it for the size and depth, as well as the fact that the black hides everything -- no stains, no scratches, and even when it's dirty, it doesn't look dirty.

We too have a drying rack and mat on the counter next to the sink where we drip-dry our dishes. Maybe it would be a bigger deal with more people in the house, but with just two of us, it's no problem. If we had cabinets over the sink like we did in our old house, we'd put a dish drying rack in the cabinet over the sink like we had there.

Oh, one sink-related thing that has contributed to marital bliss:  a faucet that has a spray function that automatically reverts to normal when it's turned off and back on again. We had so many mini-arguments over the previous faucet, which stayed in spray mode after my husband used it and didn't switch it back. Then I'd go turn on the water and get sprayed all over. It's the little things...! Definitely money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sibley on May 19, 2020, 07:18:50 PM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
Do you mind telling me what that toy is?
I'm not @Sibley, but our cats LOVE the Yeowww (https://www.duckyworld.com/products/catnip-toys/yeowww-banana/) catnip bananas (and the stinky fish, too).  You can usually find them on Amazon or Chewy, or local pet stores.

Another "worth it" cat toy is the da bird (https://www.dabird.com), also frequently available on Amazon, but I don't recommend the pull apart one (since it tends to be more fall apart).

Yep, that's the one. Arwen adores her yellow banana. She however, is not a fan of da bird or similar. Arwen is a rodent hunter, not a bird hunter.

edit: expound, and also, Arwen with her banana (in a calm moment)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 19, 2020, 08:22:17 PM
It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
Do you mind telling me what that toy is?
I'm not @Sibley, but our cats LOVE the Yeowww (https://www.duckyworld.com/products/catnip-toys/yeowww-banana/) catnip bananas (and the stinky fish, too).  You can usually find them on Amazon or Chewy, or local pet stores.

Another "worth it" cat toy is the da bird (https://www.dabird.com), also frequently available on Amazon, but I don't recommend the pull apart one (since it tends to be more fall apart).

Yep, that's the one. Arwen adores her yellow banana. She however, is not a fan of da bird or similar. Arwen is a rodent hunter, not a bird hunter.

edit: expound, and also, Arwen with her banana (in a calm moment)

My cat's an ex-feral. He won't play with toys and he's indifferent to catnip. He'll play with anything that was once alive, like a rabbit's foot or a feather, even a bit of fur. He enjoys chasing leaves on windy days. No cute banana moments here [sad face]
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Warlord1986 on May 19, 2020, 09:06:08 PM
I just ordered Micheletto a Yeoooow banana toy. I will not regret this purchase.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Bendigirl on May 19, 2020, 09:25:18 PM
EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY
The last big one, the “A to Z tour” was beyond amazing (Amsterdam to Zimbabwe) and it still makes me smile when I watch the video of me involuntary squealing with delight when I see mama lion coming out from the bushes with her babes....oh my.
India and the Pushkar Camel Fair was a trip I didn’t expect to be so inspiring and Amazing.  I will never forget sitting on tiny stools at the roadside stand In Pushkar, eating amazing food and sipping masala tea as we watched the crowds weave and pulse in the smokey haze of the evening. 

My worry is that I may never do this again....
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mountain mustache on May 20, 2020, 07:28:59 AM
I'm really just here for the pet photos.

But also, probably my electric standing desk I purchased a few months ago is the best money I have spent in a long time. I had one at work, and it seemed excessive to buy one just because we are suddenly working from home, but it has made my life so much better. I use it all the time, and not just for work.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Captain Cactus on May 20, 2020, 07:42:47 AM
Spent about $400 on building a couple raised bed gardens, soil, seedlings, seeds, etc... been very therapeutic and so far worth the money...added bonus?  There will be some veggies in a few months!  Anyone else gardening?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SomedayStache on May 20, 2020, 07:53:19 AM
Solatubes for the bathroom with built in air vent.

I love taking showers in sunlight and I've never before lived in a house with a vented bathroom fan.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Physicsteacher on May 20, 2020, 08:29:42 AM
I bought a latex pillow at JCPenney for $30 in the summer of 2009, which felt like a big splurge at the time. I'd been having neck pain since a car accident the previous fall, and the pillow made a big difference. I'm still using that excellent pillow every night; over the course of eleven years, I probably would have spent more than $30 on cheap polyfill pillows that would have ended up in the landfill after going irredeemably flat.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: HenryDavid on May 20, 2020, 09:00:24 AM
Coupla fancy mountain resort trips when I was courting my spouse. And the fun extravagant dinners we had back then.

Didn't set the tone for the rest of our lives together--we live simply--but made for a wonderful starting-out adventure.
Since then, what $ we've spent on Euro travel adventures (and you can do this pretty frugally) has also been well spent. (Especially looking at the prospect of not getting there much, or easily, anytime soon.)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PoutineLover on May 20, 2020, 09:44:42 AM
Money I've spent on vacations has been money well spent. No regrets and I focus my spending on the parts of the experience that matter the most to me.
My cat isn't too expensive (that could always change) but she's absolutely worth every penny. Aaand I admit I'm here for the pet pics too. Here's mine
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Wolfpack Mustachian on May 20, 2020, 10:36:56 AM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!

You guys really make me want to get my eyes corrected....if I wasn't so nervous about everything having some genetic predisposition to eye problems (i.e. glaucoma) in the family...

You articulated it perfectly - it would be so nice to just wake up and see everything!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Wolfpack Mustachian on May 20, 2020, 10:39:05 AM
I've thoroughly enjoyed my can opener that cuts around the edge sort of and doesn't leave sharp edges and my AfterShokz headphones that don't go in my ears so that I'm more aware of my surroundings, can listen to music with ear plugs while in louder environments, etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Cpa Cat on May 20, 2020, 10:56:13 AM

My cat's an ex-feral. He won't play with toys and he's indifferent to catnip. He'll play with anything that was once alive, like a rabbit's foot or a feather, even a bit of fur. He enjoys chasing leaves on windy days. No cute banana moments here [sad face]

My cat isn't ex feral, but even now, she is playing with a clump of her own fur that she found on the floor.

Toys I spend money on = 0 play time.

Random garbage, shadows, and fluff = 10/10
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: EricEng on May 20, 2020, 10:57:13 AM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!

You guys really make me want to get my eyes corrected....if I wasn't so nervous about everything having some genetic predisposition to eye problems (i.e. glaucoma) in the family...

You articulated it perfectly - it would be so nice to just wake up and see everything!
Lasik 13 years ago was my best investment ever, especially for my active life.  I could never manage contact lenses.  Now I can motorcycle, rock climb, scuba dive, sky dive all comfortably without vision issues.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on May 20, 2020, 11:01:56 AM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!

You guys really make me want to get my eyes corrected....if I wasn't so nervous about everything having some genetic predisposition to eye problems (i.e. glaucoma) in the family...

You articulated it perfectly - it would be so nice to just wake up and see everything!
Lasik 13 years ago was my best investment ever, especially for my active life.  I could never manage contact lenses.  Now I can motorcycle, rock climb, scuba dive, sky dive all comfortably without vision issues.

I particularly love it for swimming and just water stuff in general. I hated having to decide between wearing contacts (and therefore having issues with getting splashed in the face/having my head under water), wearing goggles (just a PITA for anything but lap swimming) or not wearing my contacts. (And therefore being essentially blind).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: englishteacheralex on May 20, 2020, 11:03:16 AM
There are so many things. But I don't have a lot of time right now. I want to be a part of this thread; so fun to read the answers!

The thing that immediately comes to mind is very small: Uno. The card game. Because of how stingy I am, and because of how much money we spend on daycare and the fact that our kids are ordinarily there most of the time, when the quarantine hit our toy and school supplies game was extremely weak. I've been buying stuff on Amazon for my kids like whoa.

Many of the games and toys have been big hits and we've had a lot of fun. But absolutely nothing beats Uno. They'd rather play Uno than any other activity, even screen time. I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old and I thought they were too young for Uno, but I was wrong. They love it. We now use it as a reward activity if they've earned enough stars during the day. $10 (the set came with Phase 10 and also Snappy Dresser, two other card games).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Samuel on May 20, 2020, 11:29:40 AM
Lasik 13 years ago was my best investment ever, especially for my active life.  I could never manage contact lenses.  Now I can motorcycle, rock climb, scuba dive, sky dive all comfortably without vision issues.

I particularly love it for swimming and just water stuff in general. I hated having to decide between wearing contacts (and therefore having issues with getting splashed in the face/having my head under water), wearing goggles (just a PITA for anything but lap swimming) or not wearing my contacts. (And therefore being essentially blind).

Yep, camping, swimming, sports, reading in bed, all vastly improved.

But one improvement I didn't anticipate: unplanned naps. Falling asleep with disposable contacts in was such a painful mistake I don't think I took an unscheduled nap for a decade or more since getting up to switch to glasses would always break the nap momentum. Being able to nod off for a few minutes without preplanning is heavenly.

I've thoroughly enjoyed my can opener that cuts around the edge sort of and doesn't leave sharp edges

Oh god, you've reminded me I used to have a can opener that would shred the top millimeter of the can label and leave pieces on the counter and in the food. I developed the habit of peeling the top centimeter off of the label before opening instead of just spending $8 on a new can opener. Did that for at least 5 years. I'm really quite a dumbass sometimes.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jeninco on May 20, 2020, 11:35:00 AM
If this is the kind that separates the top join (so you have effectively a re-capable can, with no sharp edges) we also have one, and we love it.

My money well spent is a really long story, but .. suffice it to say some asshole decided it would be "cute" not to pay someone I really really love for a big load of work she did for him, partly in the hopes that having her run out of money would "encourage" her to agree to a whole load of shit he wanted and needed her consent for. I pulled the amount (low 5 digits) out of an investment account and paid her. I'll get it back someday, but having the $$ around to help out someone I love more then my parents was a really big deal, and also makes me feel like a successful grownup. And I get to give back to someone who is incredibly important to me and my little immediate family.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Wolfpack Mustachian on May 20, 2020, 11:40:41 AM
If this is the kind that separates the top join (so you have effectively a re-capable can, with no sharp edges) we also have one, and we love it.

My money well spent is a really long story, but .. suffice it to say some asshole decided it would be "cute" not to pay someone I really really love for a big load of work she did for him, partly in the hopes that having her run out of money would "encourage" her to agree to a whole load of shit he wanted and needed her consent for. I pulled the amount (low 5 digits) out of an investment account and paid her. I'll get it back someday, but having the $$ around to help out someone I love more then my parents was a really big deal, and also makes me feel like a successful grownup. And I get to give back to someone who is incredibly important to me and my little immediate family.

Yes, that's exactly it! I've grown so accustomed to the ease of opening cans, I can't fathom going back.

Also, cool story!

Also, dang you all (other posters) again for continuing to make me want Lasik ;-).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Loretta on May 20, 2020, 11:42:18 AM
On the personal improvement front I spent $10,000 in a foreign country on the Cadillac of bariatric surgery in 2018 and I’ve resolved several health problems and feel so much better overall with 134 less pounds on me.  Should have done it years sooner. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: stoaX on May 20, 2020, 11:57:23 AM
I recently spent $25 US on a bottle of Shieldaig Islay scotch.  That was money well spent.  Perhaps I will do it again.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mm1970 on May 20, 2020, 12:30:03 PM
@mm1970 highly recommend this program, currently free! https://www.homeschoolthedog.com/login
Thanks!  I appreciate the tip.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mm1970 on May 20, 2020, 12:34:50 PM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!

You guys really make me want to get my eyes corrected....if I wasn't so nervous about everything having some genetic predisposition to eye problems (i.e. glaucoma) in the family...

You articulated it perfectly - it would be so nice to just wake up and see everything!
I held off for a long time, then a few years ago told my eye doctor I'd like to consider it.  She said "I would have suggested it 10 years ago..."  (she did, I said no).  But of course, I was in my mid-40s when I decided to look into it, and my reading vision was just starting to go.

Alas, my corneas are too thin for LASIK.  I could have done PRK (surgery), but that came with a 2 week recovery period.  I had a full time job, 2 kids (one was only 2 years old), and I really needed my PTO for sick kids.  Eh, I've been wearing glasses for 40 years now.

I LOVE my progressives and I LOVE my prescription reading glasses
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on May 20, 2020, 12:45:24 PM
Lasik 13 years ago was my best investment ever, especially for my active life.  I could never manage contact lenses.  Now I can motorcycle, rock climb, scuba dive, sky dive all comfortably without vision issues.

I particularly love it for swimming and just water stuff in general. I hated having to decide between wearing contacts (and therefore having issues with getting splashed in the face/having my head under water), wearing goggles (just a PITA for anything but lap swimming) or not wearing my contacts. (And therefore being essentially blind).

Yep, camping, swimming, sports, reading in bed, all vastly improved.

But one improvement I didn't anticipate: unplanned naps. Falling asleep with disposable contacts in was such a painful mistake I don't think I took an unscheduled nap for a decade or more since getting up to switch to glasses would always break the nap momentum. Being able to nod off for a few minutes without preplanning is heavenly.



OMG yes! I still find myself amazed and thrilled when I'm starting to get sleepy in the middle of the afternoon and I realize, "Hey! If I just close my eyes right now for half an hour, nothing bad will happen! I won't wake up with my eyelids glued to my eyeballs!!!"
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Prairie Gal on May 20, 2020, 01:04:43 PM
New dining chairs that I have been wanting for a long time. My table & chairs are antiques from the 1920's and they are beautiful, but uncomfortable. Their butts must have been a lot smaller back then. I am keeping the table and getting new chairs that will go with it. I figure as long as I can't go to Europe this year, I will put the money into these chairs, and they will give me a lot of pleasure for years to come.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kem on May 20, 2020, 02:24:53 PM
Cool thread

best item 1:
Every week I cook a weeks worth of meals in 1 go for the entire clan (we pick up 1-2 convenience meals/month)
90+% of these meals I cook in a Charcoal grill - rain, snow, shine, or ice storm.

A few years ago, after burning through yet another metal grill (would only last me 1-2 years) I dropped for a Ceramic Kamado style grill (bge).
It cooks evenly, heats quickly, and uses very little lump.
I can smoke in it, or run a controlled bake. 
It has cut my cooktime in 1/2.

best item 2:
Avid fan of reading (library!), bought a kindle.  Makes reading while child rearing or traveling so much easier. 

best item 3:
$1,500 Honda (reliable) replacing $35K VW (constant repairs & being stranded)


Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Buffaloski Boris on May 20, 2020, 02:41:17 PM
Dittoes on the lasik. I got it as a gift. Even better.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: driftwood on May 20, 2020, 03:10:53 PM
LASIK - did it in 2007, no regrets there

Zelda Breath of the Wild for Switch - bought this game the day I found out CO was going to stay-at-home and that the DOD was doing restricted travel/WFH as much as possible. I knew it would suck me in and I'd spend hours upon hours playing, so I hadn't gotten it sooner. Perfect prescription for a pandemic though, I'm somewhere between 150-200 hours in and I stayed-at-home pretty darn well.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: use2betrix on May 20, 2020, 05:19:35 PM
@ketchup - great point with the pets!

Love my GSD to death but he’s been expensive. He has probably cost me more in 3 years than my chocolate lab did over 13 years.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on May 20, 2020, 06:20:22 PM
Lasik - 10yr ago, I honest can't remember if it was 4 or 5k but worth every penny.
Our dog - just a wealth of joy even though she is also a complete PITA
My bike, I spent 1k buying someone else's custom steel frame build and then after 2 years of riding, another 1k to convert it to a commuter set up including internal hub gearing. (the tyres are gatorskins we got out of hard rubbish in mint condition and still going strong 4 yrs later)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: alcon835 on May 20, 2020, 06:52:30 PM
My best recent-ish buy was my iPad Pro. Picked up in December and, wow, has it changed my life. I travel a lot for work (or at least I use too) and having it for airplanes to get work done or for a second screen on hotel calls when my main laptop's screen is being shared has been, well, a life saver.

I knew I would enjoy this thing, but didn't realize how much. It's not getting nearly the use it did now that I'm WFH with multiple monitors, but even in quarantine it's wooing me to start reading ebooks (something I've avoided for a long time since I prefer physical books) and comics.

5 years ago spending $1,200+ on an iPad would have been ridiculous, but this thing has significantly improved my quality of life at work and on the road. Been in this type of work for 2 years now and I wish I would have bought the thing on day 1.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BNgarden on May 20, 2020, 07:26:38 PM
Well, this was gifted to me, but seriously appreciate it still, after more than a decade: an ice cream spade. 

And, bottom mount fridge.  Never really suffered from hedonic adaptation--just love to see what's available in the fridge without stooping, going on 20 years!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Chaplin on May 20, 2020, 11:49:57 PM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!

You guys really make me want to get my eyes corrected....if I wasn't so nervous about everything having some genetic predisposition to eye problems (i.e. glaucoma) in the family...

You articulated it perfectly - it would be so nice to just wake up and see everything!

It's interesting that Kris put it that way. I had the surgery in Toronto and stayed overnight at a friend's place. I remember waking up the following morning and being able to read the clock on the VCR (yup, VHS) across the room and thinking how absolutely great that was. It cost $2400 per eye at the time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Freedomin5 on May 21, 2020, 03:39:00 AM
1. Our $200,000 cottage. We only go there once a year for a month (won’t make it there this year due to COVID), but we talk about our time there all the time.

2. E-bike. Now I can keep up with DH who is more fit than I am.

3. Portable blender/juicer. It looks like a magic bullet but without the clunky base. The motor/blades are built into the lid. My cheapie Aliexpress one crapped out after five uses, so I splurged on a Morphy Richards one for $40.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dignam on May 21, 2020, 05:42:51 AM
The various dumbbells I've purchased;  still too cheap to buy a storage rack, though we need one as we've got 8lb-30lb with more on the way.  I've done my own workouts in the basement for a while (long before covid), but the gf is now also using them.  Very glad I spent the money.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on May 21, 2020, 06:17:36 AM
There are so many things. But I don't have a lot of time right now. I want to be a part of this thread; so fun to read the answers!

The thing that immediately comes to mind is very small: Uno. The card game. Because of how stingy I am, and because of how much money we spend on daycare and the fact that our kids are ordinarily there most of the time, when the quarantine hit our toy and school supplies game was extremely weak. I've been buying stuff on Amazon for my kids like whoa.

Many of the games and toys have been big hits and we've had a lot of fun. But absolutely nothing beats Uno. They'd rather play Uno than any other activity, even screen time. I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old and I thought they were too young for Uno, but I was wrong. They love it. We now use it as a reward activity if they've earned enough stars during the day. $10 (the set came with Phase 10 and also Snappy Dresser, two other card games).

Our kids loved every game from Gamewright they ever encountered. Also Set is a favorite. You likely already know of these but in case not, I thought I'd share!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: svosavvy on May 21, 2020, 08:19:03 AM
A small 1800 watt generator with built in inverter ($400).  Just big enough to power my chest freezer or my fridge (alternate back and forth).  I hope I never use it, but, is cheap insurance.  I usually have a freezer full of venison that I harvest and process myself.  For me that is my food security.  Until I recently went grocery shopping here a month or so ago and NO meat at the store I was like holy S- I really need to have a plan for this stuff if the power goes out.  I never wanted a generator b/c I didn't want to be that guy and we heat with wood so it was no biggie.  Now I love the piece of mind.


DW bought the sewing machine she always wanted from a local dealer.  It is a PFAFF and it is impressive.  She does a lot of sewing.  Big smiles coming from her while doing projects is totally worth it.  She was just getting by with a pos kenmore with plastic gears and never held its timing.  Always slipping up and smashing needles.

All that and a decent size (for us) donation to a local organization.  That is how we feel we spent well our 2 adult 2 child check from our rich Uncle Sam.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sixwings on May 21, 2020, 08:39:08 AM
Money I spend on high quality camping/backpacking gear is always money well spent. I do a lot of back packing, mountaineering, etc. and the high quality gear is just so much better than cheap junk.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sixwings on May 21, 2020, 08:49:41 AM
I bought an Arcteryx jacket before last winter as I run cold, and hate to be cold.

I researched it for like 6 months, I tried on 10 or so. I bought 2 then returned one. It was a big decision for me to "waste" $600 on a coat when I traditionally buy whatever I find the best deal on and keep it until its wrecked.

It was the best thing I have ever bought. I was never cold once. I loved every second of it, I hope it lasts 10 years like they say, as I will be happier every year with my purchase.

Arc'teryx is definitely money well spent. I grew up quite poor but was always outside doing stuff, started guiding groups outdoors when I was 14. Owning an Arc'teryx jacket was my dream and now I own one and it's everything I imagined it being. 5 years later and it's still amazing and I wear it almost every day from sept-april.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Watchmaker on May 21, 2020, 09:40:23 AM

Absolutely. What I love about this type of clothing is that not only can you feel and see the quality, but since probably 99% of people have never heard, you know you aren’t paying for the name. To me, I feel that goes a really long way. Another thing that I love, is items like the denim jeans or jacket actually look better as they age. As they get worn in, they get significantly better wearing. Every time I put these jeans on I’m impressed by how they have worn and faded.

A good company that carries a variety of really nice men’s clothes is: https://www.blueowl.us/

Thanks!

I don't wear jeans, but checking out the other stuff with interest.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ShastaFire on May 21, 2020, 10:06:44 AM
Loving all the pet pictures!

-Super lightweight eyeglasses...no pressure on my nose, and I love having them on everyday. 

-Treadmill off of ebay has kept me in the exercise habit, particularly in these past months.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: englishteacheralex on May 21, 2020, 10:23:45 AM
There are so many things. But I don't have a lot of time right now. I want to be a part of this thread; so fun to read the answers!

The thing that immediately comes to mind is very small: Uno. The card game. Because of how stingy I am, and because of how much money we spend on daycare and the fact that our kids are ordinarily there most of the time, when the quarantine hit our toy and school supplies game was extremely weak. I've been buying stuff on Amazon for my kids like whoa.

Many of the games and toys have been big hits and we've had a lot of fun. But absolutely nothing beats Uno. They'd rather play Uno than any other activity, even screen time. I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old and I thought they were too young for Uno, but I was wrong. They love it. We now use it as a reward activity if they've earned enough stars during the day. $10 (the set came with Phase 10 and also Snappy Dresser, two other card games).

Our kids loved every game from Gamewright they ever encountered. Also Set is a favorite. You likely already know of these but in case not, I thought I'd share!

Um no, I did NOT know anything about either of those things, so I just went on Amazon and bought Set Junior. I've turned into a complete consumer sucka when it comes to little kids' educational games/toys. I keep thinking of my best friend in grade school, who had brother and a sister and they were all the smartest kids I knew and they had a whole basement full of board games that they played constantly. Any good board game/card game/strategy game recs that work for preschool kids are gold to me right now. I spend basically all of my childcare time every day playing these things since daycare closed.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mozar on May 21, 2020, 10:25:04 AM
4000 for braces as an adult. Fixed a lot of long standing issues.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Unionville on May 21, 2020, 10:36:11 AM
Joined AARP this month (no age limit) and already got discounts on my recurring bills (phone bill and Audible subscription) which is 4x what I paid for the membership of $12 annually. Then yesterday I found out I could take health quizzes and get a $15 uber gift card.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: imadandylion on May 21, 2020, 11:20:47 AM
+1 for Arc'teryx. I love my Arc'teryx jacket. I bought it for various reasons related to hiking/camping/backpacking, but also for around town or wearing at home. It does its job. I liked it so much I bought my husband one, too. They were/maybe still are on sale so the price seemed fair. Prior to a couple months ago, the brand wasn't even on my radar but as I researched what type of clothing I would need for certain situations, it seemed to fit my needs the best. Also, ditto on good quality, vetted camping/backpacking gear. You don't want to get out in the wild and realize your gear is unreliable. Still can't figure out what type of reliable bear canister to get, though.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sixwings on May 21, 2020, 11:27:51 AM
Patagonia and Arc'teryx are really the only outdoor brand i buy.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on May 21, 2020, 11:46:15 AM
+1 for Arc'teryx. I love my Arc'teryx jacket. I bought it for various reasons related to hiking/camping/backpacking, but also for around town or wearing at home. It does its job. I liked it so much I bought my husband one, too. They were/maybe still are on sale so the price seemed fair. Prior to a couple months ago, the brand wasn't even on my radar but as I researched what type of clothing I would need for certain situations, it seemed to fit my needs the best. Also, ditto on good quality, vetted camping/backpacking gear. You don't want to get out in the wild and realize your gear is unreliable. Still can't figure out what type of reliable bear canister to get, though.

What are you looking for in your bear can?

I've been using one of these for a few years without ever testing it on an actual bear... Come to think of it, I actually have a reasonable way to test it this year if I wanted...

https://www.rei.com/product/624081/garcia-bear-resistant-container
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: imadandylion on May 21, 2020, 11:49:01 AM
+1 for Arc'teryx. I love my Arc'teryx jacket. I bought it for various reasons related to hiking/camping/backpacking, but also for around town or wearing at home. It does its job. I liked it so much I bought my husband one, too. They were/maybe still are on sale so the price seemed fair. Prior to a couple months ago, the brand wasn't even on my radar but as I researched what type of clothing I would need for certain situations, it seemed to fit my needs the best. Also, ditto on good quality, vetted camping/backpacking gear. You don't want to get out in the wild and realize your gear is unreliable. Still can't figure out what type of reliable bear canister to get, though.

What are you looking for in your bear can?

I've been using one of these for a few years without ever testing it on an actual bear... Come to think of it, I actually have a reasonable way to test it this year if I wanted...

https://www.rei.com/product/624081/garcia-bear-resistant-container

I get nervous because I've seen a lot of reviews on popular bear containers where the bear got into it, so I guess I'm just looking for as many product options to look at as possible. But maybe not everything can be guaranteed 100% bear proof?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on May 21, 2020, 11:59:58 AM
+1 for Arc'teryx. I love my Arc'teryx jacket. I bought it for various reasons related to hiking/camping/backpacking, but also for around town or wearing at home. It does its job. I liked it so much I bought my husband one, too. They were/maybe still are on sale so the price seemed fair. Prior to a couple months ago, the brand wasn't even on my radar but as I researched what type of clothing I would need for certain situations, it seemed to fit my needs the best. Also, ditto on good quality, vetted camping/backpacking gear. You don't want to get out in the wild and realize your gear is unreliable. Still can't figure out what type of reliable bear canister to get, though.

What are you looking for in your bear can?

I've been using one of these for a few years without ever testing it on an actual bear... Come to think of it, I actually have a reasonable way to test it this year if I wanted...

https://www.rei.com/product/624081/garcia-bear-resistant-container

I get nervous because I've seen a lot of reviews on popular bear containers where the bear got into it, so I guess I'm just looking for as many product options to look at as possible. But maybe not everything can be guaranteed 100% bear proof?

Depends a lot on the bear. It's one thing to design something that is 250 lb black bear proof and another to design something that is 1000 lb grizzly proof... As i understand it, the idea with the bear cans is that they are difficult enough to get into that most bears will get bored and wander off before that get it open. The most important thing is probably to make sure the one you buy is one of the models listed as approved by whatever place is requiring you to have one.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on May 21, 2020, 12:40:52 PM
+1 for Arc'teryx. I love my Arc'teryx jacket. I bought it for various reasons related to hiking/camping/backpacking, but also for around town or wearing at home. It does its job. I liked it so much I bought my husband one, too. They were/maybe still are on sale so the price seemed fair. Prior to a couple months ago, the brand wasn't even on my radar but as I researched what type of clothing I would need for certain situations, it seemed to fit my needs the best. Also, ditto on good quality, vetted camping/backpacking gear. You don't want to get out in the wild and realize your gear is unreliable. Still can't figure out what type of reliable bear canister to get, though.

What are you looking for in your bear can?

I've been using one of these for a few years without ever testing it on an actual bear... Come to think of it, I actually have a reasonable way to test it this year if I wanted...

https://www.rei.com/product/624081/garcia-bear-resistant-container

I get nervous because I've seen a lot of reviews on popular bear containers where the bear got into it, so I guess I'm just looking for as many product options to look at as possible. But maybe not everything can be guaranteed 100% bear proof?

I have that exact model and used it a whole two times because it's so bulky and heavy for backpacking.  I take my chances with a simple bag and rope and hang it from a tree.  Now to be fair, my backpacking in the East is limited to winter months to avoid the heat, humidity, and bugs.  Plus the bears are hibernating so...  I have seen bear tracks in the snow from time to time backpacking in the Monongahela but the prints were about half as large as my own footprints so I wasn't too worried.  I don't see how a black bear could ever break into that thing, I'm pretty sure you could drive over it with a Humvee and it would survive. 

Out West I stick mainly to mountaineering where bears aren't a problem on glaciers.  I did see a mom and baby black bear hiking up to Eldorado Peak once though.  They make you use Kevlar bags for food on those mountains and on Rainier, but bears aren't the problem anyway.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on May 21, 2020, 01:05:14 PM
I have that exact model and used it a whole two times because it's so bulky and heavy for backpacking.  I take my chances with a simple bag and rope and hang it from a tree.  Now to be fair, my backpacking in the East is limited to winter months to avoid the heat, humidity, and bugs.  Plus the bears are hibernating so...  I have seen bear tracks in the snow from time to time backpacking in the Monongahela but the prints were about half as large as my own footprints so I wasn't too worried.  I don't see how a black bear could ever break into that thing, I'm pretty sure you could drive over it with a Humvee and it would survive. 

Out West I stick mainly to mountaineering where bears aren't a problem on glaciers.  I did see a mom and baby black bear hiking up to Eldorado Peak once though.  They make you use Kevlar bags for food on those mountains and on Rainier, but bears aren't the problem anyway.

I have the can because some national parks require them. I don't carry it when they are not legally required. I live in Alaska though and most the bears are not accustom to humans. Bear hunters do everything they can to minimize their sent for fear of scaring off the bears before they get within rifle range... Hiking in the Tetons I saw six bears in one day at very close. They didn't seem to fear people so some kind of food protection probably makes sense. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kem on May 21, 2020, 01:25:03 PM
What are you looking for in your bear can?

Jerome Powell's switch?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Chris@TTL on May 21, 2020, 01:36:20 PM
I've got a Deuter 25 or 28L hiking pack with an "air ride" aluminum frame I purchased back in 2008 before heading off to the Peace Corps in Nicaragua. That bag has gone threw hell and back.
It continues its life as my simple go-to bag for any weekend trip and somehow doesn't smell to high heaven. Love it. Purchased for a smidge under $100 twelve years ago.

(https://www.tictoclife.com/lifestyle-creep/ttl-nicaragua-peace-corps-desk/)

Here's a shot when it was my only luggage in the Peace Corp, and it still looks as good!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on May 21, 2020, 02:26:20 PM
Yes Neuter packs.

I bought a Deuter 42L pack for my round the world trip in 2012. It meets the requirements for carry on luggage if it's not over stuffed and is faded, but otherwise in good shape after a year of travel, two treks in Nepal, climbing Kilimanjaro, hiking the Camino de Santiago, and lots of smaller trips. It's still my go to back for short camping trips and long travel trips. I really like the air flow through the mesh in the back too.

Note: It does not work well with the bear can.

ETA - photo is everything i carried for a year of travel on 5 continents.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on May 21, 2020, 02:28:49 PM
What are you looking for in your bear can?

Jerome Powell's switch?

well played
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jeninco on May 21, 2020, 03:26:06 PM
Patagonia and Arc'teryx are really the only outdoor brand i buy.

Right, I forgot about outdoor gear. Patagonia temporarily opened a "worn wear" i.e. used Patagonia store in my town, and we completely outfitted our entire family. We should be set for the foreseeable future, and they'll repair their gear for free by sending it to a local place, so we walk it down to their main store, they send it over to XXX, they call us when it comes back, we pick it up. They replaced a zipper on a jacket my husband has worn since the 80s. (Seriously, when I went to pick it up the sales guy asked me what it looked like so he could grab it faster. I took a look at him and said "navy shell, grey fleece liner, older then you." He said "oh, 'classic'")
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: projekt on May 21, 2020, 08:29:04 PM
Patagonia and Arc'teryx are really the only outdoor brand i buy.
I usually don't buy expensive things but I was looking for a rainjacket and the best looking one was by Outdoor Research, which is always shockingly expensive. I splurged and it's been the best one I've ever had.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: T-Money$ on May 22, 2020, 06:24:03 AM
Over a decade ago I learned a breathing method called "Buteyko" which allowed me to stop all my previous asthma medications and control my asthma condition without orthodox medicine and treatments.  The course cost $400 however I would have happily paid $10,000+ as it was so beneficial to my quality of life and health.  I wish I knew about Buteyko decades earlier.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on May 22, 2020, 07:14:24 AM
Add me to the expensive outdoor gear club. Camping gear, travel gear, and of course, clothing. Patagonia clothes just keep going for decades, and their Black Hole bags are practically indestructible. I rarely pay full price for anything Patagonia though. They have 50% off sales on their website very often, and usually I can still find my size in a decent color. (Just don't ask me about the lime green items I bought on sale a few years ago. I still wear them, but not in public, and I've learned that sometimes it's worth paying a little more or waiting for another sale!)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on May 22, 2020, 07:54:30 AM
Yeah add me too. Heck we have an $850 tent.  Though it did save our asses during a. Storm on the Ingraham glacier on Mount Rainer, and crazy katabatic-type winds on Shuksan once. But doing outdoor activities is sooooo much nicer when you got good kit. Especially rain gear and footwear.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on May 22, 2020, 08:42:21 AM
I was still a student when I bought Santana's album "Supernatural" from a used records store. At the time I felt like it was a hopeless, horrible extravagance, but one of my roommates referred to it as an "investment".

And you know what, he was right. Fantastic album!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on May 22, 2020, 09:29:50 AM
Duluth Trading Company Firehose pants (and shorts).  Such a well-designed piece of clothing!  Lots of pockets, pockets are deep enough, and constructed of durable fabric, i.e. I'm never worried about my keys poking a hole in it.

Lasik for DW a decade and a half ago.  Totally, totally worth it.  My parents gifted me Lasik when I was in my early 20's, and it's absolutely amazing (I was something like 20/400).

My Craftsman table saw from the 60's.  I bought it for under $200, then spent another couple hundred bucks to add wings and more miter gauges.  Not fancy, but it has a cast iron top and zero plastic pieces as far as I've seen.

Tools.  Every time I have to buy one to DIY a project, I remind myself of how much I'm *not* spending by DIYing.  And it's an amazing thing, when something breaks, to be able to hop out to the garage, grab just the right tool for the job, and whip it out in no time.  Just last weekend, after cleaning out the garage, I built a storage rack for camping chairs out of scrap plywood.  Between my table saw, my cheap band saw, and a couple of drills, it only took me about half an hour from "hey, I wish we had it" to "woop, there it is!"

Our house. It's definitely unmustachian, but we have a big family, and use the heck out of it.

The (used) airless paint sprayer when we bought to help finish our basement.  A-maz-ing.  I could do a coat of paint on 1200 sq ft of wall in half an hour.  I should probably resell it, since I don't see any future projects that'd require it, and it's taking up space in my workshop.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: APowers on May 22, 2020, 10:11:56 AM
Bought my '96 Honda Civic hatchback six years ago (ish) for $2,500 as I was working pizza delivery at the time. Went from driving a 30mpg car to getting 40+mpg, and the car literally paid for itself over the next couple years just in fuel savings. I still have it, and besides the normal maintenance items that come up at over 200k miles, it has been dead reliable. I will be very, very sad when it eventually dies.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: turketron on May 22, 2020, 10:16:42 AM
beating a dead horse at this point but as everyone else has said, Lasik Lasik Lasik. Easily the best money I've ever spent in my life.

Bought my '96 Honda Civic hatchback six years ago (ish) for $2,500 as I was working pizza delivery at the time. Went from driving a 30mpg car to getting 40+mpg, and the car literally paid for itself over the next couple years just in fuel savings. I still have it, and besides the normal maintenance items that come up at over 200k miles, it has been dead realiable. I will be very, very sad when it eventually dies.

I'm driving a '99 Accord that I got for $2400 in like 2016, it's been super reliable and I've had to put very little into maintenance. Especially given how little I'm driving these days it should last me a loooong time!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on May 22, 2020, 11:42:10 AM
Bought my '96 Honda Civic hatchback six years ago (ish) for $2,500 as I was working pizza delivery at the time. Went from driving a 30mpg car to getting 40+mpg, and the car literally paid for itself over the next couple years just in fuel savings. I still have it, and besides the normal maintenance items that come up at over 200k miles, it has been dead reliable. I will be very, very sad when it eventually dies.
Right out of college in '05 I bought a '94 Civic for about $2400.  Manual everything.  Man, I loved that car, and was a little sad when we sold it to buy a minivan (although I LOVE minivans).  When I sold it, I got back my $2400.  Fun to drive, super economical, and reliable as heck.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on May 22, 2020, 12:09:06 PM
beating a dead horse at this point but as everyone else has said, Lasik Lasik Lasik. Easily the best money I've ever spent in my life.

Bought my '96 Honda Civic hatchback six years ago (ish) for $2,500 as I was working pizza delivery at the time. Went from driving a 30mpg car to getting 40+mpg, and the car literally paid for itself over the next couple years just in fuel savings. I still have it, and besides the normal maintenance items that come up at over 200k miles, it has been dead realiable. I will be very, very sad when it eventually dies.

I'm driving a '99 Accord that I got for $2400 in like 2016, it's been super reliable and I've had to put very little into maintenance. Especially given how little I'm driving these days it should last me a loooong time!

On the topic of lasik and mountain climbing...

My wife had lasik about a decade ago, life changing for her she loves it and still no issues....

... Except high altitude mountain climbing. We climbed Rainer last back in 2014 I think, and on the way down from the summit her eyes went all hazy.  For several hours I was like Wtf why is she going so slow, she's usually better than this.  She kept saying that it was too foggy and she couldn't see the terrain despite the fact that it was perfectly clear out.

We stayed an extra night at around 11k feet and her eyesight eventually stabilized, it was only later that I learned you can have difficulties at altitude post-lasik. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FIRE Artist on May 22, 2020, 02:47:48 PM
Art school.  This was something that i had put in the expensive things you are lusting after thread a while back and eventually I caved in.  It has been life changing, both for my art practice but also for my social life, I have art friends now, something that was lacking in my life before. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: moneypitfeeder on May 22, 2020, 04:34:18 PM
A $30-ish potato ricer, 'cause it is the best (thank you America's Test Kitchen). I got one for my mom after she broke her wrist since it was supposed to be so easy to use for mashed potatoes. She had no problems even with a cast on her dominate hand. After I tried it, bought one for myself to replace my crappy stainless steel, non-ergonomically designed one. Chef'n FreshForce Potato Ricer Press.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LaineyAZ on May 22, 2020, 07:37:09 PM
Does this count?  After living in my house for 15+ years with a dusty, weedy backyard, I finally had enough money to have it professionally landscaped.  Life changer, especially after the small trees matured.
I also wanted to have it done so I could enjoy it after retirement, and boy has that been true.  Last few years I've loved gazing at it, putting up bird feeders, watching the flowers bloom on the shrubs, etc. 
And now with the shutdown I'm enjoying the results of that decision even more.  Present Me is thankful that Me of 8 years ago spent the money.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on May 22, 2020, 07:49:14 PM
Our family dog was injured last year. Decision was to put her down or pay for the surgeries. Chose to pay for the surgeries. Has been very good for everyone to have her around, especially our younger child who was having depression issues unconnected to the dog. Today everyone is better.

Decent tools. Some used. Some old. A mix of excellent and good quality tools. For example: my tap and die set is decent quality but I rarely use it so it'll last forever.

Ebikes x2. Has been very good for our kids to explore our town and just ride. I use mine for fun and to commute with.

Various used cars domestic and import which we've updated and repaired any missed maintenance by previous owners. Our cars have been very inexpensive to own and drive b/c of the tools I mentioned before.

A nice home where we like to live and play. Space for us to come together, space to be apart, space for our hobbies. We live in flyover country so not so expensive compared to the coasts.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: halftimer on May 22, 2020, 10:41:00 PM
4000 for braces as an adult. Fixed a lot of long standing issues.

Same here. I put off getting braces for a long time, but it has been money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Poeirenta on May 22, 2020, 11:27:40 PM
Building a very efficient, passive solar, off-grid house on acreage. But maybe that's considered an investment? Regardless, i thought it was an interesting question!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 22, 2020, 11:42:53 PM
I thought of another one!
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1842/3947/products/R126_amazon_inuse3.jpg)

This 6 dollar tomato knife makes a perfect slice every time



(Also since everyone else mentioned it, every penny I have ever spent on my three adopted pitbulls, any of my previous pets, and any foster dogs)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on May 23, 2020, 05:49:22 AM
For like ten years I had this crappy metal utensil holder from Ikea. Not something you put in a drawer to hold forks and spoons, something for a countertop to hold wooden spoons, tongs, spatulas, etc. Seriously every time I pulled a utensil out of this holder it would tip over. Every. Time. I never bought something to replace it because, it sort of worked I guess? Then about two years ago I was at target and I saw a nice, big, sturdy, utensil holder. $20. I put it in the cart and told myself not to second guess the purchase. And this silly upgrade has truly improved my cooking enjoyment tenfold. I still get satisfaction from the fact that I can pull a spatula out of this thing without it moving. So yeah, don’t be stupid like me and forego a small purchase out of principle alone.

We paid more than $20, but I'm super happy with the ceramic utensil holder we had a local artisan make for us some years ago. She even made it in our requested color, after warning us thoroughly that it was a very tricky color and a tiny amount of overheating would turn it grey. The tiny bits of grey we ended up with make an excellent accent - and yeah, no tippy issues.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: fredbear on May 23, 2020, 09:08:21 AM
16 years ago I spent $500 (a lot of money for newly divorced me at the time) on a used Waterrower rowing machine.  I worried about the expense, but was convinced it would be worth it at the time.  16 years later I am still using it multiple times per week, I haven't paid a gym fee since then, and all I've had to do for repairs was replace the cork thingy.

Totally money well spent.

Bought a concept2 about 20 years ago.  Logged 2,000,000 meters recently (there were many other meters before I heard of the log, or figured out how to access the internal register).  Mozart and Vivaldi help, but it has the mysterious property that however long you decide to row, it will always be 15 minutes longer than you can maintain interest.  Still think for my life it is about the ideal form of exercise.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sixwings on May 23, 2020, 09:27:44 AM
My grandfather told me to always buy quality on anything that comes between me and the ground.

1) Bed - Bought a custom organic mattress from Obasan, was not cheap but I wake up every day feeling amazing. In my old bed I used to wake up feeling sore.
2) Shoes - Exercise shoes, hiking boots, etc. No more shin splints and my feet still feel good getting into camp. Blisters can make a hiking trip unbearable.
3) Tires - I do a lot of off road driving for hiking and climbing and I've never had a blown tire on an old logging road or forest service road. In fact I've never had a blown tire at all. I also do a lot of driving in snow for skiing and great snow tires are a game changer.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on May 23, 2020, 10:13:22 AM
Bought one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer doodackies. Soooooo handy for canning the dozens of jars of apples I've just put up AND I got it in a thrift store for a few bucks.

Does it really stay put on the counter or does it move around?  I'm thinking of getting one.

I have a wooden counter, so the suction was never going to work. I can't speak to how it would work on another type of counter. I find it quite easy to just hold in place, though. It requires a little effort to turn the handle, not much but my 70 year old friend with arthritis decided against getting one. Also requires a little effort to pull the core off the spike when you're done with an apple, but now I've got a chopstick that I fit behind it and lever it off. All in all, save a frickin shit load of time and effort!

I've seen ones that screw onto the counter like a mincer would, if that's any help. And also, aliexpress has loads of them if you want a good cheapie.
We have one that came with DH. Looks the same as Anna's, but green. Our counters are stone and it sticks just fine. Makes it easier to eat apples. I like the chopstick trick. I just use a fork. I see them at thrift stores from time to time. I even found one in a box, which became a gift.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Chris Pascale on May 23, 2020, 10:14:45 AM
Had a driveway put in when the lockdown started. It's gray rock, bordered by cobblestone and can fit 6 cars. $4400.

When we bought the house in 2014 it was just muddy dirt with deep ruts.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Freedom2016 on May 23, 2020, 10:53:19 AM
Not me, but a relative -- and I will definitely purchase this when we get our next puppy... Online puppy training school from https://www.baxterandbella.com/ -- tons of videos and interactive sessions, all with a kind, no-force approach to helping your puppy become a well-mannered dog. Also works for older dogs, even though it's marketed to puppies. And they have a free podcast, which is excellent.

This is awesome - thank you for sharing! We are getting a puppy in July and this could not have come at a better time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: KYFIRE on May 23, 2020, 12:37:42 PM
For 5 years I've been using my used Craftsman riding mower that I got for $300 to mow our 1.25 acres.  I knew a new mower would be faster and more reliable but this one always "worked" and I couldn't stomach the $3,000 to get a good one.  Last week a pesky vapor lock issue comes up and I borrow my neighbors zero turn to finish the yard. 

I wish I had pulled the trigger years ago.  Within the week I had investigated all the options and was almost ready to pull the trigger on a really good home use Gravely.  I kept an eye on the Lowe's Ariens mid-tier unit though and while looking at it, noticed a small tear in the seat and got 10% knocked off it.  Used as soon as I got home and wow, what a difference.  Mowed in half the time so I get that back to spend with my little ones and it is sooooo much more comfortable than my old riding mower. 

As always, right tool for the job makes a big difference.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on May 23, 2020, 03:15:13 PM
Over a decade ago I learned a breathing method called "Buteyko" which allowed me to stop all my previous asthma medications and control my asthma condition without orthodox medicine and treatments.  The course cost $400 however I would have happily paid $10,000+ as it was so beneficial to my quality of life and health.  I wish I knew about Buteyko decades earlier.

Consciously switching to default nose breathing was a noticeable improvement for me with allergies/congestion. Even worked overnight for the most part, just thinking about continuing nose breathing.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bloodaxe on May 23, 2020, 03:25:23 PM
One thing that I purchased a few months ago that I'm delighted with are some quality blutooth headphones.

For the last few years I kept buying the in-ear earphones but they always kept dying after a few weeks/months as the wire in cable would eventually get too flexed and break inside. They were usually in the region of £15 a pair, but I reckon I have gone through at least 7-8 pairs in the last couple of years, so easily over £100 on them.

Then last Christmas I got a pair of these:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81M4KUrL5DL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

They've served me perfectly since. They're robust, and the battery life is excellent (30+hrs, compared to 6-7hrs on the in-ear earphones).

Buying the cheaper in-ear earphones was an exercise in false economy. These headphones were £40 and I consider it the best £40 I've spent in a long time!

Same here. I was able to get a used pair of MDR-1000X for ~$115. They sell new for $300, so it wasn't as expensive as it could have been. I wear them at work every day and the noise cancelling is great.

They will really be beneficial once I actually have to go into the office :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on May 23, 2020, 03:28:00 PM
I’m going to echo eye surgery. Mine was hella expensive (much, much more than Lasik because my eyes were shit, and not covered by insurance), but damned if I don’t marvel a few times a week at how amazing it is being able to just wake up and see!

You guys really make me want to get my eyes corrected....if I wasn't so nervous about everything having some genetic predisposition to eye problems (i.e. glaucoma) in the family...

You articulated it perfectly - it would be so nice to just wake up and see everything!
Lasik 13 years ago was my best investment ever, especially for my active life.  I could never manage contact lenses.  Now I can motorcycle, rock climb, scuba dive, sky dive all comfortably without vision issues.

Yep. Got 20 years of fabulous glasses-free living out of Lasik. Well worth the $5k in 1999.

Even though I started using reading glasses last year, no regrets at all.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: draco44 on May 23, 2020, 07:52:57 PM
A used book store in my area is selling grab bags of books by mail because they are currently closed for regular retail due to COVID-19. They let you submit a detailed description of titles and topics you are interested in, set a price limit, and then they assemble a customized package and mail it to you. Concierge books service!

I bought a package recently as present to myself. The store did a great job with their picks and I was happy to pay to help keep their business afloat in difficult times. I think many other independent book stores are doing something similar at the moment if you want to give it a try.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fish Sweet on May 23, 2020, 09:01:54 PM
Since lockdown started, I've been buying these froofy fancy Japanese health food donuts and cold-brew cream coffee from a tiny family-owned bakery.  They're clownishly expensive by MMM standards (around $3 per donut), and I've been driving ~30 miles to get half a dozen to a dozen every two weeks or so.

They are SO FSCKING GOOD... seriously, I save them for days when I'm feeling kind of down about the State of the World or to reward myself for Getting Stuff Done.  It's ridiculous how happy a single donut the size of my palm can make me, zoning out while slowly sipping a cup of coffee or tea and savoring it bite by bite-- and they're even healthy(ish), so I don't feel greasy or put off by too much sugar afterward.  Luckily, they keep really well in the fridge so I can ration them out for the course of two weeks.  The bakery owners are super nice, and I'm also happy to support them, so it's a win-win all around.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on May 23, 2020, 10:16:35 PM
Had a driveway put in when the lockdown started. It's gray rock, bordered by cobblestone and can fit 6 cars. $4400.

When we bought the house in 2014 it was just muddy dirt with deep ruts.

How long? We have an asphalt driveway near the end of its life.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ol1970 on May 24, 2020, 05:56:35 AM
I spent a total of $3,000 taking sailing lessons for coastal cruising and general operation of catamarans 6 years ago.  This investment has allowed me to charter and captain my own sailing adventures: sailing through the out islands of the Abacos, meandering up with west cost of the Swedish archipelago and fjords, picked a boat up in St Vincent and sailed through the grenadines over an underwater volcano and dropped it off in Grenada, 2 trips the the USVI and BVI’s to explore all the fun stuff there (good beginners spot), and my wife and I took a boat for 3 weeks in French Polynesia and explored the Society Islands...believe it or not Bora Bora was the “worst” spot we found, and that was spectacular. 

The memories of having whales breach as you are rounding up to make the entrance of some lagoon, or hoards of giant sea turtles checking out there new neighbors, or seeing your first “green flash” as the sun sets over the horizon after a long day of vigorous sailing is truly special.  We are spoiled forever and couldn’t fathom going on a cruise ship or staying at some beach resort now that we know how much better your experience can be.  Once the kid is off to college we will have enough knowledge and experience to be dangerous and we will cut the lines and see where the wind takes us...Covid19 permitting that is lol.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: rmorris50 on May 24, 2020, 01:56:41 PM
Just got my ostrich feather duster - BEST INVESTMENT EVER.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on May 24, 2020, 06:04:02 PM
I spent a total of $3,000 taking sailing lessons for coastal cruising and general operation of catamarans 6 years ago.  This investment has allowed me to charter and captain my own sailing adventures: sailing through the out islands of the Abacos, meandering up with west cost of the Swedish archipelago and fjords, picked a boat up in St Vincent and sailed through the grenadines over an underwater volcano and dropped it off in Grenada, 2 trips the the USVI and BVI’s to explore all the fun stuff there (good beginners spot), and my wife and I took a boat for 3 weeks in French Polynesia and explored the Society Islands...believe it or not Bora Bora was the “worst” spot we found, and that was spectacular. 

The memories of having whales breach as you are rounding up to make the entrance of some lagoon, or hoards of giant sea turtles checking out there new neighbors, or seeing your first “green flash” as the sun sets over the horizon after a long day of vigorous sailing is truly special.  We are spoiled forever and couldn’t fathom going on a cruise ship or staying at some beach resort now that we know how much better your experience can be.  Once the kid is off to college we will have enough knowledge and experience to be dangerous and we will cut the lines and see where the wind takes us...Covid19 permitting that is lol.

See you out there. We were planning to head to Bermuda this fall but, well . . . more time to work on the boat. Looks like we'll be exploring the US East coast for a while.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jinga nation on May 24, 2020, 07:26:14 PM
Merrell hiking boots. I had never bought footwear worth over $40. Paid full price in-store (because I like to try and hate returning) of ~$100. This was in early 2012.
Hiked Peru in them. Hiked in them in Colorado, California, New York's Catskills, Georgia and Florida. They've been worn on flights to Kenya, Dubai, UK. They're worn 1-2x a week to work. They're in still pretty good nick. Can't wait to travel with these cozies once things start returning to normal. Best footwear ever.

And the sentiment applies to my Teva sandals. Have had them since ~2003.

Thankfully, I have a Patagonia rain jacket and fleece jacket and backpack and beanie from my employer, didn't have to buy these awesome products.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Goatee Joe on May 25, 2020, 06:08:18 AM
A used Total Gym.  Bought it for a couple hundred bucks a few years ago, love it.  I can get a full workout at home, dropped the expensive  gym membership.  My local gym was becoming an overcrowded hassle in any case, so I was happy to ditch them.  I've moved a few times the last few years, and Total Gym is very portable and easy to bring with me to any new location.  I mix in the workouts with biking (also money fantastically well spent:  cardio + commute) and am very happy with that balance.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: partgypsy on May 25, 2020, 06:47:12 AM
Large tea infuser that can rest on mug lid or teapot. I don't have this brand, but same concept. Between me and older daughter who likes loose tea, use it close to everyday. And if you are camping, want just 1 cup, can make coffee in a pinch.  https://www.amazon.com/Gifbera-Stainless-Infuser-Strainer-Capacity/dp/B07R5CTY16/ref=mp_s_a_1_30?dchild=1&keywords=tea+coffee+infuser&qid=1590410628&sr=8-30. Ps I love Merrell sandals. I bought one pair in 2014 for a trip that involved alot of walking. I've gotten a ton of use out of them for  both  walking and river shoes. No regrets.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on May 25, 2020, 07:53:34 AM
Just got my ostrich feather duster - BEST INVESTMENT EVER.

Kinky!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on May 25, 2020, 09:54:29 AM
@partgypsy i have a similar one and love it. It really lets the water flow through the leaves
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ixtap on May 25, 2020, 10:07:16 AM
Large tea infuser that can rest on mug lid or teapot. I don't have this brand, but same concept. Between me and older daughter who likes loose tea, use it close to everyday. And if you are camping, want just 1 cup, can make coffee in a pinch.  https://www.amazon.com/Gifbera-Stainless-Infuser-Strainer-Capacity/dp/B07R5CTY16/ref=mp_s_a_1_30?dchild=1&keywords=tea+coffee+infuser&qid=1590410628&sr=8-30. Ps I love Merrell sandals. I bought one pair in 2014 for a trip that involved alot of walking. I've gotten a ton of use out of them for  both  walking and river shoes. No regrets.

I found a Merrell trail glove style that I love. I bought a second pair after a week and then managed a few pairs on clearance.  I have gone far enough through the second pair that I wear the third pair of I am going to be hiking on rocks.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: HumanAfterAll on May 25, 2020, 01:50:44 PM
Peloton - found a used one for a bargain by searching craigslist for misspelled listings (Peleton). My wife and I have to negotiate who gets to ride it each morning before work now.  I would rather ride outside, but this is great for a fast workout, and we’ve stuck with it for 6 months now multiple times a week.

Garoffice - remodeled our garage to put a home office in, just before the pandemic. DIY, totally saving our bacon now to have somewhere to work while taking turns watching our daughter at home.

Nissan Leaf - 75,000 miles and I still love it. Did literally 0 maintenance in 2019, time to rotate the tires!

Towel warmer - no more stinky towels!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: projekt on May 25, 2020, 02:11:32 PM
Just got my ostrich feather duster - BEST INVESTMENT EVER.
Not sure why you’re dusting ostrich feathers, but to each their own. :P
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bmjohnson35 on May 25, 2020, 03:27:55 PM
Over a decade ago I learned a breathing method called "Buteyko" which allowed me to stop all my previous asthma medications and control my asthma condition without orthodox medicine and treatments.  The course cost $400 however I would have happily paid $10,000+ as it was so beneficial to my quality of life and health.  I wish I knew about Buteyko decades earlier.

I just recommended a book called The Oxygen Advantage, which is based on this method.  My best friend struggles with Asthma.  I exercise Wim Hoff breathing and now just learning about the Buteyko method.  Glad to hear of such a positive outcome. 

BJ
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bmjohnson35 on May 25, 2020, 03:57:19 PM

Bought a like-new 12 sheet paper shredder off Craigslist about 2 months ago.  My mail comes into the house and no longer sits for very long.  I shred everything that has personal info in it. Quick, efficient and less clutter in the house. It cuts it down to confetti size and is easy to dump with the built in pull out tray into recycle bin. It also shreds used credit cards.  It's a bit of a luxury, but well worth it to me.

Electric tooth brush.  My dental hygienist confirmed that my teeth were cleaner at the following cleaning.  It has built in 2 minute timer and I replace the brush heads monthly.  If you buy the replacement heads on Amazon, they're relatively cheap. 

100% rubber craftsman black water hose with stainless fittings.  I'm using the same 50' hose that I bought for my first home, almost 30 years ago. I also have an inline brass cutoff valve on the hose that is nearly as old.  It used quick release fittings and is great for turning off water at the end of the hose, as needed.  The valve leaks a little now, but since it's over 25 years old, I figure it's earned the right to leak a little.

Cordless Ryobi power tools.  I also have a Ryobi cordless blower.  They all use the same batteries and I have used them many many times. We are surrounded by oak trees that drop leaves year round.  I used the blower almost daily.

Many of my tools.  I have mixture of name brand tools and Harbor freight quality tools. Certain items I will pay more for a quality tool and others I will buy the cheaper option.  Many of my tools are 20+ years old and continue to perform when needed.

BJ



Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: YHD on May 25, 2020, 07:19:11 PM
michigan cherries at $8/pound.  so worth it. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Villanelle on May 25, 2020, 08:24:07 PM
A nice big floor fan.  We've only had it about a week, but it's set up near the top of the stairs to the basement.  Said basement always feels to be many degrees cooler than the main floor, and many more cooler than the top floor (with our bedroom).  So the fan is sucking that cool air from the basement and forcing it in to the living area.  There is a noticeable difference and I will likely buy as second one to push air from the main floor to the bedroom, which is at the top of the next set of stairs. 

Also, a Nordictrack elliptical, purchased toward the beginning of the lockdown.  We'd been researching since about January but this probably accelerated the purchase by weeks or month.  I've used it nearly every day since we got it. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on May 26, 2020, 06:05:12 AM
Bought a like-new 12 sheet paper shredder off Craigslist about 2 months ago.  My mail comes into the house and no longer sits for very long.  I shred everything that has personal info in it. Quick, efficient and less clutter in the house. It cuts it down to confetti size and is easy to dump with the built in pull out tray into recycle bin.
Shredders are great for controlling paper clutter,  but you might want to clarify with your recycler. Typically, shredded paper cannot be recycled, but it can be composted.

"If you are both safety conscious and environmentally conscious you will want to shred private files and then recycle them. Unfortunately, paper shreds cannot be placed in the recycle bin. If you put shredded paper in your recycling bin, it will almost certainly end up in a landfill."  - from Shred Nations, via Google.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Queen Frugal on May 26, 2020, 06:41:27 AM
Wool socks because they never ever make stinky feet. I have no idea how but it's true. Plus they last forever!

I used smart wool socks for a long time but I recently ordered People Socks from Amazon and they work just as well and they are cheaper.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bmjohnson35 on May 26, 2020, 06:46:06 AM
Bought a like-new 12 sheet paper shredder off Craigslist about 2 months ago.  My mail comes into the house and no longer sits for very long.  I shred everything that has personal info in it. Quick, efficient and less clutter in the house. It cuts it down to confetti size and is easy to dump with the built in pull out tray into recycle bin.
Shredders are great for controlling paper clutter,  but you might want to clarify with your recycler. Typically, shredded paper cannot be recycled, but it can be composted.

"If you are both safety conscious and environmentally conscious you will want to shred private files and then recycle them. Unfortunately, paper shreds cannot be placed in the recycle bin. If you put shredded paper in your recycling bin, it will almost certainly end up in a landfill."  - from Shred Nations, via Google.

Good info.  I did not know that.  I will check with local vendor and confirm.

BJ
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on May 26, 2020, 06:54:45 AM
Bought a like-new 12 sheet paper shredder off Craigslist about 2 months ago.  My mail comes into the house and no longer sits for very long.  I shred everything that has personal info in it. Quick, efficient and less clutter in the house. It cuts it down to confetti size and is easy to dump with the built in pull out tray into recycle bin.
Shredders are great for controlling paper clutter,  but you might want to clarify with your recycler. Typically, shredded paper cannot be recycled, but it can be composted.

"If you are both safety conscious and environmentally conscious you will want to shred private files and then recycle them. Unfortunately, paper shreds cannot be placed in the recycle bin. If you put shredded paper in your recycling bin, it will almost certainly end up in a landfill."  - from Shred Nations, via Google.

Good info.  I did not know that.  I will check with local vendor and confirm.

BJ
I've certainly been guilty of this, but when your walking partner is on the solid waste authority board, you learn.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on May 26, 2020, 06:56:00 AM
I typically separate out the noncompostable (damn plastic envelope windows) - shred the compostables, which then get... composted. ;)

The shredder itself was a great purchase at Costco >10 years ago. Will eat staples, paper clips, CDs,* etc.  Just need to lube it occasionally. If I do overfeed it (over the 12 sheet limit) it just stops and I can reverse, correct and re-feed with the rocker switch.

*Separate run for CDs since they're not compostable and I re-use the paperclips. Staples will rust out while composting, and I can use the iron in my soil anyway.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on May 26, 2020, 09:31:55 AM
I thought of a few small everyday items which are money well spent:

Milk frother - just got one of these and I use it all the time. Gives a touch of class even to my instant coffee.

Bicycle track pump - if you've never had one and just got by with a hand pump, owning one of these makes the whole bike ownership thing so much more pleasant.

Dustbuster - use it all the time, so much more convenient that getting the big vaccuum cleaner out, and easier than dustpan & brush.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Watchmaker on May 26, 2020, 09:45:56 AM
-Like many others have said, our dog. He has probably cost $10k-$20k over his life so far, but worth every penny.

-Our new paver patio. We have already used the backyard more this year than all of last year (quarantine has something to do with that too).

-Good shoes. For me that's been Red Wing, Keen, and Clarks.

-Night and Day contacts. I can't get Lasik-- 30 day wearable Night and Days is the next best thing.

-Luxardo maraschino cherries.

-The ~1000 books I've bought in my life.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on May 26, 2020, 10:26:07 AM
Books purchased for reading aloud to our kids.  We just finished The Mad Scientists' Club (which I read as a kid).  All the kids, up to and including our 15-year-old, are included in read aloud time, although the 5-year-old has a separate time and simpler books for now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kitsunegari on May 26, 2020, 11:26:13 AM
All money spent improving our sleeping set-up has been money well spent.
Bigger mattress, mattress topper, oversized bedding, duvet comforter, nice blankets, pima cotton or linen sheets - each improvement has been loved and improved our life, sometimes considerably.
The oversized bedding (king-sized duvet and sheets on a queen-size mattress) has been especially beneficial for our marriage lol
And I absolutely love the American Giant blanket ("sweater" one, not the wool ones they're selling now, altho I'm sure it's fantastic), which I can drape on my side of the duvet when I need extra warmth and hubby doesn't. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on May 26, 2020, 02:09:18 PM
The cats, one has some medical issues but a good life so he’s getting more expensive.

My redone back patio.  I spend a ton of time out there and love it.

My Nordic track TM bought about 18 months ago.  It got a decent amount of use even before the past few months but now, so great fun I decided to make the plunge.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 26, 2020, 02:34:40 PM
All my dogs and cats. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Tinker on May 27, 2020, 11:02:23 AM
Brand toilet paper and kitchen paper towels.

tried various generics. They can't keep up with Hakle, Zewa.
Not even close.

And i use so little of the stuff... i might spend an additional 1500€ on that throughout my life, and every penny is going to be worth it
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on May 27, 2020, 01:00:05 PM
Brand toilet paper and kitchen paper towels.

tried various generics. They can't keep up with Hakle, Zewa.
Not even close.

And i use so little of the stuff... i might spend an additional 1500€ on that throughout my life, and every penny is going to be worth it

Yep. Totally agree. Bounty in the US is worth every extra penny to me.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Chris Pascale on May 27, 2020, 11:21:59 PM
Had a driveway put in when the lockdown started. It's gray rock, bordered by cobblestone and can fit 6 cars. $4400.

When we bought the house in 2014 it was just muddy dirt with deep ruts.

How long? We have an asphalt driveway near the end of its life.

Not very, but fits 6 vehicles. 3 across and 2 deep.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on May 29, 2020, 12:31:13 AM
I've enjoyed reading through this thread and what others have had no regrets about spending their money on. I agree with all those who say money on their pets is well spent.. our 3 cats have not been cheap to own, but I don't regret a single penny of it. It reminds us that money is just an means to an end and there to serve us to make out lives better.

I will throw in a shout for my hair clippers here. There's something rather satisfying about being your own hairdresser, not just the money saved, but the time efficiency.. not having to go to the barbers, then sit and wait for a slot to become free, and then after that walking around uncomfortably all day with bits of hair down the back of you neck until you next get the chance to jump in the shower. Doing it all at home makes everything so much simpler.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on May 29, 2020, 04:39:04 AM
One thing that I purchased a few months ago that I'm delighted with are some quality blutooth headphones.

For the last few years I kept buying the in-ear earphones but they always kept dying after a few weeks/months as the wire in cable would eventually get too flexed and break inside. They were usually in the region of £15 a pair, but I reckon I have gone through at least 7-8 pairs in the last couple of years, so easily over £100 on them.

Then last Christmas I got a pair of these:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81M4KUrL5DL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

They've served me perfectly since. They're robust, and the battery life is excellent (30+hrs, compared to 6-7hrs on the in-ear earphones).

Buying the cheaper in-ear earphones was an exercise in false economy. These headphones were £40 and I consider it the best £40 I've spent in a long time!

Would you mind sharing the exact model? I'm in the market for a pair.

Would these be suitable for active listening (running, hiking, etc)?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: habanero on May 29, 2020, 04:56:57 AM
High-end-outdoor clothing (I have mostly Arc'teryx stuff). Pricey, but lasts for years and years and sooo nice when weather is or turns bad.
Good running shoes, I chew through 2-3 pairs per year.
A light Windstopper running/cycling jacked. Found it bit on the expensive side despite being on sale, but almost daily use outside winter season for 3 years now.
A 1-man jetboil personal stove. With regulator, weights in at 360 grams + gas bottle and gives option of hot food or drink while hiking.
A really, really fancypants Festool Domino joint router. Used it to build a fair amount of bookshelves in the house and makes it easy to get very good results.
The Festool vacuum to connect power tools to, great when working indoors.
My main bike. A mid-range cyclocross. Easily pays for itself in avoided public transport fees / car costs.
Wood fired pizza oven. Professional results at home.
Good chef knives. Found a type I really like and can be had for 50 bucks on regular sales.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bloodaxe on May 29, 2020, 06:10:48 AM
One thing that I purchased a few months ago that I'm delighted with are some quality blutooth headphones.

For the last few years I kept buying the in-ear earphones but they always kept dying after a few weeks/months as the wire in cable would eventually get too flexed and break inside. They were usually in the region of £15 a pair, but I reckon I have gone through at least 7-8 pairs in the last couple of years, so easily over £100 on them.

Then last Christmas I got a pair of these:

They've served me perfectly since. They're robust, and the battery life is excellent (30+hrs, compared to 6-7hrs on the in-ear earphones).

Buying the cheaper in-ear earphones was an exercise in false economy. These headphones were £40 and I consider it the best £40 I've spent in a long time!

Would you mind sharing the exact model? I'm in the market for a pair.

Would these be suitable for active listening (running, hiking, etc)?

Looks like they are these: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-WH-CH510-Wireless-Headphones-WHCH510/dp/B07WSKKYPR (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-WH-CH510-Wireless-Headphones-WHCH510/dp/B07WSKKYPR)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on May 30, 2020, 05:22:25 AM
One thing that I purchased a few months ago that I'm delighted with are some quality blutooth headphones.

For the last few years I kept buying the in-ear earphones but they always kept dying after a few weeks/months as the wire in cable would eventually get too flexed and break inside. They were usually in the region of £15 a pair, but I reckon I have gone through at least 7-8 pairs in the last couple of years, so easily over £100 on them.

Then last Christmas I got a pair of these:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81M4KUrL5DL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

They've served me perfectly since. They're robust, and the battery life is excellent (30+hrs, compared to 6-7hrs on the in-ear earphones).

Buying the cheaper in-ear earphones was an exercise in false economy. These headphones were £40 and I consider it the best £40 I've spent in a long time!

Would you mind sharing the exact model? I'm in the market for a pair.

Would these be suitable for active listening (running, hiking, etc)?

I have 2 models: Sony WH-CH510 which is the one pictured, and Sony WH-CH700 which is a noise-cancelling version. TBH I much prefer the WH-CH510 - it's lighter on the ears and very comfortable to wear for long periods. I use mine for running all the time, so no problems there.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on May 31, 2020, 11:45:13 AM
Running family here.  We run outside of course, but also do quite a bit of indoor running.  Our Landice treadmill has been worth every single penny of the $3000 we spent to buy it.  It's coming up on 14 years old and ~ 30,000 miles.  DH maintains it, but it doesn't need much.  He replaced one electronic part about five years ago (sent for free by Landice because it has a lifetime parts warranty) and we just flipped the reversible deck for the first time last year, meaning the deck is only halfway through its life.  I think we could get at least another ten years out of it.  VERY well made. 

Also, my $120 Dovetail women's overalls (my FIRE present to myself last year).  Total game changer if you work outside doing lots of bending, kneeling, etc., plus all the usual tool pockets of overalls.  So freaking comfortable.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Freedomin5 on May 31, 2020, 11:09:47 PM
Spent $50 on a taxi yesterday. We went for a picnic with several friends whom we haven't seen since before the pandemic hit (January). It was nice to have a chance to catch up and enjoy the lake and nice weather. There have been no cases in the city for the past several weeks, so we didn't need to wear masks or social distance while at the park. We still wore masks in the taxi.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: imadandylion on June 01, 2020, 10:15:29 AM
A water fountain for our cats with a filter. Now the most persistent one stops jumping up on the sink every 5 minutes, drinking from our glasses, and doesn't paw the water bowl around - making a mess and dirtying the water. It's great.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jeninco on June 01, 2020, 02:47:23 PM
A water fountain for our cats with a filter. Now the most persistent one stops jumping up on the sink every 5 minutes, drinking from our glasses, and doesn't paw the water bowl around - making a mess and dirtying the water. It's great.

We put the cat's water bowl in the bathtub. Paw away in the water! Someone will notice that it's empty within a few hours if you actually manage to empty it, as we only have two bathrooms anyhow.

A fountain sounds entertaining for other reasons, though.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DeskJockey2028 on June 03, 2020, 09:00:03 AM
Well hmm. We just spent about nine grand on new kitchen counters and cabinets. Totally worth it. Our kitchen was built in 1986 and hasn't changed (other than some paint on the cabinets) since then. We increased our storage space by nearly 50%! We removed an old 'peninsula' which was really just a wall with a cheap countertop on it. We opened up our kitchen and added a new counter with storage underneath to boot. New sink, new dishwasher - totally worth it! The kitchen is now functional and we've added value to our home.

We originally did it because we were thinking of selling. We've got a small home and 2 kids. However, with the new kitchen, looking at prices around us and realizing that within the next 5 or 6 years we'd most likely have at least one kid moving out... we decided to stay put.

In order to do this though, we've got a few projects lined up that will be fairly expensive. The first is to add a 3 season, windowed, insulated 'porch'. We just had the general contractor and architect over today. Our old deck is quite literally falling apart. We've decided to keep it 3 season and not add heat (although we will have electrical out there). The tax burden is a lot lower and we'll have it well insulated. If we plop an electric fireplace out there we're thinking we can use it 10 months out of the year at least.

We'll also be redoing all of the floors in our place. The downstairs is cheap laminate that looks awful and is coming apart. We can do this ourselves for a few grand. The stairs and upstairs are all carpeted with circa 2000 white carpet. That's gotta go for both allergy reasons and it just looks awful.

Once we've finished up all this, we figured it'll have run us about 50 grand. Spent over about 4 or 5 years. Totally worth it. Increases the value of our home and makes it a place we want to keep calling home. And since we budgeted for everything and have been saving in different buckets, we'll have the whole thing paid off (or paid for up front) in 5 years or less. And it won't affect the money we're putting into our retirement savings and investments.

After the porch is done, we may also contact a local lender or three and look into refinancing. We may be able to roll in the costs, increase our mortgage a slight bit and reduce the years we still have left on it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PMG on June 03, 2020, 09:09:33 AM
A water fountain for our cats with a filter. Now the most persistent one stops jumping up on the sink every 5 minutes, drinking from our glasses, and doesn't paw the water bowl around - making a mess and dirtying the water. It's great.

We put the cat's water bowl in the bathtub. Paw away in the water! Someone will notice that it's empty within a few hours if you actually manage to empty it, as we only have two bathrooms anyhow.

A fountain sounds entertaining for other reasons, though.

Our cat loves water.  At our old rental with the dripping tub spigot he was always in the tub playing.  I got him the fountain when we moved in to the new house, expecting that he would play and make a mess, but I guess, part of "being clean" for him is not playing in the water you drink?  Survival instinct, moving water is fresh water. He loves the fountain, drinks a lot.  I'm not sure I would put it as my final answer for this thread, but if I had known how much he liked drinking from the fountain I would have bought it much sooner!  It's good knowing he's drinking enough and he's so flipping cute... He still loves to play anytime there's water anywhere else, and sometimes we put a little bucket of water in the tub and just let him splash it around.  But that drinking fountain is great, and the boot tray I put under it for messes has been unnecessary.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on June 03, 2020, 11:35:35 AM
Had a driveway put in when the lockdown started. It's gray rock, bordered by cobblestone and can fit 6 cars. $4400.

When we bought the house in 2014 it was just muddy dirt with deep ruts.

How long? We have an asphalt driveway near the end of its life.

Not very, but fits 6 vehicles. 3 across and 2 deep.

Thank you. More affordable thank I expected.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on June 03, 2020, 11:42:00 AM
Well hmm. We just spent about nine grand on new kitchen counters and cabinets. Totally worth it. Our kitchen was built in 1986 and hasn't changed (other than some paint on the cabinets) since then. We increased our storage space by nearly 50%! We removed an old 'peninsula' which was really just a wall with a cheap countertop on it. We opened up our kitchen and added a new counter with storage underneath to boot. New sink, new dishwasher - totally worth it! The kitchen is now functional and we've added value to our home.

Congrats! A kitchen refurb is on our want list. Just had a glass cooktop eye die which makes it seem more urgent. Its not. ;)

We want to get rid of the island which is just in the way. The rooms needs to be more square to have an island. Will start looking for new scratch and dent appliances. That has served us well in the past.

Where did you buy your cabinets? Flat pack? Hardware store? (which is still flatpack I think) Or did you use a local custom cabinet shop?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Missy B on June 03, 2020, 11:00:36 PM
53 tomato plants for $7.92
Color me jealous :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Missy B on June 03, 2020, 11:07:35 PM
Kitchen-Aid mixer blade with rubber spatula edge, 15.99 on reduced.

The stand-up mixer itself I got for a price that I've never seen lower, plus I got an extra, smaller metal bowl when I bought the mixer as a promotion. That smaller bowl is the one I mainly use.

My mixer is yellow, I think it is beautiful and it makes me happy to look at even when I didn't use it much. (Of late, it has been busy).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Missy B on June 03, 2020, 11:12:03 PM
Does this count?  After living in my house for 15+ years with a dusty, weedy backyard, I finally had enough money to have it professionally landscaped.  Life changer, especially after the small trees matured.
I also wanted to have it done so I could enjoy it after retirement, and boy has that been true.  Last few years I've loved gazing at it, putting up bird feeders, watching the flowers bloom on the shrubs, etc. 
And now with the shutdown I'm enjoying the results of that decision even more.  Present Me is thankful that Me of 8 years ago spent the money.

Oh, yeah. I spent $2K to get my yard on my rental landscaped (idiot previous owner had completely f-d up the drainage by adding soil so that the grade sloped towards the house) and removed an entire rotted fence, all the concrete supports that would have been hell to remove, and a mass amount of perenials that took two-three full days to prune each year. (And that was only part of the yard).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Laura33 on June 04, 2020, 06:43:27 AM
New one:  I bought a Beetle Bits cutting tool for my new stained glass hobby.  OMG does that make the straight/square/angled cuts easier.  Long-term I'm going to more than make up for the purchase price in glass not ruined.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DeskJockey2028 on June 05, 2020, 08:08:20 AM
Believe it or not, we went through IKEA.

They came in at a goood $5-8k less than many other local contractors/companies and sometimes $15-20k under! The Demo we did ourselves. Bought all the stuff at the local IKEA where they have an employee go through the planning with you. Had an online session after they measured everything to design the kitchen.

It took their contractor 2 days to install everything. The countertops took a little longer because the material was backordered, but once it was in, took about 6 hours for them to install.

In our family we have a carpenter and a few contractor friends who've all commented on the quality of the hardware used and the quality of the installation. 20 year warranty on the cabinets/storage and 10 year warranty on the counters.

Well hmm. We just spent about nine grand on new kitchen counters and cabinets. Totally worth it. Our kitchen was built in 1986 and hasn't changed (other than some paint on the cabinets) since then. We increased our storage space by nearly 50%! We removed an old 'peninsula' which was really just a wall with a cheap countertop on it. We opened up our kitchen and added a new counter with storage underneath to boot. New sink, new dishwasher - totally worth it! The kitchen is now functional and we've added value to our home.

Congrats! A kitchen refurb is on our want list. Just had a glass cooktop eye die which makes it seem more urgent. Its not. ;)

We want to get rid of the island which is just in the way. The rooms needs to be more square to have an island. Will start looking for new scratch and dent appliances. That has served us well in the past.

Where did you buy your cabinets? Flat pack? Hardware store? (which is still flatpack I think) Or did you use a local custom cabinet shop?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: partgypsy on June 05, 2020, 10:36:08 AM
I'd love to see a pic of new kitchen. If I was starting from scratch I would seriously consider Ikea kitchen products (cabinetry and countertop).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on June 05, 2020, 05:34:11 PM
IKEA is a two-edged sword, IMO. Because they mass produce, their prices are good, their consistency is great, their quality is high, they keep up with style trends, and their staff is reasonably well trained, because they do so many kitchens. There's no arguing that you get a lot of bang for your buck there.

BUT, it will always look like an IKEA kitchen. I look at a LOT of houses and I can usually spot an IKEA kitchen without even opening a cabinet door. I suspect that matters more if you're doing a remodel with the intent to sell. If you like the look and you're creating your forever home, I'd definitely strongly consider IKEA. I might put some creative thought in to make it a little less cookie cutter/trendy. For example, source the hardware somewhere else or be creative in how you plan the space, don't use the obvious IKEA accessories like those little bars with hanging buckets, utensils, or both.

A functioning, solidly built, efficient kitchen (especially if your current one is not) is definitely money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sandi_k on June 05, 2020, 05:42:05 PM

Our cat loves water.... He still loves to play anytime there's water anywhere else, and sometimes we put a little bucket of water in the tub and just let him splash it around.  But that drinking fountain is great, and the boot tray I put under it for messes has been unnecessary.

Ha! Sounds like our cats are "birds of a feather." Our tiger tabby loves playing with the gravity water reservoir, as well as hopping in the tub and playing in the shower puddles. In regards to the reservoir: she plays in it, sticks her elbow in while she lounges, *and* she tries to tip it over...which would cascade a half gallon of water all over our laminate floors.

So we wedged the water "tank" into a 9x13" cake pan. It means she cannot get her paw underneath the reservoir apparatus to flip it. She can occasionally tilt it, but the cake pan captures the leakage without overflowing.

Cats, man....
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Loretta on June 06, 2020, 10:12:41 AM
I'm pretty darn pleased with my bidet purchase.  I have had raging stomach issues on and off 2017-2020 and this thing makes me happy and less inflamed.  I had the maintenance dudes at my building connect it for me for about $45 if memory serves.  The bidet concept is also helpful during visits from Aunt Flo.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZLRSJ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on June 06, 2020, 10:19:05 AM
A $15/month Zoom license. It’s been useful for hosting both meetings with my community volunteer groups and for virtual happy hours with friends.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Steeze on June 07, 2020, 04:26:23 PM
Stainless wire shelving with a custom xtra thick cutting board top - bought all the pieces individually from a restaurant supply to get three deep shelves on bottom and three cantilevered shelves above which is 8 ft tall. Had the cutting board cut to fit by a friend in exchange for beer money. Holds all of the pots, pans, and small appliances. Fits perfectly in the space intended, almost exact dimensions. All in around $200 and makes me smile every time I look at it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on June 07, 2020, 05:42:03 PM
The Ninja Foodi combo pressure cooker and air fryer.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dizzy on June 07, 2020, 07:06:09 PM
I dragged my feet but finally bought a car.  I moved to suburbs where there public transit to my main work is unreasonably long, and this also gives me the opportunity for further work in non-transit friendly places.  It's a 2014 mitsubishi mirage, the color is plasma purple which is amazing.  It gets like 40 mpg so I'm pretty stoked. 

I also am going back to work soon at one place and looking for additional work.  My boss is now requiring scrubs for work.  I invested in 4 sets of new Figs scrubs, I read they are worth the cost, tho I negotiated the price down to $32/piece (usually $46) including shipping.  I'm an acupuncturist and typically we don't wear scrubs, but with COVID and everything it's necessary and probably not a bad idea from here on out.  I recently went through and got rid of falling apart clothes or ones that don't fit (also they are a biz expense) so don't feel as bad about getting them.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DeskJockey2028 on June 08, 2020, 07:21:43 AM
Ha! I have seen those bars and hanging plastic buckets but we decided they were not for us. We got some nice, glass front cabinets, gorgeous quartz countertops and the slow close/no slam latches for everything! We also got a bunch of the 'hidden' drawers that fit inside other cabinet drawers. Very good use of the empty space at the top of some drawers that just aren't holding big items.

For this first time in... well ever, we've got all of our tupperware type products organized WITH THEIR LIDS. We also have our blender, slow cooker, rice cooker and all of our pots, pans and whatnots stored away and off the counter.

The one exception is my cast iron skillet. We like the way it looks on the stove.

IKEA is a two-edged sword, IMO. Because they mass produce, their prices are good, their consistency is great, their quality is high, they keep up with style trends, and their staff is reasonably well trained, because they do so many kitchens. There's no arguing that you get a lot of bang for your buck there.

BUT, it will always look like an IKEA kitchen. I look at a LOT of houses and I can usually spot an IKEA kitchen without even opening a cabinet door. I suspect that matters more if you're doing a remodel with the intent to sell. If you like the look and you're creating your forever home, I'd definitely strongly consider IKEA. I might put some creative thought in to make it a little less cookie cutter/trendy. For example, source the hardware somewhere else or be creative in how you plan the space, don't use the obvious IKEA accessories like those little bars with hanging buckets, utensils, or both.

A functioning, solidly built, efficient kitchen (especially if your current one is not) is definitely money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: firstmatedavy on June 08, 2020, 09:52:06 AM
-Good shoes. For me that's been Red Wing, Keen, and Clarks.

I'm amused that we have exactly the same taste in shoes. Wearing Keens right now, have had pretty good luck with Clark's in the past, looking forward to trying Red Wing when it's safe to go shopping again (since my most recent Clark's died too soon).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fishindude on June 08, 2020, 10:36:33 AM
For a small item - Our Alexa music machine.   That little device is great and we use it all of the time.   So nice to be able to verbally request anything you want to listen to and your wish is her command.

Big item - Buying a brand new 85hp John Deere tractor.   Worked my way up through several used tractors, used, repaired and maintained them and spent a fair amount of time on the repair / maintain program.   The new JD unit has had zero issues, does everything I want and I now spent my time working with the tractor instead of working on it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on June 09, 2020, 07:29:56 AM
In January we were already mostly settled into our new house, but still carrying out repairs and moving items out of the old one. Our realtor told us we'd better get in gear and list the old house, so we rented a storage unit, and hired movers to get every last stick of furniture out of the old house. Got it on market, and managed to get under contract within a few hours.

The closing happened just as we descended into lockdown, and--even though things are opening back up now--I cannot help but think we were able to save ourselves at least two mortgage payments and a lot of stress because we got that storage unit when we did.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: simonsez on June 09, 2020, 10:08:15 AM
Engine air filters and cabin air filters for the car

Garden herbs

Toiletries

Patio furniture

Grill

Kitchen knives

Garage door opener

Air mattress with headboard (could pick from a lot of camping supplies/tools but this is the best, allows my wife to be excited about camping and float trips again, and also is used occasionally at house)

Deck of cards

Hydration backpack
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: CRG on June 09, 2020, 11:13:38 AM
I’m doing online language lessons with private tutors and it’s so cheap and effective, I’ll never study with formal group classes again.

Do you mind sharing some details on this? Where would one go to find tutors?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: CRG on June 09, 2020, 12:37:20 PM
1Up USA bike rack and hitch mount. This thing is built like a tank and so easy to use. Probably not totally necessary vs. less expensive models, but I can't imagine this thing ever breaking. I even bought an extension to hold an additional bike and the storage rack for the garage. Love it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MrThatsDifferent on June 09, 2020, 01:46:23 PM
I’m doing online language lessons with private tutors and it’s so cheap and effective, I’ll never study with formal group classes again.

Do you mind sharing some details on this? Where would one go to find tutors?

Italki dot com
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on June 09, 2020, 03:17:57 PM
My new Kayak, even though it now means I also need a roof rack (on order) and possibly a Kayak cart.  I Need the rack in order to explore all the rivers and I am debating the cart to get to the access point 1 mile from my house.  I’m not sure even with it so close I want to add on another 40 minutes to take it out vs, the 10 minutes total with loading it up on the car.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Panly on June 09, 2020, 03:19:09 PM
a cable enabling me to connect a second monitor to my WFH equipment as the original wiring failed.




 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Steeze on June 11, 2020, 03:18:07 PM
53 tomato plants for $7.92
Color me jealous :)

@Photograph 51 what do you do with that many toms?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: moneypitfeeder on June 13, 2020, 04:48:08 PM
Was just getting ready to buy a new Hoover Floormate hard surface scrubber/vacuum/cleaner. My old one's tank broke and my first search came up empty, but a later search gave me the replacement part to fix it for $26 bucks shipped.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jeninco on June 13, 2020, 05:38:44 PM
Ha! I have seen those bars and hanging plastic buckets but we decided they were not for us. We got some nice, glass front cabinets, gorgeous quartz countertops and the slow close/no slam latches for everything! We also got a bunch of the 'hidden' drawers that fit inside other cabinet drawers. Very good use of the empty space at the top of some drawers that just aren't holding big items.

For this first time in... well ever, we've got all of our tupperware type products organized WITH THEIR LIDS. We also have our blender, slow cooker, rice cooker and all of our pots, pans and whatnots stored away and off the counter.

The one exception is my cast iron skillet. We like the way it looks on the stove.

Ha, 15 years later, I am still so tickled that when we remodeled our kitchen we set up the corner two-tiered lazy susan so that it holds (almost) all the pots and pans NOT NESTED. The pots sit in order (with their lids on) from smallest to largest, and the pans more-or-less do too, on the lower shelf. There's a giant stock pot and a couple of dutch ovens that live elsewhere, but if I needed to I could get every pot and pan in that corner cabinet, and they'd be neatly organized.  I still love it!

I'm off to check out the Ikea countertops -- we put laminate on 15 years ago (because we have, er, "a lot" of countertop) and we've re-glued the rolled edges several times.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DireWolf on June 13, 2020, 09:07:17 PM
I’ve only made a handful of purchases since I FIREd last summer:

- some relatively cheap AirPod knockoffs, around $35 off Amazon. These have been fantastic. I’m sure the expensive Apple ones are better, but I couldn’t justify the price. During the shutdown, I’d go out for 2 hour walks and listen to podcasts (mainly Last Podcast on the Left) the whole time.

- a used Kickr Snap (and a Zwift subscription). I paid around $250 for the Kickr smart (bike) trainer, and then paid like $15/mo for Zwift thru the winter. Normally I suck it up and ride in the cold all winter, but this time I did a structured training plan that made me a much stronger ride. This is a way better option than Peloton if you already have a bike and plan to ride it outdoors, too.

- a new road bike - this was a big splurge (about $3k). Made possible by my stimulus check, a cancelled spring trip to Arizona, and no beach rental this year. All Covid related. My previous bike can now become a winter/backup bike, which should help me keep at least one operational at any time. (I ride fairly often, maybe 8-10 hours a week).

- The new Animal Crossing game for the Switch. Worth every penny for the many, many hours Of gameplay during the shutdown.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Monerexia on June 14, 2020, 12:15:18 AM
Don't know if this is money well spent but maybe by posting this I can convince myself it was.

Got hurried call from my niece yesterday--20 y/o, never had a job, high school drop out, both parents on disability, no driver license, etc etc. Relationship good because I keep my mouth shut--haven't seen her in three years maybe? Had a great relationship when she was just a kiddo.

She says her little dog has been hit by a car and my sister has given $2000 to keep dog stable but they need another 3K for surgery. Begging begging and so forth, surgery needs to happen today, and you know how vets are--they live for these moments. I told her I would call her back in half an hour.

Stopped my bike ride one mile in, turned around and called the vet. They said they need another 5K surgeon said prognosis guarded at best, bad neurological damage. Get a text from her that another relative kicked in some money and they only need $2500 from me to start the surgery.

I told her I might need a favor or two in the future, and I expected her to pay me back $100/month starting this December.

Paid the vet, dog was dead less than eight hours later.

I'm not sure what i bought? Maybe an indebted family member? Someone to clean my house? Someone who owes me a favor? Loyalty? The political pressure to kick the rest in was intense, because dog's death would have been on me in their minds had I said what i wanted to say, like, "honey nobody pays $7000 for a dog. Death is a part of life, you need to say goodbye to your little doggy." So yeah.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on June 14, 2020, 06:46:30 AM
I’ve only made a handful of purchases since I FIREd last summer:

- some relatively cheap AirPod knockoffs, around $35 off Amazon. These have been fantastic. I’m sure the expensive Apple ones are better, but I couldn’t justify the price. During the shutdown, I’d go out for 2 hour walks and listen to podcasts (mainly Last Podcast on the Left) the whole time.

- a used Kickr Snap (and a Zwift subscription). I paid around $250 for the Kickr smart (bike) trainer, and then paid like $15/mo for Zwift thru the winter. Normally I suck it up and ride in the cold all winter, but this time I did a structured training plan that made me a much stronger ride. This is a way better option than Peloton if you already have a bike and plan to ride it outdoors, too.

- a new road bike - this was a big splurge (about $3k). Made possible by my stimulus check, a cancelled spring trip to Arizona, and no beach rental this year. All Covid related. My previous bike can now become a winter/backup bike, which should help me keep at least one operational at any time. (I ride fairly often, maybe 8-10 hours a week).

- The new Animal Crossing game for the Switch. Worth every penny for the many, many hours Of gameplay during the shutdown.

@DireWolf  , would you mind sharing which knockoff airpods you bought? I’ve been looking at some on Amazon but haven’t pulled the plug.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Weisass on June 14, 2020, 07:55:33 AM
We booked 3 nights in a beachside apartment on a resort with our Quarantine friends and are splitting the cost. Worth every penny to get away from the home we have been stuck in for three months, and out near the water.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 14, 2020, 07:59:14 AM
I spent $50 to upgrade to an SSD on my desktop computer. Such sweet speed!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DireWolf on June 14, 2020, 11:59:31 AM

@DireWolf  , would you mind sharing which knockoff airpods you bought? I’ve been looking at some on Amazon but haven’t pulled the plug.

I got the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 53. 4.5 stars on Amazon (although their current price is a bit higher than I paid).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on June 14, 2020, 01:45:09 PM

@DireWolf  , would you mind sharing which knockoff airpods you bought? I’ve been looking at some on Amazon but haven’t pulled the plug.

I got the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 53. 4.5 stars on Amazon (although their current price is a bit higher than I paid).

Thanks!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Steeze on June 14, 2020, 08:30:43 PM
Just remembered my Eno OneLink camping hammock, Therm-a-Rest, and my marmot 15 degree bag. Solid items I would recommend to anyone. Not Ultralite- but I have used in all 4 seasons in all weather conditions and never needed more.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Monerexia on June 15, 2020, 12:12:15 AM
@Monerexia That's a tough situation. I think that you did the right thing - provided that you can afford to never see that money again. Sometimes in crisis a dog lover needs to feel like everything was done to help their buddy, or she may have felt that she had let her dog down. After a few months, maybe you can talk to her about how financial planning can help her to get into a position where she can have the peace of mind of knowing that she can get herself out of emergencies. When I was in my early 20s and had no clue about money management, a boss told me to read a few money management books including The Wealthy Barber. It was eye-opening. Now, after 20 years of working hard and saving diligently, I'm FIRE and can spend exorbitantly on my dog care. Perhaps she can learn a valuable lesson from this experience (apart from the lesson that others will bail her out of problems).

My money well spent item is the $30 or $40 that I spent on my insulated stainless steel french press. It makes great coffee, keeps it hot, and no matter how clumsy I am pre-coffee, I can't break it. It brings me joy.

Yes, don't really regret it--could have done it 20 times over with no problem and 50 times with a little effort. And you are right about the bailout--mom and dad are rallying to pay me and my sister back over time and I have little incentive to not take this (in fact I texted her father and told him that if there's any way he can help his daughter pay me back that would be awesome). All kinds of things can go sideways when relatives owe you money long-term and I'm not really up for becoming a teacher to someone who has little desire to learn and all kinds of excuses--if you tell them what they need to hear you usually end up the enemy--goodbye money goodbye relationship haha.

Congrats on the French Press! I have a sturdy one hanging on the kitchen rack but it's like the unplayed-with toys in Toy Story since I got the espresso machine a few years back.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: fuzzy math on June 15, 2020, 06:18:06 PM
Dog DNA test... I laughed for hours when I got the results. Still makes me smile every time I see the dog
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: American GenX on June 15, 2020, 07:21:47 PM

A new controller board for my furnace/central, bicycle saddle, and bluetooth chest strap heart rate monitor.

I probably would have bought an electric bike (e-bike), but the few I was interested in after my research were not in stock with ETA as far off as August.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 16, 2020, 07:07:28 AM
My membership fee for my local community garden.  I get nature, fresh air, exercise, some social contact, and will have home grown vegetables.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on June 16, 2020, 07:12:46 AM
Dog DNA test... I laughed for hours when I got the results. Still makes me smile every time I see the dog
Oh, come on, you're not going to leave us hanging like that, are you?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on June 16, 2020, 07:26:54 AM
Pay the tax!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Freedomin5 on June 17, 2020, 05:51:35 AM
Spent $80 on a care package for our company secretary. Since the company re-opened, she’s been fielding an unending stream of shout-y phone calls from irate clients asking why the company can’t flout government regulations to do what the client wants the company to do, and why can’t the company ignore government regulations about social distancing and let more people in the office so more work can be done, and why can’t the expat employees who are stuck overseas fly back, and when will they come back to China. When she tells them she doesn’t know because it all depends on the government, she gets yelled at.

She was commenting on how the stress was making her break out, and she’s been getting frequent headaches. In her care package are several facial masks, dark chocolate, and calming tea.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dibbels81 on June 17, 2020, 06:05:09 AM
I paid about $600 for an ebike on Amazon a couple of years ago--big time game changer for me. I'm in decent shape but I don't associate sweating with fun. Cruising around town on the streets and trails has been a blast.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cupcakery on June 17, 2020, 06:45:57 AM
Well, after reading this thread I'm lusting after an Oru Kayak. 

My gym membership has been money well spent.  Pre-COVID, I went every day and was in great shape and made some friends.

I took a cake decorating class about 15 years ago that was amazing.  No more poorly decorated and awful tasting store bought cakes for me!  I became very skilled at cake decorating and make them for all family events, and have even made wedding cakes.  It is really fun and everyone loves me for it...because cake.

I enjoy cooking and have some small appliances and tools that have really upped my game and were worth every penny.  My InstantPot, Ninja, and my dutch ovens come to mind.

This wasn't a huge splurge, but a small one and again worth every penny.  Years ago I bought a family membership to a conservation program.  I wholeheartedly support what they do, but they periodically offer lectures and workshops and give me a discount with my membership card.  I'm considering upping my membership level.  It won't offer me any additional benefits, but I love their conservation efforts.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: friedmmj on June 17, 2020, 07:18:31 AM
I paid about $600 for an ebike on Amazon a couple of years ago--big time game changer for me. I'm in decent shape but I don't associate sweating with fun. Cruising around town on the streets and trails has been a blast.

what kind did you get?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: friedmmj on June 17, 2020, 07:19:57 AM
Well, after reading this thread I'm lusting after an Oru Kayak. 

My gym membership has been money well spent.  Pre-COVID, I went every day and was in great shape and made some friends.

I took a cake decorating class about 15 years ago that was amazing.  No more poorly decorated and awful tasting store bought cakes for me!  I became very skilled at cake decorating and make them for all family events, and have even made wedding cakes.  It is really fun and everyone loves me for it...because cake.

I enjoy cooking and have some small appliances and tools that have really upped my game and were worth every penny.  My InstantPot, Ninja, and my dutch ovens come to mind.

This wasn't a huge splurge, but a small one and again worth every penny.  Years ago I bought a family membership to a conservation program.  I wholeheartedly support what they do, but they periodically offer lectures and workshops and give me a discount with my membership card.  I'm considering upping my membership level.  It won't offer me any additional benefits, but I love their conservation efforts.

I was looking at the Oru also but I can't justify spending a grand on a piece folding plastic sheeting.  The thing should cost 500 max.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: slappy on June 17, 2020, 08:11:29 AM
Well, after reading this thread I'm lusting after an Oru Kayak. 

My gym membership has been money well spent.  Pre-COVID, I went every day and was in great shape and made some friends.

I took a cake decorating class about 15 years ago that was amazing.  No more poorly decorated and awful tasting store bought cakes for me!  I became very skilled at cake decorating and make them for all family events, and have even made wedding cakes.  It is really fun and everyone loves me for it...because cake.

I enjoy cooking and have some small appliances and tools that have really upped my game and were worth every penny.  My InstantPot, Ninja, and my dutch ovens come to mind.

This wasn't a huge splurge, but a small one and again worth every penny.  Years ago I bought a family membership to a conservation program.  I wholeheartedly support what they do, but they periodically offer lectures and workshops and give me a discount with my membership card.  I'm considering upping my membership level.  It won't offer me any additional benefits, but I love their conservation efforts.

I have always wanted to take a cake decorating class. Where did you take yours?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mm1970 on June 17, 2020, 09:50:11 AM
Spent $80 on a care package for our company secretary. Since the company re-opened, she’s been fielding an unending stream of shout-y phone calls from irate clients asking why the company can’t flout government regulations to do what the client wants the company to do, and why can’t the company ignore government regulations about social distancing and let more people in the office so more work can be done, and why can’t the expat employees who are stuck overseas fly back, and when will they come back to China. When she tells them she doesn’t know because it all depends on the government, she gets yelled at.

She was commenting on how the stress was making her break out, and she’s been getting frequent headaches. In her care package are several facial masks, dark chocolate, and calming tea.
This is really sweet.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on June 17, 2020, 09:47:38 PM
Dog DNA test... I laughed for hours when I got the results. Still makes me smile every time I see the dog

Why??? Did he turn out to be part cat???
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on June 17, 2020, 10:51:42 PM
I paid about $600 for an ebike on Amazon a couple of years ago--big time game changer for me. I'm in decent shape but I don't associate sweating with fun. Cruising around town on the streets and trails has been a blast.

what kind did you get?

I’m not the one who posted above but we bought from Hilltopper, a Seattle-based company, several years back and have been extremely happy with them. Highly recommend. You can find them online through their website or FB.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ministashy on June 18, 2020, 12:31:48 AM
I paid about $600 for an ebike on Amazon a couple of years ago--big time game changer for me. I'm in decent shape but I don't associate sweating with fun. Cruising around town on the streets and trails has been a blast.

what kind did you get?

I’m not the one who posted above but we bought from Hilltopper, a Seattle-based company, several years back and have been extremely happy with them. Highly recommend. You can find them online through their website or FB.

I can second Hilltopper--their products and support are both great.  I bought their front-wheel hub+battery conversion kits many years back, and when the battery died after long use, they swapped out the innards for about half the cost of getting a new battery.  It was a real game-changer for me in terms of my bike commute, especially since I love on top of a long, fairly steep hill.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cupcakery on June 18, 2020, 06:38:37 AM
Well, after reading this thread I'm lusting after an Oru Kayak. 

My gym membership has been money well spent.  Pre-COVID, I went every day and was in great shape and made some friends.

I took a cake decorating class about 15 years ago that was amazing.  No more poorly decorated and awful tasting store bought cakes for me!  I became very skilled at cake decorating and make them for all family events, and have even made wedding cakes.  It is really fun and everyone loves me for it...because cake.

I enjoy cooking and have some small appliances and tools that have really upped my game and were worth every penny.  My InstantPot, Ninja, and my dutch ovens come to mind.

This wasn't a huge splurge, but a small one and again worth every penny.  Years ago I bought a family membership to a conservation program.  I wholeheartedly support what they do, but they periodically offer lectures and workshops and give me a discount with my membership card.  I'm considering upping my membership level.  It won't offer me any additional benefits, but I love their conservation efforts.

I was looking at the Oru also but I can't justify spending a grand on a piece folding plastic sheeting.  The thing should cost 500 max.

I can't see myself purchasing one due to the price, but it would certainly cut down on my current issues with storage and transportation.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cupcakery on June 18, 2020, 06:41:14 AM
Well, after reading this thread I'm lusting after an Oru Kayak. 

My gym membership has been money well spent.  Pre-COVID, I went every day and was in great shape and made some friends.

I took a cake decorating class about 15 years ago that was amazing.  No more poorly decorated and awful tasting store bought cakes for me!  I became very skilled at cake decorating and make them for all family events, and have even made wedding cakes.  It is really fun and everyone loves me for it...because cake.

I enjoy cooking and have some small appliances and tools that have really upped my game and were worth every penny.  My InstantPot, Ninja, and my dutch ovens come to mind.

This wasn't a huge splurge, but a small one and again worth every penny.  Years ago I bought a family membership to a conservation program.  I wholeheartedly support what they do, but they periodically offer lectures and workshops and give me a discount with my membership card.  I'm considering upping my membership level.  It won't offer me any additional benefits, but I love their conservation efforts.

I have always wanted to take a cake decorating class. Where did you take yours?

It was a 3 part series at our town recreation center.  Each session was 4 classes with at home practice in between. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: StachingforLife on June 18, 2020, 02:03:19 PM
Last semester I paid $300 extra for a math class that had an added portion that brushed up on math I hadn't seen for years. Right now I'm taking a calculus class (that I need to pass for my major) and am doing really well because of all that extra review! Money super well spent!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dibbels81 on June 18, 2020, 05:35:38 PM
I paid about $600 for an ebike on Amazon a couple of years ago--big time game changer for me. I'm in decent shape but I don't associate sweating with fun. Cruising around town on the streets and trails has been a blast.

what kind did you get?
Ancheer, with a 250w motor. It's been decent thus far. If I went back in time, I would have been fine spending more $ getting a little more fancy ebike, since I'm enjoying it so much.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PJC74 on June 19, 2020, 08:17:07 AM
Outdoor solar shower. Bought it on sale on Amazon for $100. Connect it to a long drinking hose with keeps  extra warm water and we get about 3-5 min of warm/hot water. Perfect for washing off after working in yard or washing off body /hair after pool .
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on June 19, 2020, 11:19:46 AM
Outdoor solar shower. Bought it on sale on Amazon for $100. Connect it to a long drinking hose with keeps  extra warm water and we get about 3-5 min of warm/hot water. Perfect for washing off after working in yard or washing off body /hair after pool .

We have a solar shower too.

The  open-air "stall" is shrouded by bushes right underneath some pine trees.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on June 19, 2020, 02:59:43 PM
Our espresso machine. It's a basic model with no computer parts that can die on you and make the whole machine unworkable, and for $200 we drink delicious coffee every day.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fish Sweet on June 19, 2020, 05:56:00 PM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 19, 2020, 09:59:51 PM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Would you care to share the model number you got?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ixtap on June 19, 2020, 10:09:32 PM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Would you care to share the model number you got?

I have a question, too. The reason I got the Bose was because they were the only one that specifically said they could be used wirelessly and wired. If yours are wireless, do they also have a headphone jack and cable to use wired?

Well, that, and the Bose were ~$50 cheaper by choosing the pink.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: fuzzy math on June 20, 2020, 12:29:43 AM
Dog DNA test... I laughed for hours when I got the results. Still makes me smile every time I see the dog
Oh, come on, you're not going to leave us hanging like that, are you?
We thought he was a Cairn terrier mix. Turns out he’s a Shih tzu, chihuahua, beagle mix.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on June 20, 2020, 12:51:43 AM
Our espresso machine. It's a basic model with no computer parts that can die on you and make the whole machine unworkable, and for $200 we drink delicious coffee every day.

Which one?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on June 20, 2020, 01:14:46 AM
Our espresso machine. It's a basic model with no computer parts that can die on you and make the whole machine unworkable, and for $200 we drink delicious coffee every day.

Which one?

This one: https://www.sunbeam.com.au/Coffee-and-Beverages/Espresso-Machines/EM3820-Cafe-Espresso-II.aspx
It was actually cheaper than I remembered - $159 inc shipping
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: achvfi on June 20, 2020, 06:47:02 AM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Would you care to share the model number you got?

I use Sony - WH-1000XM3 around the ear noise cancelling headphones. Its money well spent. Very good noise cancelling, good sound quality and comfortable. My ears hurt with over the ears headphones.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FiguringItOut on June 20, 2020, 10:23:28 PM
I've had about 50 hours of private language tutoring since the beginning of quarantine. I can honestly say it is probably the single thing that kept me sane while being stuck in the apartment with two teenagers for four month. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: kanga1622 on June 21, 2020, 07:10:06 AM
I just bought myself a new pillow. I prefer natural latex pillows as it means I wake less congested from dust mite allergies (they won’t live in latex). Ridiculous to spend $65+ on a pillow but it is comfortable and I feel better.

We also have natural latex mattresses that are much more expensive than traditional mattresses. But they have lasted much longer and, again, no dust mite issues!

But one of my favorite purchases ever - Planetbox lunchboxes. We have one for each of our kids. Makes it easy to pack their lunches every day for school and they still look new. We’ve been using the oldest one almost daily for 9 years and it is still in perfect shape.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fish Sweet on June 21, 2020, 01:05:48 PM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Would you care to share the model number you got?
I got the Sony WHCH700N/H.  Around ~$65 on ebay (compared to $150+ on Amazon.)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fish Sweet on June 21, 2020, 01:07:41 PM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Would you care to share the model number you got?

I have a question, too. The reason I got the Bose was because they were the only one that specifically said they could be used wirelessly and wired. If yours are wireless, do they also have a headphone jack and cable to use wired?

Well, that, and the Bose were ~$50 cheaper by choosing the pink.
Yes, mine came with all the accessories - charger & wired cable to plug into the headphone jack.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ixtap on June 21, 2020, 01:14:32 PM
Chalk me up as another happy owner of a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.  The band of my previous cheapo NC headphones snapped right off last month, so I took a chance and splurged a little more on a nicer model from a familiar brand.  (The fact that it was refurbished for nearly half off from ebay didn't hurt either.)  So far, the noise cancelling & sound quality is already vastly superior to my previous pair-- and thank fricken' goodness.  If I had to listen to my neighbor fight at top volume with his girlfriend ONE MORE TIME....
Would you care to share the model number you got?

I have a question, too. The reason I got the Bose was because they were the only one that specifically said they could be used wirelessly and wired. If yours are wireless, do they also have a headphone jack and cable to use wired?

Well, that, and the Bose were ~$50 cheaper by choosing the pink.
Yes, mine came with all the accessories - charger & wired cable to plug into the headphone jack.

Thanks! Good to know in case DH decides to take the plunge. So far, he won't even try out mine, though.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: moneypitfeeder on June 21, 2020, 03:34:14 PM
@Monerexia sometimes karma points are worth it. You helped a family member in need, and shouldn't expect repayment, IMHO. Sometimes kindness, is just that, you had and gave--but ultimately, the animal's time was up. At least you helped and there weren't any stones left unturned, losing an animal can be very difficult for anyone.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Physicsteacher on June 21, 2020, 05:12:05 PM
I recently picked up some cloth face masks from Purple (yes, the mattress manufacturer with the silly commercials) for $10 a piece even though we already had some other cloth masks. My brother, a barista in Seattle, reported that he worked an eight hour shift in one and was still comfortable at the end, which hasn't happened with any other mask, and now he's downright evangelical about the things.

The Small/Medium size fit like they were made for me, stay comfortably in place, and somehow don't fog my glasses despite the lack of a nose wire. Some form of face covering will be required on campus for the 2020-2021 school year so I am really excited to have found some that aren't a major nuisance.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AccidentialMustache on June 21, 2020, 08:47:31 PM
We bought an Oculus Quest and Beat Saber. So worth it. We've racked up somewhere just shy of 30 hours of in-song activity in two and a half weeks, mostly between DW and myself.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: rocketpj on June 22, 2020, 05:00:56 PM
I pay $375/year to play on a hockey team with a bunch of other old farts once a week.  Throw in another $100 or so on beer through the course of the season (no beer tastes better than a beer after hockey).  I also play as a spare with a few other groups, which costs be between $10 and $20 per game.

Honestly I would pay 10 times as much and still see it as a good deal.  It is really easy as adults to forget to play hard, often.  At no point when I am chasing the puck or skating hard on a breakaway am I thinking about work, parenting or anything else.  Mostly trying not to fall on my ass and have fun.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ghsebldr on June 22, 2020, 10:25:53 PM
Money well spent.
 Every cent I've put on my credit card over the last ten years. I've never paid a penny of interest and also never paid a penny for an airplane, train, Airbnb, Vrbo ,hotel or tour in those ten years. We've also found the benefits of first class travel.
 Unfortunately/fortunately I've sold the business and my credit card gravy train is about to run out. I'll have to use the million and a half plus points wisely, grasshopper.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: elaine amj on June 22, 2020, 11:37:58 PM




Well, after reading this thread I'm lusting after an Oru Kayak. 

I was looking at the Oru also but I can't justify spending a grand on a piece folding plastic sheeting.  The thing should cost 500 max.

I can't see myself purchasing one due to the price, but it would certainly cut down on my current issues with storage and transportation.

This thread got me lusting too. I actually have prefer canoeing and found a canoe version and man, it looks cool.

I have no room for storage of a canoe. And we hate transporting them on the roof rack. Plus I don't have the upper body strength to haul something like that around by myself.

But a lightweight folding one? That could even be brought on a plane? So very, very tempting. Last year, my solution was to pay $200 for a membership at my local canoe rental place. Money well spent but it sure is tempting to buy something like this for long term use. That way I don't have to hunt for canoe rental placed everywhere I travel.

Sent from my VCE-AL00 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: kevj1085 on June 23, 2020, 07:21:59 AM
We have a 7 and 4 year old and live in PHX area where Summers are pretty impossible without some form of water entertainment. Normally we get the public pool pass for $115 and take the kids daily, we all love it. Also splash pads. Well this year with covid I was afraid they would all be closed, so I splurged and got the above ground pool from Costco. I've calculated it out...(all numbers include tax) $650 pool, $50 fill up plus small fills along the way, $100 equipment, $100 test kit plus some reagents refills, $8 average of 2 gallons of liquid Chlorine a week as the only chemical usage (a few more I'll say maybe $40 max), small pool pump I'm guessing no more than $15/mo. So far less than $1,000, kids have used it daily since late March, will be using it into October then close it up for winter. I will try to use it maybe 3-4 more summers then drain, break apart, and throw away. All said and done, probably a max of $15-1700 over 4 years, and we will go back to regular pools once it's over. If we swim 175 days a year that's like 65 cents a swim. I think it's been a pretty good investment, plus at the end we get out back yard back as if it never happened.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: clarkfan1979 on June 23, 2020, 06:47:27 PM
We bought a treadmill 2 weeks ago for $599. It's getting delivered in 2 days. I will probably use it 2 days/week during the 7 summer months and 5 days/week during the 5 winter months (Nov-March).

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: YummyRaisins on June 24, 2020, 10:56:15 AM
Dropped a bunch of moola on home networking gear.

I'm probably not the only person who noticed their internet performance was subpar during quarantine. Lost packets and wicked latency were killing video calls and online gaming. Wifi connection would drop out sporadically.

Bought a used dell desktop and a quad-port NIC off ebay to build a pfsense router. Ran Cat6 wire to all the heavy using devices (PC, smart tv, desk area). Bought a TP-Link EAP245 wireless access point and ceiling-mounted it. Upgraded the modem from an Arris SB6141 to a Motorola MB8600, which way overkill for my connection speed, I wanted docsis 3.1 to be futureproof. I sold some old gear laying around to offset some of the cost, but the project was still pricey when all added together.

Edit: fixed modem model number

Still, doing it DIY was likely much cheaper than hiring a contractor and I learned a lot in the process. Not to mention the internet performance, both wired and wireless, is much more consistent now.

Would love to incorporate a NAS or maybe a HTPC into my setup, but I'll leave that for another time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on June 26, 2020, 07:17:12 AM
Money well spent.
 Every cent I've put on my credit card over the last ten years. I've never paid a penny of interest and also never paid a penny for an airplane, train, Airbnb, Vrbo ,hotel or tour in those ten years. We've also found the benefits of first class travel.
 Unfortunately/fortunately I've sold the business and my credit card gravy train is about to run out. I'll have to use the million and a half plus points wisely, grasshopper.

That. Escalated quickly.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: slappy on June 26, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
I've had about 50 hours of private language tutoring since the beginning of quarantine. I can honestly say it is probably the single thing that kept me sane while being stuck in the apartment with two teenagers for four month.

Are you swearing at them in another language? lol
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on June 26, 2020, 07:50:17 AM
a used iphone and a bluetooth capable car stereo. i don't drive much but when i do it's so nice to hear my music.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Poundwise on June 30, 2020, 01:25:25 PM
I bought a refurbished Ooma in 2014 for less than $90 and have been paying less than $5/month for a landline ever since.  The warranty is long over and I'm sure it is just dumb luck that the electronics haven't pooped out, but at this point it has paid for itself many times over!

I'm also very happy with the bike mechanics class I took some time in the 1990s, my bike tools, and my sewing machine.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on June 30, 2020, 01:38:17 PM

@DireWolf  , would you mind sharing which knockoff airpods you bought? I’ve been looking at some on Amazon but haven’t pulled the plug.

I got the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 53. 4.5 stars on Amazon (although their current price is a bit higher than I paid).

Thanks!

Hey, @DireWolf , thank you for the recommendation! I got a pair of these and I love them!!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on July 01, 2020, 08:01:07 AM
i would say all my bicycles are money well spent. they provide transportation, exercise and adventure.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DadJokes on July 01, 2020, 08:56:10 AM
I got a new swimsuit this year. Instead of the extremely uncomfortable mesh lining, it has a flexible fabric liner (like boxer briefs). I've never had a swimsuit that I'd have no problem just wearing as shorts until now. It was well worth the $60.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: keepingfocus on July 02, 2020, 05:28:35 AM
LASIK surgery was my all-time best investment.  20 years of 20/20 vision before the need for reading glasses kicked in.
Small things:
£5.95 for 40 lavender plug plants which are all growing nicely and will make a huge difference to my garden
£22 on 32Gb of second-hand memory for my 2008 Mac Pro
Regular sized storage tubs for my baking ingredients. Tidy shelves!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Jezibelle on July 05, 2020, 08:18:18 AM
Oh man, some of these are SO GOOD.  I think my recent best splurge was a Dyson V8 animal cordless vacuum to replace my Dyson Ball upright (Animal, I think.)-- I bought the Dyson ball over 12 years ago for under $300 refurbished. It still works, but it's so heavy and such a chore to haul up and down the stairs, and it smells weird despite cleaning, due to the millions of cleanups i've done (e.g. cleaning rat bedding messes with the hose for a couple years). I gave in and bought the V8 (they're on V11 now) when it was $100 off, and HOLY MOLY I love it.  It sits on a charger I attached to the wall. I bought an accessory extender holder thingie and that clips in and holds all the accessories.  It's so easy to just grab and clean up a little mess. Or to clean the stairs. Or run upstairs and quickly vacuum my upstairs bedrooms and office. I swap out the stick with the floor cleaner for one with a brush and then i have a handheld one to quickly vacuum the couch and get my dog's hair or snack messes off of it.   I worried about the life of the battery or the quality of suction, but I saw that you can replace just the battery, and the suction works well (and has a max setting). Worth every penny. And I'm able to still donate my fully usable old Dyson to one of the local charities.

I'm very curious about all the lasik love. I've been tempted a bunch of times-- my vision isn't awful, I only use my glasses for night driving or for distance, like watching a movie in a theater (which I haven't done in I dont know how many years). I sometimes wear them to watch TV to see more detail, but it's not necessary (yet). I'm so paranoid about all the stories about how you can really eff them up if you rub your eyes or aren't careful, and I just feel like I'd be that person. The thought of screwing up my vision is so terrifying to me.

I was able to get the 6qt bowl-lift professional model for $249 at Costco late last month, and she uses it every other day. It's facilitated a budding interest in sourdough everything (bread, pancakes, pretzels) and definitely does way more than the tilt head model can. We'll be able to sell the old one for $50-$75 so a net <$200 is a huge win.
I don't have a mixer because I don't usually eat grains or anything, but DID YOU KNOW the paddle attachment shreds chicken in like a minute??? I am fascinated.

It's beyond small, but I think it qualifies. I recently bought a new kind of cat toy, the yellow banana catnip toy. I'm sure it was just a couple dollars, but this one toy has provided SOOOOOO much entertainment for the cat, plus has made various humans laugh as well because of how the cat has been going at it. She made a surprise appearance yesterday on the family zoom call because she flung it around enough and landed on the keyboard. So then Arwen made a flying leap onto the keyboard.
hahahaaaa I love this. My dog does the same with her burrow toys.  Those are the toys that have some kind of central soft/stuffed piece with holes in it, and you stick like 3 or so little squeaky stuffed animals in it, so they have to stick their snouts in and dig out the pieces. Like my dog has one that is a fish tank/cube and it has 3 stuffed squeaky fish that go inside it, and another one is some kind of tree thing that you stuff 3 squeaky giraffes into.  My dog LOVES it.  She will get a grip on one of the toys on the inside, then shake her head furiously and the outside piece launches across the room.  I'll be in the middle of doing something and then a toy comes flying by me. It's entertaining for both of us. A+ purchase.

We got ours from Ticor. We love that it's big (30? 33? inches wide - sorry didn't measure) stainless, deep, quiet, comes with a grate to keep things off the bottom. It also did not cost a million dollars (have you priced sinks????)  The one that was here before was overmount (which I find impossible to keep clean), shallow (which means things were still visible if they were soaking), rounded corners (meaning everything sloped down and the sink was even smaller than it seemed), and a double sink. A double sink is one of the things I find incomprehensible (lots of people love and swear by them; I am not one of those people.) We gave up some counterspace to have a large sink and love everything about it. I wish I could put the same one on the boat, but alas no space.

We do have a dishwasher that we use regularly, but when I do dishes by hand I just have a drying mat that I set out to the left of the sink. Drip dry for the win!
I have one of those rectangular undermounted sinks in my current place I rent (I just call it a trough sink cuz idk), and you just described why I like it so much.   All my other sinks have always been double sinks, and/or a single sink but with rounded corners, or too shallow, etc.  My dog has had toe pad issues after playing too hard at daycare before, and it was convenient to just stick her in the sink with an inch or so of water in it and have her comfortably fit and not slide around, (before I realized how much water I was wasting and it was actually easier just to use warm water in a bowl and soak her paws one-by-one, I digress.)    Also, I've had a dishwasher in pretty much all 9-10 places I've lived as an adult, and it wasn't until my most recent house that I ever used one. I didn't grow up with a dishwasher, and i'm a single person, so I've always just handwashed dishes, but often used the dishwasher rack to dry, which is super convenient.

But also, probably my electric standing desk I purchased a few months ago is the best money I have spent in a long time. I had one at work, and it seemed excessive to buy one just because we are suddenly working from home, but it has made my life so much better. I use it all the time, and not just for work.
I LOVE working from home, but I super miss my electric desk, for sure. Now I've been just sitting at a regular desk with a regular chair, and it sucks. Especially compounded with not being able to go to the gym and strength train or attend my aqua spin/bootcamp classes.  I'm doing what I can at home, but it's definitely not the same.

Our kids loved every game from Gamewright they ever encountered. Also Set is a favorite. You likely already know of these but in case not, I thought I'd share!
Omg when someone mentioned Phase 10 i was thinking of how much i looooved that game when I was young, and then I vaguely remembered some online daily game I used to play like 15 years ago, and i could NOT for the life of me remember what it was to try to google it, even though I could picture it. As soon as you said Set I was like THAT IS IT. And then I went to google it and re-found the online daily game. Thank youuuuu!

Since lockdown started, I've been buying these froofy fancy Japanese health food donuts and cold-brew cream coffee from a tiny family-owned bakery.  They're clownishly expensive by MMM standards (around $3 per donut), and I've been driving ~30 miles to get half a dozen to a dozen every two weeks or so.

They are SO FSCKING GOOD... seriously, I save them for days when I'm feeling kind of down about the State of the World or to reward myself for Getting Stuff Done.  It's ridiculous how happy a single donut the size of my palm can make me, zoning out while slowly sipping a cup of coffee or tea and savoring it bite by bite-- and they're even healthy(ish), so I don't feel greasy or put off by too much sugar afterward.  Luckily, they keep really well in the fridge so I can ration them out for the course of two weeks.  The bakery owners are super nice, and I'm also happy to support them, so it's a win-win all around.
I need to know more about these donuts. What are they??

Dog DNA test... I laughed for hours when I got the results. Still makes me smile every time I see the dog
YESSS. I don't buy anyone christmas or birthday gifts (except my parents), but anytime someone gets a new dog I send them a DNA test.

I just bought myself a new pillow. I prefer natural latex pillows as it means I wake less congested from dust mite allergies (they won’t live in latex). Ridiculous to spend $65+ on a pillow but it is comfortable and I feel better.
I was just diagnosed with dustmite allergies. I put mattress and pillow protectors on. Do you feel the latex matress works better than just covering memory foam?

Update: I just googled to see how much latex mattresses were, and I saw that it's a myth that dust mites can't live in latex O_o   Well, dang, I was excited.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: horsepoor on July 05, 2020, 09:39:38 AM
1.  Custom dressage saddle.  It seems to magically fit a lot of horses and is Oh so perfect for me.  I forget until I ride in a different saddle that is hard, unbalanced, doesn't have room for my leg, then I fall in love with my saddle all over again.

2.  I bought a brand new Hawk gooseneck horse trailer last year after several years of wanting one.  It is extra tall and has lots of horse-friendly features (extra padding, ventilation).  The gooseneck makes it more stable for towing, and the braking system also makes it much safer.  Plus it is pretty to look at.  I expect to keep it for a few decades.

3.  Breville Smart Oven Air.  It took about a year of thinking about it, and saving gift cards from my MIL before I could stand to spend >$300 on a glorified toaster oven, but it was so worth it.  We hardly use the full-size oven any more, and the Breville air fries, incubates yogurt and dough, slow cooks, and oh, it even toasts bread!

4.  Upright freezer.  We previously had a chest freezer that was impossible to organize, so things would go unused and end up with freezer burn.  The upright is way easier to organize, and allows us to stock up on sale items, freeze garden produce, and the locally raised beef and lamb that we buy (which is way cheaper for the quality than store-bought).

5.  Solar attic fans.  Especially after the tax credits, but they help vent so much heat out of our house in the summer.  We are much more comfortable, and they have probably paid for themselves in decreased power bills.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Zamboni on July 05, 2020, 10:46:26 AM
It's crazy that I even have to type this (thank you, 'merica!) but the best money I have spent in the last year has been joining a concierge medical group.

Now I have a doctor who actually reads my chart! And I can get appointments in a reasonable time frame! Just in the past couple months they've figure out why one foot is getting numb and my toes are curling, and I've lost 10 pounds with the help of a nutritionist.

It comes with a gym and pool membership which I was hoping to use since it is very convenient to my house, but those have been closed the past few months, so they have waived the monthly fee for the whole plan. Which means I don't think I've actually paid a thing yet for this excellent medical care I am getting, besides the co-pays and insurance premiums I was paying back in the day when I couldn't get an appt with my primary care doctor ever.

Truthfully, there are some guilty feelings associated with all of this better healthcare for the wealthy, and it is WAAAY better. Scary how much better it is.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fish Sweet on July 05, 2020, 01:31:18 PM
Since lockdown started, I've been buying these froofy fancy Japanese health food donuts and cold-brew cream coffee from a tiny family-owned bakery.  They're clownishly expensive by MMM standards (around $3 per donut), and I've been driving ~30 miles to get half a dozen to a dozen every two weeks or so.

They are SO FSCKING GOOD... seriously, I save them for days when I'm feeling kind of down about the State of the World or to reward myself for Getting Stuff Done.  It's ridiculous how happy a single donut the size of my palm can make me, zoning out while slowly sipping a cup of coffee or tea and savoring it bite by bite-- and they're even healthy(ish), so I don't feel greasy or put off by too much sugar afterward.  Luckily, they keep really well in the fridge so I can ration them out for the course of two weeks.  The bakery owners are super nice, and I'm also happy to support them, so it's a win-win all around.
I need to know more about these donuts. What are they??

https://ringdonuts.com/

They're tofu donuts (so gluten-free and healthy...ish?, if that matters to you), and after a bit of heating have the texture of the world's most delightful, springy and airy pound cake.  Perfect texture, not too sweet but super flavorful... The earl gray is my personal favorite flavor. They also ship frozen donuts out for those not in the LA area.  I've been trumpeting their praises everywhere for the last two months, and doing donut drop-offs for friends who live far from their store, that's how much I like them. :)

Also on the topic of 'Money well spent' and more baked goods, there's a fancy pastry shop near my house that I'd never visited before.  Last week, I happened to walk by and bought... an expensive fancy pity croissant.  That's the best way I know how to put it-- it was closing time, their shelves were full, the store was empty, and I felt bad.

Anyway, that croissant was a REVELATORY EXPERIENCE-- straight up the best croissant I've ever had in living memory, so last week I bought another dozen.  It's not very Mustachian of me (in fact, quite anti-Mustachian) but I've found so much joy in the last few months in getting takeout and supporting local eateries.  I've eaten out more in quarantine than I had in the last year.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on July 05, 2020, 04:56:29 PM
People who say money can’t buy happiness have never paid the extra to use the DMV express...

I needed to do three titles/registrations a couple weeks ago. I went to the regular DMV and learned the expected wait time was at least 4 hours and only one Transaction per appointment because of Covid. (How does making anyone with multiple transactions spend extra time in the waiting room to reduce the spread of Covid?) I confirmed that the privately run UMV express could provide everything I need and headed over there despite warnings of “very high fees”. Turns out $81 saved me at least 11 hours of my life and probably my sanity.

Which reminds me of another similar expense: Global entry/pre check. DW and I got it for each other as Xmas gifts a couple years ago. Even if We don’t get to use it again in 2020, it’s still the best money I’ve ever spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on July 05, 2020, 05:23:54 PM
In Dec 2015, $1,500 initial vet bill for dietetics diagnosis of my tuxedo cat fern.  Since then his treatment has cost less than $50 extra a month and he’s been living his best life.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Zamboni on July 05, 2020, 06:55:37 PM
^^I'll second that Global Entry is money well spent.

Getting through US customs and immigration at the airport is the world's worst experience.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 05, 2020, 08:01:10 PM
Probably the best money we ever spent was the $50 we spent on our wedding back in 1983.    We were very poor and that was a lot of money to us at the time.

More recent luxuries would be getting a natural gas-powered tankless water heater.   Always enough hot water for a long soak in the bath or no matter how many visitors we had spending the night.   Glorious!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on July 07, 2020, 11:29:44 AM
So our dishwasher recently broke down. We're awaiting delivery of a new one, but it has given me a new appreciation of just how life-enhancing these domestic appliances truly are! If you think of the time and effort saved by a dishwashing machine compared to doing all by hand yourself.. it's probably one of the best $300 I'll ever spend.

To quote the I, Pencil essay:

For, the wise G. K. Chesterton observed, “We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.”
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: turketron on July 07, 2020, 11:33:48 AM
So our dishwasher recently broke down. We're awaiting delivery of a new one, but it has given me a new appreciation of just how life-enhancing these domestic appliances truly are! If you think of the time and effort saved by a dishwashing machine compared to doing all by hand yourself.. it's probably one of the best $300 I'll ever spend.

Oh yeah they're well worth it. Especially in quarantine/WFH, instead of running ours once or twice a week we're running a load every couple days. I don't want to think about how many dishes we'd be doing by hand without it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Catbert on July 07, 2020, 11:39:52 AM
^^I'll second that Global Entry is money well spent.

Getting through US customs and immigration at the airport is the world's worst experience.

Oh, God, yes.  And ours were free since we used the right credit cards.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vvelouriaa on July 07, 2020, 11:50:15 AM
Super excited about my "money well spent" purchases for the year.

NEW GUITAR $175
USED BIKE $120
DENIM JUMPSUIT $75

100% WORTH IT.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 07, 2020, 01:17:22 PM
After thinking about it, I'll have to add our new home that we moved into this winter.

It's not an investment, it's someplace we live.   We truly enjoy our new home more than our old one (and our old home was swell).   So, it's going to run us around $120,000 in additional costs.

For that we get a house that's perfect for our lifestyle.

And the important thing is that we can truly afford it.    Looks like we'll have it paid off in full in less than 2 years.  2 1/2 years if we get a few bad breaks.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on July 07, 2020, 03:02:38 PM
I was thinking this yesterday as I was running with my dog while the sun came up - every dollar I spent on physio so that I could do this again was worth it.

The other one was our basement gym. Even if I am on a lifting hiatus at the moment, our eldest boy is using it most days he is with us. (GAINZ!)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Turkey Leg on July 08, 2020, 06:44:28 AM
1. Charitable giving: About half our gross income the past couple of years. We have to cash in some of our 401ks partly to live on each year and mostly to give away, which meant no stimulus payment for us. We would have received a stimulus payment if not for the extra we took out to give away. Still, money well spent.

2. Chevy Bolt EV: Bought it brand new. No regrets. Awesome car with fabulous battery management. The Bolt has shown the least battery degradation of any EV on the market.

3. Solar panels: Had them not quite two years, and we have cranked out about 16 megawatts so far.

4. Burner phone app for my phone: Great to have a phone number to give out to people you don't want to give your real cell number to.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on July 08, 2020, 09:32:47 AM
I got a new swimsuit this year. Instead of the extremely uncomfortable mesh lining, it has a flexible fabric liner (like boxer briefs). I've never had a swimsuit that I'd have no problem just wearing as shorts until now. It was well worth the $60.

Care to share the source? Thanks!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DadJokes on July 08, 2020, 12:00:42 PM
I got a new swimsuit this year. Instead of the extremely uncomfortable mesh lining, it has a flexible fabric liner (like boxer briefs). I've never had a swimsuit that I'd have no problem just wearing as shorts until now. It was well worth the $60.

Care to share the source? Thanks!

fairharborclothing.com

And this wasn't my intention when I posted, but I do have a referral code that provides $20 off: http://fbuy.me/pzwVB
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on July 09, 2020, 10:19:49 AM
Thanks. If I order anything, I'll use your code.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on July 09, 2020, 11:27:28 AM
posting to follow
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: okisok on July 10, 2020, 09:34:50 PM
VISION CORRECTION SURGERY!  Absolutely the best money I've ever spent. No bandages, no stitches, no pain. I was 20/40 an hour after the surgery, and 20/20 by my next-day follow up appointment. I'm happy to answer any questions if you want to PM me!
(It wasn't LASIK, as my corneas are too thin. I got the permanent contact implants.)

The surgery center was offering a discount for procedures scheduled by a certain date, and I signed up for the Care Credit card to get 24 months no interest. I have the entire amount saved up, but now it keeps earning interest while I make payments for 23 months (so as not to trigger the ridiculous **27 PERCENT** interest). And Care Credit was offering $100 off for new account holders. My optometrist will refund my unopened boxes of contacts. All together, I saved about 17% off the original procedure total. If I'd paid the original total, it would still be 100% worth it!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Stubblestache on July 13, 2020, 08:46:09 AM
Anything sport and exercise related for me is money well spent because my health is the most important thing - though I get all my stuff for its use in the sport and not to look cool so I'm still very frugal here as it's easily a money pit otherwise trying to get all the latest 'must have' gear.

The other bit of money well spent that has only occurred to me in the last few years is buying Christmas gifts in the summer. The start of the year is very capital intensive for me - Christmas, followed by some big birthdays and a lot of annual subscriptions coming out.

Getting stuff in the summer sales takes a massive burden off the start of the year as even though I know I can afford all these things it still makes my stomach turn seeing my cash pile shrink so much every first quarter. It is also a lot cheaper buying stuff out of season, so a double win!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on July 15, 2020, 07:41:39 AM
@SwordGuy I've long believed the investment value of owning your primary residence was overstated, with the exception being those people lucky enough to live in rapid-appreciation areas like California, Seattle, or DC metro.

I think people overlook the substantial costs of home ownership, undervalue the optionality of being able to up-and-move early in life, and--perhaps most significantly--compare larger more luxurious properties they own to more bare bones dwellings that they rent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: neophyte on July 15, 2020, 09:10:58 AM
I got those door locks where you punch in a code. Now I don't have to carry keys everywhere and don't have to deal with tenants locking themselves out. Best purchase ever!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RainyDay on July 15, 2020, 09:31:24 AM
In Dec 2015, $1,500 initial vet bill for dietetics diagnosis of my tuxedo cat fern. 

I confess it took me a few reads to figure out what a "cat fern" was. :-)

My best expenditure this year has been a $40 plastic chicken waterer.  I had been using a standard galvanized steel one, but it was old and rusty and a PIA.  I love the convenience of this one!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 15, 2020, 02:37:34 PM
@SwordGuy I've long believed the investment value of owning your primary residence was overstated, with the exception being those people lucky enough to live in rapid-appreciation areas like California, Seattle, or DC metro.

I think people overlook the substantial costs of home ownership, undervalue the optionality of being able to up-and-move early in life, and--perhaps most significantly--compare larger more luxurious properties they own to more bare bones dwellings that they rent.

Completely agree!

We - AFTER we could well afford it - invested in the nicer lifestyle aspects of our new home.   We didn't invest in it for growth in net worth.    If that was our goal we would have bought a cheap, out of date residence and fixed it up to look like the new fashion (a boring hotel lobby).   No one ever lost money underestimating the poor taste of the average American. :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: horsepoor on July 15, 2020, 04:33:26 PM
I splurged on some Biolage shampoo.  I wear my hair short, but haven't been able to get a haircut since February, so the random shampoo I was using was making my hair feel nasty, plus I was using at least 2x as much to get it to fully lather and feel like it was working.  The cost is more than offset by not paying for any haircuts recently.  Getting all sweaty and grimy at the barn, I'm not about to join the shampoo-free crown. ;)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Laura33 on July 16, 2020, 07:49:49 AM
I got those door locks where you punch in a code. Now I don't have to carry keys everywhere and don't have to deal with tenants locking themselves out. Best purchase ever!

YES!  Also probably more than paid for themselves by removing need for repeated re-keying due to lost keys (thanks, kids!).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on July 16, 2020, 11:08:51 AM
A place we like to live. Having a place we liked living has made this pandemic a much more enjoyable experience.

I've lived other places where I found myself frequently looking for an escape from those places. I spent more money on food, entertainment and transportation - all distractions.

The whole debate about rent vs buy is such a local market one and up to the person in question.

We hope to never share walls with anyone ever again for example. Added benefit: this is a LCOL place where owning is perfectly doable.

Like anywhere else too, more budget = more freedom to be choosy.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MoneyTree on July 17, 2020, 05:54:39 PM
Posting mostly to follow, but will contribute too.

I'm part of the vitamix club. I've had mine for over 6 years now. incredible machine that works as well as the day I bought it. I am much healthier than I would be without it.

Carbon steel pan. Just as nonstick and durable as our cast iron pan, but slightly lighter

Aeropress coffeemaker, great coffee, on par with french press, but cleanup is much easier

Wireless earbuds. For a while I had difficulty sleeping due to a hyperactive mind. I found that listening to something while falling asleep would distract my mind enough for me to fall asleep. I couldn't just play something on my phone speaker as that would annoy DW, so I would use normal wired headphones. This worked, but falling asleep with wired headphones was not pleasant as they'd get all tangled throughout the night. Wireless earbuds are perfect for this. Also a gamechanger for exercising, too.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 314159 on July 21, 2020, 04:56:12 PM
A 10-inch Lodge cast iron skillet. It was $23. Great deal.

A new pair of running shoes. I was getting shin splints in my old ones (I also started running shorter distances more frequently) and I wanted expert advice so I went to the kind of running store where they watch you walk and do a 3D scan of your feet. The new pair is much better, though I am out $150 for the shoes plus $50 for inserts which they tell me will last 3 or 4 pairs of shoes.

More recently, I got two pairs of bike shorts, a fancy bike jersey, a work-appropriate shirt, and a fun casual t-shirt all at 50% off. There is a store (Midwest Mountaineering) here in Minneapolis that sells outdoor stuff. Half the store is called "Thrifty Outfitters." They buy sales samples (that the brand reps bring around to sell orders to the big outdoor stores) from the manufacturers at 50% of wholesale and sell it for 50% of retail. Very excited for my new duds. Before, I had only one pair of old bike shorts and no jersey. I think these are the first clothes I've bought in 2020. In fact the first clothes I've bought in about 12 months other than winter biking gear, which I also got from this store.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: aGracefulStomp on July 27, 2020, 05:27:50 PM
Proper shoes.

I've really screwed up my feet by wearing shoes way past their expiry date.

Buying proper shoes is way less expensive then the physio and orthopaedic appointments I was looking at.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on July 27, 2020, 05:44:07 PM
Proper shoes.

I've really screwed up my feet by wearing shoes way past their expiry date.

Buying proper shoes is way less expensive then the physio and orthopaedic appointments I was looking at.

Oh, hell yes.

I was a vegetarian for many years in the late 80s and early 90s. As a poor student, that also meant that I was buying shitty non-leather shoes at bargain prices. I fucked my feet up good for a few years as a result of trying not to wear animal products but having no better options.

Thankfully, it’s easier to find decent quality footwear that doesn’t kill animals these days. But I definitely learned the lesson not to skimp on products for your feet.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FIRE Artist on July 27, 2020, 08:02:58 PM
MacBook Pro that I bought back in 2009.  Eventually I got an IPad so stopped using the MacBook, but last month I dug it out to set up a computer in my painting studio to watch art classes via Zoom.  Still works great, it is updated to OS X El Capitan and can run the Zoom app, so as long as that is still supported it is good to go. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: APowers on August 02, 2020, 10:05:09 PM
Am currently in the middle of an epic road trip with my two kids, and am 100% happy every time I have to wash up the cooking pot. Considered bringing my stainless one from the home kitchen, but opted to buy a nonstick for $5 at the thrift store instead. Best $5 investment in ease of cleanup ever!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FI45RE on August 03, 2020, 12:50:55 PM
I recently picked up some cloth face masks from Purple (yes, the mattress manufacturer with the silly commercials) for $10 a piece even though we already had some other cloth masks. My brother, a barista in Seattle, reported that he worked an eight hour shift in one and was still comfortable at the end, which hasn't happened with any other mask, and now he's downright evangelical about the things.

The Small/Medium size fit like they were made for me, stay comfortably in place, and somehow don't fog my glasses despite the lack of a nose wire. Some form of face covering will be required on campus for the 2020-2021 school year so I am really excited to have found some that aren't a major nuisance.

We have a Purple mattress and pillows (I won't ever sleep on anything else again!), so we decided to purchase some Purple masks as well. ALL OF THEM BROKE after their first or second use. Earloops are just tied together inside the stitching and there's no way to get them back inside without poking through the earloop material. Been much happier with the masks from a company called SendUsMasks.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FI45RE on August 03, 2020, 12:54:22 PM
^^I'll second that Global Entry is money well spent.

Getting through US customs and immigration at the airport is the world's worst experience.

Oh, God, yes.  And ours were free since we used the right credit cards.

Yep. Couldn't agree more. Global Entry is money very well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: wxdevil on August 03, 2020, 07:06:04 PM
Definitely an ordinary thing to be excited about, but in the past I would always try to negotiate my internet bill by threatening to leave to another competitor. It'd often take 30 mins or so and it was probably obvious to everyone I was bluffing. Now, I just act really nice right off the bat and ask if there are any new promotions or a way to lower my bill. They immediately responded with an offer to lower my bill $25 a month for the next year. In total, it took 20 minutes, and I didn't have bother with the BS. Extrapolated to an hourly rate - that was $900/hr I just made.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ixtap on August 03, 2020, 07:37:12 PM
Definitely an ordinary thing to be excited about, but in the past I would always try to negotiate my internet bill by threatening to leave to another competitor. It'd often take 30 mins or so and it was probably obvious to everyone I was bluffing. Now, I just act really nice right off the bat and ask if there are any new promotions or a way to lower my bill. They immediately responded with an offer to lower my bill $25 a month for the next year. In total, it took 20 minutes, and I didn't have bother with the BS. Extrapolated to an hourly rate - that was $900/hr I just made.

Doesn't work around here. I know because I try your new way, then DH calls back and does it the old way and gets results.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on August 03, 2020, 08:43:33 PM
Definitely an ordinary thing to be excited about, but in the past I would always try to negotiate my internet bill by threatening to leave to another competitor. It'd often take 30 mins or so and it was probably obvious to everyone I was bluffing. Now, I just act really nice right off the bat and ask if there are any new promotions or a way to lower my bill. They immediately responded with an offer to lower my bill $25 a month for the next year. In total, it took 20 minutes, and I didn't have bother with the BS. Extrapolated to an hourly rate - that was $900/hr I just made.

Doesn't work around here. I know because I try your new way, then DH calls back and does it the old way and gets results.
Yup, that's my experience as well.  Here's a tip:  when you cancel, it doesn't have to happen immediately--you can set a date, say, two weeks later, when your service will terminate.  That way, if they call your bluff, you have enough time to sign up with their competitor.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ixtap on August 03, 2020, 08:47:32 PM
Definitely an ordinary thing to be excited about, but in the past I would always try to negotiate my internet bill by threatening to leave to another competitor. It'd often take 30 mins or so and it was probably obvious to everyone I was bluffing. Now, I just act really nice right off the bat and ask if there are any new promotions or a way to lower my bill. They immediately responded with an offer to lower my bill $25 a month for the next year. In total, it took 20 minutes, and I didn't have bother with the BS. Extrapolated to an hourly rate - that was $900/hr I just made.

Doesn't work around here. I know because I try your new way, then DH calls back and does it the old way and gets results.
Yup, that's my experience as well.  Here's a tip:  when you cancel, it doesn't have to happen immediately--you can set a date, say, two weeks later, when your service will terminate.  That way, if they call your bluff, you have enough time to sign up with their competitor.

You have competitors available?!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on August 04, 2020, 05:37:33 AM
I have 2 models: Sony WH-CH510 which is the one pictured, and Sony WH-CH700 which is a noise-cancelling version. TBH I much prefer the WH-CH510 - it's lighter on the ears and very comfortable to wear for long periods. I use mine for running all the time, so no problems there.

We ended up picking up a pair of the 510's in white for my wife last week, very impressed.

My Bragi Dash earbuds are on their last leg, so I may snag a pair for myself as well!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: lisabobisa on August 04, 2020, 06:45:36 AM
My custom made weighted blanket that a student's parent made for me.

This was before they were being mass produced and sold in Target.

I sleep like a baby when I use it!  Best $100 every spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on August 04, 2020, 08:07:27 AM
Definitely an ordinary thing to be excited about, but in the past I would always try to negotiate my internet bill by threatening to leave to another competitor. It'd often take 30 mins or so and it was probably obvious to everyone I was bluffing. Now, I just act really nice right off the bat and ask if there are any new promotions or a way to lower my bill. They immediately responded with an offer to lower my bill $25 a month for the next year. In total, it took 20 minutes, and I didn't have bother with the BS. Extrapolated to an hourly rate - that was $900/hr I just made.

Doesn't work around here. I know because I try your new way, then DH calls back and does it the old way and gets results.
Yup, that's my experience as well.  Here's a tip:  when you cancel, it doesn't have to happen immediately--you can set a date, say, two weeks later, when your service will terminate.  That way, if they call your bluff, you have enough time to sign up with their competitor.

You have competitors available?!
Fortunately, yes.  When we moved in, we had AT&T (for DSL, only the richer half of the development got fiber) and Comcast.  AT&T exited the DSL market a few years later, and we only had Comcast for a few years, but threatening to leave worked for those years.  About four years ago, they called my bluff, so we were stuck with a higher rate until MetroNet installed fiber for the rest of the neighborhood.  We gleefully switched to Metronet for a year once it was available, then came back to Comcast as "new customers" so that we could get the $20/mo special.  Since then, Comcast have played ball (i.e. let us stay on the $20/mo internet-only plan when we call "to cancel")
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: former player on August 04, 2020, 08:41:07 AM
After nearly 5 months of lockdown and no end in sight to the pandemic unless there's a great vaccine on its way -

Every rock concert I ever went to.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on August 04, 2020, 11:26:34 AM
As parents of a toddler, one "quality" purchase that we have been very happy with was buying the Bugaboo Bee3 for the little'un. It wasn't cheap at about $650, but it has been worth every penny and proven an excellent and versatile purchase:

(https://webimg.secondhandapp.com/1.1/5b91a53f067be76b079a333c)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: habanero on August 05, 2020, 01:24:30 AM
Bought a lightweight high-end tent and a lightweight, highly compressable and warm and comfy sleeping bag some months ago. Was quite pricey (after all, it's high-end stuff) but expect the purchase price to be fully refunded within a couple of years due to reduced accomedation costs while hiking. Made back ~10% of the price this summer.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: NorthernMonkey on August 05, 2020, 05:35:03 AM
As parents of a toddler, one "quality" purchase that we have been very happy with was buying the Bugaboo Bee3 for the little'un. It wasn't cheap at about $650, but it has been worth every penny and proven an excellent and versatile purchase:

(https://webimg.secondhandapp.com/1.1/5b91a53f067be76b079a333c)

We got ours second hand. It was about 1/4 of the list price on facebook market place. a couple of hours to take it apart and put all the fabric bits in the washer and its good as new.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on August 07, 2020, 04:12:28 AM

We got ours second hand. It was about 1/4 of the list price on facebook market place. a couple of hours to take it apart and put all the fabric bits in the washer and its good as new.

Brownie points for doing it the Mustachian/ecological way =)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: catlady on August 08, 2020, 04:48:37 AM
I’m doing online language lessons with private tutors and it’s so cheap and effective, I’ll never study with formal group classes again.

What platform are you using? Or you just found your teacher?
I bought myself a gaming chair so I can work more comfortably. I will be wfm for the foreseeable future and hopefully once in the office I could find a permanent wfm position.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: elaine amj on August 09, 2020, 02:30:11 PM
I recently picked up some cloth face masks from Purple (yes, the mattress manufacturer with the silly commercials) for $10 a piece even though we already had some other cloth masks. My brother, a barista in Seattle, reported that he worked an eight hour shift in one and was still comfortable at the end, which hasn't happened with any other mask, and now he's downright evangelical about the things.

The Small/Medium size fit like they were made for me, stay comfortably in place, and somehow don't fog my glasses despite the lack of a nose wire. Some form of face covering will be required on campus for the 2020-2021 school year so I am really excited to have found some that aren't a major nuisance.

We have a Purple mattress and pillows (I won't ever sleep on anything else again!), so we decided to purchase some Purple masks as well. ALL OF THEM BROKE after their first or second use. Earloops are just tied together inside the stitching and there's no way to get them back inside without poking through the earloop material. Been much happier with the masks from a company called SendUsMasks.
I ordered from sendusmasks.com and really liked it. Not sure how much it is in the US - but in Canada it is 5 for $30. Impressed with the quality for the price. Wanted to buy a homemade one from my city, but for all practical purposes, these are sized great (large enough not to fall off when talking), have toggles to adjust the ear loops so it fits each of us comfortably, and has nose pieces that shape easily and well so I don't have an issue with fogging. Obviously it is easier to breathe in a disposable mask but I don't find these too bad. Pretty similar to my other homemade cotton masks.

Sent from my VCE-AL00 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Saffron on August 12, 2020, 11:53:25 AM
My hand me down ikea bed and mattress are finally being retired to my guest bedroom. It's been a long time coming.

New Saatva mattress and boxpring: $1500
Awesome new princess canopy bed frame: $1400

Is it a stupid amount of money? Yes. Do I spend 8 hour a day there? Yes. Regrets? None.   
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ixtap on August 12, 2020, 11:57:44 AM
My hand me down ikea bed and mattress are finally being retired to my guest bedroom. It's been a long time coming.

New Saatva mattress and boxpring: $1500
Awesome new princess canopy bed frame: $1400

Is it a stupid amount of money? Yes. Do I spend 8 hour a day there? Yes. Regrets? None.   

What size is this?!

Our adjustable base with foam mattress was only $1500, although it was on clearance. That adjustable base has added another place to be during The Great Confinement. It is actually one of favorite places to type from.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Saffron on August 12, 2020, 12:07:31 PM
My hand me down ikea bed and mattress are finally being retired to my guest bedroom. It's been a long time coming.

New Saatva mattress and boxpring: $1500
Awesome new princess canopy bed frame: $1400

Is it a stupid amount of money? Yes. Do I spend 8 hour a day there? Yes. Regrets? None.   

What size is this?!

Our adjustable base with foam mattress was only $1500, although it was on clearance. That adjustable base has added another place to be during The Great Confinement. It is actually one of favorite places to type from.

It's a queen size. They've got a $200 off promotion going. I think the mattress was $1300, boxspring was another $330 and tax was about $80.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on August 12, 2020, 03:01:41 PM
Just picked up my new to me ebike today. My injuries have made regular biking uncomfortable, so it was amazing to be able to bike around with ease.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on August 12, 2020, 04:55:24 PM
My 6-month daily planner and whiteboard. I'm having an easier time keeping track of the day of the week and staying on top of my to-do lists.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on August 12, 2020, 04:59:18 PM
Trees.

Just looking at them, all full of leaves, contrasted against a clear blue sky.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Master of None on August 13, 2020, 11:49:14 AM
Trees.

Just looking at them, all full of leaves, contrasted against a clear blue sky.

What kind of trees? Redbud's are some of my favorites!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on August 13, 2020, 12:08:10 PM
Trees.

Just looking at them, all full of leaves, contrasted against a clear blue sky.

What kind of trees? Redbud's are some of my favorites!

Oh, any of them. But outside my sun room window are some mature, towering maple and oak trees, and they’re just so tall and full and majestic... makes me happy. I love living in a city with tree-lined streets.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on January 09, 2021, 12:46:54 AM
We bought a $100 cordless vacuum cleaner. It’s fab.

Before that we had a large heavy Vacuum which, although powerful, was very cumbersome to use, and also a little handheld DustBuster which was good for doing little spots here and there but the charge was rubbish and it was nowhere near powerful enough.

This new one pretty much makes the other 2 redundant. Very portable but powerful enough to vacuum the whole house with, and a fraction of the price of a Dyson. There’s something weirdly satisfying and therapeutic about vacuuming and watching as dust and gunk is collected into the storage compartment, and then flipping the catch and emptying it all out.. it triggers a reward mechanism in your brain. Very pleased.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Adventine on January 09, 2021, 12:53:59 AM
This tinted sunscreen that I bought on a whim. It exceeded all my expectations. (https://beautymnl.com/products/61326-sunglow-by-fresh-tinted-sunscreen-50ml)

Feels good to apply, great sun protection, doesn't cause maskne, doesn't oxidize or make my face turn orange, and relatively cheap. It's my new favorite.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ROF Expat on January 09, 2021, 01:04:21 AM
We bought a $100 cordless vacuum cleaner. It’s fab.

Before that we had a large heavy Vacuum which, although powerful, was very cumbersome to use, and also a little handheld DustBuster which was good for doing little spots here and there but the charge was rubbish and it was nowhere near powerful enough.

This new one pretty much makes the other 2 redundant. Very portable but powerful enough to vacuum the whole house with, and a fraction of the price of a Dyson. There’s something weirdly satisfying and therapeutic about vacuuming and watching as dust and gunk is collected into the storage compartment, and then flipping the catch and emptying it all out.. it triggers a reward mechanism in your brain. Very pleased.

Can you tell us what kind?  I'm interested in something powerful, but I don't particularly want to pay for a Dyson. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on January 09, 2021, 01:40:49 AM
We bought a $100 cordless vacuum cleaner. It’s fab.

Before that we had a large heavy Vacuum which, although powerful, was very cumbersome to use, and also a little handheld DustBuster which was good for doing little spots here and there but the charge was rubbish and it was nowhere near powerful enough.

This new one pretty much makes the other 2 redundant. Very portable but powerful enough to vacuum the whole house with, and a fraction of the price of a Dyson. There’s something weirdly satisfying and therapeutic about vacuuming and watching as dust and gunk is collected into the storage compartment, and then flipping the catch and emptying it all out.. it triggers a reward mechanism in your brain. Very pleased.

Can you tell us what kind?  I'm interested in something powerful, but I don't particularly want to pay for a Dyson.

sure, got one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Muzili-Cordless-Handheld-Filtration-Powerful/dp/B084WN9KSB/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2GZGSRBT7VP0E&dchild=1&keywords=cordless+vacuum+cleaner&qid=1610181500&sprefix=cordless%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-5

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61peLHhjNBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on January 09, 2021, 08:08:53 AM
We bought a $100 cordless vacuum cleaner. It’s fab.

Before that we had a large heavy Vacuum which, although powerful, was very cumbersome to use, and also a little handheld DustBuster which was good for doing little spots here and there but the charge was rubbish and it was nowhere near powerful enough.

This new one pretty much makes the other 2 redundant. Very portable but powerful enough to vacuum the whole house with, and a fraction of the price of a Dyson. There’s something weirdly satisfying and therapeutic about vacuuming and watching as dust and gunk is collected into the storage compartment, and then flipping the catch and emptying it all out.. it triggers a reward mechanism in your brain. Very pleased.

Can you tell us what kind?  I'm interested in something powerful, but I don't particularly want to pay for a Dyson.

sure, got one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Muzili-Cordless-Handheld-Filtration-Powerful/dp/B084WN9KSB/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2GZGSRBT7VP0E&dchild=1&keywords=cordless+vacuum+cleaner&qid=1610181500&sprefix=cordless%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-5

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61peLHhjNBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

I like your vacuum cleaner.

I bought a beach cruiser bike with cast aluminum wheels that stay perfectly true and are easy to clean.

 I dislike  wire-spoke wheels because they don't stay true and are  hard to clean.

List price was ~$250.

I got mine delivered to my door for ~$138.

I had to assemble it which was fun.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: englishteacheralex on January 09, 2021, 08:29:39 AM
I forgot about this thread!

OMG we've been buying so much stuff lately. I've been documenting it in my journal but this seems like another good place. We've been pretty frugal for a long time because of living in a VHCOL area and having to pay for two kids in daycare and it's felt pretty good to update some things.

1. Kicked off the spending spree with a Cuisinart 14 cup food processor--the one recommended by Wirecutter and Cooks Illustrated. List price is $220; I found a couple selling theirs new in box on Craigslist for $150 so I bought it. We're trying to become 75% vegetarian and the food processor makes a lot of veggie recipes way easier. Totally worth it. I've lost five pounds since we bought it the weekend before Thanksgiving. I make hummus, mushrooms for mushroom bolognese, mirepoix for veggie soups, pie crust, curd...all kinds of stuff. My husband loves it and uses it to make himself tuna salad for lunch while he works from home. He's lost a lot of weight, too.

2. A new couch from Costco! It's a giant sectional that came in six pieces. It was $1100. We spent 5 years on a small Craigslist sectional that we bought for $300. Buying furniture in Hawaii is really challenging because shipping typically almost doubles the price of the furniture, so your options are pretty limited out here. The Costco couch is awesome. The only thing I regret is taking so long to buy it.

3. These peel and stick subway tile backsplash adhesives: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DRGBZPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DRGBZPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). We live in a condo that we own; it has a small and dingy galley kitchen with a back wall next to the stove and dishwasher that's hard to keep clean and that gets splattered with food a lot. The tiles are very shiny; they reflect light and brighten the place up a lot. They are also easy to wipe down. They were pretty easy to install and so far have held up nicely (but it's only been a week). We spent $130 on enough to cover parts of three walls.

4. I'm a little sheepish about it but we just broke down and bought the Dyson stick vac for $300. Our last couch and area rug got so disgusting because we never vacuumed. Our condo is small (~900 sf for two adults and two small children) and I think the Dyson vac is going to help us keep it less filthy. My husband loves it, although he raised an eyebrow when I bought it. I did a lot of research and apparently cordless vacs just don't last that long--only a couple of years. I'm prepared to replace the battery in a couple of years. I figure we never pay for a housecleaner and I'm so tired of filthy floors.

5. We replaced the ceiling fan in our bedroom because the old one had pull chains and was out of alignment and made a terrible racket. The new one is whisper quiet and has a remote control. It was $115. So nice. So much easier to fall asleep.

Sorry Mustachians! We still save quite a bit of money!

 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ROF Expat on January 09, 2021, 10:38:35 AM
We bought a $100 cordless vacuum cleaner. It’s fab.

Before that we had a large heavy Vacuum which, although powerful, was very cumbersome to use, and also a little handheld DustBuster which was good for doing little spots here and there but the charge was rubbish and it was nowhere near powerful enough.

This new one pretty much makes the other 2 redundant. Very portable but powerful enough to vacuum the whole house with, and a fraction of the price of a Dyson. There’s something weirdly satisfying and therapeutic about vacuuming and watching as dust and gunk is collected into the storage compartment, and then flipping the catch and emptying it all out.. it triggers a reward mechanism in your brain. Very pleased.

Can you tell us what kind?  I'm interested in something powerful, but I don't particularly want to pay for a Dyson.

sure, got one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Muzili-Cordless-Handheld-Filtration-Powerful/dp/B084WN9KSB/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2GZGSRBT7VP0E&dchild=1&keywords=cordless+vacuum+cleaner&qid=1610181500&sprefix=cordless%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-5

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61peLHhjNBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

thanks!  I'll check it out. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on January 09, 2021, 01:53:54 PM
I forgot about this thread!

OMG we've been buying so much stuff lately. I've been documenting it in my journal but this seems like another good place. We've been pretty frugal for a long time because of living in a VHCOL area and having to pay for two kids in daycare and it's felt pretty good to update some things.

1. Kicked off the spending spree with a Cuisinart 14 cup food processor--the one recommended by Wirecutter and Cooks Illustrated. List price is $220; I found a couple selling theirs new in box on Craigslist for $150 so I bought it. We're trying to become 75% vegetarian and the food processor makes a lot of veggie recipes way easier. Totally worth it. I've lost five pounds since we bought it the weekend before Thanksgiving. I make hummus, mushrooms for mushroom bolognese, mirepoix for veggie soups, pie crust, curd...all kinds of stuff. My husband loves it and uses it to make himself tuna salad for lunch while he works from home. He's lost a lot of weight, too.

2. A new couch from Costco! It's a giant sectional that came in six pieces. It was $1100. We spent 5 years on a small Craigslist sectional that we bought for $300. Buying furniture in Hawaii is really challenging because shipping typically almost doubles the price of the furniture, so your options are pretty limited out here. The Costco couch is awesome. The only thing I regret is taking so long to buy it.

3. These peel and stick subway tile backsplash adhesives: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DRGBZPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DRGBZPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). We live in a condo that we own; it has a small and dingy galley kitchen with a back wall next to the stove and dishwasher that's hard to keep clean and that gets splattered with food a lot. The tiles are very shiny; they reflect light and brighten the place up a lot. They are also easy to wipe down. They were pretty easy to install and so far have held up nicely (but it's only been a week). We spent $130 on enough to cover parts of three walls.

4. I'm a little sheepish about it but we just broke down and bought the Dyson stick vac for $300. Our last couch and area rug got so disgusting because we never vacuumed. Our condo is small (~900 sf for two adults and two small children) and I think the Dyson vac is going to help us keep it less filthy. My husband loves it, although he raised an eyebrow when I bought it. I did a lot of research and apparently cordless vacs just don't last that long--only a couple of years. I'm prepared to replace the battery in a couple of years. I figure we never pay for a housecleaner and I'm so tired of filthy floors.

5. We replaced the ceiling fan in our bedroom because the old one had pull chains and was out of alignment and made a terrible racket. The new one is whisper quiet and has a remote control. It was $115. So nice. So much easier to fall asleep.

Sorry Mustachians! We still save quite a bit of money!

We bought one of the Dyson stick vacs at Costco in 2013 or 2014 and it has been worth every single penny. We replaced the battery about a year ago and the vacuum still works like it is brand new. Periodically we disable it and give it a good cleaning and I think that helps.

I hope you’ll enjoy yours for many years to come!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nangirl17 on January 09, 2021, 02:47:58 PM
Two purchases stand out:

We spent north of $450 on a city elite jogging stroller 9 years ago (it was the only one that my husband could do his full stride with, plus we wanted to get a good quality one...). Held up over hundreds of km of walking, and now my sister is using it for her baby.

I discovered that I had gained 20lb in the last year, and needed some help losing it. I purchased a Noom subscription, and it was so, SO helpful. I learned about my diet, eating healthfully, some psychology of eating, and lost the weight in under 3 months, but more importantly, gave me the tools to use to continue eating healthfully (hopefully I won't need to lose weight again!). I never thought I would pay that much for an app, but it was an excellent use of $140!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on January 09, 2021, 04:18:25 PM
Not me but visited with my parents this afternoon in their new 3 seasons room.  It was a sunny day, it was 34 outside and 72 inside with no heat source other than the sun.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Warlord1986 on January 09, 2021, 09:23:25 PM
$119/month on yoga. I feel soooooo good since I started though.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Rustyfa on January 09, 2021, 09:48:57 PM
I live in Minnesota and it is cold.  We sometimes have an honest six months of winter, most times less but there are years where it never stops.  Three years ago I broke down and spent $350 on a set of Stryker Bibs and a coat.  I bought the Hardwater set.  They are simply the best purchase I have ever made.  It is like wearing a furnace.  They are fantastic for blowing snow, ice fishing, snow mobiling, just any winter activity.  I have a 45 minute commute and I throw them in the vehicle and know I’ll be safe.  I cannot tell you just how warm these are.  I have fished in negative 30 degrees without a shack and been fine, just turn away from the wind.

If anyone is looking for a winter set I heavily recommend these with the only caveat being they are just too warm at times. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: fishnfool on January 09, 2021, 10:21:13 PM
Since retired at end of August. new laptop, new bike, joined a new gym. Now getting a lot of use from these purchases and it sure is nice to have more time for me. ;)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crocheted_stache on January 09, 2021, 10:50:53 PM
My Thermos Travel Coffee Mug - I have had this thing for more than 10 years - keeps my coffee piping hot all day
<snip>


We were cleaning out cabinets a year or so ago and discovered we had four different personal size insulated thermos/mugs for two people. The extras probably arrived and then didn't leave with roommates or visitors. We did the experiment of running hot tap water into them, putting the lids on, and returning in two or three hours. Two of them held the heat well and didn't dribble liquid when tipped. The other two, including on with a big sticker about staying hot or cold for 12 hours, were room temperature and not so spill-proof, so away they went.

One or one per person of something that works is far superior to a whole jumble that don't work. There are a couple Buy-it-for-Life (BIFL) threads on this forum, too.

....

My money well spent recently:
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 10, 2021, 01:56:59 AM
  • A full set of low-mileage All-Clad pots and pans for from someone who was moving out. I saw it get listed at $700 and the seller talked himself down to $400 in the couple days I dithered before answering the ad.
What do you like about these? I’ve never had a high end set of cookware, but We cook enough to buy one if they are really worth it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 10, 2021, 02:10:47 AM
  • A full set of low-mileage All-Clad pots and pans for from someone who was moving out. I saw it get listed at $700 and the seller talked himself down to $400 in the couple days I dithered before answering the ad.
What do you like about these? I’ve never had a high end set of cookware, but We cook enough to buy one if they are really worth it.

I am picky about cookware, but I don't bother with expensive sets. It's kind of like knives, I only use certain pots frequently, so I only need those pots to be really good.

I have a decent pot set, but I rarely use any of them, because I have *excellent* pots for the ones I use most often, and I use them 90% of the time.

It absolutely makes a difference because different pot materials and thickness affect the heat distribution, which affects the cooking. Try thoroughly frying onions on different surfaces and you'll really see the difference.

Does it really matter? That depends on how finicky you are about cooking. For a lot of people, an old, thin, stainless steel pot from the thrift shop will do the job just fine, as member here told me in my thread about pots.

I instead bought a 7qt Le Crueset for about half price this year, and I looooooove it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on January 10, 2021, 04:36:34 AM
I bought a giant All Clad LTD covered saucepan and their huge wok pan this year. They share the same cymbal-sized lid. Paid $15 for each pan at my fave thrift store. I batch cook, so I love, love, love them. However, I don't have room for the wok pan anywhere, so for now it sits in top of my stove, covered with the giant lid. It's going to involve a huge rethinking of how many pans I keep and where I put them to give it a better home. One thing I know for sure is that none of my All-Clad is going into the donate pile. I do not believe either of these sizes is sold in sets, so I agree with @Malcat's approach to focus on the actual sizes you will use the most instead of buying sets. Especially if you can find them for $15, lol.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on January 10, 2021, 05:58:04 AM
I live in Minnesota and it is cold.  We sometimes have an honest six months of winter, most times less but there are years where it never stops.  Three years ago I broke down and spent $350 on a set of Stryker Bibs and a coat.  I bought the Hardwater set.  They are simply the best purchase I have ever made.  It is like wearing a furnace.  They are fantastic for blowing snow, ice fishing, snow mobiling, just any winter activity.  I have a 45 minute commute and I throw them in the vehicle and know I’ll be safe.  I cannot tell you just how warm these are.  I have fished in negative 30 degrees without a shack and been fine, just turn away from the wind.

If anyone is looking for a winter set I heavily recommend these with the only caveat being they are just too warm at times.

I will look into those for my husband, for when he is out on the tractor plowing snow.

I love my merino wool socks from Costco!!!! So warm but not sweaty.

I hear you about getting too hot. I walk quite a ways from my car to work and I have an ankle-length North Face coat that I only break out when it's below zero, otherwise I sweat in it.  Good mittens and boots are important too, and a wool scarf to cover the face.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Anon in Alaska on January 10, 2021, 07:49:02 AM
After they were done repairing the broken sewer line under my condo in September the humidity was 92% and I could not breathe well. $220 on a dehumidifier got the humidity down to 50% in less than two weeks and then I could breathe.

If you can't breathe nothing else really matter.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: happyfeet on January 10, 2021, 08:05:15 AM
Nespresso Vertuo, Apple Watch,  Apple EarPods - Use all three everyday. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 10, 2021, 11:27:20 AM
@Malcat & @Dicey

I also agree that some pans are way more useful than others. I use a 10" skillet for about 1/2 the cooking I do including scrambled eggs almost every morning. I was wonder what specifically made the fancier pans worth the money though. Do the last forever? Is it more a matter of really even heating?

About 4 years ago we bought what I thought was a good mid grade set. At first the 10 " skillet worked amazing, but within a couple years it was clearly not the same pan. Last week I bought a new on and it's great again, but for how long? I don't like the idea that my egg pan is disposable, I'd drop $100 on one if I thought it would last the rest of my life.

My father has this old carbon steel pan I'll have the fight my brother of over one day. He bought it for 25 cents at a thrift store in the early 70s and has been using it basically every day since then. It's too thin for really even heating, but it's indestructible and great for reheating pretty much anything. He's also had a cast iron skillet for as long as I can remember, which works great for fried eggs and pancakes but is always a pain with scrambled. I have my doubts about cast iron on a glass top stove though.

On the money well spent: We also bought a cordless vacuum recently and we are vacuuming a lot more since getting it. Our old one was an accident freebie that DW hated so mostly I used it. Now the vacuuming is much more equally split as well as being more frequent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nutty on January 10, 2021, 12:22:55 PM
I bought a giant All Clad LTD covered saucepan and their huge wok pan this year. They share the same cymbal-sized lid. Paid $15 for each pan at my fave thrift store. I batch cook, so I love, love, love them. However, I don't have room for the wok pan anywhere, so for now it sits in top of my stove, covered with the giant lid.
I wanted to try a wok and got a flat bottomed carbon steel one at a thrift shop.  Once seasoned, it's working better than the cast iron on my glass stove top for eggs and few other favorites and heats up faster.  Still love cast iron and can't stand scrubbing stainless skillets.

For storage, I nailed a coat hook right below the ceiling above the sink to not interfere with cabinet doors.  The wood hand hold fits nicely on the coat hook, the wok is out of the way and I'm not taking up any counter or storage space.  DW commented, but I do the cooking.  I added a nail for one of the other cast iron pans that we were tight on space for.  Farm house chic.  Or I don't care, it works.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: roomtempmayo on January 10, 2021, 12:51:16 PM
Last winter we had a modern wood stove with a glass front installed in our living room.  We've been using it just about every day this lockdown winter.  Looking at the snow outside with my feet propped up next to a warm fire right now makes it totally worth it.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 10, 2021, 12:56:06 PM
@Malcat & @Dicey

I also agree that some pans are way more useful than others. I use a 10" skillet for about 1/2 the cooking I do including scrambled eggs almost every morning. I was wonder what specifically made the fancier pans worth the money though. Do the last forever? Is it more a matter of really even heating?

About 4 years ago we bought what I thought was a good mid grade set. At first the 10 " skillet worked amazing, but within a couple years it was clearly not the same pan. Last week I bought a new on and it's great again, but for how long? I don't like the idea that my egg pan is disposable, I'd drop $100 on one if I thought it would last the rest of my life.

My father has this old carbon steel pan I'll have the fight my brother of over one day. He bought it for 25 cents at a thrift store in the early 70s and has been using it basically every day since then. It's too thin for really even heating, but it's indestructible and great for reheating pretty much anything. He's also had a cast iron skillet for as long as I can remember, which works great for fried eggs and pancakes but is always a pain with scrambled. I have my doubts about cast iron on a glass top stove though.

On the money well spent: We also bought a cordless vacuum recently and we are vacuuming a lot more since getting it. Our old one was an accident freebie that DW hated so mostly I used it. Now the vacuuming is much more equally split as well as being more frequent.

My workhorses are cast iron and copper, so yeah, they last forever.

It's more than high quality pots distribute heat better, so things cook more evenly, there's less fussing with heat, more consistent results.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on January 10, 2021, 12:58:11 PM
I bought a giant All Clad LTD covered saucepan and their huge wok pan this year. They share the same cymbal-sized lid. Paid $15 for each pan at my fave thrift store. I batch cook, so I love, love, love them. However, I don't have room for the wok pan anywhere, so for now it sits in top of my stove, covered with the giant lid.
I wanted to try a wok and got a flat bottomed carbon steel one at a thrift shop.  Once seasoned, it's working better than the cast iron on my glass stove top for eggs and few other favorites and heats up faster.  Still love cast iron and can't stand scrubbing stainless skillets.

For storage, I nailed a coat hook right below the ceiling above the sink to not interfere with cabinet doors.  The wood hand hold fits nicely on the coat hook, the wok is out of the way and I'm not taking up any counter or storage space.  DW commented, but I do the cooking.  I added a nail for one of the other cast iron pans that we were tight on space for.  Farm house chic.  Or I don't care, it works.
LOL, DH would kill me. We live in an insane clown house, complete with 14' ceilings and a fully open 32' x32' "Great Room". If I did that, it would be visible from the front door. However, you have inspired me to think outside the box. I have a walk-in pantry, but this pan is too wide to sit on the 12" shelves. OMG, we do have a wine refrigerator and we're not drinkers. Perhaps I can store it there??? BTW, no facepunches, please. We bought this house on a short sale and because DH's office is three and a half blocks away. They actually pay him something like $130 a month extra to walk to work, which we think is hilarious.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on January 10, 2021, 08:49:42 PM
Bought a few more budget tools for my electronics bench. Just a hobby now and I'm really new to the topic. Dabbled for twenty years. Am mentally developing a side gig possibly though. We'll see.

Work bench was a castoff from a friend who was moving, some of the tools I already had, adding a few more as I learn more. We moved some time ago. Nice to have the room for an electronics bench inside the house (basement).

Quiet promises to myself that I won't become like one of the YouTube guys who have enough equipment to troubleshoot a NASA rocket... ;)

Also not taking anything else apart until I put a few existing projects back together.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 11, 2021, 05:04:54 AM
Bought a few more budget tools for my electronics bench. Just a hobby now and I'm really new to the topic. Dabbled for twenty years. Am mentally developing a side gig possibly though. We'll see.

Work bench was a castoff from a friend who was moving, some of the tools I already had, adding a few more as I learn more. We moved some time ago. Nice to have the room for an electronics bench inside the house (basement).

Quiet promises to myself that I won't become like one of the YouTube guys who have enough equipment to troubleshoot a NASA rocket... ;)

Also not taking anything else apart until I put a few existing projects back together.
Be careful!  Those tools have a tendency to multiply when you're not looking. Your soldering iron and multimeter might get friendly, and two days later you'll find a fume extractor on your workbench.  And your bench power supply and oscilloscope might produce a function generator...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on January 11, 2021, 05:40:38 AM
I love my kitchen aid stand mixer.  I've had it 10+ years, and use it at least once per week. I certainly wouldn't make my own bread without that thing. My husband has had to repair it a couple times when the gears wore down and we were able to get replacement parts cheaply online.  He said it was fairly easy and has even talked about doing a side hustle of fixing and flipping them.

I have had my eye on that dyson stick vacuum since Frugalwoods reviewed it a couple years ago, but I can't really justify it. I have a larger dyson which has lasted me a long time. The only drawback is that it's heavy. I highly recommend that brand because I used to burn through cheap vacuums every two years, so it was worth spending a little more.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Villanelle on January 11, 2021, 10:56:35 AM
Board games.  Particularly Hanabi (which is a specialty card game, not a board game) and recently Code Names Duet have been in heavy rotation. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Phenix on January 11, 2021, 11:13:34 AM
Board games and card games have been a life saver since the weather got cooler.

Favorite board game purchase is Stone Age.  Plenty of strategy, multiple paths to win, and fairly easy to get the hang of after a couple rounds.  Just as much fun with 2 people as it is with 3 or 4.
Favorite card game is currently 5 Crowns.  Rummy-like game where the scores can change drastically from one round to the next.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 11, 2021, 11:36:19 AM
Board games and card games have been a life saver since the weather got cooler.
That, and the entertainment per dollar is pretty incredible.  We got a few games for Christmas, and we also pulled out a few older ones.  Here are several that have stood up to lots of playing:
--Kingdomino (really easy to pick up, a 10-minute game once everyone understands it, good mix of strategy and luck)
--Sushi Go (very similar to Seven Wonders, significantly simpler but just as fun, also quick to play)
--Settlers of Catan (we got the 5-6 player expansion)
--Azul
--Splendor
--Five Crowns (our 12-year-old LOVES this game, to the point that we've sorta overplayed it)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on January 11, 2021, 11:47:02 AM
The right “name brand” sneakers and supportive insoles. I work on my feet and you only get one body.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 11, 2021, 12:18:09 PM
Bought a few more budget tools for my electronics bench. Just a hobby now and I'm really new to the topic. Dabbled for twenty years. Am mentally developing a side gig possibly though. We'll see.

Work bench was a castoff from a friend who was moving, some of the tools I already had, adding a few more as I learn more. We moved some time ago. Nice to have the room for an electronics bench inside the house (basement).

Quiet promises to myself that I won't become like one of the YouTube guys who have enough equipment to troubleshoot a NASA rocket... ;)

Also not taking anything else apart until I put a few existing projects back together.
Be careful!  Those tools have a tendency to multiply when you're not looking. Your soldering iron and multimeter might get friendly, and two days later you'll find a fume extractor on your workbench.  And your bench power supply and oscilloscope might produce a function generator...

Ha That does explain what's been going on in my garage...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Us2bCool on January 11, 2021, 03:01:11 PM
My Dyson V8 Animal vacuum cleaner. It cost over $250, making it 5X more than any other vacuum I've ever owned. I live in the country and have pets, so I had become used to everything being covered with dust and fur. No more! It's so light and easy to use and has a ton of attachments. I never thought I'd see the day I would become the woman who vacuums every day. But then again I never thought I'd see the day my house was clean every day too. Major game changer!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on January 11, 2021, 04:40:03 PM
My Dyson V8 Animal vacuum cleaner. It cost over $250, making it 5X more than any other vacuum I've ever owned. I live in the country and have pets, so I had become used to everything being covered with dust and fur. No more! It's so light and easy to use and has a ton of attachments. I never thought I'd see the day I would become the woman who vacuums every day. But then again I never thought I'd see the day my house was clean every day too. Major game changer!

Every time someone makes a post extolling the virtues of this thing, I get closer to buying one. @Us2bCool , you are leading me down a dangerous path! :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on January 11, 2021, 04:55:01 PM
(Do it, we love ours. Ten years and still going strong.)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on January 11, 2021, 04:57:30 PM
(Do it, we love ours. Ten years and still going strong.)

Dammit, @MudPuppy !
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 11, 2021, 05:06:22 PM
(Do it, we love ours. Ten years and still going strong.)

Dammit, @MudPuppy !
Not to derail your frugality but the V8 was the handheld I mentioned above as well. It is a serious improvement over our old stand up vacuum. I was worried about the size of the canister, but it hasn't really been a problem. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PMG on January 11, 2021, 05:09:32 PM
We also got a dyson this year. Not the animal one, the one with just a few less attachments. It’s wonderful. I might buy the animal attachments though.... so my vote would be to get the animal one.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Villanelle on January 11, 2021, 05:10:20 PM
Board games and card games have been a life saver since the weather got cooler.

Favorite board game purchase is Stone Age.  Plenty of strategy, multiple paths to win, and fairly easy to get the hang of after a couple rounds.  Just as much fun with 2 people as it is with 3 or 4.
Favorite card game is currently 5 Crowns.  Rummy-like game where the scores can change drastically from one round to the next.

Thanks for this!  We are a family of 2, and good two person games can be tough to come by. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on January 11, 2021, 06:31:38 PM
In addition to the Dyson stick vac mentioned previously, we also have a Dyson “animal” line vacuum that’s got to be about 15 years old and still works like the day it was new. Of course it gets a deep cleaning periodically as animal fur gets wrapped around and stuck inside everywhere, but all in all it’s been worth every penny. I highly recommend.

In fact, now that I think about it, we also have a Dyson car/boat vac that we keep in the garage and a Dyson Airblade heater/fan. All around great products.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on January 11, 2021, 06:38:05 PM
Okay, you assholes, I’m buying a flippin’ Dyson.

Lol
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PMG on January 11, 2021, 06:54:17 PM
My partner picked our dyson largely motivated by the fact that you can take it apart and clean it and parts are replaceable. He went on a months long research rabbit hole... I just like how it’s so convenient to pick up and use.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dandypandys on January 11, 2021, 06:58:55 PM
oh yeah definitely my Dyson!
Also, everyday I thank the coffeegods I bought the Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Maker.
No more need to hanker after fancy $ coffee outside in the wide world! LOVE it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on January 11, 2021, 07:01:14 PM
My partner picked our dyson largely motivated by the fact that you can take it apart and clean it and parts are replaceable. He went on a months long research rabbit hole... I just like how it’s so convenient to pick up and use.

They are SO easy to clean
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 11, 2021, 07:34:40 PM
Also, everyday I thank the coffeegods I bought the Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Maker.
No more need to hanker after fancy $ coffee outside in the wide world! LOVE it.

I was given a fancy espresso maker a few years ago and then later given an Aeropress. Now I used the Aeropress for 95% of my coffee making and mostly use the espresso maker to froth cream when I'm feeling extra fancy or have a guest who likes fancy coffee. It is much harder to justify buying a fancy coffee if I can make one at home for 1/10th the price... I pretty much only buy coffee when I'm on the road now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dandypandys on January 12, 2021, 08:01:21 AM
Also, everyday I thank the coffeegods I bought the Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Maker.
No more need to hanker after fancy $ coffee outside in the wide world! LOVE it.

I was given a fancy espresso maker a few years ago and then later given an Aeropress. Now I used the Aeropress for 95% of my coffee making and mostly use the espresso maker to froth cream when I'm feeling extra fancy or have a guest who likes fancy coffee. It is much harder to justify buying a fancy coffee if I can make one at home for 1/10th the price... I pretty much only buy coffee when I'm on the road now.

I was the other way around. Used a Aeropress for a couple of years- but got tired of doing two rounds for hb and I. Also, it started to slip when plunging- and twice doused me in hot coffee, and the walls and floor. Told HB that it was now dead to me, and bought the espresso machine :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 12, 2021, 08:47:04 AM
Also, everyday I thank the coffeegods I bought the Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Maker.
No more need to hanker after fancy $ coffee outside in the wide world! LOVE it.

I was given a fancy espresso maker a few years ago and then later given an Aeropress. Now I used the Aeropress for 95% of my coffee making and mostly use the espresso maker to froth cream when I'm feeling extra fancy or have a guest who likes fancy coffee. It is much harder to justify buying a fancy coffee if I can make one at home for 1/10th the price... I pretty much only buy coffee when I'm on the road now.

I was the other way around. Used a Aeropress for a couple of years- but got tired of doing two rounds for hb and I. Also, it started to slip when plunging- and twice doused me in hot coffee, and the walls and floor. Told HB that it was now dead to me, and bought the espresso machine :)

We solved this by having two of them and replacing them when the seals start wearing out.

Still much cheaper than an espresso machine.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 12, 2021, 09:51:55 AM
Also, everyday I thank the coffeegods I bought the Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Maker.
No more need to hanker after fancy $ coffee outside in the wide world! LOVE it.

I was given a fancy espresso maker a few years ago and then later given an Aeropress. Now I used the Aeropress for 95% of my coffee making and mostly use the espresso maker to froth cream when I'm feeling extra fancy or have a guest who likes fancy coffee. It is much harder to justify buying a fancy coffee if I can make one at home for 1/10th the price... I pretty much only buy coffee when I'm on the road now.

I was the other way around. Used a Aeropress for a couple of years- but got tired of doing two rounds for hb and I. Also, it started to slip when plunging- and twice doused me in hot coffee, and the walls and floor. Told HB that it was now dead to me, and bought the espresso machine :)

We solved this by having two of them and replacing them when the seals start wearing out.

Still much cheaper than an espresso machine.
I did just spend a few dollars on a new seal. Definitely money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crimp on January 12, 2021, 09:56:12 AM
I've been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, and will likely do so a least a few days a week for the conceivable future. I bought an electric standing desk early on, and (more recently) a heavily discounted ergonomic desk chair from an office that closed. Both were expensive, but in every way better than my kitchen table.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on January 12, 2021, 10:07:11 AM
We used to have a Dyson small ball (corded) vacuum cleaner. It died after a couple of years - it wasn't the best design imho.
OTOH the fancy Dyson hairdryer that I bought my wife is still going strong after 4 years.. and I should bloody well hope so too considering how expensive it was (facepunch material).

Stick Dyson alongside Vitamix imo. Yes, it's a quality product, but it's just so hard to justify spending that sort of money when something half the price or less will do almost as good a job. You are definitely paying for the brand name.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 12, 2021, 10:08:26 AM
I've been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, and will likely do so a least a few days a week for the conceivable future. I bought an electric standing desk early on, and (more recently) a heavily discounted ergonomic desk chair from an office that closed. Both were expensive, but in every way better than my kitchen table.

I started working from home a number of years ago and bought one of electric stand or sit desks from Costco a few years ago. Definitely worth the money. I also modified it to put the monitors at eye level and farther back from my face. It's noticeably less eye strain... Last fall I moved the desk next to the wood stove in the living room. I suspect this is pretty much as good as it gets now. Not sure I'll leave it here now that I'm FIRE. I might not even keep both the giant monitors I use for cad.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 12, 2021, 10:11:12 AM
Stick Dyson alongside Vitamix imo. Yes, it's a quality product, but it's just so hard to justify spending that sort of money when something half the price or less will do almost as good a job. You are definitely paying for the brand name.

Bought a Vitamix on craigslist about 8 years ago. $100 with the flour grinder option, but the potentiometer that controls the speed didn't work very well. I put up with it until a random burst of speed blew hot soup out of it one day. Bought a new one online for like $15 dollars and swapped it out in 10 minutes. Can't believe that I put up with it that long.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 12, 2021, 10:31:03 AM
The last time we moved, DW and I decided that we each could use $1000 of the equity from our old house as "fun money."  Most of my money went to a projector.  We've used that projector for nearly ten years now, and it has been worth every penny.  Family movie night, date night, no need to go to the theater, etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Rhinodad on January 12, 2021, 10:52:03 AM
A few things:

Home Gym...all bought off of craigslist. #500 of plates, Hoist Powerrack w/cables, 2 olympic bars, Powerblock 10-90 adjustable dumbells, rowing machine. Have had it over 10 years. Despite being in Wisconsin, and the temps in the garage getting down to around 30, it's really nice to have.

Vitamix blender...use it daily for smoothies, but also for making sauces, condiments, nut butters, etc.

Good set of kitchen knives...and sharpening stones. Had them for 20 years. Time to replace as I've removed quite a bit keeping them sharp

Big Green Egg...use this 4x per week even during Wisconsin winters. Awesome smoker, great pizza oven, great convection oven.

Kitchen Aid 6qt mixer...we make our own bread, pizza dough, buns...not to mention whipped butter, etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nangirl17 on January 12, 2021, 10:53:58 AM
The last time we moved, DW and I decided that we each could use $1000 of the equity from our old house as "fun money."  Most of my money went to a projector.  We've used that projector for nearly ten years now, and it has been worth every penny.  Family movie night, date night, no need to go to the theater, etc.

My DH bought a projector 5 years ago, and it is amazing! Why would we ever go to the theatre again, when we can lay in our recliners, in our pajamas, eating our own (cheaper) food, and pause whenever we want to?!  After 5 years, we still comment to each other how awesome it is.

You're right - its a great purchase.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: socalteacher on January 12, 2021, 10:59:58 AM
I bought a 2020 Hobie Outback Fishing kayak. I use it every week and have so much fun. My 10 year old would come with me fishing and we had such a blast that we bought him an entry level kayak so he could start to learn. We have a great time out on the water creating priceless memories.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PeterParker on January 12, 2021, 11:27:48 AM
We really need to turn this thread into a guide with categories if it's to be useful.

Anyway, if we're talking A++ level purchases here --- stuff that's not merely a great buy personally but excellent in terms of usage--

What immediately comes to mind is my Bose Soundlink Mini for $200. I think I have the 2014 model so they've improved it probably.
It's a bluetooth speaker. It's mini, travels easy, sounds amazing. Great for laptop movies, zoom 'house calls', impromptu karaoke sessions, pre-gaming in Vegas, house gatherings, etc.
It just has a booming bass sound (without disrupting neighbors) in a mini package.

It's lasted 7 years already and will probably achieve a decade of service. I use it as background cleaning music during chores as well.
TBH nothing else comes close to the grade I would give that in terms of how much usage I got out of it.

If were to go to "honorable mentions" below that, I would say-

1. Bose Noise Cancelling earbuds. However these are $250 and they DID eventually slightly break (I taped it back together, so still working). But these are the most 'noise cancelling' headphones ever. Moreso than headsets. I just don't use them too frequently. On airplane flights, they literally make crying babies, jet engines, and barking yapper dogs (yes this has happened) disappear from the universe. Just not the best overall value, but there is no substitute.

2. Basic tool set. Nuff said.

3. Kaercher CV300 Vacuum. Go to any vacuum nerd website (like reddit/r/vacuumcleaners) and this thing is a BEAST!
The community tends to take dumps on Dysons as over-marketed.

This is basically a stripped down SEBO Dart ($500) for $300 with the same internals. German made. You ever have something that just feels well-built?
Now yes uprights are primarily useful for carpeting (my floors are 90% carpeting).

Anyway it's got two motors and as a man, it makes me happy to vacuum. Feels like I'm piloting an aircraft. After some time, heat emanates from the bag, like a gattling gun cooling down from loosing the dogs of war.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: stoaX on January 13, 2021, 07:48:30 AM
We really need to turn this thread into a guide with categories if it's to be useful.

Anyway, if we're talking A++ level purchases here --- stuff that's not merely a great buy personally but excellent in terms of usage--

What immediately comes to mind is my Bose Soundlink Mini for $200. I think I have the 2014 model so they've improved it probably.
It's a bluetooth speaker. It's mini, travels easy, sounds amazing. Great for laptop movies, zoom 'house calls', impromptu karaoke sessions, pre-gaming in Vegas, house gatherings, etc.
It just has a booming bass sound (without disrupting neighbors) in a mini package.

It's lasted 7 years already and will probably achieve a decade of service. I use it as background cleaning music during chores as well.
TBH nothing else comes close to the grade I would give that in terms of how much usage I got out of it.

If were to go to "honorable mentions" below that, I would say-

1. Bose Noise Cancelling earbuds. However these are $250 and they DID eventually slightly break (I taped it back together, so still working). But these are the most 'noise cancelling' headphones ever. Moreso than headsets. I just don't use them too frequently. On airplane flights, they literally make crying babies, jet engines, and barking yapper dogs (yes this has happened) disappear from the universe. Just not the best overall value, but there is no substitute.

2. Basic tool set. Nuff said.

3. Kaercher CV300 Vacuum. Go to any vacuum nerd website (like reddit/r/vacuumcleaners) and this thing is a BEAST!
The community tends to take dumps on Dysons as over-marketed.

This is basically a stripped down SEBO Dart ($500) for $300 with the same internals. German made. You ever have something that just feels well-built?
Now yes uprights are primarily useful for carpeting (my floors are 90% carpeting).

Anyway it's got two motors and as a man, it makes me happy to vacuum. Feels like I'm piloting an aircraft. After some time, heat emanates from the bag, like a gattling gun cooling down from loosing the dogs of war.

"Like a gattling gun.....". I want that vacuum!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: joe189man on January 13, 2021, 09:15:01 AM
Revtown demin  - they are awesome, strong, stretchy i havent bought any other jeans in a couple years, they have khaki's for work too
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Lomonossov on January 14, 2021, 03:36:43 AM
Talking about Vacuum cleaners, I recently bought the Xiaomi 1C and cannot be more happy with the quality I got for the price (around EUR130, I believe). Not as nice as the Dyson design, but Dyson seems overpriced to me - design aside -.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: asauer on January 14, 2021, 07:24:24 AM
My Instapot- freaking LOVE that thing!  And my fancy home office chair.  It was pricey but NO MORE back and neck pain!  Totally worth it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChrisLansing on January 14, 2021, 07:36:37 AM
Speed Queen washer and dryer.    We bought them about 3 months ago, so it's hard to say whether or not it was a wise purchase.  Time will tell.  We could have got a resaonably reliable brand -such as Whirlpool- for about 2/3s the cost, but were concerned about the longevity.   Our thinking was that if we spend a bit more up front it will save us $ in the long run.   

OTOH, we had been getting by with used machines that cost around $250 and last 5 to 7 years.   Time will tell whether we found a better value in the long run or we outsmarted ourselves.   

In round numbers the machines were $1000 apiece and we paid for installation as well as a $50 dollar tip to each of the two delivery/intalllation men.    We are too old to carry appliances up and down basement steps anymore.   
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pjhalifax on January 14, 2021, 09:05:52 AM
We got a double oven last year and I'm still appreciative of it almost every day. Normally we stick to pretty basic appliances but this was very much worth the upgrade. Hands down the best money we've spent in quite some time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Zoot on January 14, 2021, 09:36:37 AM
My Instapot- freaking LOVE that thing!  And my fancy home office chair.  It was pricey but NO MORE back and neck pain!  Totally worth it.

They will pry my Instant Pot from my cold, dead fingers.  :)

What brand of office chair did you buy?  Been thinking about pulling the trigger on one for a while and would love a recommendation!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crimp on January 14, 2021, 09:57:39 AM
My Instapot- freaking LOVE that thing!  And my fancy home office chair.  It was pricey but NO MORE back and neck pain!  Totally worth it.

They will pry my Instant Pot from my cold, dead fingers.  :)

What brand of office chair did you buy?  Been thinking about pulling the trigger on one for a while and would love a recommendation!

Steelcase chairs are great. You can find them at ridiculous discounts right now because people are selling all the chairs from the office space they no longer lease.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on January 14, 2021, 12:29:40 PM
My Instapot- freaking LOVE that thing!  And my fancy home office chair.  It was pricey but NO MORE back and neck pain!  Totally worth it.

They will pry my Instant Pot from my cold, dead fingers.  :)

What brand of office chair did you buy?  Been thinking about pulling the trigger on one for a while and would love a recommendation!

Steelcase chairs are great. You can find them at ridiculous discounts right now because people are selling all the chairs from the office space they no longer lease.

Where are you looking for the used office equipment? Craigslist? Facebook? I've been trying to get a steelcase chair for under $100 for about a month now, and not getting any luck. I saw others on this site recommend steelcase in an earlier post in August, so been passively looking since then. Since March, I've been sitting on a wooden ikea chair, and after 2 months of pure agony being too stubborn to buy a new chair thinking "this pandemic will be over any day now," my body has mostly adapted to the chair like a monk adapts to sleeping on a stone floor.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: WSUCoug1994 on January 14, 2021, 12:34:14 PM
Tools - every tool I have ever bought

Solar - I have never spent money on something that gave me such a high return on my investment besides some of my equity investments.  It also has a positive environmental impact and takes money out of the hands of PG&E.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crimp on January 14, 2021, 01:42:54 PM
My Instapot- freaking LOVE that thing!  And my fancy home office chair.  It was pricey but NO MORE back and neck pain!  Totally worth it.

They will pry my Instant Pot from my cold, dead fingers.  :)

What brand of office chair did you buy?  Been thinking about pulling the trigger on one for a while and would love a recommendation!

Steelcase chairs are great. You can find them at ridiculous discounts right now because people are selling all the chairs from the office space they no longer lease.

Where are you looking for the used office equipment? Craigslist? Facebook? I've been trying to get a steelcase chair for under $100 for about a month now, and not getting any luck. I saw others on this site recommend steelcase in an earlier post in August, so been passively looking since then. Since March, I've been sitting on a wooden ikea chair, and after 2 months of pure agony being too stubborn to buy a new chair thinking "this pandemic will be over any day now," my body has mostly adapted to the chair like a monk adapts to sleeping on a stone floor.

I don’t use Facebook, so Craigslist is the only place I can look. I’m in a pretty dense metro area, so the offerings may be more extensive here than wherever you’re located. Hopefully you’ll get lucky trawling the marketplaces.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: CodingHare on January 15, 2021, 10:35:42 AM
Haven't seen this mentioned yet: An electric blanket.  I have spent years freezing my but off if the house temperature isn't set to 72.  By the miracle of technology, I am now cozy at 69 degrees.  I can't believe I hemmed and hawed over it for so long, it is a game changer for personal comfort.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on January 15, 2021, 10:49:56 AM
Oh, nice creature comfort! If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the heated mattress pad, though. Spouse always ends up on their side of the bed like a burrito, and I end up scrambling for a corner.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on January 15, 2021, 12:05:03 PM
Haven't seen this mentioned yet: An electric blanket.  I have spent years freezing my but off if the house temperature isn't set to 72.  By the miracle of technology, I am now cozy at 69 degrees.  I can't believe I hemmed and hawed over it for so long, it is a game changer for personal comfort.

My house is at 62 and a regular blanket is fine for me. During the day I wear pants, sweater, and socks. My 5 y/o insisted on wearing shorts today, and my 3 y/o won't wear socks at all. My mom brings her electric one when she visits.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on January 15, 2021, 02:12:53 PM
Oh, nice creature comfort! If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the heated mattress pad, though. Spouse always ends up on their side of the bed like a burrito, and I end up scrambling for a corner.
We solved that with Swedish style bedding - a big bed with two single duvets. Both of us get the right weight duvet, you get less disturbed sleep when your partner rolls over etc, and there is no fight for a corner. Gamechanger.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: CodingHare on January 15, 2021, 04:03:57 PM
Oh, nice creature comfort! If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the heated mattress pad, though. Spouse always ends up on their side of the bed like a burrito, and I end up scrambling for a corner.
We solved that with Swedish style bedding - a big bed with two single duvets. Both of us get the right weight duvet, you get less disturbed sleep when your partner rolls over etc, and there is no fight for a corner. Gamechanger.
I need to look into this!  Sheet stealing is a near universal problem, it seems.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on January 15, 2021, 04:36:41 PM
Oh, nice creature comfort! If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the heated mattress pad, though. Spouse always ends up on their side of the bed like a burrito, and I end up scrambling for a corner.
We solved that with Swedish style bedding - a big bed with two single duvets. Both of us get the right weight duvet, you get less disturbed sleep when your partner rolls over etc, and there is no fight for a corner. Gamechanger.
I need to look into this!  Sheet stealing is a near universal problem, it seems.
Fitting in with the thread, it was definitely (not very much) Money Well Spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dblaace on January 15, 2021, 05:33:49 PM
When I had my roof replaced after a hailstorm I upgraded it to class 4. The insurance savings paid the difference in 2 years and that was over 10 years ago.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Spiffy on January 17, 2021, 03:10:41 PM
Electric Garage Door Opener! When we bought our house the two garage doors were not in good shape, didn't even match each other, and made our almost cute house look ugly. I hate front facing garage doors, but in our city and price range, that is the only thing around. So after living here a few years, we finally replaced the doors and added the electric opener. Few things have made me happier. I hated getting out of the car to close the garage door, and because I was usually the last driver to leave for the day, the other bay door was up and I had to close both. Now many years later I still mutter under my breath as I press the button..."best money I ever spent".
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crocheted_stache on January 18, 2021, 11:50:25 PM
  • A full set of low-mileage All-Clad pots and pans for from someone who was moving out. I saw it get listed at $700 and the seller talked himself down to $400 in the couple days I dithered before answering the ad.
What do you like about these? I’ve never had a high end set of cookware, but We cook enough to buy one if they are really worth it.

I wouldn't have bothered with the set if it hadn't come as a set for a pretty good secondhand price. I think I'd have stuck with cast iron for skillets. What was on my list was to replace the motley collection of saucepans, including some Calphalon that really didn't age well. (Who needs a nonstick saucepan, anyway?)

I like having a second 12-quart stock pot, because we're doing some canning. I liked a small All-Clad skillet I got at a thrift store for cheap before I found this set. I used that one mainly for eggs.

The BIFL thread here is big on All-Clad, and I found a good deal on a pretty good set, so I jumped on it. I would not have bothered with the $2000 set at Costco, but I couldn't get a couple of saucepans for the price I paid.

Good cookware is worth it if you cook a lot, but you know what you have, what you use, and what you'd like to be better about your tools.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 19, 2021, 05:10:32 AM
Massively overkill heavy duty garage door springs.  The last time they broke, I did the math and estimated that at the rate we use our garage, standard springs would only last a couple of years.  The heavy duty ones will last at least 10 years.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on January 20, 2021, 12:14:48 AM
Our basement gym is yielding serious dividends, now our teenagers have started working on their gainz.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: djadziadax on January 20, 2021, 02:16:36 PM
I know others have mentioned it, but, I will mention again - an electric knife sharpener. We got it for Thanksgiving, and OMG, life changer - I cannot believe I have put up with dull knives for so long. I have been eyeing this https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11 (https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11) for about $130. We cook a lot, so I expect this to last for years and give us the pleasure of easy slicing, cutting, bonening, carving, etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 20, 2021, 02:21:01 PM
I know others have mentioned it, but, I will mention again - an electric knife sharpener. We got it for Thanksgiving, and OMG, life changer - I cannot believe I have put up with dull knives for so long. I have been eyeing this https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11 (https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11) for about $130. We cook a lot, so I expect this to last for years and give us the pleasure of easy slicing, cutting, bonening, carving, etc.

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: brunetteUK on January 20, 2021, 02:37:20 PM
I know others have mentioned it, but, I will mention again - an electric knife sharpener. We got it for Thanksgiving, and OMG, life changer - I cannot believe I have put up with dull knives for so long. I have been eyeing this https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11 (https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11) for about $130. We cook a lot, so I expect this to last for years and give us the pleasure of easy slicing, cutting, bonening, carving, etc.

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

Malcat, I want to buy a decent chef's knife and a knife sharpener but I get so lost in all the options and price points. Do you have any recommendations please?
It would make me soooo happy.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Rhinodad on January 20, 2021, 03:15:20 PM
I know others have mentioned it, but, I will mention again - an electric knife sharpener. We got it for Thanksgiving, and OMG, life changer - I cannot believe I have put up with dull knives for so long. I have been eyeing this https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11 (https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11) for about $130. We cook a lot, so I expect this to last for years and give us the pleasure of easy slicing, cutting, bonening, carving, etc.

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

Malcat, I want to buy a decent chef's knife and a knife sharpener but I get so lost in all the options and price points. Do you have any recommendations please?
It would make me soooo happy.

I'd look at Victorinox as a good, mid level quality kitchen knife...and then get a steel (non knurled) so it just straightens the blade and gets rid of burrs without taking material off...use this every time you cook. Then get a set of sharpening stones...and use those monthly...they do take material off. You can always get more expensive, more custom, but if it's just general cooking, Victorinox is a really good value. Here are sharpening stones. https://www.amazon.com/Knife-Sharpening-Stone-Set-Flattening/dp/B08GS6MXFQ/ref=asc_df_B08GS6MXFQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475692214704&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5223575225629987852&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1028087&hvtargid=pla-1039497657536&psc=1
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 20, 2021, 04:49:09 PM
I know others have mentioned it, but, I will mention again - an electric knife sharpener. We got it for Thanksgiving, and OMG, life changer - I cannot believe I have put up with dull knives for so long. I have been eyeing this https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11 (https://www.surlatable.com/pro6983/PRO-6983.html#q=knife+sharpener&prefn1=productType&prefv1=HardGood&start=11) for about $130. We cook a lot, so I expect this to last for years and give us the pleasure of easy slicing, cutting, bonening, carving, etc.

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

Malcat, I want to buy a decent chef's knife and a knife sharpener but I get so lost in all the options and price points. Do you have any recommendations please?
It would make me soooo happy.

I only buy Global knives now, but I like them very light. Some people like a lot of weight, but I prefer being nimble. I do have a cheaper heavy knife for things that require some heft though, like cleaving a butternut squash in half.

There are a ton of great knives in around the $120 range, so it's not something you have to spend a fortune on to get great quality.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: englishteacheralex on January 20, 2021, 05:02:31 PM
While we're on the subject of knives/cooking equipment:

I don't know if I already posted about this, but we bought a subscription to America's Test Kitchen in March, when the pandemic hit. That subscription has been absolutely worth every penny. Not only are the recipes plentiful and bullet-proof (especially if you take the time to read the comments, which often have very helpful tweaks), but they also have great recommendations for things like knives and knife sharpeners.

For the record: a whetstone takes some skill and has a learning curve. I was never able to master it (not that I tried very hard). An electric knife sharpener is relatively fool proof and they do add an enormous amount of utility to your knives. Dull knives are very dangerous. We have had an electric knife sharpener that we bought for around $100 eight years ago and it works great.

Also for the record: I worked in two professional kitchens for a few summers in college and they both used Victorinox knives exclusively. I mean, the chefs had their own, fancy knives, but we plebes were given Victorinox to use. Lightweight, cheap, and effective. Highly recommend.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AO1FireTo on January 20, 2021, 07:26:34 PM
IVF gave me my beautiful daughter.  Best use of money ever.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Rhinodad on January 20, 2021, 07:39:41 PM
IVF gave me my beautiful daughter.  Best use of money ever.

Winner!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: djadziadax on January 21, 2021, 07:05:04 AM

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

We did have a hand/manual sharpener with two stages, and that is why I hesitated for about 3 or 4 years to get the electric one. The electric one we got can sharpen serrated knives as well and we have two of those so wanted to have them sharp also.

The difference between manual and electric is vast - mostly because of the high quality grinding/polishing wheels. It is two or three stage sharpening process but most people do not read the instructions and do not sharpen properly and leave little burrs on the edges.

The way I know the sharpening was better - we had out Sontoku sharpened first - and I was able to cut a soft tomato with NO-to VERY LIGHT pressure applied on the knife - I basically lightly touched the knife to the tomato, and just glided it down - it was somewhat scary how easily it cut it. Then I understood why it is so painless to cut yourself at first - you would hardly even notice it was so effortless. Thus, chopping, cutting becomes almost effortless.

If you are able to get to this level of sharpness with your current setup, then you don't need an electric one. But we dont have the energy/time to sharpen every time we use the knives, and I have basically guaranteed ourselves sharp knives for decades to come.

I agree with the Victorinox - we have the serrated knife and it is good.

Now we need to upgrade our paring knives to something more substantial and the steel is not good.

I have looked into the Global line, but cannot get myself to pay the $100 for the basic Chef's knife, it will probably take me another 3 years to move on that.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: djadziadax on January 21, 2021, 07:08:04 AM
IVF gave me my beautiful daughter.  Best use of money ever.

I think that one takes the cake! Blessings!!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: WSUCoug1994 on January 21, 2021, 08:34:06 AM
IVF gave me my beautiful daughter.  Best use of money ever.

mic drop - thread killer - can't really top that
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 21, 2021, 07:40:21 PM

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

We did have a hand/manual sharpener with two stages, and that is why I hesitated for about 3 or 4 years to get the electric one. The electric one we got can sharpen serrated knives as well and we have two of those so wanted to have them sharp also.

The difference between manual and electric is vast - mostly because of the high quality grinding/polishing wheels. It is two or three stage sharpening process but most people do not read the instructions and do not sharpen properly and leave little burrs on the edges.

The way I know the sharpening was better - we had out Sontoku sharpened first - and I was able to cut a soft tomato with NO-to VERY LIGHT pressure applied on the knife - I basically lightly touched the knife to the tomato, and just glided it down - it was somewhat scary how easily it cut it. Then I understood why it is so painless to cut yourself at first - you would hardly even notice it was so effortless. Thus, chopping, cutting becomes almost effortless.

If you are able to get to this level of sharpness with your current setup, then you don't need an electric one. But we dont have the energy/time to sharpen every time we use the knives, and I have basically guaranteed ourselves sharp knives for decades to come.

I agree with the Victorinox - we have the serrated knife and it is good.

Now we need to upgrade our paring knives to something more substantial and the steel is not good.

I have looked into the Global line, but cannot get myself to pay the $100 for the basic Chef's knife, it will probably take me another 3 years to move on that.

Yep, my knife is always that sharp, I use the manual wet stone sharpener that the Japanese knife store recommended to my mom when she bought me the knife a very long time ago. That's why I was so curious. It takes me about 15 seconds to use and keeps my blade extremely sharp because I use it every time. I've never looked into sharpeners because I never needed to, but people rave about electric sharpeners, so I was curious.

Global knives are pretty cheap for the quality, I find them to be an extraordinary value. However, that's because I really value my knife being light weight. I have wrist injuries from my chef years (and a genetic predisposition to injuries), so a light knife is important to me.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on January 22, 2021, 08:31:51 AM

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

We did have a hand/manual sharpener with two stages, and that is why I hesitated for about 3 or 4 years to get the electric one. The electric one we got can sharpen serrated knives as well and we have two of those so wanted to have them sharp also.

The difference between manual and electric is vast - mostly because of the high quality grinding/polishing wheels. It is two or three stage sharpening process but most people do not read the instructions and do not sharpen properly and leave little burrs on the edges.

The way I know the sharpening was better - we had out Sontoku sharpened first - and I was able to cut a soft tomato with NO-to VERY LIGHT pressure applied on the knife - I basically lightly touched the knife to the tomato, and just glided it down - it was somewhat scary how easily it cut it. Then I understood why it is so painless to cut yourself at first - you would hardly even notice it was so effortless. Thus, chopping, cutting becomes almost effortless.

If you are able to get to this level of sharpness with your current setup, then you don't need an electric one. But we dont have the energy/time to sharpen every time we use the knives, and I have basically guaranteed ourselves sharp knives for decades to come.

I agree with the Victorinox - we have the serrated knife and it is good.

Now we need to upgrade our paring knives to something more substantial and the steel is not good.

I have looked into the Global line, but cannot get myself to pay the $100 for the basic Chef's knife, it will probably take me another 3 years to move on that.

Yep, my knife is always that sharp, I use the manual wet stone sharpener that the Japanese knife store recommended to my mom when she bought me the knife a very long time ago. That's why I was so curious. It takes me about 15 seconds to use and keeps my blade extremely sharp because I use it every time. I've never looked into sharpeners because I never needed to, but people rave about electric sharpeners, so I was curious.

Global knives are pretty cheap for the quality, I find them to be an extraordinary value. However, that's because I really value my knife being light weight. I have wrist injuries from my chef years (and a genetic predisposition to injuries), so a light knife is important to me.

I was given a chef's choice electric sharpener a few years ago by my in-laws who had received it as a gift 15-20 years ago, and never used it. Today's equivalent model appears to be nearly $200 online (!!!!), and i have read online that the diamond abrasives can wear off after awhile. Does anyone know what the life expectancy is? @djadziadax you say "decades" but is that true?? I'm nervous about using the sharpener too much (i maybe use it 3-4x a year) for fear of wearing it out after a year or two and then i have to spend another $200 to replace it... Any thoughts? If it truly could be used 5-10 thousand times, then i wouldn't hesitate to run my knifes through before using each time, but i guess i'm just scared of premature wear....
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 22, 2021, 08:37:29 AM

I'm just curious how an electric version is superior to a much cheaper manual sharpener? I sharpen every time I cook, and I agree it makes a huge difference, but I'm curious what makes the huge uptick in cost for electric so worthwhile?

We did have a hand/manual sharpener with two stages, and that is why I hesitated for about 3 or 4 years to get the electric one. The electric one we got can sharpen serrated knives as well and we have two of those so wanted to have them sharp also.

The difference between manual and electric is vast - mostly because of the high quality grinding/polishing wheels. It is two or three stage sharpening process but most people do not read the instructions and do not sharpen properly and leave little burrs on the edges.

The way I know the sharpening was better - we had out Sontoku sharpened first - and I was able to cut a soft tomato with NO-to VERY LIGHT pressure applied on the knife - I basically lightly touched the knife to the tomato, and just glided it down - it was somewhat scary how easily it cut it. Then I understood why it is so painless to cut yourself at first - you would hardly even notice it was so effortless. Thus, chopping, cutting becomes almost effortless.

If you are able to get to this level of sharpness with your current setup, then you don't need an electric one. But we dont have the energy/time to sharpen every time we use the knives, and I have basically guaranteed ourselves sharp knives for decades to come.

I agree with the Victorinox - we have the serrated knife and it is good.

Now we need to upgrade our paring knives to something more substantial and the steel is not good.

I have looked into the Global line, but cannot get myself to pay the $100 for the basic Chef's knife, it will probably take me another 3 years to move on that.

Yep, my knife is always that sharp, I use the manual wet stone sharpener that the Japanese knife store recommended to my mom when she bought me the knife a very long time ago. That's why I was so curious. It takes me about 15 seconds to use and keeps my blade extremely sharp because I use it every time. I've never looked into sharpeners because I never needed to, but people rave about electric sharpeners, so I was curious.

Global knives are pretty cheap for the quality, I find them to be an extraordinary value. However, that's because I really value my knife being light weight. I have wrist injuries from my chef years (and a genetic predisposition to injuries), so a light knife is important to me.

I was given a chef's choice electric sharpener a few years ago by my in-laws who had received it as a gift 15-20 years ago, and never used it. Today's equivalent model appears to be nearly $200 online (!!!!), and i have read online that the diamond abrasives can wear off after awhile. Does anyone know what the life expectancy is? @djadziadax you say "decades" but is that true?? I'm nervous about using the sharpener too much (i maybe use it 3-4x a year) for fear of wearing it out after a year or two and then i have to spend another $200 to replace it... Any thoughts? If it truly could be used 5-10 thousand times, then i wouldn't hesitate to run my knifes through before using each time, but i guess i'm just scared of premature wear....

I would just use it. If it's a shitty product that wears out with normal use, then don't buy a new one because it's a shitty product.

I've used my wet stone sharpener literally every time I've used my knife for nearly 20 years and it's still working.

A quick google tells me that my sharpener is actually a Global product, so that makes sense that my mom bought it with my knife.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/300584441171597299/image?q=ceramic+water+stone+sharpener&client=ms-android-bell-ca-revc&prmd=sivn&sxsrf=ALeKk00fR7gGkA_UmJJWaSevsEA793rZPw:1611329756617&biw=360&bih=621&dpr=3&prds=cid:300584441171597299,cs:1,sgro:iv,mvi:0
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: djadziadax on January 22, 2021, 03:55:26 PM
Quote

A quick google tells me that my sharpener is actually a Global product, so that makes sense that my mom bought it with my knife.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/300584441171597299/image?q=ceramic+water+stone+sharpener&client=ms-android-bell-ca-revc&prmd=sivn&sxsrf=ALeKk00fR7gGkA_UmJJWaSevsEA793rZPw:1611329756617&biw=360&bih=621&dpr=3&prds=cid:300584441171597299,cs:1,sgro:iv,mvi:0

Wow, I wish I knew about this one! It is 40% of the price of the electric, and great reviews!

I will look into Global again - which knife/knives do you have - and what paring knife would you recommend?

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 22, 2021, 05:30:11 PM
Quote

A quick google tells me that my sharpener is actually a Global product, so that makes sense that my mom bought it with my knife.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/300584441171597299/image?q=ceramic+water+stone+sharpener&client=ms-android-bell-ca-revc&prmd=sivn&sxsrf=ALeKk00fR7gGkA_UmJJWaSevsEA793rZPw:1611329756617&biw=360&bih=621&dpr=3&prds=cid:300584441171597299,cs:1,sgro:iv,mvi:0

Wow, I wish I knew about this one! It is 40% of the price of the electric, and great reviews!

I will look into Global again - which knife/knives do you have - and what paring knife would you recommend?

Yeah, it's worked spectacularly well for me for a very long time and literally takes a matter of seconds and is very easy to use.

I rarely use a paring knife and when I do, I use a basic kitchen supply store one, the type that come with bright primary colour, plastic handles.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on January 22, 2021, 05:39:11 PM
I spent money on a professional hair cut today. $66 including tip. The lady gave me instructions on how to better take care of my hair at home, and didn't try to upsell me on products. She even told me how to find diy recipes for some things. My scalp feels so good and my hair is a better shape. I don't think I've been to a salon since my wedding, 12 years ago.
I will definitely recommend that salon to anyone who asks.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Prairie Gal on January 22, 2021, 05:57:21 PM
I spent money on a professional hair cut today. $66 including tip. The lady gave me instructions on how to better take care of my hair at home, and didn't try to upsell me on products. She even told me how to find diy recipes for some things. My scalp feels so good and my hair is a better shape. I don't think I've been to a salon since my wedding, 12 years ago.
I will definitely recommend that salon to anyone who asks.

That sounds like a great "spend". I only had three haircuts in 2020, and none so far this year. The salons were shut down for a good portion of the year. I have short hair, so I have been DIYing it, but I really need a good cut.



My "money well spent"  is paying $200 U.S. for a year subscription to an online photography community. It includes weekly live webinars, tutorials, challenges, a private message board, etc. It has been so good for me! It has really re-ignited a spark of motivation for my photography. It was definitely a good investment.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on January 22, 2021, 07:40:26 PM
I spent money on a fancy new bike trailer. The brand is Wike and they are legit made in Canada. The cool thing about it, in addition to being high quality and intelligently designed, is that it is designed to accommodate older kids than all the other trailers.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210123/78537317729de1d018a1fcd41ecd0265.jpg)
My sweet ride :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on January 22, 2021, 08:29:46 PM
Ooh, pretty! Can all three munchkins fit in there together?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GeeVee on January 23, 2021, 02:34:23 AM
Here in the Netherlands, everything is pretty much closed due to Covid. I sent my hairdresser a few hundred euro in January with a message ‘Christmas bonus’, so that he knew that it was gift with no strings attached. He sent me thank you message telling me that I made his day.

I bought a deep pink dress from a very small UK company which makes the most lovely dresses for going to weddings, races, etc.. I am going to wear it everywhere like my other Bombshell dresses. I don’t need this dress, but  it is a lovely little company with dedicated staff and I want their business to survive.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: alienbogey on January 23, 2021, 12:17:14 PM
Hard to choose but here goes:

•  Powermatic 66 tablesaw.  It was very painful for us to purchase circa 2000, but it was the best tablesaw we could buy at the time.  Still made in Tennessee then, union workers, with the cast tabletops seasoned for a year before milled dead flat, robust, perfectly parallel fence, Baldor motor, etc, etc.  It's still in our basement shop and gives quiet satisfaction every time we turn it on.

•  KitchenAid stand mixer.  A splurge by DW.  She loves it and it makes me happy to see how much she enjoys using it.  I like it, too.

•  BMW R nineT motorcycle.  A big splurge by me, but it's like being an 11 year old given an annual pass to unlimited amusement park rides.  If it weren't 33 degrees out right now I'd be on it today.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: HBFIRE on January 23, 2021, 02:28:55 PM
Installed two Toto bidets (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCIOWRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  a few months ago.  I think it might be the best purchase I've made in many years.  Heated, self cleaning, with a dryer -- I feel like a freaking king.  Huge savings on toilet paper was worth it alone.  Now I see why these are so popular in Europe and Asia.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Adventine on January 23, 2021, 10:26:16 PM
Installed two Toto bidets (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCIOWRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  a few months ago.  I think it might be the best purchase I've made in many years.  Heated, self cleaning, with a dryer -- I feel like a freaking king.  Huge savings on toilet paper was worth it alone.  Now I see why these are so popular in Europe and Asia.

Another bidet convert! I am so happy for you.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on January 24, 2021, 07:44:57 PM
Ooh, pretty! Can all three munchkins fit in there together?
Nope, I haven’t seen any that large. I expect it is limited by the width of the trailer rather than the height or length
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on January 24, 2021, 07:45:54 PM
Installed two Toto bidets (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCIOWRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  a few months ago.  I think it might be the best purchase I've made in many years.  Heated, self cleaning, with a dryer -- I feel like a freaking king.  Huge savings on toilet paper was worth it alone.  Now I see why these are so popular in Europe and Asia.
I desperately want these. They had them in all the restrooms at my old work and I finally understood why they are the best thing ever. Regular toilet paper now feels barbaric.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BussoV6 on January 25, 2021, 06:27:39 AM
Decent office chair. I have WFH for about 17 years and started with a pretty shitty office chair. DW got tired of my complaints and persuaded me to get a good chair about 10 years ago. What a change! The chair is a Herman Miller aeron.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: poetdereves on January 25, 2021, 09:04:21 AM
Last year I paid for a full year of jiu jitsu up front as a black friday deal from an instructor near me. I had always wanted to try it and knew I could benefit by growing my strength, endurance, and learning how to stick to something hard that sucks. It was more than I had ever spent on any type of sport or activity in my life, but I went all year and made progress in an awesome skill, made great friends, learned how to stay committed to something that sucks over and over, and built my self-confidence. I just signed up and paid for another year in full and have zero regrets.

Because of how I felt in jiu jitsu and all of the progress I have been making I also signed up with a personal coach who helps me organize my day, set some long term goals, plans my meals, and builds all my workouts in and out of the gym. I had tried for the entire decade of my 20s to get in great shape, but I always came a bit short doing it on my own. Just like jiu jitsu, this coach cost 3x more than I had ever even considered spending on a trainer. In the past few months I have lost 23 pounds, increased my maximum lifts in every Olympic lift farther than I could have imagined, learned how to eat to fuel my body, and have broke all my personal running records from my teen years. I even completed two 50 mile races this year and got in the top 5 in a 50k trail race.

All things considered I spent over $5,000 this year on just these two activities, but the confidence I have now and the years I have added onto my life are worth many many times that amount. I am 32 and am lighter, stronger, and more capable in every way than I was at 18.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: achvfi on January 25, 2021, 11:00:40 AM
All things considered I spent over $5,000 this year on just these two activities, but the confidence I have now and the years I have added onto my life are worth many many times that amount. I am 32 and am lighter, stronger, and more capable in every way than I was at 18.
That is just crazy isn't it.
I am on my new health journey for last 4 months, educating myself about how the body works, eating clean food, lower stress, getting good sleep and balanced physical activity. I am getting younger by the week.

Just like Financial independence, this is my new obsession. I now have previously unimaginable goals like maintaining  body 10 younger than my real age.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on January 25, 2021, 11:11:01 AM
A $15/month Zoom license. It’s been useful for hosting both meetings with my community volunteer groups and for virtual happy hours with friends.

Still worth it. In the last two weeks alone, I've hosted work meetings, family virtual get-togethers, and sanity support meetings with friends. There's no way I could have organized my political volunteer meetings last fall without it.

The yoga studio membership (unlimited live virtual classes) and new kitten have also been money very well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dreamer40 on January 25, 2021, 12:49:15 PM
These are aren't recent purchases, but some of the best money I've spent was on:

Adjustable powerblocks and a 6x10 workout mat for my garage floor. Those, combined with free workouts from fitnessblender.com have drastically improved my body and health over the past few years. Sometimes I also buy their cheap programs where they populate a calendar for you with the free workouts.

Trip to Antarctica and Santorini. I still enjoy the memories years later.

Leesa hybrid mattress and a bedframe from Article.com. Plus nice sheets. Great sleep and my bedroom makes me happy.

I finally bought a house that I really love instead of all the other places where I've lived that were fine, but sacrificed things that actually do make me happy. I enjoy the house and I enjoy the feeling of being finally settled, i.e., not wanting to upgrade to something better someday.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BradminOxt19 on January 26, 2021, 03:12:15 AM
Best money I ever spent was a nice house with a nice view.  Enjoyed the crap out of it, and then sold it for way more than I was expecting, over $100k tax free profit.

Next best money ever spent was the next house I moved to. :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BradminOxt19 on January 26, 2021, 03:15:37 AM
My Dyson V8 Animal vacuum cleaner. It cost over $250, making it 5X more than any other vacuum I've ever owned. I live in the country and have pets, so I had become used to everything being covered with dust and fur. No more! It's so light and easy to use and has a ton of attachments. I never thought I'd see the day I would become the woman who vacuums every day. But then again I never thought I'd see the day my house was clean every day too. Major game changer!

Every time someone makes a post extolling the virtues of this thing, I get closer to buying one. @Us2bCool , you are leading me down a dangerous path! :)
I've bought Dyson vacuum cleaner before and it died after 6 months of light use.  I'm not sure what the hype is around Dyson vacs.  I returned mine to CostCo and bought a much cheaper vacuum that is still going strong 1 year later.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on January 26, 2021, 05:10:14 AM
Dyson has it's fame simply for the sound and that you can look at it working.
I actually think it has been totally China-ised? Like belongs to Chinese company and sells only China produced?

Installed two Toto bidets (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCIOWRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  a few months ago.  I think it might be the best purchase I've made in many years.  Heated, self cleaning, with a dryer -- I feel like a freaking king.  Huge savings on toilet paper was worth it alone.  Now I see why these are so popular in Europe and Asia.
I don't think Europe is correct (I know no private household who has one). And Asia I guess many are still not on that financial level even.

Also I would strongly suspect that the water and electricity is a lot more expensive than the paper ;) Which doesn't change that it is one of the most cost effect QoL thing you can do.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 26, 2021, 06:48:45 AM
I finally bought a house that I really love instead of all the other places where I've lived that were fine, but sacrificed things that actually do make me happy. I enjoy the house and I enjoy the feeling of being finally settled, i.e., not wanting to upgrade to something better someday.

Argh. This one torments me.

Our last home was very nice, more than nice enough for us, and a really good investment, but it was never what I wanted, and I was always dreaming about moving on.

We moved about a year and a half ago into our "dream" home and it's been amazing to have no urge to ever leave. I love it so much. DH and I both still marvel at how great it is living here.

Conveniently for us, our dream home is tiny and cheap, so that really worked out for us financially.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: HBFIRE on January 26, 2021, 10:04:15 AM


I don't think Europe is correct (I know no private household who has one). And Asia I guess many are still not on that financial level even.

Also I would strongly suspect that the water and electricity is a lot more expensive than the paper ;) Which doesn't change that it is one of the most cost effect QoL thing you can do.

Interesting, in my travels to Europe and Asia I came across them quite often.  Maybe not as popular as I thought, but certainly much more prevalent than USA.  I was surprised how many public and hotel restrooms had them, which simply doesn't exist in the US.  Edit: Apparently they are widely popular in Italy, France, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, and Venezuela, and Southeast Asia (not so popular in Northern Europe).  Per wikipedia: Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries, especially Italy, where they are found in 97% of households (the installation of a bidet in a bathroom has been mandatory since 1975), Spain, and Portugal (installation is mandatory also since 1975). Additionally, they are rather widespread, although not standard, in France, and within Europe are often found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, and Greece.

Regarding water costs, actually its extremely minimal.  A washlet only uses 1/8th of a gallon per use, less than you use washing your hands -- the average toilet uses about four gallons per flush, so you're increasing your toilet water use by 3%.  Of course it will take a couple years to recoup the initial cost, but I'm okay with that!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 26, 2021, 12:01:07 PM


I don't think Europe is correct (I know no private household who has one). And Asia I guess many are still not on that financial level even.

Also I would strongly suspect that the water and electricity is a lot more expensive than the paper ;) Which doesn't change that it is one of the most cost effect QoL thing you can do.
Regarding water costs, actually its extremely minimal.  A washlet only uses 1/8th of a gallon per use, less than you use washing your hands -- the average toilet uses about four gallons per flush, so you're increasing your toilet water use by 3%.  Of course it will take a couple years to recoup the initial cost, but I'm okay with that!
Point of order: The standard for US toilets has been 1.6 gallons per flush since 1994.  Your point about the bidet increasing water use very marginally is still valid, though.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 26, 2021, 12:28:44 PM


I don't think Europe is correct (I know no private household who has one). And Asia I guess many are still not on that financial level even.

Also I would strongly suspect that the water and electricity is a lot more expensive than the paper ;) Which doesn't change that it is one of the most cost effect QoL thing you can do.
Regarding water costs, actually its extremely minimal.  A washlet only uses 1/8th of a gallon per use, less than you use washing your hands -- the average toilet uses about four gallons per flush, so you're increasing your toilet water use by 3%.  Of course it will take a couple years to recoup the initial cost, but I'm okay with that!
Point of order: The standard for US toilets has been 1.6 gallons per flush since 1994.  Your point about the bidet increasing water use very marginally is still valid, though.
I love that there are other people on this forum who have misc. numbers like this stuck in their heads too.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on January 26, 2021, 01:55:24 PM
Dyson has it's fame simply for the sound and that you can look at it working.
I actually think it has been totally China-ised? Like belongs to Chinese company and sells only China produced?

Installed two Toto bidets (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCIOWRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  a few months ago.  I think it might be the best purchase I've made in many years.  Heated, self cleaning, with a dryer -- I feel like a freaking king.  Huge savings on toilet paper was worth it alone.  Now I see why these are so popular in Europe and Asia.
I don't think Europe is correct (I know no private household who has one). And Asia I guess many are still not on that financial level even.

Also I would strongly suspect that the water and electricity is a lot more expensive than the paper ;) Which doesn't change that it is one of the most cost effect QoL thing you can do.

I found bidets common in my travels to Italy and France. Not ubiquitous, no, but not uncommon in hotels/museums/restaurants. In the USA, they are in exactly 0 hotels/museums/restaurants in the entire country.

In Italy they were not the fancy water jet kind, but the standalone kind, which i still cannot figure out. In France we saw the fancy toilet seats and there were a few wall-mounted sprayer hoses.

Just my experience though. We have 2 tushy bidets (no hot water or electricity near my toilets for fancier versions), and i am a true believer in the bidet. I promise you that they save you money. Google tells me that i should be spending $10 on toilet paper a month per person. There is 0% chance i am spending $10 a month on water for my bidet. Where i live, i get about 3 gallons of water per penny. So even if i use a gallon of water a day in my bidet, at the end of the month i am spending $0.30. I promise you i'm not using 1 gallon a day on my bidet. Maybe 10% of a gallon. Maybe. So, my bidet's water use is less than a quarter a month. That leaves me with $9.75 leftover from my toilet paper usage. My bidets don't consume electricity, but $9.75 of electricity leaves me with 81 kWh of electricity in my state. My warm water humidifier draws 400watts. In other words, I can boil water constantly for 1 hour, and it costs me 0.4 kWh. So assuming that my warm water humidifier heats water at the same use that a bidet would (which is a stretch, because i don't want 212F water spraying my asshole), my bidet would need to be boiling water for 202 hours to make up the $9.75. That's a lot of time on the throne!!

So no. Bidets do not cost even a FRACTION of the cost of toilet paper.


Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MoseyingAlong on January 26, 2021, 03:44:43 PM

I found bidets common in my travels to Italy and France. Not ubiquitous, no, but not uncommon in hotels/museums/restaurants. In the USA, they are in exactly 0 hotels/museums/restaurants in the entire country.

Not so fast.
Some Sapp Brothers Truck Stops have bidets. I think the one in Council Bluffs. Don't remember them in Omaha.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on January 27, 2021, 04:22:57 AM
Quote
Google tells me that i should be spending $10 on toilet paper a month per person.
WHUUTT???

WTF have you asked google? Toilet paper prices for Neumeyer III (Antartica)?

I am quite sure I have paid less than 10 dollar for the whole last year!


And yes, you find bedets in hotels a lot more. Actually I have to correct myself: I know one private household with one, but that guy build a huge house (for Germany) and lived most of his childhood in New Zealand, so that may influence that.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on January 27, 2021, 04:30:51 AM

I found bidets common in my travels to Italy and France. Not ubiquitous, no, but not uncommon in hotels/museums/restaurants. In the USA, they are in exactly 0 hotels/museums/restaurants in the entire country.

Not so fast.
Some Sapp Brothers Truck Stops have bidets. I think the one in Council Bluffs. Don't remember them in Omaha.

At a truck stop?!?!?! That is wild to me. That would be the last place I would imagine them!

I guess I'm hanging around the wrong truck stops.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on January 27, 2021, 04:34:58 AM
Quote
Google tells me that i should be spending $10 on toilet paper a month per person.
WHUUTT???

WTF have you asked google? Toilet paper prices for Neumeyer III (Antartica)?

I am quite sure I have paid less than 10 dollar for the whole last year!


And yes, you find bedets in hotels a lot more. Actually I have to correct myself: I know one private household with one, but that guy build a huge house (for Germany) and lived most of his childhood in New Zealand, so that may influence that.

Americans like their TP I guess? Not sure what to tell you. Here's a link (though it includes paper towels and napkins too): https://www.statista.com/statistics/305513/us-expenditure-on-cleansing-and-toilet-tissue-paper-towels-and-napkins/

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Adventine on January 27, 2021, 09:07:23 AM
Don't you guys see... Americans need so much toilet paper because they don't have bidets...

I've had to deal with non-bidet equipped toilets so I know. I KNOW.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ohio4life on January 27, 2021, 09:44:25 AM
Bidet: I couldn't agree more on this one. I have had a few retrofit style bidet attachments. They have been great, but cleaning them is a bit of a challenge. I still utilize one that is integrated into a replacement seat and is great. I'm slowly DIYing my master bath. It's a work in progress as I went beyond stud and redid the layout and plumbing locations. My one splurge item in the bathrooms is going to be a Toto Washlet (electric required for heating and other features). It'll be years before I can say if that was worth it or not.

Bikes: I have a 15 year old 600 dollar Specialized Allez road bike that I have probably put another 600 into it over the years and it is still great. I can't imagine replacing it, but I do want an electric bike too.




Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 27, 2021, 11:59:54 AM
At the risk of derailing the thread.

The least enjoyable part of taking a shower is putting on my clothes (especially underwear) before I'm 100% completely dry.

I've only used a bidet when there was no TP and hated it (see above). Does this not bother everyone who is praising them here? I've seen fancy bidets that also offer an air dry option, but based on how well most hand dryers work I wouldn't expect great results.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: HBFIRE on January 27, 2021, 12:09:32 PM

I've only used a bidet when there was no TP and hated it (see above). Does this not bother everyone who is praising them here? I've seen fancy bidets that also offer an air dry option, but based on how well most hand dryers work I wouldn't expect great results.

Dryer works extremely well, and usually yes you do use a small piece of paper to dry.   Bidets are amazing, will never go back.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on January 28, 2021, 04:08:50 AM
Don't you guys see... Americans need so much toilet paper because they don't have bidets...

I've had to deal with non-bidet equipped toilets so I know. I KNOW.
Nah, it's because of the meal portions sizes. What goes in needs to come out!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Adventine on January 28, 2021, 04:19:46 AM
At the risk of derailing the thread.

The least enjoyable part of taking a shower is putting on my clothes (especially underwear) before I'm 100% completely dry.

I've only used a bidet when there was no TP and hated it (see above). Does this not bother everyone who is praising them here? I've seen fancy bidets that also offer an air dry option, but based on how well most hand dryers work I wouldn't expect great results.

I've just been struck by a revelation about all the bidet naysayers here.

It's not bidet OR toilet paper. It's bidet AND toilet paper. I would absolutely hate being obliged to use only a bidet.

Here are my steps:

1. Bodily function on the toilet
2. Allow a minute or two to drip
3. Bidet. Nice and gentle.
4. Allow another minute or two to drip. Shimmy a bit, if you have to, to shake off all the drops.
5. Use a bit of toilet paper to pat dry.
6. Ta-da! Nice happy clean bottom.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 28, 2021, 01:29:01 PM
At the risk of derailing the thread.

The least enjoyable part of taking a shower is putting on my clothes (especially underwear) before I'm 100% completely dry.

I've only used a bidet when there was no TP and hated it (see above). Does this not bother everyone who is praising them here? I've seen fancy bidets that also offer an air dry option, but based on how well most hand dryers work I wouldn't expect great results.

I've just been struck by a revelation about all the bidet naysayers here.

It's not bidet OR toilet paper. It's bidet AND toilet paper. I would absolutely hate being obliged to use only a bidet.

Here are my steps:

1. Bodily function on the toilet
2. Allow a minute or two to drip
3. Bidet. Nice and gentle.
4. Allow another minute or two to drip. Shimmy a bit, if you have to, to shake off all the drops.
5. Use a bit of toilet paper to pat dry.
6. Ta-da! Nice happy clean bottom.

Thanks @Adventine, I'll keep that in mind next time I see one.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on January 28, 2021, 01:31:50 PM
On topic again.

Noise cancelling Airpods. They really make a difference when trying to focus while sharing a space with someone who needs to spend significant time on the phone and they also work great when I am on the phone and need my hands. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: better late on February 03, 2021, 12:33:25 PM
Best purchase ever: Blood Pressure Monitor

Having those readings in hand got us out the door to the ER where they saved DH’s life/prevented a major stroke.

Many years later both DH and Monitor are doing great.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: achvfi on February 03, 2021, 03:11:48 PM
Best purchase ever: Blood Pressure Monitor

Having those readings in hand got us out the door to the ER where they saved DH’s life/prevented a major stroke.

Many years later both DH and Monitor are doing great.
Lifesaving! How did you know to check for BP in the situation?  Good for you.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on February 04, 2021, 04:02:21 AM
Best purchase ever: Blood Pressure Monitor

Having those readings in hand got us out the door to the ER where they saved DH’s life/prevented a major stroke.

Many years later both DH and Monitor are doing great.
Lifesaving! How did you know to check for BP in the situation?  Good for you.

I do a check once per week or so with my 25€ arm blood pressure monitor. Certainly worth it to know your normal levels and spot strange behavior if it happens. I had a stressy time 2 years ago and my pressure went above 160 on bad days. (Bad weather. I react quite strong to it but normally it is not above 135 in those cases.)

Doctor gave me a 24h thingy. Annoying, but everything was totally okay by that time (In our Socialism medicine you get it without additional costs, but you might wait up to 3 month until one is free if you aren't an emergency). Still right decision to let it check. There are some things where it's better to waste a bit of time and nerves just to be sure. Your heart certainly is one of them.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SpaceCow on February 04, 2021, 11:30:55 AM
The bidet was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. I've been using a cheap, $40 generic no-name Chinese bidet attachment for nearly a year, and I can't think of any other purchase that has done more to improve my daily life.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dignam on February 04, 2021, 12:29:00 PM
Decent office chair. I have WFH for about 17 years and started with a pretty shitty office chair. DW got tired of my complaints and persuaded me to get a good chair about 10 years ago. What a change! The chair is a Herman Miller aeron.

I came here to post the same thing.  Recently spent about $300 on a nice office chair and it was worth every single penny.  Serta Arlington.  I spend a large amount of my day in this chair for work, school and gaming.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dandypandys on February 15, 2021, 06:38:14 AM
The bidet was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. I've been using a cheap, $40 generic no-name Chinese bidet attachment for nearly a year, and I can't think of any other purchase that has done more to improve my daily life.

Ok this is not exactly what I had planned to do this morning while drinking my coffee- researching Bidet Attachments! LOL
 Actually a lot are around 40 bucks. But can't decide if I need one, if I want one,  or if it will be a nightmare mess- like some of the one star reviews say. Granted those are only 2% of the 20000 reviews. Both Bio bidet and Luxe have some of the messy water going everywhere comments.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Much Fishing to Do on February 15, 2021, 11:10:19 AM
Best purchase ever: Blood Pressure Monitor

Having those readings in hand got us out the door to the ER where they saved DH’s life/prevented a major stroke.

Many years later both DH and Monitor are doing great.
Lifesaving! How did you know to check for BP in the situation?  Good for you.

I do a check once per week or so with my 25€ arm blood pressure monitor. Certainly worth it to know your normal levels and spot strange behavior if it happens. I had a stressy time 2 years ago and my pressure went above 160 on bad days. (Bad weather. I react quite strong to it but normally it is not above 135 in those cases.)

Doctor gave me a 24h thingy. Annoying, but everything was totally okay by that time (In our Socialism medicine you get it without additional costs, but you might wait up to 3 month until one is free if you aren't an emergency). Still right decision to let it check. There are some things where it's better to waste a bit of time and nerves just to be sure. Your heart certainly is one of them.

Agreed.  I had high (but not high enough yet to want medication) bp when I would check it during the rare drug store trip, ran in the family (even with the extremely healthy family members), so no surprises there.  I was having some bad days at work after which I would just feel physically unwell.  I would think a path of Ton of stress TO feeling unwell made sense, but got one of these things and on a whim checked my bp at the end of a couple of those days and it helped me figure out the actual cause/effect path was more ton of stress TO spiking bp TO feeling unwell.  Had no idea, and now I know.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: snic on February 21, 2021, 06:58:50 PM
Bose SleepBuds. They fit in your ear comfortably so you can sleep on your side. They play white noise and relaxing sounds (but unfortunately not music). They've been the best $300 I've spent in my life because they drown out my spouse's snoring (or 90% of it - they aren't perfect).

A LifeSpan treadmill desk. More accurately, a LifeSpan treadmill that I set up with an adjustable wall-mounted shelf to use as a treadmill desk. Sitting is the new smoking, and I quit "smoking."

An Instant Pot. Homemade yogurt is delicious! And way cheaper than buying it.

An immersion blender. Creamy soup in seconds without having to transfer it to a blender.

A single-serve coffee maker that uses regular ground coffee, not those stupid expensive pods. The brand is Hamilton Beach.  I think $25 or $30 on Amazon. It has a genius double-screen filterless system so there's no need to buy filters either. Since no one else in the house drinks coffee, this is perfect. (People on Amazon complain that it leave sludge in the coffee. Well, the very last sip is sludge and that's it. Maybe don't drink the last sip?)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FIRE Artist on February 21, 2021, 07:35:47 PM
Something I got during the lock down is a Bissel Crosswave hard floor cleaner which both vacuums and scrubs the floor.  I have been nursing an elderly dog, who has issues with eating her meals without making a mess dropping her home made diet all over the kitchen, and also issues with incontinence.  This thing has made my life so much easier to clean up after her.  There is no way a mop and bucket would do the job anywhere near as well. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: djadziadax on February 22, 2021, 07:14:56 AM

An Instant Pot. Homemade yogurt is delicious! And way cheaper than buying it.

We have been making yogurt with the Instant Pot for at least 3 years - have not bough yogurt in that long and we eat about half a gallon a week.

The best "accessory" for making the most delicious, thick yogurt is a thermometer - Habor 022 Instant Read Thermometer  - at $13 it is not the cheapest, but it was recommended. Best yogurt comes out at temp between 110F and 115F (closer to the 115F).  I thought about buying this for at least 2 years, and thought it was not necessary, but really has made a huge difference in the consistency of the quality of the yogurt.

We have also used it to check meat done-ness, water temp for green tea (should be at 170F to not burn the tea), water temp for starting yeast for bread, etc. It has been super helpful to have this thermometer.

Also our best combination for yogurt is FAGE 5% as a starter for the yogurt, and then reuse the ready yogurt another few time, and then buy another small container of FAGE (usually .99c).

It really is the best yogurt I have had.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AMandM on February 23, 2021, 10:14:19 AM
Paint.

A half-dozen sample cans, then two gallons of the one we chose, and the living room went from blah (dirty beige, bland as can be) to wow (deep dramatic moody blue, sets off the furniture and the curtains).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on February 24, 2021, 02:19:39 PM
The slow collecting of tools that have paid off so many times over the years. DIY repairs to home and automobiles, renovations enabling us to get a much higher price at selling time, enabled us to teach some of these DIY skills to our kids who can then use these tools for themselves in the years to come.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dandypandys on February 25, 2021, 06:25:27 AM
You guys made me spend monaaayyy. Now both our toilets are equipped with Luxe 185 bidet :)
FUN TOILET TIMES!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on February 25, 2021, 06:37:59 AM
Magnetic spice jars and a label maker.

The entire side of my fridge is now entirely covered with about 50, clearly labeled, alphabetized spice jars. It's a thing of beauty.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 25, 2021, 08:21:41 AM
Magnetic spice jars and a label maker.

The entire side of my fridge is now entirely covered with about 50, clearly labeled, alphabetized spice jars. It's a thing of beauty.

That does sound beautiful.  Easy access, no counter space wasted. Picture Please?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on February 25, 2021, 11:04:09 AM
Magnetic spice jars and a label maker.

The entire side of my fridge is now entirely covered with about 50, clearly labeled, alphabetized spice jars. It's a thing of beauty.

That does sound beautiful.  Easy access, no counter space wasted. Picture Please?

I found this photo online that looks similar https://www.custommagneticspicerack.com/ideas-for-renters
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 25, 2021, 11:10:30 AM
Magnetic spice jars and a label maker.

The entire side of my fridge is now entirely covered with about 50, clearly labeled, alphabetized spice jars. It's a thing of beauty.

That does sound beautiful.  Easy access, no counter space wasted. Picture Please?

I found this photo online that looks similar https://www.custommagneticspicerack.com/ideas-for-renters

That is cool.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crocheted_stache on March 01, 2021, 09:06:33 PM
Quote
Google tells me that i should be spending $10 on toilet paper a month per person.
WHUUTT???

WTF have you asked google? Toilet paper prices for Neumeyer III (Antartica)?

I am quite sure I have paid less than 10 dollar for the whole last year!


And yes, you find bedets in hotels a lot more. Actually I have to correct myself: I know one private household with one, but that guy build a huge house (for Germany) and lived most of his childhood in New Zealand, so that may influence that.

Americans like their TP I guess? Not sure what to tell you. Here's a link (though it includes paper towels and napkins too): https://www.statista.com/statistics/305513/us-expenditure-on-cleansing-and-toilet-tissue-paper-towels-and-napkins/

Money well spent:

Cloth handkerchiefs, cloth napkins (check garage sales and free swaps; lots never get used), and a bundle of terry cloth cleaning cloths. Costco has the cleaning cloths for like 35¢ apiece, or look up "unpaper towels." Split a bundle with somebody if there are too many. They also take the place of wipes and Swiffer refills. They also don't disintegrate on contact with water. I keep a roll of paper towels only for exceptionally dirty jobs, like paint cleanup or the yuck that splattered when unclogging a drain.

I definitely don't spend anywhere close to $10/month on paper products, and there's less trash.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jrhampt on March 02, 2021, 06:20:17 AM
Solar panels.

totally dismantled the kitchen - knocked out a wall and replaced old peninsula with an island.  Also squeezed in a small Bosch dishwasher into our 600 sq ft house and tiny kitchen.  Fits in a lot of dishes and runs very quietly.  Now we don't have dishes drying all over our limited counter space and both of us can work in the kitchen at the same time without tripping over each other.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on March 02, 2021, 08:51:46 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hall11235 on March 02, 2021, 08:55:13 AM
You guys made me spend monaaayyy. Now both our toilets are equipped with Luxe 185 bidet :)
FUN TOILET TIMES!

A bidet, hands down. Not close. I hate the phrase 'Game-changer' since it so rarely is, but the Bidet literally changed my bathroom habits for the better. It has reached the point where I will 'hold it' after two pm to wait to get home to use that sweet, sweet butt washer.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on March 02, 2021, 10:54:57 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on March 02, 2021, 01:00:05 PM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on March 02, 2021, 02:19:11 PM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.
I always wonder how much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on March 02, 2021, 03:15:37 PM
I always wonder much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.
Don't forget the fact that the roof will likely need to be replaced before the solar panels hit EOL.  I was talking to a GC the other day who told me about a client who needed a new roof under their solar panels.  It cost them an extra $5k to have the panels removed and then reinstalled.

If/when I get solar, I think I'd prefer it to be either on a metal roof, or I'll use it as the shade for a large deck/patio/gazebo, where water isn't a concern.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: turketron on March 02, 2021, 03:19:53 PM
I always wonder much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.
Don't forget the fact that the roof will likely need to be replaced before the solar panels hit EOL.  I was talking to a GC the other day who told me about a client who needed a new roof under their solar panels.  It cost them an extra $5k to have the panels removed and then reinstalled.

If/when I get solar, I think I'd prefer it to be either on a metal roof, or I'll use it as the shade for a large deck/patio/gazebo, where water isn't a concern.

We bought panels last year on a ~4 year old roof - our contract with the solar company includes a one-time removal/reinstallation at no cost if/when the roof needs to be replaced.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on March 03, 2021, 07:19:10 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.
I always wonder how much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.

So, the solar panel company (obviously biased) said it will actually preserve my roof better, because the panels will shield the roof from sun damage, hail, rain, wind, etc, so that typically roofs last longer with panels on them vs roofs without. That's what they said in the sales spiel anyways.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on March 03, 2021, 07:24:50 AM
I always wonder much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.
Don't forget the fact that the roof will likely need to be replaced before the solar panels hit EOL.  I was talking to a GC the other day who told me about a client who needed a new roof under their solar panels.  It cost them an extra $5k to have the panels removed and then reinstalled.

If/when I get solar, I think I'd prefer it to be either on a metal roof, or I'll use it as the shade for a large deck/patio/gazebo, where water isn't a concern.

Maybe...? The house was built in 2019, and put the panels up very shortly thereafter. The builder said it's a "50 year roof" so in theory we could have this roof for 50 years - even if i'm off by 50% and we need to replace it at 25 years, that's still probably a pretty low amount spread over 25-50 years in 20xx dollars. Around here, it seems like roofs are usually replaced due to storm damage (and therefore an insurance claim that covers the cost - subject to the same deductible with or without panels), so it may not even really matter.

The solar company said that because panels shield the roof from hail, wind, sun, - everything, basically, they actually extend the life of your roof considerably because of the panel protection.

we'll see though! I'm not sure how likely it will be that i will be in this house in 25-50 years anyways. Average american usually lives in a house for 8 years.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on March 03, 2021, 07:38:49 AM
I always wonder much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.
Don't forget the fact that the roof will likely need to be replaced before the solar panels hit EOL.  I was talking to a GC the other day who told me about a client who needed a new roof under their solar panels.  It cost them an extra $5k to have the panels removed and then reinstalled.

If/when I get solar, I think I'd prefer it to be either on a metal roof, or I'll use it as the shade for a large deck/patio/gazebo, where water isn't a concern.

Maybe...? The house was built in 2019, and put the panels up very shortly thereafter. The builder said it's a "50 year roof" so in theory we could have this roof for 50 years - even if i'm off by 50% and we need to replace it at 25 years, that's still probably a pretty low amount spread over 25-50 years in 20xx dollars. Around here, it seems like roofs are usually replaced due to storm damage (and therefore an insurance claim that covers the cost - subject to the same deductible with or without panels), so it may not even really matter.

The solar company said that because panels shield the roof from hail, wind, sun, - everything, basically, they actually extend the life of your roof considerably because of the panel protection.

we'll see though! I'm not sure how likely it will be that i will be in this house in 25-50 years anyways. Average american usually lives in a house for 8 years.
Of course they said that, they're salespeople. My curiosity is the many, many points of attachment, i.e. holes in the roof. Also, in a climate where weather tends to cause roof damage, does adding raised panels above the surface of the roof exacerbate that problem? I don't know, but both seem likely and not something a salesperson bent on closing a sale would likely explore with a prospective client.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Greystache on March 03, 2021, 08:34:35 AM
I always wonder much the installation of the equipment shortens the life of the roof. Something not insignificant to include in your calculations.
Don't forget the fact that the roof will likely need to be replaced before the solar panels hit EOL.  I was talking to a GC the other day who told me about a client who needed a new roof under their solar panels.  It cost them an extra $5k to have the panels removed and then reinstalled.

If/when I get solar, I think I'd prefer it to be either on a metal roof, or I'll use it as the shade for a large deck/patio/gazebo, where water isn't a concern.

Maybe...? The house was built in 2019, and put the panels up very shortly thereafter. The builder said it's a "50 year roof" so in theory we could have this roof for 50 years - even if i'm off by 50% and we need to replace it at 25 years, that's still probably a pretty low amount spread over 25-50 years in 20xx dollars. Around here, it seems like roofs are usually replaced due to storm damage (and therefore an insurance claim that covers the cost - subject to the same deductible with or without panels), so it may not even really matter.

The solar company said that because panels shield the roof from hail, wind, sun, - everything, basically, they actually extend the life of your roof considerably because of the panel protection.

we'll see though! I'm not sure how likely it will be that i will be in this house in 25-50 years anyways. Average american usually lives in a house for 8 years.
Of course they said that, they're salespeople. My curiosity is the many, many points of attachment, i.e. holes in the roof. Also, in a climate where weather tends to cause roof damage, does adding raised panels above the surface of the roof exacerbate that problem? I don't know, but both seem likely and not something a salesperson bent on closing a sale would likely explore with a prospective client.

I don't know if solar panels will extend the life of your roof, but I do know that they will keep your roof cooler. My panels are installed on the roof above my bedroom which has a cathedral ceiling. My bedroom stays much cooler in the summer since I got the panels installed.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sailor Sam on March 03, 2021, 08:36:12 AM
Got a dog. He’s a shelter rescue, and he comes with a slew of behaviour quirks that are taking time and $$ as we learn together.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 03, 2021, 09:22:38 AM
Got a dog. He’s a shelter rescue, and he comes with a slew of behaviour quirks that are taking time and $$ as we learn together.

Ah, our pets.  My cat is a third timer, I am her third owner in 2 years.  Poor thing, she went from animal shelter to first owner to animal shelter to second owner to me.  She is 7, no idea what her life was before the shelter.  We are sorting things out, I plan to be third and final.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RainyDay on March 03, 2021, 01:10:45 PM
A membership with The Body Project, which is online gym of sorts.  Hundreds and hundreds of workout videos, programs, etc.  Also a huge online community.  I am loving it!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on March 03, 2021, 09:17:17 PM
Got a dog. He’s a shelter rescue, and he comes with a slew of behaviour quirks that are taking time and $$ as we learn together.
Good for you!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on March 04, 2021, 05:44:24 AM
Lately: therapy. Costs a lot but so worth it if you come from family like mine.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: brunetteUK on April 12, 2021, 06:55:36 AM
Thank you @Malcat @Rhinodad and @englishteacheralex !

I got my Global knife a few weeks back and I'm so happy with it!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on April 12, 2021, 07:12:08 AM
Thank you @Malcat @Rhinodad and @englishteacheralex !

I got my Global knife a few weeks back and I'm so happy with it!

Oh excellent!

Now go buy the Paprika app and you'll be very happy in the kitchen.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ender on April 12, 2021, 07:16:16 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.

What happens if you sell?

I also live in the MSP area and have considered this. Your price/generation makes me think maybe we ought to consider this too :-)

But selling with a financed solar panel array is something which I worry about.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on April 12, 2021, 09:28:50 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.

What happens if you sell?

I also live in the MSP area and have considered this. Your price/generation makes me think maybe we ought to consider this too :-)

But selling with a financed solar panel array is something which I worry about.

We would need to cover the loan. So, if we sell, we would be on the hook for $20,000 or whatever the balance is though. I'm hoping though, that someone would look at the panels and say, "wow, these panels are worth $200 a month! i will pay $20,000 more for this house for free electricity forever!"

Could be wishful thinking, but i would think it is worth something. $200 free dollars a month is equal to about $50,000 knock off of a 3% loan over 30 years, so even if someone doesn't pay that equivalent, i would hope they would see $2400 a year in free money worth at least $20k
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Catbert on April 12, 2021, 10:25:29 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.

What happens if you sell?

I also live in the MSP area and have considered this. Your price/generation makes me think maybe we ought to consider this too :-)

But selling with a financed solar panel array is something which I worry about.

This is something to seriously consider.  Several real estate agents and a mortgage broker acquaintances told me that leased solar is a recurring problem with sales.  (Maybe not at the moment given the hot market.)  Yes, the buyer can take over the lease if they want but often they don't want.   Solar technology is moving along just like everything else.  Making lease payments on a 10 year old system would be like taking over payments on a 2 year old (originally top of the line) smartphone.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on April 12, 2021, 10:42:59 AM
Solar panels.


I had my panels for over a year now. Just the other day, I looked back at my first 365 days of panels. They generated $2250 of electricity and they cost me $2000, so I made $250 extra dollars just by putting them on my roof!

Plus, i know i'm using clean energy. It's amazing that my roof gets enough sun to power all of my electricity for the entire year. I produced about 11.5 megawatts of electricity in 2020. I can't see my usage data, but my guess is that it was somewhere around 8-10 megawatts. Wild to me that everyone around is just wasting all those sun rays from their roof!!
That's awesome!  That's an astoundingly low cost--I'm assuming you did your own installation?  Where did you source the panels?

Lol, sort of the opposite. I let someone else handle everything, and that $2000 cost is my monthly loan payment of $168 per month on like $23,000 over 15 years. I guess i put $500 down that i am ignoring becuase it's a one time cost. So I guess my first year could be 2500 cost vs 2200 in production, but then this year will be 2000 cost vs 2200 in production (unless rates go up, then it gets better!)

In minnesota we have 10 year solar rewards program (i get 7 or 8 cents a kW produced) and i get net metering, so it's pretty lucrative here.

What happens if you sell?

I also live in the MSP area and have considered this. Your price/generation makes me think maybe we ought to consider this too :-)

But selling with a financed solar panel array is something which I worry about.

This is something to seriously consider.  Several real estate agents and a mortgage broker acquaintances told me that leased solar is a recurring problem with sales.  (Maybe not at the moment given the hot market.)  Yes, the buyer can take over the lease if they want but often they don't want.   Solar technology is moving along just like everything else.  Making lease payments on a 10 year old system would be like taking over payments on a 2 year old (originally top of the line) smartphone.

Mine aren't leased, so there would be no burden on a future buyer. Mine are owned, but financed with a loan.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on April 19, 2021, 09:27:31 AM
I'm at that point in the spring where it feels like I'm shoveling money out the door like mad trying to line up summer camps for my kids. These always seemed valuable to me, but after the past year of all being at home together, they seem so, so critical to keep me sane.

And they learn some stuff at them!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Weisass on April 19, 2021, 09:32:32 AM
I just spent a portion of a windfall on a commuter ebike. I could have taken ages to find a used option, or I could have picked the most affordable option, but instead I bought what I really wanted, and I can’t wait to pick it up today. Because then I have no excuse for driving to work.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on April 19, 2021, 11:48:47 AM
I just spent a portion of a windfall on a commuter ebike. I could have taken ages to find a used option, or I could have picked the most affordable option, but instead I bought what I really wanted, and I can’t wait to pick it up today. Because then I have no excuse for driving to work.

I have the radwagon4 and it is amazing!!! you will love yours!!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Optimiser on April 20, 2021, 11:04:45 AM
I just spent a portion of a windfall on a commuter ebike. I could have taken ages to find a used option, or I could have picked the most affordable option, but instead I bought what I really wanted, and I can’t wait to pick it up today. Because then I have no excuse for driving to work.

I have the radwagon4 and it is amazing!!! you will love yours!!!

Welcome to the ebike commuting club. I have a Rad City and it is life changing.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on April 20, 2021, 02:06:34 PM
I’ll jump on the bandwagon of celebrating ebikes. I love mine. I bike all the time now whereas I never used to bike. I got a kick-ass bike trailer recently (Wike) that fits my biggest kids so I can continue to haul them around where the oldest had outgrown all regular sized bike trailers. We now live on top of a hill in a hilly city so the extra power is especially appreciated.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FireLane on July 07, 2021, 02:42:06 PM
My wife and I are serious cold brew coffee addicts. On hot days, we were spending far too much money on buying it from coffee shops.

I tried brewing it at home in a French press, which didn't make enough to get us through the day, or in a pitcher with a mesh straining bag, which was a PITA to clean up. I just bought this, which proved to be a good solution:

https://www.county-line-kitchen.com/collections/cold-brewers/products/cold-brew-coffee-maker-with-flip-cap-lid-2-quart-make-amazing-cold-brew-coffee-and-tea-with-this-durable-mason-jar-and-stainless-steel-filter-and-flip-cap-lid

It's a steel mesh filter that fits into a 2-quart Mason jar. I fill the filter with coffee grounds, fill the jar with water, let it steep overnight, and in the morning, we have plenty of cold brew to get us through the day. It was less than 30 bucks and will save us thousands of lifetime dollars.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on July 07, 2021, 03:48:27 PM
Out of the top of my head:

* LASIK. That's not recent, I had it in 2014, but it's still the best few thousands dollars I've spent in my entire life. I do need to wear contacts again in one eye when driving or watching TV, but I still marvel at waking up and seeing what's around me.
* My two robot vacuums. Yes, two. I loved the first one so much that I bought another one for upstairs. They work amazingly well and they are my two best friends in the world.
* Aftershokz headphones. They solved all my headphone problems. I still wear in-ear buds when I go to the gym or when I'm in a plane, and really want to tune out exterior noises (and gym music, gah), and every time I do, I remember why I love my Aftershokz so much.
* Yoghourt machine. I don't like most of the yoghourts I find in the US (although they're much better than they used to be), or they cost a fortune, and this little $40 machine makes them just like back home for almost nothing. I can't survive without yoghourt.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on July 07, 2021, 03:58:14 PM
I just got my new pair of Birkenstock sandals (https://www.birkenstock.com/us/mayari-birko-flor/mayari-core-birkoflor-0-eva-u_109.html) to replace the old very well-worn pair in the same style/color that I wore for the last 5 or 6 years. I've maybe gone through 5 pairs in the last 25 years and haven't regretted purchasing any of them. They're always comfortable and fit my feet really well.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: onehair on July 08, 2021, 08:48:50 AM
My new Ipod.  I'd been lusting after the 1 terabyte model for some time to complete my little family of Pods.  When we got the stimulus after I paid on rent and some bills I purchased one off Ebay the first seller never sent it (boo hiss) but the second one I took a chance on from China did.  It uses less power than my previous models.    It holds nearly all my collection with exception of newer format files which the Phone and new Touch can play with no issues.  It doesn't have Bluetooth and some of the buttons stick a little but I do adore it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RainyDay on July 09, 2021, 08:33:14 AM
I just got my new pair of Birkenstock sandals (https://www.birkenstock.com/us/mayari-birko-flor/mayari-core-birkoflor-0-eva-u_109.html) to replace the old very well-worn pair in the same style/color that I wore for the last 5 or 6 years. I've maybe gone through 5 pairs in the last 25 years and haven't regretted purchasing any of them. They're always comfortable and fit my feet really well.

Footwear!  I hear ya!  I just scored a barely-used pair of Bass brand flip flops from the thrift store for $4.  I'm ridiculously excited about my latest purchase.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on July 09, 2021, 11:30:43 AM
On the Ipod--I love that wheel for navigation, why would apple ever take away the wheel!!?!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on July 10, 2021, 07:07:21 PM

* Yoghourt machine. I don't like most of the yoghourts I find in the US (although they're much better than they used to be), or they cost a fortune, and this little $40 machine makes them just like back home for almost nothing. I can't survive without yoghourt.

My Instant Pot makes great yogurt. Scald the milk for 1 minute, let it cool to tepid, stir in culture (existing active yogurt) and hit the yogurt button for it to sit at the right temperature overnight.

Instant pot also makes it so much easier to do great brown rice, beans, stock and such.

Money well spent. During a Black Friday sale. ;)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChpBstrd on July 10, 2021, 07:49:29 PM
1) Old Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf speakers. Paid $300/pair used off of eBay for two pairs, 301’s and 303’s. Plus another $150 for a used Wharfedale center channel, which is also perfect in every way. All British-made old stuff from circa 2000 before everything went to China. Hooked to a Yamaha amp and sub that were given to me because they were analog only and my uncle wanted to run hdmi. This 5:1 surround set causes me to sit back and enjoy music I normally hate, because they reveal so many separate layers and dimensions to all types of music. Horror movies are a no-go at my home because the sound imaging is a little too real and close. Whispered dialog in movies goes right in my ear.

2) LASIK eye surgery. $4200 ten years ago. Still better than 20/20 vision and no need for reading glasses. I appreciate this every sunset, every hilltop vista, and every distant sign.

3) Season passes to a network of 3 public pools near me. $25 per person. I can’t fill an inflatable pool that cheaply, much less take care of something all summer. The kid is entertained and learning to swim.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BudgetSlasher on July 11, 2021, 09:01:50 AM
A practical extension to our front porch.

We (in reality guests since we mostly enter and exit through the garage) can now walk directly in or out from the mud room door and down steps directly onto the driveway. This will help immensely in the winter as the area under the deck becomes inches of ice in the winter due to melt and re-freeze and our front door required a long path to be cleared for winter access, even then the steps are under a roof drip edge and often very icey. (also the front door area does not have space for all the winter related needs that a mud room serves).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: henramdrea on July 11, 2021, 12:16:08 PM
This is certainly not like some epic purchase here, but serves the illustration well.

I've had a pair of "go'to" sunglasses I bought for $1 about 15 years ago.  Still have them.  The only pair I can't seem to lose.  I don't understand it, but I accept it! ;}
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on July 12, 2021, 09:20:55 PM
This is certainly not like some epic purchase here, but serves the illustration well.

I've had a pair of "go'to" sunglasses I bought for $1 about 15 years ago.  Still have them.  The only pair I can't seem to lose.  I don't understand it, but I accept it! ;}

I'm currently using sunglasses that my husband found at the junkyard. They are nicer than the ones I had before.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on July 13, 2021, 01:26:35 PM
This is apparently horribly unmustachian, but our 17-year-old tumble dryer.

It's no problem to dry our clothes and linens on the line or rack during fall and winter when the air is drier and the heat is on. We don't have central AC and in summer, when the relative humidity is regularly above 70% during the day (currently 76%) and above 90% at night, things go mildewy well before they dry on the line. If we don't fully tumble-dry our linens and some clothes, we end up having to re-wash them to get the mildew smell out (which wastes time, water, and electricity).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Moustachienne on July 13, 2021, 03:29:22 PM
Big bucks:  renovating our 1950's kitchen to a high spec with the help of an excellent designer and contractor.  Same small square footage but everything fits and works like a dream.  Next up - replacing all the 1950's and 1970's windows in the house, i.e. all the windows.  Expect a LOT less heat loss come the winter. *

Small bucks: bought a couple of cotton t-shirt dresses on sale for $14 each. Perfect for quick changes after swimming (change rooms still closed).

* all improvements (by choice or by emergency) to our house infrastructure has been totally money well spent.  Upgraded wiring, new roof, sewer line repair and update,..
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: darknight on July 13, 2021, 04:07:12 PM
Month long batting cage pass

$65 unlimited batting (6 lanes, slow softball all the way to 80 mph baseball). They provide bats, helmets and it's a 5 minute walk from our house. One month pass is anyone in your immediate family, so the 4 of us walked down today and used it for an hour.. The month long pass literally is paid for in one use. Excellent to get out and walk, a bit of exercise and a lot of fun for all of us. Money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on July 13, 2021, 05:29:37 PM
Month long batting cage pass

$65 unlimited batting (6 lanes, slow softball all the way to 80 mph baseball). They provide bats, helmets and it's a 5 minute walk from our house. One month pass is anyone in your immediate family, so the 4 of us walked down today and used it for an hour.. The month long pass literally is paid for in one use. Excellent to get out and walk, a bit of exercise and a lot of fun for all of us. Money well spent.
That sounds like fun!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iwasjustwondering on July 13, 2021, 06:46:11 PM
Twice-weekly Pilates classes. It's $75 a week for duet classes, which I take with a close friend. It's made me much stronger and fitter, and helped my back issue tremendously (I had surgery in 2016 to remove an exploded disc). Could I do this sort of thing at home? Not really. The whole point of the classes, I realize now, is to allow you to do very tough strengthening exercises while protecting your back, neck and joints at all times. I <3 it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: stoaX on July 14, 2021, 05:50:30 AM
Month long batting cage pass

$65 unlimited batting (6 lanes, slow softball all the way to 80 mph baseball). They provide bats, helmets and it's a 5 minute walk from our house. One month pass is anyone in your immediate family, so the 4 of us walked down today and used it for an hour.. The month long pass literally is paid for in one use. Excellent to get out and walk, a bit of exercise and a lot of fun for all of us. Money well spent.
That sounds like fun!

It does!   I haven't been in a batting cage since the 1990's.   I gotta find one and give it a go.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: clarkfan1979 on July 15, 2021, 09:56:19 AM
I have a $20 co-pay for chiropractor. Nothing majorly wrong. However, I was sitting too much during COVID.

It was a basic spine adjustment. I'm planning on doing it twice a month until I feel normal.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Cool Friend on July 15, 2021, 02:05:46 PM
Was going over my CC bill and remembered that I very spendy month (for me anyway). I started to get really anxious about how much I blew through, but then I realized that most of the purchases were reasonable and some of them very overdue.

A reasonably-priced, full-grain leather shoulder bag to replace my torn up, falling apart canvas one. This is a daily use item and cared-for leather lasts ages. I feel bad for the buffalo though--thank you, buffalo.

Reasonably-priced sneakers to replace the ones that had holes worn all the way to my socks. I walk a lot.

A cheap, used bookshelf to put the stuff I had piled in a corner onto something a little more civilized.

A cheap, used mirror I found on Craigslist. I was using just a tiny bathroom mirror for a few years. I'm trying to take a little more pride in my appearance.

A couple kitchen supplies and some shelf-stable cooking staples.

Things I could have spent nothing on but chose not to:

A nice haircut--I haven't been happy with my self-cutting results, and we returned to the office last week, so I needed to look a little more presentable. The lady does a perfect job and I feel more confident when my hair looks good. Sue me.

A bottle of cologne. We had an empty bottle of it a certain kind in our medicine cabinet when I was a very little kid, and I loved smelling it. I saw a bottle of it in a store, and it smelled just like I remember! I usually haaaate cologne, but this one smells nice to me and is nostalgic and will probably last me a long while, since I'm not going to douse myself in it and will likely only wear it at social functions.

Anyway that's more shopping in one month than I usually do in a year haha. But I think for the most part I did okay
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: joe189man on July 15, 2021, 04:25:26 PM
Active noise canceling head phones for flying are a game changer
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RunningintoFI on July 15, 2021, 09:57:13 PM
A mini acupuncture mat for home use.  Cost me $12 to get it and I use it every night before bed.  Eases any accumulated aches from throughout the day and 20 minutes on it completely relaxes me so that I am ready to fall asleep almost instantly!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on July 16, 2021, 03:57:02 AM
Active noise canceling head phones for flying are a game changer

example of overengineering a solution when a pair of earplugs work better imo.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Phenix on July 16, 2021, 07:00:07 AM
Active noise canceling head phones for flying are a game changer

example of overengineering a solution when a pair of earplugs work better imo.

After cramming earplugs in my ears 45 hours a week in a machine shop, I must say that noise cancelling headphones are a welcome luxury whenever I have to fly on an airplane.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sanitary Stache on July 16, 2021, 07:50:16 AM
An iron bar - I use it every weekend to dig up stumps, dig up posts buried in concrete, and carry around like a Hero javelin.

A post hole digger - After my 20th post hole dug, and being only half way through, I decided I could stop borrowing this tool.

A come-along - I have only used this to stretch fence so far, but hope to haul some logs with it also.

An 8"x8" tamper - this really elevates my grading game.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: NorCal on July 29, 2021, 05:24:16 PM
Today my 4 year old was playing with friends in the backyard. 

She burst in saying "hurry daddy, hurry"

"Ice Cream Truck" (she has no pre-covid memories of ice cream trucks)

My older kid jumped away from the TV and put her shoes on in record time.

The ice cream truck had already traveled about 3 blocks.  She sprinted as fast as her 4 year old legs could go.  I lightly jogged to keep up.

Was it $10 for 2x $0.50 ice cream bars?  Sure.  But it was money well spent.  I can save the spending lessons for another day.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: August26th on July 29, 2021, 05:31:10 PM
Purchased a hot tub for our 20th wedding anniversary - it gets delivered tomorrow! Time will tell if it’s money well spent, but all signs are pointing to yes. We are in Colorado so it will be particularly useful in the winter months.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on July 30, 2021, 06:36:19 AM
Our 17-year-old Samsung fridge died early yesterday morning. We spent yesterday evening shopping in store and online until we found a not-too-large fridge (small house) that had the features we wanted, a 10-year warranty, and a price in our preferred range (I was amazed at how huge and expensive many fridges are now). I hope it will be money well spent.

I’m also grateful that we bought a second large cooler a couple of years ago. We were able to salvage much of the food in our fridge.


Nope, we still don’t have a fridge. Apparently the store’s inventory was faulty, so we get to start over on our fridge search and keep living out of coolers. 🤬
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: middo on July 30, 2021, 06:03:26 PM
We bought an automatic (robotic) vacuum cleaner a few weeks ago, from Aldi.  Best purchase for a long time.  We love it so much.  Our wooden floors feel cleaner than ever when walking with bare feet, and just at the touch of a button when I leave the house.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ilsy on July 30, 2021, 06:46:20 PM
Bought these 120 color pencils worth $250 before taxes (a bit more than $2/ a pencil) for my talented offspring who created this picture. I think that’s money well spent. Can’t imagine a better place to spend my money.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on July 30, 2021, 07:20:05 PM
Bought these 120 color pencils worth $250 before taxes (a bit more than $2/ a pencil) for my talented offspring who created this picture. I think that’s money well spent. Can’t imagine a better place to spend my money.

Gorgeous! That is a good investment!!!

Mine was taking my kids on a big cross-country road trip. Littlest isn't quite ready for camping (he has ASD and runs off, so it's a safety issue) so we paid $$ for motels and air bnbs. They had a great time!!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on July 30, 2021, 09:39:08 PM
Bought these 120 color pencils worth $250 before taxes (a bit more than $2/ a pencil) for my talented offspring who created this picture. I think that’s money well spent. Can’t imagine a better place to spend my money.

I trained as an artist for years and am known for my precision and detail and I wouldn't be able to do that with coloured pencils.

That's some skill.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ilsy on July 30, 2021, 09:58:11 PM
Bought these 120 color pencils worth $250 before taxes (a bit more than $2/ a pencil) for my talented offspring who created this picture. I think that’s money well spent. Can’t imagine a better place to spend my money.

I trained as an artist for years and am known for my precision and detail and I wouldn't be able to do that with coloured pencils.

That's some skill.

Thanks.

The thing is, I consider myself pretty artistic and pretty good at drawing and painting my whole life (no formal training), and I cannot do what my 14 y.o can do, I watch her drawing (in fact, she records the whole thing) and I still cannot do that or even understand how she does it. Those pencils are not erasable!!!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 31, 2021, 08:21:20 AM
I spent $6000 for a top-notch 3D printer and a washing and a curing unit, plus multiple liters of resin for it.

Another $1300 for a new vacuum casting table.

Another $600 for a new electric metal melting unit and some extra crucibles.

Another $1600 for a new burnout kiln.

Another $1500 to have the electricians add new dedicated circuits to the garage so I can run the latter three at the same time.

Another $1000 for 3D design software.

Another $1500 for miscellaneous accessories and consumables like investing powder (not financial related! :) ), flasks, bronze and silver to cast with, and so forth.

I've done more metal casting in the last 2 months than I did in the prior 10-12 years.   I've designed hundreds of items in the 3D design software and I'm working my way thru printing and casting them.   I'm poised to develop what may be a new, successful enameling technique out of all this.   

I am having a total blast! 

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Poundwise on August 02, 2021, 11:03:09 AM
Cloth napkins.  Purchased 15 years ago, a bit ragged now but still going strong after daily use.

Somebody did a calculation... my guess is that we have saved at least $500 over the lifetime of the napkins.
https://www.growingagreenfamily.com/ditch-paper-napkins-and-save-almost-nothing-huh/

And, for the first five years or so, we looked classier too! Not to mention the eco friendly nature of cloth napkins.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on August 02, 2021, 12:07:21 PM
A round trip ticket from the SF Bay Area back to Michigan in order to rescue my cat from my parents house, so I don’t have to drive 8 days with him to get to our new home.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jsap819 on August 02, 2021, 12:37:48 PM
Spent $600 to convert my current hybrid bike to an ebike (500w). Can't stop riding it everywhere and makes uphills so much easier. It's been so much fun and I get some exercise to boot. Pretty soon I'm looking to get my wife a bike and convert that too.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on August 02, 2021, 04:14:29 PM
Spent $600 to convert my current hybrid bike to an ebike (500w). Can't stop riding it everywhere and makes uphills so much easier. It's been so much fun and I get some exercise to boot. Pretty soon I'm looking to get my wife a bike and convert that too.

Same here! Love my bike that was converted to an ebike. Definitely money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BigEasyStache on August 04, 2021, 06:50:48 AM
Spent $600 to convert my current hybrid bike to an ebike (500w). Can't stop riding it everywhere and makes uphills so much easier. It's been so much fun and I get some exercise to boot. Pretty soon I'm looking to get my wife a bike and convert that too.

Same here! Love my bike that was converted to an ebike. Definitely money well spent.

Can either of you share which conversion kit you used?  And how difficult was the conversion?
TIA
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on August 04, 2021, 08:13:07 AM
@BigEasyStache - We used Hilltopper kits. Reasonably priced and took my husband about 15 minutes to install for each bike.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on August 04, 2021, 10:48:05 AM
We spent a boat-load recently demo-ing the broken and old forced-air furnace in the house we just purchased and installing ductless mini splits. So worth the money being able to climate control the place and be comfortable when necessary.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bmjohnson35 on August 06, 2021, 05:35:09 PM

After wearing safety shoes 5 days a week for 30 years, my Croc flip-flops.  I have other shoes, but these are my go-to footwear 95% of the time throughout the year. Comfortable, waterproof and easy to clean. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dave1442397 on August 06, 2021, 05:47:07 PM
I spent $106 on 21 bars of Lindt chocolate.

These are the 10.5oz bars, and were on sale at $4.75 each, plus tax. I have 20 stashed in the freezer, and one in my desk drawer.

I can eat these slowly, as in one or two squares a day. If I get the hazelnut bar, I just can't stop eating it! This purchase will keep me going for a long time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on August 07, 2021, 01:42:06 AM
I spent $106 on 21 bars of Lindt chocolate.

These are the 10.5oz bars, and were on sale at $4.75 each, plus tax. I have 20 stashed in the freezer, and one in my desk drawer.

I can eat these slowly, as in one or two squares a day. If I get the hazelnut bar, I just can't stop eating it! This purchase will keep me going for a long time.
Haha, just yesterday I spent $46.50 on 93 bars of Lindt chocolate, the 4.1 oz size. They're a birthday present for my Aunt's 91st, plus one to grow on. (Dunno what happened to that last one...) When she turned 80, she asked for boxes of cereal for her b-day to donate to the food bank. My parents gave her 80 boxes. (Alas, the cereal and my parents are gone now.) Tomorrow, she will take some of her chocolate to the food bank, some will be shared with the neighbors who are throwing a block party in her honor, and some will surely be hidden in her freezer.

Now the money well spent part: We hopped in the car last night without a solid plan and headed for her house, 7.5 hours away. We tacked on another two hours of driving to pick up my cousin, then we all showed up on my Aunt's doorstep unannounced today and shouted, "Surprise!" She was hosting a card party with eight of her golfing buddies (yes, they got candy bars, too). Tomorrow, more cousins will arrive, followed by even more on Sunday. Two of the cousins have birthdays in the next few days, so they're getting gift cards that match the birthday number they're celebrating. We packed snacks and we're staying in hotels with points, but gas, gifts, food, etc. will probably run $700. It's been nearly five years since I've seen most of these relatives. Totally money well spent!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on August 07, 2021, 02:10:07 AM
Bought a few DIY power tools in the last couple of months.

If I had to list the most useful, Jigsaw and Angle Grinder are "how the hell did I manage before without these?" type purchases.

Money very well spent. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: habanero on August 07, 2021, 12:58:43 PM
Bought a few DIY power tools in the last couple of months.

If I had to list the most useful, Jigsaw and Angle Grinder are "how the hell did I manage before without these?" type purchases.

Money very well spent.

Try buying an oscillating saw (aka Fein or similar) and a plunge saw with a guiding rail and watch your entire existance change for the better. These are the two things I can't believe how it's possible to get by without.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: davisgang90 on August 08, 2021, 04:18:35 AM
I paid a great deal of money for a hot tub. I've moved around all my life and haven't been able to have one. My dad has had them for 30 years and uses his daily.

I had to also pay to strengthen the deck it sits on and hire a crane to lift it over my house. This was 2.5 years ago and I can still count on two hands the number of mornings I have not used it to relieve back pain.

Worth every penny and it was a lot of pennies.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nocto on August 08, 2021, 05:49:31 PM
$2,600 on getting the interior of our home repainted. Long overdue since the previous homeowners smoked in the house. The house just has a cozy atmosphere now, love it! Spending another $600 today on staining and painting the stair banister. Totally worth the cost so that we can further enjoy our home. :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dave1442397 on August 08, 2021, 06:29:01 PM
I spent $106 on 21 bars of Lindt chocolate.

These are the 10.5oz bars, and were on sale at $4.75 each, plus tax. I have 20 stashed in the freezer, and one in my desk drawer.

I can eat these slowly, as in one or two squares a day. If I get the hazelnut bar, I just can't stop eating it! This purchase will keep me going for a long time.
Haha, just yesterday I spent $46.50 on 93 bars of Lindt chocolate, the 4.1 oz size. They're a birthday present for my Aunt's 91st, plus one to grow on. (Dunno what happened to that last one...) When she turned 80, she asked for boxes of cereal for her b-day to donate to the food bank. My parents gave her 80 boxes. (Alas, the cereal and my parents are gone now.) Tomorrow, she will take some of her chocolate to the food bank, some will be shared with the neighbors who are throwing a block party in her honor, and some will surely be hidden in her freezer.

Now the money well spent part: We hopped in the car last night without a solid plan and headed for her house, 7.5 hours away. We tacked on another two hours of driving to pick up my cousin, then we all showed up on my Aunt's doorstep unannounced today and shouted "Surprise!". She was hosting a card party with eight of her golfing buddies (yes, they got candy bars, too). Tomorrow, more cousins will arrive, followed by even more on Sunday. Two of the cousins have birthdays in the next few days, so they're getting gift cards that match the birthday number they're celebrating. We packed snacks and we're staying in hotels with points, but gas, gifts, food, etc. will probably run $700. It's been nearly five years since I've seen most of these relatives. Totally money well spent!

Good deal, and a fun surprise!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Cool Friend on August 13, 2021, 05:47:50 AM
I spent $28 on a pair of shears. They're made in the USA, drop-forged stainless steel, with a simple screw joint for easy cleaning and sharpening. Before this I was using a clunky, dull pair of plastic-bodied scissors that I got on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond a million years ago. They were a pain in the ass to use and I figured, to hell with it, if I can keep a cheap POS around for that long, why not buy something built to last?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on August 13, 2021, 06:57:29 AM
I spent $28 on a pair of shears. They're made in the USA, drop-forged stainless steel, with a simple screw joint for easy cleaning and sharpening. Before this I was using a clunky, dull pair of plastic-bodied scissors that I got on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond a million years ago. They were a pain in the ass to use and I figured, to hell with it, if I can keep a cheap POS around for that long, why not buy something built to last?
any chance you'd share a link for others who are similarly sick of low-quality scissors?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Cool Friend on August 13, 2021, 07:29:14 AM
I spent $28 on a pair of shears. They're made in the USA, drop-forged stainless steel, with a simple screw joint for easy cleaning and sharpening. Before this I was using a clunky, dull pair of plastic-bodied scissors that I got on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond a million years ago. They were a pain in the ass to use and I figured, to hell with it, if I can keep a cheap POS around for that long, why not buy something built to last?
any chance you'd share a link for others who are similarly sick of low-quality scissors?

I ended up with ones made by Krink, who are mostly known for their art and graffiti tools. I emailed them to confirm it's made in the USA--I'm not a stickler for this, I just wanted to be sure I wasn't paying a premium on their branding. I was going to order them direct but found them on sale at this speciality store: https://acleanlitspace.com/products/drop-forged-scissors?_pos=1&_sid=16c67d943&_ss=r

If that's too artsy fartsy, I found this company while researching: https://wolffindustries.com/collections/scissors. Pricier (especially shipping), but lots of options if you have special requirements.

I also found this 11" monster, but sadly had to admit that it was way more hardcore than I needed: https://www.baryonyxknife.com/husppoutsh.html







Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Jenny Wren on August 13, 2021, 09:04:51 AM
Every single piece of camping and outdoor gear we have purchased new or acquired used over the years, from the cabin tent to the internal frame backpacks to the snow shoes, is the best money we ever spent. This includes the investment in the food dehydrator, which lets us make our own lightweight backpacking meals for pennies. No matter the season or the level of comfort craved or the season, we have weekend activities and vacations short or small at our fingertips for just the cost of the fuel to get there and any necessary passes/permits.

We leave for a week on the Pacific coast in a few days. Taking the cabin tent with the fancy air mattresses, the nice Coleman stove, the cushy camp chairs, and the real bedding for this one, as we are planning to glamp and enjoy the kite festival. Cost? $138 for a week at the camp site by the beach, plus the gas to get there. This stuff paid for itself year's ago. So far this year we have taken 3 vacations and gone backpacking on a handful of weekends, as well as spent many a day hiking or snowshoeing, and the longest trips still came in under $150 and the shortest cost as little as a gallon of gas and a tank of stove fuel.

I recently had to patch a small hole in my REI daypack. I bought it about 10 years ago. I remember at the time feeling guilty about the $40 I spent, I could use a thrifted backpack after all. It's seen me through a ton of day hikes, a couple of short overnights, served as an airplane carryon, an impromptu diaper bag when babysitting my niece, a field bag when I was doing field work, taken me on countless errands, and even carried my laptop a few times. I use it 3 times a week or more. At least 1500 uses over the last decade, and hopefully another decade of life is left in it. That's money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on August 13, 2021, 09:13:26 AM
Yes! Decent camping gear is money well spent. We're on our 5th year of our Coleman tent, and it's held up very well in heavy rain and wind. Our Coleman stove is in its 14th summer; if we can find the proper replacement hose/propane tank adapter, we should be able to get several more years out of it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ducky19 on August 13, 2021, 10:58:00 AM
We just recently refurbished our garden. We have several raised beds and had wood mulch that had deteriorated over the years, allowing weeds to go crazy. We decided to bite the bullet and spring for the rubber mulch. So glad we did! All in, we're at about $1250, but we never have to worry about replenishing it ever again. The mulch itself has a 12 year color guarantee, the weed barrier has a 20 year guarantee. We love the end result and only wish we'd have done it sooner.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alchemisst on August 15, 2021, 03:30:41 AM
Some things worth paying for for me are: Good towels, good socks, a dishwasher, a dryer, toothpaste dispenser, a fully furnished place when renting.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on August 15, 2021, 05:19:58 AM
Some things worth paying for for me are: Good towels, good socks, a dishwasher, a dryer, toothpaste dispenser, a fully furnished place when renting.

A toothpaste dispenser? Would you please elaborate? Thanks!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on August 15, 2021, 10:26:34 AM
I was trying to find this thread last week and couldn't. I had something for your consideration, but now can't remember what the hell it was, which is pretty funny. At least that's more interesting than "PTF" in case I remember.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Eco_eco on August 16, 2021, 11:59:30 AM
Our ‘buy-it-for life’ purchases over the past few years which I’m really pleased with are:

- cast iron cookware. After all those disposable pots which only lasted a year or two I wish someone had told me earlier how easy it is to season cookware. We love cooking in our our cast iron.

- MacBook Pro - five years on the thing works like new and meets all our laptop computing needs. This was such a good upgrade after various cheaper laptops that would die, or become unworkable due to changing technology

- Audible audio books - listening to audiobooks has added sooo much entertainment to commuting, yard work, and other previously dull activities of life

- Our pandemic puppy - getting a dog has bought a lot of joy for all of us, and I’m fitter with the compulsory daily walk. Plus it turns out an hour spent in nature is a great way to start or finish the day. Any worries are put into much better perspective in the great outdoors.

- La Pavoni coffee machine - this little machine makes really great coffee. The design hasn’t really changed for decades and the machine is easily self serviced. No regrets buying this one!

- Nissan Leaf - after eight years of commuting this little car has saved us a fortune in petrol and maintenance costs. The battery is wearing out now but since the car has offset more commuting costs than its price I’m not complaining.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nona on August 16, 2021, 02:42:25 PM
Taking a Total ImmersionTM swimming course in 2019. It finally pushed me from being a below-mediocre swimmer who couldn't manage her breathing while swimming, to being someone who can swim laps for 30-45 mins without getting winded and actually enjoying it for exercise. Totally worth it for a few hundred bucks.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jsap819 on August 16, 2021, 05:59:15 PM
Spent $600 to convert my current hybrid bike to an ebike (500w). Can't stop riding it everywhere and makes uphills so much easier. It's been so much fun and I get some exercise to boot. Pretty soon I'm looking to get my wife a bike and convert that too.

Same here! Love my bike that was converted to an ebike. Definitely money well spent.

Can either of you share which conversion kit you used?  And how difficult was the conversion?
TIA

Sorry I didn't see this post until today. I bought the kit and battery off of E-bay from Unit Pack Power. It was quite easy to install if you have the proper tools. All you need is an adjustable wrench, allen wrench set, and a crank puller to be able to install the pedal assist sensor (optional). All in all it took me less than an hour. One word of caution though is that any motor that's 500w and above, I strongly recommend you get a torque arm, especially if you plan to install the front wheel hub motor. The torque on these things can warp the forks and/or break them without a torque arm installed, especially if the frame material is aluminum or carbon. You do not want this to happen going 25 mph and fly over the handle bar.

My recommendation is to get or have a bike with a steel frame (preferable) and purchase either a rear wheel hub or a mid-drive (motor is in the pedal). Front hub is ok but you'll need a torque arm to avoid potential damage and injury. Good luck!

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jinga nation on August 17, 2021, 05:48:26 AM
I don't know if it is "Money Well Spent" yet, but I bought my first mountain bike yesterday. I have road bikes. Got bit by the MTB bug 2 years ago on a buddy trip. Have waited a year for this bike, since my local bike shops wouldn't have any in stock. Planning to hit the trails coming weekend.

I still need to work on my perpetually-postponed project of converting an old Bridgestone RB-4 road bike to a single-speed/fixed-gear with a flat handlebar.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on August 17, 2021, 05:50:38 AM
Bought a few DIY power tools in the last couple of months.

If I had to list the most useful, Jigsaw and Angle Grinder are "how the hell did I manage before without these?" type purchases.

Money very well spent.

Try buying an oscillating saw (aka Fein or similar) and a plunge saw with a guiding rail and watch your entire existance change for the better. These are the two things I can't believe how it's possible to get by without.

yea, they are on my shopping list!

Got a laser level too. $30. So cool, and will prove invaluable for my imminent garden patio project.
A router and Impact driver are also on my shopping list, although I've done OK without them up until now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ilsy on August 17, 2021, 09:04:51 AM
Bought a few DIY power tools in the last couple of months.

If I had to list the most useful, Jigsaw and Angle Grinder are "how the hell did I manage before without these?" type purchases.

Money very well spent.

Try buying an oscillating saw (aka Fein or similar) and a plunge saw with a guiding rail and watch your entire existance change for the better. These are the two things I can't believe how it's possible to get by without.

yea, they are on my shopping list!

Got a laser level too. $30. So cool, and will prove invaluable for my imminent garden patio project.
A router and Impact driver are also on my shopping list, although I've done OK without them up until now.
I totally second the oscillating saw (among the unexpected uses: cutting carpet or cutting plastic sheets for custom window well coverings). I have no idea how I've lived without it. A good table saw is also very helpful to have available. I can't really post those here bc I bought them when I was renovating my rentals, so those were an investment. But I use them for my house projects now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on August 17, 2021, 09:17:05 AM
I don't know if it is "Money Well Spent" yet, but I bought my first mountain bike yesterday. I have road bikes. Got bit by the MTB bug 2 years ago on a buddy trip. Have waited a year for this bike, since my local bike shops wouldn't have any in stock. Planning to hit the trails coming weekend.

I still need to work on my perpetually-postponed project of converting an old Bridgestone RB-4 road bike to a single-speed/fixed-gear with a flat handlebar.

so what did you get?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jinga nation on August 17, 2021, 09:38:52 AM
I don't know if it is "Money Well Spent" yet, but I bought my first mountain bike yesterday. I have road bikes. Got bit by the MTB bug 2 years ago on a buddy trip. Have waited a year for this bike, since my local bike shops wouldn't have any in stock. Planning to hit the trails coming weekend.

I still need to work on my perpetually-postponed project of converting an old Bridgestone RB-4 road bike to a single-speed/fixed-gear with a flat handlebar.

so what did you get?
Trek Marlin
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on August 17, 2021, 09:53:28 AM
I don't know if it is "Money Well Spent" yet, but I bought my first mountain bike yesterday. I have road bikes. Got bit by the MTB bug 2 years ago on a buddy trip. Have waited a year for this bike, since my local bike shops wouldn't have any in stock. Planning to hit the trails coming weekend.

I still need to work on my perpetually-postponed project of converting an old Bridgestone RB-4 road bike to a single-speed/fixed-gear with a flat handlebar.

so what did you get?
Trek Marlin
nice! enjoy!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on August 17, 2021, 11:59:02 PM
We upgraded from gas hob to induction hob recently with our new kitchen. It’s not a particularly fancy model, but I have to say I absolutely love it. Cooks quickly and efficiently, and is much easier to wipe down to keep clean.

Definitely money well spent.

Induction > Gas > Electric
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 18, 2021, 09:39:32 AM
My food processor.  Most of the year it is in storage, but during the harvest season it is priceless.  I processed 25 lbs of tomatoes the other day - pop peeled tomatoes in the container, push a button, and they are diced and ready to go to the freezer.  Faster, easier on the hands than chopping with a knife, easier clean-up.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on August 18, 2021, 11:38:12 AM
My food processor.  Most of the year it is in storage, but during the harvest season it is priceless.  I processed 25 lbs of tomatoes the other day - pop peeled tomatoes in the container, push a button, and they are diced and ready to go to the freezer.  Faster, easier on the hands than chopping with a knife, easier clean-up.

I was just thinking of posting about my Cuisinart Food Processor in this thread.

Except, I use mine every week. I bulk cook weekly and injuries have made extensive chopping not so fun or quick anymore, so my food processor has been amazing. I never had one before, so it's been amazing.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on August 18, 2021, 11:40:08 AM
My food processor.  Most of the year it is in storage, but during the harvest season it is priceless.  I processed 25 lbs of tomatoes the other day - pop peeled tomatoes in the container, push a button, and they are diced and ready to go to the freezer.  Faster, easier on the hands than chopping with a knife, easier clean-up.

I was just thinking of posting about my Cuisinart Food Processor in this thread.

Except, I use mine every week. I bulk cook weekly and injuries have made extensive chopping not so fun or quick anymore, so my food processor has been amazing. I never had one before, so it's been amazing.

They're also durable. My Cuisinart is 20 years old. I don't use it as often as you do, but it is very handy for some things: shredding cheese and veg, chopping anything, mixing pie dough, etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DadJokes on August 18, 2021, 02:04:47 PM
On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 18, 2021, 04:47:37 PM
My food processor.  Most of the year it is in storage, but during the harvest season it is priceless.  I processed 25 lbs of tomatoes the other day - pop peeled tomatoes in the container, push a button, and they are diced and ready to go to the freezer.  Faster, easier on the hands than chopping with a knife, easier clean-up.

I was just thinking of posting about my Cuisinart Food Processor in this thread.

Except, I use mine every week. I bulk cook weekly and injuries have made extensive chopping not so fun or quick anymore, so my food processor has been amazing. I never had one before, so it's been amazing.

Mine is a Hamilton Beach.  It was on sale at Canadian Tire the day I went shopping, so I bought the not-cheapest model at the cheapest price.  I do batch cooking and even more batch freezing, but most things I am fine doing by hand.  I can easily prep 10 peppers in an evening.   Gardening is much harder on my hands than vegetable prep.  But tomatoes and cucumbers (for relish) are just too much, and too runny. And if I have it out, I will do onions too.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on August 18, 2021, 05:28:59 PM
They're also durable. My Cuisinart is 20 years old. I don't use it as often as you do, but it is very handy for some things: shredding cheese and veg, chopping anything, mixing pie dough, etc.

If yours has the old style riveted blade, you probably want to get a free replacement blade:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/cuisinart-food-processors-recalled-by-conair
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on August 18, 2021, 05:40:04 PM
They're also durable. My Cuisinart is 20 years old. I don't use it as often as you do, but it is very handy for some things: shredding cheese and veg, chopping anything, mixing pie dough, etc.

If yours has the old style riveted blade, you probably want to get a free replacement blade:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/cuisinart-food-processors-recalled-by-conair

Already did, but thanks!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on August 18, 2021, 05:42:26 PM
They're also durable. My Cuisinart is 20 years old. I don't use it as often as you do, but it is very handy for some things: shredding cheese and veg, chopping anything, mixing pie dough, etc.

If yours has the old style riveted blade, you probably want to get a free replacement blade:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/cuisinart-food-processors-recalled-by-conair

Already did, but thanks!
Lol, I have two different models. I applied for two replacements, but they would only give me one. Oh, well. They're both old. If the blades haven't broken by now, it's unlikely they're going to. BTW, I got the replacement tip from Kristen over at The Frugal Girl.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Catbert on August 19, 2021, 10:52:26 AM
^^^I remember when that recall happened.  I was notified by the store where I bought it.  That's when I realized how much Costco knows about me if it could notify me about something I bought there probably 8 years previously.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on August 24, 2021, 02:40:06 PM
On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cannotWAIT on August 24, 2021, 03:10:09 PM
They're also durable. My Cuisinart is 20 years old. I don't use it as often as you do, but it is very handy for some things: shredding cheese and veg, chopping anything, mixing pie dough, etc.

This made me realize that mine is 32 years old! I had to replace the blade about 10 years ago but it still looks and runs like new. I also have a 32-year-old Kitchenaid mixer, from the olden days before they started tarting them up in designer colors and building them with plastic gears.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DadJokes on August 25, 2021, 05:06:31 AM
On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??

ICE-30BC

I'm sure they're all relatively similar. I think we got that years ago as a wedding gift, and it's still going strong.

I just made pistachio ice cream a couple days ago. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but it smelled amazing.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on August 25, 2021, 09:14:29 AM
On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??

ICE-30BC

I'm sure they're all relatively similar. I think we got that years ago as a wedding gift, and it's still going strong.

I just made pistachio ice cream a couple days ago. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but it smelled amazing.

Ah! I didn't know if you had a compressor model like the musso lello, a ice and salt model like hamilton beach type of deal, or the freezer cannister kind (which is what you have). I really enjoy making ice cream, so I didn't know if you had the compressor style or something different.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Weisass on August 25, 2021, 09:40:50 AM
we spent a non-trivial sum of money on a nanny that works 24 hours a week to provide care so that we could work and still enjoy our kids about three months into the pandemic.

She has been here now for over a year, and is like a family member (She happens to be the daughter of a friend of mine). I am so grateful she loves my kids as much as my husband and I do (and our kids may love her more than anyone).

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Loretta on October 09, 2021, 12:49:30 PM
Loving all the pet pictures!

-Super lightweight eyeglasses...no pressure on my nose, and I love having them on everyday. 

-Treadmill off of ebay has kept me in the exercise habit, particularly in these past months.

@ShastaFire Hi, a question please. 

Where did you get super lightweight comfortable spectacles from?  The bridge of my nose is constantly sore and I’m alternating all my eyeglasses. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on October 09, 2021, 01:44:33 PM
Birkenstocks.

Replaced a pair of Arizona EVA's that are starting to reach their end of life, as well as a pair of Birko-flor cork Arizona's. I've been rocking Birks as my primary shoes outside of the gym for the past 15+ years and will gladly spend the $$ over cheaper options.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on October 10, 2021, 06:22:43 AM
My bed.

I can't say why, but every time I look at it, I feel a little bit happier. Maybe the massive wood structure gives my subconcience a signal that it is safe to sleep in.
Life is strange!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Wolfpack Mustachian on October 10, 2021, 02:15:19 PM
On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??

ICE-30BC

I'm sure they're all relatively similar. I think we got that years ago as a wedding gift, and it's still going strong.

I just made pistachio ice cream a couple days ago. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but it smelled amazing.

Where do you get your best ice cream recipes?
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on October 10, 2021, 02:16:50 PM
Not money I spent, but I inherited my mother’s Bosch mixer with accessories for blender, food processor, a bread slicer, and a cuisine art food processor. These suckers are (gulp) over 30 years old and still in great shape. They aren’t pretty like the red kitchen aid I had previously but more powerful and functional.

I was looking through the paperwork she had saved and it seemed like Bosch was one of the original MLMs targeting women who were marginalized from the workforce. I suppose the difference is that the products were actually good.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DadJokes on October 10, 2021, 03:49:54 PM
On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??

ICE-30BC

I'm sure they're all relatively similar. I think we got that years ago as a wedding gift, and it's still going strong.

I just made pistachio ice cream a couple days ago. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but it smelled amazing.

Where do you get your best ice cream recipes?

I'll typically do an internet search for "best homemade _____ ice cream recipe," then look through a few. I don't want something that is no-churn or that has expensive ingredients.

Just this week, I made a custard-based coffee ice cream, and it is amazing (though I replaced the decaf coffee in recipe for caffeinated).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on October 10, 2021, 04:15:13 PM
Birkenstocks.

Replaced a pair of Arizona EVA's that are starting to reach their end of life, as well as a pair of Birko-flor cork Arizona's. I've been rocking Birks as my primary shoes outside of the gym for the past 15+ years and will gladly spend the $$ over cheaper options.

Yep. Birks are always worth the money. I'm glad that it's still warm enough to wear mine.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on October 10, 2021, 05:21:02 PM
@OtherJen, it's always a struggle when the weather gets cold. I'm stubborn and tend to wear mine down to the low 50's/high 40's so long as the rest of me is dressed appropriately.

What do you consider "too cold for Birk" temps?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dadbod on October 10, 2021, 05:37:05 PM
I just picked up a used cuisinart ice cream maker from our local buy-sell-trade group today for $5!  We already have one we love and I really just bought it for the spare freezer bowl so that I can make two types of ice cream at once (the bowls typically go for $30 new!).  We love the NY Times ice cream base recipe (custard based with egg yolk, cream, sugar, milk) and have made many varieties.  Good stuff!

On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??

ICE-30BC

I'm sure they're all relatively similar. I think we got that years ago as a wedding gift, and it's still going strong.

I just made pistachio ice cream a couple days ago. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but it smelled amazing.

Where do you get your best ice cream recipes?

I'll typically do an internet search for "best homemade _____ ice cream recipe," then look through a few. I don't want something that is no-churn or that has expensive ingredients.

Just this week, I made a custard-based coffee ice cream, and it is amazing (though I replaced the decaf coffee in recipe for caffeinated).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on October 12, 2021, 01:18:24 PM
I just picked up a used cuisinart ice cream maker from our local buy-sell-trade group today for $5!  We already have one we love and I really just bought it for the spare freezer bowl so that I can make two types of ice cream at once (the bowls typically go for $30 new!).  We love the NY Times ice cream base recipe (custard based with egg yolk, cream, sugar, milk) and have made many varieties.  Good stuff!

On the topic of Cuisin Art, our ice cream maker has been money well spent. I make 3-4 new flavors every year, and they are all amazing.

which model do you have??

ICE-30BC

I'm sure they're all relatively similar. I think we got that years ago as a wedding gift, and it's still going strong.

I just made pistachio ice cream a couple days ago. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but it smelled amazing.

Where do you get your best ice cream recipes?

I'll typically do an internet search for "best homemade _____ ice cream recipe," then look through a few. I don't want something that is no-churn or that has expensive ingredients.

Just this week, I made a custard-based coffee ice cream, and it is amazing (though I replaced the decaf coffee in recipe for caffeinated).

I finally pulled the trigger on a used Cuisinart compressor model. It was $100 on facebook marketplace, then after finding some defects (cracked lid and cracked control knob) they knocked off another $25. I sold my Cuisinart ice 30-bc (which i got for free at the end of someones driveway) for $25, so effectively my new compressor model was $50!!! incredible.

For recipes, I have David Lebowitz updated book "Perfect Scoop" which has amazing recipes and attention to detail. I highly recommend this book!!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Warlord1986 on October 12, 2021, 01:46:04 PM
Mom got yellow roses for her birthday earlier this month. She showed them to me when we FT'd. They made her happy.

I buy her a lot of flowers, actually, and I never regret it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on October 12, 2021, 03:37:36 PM
@OtherJen, it's always a struggle when the weather gets cold. I'm stubborn and tend to wear mine down to the low 50's/high 40's so long as the rest of me is dressed appropriately.

What do you consider "too cold for Birk" temps?

I get cold easily, so if the outdoor temps are below 60°F, I only wear them outdoors for very brief periods of time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on October 12, 2021, 06:17:19 PM
We finally made the upgrade leap to a proper espresso machine (Gaggia Classico Pro) and grinder (Rancilio Rocky). My goodness, what a difference. Yes I know there is an infinite gradient of coffee snobbery and machine upgrades possible but this was absolutely money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sonofsven on October 13, 2021, 07:51:34 AM
In 1995 I bought a pair of Filson tin pants (waxed cotton), I must have paid at least $100.
I still wear them a half dozen times per year. Nothing is better for tromping through the brambles and woods.
Another bonus, they've never been machine washed. Just brush off the dirt and re wax yearly.
I might be most proud that they still fit!

I've tried many of the Filson rain coats but have always struggled to find the right fit. In true frugal style though I found a double wool cruiser on craigslist, in August, on the hottest day of the year, perfect condition, for $150. That thing is the equivalent of a thick warm wool blanket that you wear.  I only wear it for boat fishing trips in February and March.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FreelanceToFreedom on October 13, 2021, 11:21:28 AM
I bought a used Garmin running watch last year, and it's definitely made it more motivating to run. I don't really enjoy running but I know it's good for me!

Having detailed data is very motivating for me. I can see my progress over time, both in pace and distance but also in broader health factors like resting heart rate. And the "training status" feature basically yells at me when I go too long between hard runs and it tells me I'm "detraining" or "unproductive".

I went from struggling to run a few miles to knocking out a full marathon in just a few months!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ice_beard on October 14, 2021, 08:35:12 PM
This has probably been posted before, but hiring professional movers to move our packed items from house A to house B was worth every penny.  We packed everything in boxes and they took the boxes and furniture and everything else in their truck and put it where we wanted it in our new house.  It was our first home purchase and it was such a relief to get our stuff moved so easily and quickly.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on October 15, 2021, 09:07:51 AM
This has probably been posted before, but hiring professional movers to move our packed items from house A to house B was worth every penny.  We packed everything in boxes and they took the boxes and furniture and everything else in their truck and put it where we wanted it in our new house.  It was our first home purchase and it was such a relief to get our stuff moved so easily and quickly.

How much did that cost??? I always expect that type of thing to be $$$$$$$$$$$$$
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on October 15, 2021, 09:36:32 AM
This has probably been posted before, but hiring professional movers to move our packed items from house A to house B was worth every penny.  We packed everything in boxes and they took the boxes and furniture and everything else in their truck and put it where we wanted it in our new house.  It was our first home purchase and it was such a relief to get our stuff moved so easily and quickly.

How much did that cost??? I always expect that type of thing to be $$$$$$$$$$$$$

I mean, it is and it isn't. It's a lot more expensive than renting a truck and doing it yourself, but in terms of value for service provided, it can be a great deal.

The last professional move I did was when I had mostly very valuable antique furniture and an art collection. I hired a company that dropped off sturdy plastic boxes for packing, and wrapped every item in blankets.

It cost about $2000

Since then I've ditched the art and antiques and my last move cost about $200.

So more expensive? Yes, but worth it given the previous circumstances.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: roomtempmayo on October 15, 2021, 11:09:52 AM
This has probably been posted before, but hiring professional movers to move our packed items from house A to house B was worth every penny.  We packed everything in boxes and they took the boxes and furniture and everything else in their truck and put it where we wanted it in our new house.  It was our first home purchase and it was such a relief to get our stuff moved so easily and quickly.

How much did that cost??? I always expect that type of thing to be $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Last move we did was a two bedroom house about three miles to a different house.

We packed everything, but we didn't stage it.  They unloaded into specified rooms at the new house.

For two guys and a big truck (bigger than the biggest UHaul) the total bill was $650.  We were astounded, and couldn't believe how many times we'd rented trucks to move ourselves.  I will never move myself again.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Mgmny on October 15, 2021, 02:49:04 PM
This has probably been posted before, but hiring professional movers to move our packed items from house A to house B was worth every penny.  We packed everything in boxes and they took the boxes and furniture and everything else in their truck and put it where we wanted it in our new house.  It was our first home purchase and it was such a relief to get our stuff moved so easily and quickly.

How much did that cost??? I always expect that type of thing to be $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Last move we did was a two bedroom house about three miles to a different house.

We packed everything, but we didn't stage it.  They unloaded into specified rooms at the new house.

For two guys and a big truck (bigger than the biggest UHaul) the total bill was $650.  We were astounded, and couldn't believe how many times we'd rented trucks to move ourselves.  I will never move myself again.

That is wild.... We are moving in probably 6-8 months, whenever they finish building our house, and that seems WAY WAY WAY worth it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on October 15, 2021, 03:00:52 PM
I am so grateful that I caved on the air fryer/pressure cooker combo my spouse wanted
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Canuck042 on October 21, 2021, 09:02:40 AM
It may have been said before: but a second larger monitor to use with my work laptop. If I had been doing WFH for the last 18 months on just the small laptop screen I would not be a happy camper. Email and IM/admin stuff on one screen, and 'real work' on the other.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChpBstrd on October 21, 2021, 09:42:19 AM
It may have been said before: but a second larger monitor to use with my work laptop. If I had been doing WFH for the last 18 months on just the small laptop screen I would not be a happy camper. Email and IM/admin stuff on one screen, and 'real work' on the other.
This is not a money spending thing, but I soon figured out that for my kind of work (typically reviewing/editing long documents/spreadsheets), it works best if I pivot the monitor 90 degrees so that it is taller than it is wide. Now I can see the context of documents instead of just 1-2 paragraphs at a time, and can write spreadsheet formulas much more easily. This made everything easier, for free, and freed up some desk space too.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 21, 2021, 01:09:01 PM
It may have been said before: but a second larger monitor to use with my work laptop. If I had been doing WFH for the last 18 months on just the small laptop screen I would not be a happy camper. Email and IM/admin stuff on one screen, and 'real work' on the other.
This is not a money spending thing, but I soon figured out that for my kind of work (typically reviewing/editing long documents/spreadsheets), it works best if I pivot the monitor 90 degrees so that it is taller than it is wide. Now I can see the context of documents instead of just 1-2 paragraphs at a time, and can write spreadsheet formulas much more easily. This made everything easier, for free, and freed up some desk space too.

This makes perfect sense.  There are lots of things I prefer to read on my tablet, even though the screen is smaller, because I can orient it vertically instead of horizontally. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on October 21, 2021, 03:37:43 PM
It may have been said before: but a second larger monitor to use with my work laptop. If I had been doing WFH for the last 18 months on just the small laptop screen I would not be a happy camper. Email and IM/admin stuff on one screen, and 'real work' on the other.
This is not a money spending thing, but I soon figured out that for my kind of work (typically reviewing/editing long documents/spreadsheets), it works best if I pivot the monitor 90 degrees so that it is taller than it is wide. Now I can see the context of documents instead of just 1-2 paragraphs at a time, and can write spreadsheet formulas much more easily. This made everything easier, for free, and freed up some desk space too.
*raises hand*  Yup, I have a 24" monitor in portrait mode on my desktop at work.  It's amazing for writing code.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on October 21, 2021, 06:36:21 PM
Really good lawyers when you need them
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on October 21, 2021, 09:11:31 PM
The block of locally made cheddar seasoned with jerk spices from the fancy (expensive) market. Totally worth the splurge.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Freedomin5 on October 22, 2021, 04:32:04 AM
I am so grateful that I caved on the air fryer/pressure cooker combo my spouse wanted

There is a machine that is both an air fryer and a pressure cooker?!?! What is this amazing contraption?! Please post a link — I may need one for myself!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on October 22, 2021, 06:06:05 AM
I am so grateful that I caved on the air fryer/pressure cooker combo my spouse wanted

There is a machine that is both an air fryer and a pressure cooker?!?! What is this amazing contraption?! Please post a link — I may need one for myself!

I believe this (https://m.ninjakitchen.com/exclusive-offer/OP101BRNWK/ninja-foodi-5-qt-7-in-1-compact-pressure-cooker-air-fryer/) is the current model. I bet there will be holiday sales!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nick_Miller on October 22, 2021, 07:32:59 AM
We got one of these pricy bastards...

https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-Profile-Opal-Nugget-Ice-Maker-with-Side-Tank-OPAL01GEPKT?gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXGD7P1vSDoDpjYtH4am_dy-8mY6JocsGPZF0--4aghAK6-co0oKO2xoCKaEQAvD_BwE

I have never consumed more water in a year in my life. I haven't had a diet soda in almost 4 months. And I partially owe it to how delicious water is with these ice cold tiny nuggets floating around in your drink. When people come over, it is the one thing we own that they get visibly jealous of. And our ice cube container is always empty when they leave. Yes, it is a ridiculous purchase in many ways, but my wife and I adore it.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: OtherJen on October 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
We got one of these pricy bastards...

https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-Profile-Opal-Nugget-Ice-Maker-with-Side-Tank-OPAL01GEPKT?gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXGD7P1vSDoDpjYtH4am_dy-8mY6JocsGPZF0--4aghAK6-co0oKO2xoCKaEQAvD_BwE

I have never consumed more water in a year in my life. I haven't had a diet soda in almost 4 months. And I partially owe it to how delicious water is with these ice cold tiny nuggets floating around in your drink. When people come over, it is the one thing we own that they get visibly jealous of. And our ice cube container is always empty when they leave. Yes, it is a ridiculous purchase in many ways, but my wife and I adore it.

I understand! I always scoffed at fridges with those built-in ice and water dispensers. Our old fridge, which had neither, died in July, and we got a good sale on a fridge with built-in dispensers. It does feel ridiculous sometimes, and I feel very spoiled, but it is nice to have ice and cold water ready to go at all times without having to remember to fill trays and pitchers.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sandi_k on October 22, 2021, 08:52:59 AM
We got one of these pricy bastards...

https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-Profile-Opal-Nugget-Ice-Maker-with-Side-Tank-OPAL01GEPKT?gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXGD7P1vSDoDpjYtH4am_dy-8mY6JocsGPZF0--4aghAK6-co0oKO2xoCKaEQAvD_BwE

I have never consumed more water in a year in my life. I haven't had a diet soda in almost 4 months. And I partially owe it to how delicious water is with these ice cold tiny nuggets floating around in your drink. When people come over, it is the one thing we own that they get visibly jealous of. And our ice cube container is always empty when they leave. Yes, it is a ridiculous purchase in many ways, but my wife and I adore it.

Ha! We use ours to make real Mai Tais. The crushed ice is a requirement for the Real Thing.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChickenStash on October 22, 2021, 09:29:07 AM
A new mattress with an adjustable base. It was expensive but it's hard to a price on a good night's sleep. Combined with the CPAP from my recent sleep apnea diagnosis, I'm actually getting close to a normal level of sleep.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on October 23, 2021, 11:38:58 AM
@ShastaFire Hi, a question please. 

Where did you get super lightweight comfortable spectacles from?  The bridge of my nose is constantly sore and I’m alternating all my eyeglasses.

My lightweight and comfortable spectacles are from Zenni Optical online. I only pay for the slowest shipping, of course.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on October 23, 2021, 02:18:34 PM
*raises hand*  Yup, I have a 24" monitor in portrait mode on my desktop at work.  It's amazing for writing code.

I've run 2x 24" in portrait mode for years at work. Plus the laptop screen in landscape.

I've had numerous instances of "How do I get monitors like THOSE?!"

"Umm, rotate the standard monitor(s) you already have. The release is *here* on the back."
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: JoePublic3.14 on October 23, 2021, 03:02:32 PM
The block of locally made cheddar seasoned with jerk spices from the fancy (expensive) market. Totally worth the splurge.

You can’t splurge on cheese. Any dollar spent on cheese was simply a necessity.

I don’t like too many flavored cheeses, but jerk sounds interesting.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on October 24, 2021, 09:35:19 AM
*raises hand*  Yup, I have a 24" monitor in portrait mode on my desktop at work.  It's amazing for writing code.

I've run 2x 24" in portrait mode for years at work. Plus the laptop screen in landscape.

I've had numerous instances of "How do I get monitors like THOSE?!"

"Umm, rotate the standard monitor(s) you already have. The release is *here* on the back."
Most monitors don't have that though.
I would like to be able to do this too, but I am not going to buy a new one just for that.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PDXTabs on October 24, 2021, 03:12:49 PM
*raises hand*  Yup, I have a 24" monitor in portrait mode on my desktop at work.  It's amazing for writing code.

I've run 2x 24" in portrait mode for years at work. Plus the laptop screen in landscape.

I've had numerous instances of "How do I get monitors like THOSE?!"

"Umm, rotate the standard monitor(s) you already have. The release is *here* on the back."
Most monitors don't have that though.
I would like to be able to do this too, but I am not going to buy a new one just for that.

Almost all monitors have a VESA mount in the back if nothing else. So you can mount it to a wide variety of different stands:
https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/support/vesa-standard
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Extramedium on October 24, 2021, 09:25:01 PM
Breeo X24 fancy fire pit for the back yard.  We love having fires to gather around with friends.  Did get a good deal on it, but no apologies, we love it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Phenix on October 25, 2021, 06:26:20 AM
Breeo X24 fancy fire pit for the back yard.  We love having fires to gather around with friends.  Did get a good deal on it, but no apologies, we love it.

Is it truly smokeless?  I've been tempted to get one as we do have a good amount of fires when we entertain and not having to deal with moving around the fire as the wind shifts directions is very appealing.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Extramedium on October 25, 2021, 12:19:07 PM
Breeo X24 fancy fire pit for the back yard.  We love having fires to gather around with friends.  Did get a good deal on it, but no apologies, we love it.

Is it truly smokeless?  I've been tempted to get one as we do have a good amount of fires when we entertain and not having to deal with moving around the fire as the wind shifts directions is very appealing.

Once the fire is hot enough, it is smokeless (of course, unless your wood is wet).  It's functionally the same as a Solo Stove, but I think it looks better.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Rural on October 25, 2021, 03:41:57 PM
Last week we paid someone else over $1K to put a new engine (old one was dead) in our old Wrangler instead of husband doing it himself. Totally worth it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on October 25, 2021, 03:50:04 PM
I bought some shampoo and conditioner from my hair salon a couple of weeks ago, recommended by my stylist. Not only is it doing amazing things to my hair, it smells wonderful. It makes me so happy ro smell every time I put it on in the shower, and then several times a day as I catch a whiff of the fragrance in my hair. The pleasure makes it well worth the money.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: life_travel on October 25, 2021, 08:56:25 PM
A firm $70 pillow. For years I slept just on $5 pillows and actually liked them, and preferred really low ones.
However in the last few months I noticed that my back was getting sore on a low pillow and I added a second one which worked for a few weeks but wasn't ideal.
My husband actually had above-mentioned $70 pillow for 2 years so I " borrowed" his for 1 week and decided , yep, I want one too!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sandi_k on October 25, 2021, 11:09:54 PM
I bought some shampoo and conditioner from my hair salon a couple of weeks ago, recommended by my stylist. Not only is it doing amazing things to my hair, it smells wonderful. It makes me so happy ro smell every time I put it on in the shower, and then several times a day as I catch a whiff of the fragrance in my hair. The pleasure makes it well worth the money.

Well, now you need to tell us what brand it is, and why it works well on your hair. Curly defrizz? Body for straight?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: YttriumNitrate on October 27, 2021, 12:46:36 PM
I picked up this thing on Sunday and immediately made an 85% return on my money. When the drains of my house started backing up, I called three plumbers / roto-rooter companies. Of the three, only one called me back and they wanted an eye-popping $500 to clear the clog. I bought the auger for $270 and had the mainline of the house cleared in about 15 minutes.
(https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/8/68285_W3.jpg)
https://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-compact-electric-drain-cleaner-68285.html?_br_psugg_q=drain+snake (https://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-compact-electric-drain-cleaner-68285.html?_br_psugg_q=drain+snake)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on October 27, 2021, 10:32:15 PM
Just booked 3 nights at the Ranch at Death Valley and 3 nights at the Rush Inn near Yosemite. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: rocketpj on October 29, 2021, 09:30:50 PM
$400/year to play hockey with a bunch of other middle aged farts once a week.  A bargain at twice the price, which it thankfully isn't.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: stoaX on October 30, 2021, 05:02:10 AM
$400/year to play hockey with a bunch of other middle aged farts once a week.  A bargain at twice the price, which it thankfully isn't.

Congrats on getting such a bargain!  I am paying almost twice that in a mcol area and yes, I consider it money well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on October 30, 2021, 08:44:05 AM
I've run 2x 24" in portrait mode for years at work. Plus the laptop screen in landscape.

I've had numerous instances of "How do I get monitors like THOSE?!"

"Umm, rotate the standard monitor(s) you already have. The release is *here* on the back."
Most monitors don't have that though.
I would like to be able to do this too, but I am not going to buy a new one just for that.

[citation needed] - at least 3 different generations of cheap LCD monitors at work have this feature. I've never found one at work which does not. 

At least the last several personal monitors I have had can do this.

The release to rotate is often not obvious. I suggest looking at the manual.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: rocketpj on October 30, 2021, 07:19:19 PM
$400/year to play hockey with a bunch of other middle aged farts once a week.  A bargain at twice the price, which it thankfully isn't.

Congrats on getting such a bargain!  I am paying almost twice that in a mcol area and yes, I consider it money well spent.

Someone on the team always brings beer, which are $3/each in the dressing room.  I suspect that goes a long way to covering additional costs.  I actually do pay double because I play twice/wk but didn't want to complicate the post ;)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Duke03 on November 01, 2021, 07:07:33 PM
I love cowboy boots and for the money you can not beat Anderson Bean boots.  They are one of the last boot makers that are still hand made in America and Texas at that!!!  They are so comfortable.  I have several pairs, because honestly I'd pay 3x what they charge and I always get compliments every time I wear them.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: DadJokes on November 02, 2021, 06:30:01 AM
$400/year to play hockey with a bunch of other middle aged farts once a week.  A bargain at twice the price, which it thankfully isn't.

Rec sports is almost always money well spent for me. I play softball 3/4 of the year and have sprinkled in other sports here and there as well.

I can't be bothered to go to a gym, go for a run, or ride a bike (usually), but I'll give it 100% when doing something competitive.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 02, 2021, 07:46:51 AM
My '95 Corolla.  DW (then fiancee) and I bought it in 2003 with 87k miles on it.  18.5 years and 156,000 miles later, it still runs fantastic, even if it's starting to rust.  Not only has it provided economical and reliable transportation, it has given me an opportunity to learn all sorts of car maintenance and repair over the years, from reupholstering the headliner to replacing 25-year-old shocks to changing timing belts.

It has also given me an appreciation for vehicles that have lots of space in the engine bay :)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on November 02, 2021, 08:42:31 AM
My '95 Corolla.  DW (then fiancee) and I bought it in 2003 with 87k miles on it.  18.5 years and 156,000 miles later, it still runs fantastic, even if it's starting to rust.  Not only has it provided economical and reliable transportation, it has given me an opportunity to learn all sorts of car maintenance and repair over the years, from reupholstering the headliner to replacing 25-year-old shocks to changing timing belts.

It has also given me an appreciation for vehicles that have lots of space in the engine bay :)
But not in other places? ;)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 02, 2021, 09:45:09 AM
My '95 Corolla.  DW (then fiancee) and I bought it in 2003 with 87k miles on it.  18.5 years and 156,000 miles later, it still runs fantastic, even if it's starting to rust.  Not only has it provided economical and reliable transportation, it has given me an opportunity to learn all sorts of car maintenance and repair over the years, from reupholstering the headliner to replacing 25-year-old shocks to changing timing belts.

It has also given me an appreciation for vehicles that have lots of space in the engine bay :)
But not in other places? ;)
Well, I *do* appreciate the positively massive quantities of cargo our minivan can hold, on top of our family of 8...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: FireLane on November 30, 2021, 07:09:40 PM
For a small splurge, I got these direct-trade (even better than fair-trade) chocolate discs from Taza:

https://www.tazachocolate.com/collections/discs/products/sampler

They dissolve in hot water, becoming a tasty drink that's not too sweet. It's chocolate the way the indigenous people who introduced it to the world originally consumed it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on December 01, 2021, 09:39:13 AM
Oh these would be a great gift
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on February 05, 2022, 07:35:53 AM
Very happy with the couple of hundred bucks we just spent on a new coffee machine.

We had one ages ago but it was a bit naff, so got rid of it and have sort of been getting by on filtered and instant coffee, with the odd stovetop.

The new one is great - nothing fancy, but easy to use, refill and clean.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on February 05, 2022, 07:58:36 AM
Double paying for accommodations. Keeping our apartment in the frozen north while hopping around short term rentals in the SE USA during the winter months. No ragrets.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on February 05, 2022, 08:13:10 AM
Double paying for accommodations. Keeping our apartment in the frozen north while hopping around short term rentals in the SE USA during the winter months. No ragrets.
Not permanent ones, anyway.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on February 05, 2022, 08:51:15 AM
I bought myself a piano recently. I wanted a digital piano for a while for various reasons including wanting to practice with headphones while others are asleep. I figured the Clavinova line by Yamaha would be the winning ticket.

I went to the showroom and sat down at the first Clavinova. In a couple of seconds I knew it wasn’t for me so I moved up to the next other model and repeated the process. I got to the most expensive model and still wasn’t thrilled. Then the lady at the showroom showed me what is called a hybrid piano- acoustic action with digital sound production. At first touch I knew this was what I had been looking for. I ended up purchasing a Casio with a grand piano action in part because it was in stock while the Yamahas have the same supply chain issues as car manufacturers. Compared to a digital piano or a cheap acoustic it was expensive. Compared to a grand it was dirt cheap. Regardless I’m thrilled with it and am enjoying playing piano more than I ever have in the past.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: PMG on February 05, 2022, 09:57:13 AM
@ysette9

You made me think of some of the best money I’ve spent recently! It’s still early to tell if it’s long term amazing, but I think it will be. 

My husband has been talking about taking piano lessons for more than a year, two years? He did voice lessons and joined a choir… but he kept coming back to piano.  We shopped several times for a digital keyboard but didn’t find anything to was good enough, but inexpensive enough … just before Christmas I managed to find one on Marketplace. Managed to sneak it home, wrap and hide it in our tiny house without him finding it for a couple weeks!  I arranged for piano lessons and got his started books and… gave it to him for Christmas.  It was perfect.  He is delighted. Only a month into lessons, but he’s enjoying the heck out of it. 

That was more than we ever spend on gifts. And more than either of us usually spends without talking to the other, but we had talked about it quite a bit before, and I knew it was a serious want, not just a passing fancy. It still felt like a risk!  And I didn’t want to put too much pressure on him… but it’s turned out so well and I’m getting so much joy out of his joy. 

It looks like piano lessons will stay in the budget for a while.

We should have just done it a year ago…

Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: elaine amj on February 05, 2022, 10:08:05 AM
I bought myself a piano recently. I wanted a digital piano for a while for various reasons including wanting to practice with headphones while others are asleep. I figured the Clavinova line by Yamaha would be the winning ticket.

I went to the showroom and sat down at the first Clavinova. In a couple of seconds I knew it wasn’t for me so I moved up to the next other model and repeated the process. I got to the most expensive model and still wasn’t thrilled. Then the lady at the showroom showed me what is called a hybrid piano- acoustic action with digital sound production. At first touch I knew this was what I had been looking for. I ended up purchasing a Casio with a grand piano action in part because it was in stock while the Yamahas have the same supply chain issues as car manufacturers. Compared to a digital piano or a cheap acoustic it was expensive. Compared to a grand it was dirt cheap. Regardless I’m thrilled with it and am enjoying playing piano more than I ever have in the past.
My mother loves her digital piano too. I love that she can play whenever she wants (with her headphones on at night!). It sure made me giggle when I discovered how loud it is to plonk on piano keys lol (her piano is under my bed). Still better than hearing the piano when trying to sleep. Actually I don’t really mind falling to sleep to actual music. She just tends to like learning new stuff late at night and that does not make for bedtime lullabies lol. I’m just happy she’s happy (and that I can still sleep!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AMandM on February 05, 2022, 02:39:17 PM
I just spent $35 on LED lights that go under my kitchen cabinets. Before, the only light was a ceiling fixture, so when you stood at the counter, you cast a shadow on your work. Now I can see what I am chopping!
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dr Kidstache on February 05, 2022, 02:47:26 PM
I bought myself a piano recently. I wanted a digital piano for a while for various reasons including wanting to practice with headphones while others are asleep. I figured the Clavinova line by Yamaha would be the winning ticket.

I went to the showroom and sat down at the first Clavinova. In a couple of seconds I knew it wasn’t for me so I moved up to the next other model and repeated the process. I got to the most expensive model and still wasn’t thrilled. Then the lady at the showroom showed me what is called a hybrid piano- acoustic action with digital sound production. At first touch I knew this was what I had been looking for. I ended up purchasing a Casio with a grand piano action in part because it was in stock while the Yamahas have the same supply chain issues as car manufacturers. Compared to a digital piano or a cheap acoustic it was expensive. Compared to a grand it was dirt cheap. Regardless I’m thrilled with it and am enjoying playing piano more than I ever have in the past.

I have a Kawai digital piano and tell everyone to check out digital pianos now. They're just amazing and so much cheaper to buy/maintain than acoustic pianos. I have a lower range Kawai and it still plays better than any of the acoustic pianos that I had in the past. What a revolution!
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on February 05, 2022, 04:37:29 PM
I bought myself a piano recently. I wanted a digital piano for a while for various reasons including wanting to practice with headphones while others are asleep. I figured the Clavinova line by Yamaha would be the winning ticket.

I went to the showroom and sat down at the first Clavinova. In a couple of seconds I knew it wasn’t for me so I moved up to the next other model and repeated the process. I got to the most expensive model and still wasn’t thrilled. Then the lady at the showroom showed me what is called a hybrid piano- acoustic action with digital sound production. At first touch I knew this was what I had been looking for. I ended up purchasing a Casio with a grand piano action in part because it was in stock while the Yamahas have the same supply chain issues as car manufacturers. Compared to a digital piano or a cheap acoustic it was expensive. Compared to a grand it was dirt cheap. Regardless I’m thrilled with it and am enjoying playing piano more than I ever have in the past.

I have a Kawai digital piano and tell everyone to check out digital pianos now. They're just amazing and so much cheaper to buy/maintain than acoustic pianos. I have a lower range Kawai and it still plays better than any of the acoustic pianos that I had in the past. What a revolution!
Compared to the somewhat basic upright acoustic I had before I love the feel of the action and range of expression. My pp is more pianissimo and my ff is more forte with some really rich bass. What a pleasure.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MrsSpendyPants on February 05, 2022, 08:15:28 PM
My Bosch 800 series dishwasher.  I can put baked on dishes straight from the oven into them without soaking at all and it cleans them.  Silent and amazing.  I didn't clean the dishes for ten years prior to getting this dishwasher (DH did all of the dishwashing) and since we got it I've been taking care of loading and unloading.  It's awesome!
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on February 05, 2022, 10:34:59 PM
My Bosch 800 series dishwasher.  I can put baked on dishes straight from the oven into them without soaking at all and it cleans them.  Silent and amazing.  I didn't clean the dishes for ten years prior to getting this dishwasher (DH did all of the dishwashing) and since we got it I've been taking care of loading and unloading.  It's awesome!
This is one of them with the third rack? I have a Bosch dishwasher on my wish list for my kitchen remodel. Quiet, effective, and with the third rack you can put so many dishes into it. Way better than what we have now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on February 05, 2022, 11:01:54 PM
Moved to the North Bay (San Francisco area).  I like hiking and wine, I’m having a good time.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on February 06, 2022, 04:49:10 AM
I bought myself a piano recently. I wanted a digital piano for a while for various reasons including wanting to practice with headphones while others are asleep. I figured the Clavinova line by Yamaha would be the winning ticket.

I went to the showroom and sat down at the first Clavinova. In a couple of seconds I knew it wasn’t for me so I moved up to the next other model and repeated the process. I got to the most expensive model and still wasn’t thrilled. Then the lady at the showroom showed me what is called a hybrid piano- acoustic action with digital sound production. At first touch I knew this was what I had been looking for. I ended up purchasing a Casio with a grand piano action in part because it was in stock while the Yamahas have the same supply chain issues as car manufacturers. Compared to a digital piano or a cheap acoustic it was expensive. Compared to a grand it was dirt cheap. Regardless I’m thrilled with it and am enjoying playing piano more than I ever have in the past.

I have a Kawai digital piano and tell everyone to check out digital pianos now. They're just amazing and so much cheaper to buy/maintain than acoustic pianos. I have a lower range Kawai and it still plays better than any of the acoustic pianos that I had in the past. What a revolution!

Another vote for digital pianos!  Last summer we bought a used Kawai on Craigslist for our son, who was just starting piano lessons.  It's amazing -- compact, excellent sound, wooden keys, proper weighting and action.  For 1/10 the price of what an acoustic piano would cost.  Money very, very well spent. 
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on February 06, 2022, 08:42:57 AM
My Bosch 800 series dishwasher.  I can put baked on dishes straight from the oven into them without soaking at all and it cleans them.  Silent and amazing.  I didn't clean the dishes for ten years prior to getting this dishwasher (DH did all of the dishwashing) and since we got it I've been taking care of loading and unloading.  It's awesome!
This is one of them with the third rack? I have a Bosch dishwasher on my wish list for my kitchen remodel. Quiet, effective, and with the third rack you can put so many dishes into it. Way better than what we have now.
LOL in my case I don't buy one because I would need to buy more dishes to load it full :D (Also my kitchen does not have the space for it.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dr Kidstache on February 06, 2022, 01:16:43 PM
This is one of them with the third rack? I have a Bosch dishwasher on my wish list for my kitchen remodel. Quiet, effective, and with the third rack you can put so many dishes into it. Way better than what we have now.

lol I just moved into a house with a Bosch dishwasher and I never know what to put on the 3rd rack when I load it
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on February 06, 2022, 03:52:19 PM
This is one of them with the third rack? I have a Bosch dishwasher on my wish list for my kitchen remodel. Quiet, effective, and with the third rack you can put so many dishes into it. Way better than what we have now.

lol I just moved into a house with a Bosch dishwasher and I never know what to put on the 3rd rack when I load it
All the silverware. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220206/4fbc2d61ec647cc6bc715c7d9e8b5613.jpg)

They fit more tightly packed than any other configuration without nestling that leaves you with dirty spots. It is genius.
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 06, 2022, 04:01:19 PM
This is one of them with the third rack? I have a Bosch dishwasher on my wish list for my kitchen remodel. Quiet, effective, and with the third rack you can put so many dishes into it. Way better than what we have now.

lol I just moved into a house with a Bosch dishwasher and I never know what to put on the 3rd rack when I load it
All the silverware. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220206/4fbc2d61ec647cc6bc715c7d9e8b5613.jpg)

They fit more tightly packed than any other configuration without nestling that leaves you with dirty spots. It is genius.

My dishwasher has a cutlery basket that has removable lids with holes - I can stack all my cutlery vertically so that things don't touch, remove the lids if I need more space.  But that third tray looks wonderful.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: JoePublic3.14 on February 06, 2022, 05:30:48 PM
Moved to the North Bay (San Francisco area).  I like hiking and wine, I’m having a good time.

So jealous! Grew up a bit north and inland from there, but have lived far away for many years. Just visits now. Sigh…
Title: Re: The &quot;Money well spent&quot; thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ysette9 on February 06, 2022, 06:25:39 PM
This is one of them with the third rack? I have a Bosch dishwasher on my wish list for my kitchen remodel. Quiet, effective, and with the third rack you can put so many dishes into it. Way better than what we have now.

lol I just moved into a house with a Bosch dishwasher and I never know what to put on the 3rd rack when I load it
All the silverware. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220206/4fbc2d61ec647cc6bc715c7d9e8b5613.jpg)

They fit more tightly packed than any other configuration without nestling that leaves you with dirty spots. It is genius.

My dishwasher has a cutlery basket that has removable lids with holes - I can stack all my cutlery vertically so that things don't touch, remove the lids if I need more space.  But that third tray looks wonderful.
Mine has one also and I’ve used a lot of them. They don’t hold a candle to the third rack in terms of ease and efficiency of loading
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on February 07, 2022, 10:16:46 AM
I spent $6000 for a top-notch 3D printer and a washing and a curing unit, plus multiple liters of resin for it.

Another $1300 for a new vacuum casting table.

Another $600 for a new electric metal melting unit and some extra crucibles.

Another $1600 for a new burnout kiln.

Another $1500 to have the electricians add new dedicated circuits to the garage so I can run the latter three at the same time.

Another $1000 for 3D design software.

Another $1500 for miscellaneous accessories and consumables like investing powder (not financial related! :) ), flasks, bronze and silver to cast with, and so forth.

I've done more metal casting in the last 2 months than I did in the prior 10-12 years.   I've designed hundreds of items in the 3D design software and I'm working my way thru printing and casting them.   I'm poised to develop what may be a new, successful enameling technique out of all this.   

I am having a total blast!

All this sound so intriguing! Hope you are still enjoying it.

Need to install a couple of circuits (tonight?) so I can have my welder and air compressor in service again. Also, brought a big HF toolbox. Have old cars that need restoration.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on February 07, 2022, 10:25:06 AM
Has this been said already? Dog training. Our 1 year old dog is a pleasure to be around, both in public and at home, because she's so well-behaved. This was an investment of time more than money, but we used an online training program and then found an awesome local trainer who does small group classes, and both the time and the money have been well spent. The classes have also been fun for the humans, since they kind of turn into a little social event each week. When my husband said he wanted a particular breed that's large and powerful, I was afraid that we could end up with a scary, out-of-control dog, but she's an absolute lovebug who gets pets and compliments everywhere we go. She usually wears a pink or purple collar to make her look a little less intense. :-)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on February 07, 2022, 12:42:37 PM
I picked up this thing on Sunday and immediately made an 85% return on my money. When the drains of my house started backing up, I called three plumbers / roto-rooter companies. Of the three, only one called me back and they wanted an eye-popping $500 to clear the clog. I bought the auger for $270 and had the mainline of the house cleared in about 15 minutes.
(https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/8/68285_W3.jpg)
https://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-compact-electric-drain-cleaner-68285.html?_br_psugg_q=drain+snake (https://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-compact-electric-drain-cleaner-68285.html?_br_psugg_q=drain+snake)

Did the same with same good results. Thought about selling it but hey, I have one forever at no additional costs. I have room to store it...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 07, 2022, 01:05:50 PM
Has this been said already? Dog training. Our 1 year old dog is a pleasure to be around, both in public and at home, because she's so well-behaved. This was an investment of time more than money, but we used an online training program and then found an awesome local trainer who does small group classes, and both the time and the money have been well spent. The classes have also been fun for the humans, since they kind of turn into a little social event each week. When my husband said he wanted a particular breed that's large and powerful, I was afraid that we could end up with a scary, out-of-control dog, but she's an absolute lovebug who gets pets and compliments everywhere we go. She usually wears a pink or purple collar to make her look a little less intense. :-)

Training is so important.  Have you thought of doing agility with your dog?  Mine loved it, and her sit-stay got sooo good.  It really develops the bond between the dog and his/her person in training.  I met someone in agility who had a Siberian Husky, a breed not known for their obedience - what a well behaved dog, and so attentive to her human.  PS  I love big dogs - you don't have to bend down to pet them.  21" at the shoulder and up.  And even more up.   ;-)  Of course with your name what you need is a collie of some sort.  Smart dogs, all the herding breeds.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on February 07, 2022, 02:35:34 PM
Has this been said already? Dog training. Our 1 year old dog is a pleasure to be around, both in public and at home, because she's so well-behaved. This was an investment of time more than money, but we used an online training program and then found an awesome local trainer who does small group classes, and both the time and the money have been well spent. The classes have also been fun for the humans, since they kind of turn into a little social event each week. When my husband said he wanted a particular breed that's large and powerful, I was afraid that we could end up with a scary, out-of-control dog, but she's an absolute lovebug who gets pets and compliments everywhere we go. She usually wears a pink or purple collar to make her look a little less intense. :-)

Training is so important.  Have you thought of doing agility with your dog?  Mine loved it, and her sit-stay got sooo good.  It really develops the bond between the dog and his/her person in training.  I met someone in agility who had a Siberian Husky, a breed not known for their obedience - what a well behaved dog, and so attentive to her human.  PS  I love big dogs - you don't have to bend down to pet them.  21" at the shoulder and up.  And even more up.   ;-)  Of course with your name what you need is a collie of some sort.  Smart dogs, all the herding breeds.

Yes, I think we will end up doing agility or rally or something. We're finishing up our intermediate obedience class tomorrow (been working on sit-stay, down-stay, come front, the moving down, heeling with turns, etc.), and then we'll start an intermediate-advanced class next week. That class is off-leash, so more of a challenge! Our trainer also does a drill team, which involves dog maneuvers set to music, sort of like synchronized swimming but on land. The dogs and owners walk around and do formations, tricks, etc., either all simultaneously or taking turns in a pattern that is pleasing to the eye of the spectator. I watched her last group's performance, and all the tails were wagging!

Funny you say that -- my mom's first dog as an adult on her own was a Gordon Setter (what happened to those, anyway? you never see them anymore), and she said she wanted a big dog, too, because you don't have to reach down to pet them. :-) Our pup is 22" at the shoulder, so she gets more "drive by" petting than our other dog, who is... haha, I should measure... maybe 6" at the shoulder! But when you're that little, you often get scooped up for a cuddle, so I guess it balances out.

Our dog is a herding breed, and she is SO smart! She's learned things we never taught her. And from the day we picked her up as a puppy, her eyes just looked like the light was on in her brain compared to our other dog, who is... not the sharpest tool in the shed, but very cute and generally easy to hang out with.

Sorry to take this off-topic. Some dog-related money well spent, to get this back on track:
--A Toppl, made by West Paw. Easier for dogs to lick things out of, which is good for the ones who get frustrated with Kongs.
--A cot-like bed made by Coolaroo on Amazon. Cool in the summer, but still well-used in the winter with a fleece blanket. Easy to wash off with the hose.
--A Squarble, made by Jolly Pets, which is like a ball but oddly-shaped. Our dog will fetch that thing all day, has not destroyed it in almost a year, and takes it to bed with her at night like a teddy bear.
--A large herding ball, also by Jolly Pets. Herding breeds (and maybe others) like to herd it around the yard.
--A Kurgo car harness, which is the only one I know of that's crash-tested.
--A seat cover (we just got the highest-rated one on Amazon) for the back seat of the car. No worries about muddy paws!
--A LickiMat for our older dog, who doesn't have many teeth left but still loves food. Peanut butter, pumpkin, mashed banana, mashed sweet potato, baby food when we catch it on sale, etc.
--A jar of peanut butter specifically for the dogs (I wrote DOGS on the top with a marker), so I can grab it in the middle of doing dog stuff and not worry about washing my hands. A smear of peanut butter on the side of the tub makes bath time easy!
--Bocce's Bakery tiny training treats. I stock up when they're on sale. They only use real food ingredients, and my dog goes nuts for them! I like them because they're tiny and don't get all slimy on my hands or in the training pouch. Also, we dilute them with Cheerios, which both of our dogs love, to make training cheaper.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 07, 2022, 05:59:57 PM
GreenSheep, to add to the treats, Costco sells dried liver treats at a reasonable price.  When we trained our first dog dried liver was the preferred training treat, but making it myself stank up the house.  Dogs just love the stuff.

One toy mine loved was a puppy "frisbee" - it has another name but it is a frisbee meant for dogs.  The adult one is hard plastic but the puppy one is soft plastic, easier on the dog's mouth.  Missy loved hers, she wasn't all that interested in fetching balls but she would play frisbee until she was exhausted.

There is a name for the fancy obedience manoeuvres, just escapes my mind at the moment.  Yours may be a bit large for flyball, I noticed the dogs who seemed to enjoy it most were border collie size, but you could try it.   She would probably love agility.  It needs good teachers, because some of the equipment can be scary at first if introduced badly, especially the see-saw.  Missy was intrepid but I saw others get spooked.  What she liked was perching at the top of the A frame to survey the crowd.  And tunnels, oh she loved the tunnels.  ;-)  She really loved it, she got her first CKC agility title at one show - 3 trials, 3 qualifications.  A lot of the competitors were surprised to see us get the big rosette that day, we were beginners and a lot of dogs can take several trials before they get that 3rd qualifier.  Aah, memories of days with my dog - hope you have many days like that with yours.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on February 08, 2022, 08:01:18 AM
GreenSheep, to add to the treats, Costco sells dried liver treats at a reasonable price.  When we trained our first dog dried liver was the preferred training treat, but making it myself stank up the house.  Dogs just love the stuff.

One toy mine loved was a puppy "frisbee" - it has another name but it is a frisbee meant for dogs.  The adult one is hard plastic but the puppy one is soft plastic, easier on the dog's mouth.  Missy loved hers, she wasn't all that interested in fetching balls but she would play frisbee until she was exhausted.

There is a name for the fancy obedience manoeuvres, just escapes my mind at the moment.  Yours may be a bit large for flyball, I noticed the dogs who seemed to enjoy it most were border collie size, but you could try it.   She would probably love agility.  It needs good teachers, because some of the equipment can be scary at first if introduced badly, especially the see-saw.  Missy was intrepid but I saw others get spooked.  What she liked was perching at the top of the A frame to survey the crowd.  And tunnels, oh she loved the tunnels.  ;-)  She really loved it, she got her first CKC agility title at one show - 3 trials, 3 qualifications.  A lot of the competitors were surprised to see us get the big rosette that day, we were beginners and a lot of dogs can take several trials before they get that 3rd qualifier.  Aah, memories of days with my dog - hope you have many days like that with yours.

We did use freeze-dried turkey liver treats when potty training, and she learned fast! I've read that too much liver can be bad for them, and I like to use teeny tiny treats but don't have the patience to cut the liver that small -- but you're right, she'll do just about anything for that stuff! I still get some out when I'm trying to teach her something new and difficult.

Dogs sure do give their humans a lot of good days. I have so many good memories of adventures with my little old lady dog who is now almost 15. And more to come with the new addition!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 08, 2022, 11:38:49 AM
GreenSheep, to add to the treats, Costco sells dried liver treats at a reasonable price.  When we trained our first dog dried liver was the preferred training treat, but making it myself stank up the house.  Dogs just love the stuff.

One toy mine loved was a puppy "frisbee" - it has another name but it is a frisbee meant for dogs.  The adult one is hard plastic but the puppy one is soft plastic, easier on the dog's mouth.  Missy loved hers, she wasn't all that interested in fetching balls but she would play frisbee until she was exhausted.

There is a name for the fancy obedience manoeuvres, just escapes my mind at the moment.  Yours may be a bit large for flyball, I noticed the dogs who seemed to enjoy it most were border collie size, but you could try it.   She would probably love agility.  It needs good teachers, because some of the equipment can be scary at first if introduced badly, especially the see-saw.  Missy was intrepid but I saw others get spooked.  What she liked was perching at the top of the A frame to survey the crowd.  And tunnels, oh she loved the tunnels.  ;-)  She really loved it, she got her first CKC agility title at one show - 3 trials, 3 qualifications.  A lot of the competitors were surprised to see us get the big rosette that day, we were beginners and a lot of dogs can take several trials before they get that 3rd qualifier.  Aah, memories of days with my dog - hope you have many days like that with yours.

We did use freeze-dried turkey liver treats when potty training, and she learned fast! I've read that too much liver can be bad for them, and I like to use teeny tiny treats but don't have the patience to cut the liver that small -- but you're right, she'll do just about anything for that stuff! I still get some out when I'm trying to teach her something new and difficult.

Dogs sure do give their humans a lot of good days. I have so many good memories of adventures with my little old lady dog who is now almost 15. And more to come with the new addition!

The liver breaks into really small pieces easily just with hand pressure, no knife.  I bought a bag for my cat, she loves it, and she has to be a lot smaller than your dog!  Fortunately freeze-dried meat lasts almost forever, or I would have to throw most of it out, because we are not going through it fast (tiny cat means 3 pieces a week max).  I have also bought her freeze-dried shrimp and chicken and salmon - the salmon is amazingly stinky.  Most dog and cat treats are full of filler and I won't buy them.  So in terms of "Money Well Spent", healthy treats for our pets.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on February 08, 2022, 12:51:54 PM
Most dog and cat treats are full of filler and I won't buy them.  So in terms of "Money Well Spent", healthy treats for our pets.

Totally agree. There's as much junk food out there for dogs as there is for humans!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on February 09, 2022, 10:31:17 AM
GreenSheep, to add to the treats, Costco sells dried liver treats at a reasonable price.  When we trained our first dog dried liver was the preferred training treat, but making it myself stank up the house.  Dogs just love the stuff.

One toy mine loved was a puppy "frisbee" - it has another name but it is a frisbee meant for dogs.  The adult one is hard plastic but the puppy one is soft plastic, easier on the dog's mouth.  Missy loved hers, she wasn't all that interested in fetching balls but she would play frisbee until she was exhausted.

There is a name for the fancy obedience manoeuvres, just escapes my mind at the moment.  Yours may be a bit large for flyball, I noticed the dogs who seemed to enjoy it most were border collie size, but you could try it.   She would probably love agility.  It needs good teachers, because some of the equipment can be scary at first if introduced badly, especially the see-saw.  Missy was intrepid but I saw others get spooked.  What she liked was perching at the top of the A frame to survey the crowd.  And tunnels, oh she loved the tunnels.  ;-)  She really loved it, she got her first CKC agility title at one show - 3 trials, 3 qualifications.  A lot of the competitors were surprised to see us get the big rosette that day, we were beginners and a lot of dogs can take several trials before they get that 3rd qualifier.  Aah, memories of days with my dog - hope you have many days like that with yours.
Agility Training? So much fun to watch!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: talltexan on February 09, 2022, 01:33:24 PM
When David Bowie died in 2016, I realized that I didn't know enough about his music, so I bought a "Greatest Hits" album of his. Those songs turn out to be everywhere!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MudPuppy on February 09, 2022, 03:57:05 PM
I bought the cobra head gardening tool that all my favorite seed catalogs feature. Tested it out today on one of the raised beds that got infested with crab grass. It was $27 dollars well spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on February 09, 2022, 04:00:27 PM
We had a very simple coffee maker, and we recently purchased a Breville espresso maker with built in steamer for making lattes/ cappuccinos for around $500. It is an absolute freaking JOY to get up every morning now and have a latte that is better than most places I could get in the city for $4, and it only takes 3 minutes to make. So much pleasure. So worth it (because we have the money thanks to mustachian principles and spending mindfully).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 09, 2022, 07:25:25 PM
GreenSheep, to add to the treats, Costco sells dried liver treats at a reasonable price.  When we trained our first dog dried liver was the preferred training treat, but making it myself stank up the house.  Dogs just love the stuff.

One toy mine loved was a puppy "frisbee" - it has another name but it is a frisbee meant for dogs.  The adult one is hard plastic but the puppy one is soft plastic, easier on the dog's mouth.  Missy loved hers, she wasn't all that interested in fetching balls but she would play frisbee until she was exhausted.

There is a name for the fancy obedience manoeuvres, just escapes my mind at the moment.  Yours may be a bit large for flyball, I noticed the dogs who seemed to enjoy it most were border collie size, but you could try it.   She would probably love agility.  It needs good teachers, because some of the equipment can be scary at first if introduced badly, especially the see-saw.  Missy was intrepid but I saw others get spooked.  What she liked was perching at the top of the A frame to survey the crowd.  And tunnels, oh she loved the tunnels.  ;-)  She really loved it, she got her first CKC agility title at one show - 3 trials, 3 qualifications.  A lot of the competitors were surprised to see us get the big rosette that day, we were beginners and a lot of dogs can take several trials before they get that 3rd qualifier.  Aah, memories of days with my dog - hope you have many days like that with yours.
Agility Training? So much fun to watch!

The dogs just love it - well, like any sport, the ones who don't drop out early.  ;-)

In Missy's classes we had really big dogs (think Belgian Malinois) and really small dogs (think Yorkshire Terrier) and everything in between.  Such dash, energy, verve.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dandypandys on February 15, 2022, 05:23:24 AM
I bought an orchid, then killed it, then felt bad. Next I trained myself up on everything houseplantish on Youtube and bought 4 more orchids and a lovely array of Trader Joes low light house plants, grow bulbs, and LED strip lights (that are so good!) for a little bookshelf of plants. JOY!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093SMQCF2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So far my plants are happy- fingers crossed.

I'm still trying to save the dead orchid, it has zero roots but is resting on top of a glass of water.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dr Kidstache on February 15, 2022, 08:53:29 AM
My Vitamix FoodCycler. Love that thing! I have essentially zero food waste now and a bucket of "foodilizer" (aka electric compost) for my vegetable gardening in my new backyard. I'm constantly telling everyone about it in my mountain town where it's too cold for composting/vermiculture much of the year. Plus the FoodCycler can chomp almost any type of food waste (exclusions are meat bones and hard pits) so it's not as restrictive as composting.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on February 15, 2022, 09:11:28 AM
My Vitamix FoodCycler. Love that thing! I have essentially zero food waste now and a bucket of "foodilizer" (aka electric compost) for my vegetable gardening in my new backyard. I'm constantly telling everyone about it in my mountain town where it's too cold for composting/vermiculture much of the year. Plus the FoodCycler can chomp almost any type of food waste (exclusions are meat bones and hard pits) so it's not as restrictive as composting.
An interesting idea.  I know we generate a fair amount of food scrap waste in our house.

For those looking for a link: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/foodcycler-fc-50 (https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/foodcycler-fc-50)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dr Kidstache on February 15, 2022, 02:14:55 PM
My Vitamix FoodCycler. Love that thing! I have essentially zero food waste now and a bucket of "foodilizer" (aka electric compost) for my vegetable gardening in my new backyard. I'm constantly telling everyone about it in my mountain town where it's too cold for composting/vermiculture much of the year. Plus the FoodCycler can chomp almost any type of food waste (exclusions are meat bones and hard pits) so it's not as restrictive as composting.
An interesting idea.  I know we generate a fair amount of food scrap waste in our house.

For those looking for a link: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/foodcycler-fc-50 (https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/foodcycler-fc-50)

Vitamix sells them now but the parent company, Foodcycler www.foodcyler.com (http://www.foodcyler.com), is a Canadian company that does large-scale municipal electric composting projects too. I wanted to make sure that the electricity use of the Foodcycler didn't outweigh the methane/waste reduction benefits before I bought it (on sale for $299) but thankfully a compost blogger had already done the math in detail: https://www.mywastewell.com/unpaid-review-of-the-vitamix-foodcycler-fc-50/ (https://www.mywastewell.com/unpaid-review-of-the-vitamix-foodcycler-fc-50/)
Love my Foodcycler!

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jnw on February 15, 2022, 04:06:58 PM
Been thinking about spending $1500 to extend my patio. I know it doesn't add any resale value to the home, but love BBQ and my garden out back.  My existing patio is only 10x12 feet, I want to double that with an extension.

I don't believe I'll ever be moving.  So maybe it would be tasteful consumption and worth it?   But this is only after I get my home paid off in a couple years and much more saved.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on February 16, 2022, 12:42:11 PM
@Dr Kidstache I am adding that to my list of things to think about buying some time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: insufFIcientfunds on February 17, 2022, 08:33:59 AM
Got a mini Bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cake (classic vanilla) and it was amazing. Best $3 I spent this week.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on February 17, 2022, 09:05:48 AM
Got a mini Bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cake (classic vanilla) and it was amazing. Best $3 I spent this week.
A stack of three NBC minis makes a great gift for the hard-to-shop for person.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jinga nation on February 17, 2022, 09:30:37 AM
Got a mini Bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cake (classic vanilla) and it was amazing. Best $3 I spent this week.
A stack of three NBC minis makes a great gift for the hard-to-shop for person.
The three-minis are absolutely wicked!
Did this once for wife's birthday, kids picked flavors after some free tasting in the the store.
Wife was grumpy when kids gave her the gift, one bite and her mood changed.
Mrs. Healthy Eater did a 180... there was a lemon, marble, and a carrot cake.
Made her day and the weekend.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on February 17, 2022, 02:30:17 PM
It's only been a few weeks but I think my vacuum sealer is jumping right up to my top 5. I'm single, and I only have a small top freezer that isn't always cold enough, so I've been throwing away a lot of stuff over the years - either because I was unable to eat or freeze fresh food before it spoiled, or because of #%$@^$ freezer burn.

But now, now, my freezer is full of vacuum-sealed veggies and meat that I prepared in advance so I can thaw something good and healthy whenever I don't want to cook instead of ordering crap or eating not-so-healthy snacks and getting fat. It's all prettily arranged, all those little packets of goodness not taking NEARLY as much space in the freezer as they normally would, allowing for much better air circulation.

And no freezer burn. Win.

So my current top 5 :

1- LASIK - nothing is ever going to take the #1 spot from it
2- Yogurt machine
3- 2 robot vacuums
4- Vacuum sealer
5- Hmmm, still thinking about that one?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AMandM on February 18, 2022, 12:47:45 PM
Got a mini Bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cake (classic vanilla) and it was amazing. Best $3 I spent this week.
Around here, they're $5.75 apiece, not $3!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AMandM on February 18, 2022, 12:54:59 PM
Dorm fees so our kids could live on campus freshman year, even though we're only 3 miles (bikeable, or 20 minute bus ride) from the university. It's a big expense that we deliberately saved for, and it is paying off in just the way we hoped. The kids have repeatedly expressed their appreciation for being able to develop deep friendships with their dorm-mates, fostered through events and opportunities that they would not be involved in if they lived at home.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on February 18, 2022, 01:20:13 PM
Dorm fees so our kids could live on campus freshman year, even though we're only 3 miles (bikeable, or 20 minute bus ride) from the university. It's a big expense that we deliberately saved for, and it is paying off in just the way we hoped. The kids have repeatedly expressed their appreciation for being able to develop deep friendships with their dorm-mates, fostered through events and opportunities that they would not be involved in if they lived at home.
Our eldest just moved into the dorms for first year and it is playing out the same way. It's providing a great transition to independence. Worth every penny.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: stoaX on February 18, 2022, 05:03:58 PM
I paid less than$10 for a sprouting jar over a decade ago. It's been in continous use ever since.




Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: YttriumNitrate on February 21, 2022, 09:40:25 AM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years, but this weekend I realized that as I enter year three with my current one it still starts up like a dream. By this time with the previous ones, starting them usually involved about five minutes of swearing. The main difference is that I decided I would only use ethanol free gasoline in them. It might cost $1 more per gallon (so I've spent maybe $3 more), but I'm not having to buy a new $100 engine quite so often.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on February 21, 2022, 09:50:41 AM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years, but this weekend I realized that as I enter year three with my current one it still starts up like a dream. By this time with the previous ones, starting them usually involved about five minutes of swearing. The main difference is that I decided I would only use ethanol free gasoline in them. It might cost $1 more per gallon (so I've spent maybe $3 more), but I'm not having to buy a new $100 engine quite so often.
Giving this post the side-eye. Seems totally practical to me. Isn't there another thread for this? Frugal wins, perhaps?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Bateaux on February 21, 2022, 09:53:53 AM
Our lastest big expense was bail money after a Mardi Gras night in New Orleans.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on February 21, 2022, 09:55:44 AM
@Bateaux, you can’t just dump this here and not give details. Must share story behind the bail.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Bateaux on February 21, 2022, 09:57:58 AM
@Bateaux, you can’t just dump this here and not give details. Must share story behind the bail.

Last week was a crazy one.  Everyone is safe.  Have an emergency fund in cash at all times.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: kanga1622 on February 21, 2022, 01:10:38 PM
Convinced my husband to get me some Bluetooth headphones for Christmas. Mpow Flame https://www.newegg.com/p/0TH-06P3-00020?item=9SIB28HFG00228. Paid a whopping $17 for them then (price is higher now) and they work amazingly for me. The case recharges them so I can use one in my ear at the office for meetings or podcasts and switch to the other ear if I run the battery low on the first. Used them for over a month at work (obviously not all day) before I had to plug them in to charge. Pretty good sound quality for an average user and easy to swap between my phone or work iPad as needed.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Kris on February 21, 2022, 01:12:44 PM
Convinced my husband to get me some Bluetooth headphones for Christmas. Mpow Flame https://www.newegg.com/p/0TH-06P3-00020?item=9SIB28HFG00228. Paid a whopping $17 for them then (price is higher now) and they work amazingly for me. The case recharges them so I can use one in my ear at the office for meetings or podcasts and switch to the other ear if I run the battery low on the first. Used them for over a month at work (obviously not all day) before I had to plug them in to charge. Pretty good sound quality for an average user and easy to swap between my phone or work iPad as needed.

I have some Mpow Bluetooth earbuds (not those) and I love them. Great sound, inexpensive, plus they are the first and only earbuds I have ever used that actually comfortably stay in my ears without me worrying they're going to fall out.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on February 23, 2022, 07:27:17 AM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years...

Next time you purchase, change brands. I went through several Ryobis. They are good for a residential user who runs it 20-30 light duty minutes a couple times per month. One I owned broke it's crankshaft right after I started it. Others just failed - ignition failures, carb failures. I think I tried that brand about 4 times. They also build for other brands - maybe Craftsman.

Then I switched to Poulan from a big box retailer. Carb problems. Chainsaw and leaf blower.

Then I traded up to Husqvarna after that and never had another problem. Going on a decade plus with two of their machines. No problems. I don't think I've done anything to those machines. Trimmer and leaf blower.

https://www.husqvarna.com/us/
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: By the River on February 23, 2022, 08:28:47 AM
Our lastest big expense was bail money after a Mardi Gras night in New Orleans.

Good thing it was the first weekend of Carnival.  The New Orleans courts close on Friday this week and reopen on Wednesday.  If you get arrested on Saturday or Sunday, you stay until the bond hearings return on Wednesday. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on February 24, 2022, 08:57:16 AM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years...

Next time you purchase, change brands. I went through several Ryobis.
I'm totally not into this, but I think Ryobi comes in 2 variants (blue and red?) one is for Americans (and the rest), one for Japanese market.
You get what you pay basically.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Nickyd£g on February 24, 2022, 09:03:46 AM
A granny trolley - a wheeled shopping bag, fits loads of shopping, cuts out plastic, is red and white polka dots and cost under £10

My new Swan teal and wooden microwave, toaster and kettle set. I recently moved house, I had wanted this set for ages, it was on a groupon deal for £120 [usually over £100]. They make me smile whenever I am in my kitchen, they're so pretty!

I bought a treadmill recently, as I am on a mission to lose weight and get fit again. £220, but I love it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on February 24, 2022, 09:52:04 AM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years...

Next time you purchase, change brands. I went through several Ryobis.
I'm totally not into this, but I think Ryobi comes in 2 variants (blue and red?) one is for Americans (and the rest), one for Japanese market.
You get what you pay basically.
Cordless Ryobi tools in the US are fluorescent green nowadays. They used to be dark blue with orange accents.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on February 24, 2022, 03:21:49 PM
$7.50 lunch out with a couple of neighbors, one new. We have the best community in our neighborhood, and somehow each new arrival is also awesome. Bonus... they both speak Spanish, so I got to practice! I don't like most restaurant food, and I hate wasting money on it, but $7.50 to "rent" the table for a couple of hours was worth it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on February 25, 2022, 01:07:31 AM
A granny trolley - a wheeled shopping bag, fits loads of shopping, cuts out plastic, is red and white polka dots and cost under £10
And you can park it wherever you want, nobody is going to steal it!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: BikeFanatic on February 25, 2022, 03:45:12 AM
@JenniferW I would just get that patio extension if you love to BBQ and party on the patio, why wait 2 years?
Personally I can be cheap with myself, but I have come to realize a little giving in that department doesn’t break the bank or change my financial future. I still know the value of money.
Example, went out to eat with 2 potential good friends, spent more than I would like but the food was awesome and we bonded, now they are helping me move a couch, and invited me over for a night of TV with free snacks. I do not like going out to eat, but the food was good and was an investment in friendship.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenSheep on February 25, 2022, 05:40:29 AM
Sent a couple of care packages to a friend several states away who is having a hard time. At first, I didn't want to send something frivolous, but I wasn't sure what might actually help (cleaner for the house, meal delivery service, dog walker, etc.) and what would be welcomed versus an invasion of privacy. So I just asked her, and she was surprisingly not opposed to help but was also at a loss as to what might be helpful. So I ended up just sending some fun things that I hope will brighten her day. I never spend that much even on Christmas gifts for people very close to me, but she really needs a mood lifter, really deserves something fun, and after decades of friendship, I can't imagine anyone more deserving.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on February 25, 2022, 10:46:21 AM
Cordless Ryobi tools in the US are fluorescent green nowadays. They used to be dark blue with orange accents.

The Ryobi color change happened with the shift to Lithium batteries. Dark blue/orange was NiCd batteries.

You can interchange batteries and tools, you can't charge the Lithium batteries on the old NiCd chargers.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on February 25, 2022, 10:57:35 AM
Sent a couple of care packages to a friend several states away who is having a hard time. At first, I didn't want to send something frivolous, but I wasn't sure what might actually help (cleaner for the house, meal delivery service, dog walker, etc.) and what would be welcomed versus an invasion of privacy. So I just asked her, and she was surprisingly not opposed to help but was also at a loss as to what might be helpful. So I ended up just sending some fun things that I hope will brighten her day. I never spend that much even on Christmas gifts for people very close to me, but she really needs a mood lifter, really deserves something fun, and after decades of friendship, I can't imagine anyone more deserving.
Awww...I'm sure she'll love getting love bombed by you.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on February 25, 2022, 02:16:50 PM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years...

Next time you purchase, change brands. I went through several Ryobis.
I'm totally not into this, but I think Ryobi comes in 2 variants (blue and red?) one is for Americans (and the rest), one for Japanese market.
You get what you pay basically.

Might be true. I discovered back in the 1990s that discount stores sold varying quality lawn mowers with the same size and brand engine. The difference was whether the crankshaft was thick or thin where it exited the motor and the blade attached. The difference in price wasn't much but the difference in durability was significant.

For me the Ryobi weed trimmer crankshaft (in the 1990s) had one bearing at the engine end of the throttle handle and the crank journals extended beyond that. And one of the crankshafts sheared at low rpms right at the bearing. After that I bought lawn equipment with proper two bearing engine designs. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on February 26, 2022, 03:17:33 AM
Ethanol-free gasoline made it to my list of money well spent.

I've got a few acres of land of rural land that I maintain in a rather futile attempt to grow fruit trees. Normally, a Ryobi brushcutter engine will last me a couple years...

Next time you purchase, change brands. I went through several Ryobis.
I'm totally not into this, but I think Ryobi comes in 2 variants (blue and red?) one is for Americans (and the rest), one for Japanese market.
You get what you pay basically.

Might be true. I discovered back in the 1990s that discount stores sold varying quality lawn mowers with the same size and brand engine. The difference was whether the crankshaft was thick or thin where it exited the motor and the blade attached.
Yes, somthing like that. It was a drill they analysed in what I had watched. The Japanese sold tool had a better grip and transmission/stability of the axis (and was less noisy). The motor was the same, but the result quite different.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on October 03, 2022, 07:23:35 AM
Last Spring we spent a considerable amount of money on having an extension built onto our house. Additionally we (I) built a new patio & steps into the garden. we are in a HCOL and all in was about £80k or $110k at prevailing exchange rates - a serious chunk of dough for us, and we paid from cash savings.  Cost by area was about £4700/sqm.

Worth every penny, because it completely transforms the house and the living area, and I regard it as some of the best money I've ever spent.  I have no interest in how much value it added to the house as this is my forever home.  Does it set my FIRE timeline back? absolutely... but it doesn't derail it.  It's what money is for - spent to raise my quality of life. I need to work an extra year to pay for it? No problem, I'm getting 45-50 years of usage out of it, exactly how I want it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on October 03, 2022, 11:06:39 AM
New roof. When we bought our current house a while back the roof facing the west was leaking over the porch. Drip-drip-drip.

We had the roof inspected and only that side was ruined b/c it was installed incorrectly. Rotted decking too. Replaced and repaired. Now years later, the rest of the roof is starting to have issues so we'll do the rest. No leaks at least but more decking issues.

Since we've lived here we've focused on catching up on the maintenance of the home. Previous owners were either unaware of some of the issues, or just were bored with it. Home inspector missed some of these same problems. Either he was working for them or not paying attention as he was paid to do.

Anyhow, new roof now, new heat pump for upstairs, gutter work, and we're moving towards a kitchen reno. Also need to paint the interior. Whoever painted the interior last didn't even move heavy things like the fridge, just painted around them. -eye roller-

Details, details, details. Rest of what needs to be done isn't expensive for DIY types like us. House just needs to be properly detailed. Its worth much more than when we purchased it. However it would never bring top dollar in its current condition. Too much corner cutting by folks prior to us.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Money Saver 1 on October 25, 2022, 04:08:11 AM
Tired of reading about people getting excited because they slashed their comms bill by $5?
Tired of discussion about where to stick the emergency fund?

Use this thread to shout about any particular purchase you recently made.

But no INVESTMENTS allowed.

I don't care if you bought Tesla and tripled your money, or if you extended your kitchen for a hundred bucks.

This is about consumption.. but tasteful consumption. Tell us about a thing you spent money on that you really got your money's worth from. Maybe it was a great value meal out, or a great little gadget that does exactly what you've been looking for.

Shopping on Amazon can save you money on bulk items and specialty items such as electronics and beats the selection you'll find at the store.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Tigerpine on October 25, 2022, 05:26:30 AM
I got a one inch putty knife at an estate sale some years ago.  I'm pretty sure we got it as part of a bundle, so its individual cost was negligible.  However, I've used that putty knife on so many projects since then!  It's so small, but it turned out to be pretty significant to me.  I wish we could get so much use out of everything we get.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on October 25, 2022, 06:49:43 AM
So I have one that started as an investment but now belongs in this thread. I bought a house that was supposed to be an AirBnB, but we love it too much, so we're just keeping it for ourselves.

It's a stunning little 110 year old house on the edge of the world, in a remote coastal village in Newfoundland, which happens to be one of the most beautiful locations in existence.

If you don't know anything about Newfoundland, start googling, it's a "bucket list" destination for a lot of people. It's the kind of place people wait until retirement to travel to and then spend a few months there. And the people are, well, very different from typical North Americans, but in a very good way.

Newfies are OG, generational mustachian folks who are obsessed with nature, very anti keeping up with the Joneses, and generally very happy and generous to the extreme.

So yeah, I bought there because it's a good location for investing in a tourist rental, but we fell so in love with it that we want to reserve it for personal use. And once I'm done with school and surgeries here in Ontario, we will likely relocate there.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that my view from my new house is icebergs and whales? No big deal.

Best 86K I've ever spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenQueen on October 25, 2022, 07:12:22 AM

Newfies are OG, generational mustachian folks who are obsessed with nature, very anti keeping up with the Joneses, and generally very happy and generous to the extreme.
Best 86K I've ever spent.

Everyone I know is in love with Newfoundland. I am personally enamored with the accents and all the different idioms, and how they differ village to village. I love meeting Newfys here on the mainland.

Our money well spent is definitely purchasing our mini-splits/thermopump system for our recently purchased 3 story house, with its many south-facing windows. We got some good rebates and it is so energy- and cost-efficient. The air-conditioning makes an enormous difference in our summertime quality of life and sleep.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on October 25, 2022, 07:24:57 AM

Newfies are OG, generational mustachian folks who are obsessed with nature, very anti keeping up with the Joneses, and generally very happy and generous to the extreme.
Best 86K I've ever spent.

Everyone I know is in love with Newfoundland. I am personally enamored with the accents and all the different idioms, and how they differ village to village. I love meeting Newfys here on the mainland.

Our money well spent is definitely purchasing our mini-splits/thermopump system for our recently purchased 3 story house, with its many south-facing windows. We got some good rebates and it is so energy- and cost-efficient. The air-conditioning makes an enormous difference in our summertime quality of life and sleep.

Yeah, I had never even been to Newfoundland when I bought the house , it was kind of an impulse buy, but with solid investment principles behind it as a backup.

I was secretly hoping to go, fall madly in love, and never want to leave, which is exactly what happened. It's not a normal place. I've never felt more detached from the rest of the world.

Where are you on the mainland? We have family in NS and NB, and another property in NB. I love the east coast, I'm having serious difficulty being back in Ontario.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Siebrie on October 26, 2022, 02:43:12 AM
My Swiss army knife that I had made to my specifications.
Our Bosch battery operated lawn mower that we 'bought' 10 years ago. We used eco-vouchers that we received from our employers (Belgian government scheme), negotiated the deal from May to be valid in July when we received our vouchers, the DIY-store had a €100 off deal, and Bosch had a '1 battery free' deal :) It makes mowing the lawn a 15-minute, hasslefree job. We've now also 'bought' the trimmer.
Our 2 electric bicycles, also bought with eco-vouchers. I'm listed as cycling to work, which comes with a tax free reimbursement to the value of around €900/year; the bikes cost us €1,200 each. I'm making a profit and staying healthy :) (We're in Belgium).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on October 26, 2022, 03:18:07 AM
We just DIY-replaced our 17 year old heat pump and ducted air exchanger system with a new efficient mini-split ductless heat pump system.  Very excited to see how it performs.  It looks like we'll get a tax credit too. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: stoaX on October 26, 2022, 05:50:20 AM
I bought 3 disc golf discs for $20 at the beginning of the pandemic since I thought it would be a good, outdoor, socially distant activity. Fell in love with the game and play every week.  Most courses are free to play.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on October 26, 2022, 06:10:33 AM
Private international school for my bilingual teen with ADHD.  Italian public school was a disaster for her and she was miserable even after diagnosis and a learning plan in place (which was often ignored).  This private international English language school may have literally saved her life. 

I used to be very anti private school (public school kid here myself and both kids are/were in public school until this year) but the Italian school system is very rigid and old fashioned and only works for certain kids.  We were really afraid of what might have happened if she stayed in that system. Now we need to figure out how to pay for younger kid to go to the same school when the time comes, if she wants to go there.

Definitely set back FIRE by a few years but seeing my child depressed, anxious and hating school and life every day was making me sad too. Seeing her enthusiastic about subjects she once hated due to the more modern teaching methods and nicer more approachable teachers has been amazing.  Last night she told me that her favorite subject is Latin - I definitely didn't see that one coming as she HATED languages and anything classical in her old school.  And she's on track for an A in that subject. And she has a gang of mostly English speaking but very international friends now who are just as quirky as she is.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LD_TAndK on October 26, 2022, 06:27:42 AM
I bought a north face backpack around 2011. I previously had cheapo backpacks that would wear out every few years, but decided to buy a fashionable brand name backpack when I had my own money in college.

Turns out my vanity unintentionally paid off. It's an incredibly durable and well thought out bag and should last much longer.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GreenQueen on October 26, 2022, 08:44:30 AM



Where are you on the mainland? We have family in NS and NB, and another property in NB. I love the east coast, I'm having serious difficulty being back in Ontario.

I hope to visit someday! And maybe fall in with love with it too. Sounds appealing to hermits like us. We are in Quebec, outside Montreal after many years in that lovely city. It is such a unique place where you are that it's not surprising you're struggling to return to Ontario.

Family friends in the US had planned a Newfoundland art and nature pilgrimage, but then had their flight from a major city on the east coast to Toronto cancelled. So they missed their connection to Saint Johns. Rather than skip their amazing trip, they drove and ferried for days to get there. No regrets, incredible memories.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on October 26, 2022, 10:41:12 AM



Where are you on the mainland? We have family in NS and NB, and another property in NB. I love the east coast, I'm having serious difficulty being back in Ontario.

I hope to visit someday! And maybe fall in with love with it too. Sounds appealing to hermits like us. We are in Quebec, outside Montreal after many years in that lovely city. It is such a unique place where you are that it's not surprising you're struggling to return to Ontario.

Family friends in the US had planned a Newfoundland art and nature pilgrimage, but then had their flight from a major city on the east coast to Toronto cancelled. So they missed their connection to Saint Johns. Rather than skip their amazing trip, they drove and ferried for days to get there. No regrets, incredible memories.

Yeah. It's hard to explain to people how *different* a place it is, how unusual it is to be surrounded by such a harsh and uncomfortably beautiful environment populated by these highly unusual people.

I've never felt so separated from the rest of the world. It reminds me of people's accounts of moving to rural Alaska. Nature sets the agenda and people have to cooperate, they have no choice.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 26, 2022, 09:09:24 PM
Recent best money well spent is my move.  A lot of money, but worth it to be so much nearer to my DD and her family.

Long ago best money well spent was paying for private French High School for DD.  She got a much better education than she would have in either of our local public (English and French) high schools, and came out fluently bilingual. 

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hadilly on October 26, 2022, 09:59:39 PM
I spent $160 and a plate of pumpkin chocolate chip bread on two + hours of a handyman’s time today. He was fabulous, efficient, and got through my entire list of fixes. The two things he didn’t do require parts which I need to procure. (Any suggestions for a non-rusting shower curtain rod?)

Anyway, all the things he did tangibly improve my home and my family’s experience living here.

I let my neighbors know too, so win-win-win for all of us.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on October 27, 2022, 12:35:42 AM
Private international school for my bilingual teen with ADHD.  Italian public school was a disaster for her and she was miserable even after diagnosis and a learning plan in place (which was often ignored).  This private international English language school may have literally saved her life. 

I used to be very anti private school (public school kid here myself and both kids are/were in public school until this year) but the Italian school system is very rigid and old fashioned and only works for certain kids.  We were really afraid of what might have happened if she stayed in that system. Now we need to figure out how to pay for younger kid to go to the same school when the time comes, if she wants to go there.

Definitely set back FIRE by a few years but seeing my child depressed, anxious and hating school and life every day was making me sad too. Seeing her enthusiastic about subjects she once hated due to the more modern teaching methods and nicer more approachable teachers has been amazing.  Last night she told me that her favorite subject is Latin - I definitely didn't see that one coming as she HATED languages and anything classical in her old school.  And she's on track for an A in that subject. And she has a gang of mostly English speaking but very international friends now who are just as quirky as she is.
Yeah, it depends a lot of the school, and often even on the class (and teachers of that class). You can also get the opposite at private schools, the catholic schools were the students get beaten with a stick still crop up now and then. Though now that I think about it, that might have really ended, last one is a few years... let's have hope!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on October 27, 2022, 02:48:37 AM
Private international school for my bilingual teen with ADHD.  Italian public school was a disaster for her and she was miserable even after diagnosis and a learning plan in place (which was often ignored).  This private international English language school may have literally saved her life. 

I used to be very anti private school (public school kid here myself and both kids are/were in public school until this year) but the Italian school system is very rigid and old fashioned and only works for certain kids.  We were really afraid of what might have happened if she stayed in that system. Now we need to figure out how to pay for younger kid to go to the same school when the time comes, if she wants to go there.

Definitely set back FIRE by a few years but seeing my child depressed, anxious and hating school and life every day was making me sad too. Seeing her enthusiastic about subjects she once hated due to the more modern teaching methods and nicer more approachable teachers has been amazing.  Last night she told me that her favorite subject is Latin - I definitely didn't see that one coming as she HATED languages and anything classical in her old school.  And she's on track for an A in that subject. And she has a gang of mostly English speaking but very international friends now who are just as quirky as she is.
Yeah, it depends a lot of the school, and often even on the class (and teachers of that class). You can also get the opposite at private schools, the catholic schools were the students get beaten with a stick still crop up now and then. Though now that I think about it, that might have really ended, last one is a few years... let's have hope!

Beating students has been illegal here in Italy for a long time.  But maybe that's still considered ok in Germany?  Yikes.  At any rate, not being physically abused by your teachers should be a given not a plus. 

My daughter went to several different Italian public schools and had some good and some bad teachers.  The teaching methods here are very old fashioned and just do not work for neurodivergent brains - even with the accommodations that are required by law once a kid is diagnosed.  I know several ND Italian kids who have also suffered but, unfortunately, do not have the option of switching to a foreign educational method. 

Not sure how things are in Germany, but here they still use "chalk and talk" methods,  oral interrogations in frnt of the whole class and oral exams.  They don't spend much time learning how to write well as exams are oral.  There is also an emphasis on rote memorization, including for subjects where rote memorization shouldn't be important like literature and science.  My daughter said that it was often like watching a youtube video - classes are generally not interactive at all - the teacher just talks most of the time.  This is probably fine for 80% of kids but obviously doesn't work for that other 20%.

My younger kid, who is neurotypical, does just fine in the Italian system.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on October 27, 2022, 04:19:43 AM
Beating is not ok (or legal) in Germany, England (where the last example I know of happened) or for that matter India (where it does happen frequently).

Ever student has a different learning style, and that may also different from topic to topic. Personally I like the "video" style, the "teacher talks students listen", though I prefer to read instead someone talking. What I do hate is rote memorization. Others shine in that...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: dang1 on October 27, 2022, 04:26:32 PM
Delorme Inreach SE satellite communicator, got years ago used. More confident in venturing to more remote places, out of cell signal range. Still working well, with Garmin support for  older no-Garmin Inreachs. Another gear to more careful trip planning
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: snic on October 27, 2022, 06:21:36 PM
(Any suggestions for a non-rusting shower curtain rod?)

Aluminum doesn't rust, and it's easy to find aluminum shower rods.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Bath-Shower-Accessories-Shower-Curtain-Rods/Aluminum/N-5yc1vZcfvvZ1z0usgq
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Villanelle on October 27, 2022, 06:43:41 PM
A mobile groomer, which we used for the first time today.  Slightly more expensive than a regular groomer, but well worth it.  My reactive girls don't have to be around other dogs, the entire process is much faster, and they seemed so much happier trotting back to the house than they ever did when we  picked them up from the groomers and they seemed desperate to leave. 

We bathe them at home in between grooms, but are happy to pay someone to shave, cut nails, trim ears, etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hadilly on October 27, 2022, 07:00:27 PM
@snic, thank you. I’ll check those out!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Freedomin5 on October 29, 2022, 05:01:59 AM
I continue to be quite pleased with our reverse osmosis water purifier, which we purchased during our 60-day lockdown earlier this year. It cost us ~Cdn$500. Guaranteed clean drinking water with just a simple press of a button? Priceless. Especially now, with rolling lockdowns of various durations happening across the city due to the dynamic zero COVID policy.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ColoradoTribe on October 30, 2022, 11:31:08 PM
Our 2013 LEAF was totaled a couple months back when another driver ran a red light. Very fortunate no one was injured beyond some bruises. I was curious, so I did some rough number crunching.

We purchased the car for roughly $32,000, including taxes, in 2013. At the time we took advantage of the federal ($7,500) and state ($5,500) tax credits, which effectively lowered the purchase price to $19,000. We have solar PV on our house and I estimate that we saved, on average, $600 per year on fuel and maintenance costs (no oil changes, etc.), as compared to a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle. This “savings” gets us to $13,500 left on the purchase price.

About three years ago there was a hail storm. It did $4,000 in cosmetic damage to the LEAF. After deductible, we pocketed $3,500 and never got the vehicle repaired. So, we're at $10,000 and the payout for the total loss from the other driver’s insurance was $12,000.

So, in my book, we basically drove the vehicle 9+ years and netted $2,000 above what we paid for it. We got the added satifisfaction of driving $60k miles on electrons provided by the sun. Of course we still paid annual registration fees and insurance, so the vehicle still cost us something to maintain, but the car was a great value. It was also very reliable. One new set of wipers and tires, one cabin filter change, and windshield wiper fluid is the totality of what we put into the vehicle. Charged at home on 110 wall outlet.

On of the best financial decisions we ever made.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on October 31, 2022, 05:25:56 AM
Private international school for my bilingual teen with ADHD.  Italian public school was a disaster for her and she was miserable even after diagnosis and a learning plan in place (which was often ignored).  This private international English language school may have literally saved her life. 

I used to be very anti private school (public school kid here myself and both kids are/were in public school until this year) but the Italian school system is very rigid and old fashioned and only works for certain kids.  We were really afraid of what might have happened if she stayed in that system. Now we need to figure out how to pay for younger kid to go to the same school when the time comes, if she wants to go there.

Definitely set back FIRE by a few years but seeing my child depressed, anxious and hating school and life every day was making me sad too. Seeing her enthusiastic about subjects she once hated due to the more modern teaching methods and nicer more approachable teachers has been amazing.  Last night she told me that her favorite subject is Latin - I definitely didn't see that one coming as she HATED languages and anything classical in her old school.  And she's on track for an A in that subject. And she has a gang of mostly English speaking but very international friends now who are just as quirky as she is.

This is a really big win @Hula Hoop — well done and congratulations!

We also pulled our ND son out of public school years ago, and it was the best decision ever.     
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Turtle on November 03, 2022, 09:39:26 AM
I bought a north face backpack around 2011. I previously had cheapo backpacks that would wear out every few years, but decided to buy a fashionable brand name backpack when I had my own money in college.

Turns out my vanity unintentionally paid off. It's an incredibly durable and well thought out bag and should last much longer.

Tom Bihn backpacks and other gear.  Pricey but well made, with a lifetime warranty; and they also hold their value well on the secondary market.   
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: snic on November 03, 2022, 10:23:30 AM
Our 2013 LEAF was totaled a couple months back when another driver ran a red light. Very fortunate no one was injured beyond some bruises. I was curious, so I did some rough number crunching.

We purchased the car for roughly $32,000, including taxes, in 2013. At the time we took advantage of the federal ($7,500) and state ($5,500) tax credits, which effectively lowered the purchase price to $19,000. We have solar PV on our house and I estimate that we saved, on average, $600 per year on fuel and maintenance costs (no oil changes, etc.), as compared to a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle. This “savings” gets us to $13,500 left on the purchase price.

About three years ago there was a hail storm. It did $4,000 in cosmetic damage to the LEAF. After deductible, we pocketed $3,500 and never got the vehicle repaired. So, we're at $10,000 and the payout for the total loss from the other driver’s insurance was $12,000.

So, in my book, we basically drove the vehicle 9+ years and netted $2,000 above what we paid for it. We got the added satifisfaction of driving $60k miles on electrons provided by the sun. Of course we still paid annual registration fees and insurance, so the vehicle still cost us something to maintain, but the car was a great value. It was also very reliable. One new set of wipers and tires, one cabin filter change, and windshield wiper fluid is the totality of what we put into the vehicle. Charged at home on 110 wall outlet.

On of the best financial decisions we ever made.

A few years ago, some electric cars like the Bolt and eGolf were offering incredibly good lease terms, partly due to low interest rates, partly due to low demand for those cars, and partly due to federal and state incentives. My brother in law leased a series of these cars for less than $100 per month. He also never charged them at home - he charged only for free at work.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RExplorer on November 03, 2022, 12:28:56 PM
+1 on Tom Bihn.  Everything I’ve purchased from them still looks new, even the bag I use as my carry-on.   They really hold up well. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TomTX on November 04, 2022, 08:10:46 AM
My Swiss army knife that I had made to my specifications.
I didn't even know this was a thing and just spent 20 minutes perusing websites. What exactly did you get?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: NorthernFire on November 04, 2022, 11:28:36 AM
We hired a painter.
Wife pressured me to hire a painter to finish painting our bedroom after we stripped the wallpaper (112 year old house with old walls in kinda tough shape). Being very frugal I really wanted to do it myself but I caved to pressure. $2800 for one room about 14x16 walls and ceiling. No trim (stained). It took 3 younger healthy pros 2 solid days to sand, skim coat / repair and paint the walls and ceiling. 6 professional man days translates to about 10 of my old man days so I saved about 5 weekends of work pain and stiffness. I came home from work and it was just done, and done well. I wouldn't want to do this for every room or every project but in this instance it was "money well spent".
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: APowers on November 04, 2022, 01:13:02 PM
My Swiss army knife that I had made to my specifications.
I didn't even know this was a thing and just spent 20 minutes perusing websites. What exactly did you get?

I would love a Victorinox with only the tools I actually want. As it is, I can't find an option that has the combo I'd find most perfectly useful.

Long blade
Short blade
Saw
Scissors
Bottle opener
Can opener

I'd even be willing to give up the can/bottle openers to get a slimmer profile, but all the slim profile options give up either the saw or scissors. I really don't need the hook, corkscrew, or awl, and would love to have a genuine needle with a sewing eye instead of the toothpick.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Siebrie on November 07, 2022, 03:52:23 AM
My Swiss army knife that I had made to my specifications.
I didn't even know this was a thing and just spent 20 minutes perusing websites. What exactly did you get?

Long blade
Short blade
Can opener
Nail file
Bottle opener /screw driver
Awl
Tweezers
Toothpick
Corkscrew

I bought it from a cobbler's who had a display case with several ready-made swiss army knives, and a poster with all possible attachments. I picked the attachments I wanted, which was not one of the ready-made ones, he filled in the order sheet with me, and about a fortnight later, I picked up my knife.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on November 07, 2022, 04:23:57 AM
Business class train tickets.

I used to always book business class when it was a work expense, but I had to take travel for a medical appointment and decided to try a regular fare was less than half the price.

Well...my regular fare ride there involved being sat beside a young, crusty looking man in a black hoodie who stunk of cigarettes, which I'm allergic to. He was also reading a well worn copy of a book about human sacrifice, which was heavily highlighted and underlines. And he was VERY chatty.

So I upgraded to business class on the way back, which was great since we were delayed by an hour and I had my nice, big, cozy seat with a foot rest, and no seat neighbour.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MasterStache on November 07, 2022, 05:37:40 AM
Changed out all my Rigid tool boxes for Milwaukee Packouts. Mostly the boxes with pull out drawers. It's so much easier to find tools being far better organized and it has greatly increased my workflow. Before I would toss my tools into large toolboxes and then have to sift around looking for the tool I actually need. Now all the drawers and boxes are labeled and organized and I know exactly where to get the tool I need.

At the same time, I got rid of my air compressor and nail guns and replaced them with battery operated nail guns from Milwaukee. No more getting caught up in the hose line and having to untangle it constantly. It's also freed up space.

It was quite an expensive endeavor but will pay for itself over time and more. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: darkskys on November 07, 2022, 05:47:01 AM
Dog training. Really “training owner to communicate with dog”. It’s been a lot of work but those lessons taught me to train my dog into a very pleasant animal. He’s actually allowed into family members homes that normally don’t allow dogs because he’s so well behaved.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on November 07, 2022, 06:57:45 AM
Private international school for my bilingual teen with ADHD.  Italian public school was a disaster for her and she was miserable even after diagnosis and a learning plan in place (which was often ignored).  This private international English language school may have literally saved her life. 

I used to be very anti private school (public school kid here myself and both kids are/were in public school until this year) but the Italian school system is very rigid and old fashioned and only works for certain kids.  We were really afraid of what might have happened if she stayed in that system. Now we need to figure out how to pay for younger kid to go to the same school when the time comes, if she wants to go there.

Definitely set back FIRE by a few years but seeing my child depressed, anxious and hating school and life every day was making me sad too. Seeing her enthusiastic about subjects she once hated due to the more modern teaching methods and nicer more approachable teachers has been amazing.  Last night she told me that her favorite subject is Latin - I definitely didn't see that one coming as she HATED languages and anything classical in her old school.  And she's on track for an A in that subject. And she has a gang of mostly English speaking but very international friends now who are just as quirky as she is.

This is a really big win @Hula Hoop — well done and congratulations!

We also pulled our ND son out of public school years ago, and it was the best decision ever.   

Thanks!  This is interesting as I heard that schools in the US were light years ahead of here for awareness of neurodiverse issues.  But maybe that depends on the school district like most things regarding schooling in the US. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RainyDay on November 07, 2022, 07:50:37 AM
Not sure if this counts, but I'm excited to share anyway:

We adopted a senior kitty yesterday!  She is alleged to be 20 yrs old and came from rural southern Virginia shelter, covered in fleas, emaciated, but purring.

$150 is money well spent, since I slept like a baby last night, and look forward to easing her into a life of soft blankets, sunny windows, and movie nights.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 07, 2022, 07:52:45 AM
Thanks!  This is interesting as I heard that schools in the US were light years ahead of here for awareness of neurodiverse issues.  But maybe that depends on the school district like most things regarding schooling in the US.
In my experience, awareness is not the issue, nor is there a lack of willingness to help the kids.  However, awareness isn't enough.  You can have all the IEPs and BIPs you want, but schools can still fail to address every ND student's needs in the most effective way.  I can't really fault them for it too badly, though--between all the unfunded mandates and labor constraints (our local district was short by over 100 special ed staff at the beginning of this year), the industrial nature of public schooling, and the push for mainstreaming ND students, it's a really hard problem to tackle in the best of times.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on November 08, 2022, 03:23:02 AM
Thanks!  This is interesting as I heard that schools in the US were light years ahead of here for awareness of neurodiverse issues.  But maybe that depends on the school district like most things regarding schooling in the US.
In my experience, awareness is not the issue, nor is there a lack of willingness to help the kids.  However, awareness isn't enough.  You can have all the IEPs and BIPs you want, but schools can still fail to address every ND student's needs in the most effective way.  I can't really fault them for it too badly, though--between all the unfunded mandates and labor constraints (our local district was short by over 100 special ed staff at the beginning of this year), the industrial nature of public schooling, and the push for mainstreaming ND students, it's a really hard problem to tackle in the best of times.

Yes, obviously, schools can only do so much with what little funding they get.  Here in Italy, while by law schools have to abide by a learning plan for ND kids, teachers get no training at all on learning differences and there is often very little understanding from teachers.  So they give extra time for tests etc because that's easy but the more subtle stuff is more difficult -especially with big classes.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on November 08, 2022, 06:06:55 AM
Thanks!  This is interesting as I heard that schools in the US were light years ahead of here for awareness of neurodiverse issues.  But maybe that depends on the school district like most things regarding schooling in the US.
In my experience, awareness is not the issue, nor is there a lack of willingness to help the kids.  However, awareness isn't enough.  You can have all the IEPs and BIPs you want, but schools can still fail to address every ND student's needs in the most effective way.  I can't really fault them for it too badly, though--between all the unfunded mandates and labor constraints (our local district was short by over 100 special ed staff at the beginning of this year), the industrial nature of public schooling, and the push for mainstreaming ND students, it's a really hard problem to tackle in the best of times.

Yes, obviously, schools can only do so much with what little funding they get.  Here in Italy, while by law schools have to abide by a learning plan for ND kids, teachers get no training at all on learning differences and there is often very little understanding from teachers.  So they give extra time for tests etc because that's easy but the more subtle stuff is more difficult -especially with big classes.

Yes, this^ is what we experienced in our small rural school district in the US.  Even though by law they were required to offer help, in practice they just couldn't do it.  The teachers were untrained, overworked, and -- in one case -- openly opposed to any "special treatment" for students.  At the district level, there were no resources for additional, non-teacher help.  Our son was getting seriously depressed and not learning anything. 

In our rural location there were unfortunately no private schools within reasonable driving distance, so our only other option was homeschooling.  That's what we did, and it turned out really well.  Our son homeschooled from 2nd through 9th grade, then re-entered public school in 10th grade after we moved to a different state.  He's doing great in regular high school classes and enjoying himself.  I'm not sure what resources there are in his current high school for ND students.  When he enrolled we notified the school of his ND, but he hasn't needed any help so far.   
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on November 08, 2022, 06:09:02 AM
Not sure if this counts, but I'm excited to share anyway:

We adopted a senior kitty yesterday!  She is alleged to be 20 yrs old and came from rural southern Virginia shelter, covered in fleas, emaciated, but purring.

$150 is money well spent, since I slept like a baby last night, and look forward to easing her into a life of soft blankets, sunny windows, and movie nights.

Yes that does count @RainyDay!  Congratulations, and thank you for my smile for the day. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on November 08, 2022, 06:39:43 AM
Thanks!  This is interesting as I heard that schools in the US were light years ahead of here for awareness of neurodiverse issues.  But maybe that depends on the school district like most things regarding schooling in the US.
In my experience, awareness is not the issue, nor is there a lack of willingness to help the kids.  However, awareness isn't enough.  You can have all the IEPs and BIPs you want, but schools can still fail to address every ND student's needs in the most effective way.  I can't really fault them for it too badly, though--between all the unfunded mandates and labor constraints (our local district was short by over 100 special ed staff at the beginning of this year), the industrial nature of public schooling, and the push for mainstreaming ND students, it's a really hard problem to tackle in the best of times.

Yes, obviously, schools can only do so much with what little funding they get.  Here in Italy, while by law schools have to abide by a learning plan for ND kids, teachers get no training at all on learning differences and there is often very little understanding from teachers.  So they give extra time for tests etc because that's easy but the more subtle stuff is more difficult -especially with big classes.

Yes, this^ is what we experienced in our small rural school district in the US.  Even though by law they were required to offer help, in practice they just couldn't do it.  The teachers were untrained, overworked, and -- in one case -- openly opposed to any "special treatment" for students.  At the district level, there were no resources for additional, non-teacher help.  Our son was getting seriously depressed and not learning anything. 

In our rural location there were unfortunately no private schools within reasonable driving distance, so our only other option was homeschooling.  That's what we did, and it turned out really well.  Our son homeschooled from 2nd through 9th grade, then re-entered public school in 10th grade after we moved to a different state.  He's doing great in regular high school classes and enjoying himself.  I'm not sure what resources there are in his current high school for ND students.  When he enrolled we notified the school of his ND, but he hasn't needed any help so far.

Glad it worked out so well for your son.  My daughter has said many times that homeschooling would be a disaster for her. and I agree  But I've seen it work well for some ND kids. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: JupiterGreen on November 08, 2022, 07:40:37 AM
Not sure if this counts, but I'm excited to share anyway:

We adopted a senior kitty yesterday!  She is alleged to be 20 yrs old and came from rural southern Virginia shelter, covered in fleas, emaciated, but purring.

$150 is money well spent, since I slept like a baby last night, and look forward to easing her into a life of soft blankets, sunny windows, and movie nights.

Beautiful!

My "money well spent" is probably the pennies I spent making my first sourdough starter, it has since yielded hundreds of loaves. I make one loaf (minimum) a week. I've been using it for many years.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: tyrannostache on November 08, 2022, 05:06:39 PM
Marmot down sleeping bag, hands down. It was scorchingly expensive when I bought it 22 years ago. But I still use it regularly, 22 years later.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jeninco on November 09, 2022, 08:06:04 AM
Marmot down sleeping bag, hands down. It was scorchingly expensive when I bought it 22 years ago. But I still use it regularly, 22 years later.

Oh, if we're going to be all THAT way, took my first real-job bonus and banked half of it, then spent the other half on a lady-frame backpack and a feathered friends winter sleeping bag. I don't use the bag all that much (winter camping isn't my thing, and I actually got a much lighter-weight bag later, although it's AWESOME to have when we're fall camping and the nights are below freezing), but the backpack -- I use that several times/year, for the past 20+ years.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on November 09, 2022, 08:21:01 AM
Glad it worked out so well for your son.  My daughter has said many times that homeschooling would be a disaster for her. and I agree  But I've seen it work well for some ND kids.

Yes, glad it worked out so well for you.

We signed up for a home school program. The materials and the online program seemed to be top notch though our child quickly refused to participate after previously being enthusiastic about the program. Lots of emotional issues at that moment.

Time away from school plus lax online schooling during COVID gave our teen time and space to sort through things. That was valuable for them.

DW is good at looking for non-traditional solutions, I've been the traditional parent lecturing about working harder and managing time better, etc which I'm realizing now that our kids are grown - isn't effective with our kids... ;)

Our teen is back at school and thriving. This is all on teen and DW - its their success. I'm very thankful.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Turtle on November 15, 2022, 12:24:26 PM
Wool clothing for winter.  So much easier to keep the house set to a lower temp when wearing wool.

Stalking sales is helpful in reducing the amount of money spent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on November 15, 2022, 01:39:39 PM
Wool clothing for winter.  So much easier to keep the house set to a lower temp when wearing wool.

Stalking sales is helpful in reducing the amount of money spent.

My problem is that, since I don't heat the other rooms, there is always a cool draft at my feets in the winter. Even if I would have gloves for my toes, it would be too hard to walk...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Turtle on November 16, 2022, 08:10:37 AM
Wool clothing for winter.  So much easier to keep the house set to a lower temp when wearing wool.

Stalking sales is helpful in reducing the amount of money spent.

My problem is that, since I don't heat the other rooms, there is always a cool draft at my feets in the winter. Even if I would have gloves for my toes, it would be too hard to walk...

Wool slippers or fleece lined leather ones are both good at keeping out drafts, especially if you wear wool socks with them.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Siebrie on November 17, 2022, 02:02:27 AM
Wool clothing for winter.  So much easier to keep the house set to a lower temp when wearing wool.

Stalking sales is helpful in reducing the amount of money spent.

My problem is that, since I don't heat the other rooms, there is always a cool draft at my feets in the winter. Even if I would have gloves for my toes, it would be too hard to walk...

Wool slippers or fleece lined leather ones are both good at keeping out drafts, especially if you wear wool socks with them.
Boot-type slippers with thick soles, and maybe insulating inlays.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Hula Hoop on November 17, 2022, 02:04:45 AM
We live in a drafty old house with tile floors and crappy heating here in Italy and we swear by ugg boots as slippers.  So toasty.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on November 17, 2022, 02:59:05 AM
We live in a drafty old house with tile floors and crappy heating here in Italy and we swear by ugg boots as slippers.  So toasty.
Uh.. thank you for the hint, but those uggly boots are too heavy for me feeling well in house. Also the price is toasty too :D
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Trifle on November 17, 2022, 06:30:28 AM
We live in a drafty old house with tile floors and crappy heating here in Italy and we swear by ugg boots as slippers.  So toasty.
Uh.. thank you for the hint, but those uggly boots are too heavy for me feeling well in house. Also the price is toasty too :D

How about Crocs or similar slip-in shoes?  That's what I wear in the winter (with socks) when the floors are cold.  And they're cheap and last forever.     
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on November 17, 2022, 09:10:29 AM
We live in a drafty old house with tile floors and crappy heating here in Italy and we swear by ugg boots as slippers.  So toasty.
Uh.. thank you for the hint, but those uggly boots are too heavy for me feeling well in house. Also the price is toasty too :D

How about Crocs or similar slip-in shoes?  That's what I wear in the winter (with socks) when the floors are cold.  And they're cheap and last forever.     
That's what I do like about 99% of all Germans ;) But crocs are the things with holes, right? Way too cool. In the real cold winter I wear short thick socks under long thin socks.
The thing is that i have club foot(it's really called that?) and scars for 2/3 of the length of the lower legs.  That part needs to be warmed too.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sandi_k on November 17, 2022, 09:37:03 AM

My problem is that, since I don't heat the other rooms, there is always a cool draft at my feets in the winter. Even if I would have gloves for my toes, it would be too hard to walk...

There are house slippers, with cozy fur-like lining, and hard soles. (I like the hard soles, in case I have to go get the mail or something). Like these:

DREAM PAIRS Slippers for Women, House Fuzzy Fluffy Furry Christmas Moccasins Slippers - Warm Faux Fur Lining - Bedroom Indoor Outdoor Non Slip Cozy Cute Slipper

I bought a pair of Dream Pairs slipper booties several years ago, and they've held up really well, for under $40.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jrhampt on November 17, 2022, 09:51:34 AM
I swear by Uggs in the winter.  Outdoors mostly, but sometimes indoors although I frequently just wear slipper socks indoors.  Very warm and comfortable - I just look for sales.  Other ugly comfortable unisex footwear that I stock up on sale include Birkenstocks (including the shearling lined Arizonas that look ridiculous but feel amazing), Tevas, and Vans slip ons.  Oh, and the Bedrock hiking sandals.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jrhampt on November 17, 2022, 10:06:37 AM
Other active gear that I use all the time/well worth the money:

Manduka yoga mat + yoga towel for hot yoga (stays put, doesn't slip, hands don't slide everywhere)
Kahtoola micro spikes for winter hikes and runs
REI small day hiking backpack that smushes into nothing and I always take with me when I travel in case hiking breaks out
Collapsible hiking pole (can't remember brand)
Heated couch blanket from Costco for post hikes on the couch (saves on home heating bill too)
Black Dog heavyweight crew neck unisex sweatshirt (indestructable and warm) - you can never have too many sweatshirts but this is my favorite
Carhartt beanie hats - cheap, warm, easy to pack, doesn't leave weird marks on my forehead
Adidas terrex 2 parley ultra trail runners with continental tire sole - multipurpose shoe for running and hiking when traveling, light w great traction
Kiel james patrick unisex wool barn coats/flannel shackets

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 17, 2022, 11:13:11 AM
A few years ago, I finished our basement.  It's about 1250 square feet of finished space, plus utility, storage, and workshop space.  It cost us about $16k all in, and a year of my labor.  And it has been glorious.  Why would we need another 1200 sq ft of living space when we already have 3400 sq ft on the other two floors?  Here's why:

1) DW hosts a homeschool co-op that meets weekly.  Especially in the winter months, that extra space is a godsend.
2) The guest bedroom gets regular use.  We get guests 5-10x per year, but because I put extra insulation in the walls and ceiling around it, it's also a quiet place that's good for instrument practice for our kids.
3) The extra bathroom!  We have six kids, three of whom are now teenagers.  Previously, all six shared a single (ridiculous six-piece, three-door) bathroom.
4) It's a theater!  Previously, our master bedroom doubled as the theater, and we had a bedsheet hung over the windows for several years.  Now, the projector is in the basement.
5) We teach an early morning Bible study class for high school students, and being able to do it in our own home is a tremendous help.
6) I now have a climate-controlled, indoor workshop for the winter, including a utility sink so I don't have to rinse out paint brushes or rollers in the kitchen sink.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Unionville on November 23, 2022, 06:21:33 PM
Kungfu classes - it's the first "physical activity" I've every enjoyed in my life.  Who'd a thought.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jlcnuke on November 24, 2022, 05:57:11 AM
I recently upgraded my computer by building a completely new gaming computer setup with new monitors as well. Very happy with it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on November 24, 2022, 06:47:26 AM
Prolotherapy.

It costs me $500 out of pocket every 4-6 weeks and hurts like a mofo, but in my body, that shit works.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: big_owl on November 24, 2022, 01:30:09 PM
I no longer do my own painting or drywall work.  It's relatively cheap to hire someone to do that stuff and they do it faster and better.  I'll never paint another room in my house again. I do carpentry and trim work still though.   
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: monarda on November 24, 2022, 01:49:16 PM
We've been shopping for a new sofa on and off for about 5 years.
We finally bought one off of FB marketplace. Very gently used (about 4 months old) and sold at a great price. Local furniture maker sectional, probably retails over $3K or maybe more?, we got for $1200.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: CrustyBadger on November 26, 2022, 08:33:21 AM
I have two entries to this category, from a caregiver's perspective:

If a male needs a handheld urinal, I highly recommend this one, even though it is $50.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Male-Comfort-Fit-Advantage-Urinal/dp/B003LUDNIM

This is a major quality of life improvement for a caregiver, because it doesn't sit by the bedside, waiting to be emptied (or spilled); and it can be used multiple times before needing to be cleaned.  The urine empties into a bag, so less smell.  I keep the bag under the bed, in a plastic bin, so any occasional spills are contained as well. I like it so much, I bought 4. We use one by the bed, and one at the table (so husband is independently able to use it instead of needing to call someone for assistance) and have two more draining and airing out.  They last about 3 months but by rotating them, I make four last about 12 months. So $200/year.  A plain handheld plastic urinal is probably $5 or so or you can just use what they give you in the hospital, so it's a significant expense, but the quality of life boost is worth every penny.

The other major expense I feel is worth it has been  Medical Guardian Medical Alert System.  This system is a lot more expensive than others. It's about $750/yearly subscription. However, every time we have had to use it (for a test or for real) they have responded quickly and effectively.  It's the kind of thing you don't ever want to have to use, but when you have to use it you want to be absolutely sure it works as intended.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RWTL on November 30, 2022, 01:15:59 PM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on November 30, 2022, 01:49:36 PM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 30, 2022, 03:03:16 PM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Ok, now you piqued my interest.  How well would one of these hold up to being carried daily in my cargo pants pockets?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RWTL on November 30, 2022, 03:26:48 PM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Ok, now you piqued my interest.  How well would one of these hold up to being carried daily in my cargo pants pockets?

I'm not sure about that.  I read somewhere that you have to be careful with it and store it in a case if you are going to do something like that.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on November 30, 2022, 03:39:04 PM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Ok, now you piqued my interest.  How well would one of these hold up to being carried daily in my cargo pants pockets?

I'm not sure about that.  I read somewhere that you have to be careful with it and store it in a case if you are going to do something like that.

Nah, you'll be fine.  Just make sure you push the tip in before storage.  I drag these pencils everywhere along with my book of lyrics and they have held up great as long as you don't crush the plastic tube.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on November 30, 2022, 03:56:46 PM
A couple years ago I bought a blaze king wood stove. It's a very efficient stove though I did choose to sacrifice a little efficiency for a larger glass door to watch the fire. Even with the low quality wood in AK, each stove load burns about twice as long as in the previous stove. As an added bonus it still works when the power goes out.

This thread just happened to pop up while I sit next to stove and look outside at the 0 degrees winter...
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on November 30, 2022, 11:30:43 PM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Didn't know such a thing exists! And of course invented by Japanese.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sonofsven on December 01, 2022, 07:29:26 AM
A couple years ago I bought a blaze king wood stove. It's a very efficient stove though I did choose to sacrifice a little efficiency for a larger glass door to watch the fire. Even with the low quality wood in AK, each stove load burns about twice as long as in the previous stove. As an added bonus it still works when the power goes out.

This thread just happened to pop up while I sit next to stove and look outside at the 0 degrees winter...
I never thought about the wood in AK, what is the best species for firewood? I'm a dedicated wood scrounger here in OR. Fir is the obvious go to but I've been burning laurel (from overgrown hedges), holly, cherry, and big leaf maple a lot , plus the always available alder, and hemlock.
The one I stay away from is spruce (I'm on the coast). Splitting it is ridiculous.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on December 01, 2022, 07:48:59 AM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Didn't know such a thing exists! And of course invented by Japanese.
Between 1985-1990, I was a sales representative for Scripto-Tokai Corp, maker of mechanical pencils of varying quality. When I left, I kept a box of the best ones, which are still in use today. Hmmm, maybe there's another thread where I can brag on them....
 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 01, 2022, 08:57:16 AM
Recently bought a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil for about $10.  Very cool pencil that has a mechanism inside that keeps the lead constantly rotating and sharp.

Best mechanical pencil ever!  These are possibly the greatest feat of engineering ever devised by humanity.
Didn't know such a thing exists! And of course invented by Japanese.
Between 1985-1990, I was a sales representative for Scripto-Tokai Corp, maker of mechanical pencils of varying quality. When I left, I kept a box of the best ones, which are still in use today. Hmmm, maybe there's another thread where I can brag on them....

Was scripto-Tokai related to Tokai the guitar manufacturer?  They did some cool . . . uh . . . let's call them 'tribute' guitars:

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tSSW1zUIZcM/TmP404zrAwI/AAAAAAAAGNI/XgTDt6F6gGs/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/Tokai+burst+headstock.jpg)

(https://kitarablogi.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/tokai-ls-130f-e28093-headstock.jpg)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Arbitrage on December 05, 2022, 09:37:15 AM
Okay, I'll hop in with what I consider to be my vice these days: high-quality outdoor clothing. 

In line with my general FIRE philosophy, I tried to 'cheap out' at first when I started really getting back into outdoor activities.  Unfortunately, the backpack didn't hold up, the rain gear all soaked through, the kayak gloves were uncomfortable and didn't keep me warm, the wetsuit didn't fit well and quickly fell apart, the hiking shoes got holes in them...

When endeavoring to live an outdoor-focused, car-free lifestyle, clothing that keeps you as comfortable as possible while braving the elements is important to keep you motivated to get back outside.  My experience thus far is that carefully chosen pieces of high quality gear make a big difference.  That outer layer needs to be full-on waterproof.  Insulating midlayers need to breathe when you're active.  I have an outer shell by Arc'teryx.  A midlayer by Patagonia.  Gore'tex hiking shoes by Salomon.  Rain pants, socks, balaclava, and gloves by Showers Pass.  Kayaking gear by NRS.  Hiking backpack by Osprey.  The stuff works.  By and large, the cheap stuff didn't. 

Where possible, I've scoured used listings (spending FAR too much time doing so) to acquire this gear, but have relented on several occasions when I've found a good sale on new gear. 

My challenge remains to tamp down on the desire to acquire more high-quality gear; I need to restrict this spending to the stuff that really makes a difference in my life. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RWTL on December 05, 2022, 03:03:42 PM

My challenge remains to tamp down on the desire to acquire more high-quality gear; I need to restrict this spending to the stuff that really makes a difference in my life.

I think it is smart to buy high quality gear rather than churn through a bunch of low quality items.  I don't have any issue with spending lavishly on things that I will use and truly enjoy over time.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: bmjohnson35 on December 05, 2022, 03:41:27 PM

I recently bought a 1/2" Ryobi electric high torque impact gun.  I got a great deal at Home Depot.  I used it for some work I was doing on my daughters car.  Removing larger tight hardware is much easier, safer and faster.  The trigger is sensitive enough to lightly tighten the bolts/nuts back on, without over torquing them. I don't know why I haven't bought one before now.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on December 05, 2022, 03:47:15 PM

My challenge remains to tamp down on the desire to acquire more high-quality gear; I need to restrict this spending to the stuff that really makes a difference in my life.

I think it is smart to buy high quality gear rather than churn through a bunch of low quality items.  I don't have any issue with spending lavishly on things that I will use and truly enjoy over time.

Yeah. If good outdoor gear gets you outside more, it's 100% worth the investment in most cases.

We have no limits on our gear buying. We obviously look for the most affordable options, but if we need a high quality item to comfortably get outside in weather that happens where we live, then we get those items.

And we live in two locations with some of the most extreme weather in the world. So yeah, we have more gear than we do normal clothes, and we get outside A LOT.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on December 06, 2022, 07:44:52 PM

I recently bought a 1/2" Ryobi electric high torque impact gun.  I got a great deal at Home Depot.  I used it for some work I was doing on my daughters car.  Removing larger tight hardware is much easier, safer and faster.  The trigger is sensitive enough to lightly tighten the bolts/nuts back on, without over torquing them. I don't know why I haven't bought one before now.
I got one about a year ago, and it's been awesome.  I previously had an old second-hand corded electric impact wrench, which was also good, but the convenience of the battery-powered one is pretty freaking sweet.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on January 19, 2023, 03:12:14 AM
My wife got me a $30 coffee grinder - so now I grind my own beans for a superior coffee with decent head of crema each time. It's a definitely improvement on pre-ground stuff. Love it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: joe189man on January 19, 2023, 11:19:28 AM
A suppressor for my elk hunting rifle. Save my hearing is priceless. Allows for followup shots because it scares animals much less.

i have a muzzle break on my new rifle, and its loud, what kind of suppressor did you get?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: joe189man on January 19, 2023, 11:20:01 AM
i think i have said this before but Revtown jeans are incredible
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GilesMM on January 22, 2023, 02:13:26 PM
Inversion table cured my five months of sciatica in a week and cost less than a single session of PT (not to mention x-ray, MRI, etc).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RWTL on January 22, 2023, 03:52:01 PM
Inversion table cured my five months of sciatica in a week and cost less than a single session of PT (not to mention x-ray, MRI, etc).

I've always been curious about these. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on January 22, 2023, 06:23:45 PM
Inversion table cured my five months of sciatica in a week and cost less than a single session of PT (not to mention x-ray, MRI, etc).

I've always been curious about these. 

They end up as somewhere to hang clothing for 99% of purchasers.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GilesMM on January 22, 2023, 07:08:01 PM
Inversion table cured my five months of sciatica in a week and cost less than a single session of PT (not to mention x-ray, MRI, etc).

I've always been curious about these. 

They end up as somewhere to hang clothing for 99% of purchasers.


Is this something you read?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Phenix on January 23, 2023, 12:38:19 PM
Inversion table cured my five months of sciatica in a week and cost less than a single session of PT (not to mention x-ray, MRI, etc).

I've always been curious about these. 

They end up as somewhere to hang clothing for 99% of purchasers.


Is this something you read?

I imagine it's just an assumption. I assume treadmills are very similar.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 25, 2023, 01:04:58 PM
Breg cryotherapy machine, plus splitter and knee and hip pads.

Best purchase ever, seriously. I don't know how people get through this brutal surgery without it. Cost about $1000 for everything, so I understand why a lot of people who are in their 30s and off work for several months can't afford a cryotherapy machine compared to a $60 ice pad that can just be tossed into the freezer, but man, this thing is my life right now.

Also the nearly $1000 worth of pillows I've collected.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on July 11, 2023, 03:20:20 PM
We have spent just a little bit of money doing up our backyard & garden this year.  Flattened the back area and built a nice little patio, knocked down the dilapidated old shed and erected a much sturdier one that will hopefully last for many years, and now completely renovating the lawn - I WILL have the flattest and greenest lawn in the neighbourhood lol

All in all it's been about $3k (and a lot of elbow grease) and I couldn't be happier.  Even bought a tacky solar powered water fountain that really tops it off.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on July 11, 2023, 05:29:35 PM
My parents came to visit for 6 days so my partner hired a house in the mountains for two nights in the middle of the visit and it was the best idea ever. Sure, it cost more than our weekly rent but in terms of breaking up the visit, giving us a Thing To Do, and making the trip really special for them while we said goodbye to this part of the world, it was worth every cent.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: jnw on July 11, 2023, 05:36:34 PM
$45 water flosser for my nephew and niece.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on July 12, 2023, 10:22:39 AM
A few purchases that I made in the past year or so for which my only regret is not to have bought them earlier:

* My Air Fryer (Cosori Dual Blaze). This thing now cooks about 90% of my meals and has saved me so much time and effort it's not even funny. Also probably money because I don't use my oven anymore, and I waste a lot less food because I find it a lot easier to cook it - so no more food rotting in the fridge. Bought it during Prime Day last year and OMG YES. The only thing it's made me lost is pounds.

* My new home office. Entirely revamped in January, partially paid for by my employer (nice perk). The whole overhaul probably cost me about $1.5k. I'm now much more productive and motivated, and feel much better - more active, less back pain, a lot less leg swelling. Stand-up desk, monitor arm, new headset, new face-punch-worthy office chair (Herman Miller), mucho stuff, Ikea shelving, and most importantly...

* My buzzwordy, gimmicky, ridiculously first-world-y under-desk walking treadmill. I still shake my head at the idea of it, but I wanna marry it.


Oh, and it's not *exactly* spent money, but I loaned $50k to my sister so she could buy her future retirement home in our home country. I now own a few square feet of this little house right next to the ocean, so now we have a vacation home for the next few years, a backup plan for my parents should old age push them out of their current home, and my family is happy. Plus, I'm getting interest lol.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: CountToFI on July 23, 2023, 10:12:55 AM
Some big splurges over the last couple of years that get regular use, keep me active, and get me outside

Nikon Z7

Full suspension bike for mountain biking

Fenix 6 Pro

Surfboard

While the price tags were painful to swallow, these items have brought hours and hours of joy
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: draco44 on July 24, 2023, 11:38:37 AM
My kayak. So much fun! And mostly a one-time expense since it's not a motorized boat.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: vand on December 28, 2023, 02:21:17 AM
Christmas present to myself was a electric milk frother - $40 and it's absolutely amazing.  Shop quality hot frothed milk at the press of a button (make sure you use full fat).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613ChXfehCL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

No longer have to rely on that stupid built-in frother snout thing on the coffee machine which was, let's face it, never up to the task.

Ironically I've given up caffeine since a few months ago, but have switched to decaf so still make plenty of use of it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RWTL on December 28, 2023, 03:45:41 AM
Christmas present to myself was a electric milk frother - $40 and it's absolutely amazing.  Shop quality hot frothed milk at the press of a button (make sure you use full fat).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613ChXfehCL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

No longer have to rely on that stupid built-in frother snout thing on the coffee machine which was, let's face it, never up to the task.

Ironically I've given up caffeine since a few months ago, but have switched to decaf so still make plenty of use of it.

I saw that Nespresso had something similar to this and was wondering if they were any good.  Glad to know your experience.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on December 28, 2023, 07:43:45 AM
I saw that Nespresso had something similar to this and was wondering if they were any good.  Glad to know your experience.

I have this one, which is amazing, but it's a lot more than $40

https://www.amazon.ca/Breville-BREBMF600XL-Milk-Caf%C3%A9-Frother/dp/B004RCNJ9Q/ref=asc_df_B004RCNJ9Q/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292963167295&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2474570138981517055&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000666&hvtargid=pla-329397215884&psc=1&mcid=438be45c31c43ad783022d342b280590
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on December 28, 2023, 09:50:49 AM
This is the one I use and have used for years. I really like that it’s stainless steel with no Teflon coating & that the pitcher doesn’t have any motor parts (easy to clean).

Secura Detachable Milk Frother, 17oz Electric Milk Steamer Stainless Steel, Automatic Hot/Cold Foam and Hot Chocolate Maker with 2 in 1 Function Whisks (Upgraded) https://a.co/d/0t4L5OH
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: glacio09 on December 28, 2023, 09:52:51 AM
I got a hotel and a rental car for the week long trip to visit my family for Christmas. Best money spent ever.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 28, 2023, 03:53:56 PM
Can't you just put hot milk in a Mason jar and shake?  It works well for me . . .
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Alternatepriorities on December 28, 2023, 04:40:45 PM
Can't you just put hot milk in a Mason jar and shake?  It works well for me . . .

Despite having made whipped cream and butter this way it never occurred to me for frothing milk. I will have to try it. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on December 28, 2023, 05:18:06 PM
I bought the ugliest "blanket hoodies" a few weeks ago and I'm loving them, as long as nobody sees me. Those things are saving me a lot of money in heating and keeping me toasty when I spend all day sitting at my desk (until I have to turn my camera on for meetings).

Best $50 I spent this year.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cannotWAIT on December 28, 2023, 05:29:07 PM
I have been taking weekly Pilates reformer classes for I think almost a year now. That's about $700/year. To spend that much on an EXERCISE CLASS is so wildly out of character for me I can't tell you, but I have never in my almost six decades felt so good in my body. And I'm delighted with the way I look, too. I would venture to say it is the best money I've ever spent in my life. I definitely have no intention of ever stopping.

Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on December 29, 2023, 06:35:48 AM
I have been taking weekly Pilates reformer classes for I think almost a year now. That's about $700/year. To spend that much on an EXERCISE CLASS is so wildly out of character for me I can't tell you, but I have never in my almost six decades felt so good in my body. And I'm delighted with the way I look, too. I would venture to say it is the best money I've ever spent in my life. I definitely have no intention of ever stopping.

Pilates is awesome. My DH was only doing weights and cycling and I prodded him to try Pilates for years. Now he's hooked and as you said, he's never felt so good in his body, and he's never looked better. Reformer Pilates is next level.

I can no longer do Pilates because my legs don't work, but I miss it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on December 29, 2023, 09:50:41 AM
Christmas present to myself was a electric milk frother - $40 and it's absolutely amazing.  Shop quality hot frothed milk at the press of a button (make sure you use full fat).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613ChXfehCL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

No longer have to rely on that stupid built-in frother snout thing on the coffee machine which was, let's face it, never up to the task.

Ironically I've given up caffeine since a few months ago, but have switched to decaf so still make plenty of use of it.

I saw that Nespresso had something similar to this and was wondering if they were any good.  Glad to know your experience.
I have a Nespresso frother and I like it. Like, not love. However, I got it at a Thrift Store: for the price I paid, I absolutely adore it!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cannotWAIT on December 29, 2023, 01:24:08 PM
I have been taking weekly Pilates reformer classes for I think almost a year now. That's about $700/year. To spend that much on an EXERCISE CLASS is so wildly out of character for me I can't tell you, but I have never in my almost six decades felt so good in my body. And I'm delighted with the way I look, too. I would venture to say it is the best money I've ever spent in my life. I definitely have no intention of ever stopping.

Pilates is awesome. My DH was only doing weights and cycling and I prodded him to try Pilates for years. Now he's hooked and as you said, he's never felt so good in his body, and he's never looked better. Reformer Pilates is next level.

I can no longer do Pilates because my legs don't work, but I miss it.

I'm sorry you can't do it anymore. I hope you'll get back to the point where you can.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sonofsven on December 30, 2023, 07:40:57 AM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 30, 2023, 07:48:52 AM
I have a very fancy water spinner.  It's so fancy that it also works to spin coffee.  And eat soup with.  And can be stowed away in a pocket for storage if you're on the go.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LaineyAZ on December 30, 2023, 08:23:41 AM
I have a very fancy water spinner.  It's so fancy that it also works to spin coffee.  And eat soup with.  And can be stowed away in a pocket for storage if you're on the go.
Ha!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 30, 2023, 11:25:49 AM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: mspym on December 30, 2023, 11:26:36 AM
Money well spent - buying some garden soil mix from the local supplier. The old raised bed was mostly empty and compacted, a couple of hundred dollars later, it’s full of really good soil and plants and I have a new hobby. Yesterday we ate the first green bean I’ve ever grown!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on December 30, 2023, 11:38:04 AM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on December 30, 2023, 01:16:57 PM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: monarda on December 30, 2023, 01:24:33 PM
And then there's the folks who swear by 'alkaline water'
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on December 30, 2023, 01:36:04 PM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.

Oh yes she also let it run a little first. I do that too, for the same reasons you explained. I also never use warm or hot tap water to cook, even though getting a whole pan of cold water to boil drives me crazy.

But I don't let it sit just to stir it before drinking it, though.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: pasadenafr on December 30, 2023, 01:38:45 PM
And then there's the folks who swear by 'alkaline water'

Never tried that. BUT I will admit that mineral water like most bottled water in France does taste a lot better than purified water like I find here in the US. It's the electrolytes. What's funny is that back home, everybody has their own favorite water, because they all taste distinctly different depending on the source and the ratio of electrolytes. Like, I hate the one my mom drinks. It has a lot of magnesium and it tastes terrible to me. Still, it's just water, bottled directly from the source.

I actually often buy Evian as a "treat" and a way to stave off cramps.

But alkaline doesn't make sense to me.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on December 30, 2023, 02:53:58 PM
And then there's the folks who swear by 'alkaline water'

Never tried that. BUT I will admit that mineral water like most bottled water in France does taste a lot better than purified water like I find here in the US. It's the electrolytes. What's funny is that back home, everybody has their own favorite water, because they all taste distinctly different depending on the source and the ratio of electrolytes. Like, I hate the one my mom drinks. It has a lot of magnesium and it tastes terrible to me. Still, it's just water, bottled directly from the source.

I actually often buy Evian as a "treat" and a way to stave off cramps.

But alkaline doesn't make sense to me.

Lol, I know the Flow water folks, they asked my former boss to be an early investor and she passed because it sounded like nonsense to her.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: rocketpj on December 30, 2023, 03:30:07 PM
Shortly after high school i worked for a sketchy company that bottled water and sold it down to California.  We would fill 4l jugs from the tap and fill the truck, then one of the older drivers would have to make the drive from Alberta to California and drop it off.  I assume the boss was making money from the scam, but he ripped all of us off at one point or another and I left quickly.  Since then I've had a healthy skepticism of any 'water' products.

As for money well spent, every year I spend about $1000 on ice hockey fees and equipment, which results in about 90 games on a couple of different teams.  It's great exercise, incredible stress relief and excellent social connection.  Unintentionally it also saves my business a lot of money because a lot of the guys I play with are tradespeople, so a lot happens in the favor economy.

That said, I also make pocket cash refereeing youth hockey games every week as well.  Then I get exercise, sometimes a few hours of intense cardio at a time, and make something close to what I spend on hockey each year.  Occasionally I have to deal with the stereotypical 'angry hockey parent', but at 6'4" and 290 lbs people don't generally decide to escalate postgame.  (Which is good because I'm a pussycat).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 30, 2023, 06:42:39 PM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.

Oh yes she also let it run a little first. I do that too, for the same reasons you explained. I also never use warm or hot tap water to cook, even though getting a whole pan of cold water to boil drives me crazy.

But I don't let it sit just to stir it before drinking it, though.

I learned that about running the water and only using the cold for drinking/cooking.  Here I can actually smell the chlorine some days.  I let my plant water sit for a while before using it.   Living in a multi-unit residence after a house is eye-opening - the water takes a long time to heat up or cool down (depending on tap).  There is a lot of water sitting in my pipes.  I have no idea what the pipes are made of, what was standard for multi-unit construction in 2000 in Ontario?  At least not lead.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Telecaster on December 30, 2023, 06:43:06 PM
For me the Ryobi weed trimmer crankshaft (in the 1990s) had one bearing at the engine end of the throttle handle and the crank journals extended beyond that. And one of the crankshafts sheared at low rpms right at the bearing. After that I bought lawn equipment with proper two bearing engine designs.

Exact same thing happened to me. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 31, 2023, 09:43:12 AM
Shortly after high school i worked for a sketchy company that bottled water and sold it down to California.  We would fill 4l jugs from the tap and fill the truck, then one of the older drivers would have to make the drive from Alberta to California and drop it off.  I assume the boss was making money from the scam, but he ripped all of us off at one point or another and I left quickly.  Since then I've had a healthy skepticism of any 'water' products.

Not actually a scam*.  The majority of bottled water is tap water that is stuck into plastic and then driven around and sold.




* Well, I mean . . . all bottled water is a ridiculous scam that destroys the environment in order to provide stupid people with sub-optimal water to drink.  But not more of a scam than regular.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crocheted_stache on January 04, 2024, 12:54:34 AM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.

Oh yes she also let it run a little first. I do that too, for the same reasons you explained. I also never use warm or hot tap water to cook, even though getting a whole pan of cold water to boil drives me crazy.

But I don't let it sit just to stir it before drinking it, though.

I learned that about running the water and only using the cold for drinking/cooking.  Here I can actually smell the chlorine some days.  I let my plant water sit for a while before using it.   Living in a multi-unit residence after a house is eye-opening - the water takes a long time to heat up or cool down (depending on tap).  There is a lot of water sitting in my pipes.  I have no idea what the pipes are made of, what was standard for multi-unit construction in 2000 in Ontario?  At least not lead.

Spinning (or otherwise agitating) water might aerate it a little and/or help dissipate some of the chlorine. Keepers of aquariums sometimes let water stand for a day to undo the chlorination. Otherwise, it doesn't accomplish much, but at least it's harmless amusement.

It's kind of an old-school webpage, but https://www.chem1.com/CQ/gallery.html has a long list of water-related scams and hokum.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LennStar on January 04, 2024, 02:41:36 AM
You know, more than once was I tempted to do some scam like this to help move money from the stupid people to the more intelligent ones.
But I am just too honest for my own financial good. sigh

(My favorite one are still those "bad energy catcher" rods for your garden that sell for 10K or even more. Talk about ROI.)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: sonofsven on January 04, 2024, 03:46:12 AM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.

Oh yes she also let it run a little first. I do that too, for the same reasons you explained. I also never use warm or hot tap water to cook, even though getting a whole pan of cold water to boil drives me crazy.

But I don't let it sit just to stir it before drinking it, though.

I learned that about running the water and only using the cold for drinking/cooking.  Here I can actually smell the chlorine some days.  I let my plant water sit for a while before using it.   Living in a multi-unit residence after a house is eye-opening - the water takes a long time to heat up or cool down (depending on tap).  There is a lot of water sitting in my pipes.  I have no idea what the pipes are made of, what was standard for multi-unit construction in 2000 in Ontario?  At least not lead.

Spinning (or otherwise agitating) water might aerate it a little and/or help dissipate some of the chlorine. Keepers of aquariums sometimes let water stand for a day to undo the chlorination. Otherwise, it doesn't accomplish much, but at least it's harmless amusement.

It's kind of an old-school webpage, but https://www.chem1.com/CQ/gallery.html has a long list of water-related scams and hokum.

Here's a good skeptical look at the claims of the vortex vessel:
https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/42705/does-a-vortex-vessel-affect-water-in-these-specific-ways

I'm definitely more on the skeptical side when it comes to these types of health claims, which is why I generally just drink tap water in lieu of "healthy" water product.
I'm also aware of the limitations of my own knowledge; I'm a "hands on" learner (probably why I'm a good carpenter), not a scientist or theorist. So the one claim by the manufacturer I can attest to is the "mouth feel" and taste of the agitated water; I did prefer it over the tap water.
Perhaps you could achieve the same result by stirring the water manually? I'm not really interested enough to find out.
And I'm too polite to denigrate a gift in front of the giver!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crocheted_stache on January 04, 2024, 09:11:01 AM
You know, more than once was I tempted to do some scam like this to help move money from the stupid people to the more intelligent ones.
But I am just too honest for my own financial good. sigh

(My favorite one are still those "bad energy catcher" rods for your garden that sell for 10K or even more. Talk about ROI.)

We once got a visit from someone who was traveling around, trying to sell some device that claimed to plug into the wall and use the house wiring to shield against electromagnetic radiation or something, and hence improve calm and health. His audience here was three people with engineering and science degrees, and nobody was convinced. If this thing did work as advertised, it would also block WiFi, phone, radio, and broadcast television reception.

We even tried to tell him that the product was a sham, but he'd been taken in by it and nothing we would have said could convince him otherwise. I can only hope he neither lost too much money pursuing this "career," nor bilked too many innocent people.

Bonus PSA: the plug-in device that shows up in web ads and purports to "change the phase of your power" so you lower your electric bill also a scam. I'd name-and-shame, but they seem to keep changing the name (wonder why!), and they don't deserve the attention. I once wrote to some news aggregator and suggested they filter out the "press release" story their computer had vacuumed up. More recently, I found one on offer from a major retailer who probably hadn't scrutinized their third-party stuff very well, but I didn't have the time or attention to chase down where to complain.

Maybe DH and I need to start the electricity and magnetism scams gallery, but it must have helped the water scams gallery that the proprietor is a professor who could tell a big flock of students to be alert and report when they spot new variations on the nonsense.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChpBstrd on January 04, 2024, 09:40:15 AM
You know, more than once was I tempted to do some scam like this to help move money from the stupid people to the more intelligent ones.
But I am just too honest for my own financial good. sigh

(My favorite one are still those "bad energy catcher" rods for your garden that sell for 10K or even more. Talk about ROI.)

We once got a visit from someone who was traveling around, trying to sell some device that claimed to plug into the wall and use the house wiring to shield against electromagnetic radiation or something, and hence improve calm and health. His audience here was three people with engineering and science degrees, and nobody was convinced. If this thing did work as advertised, it would also block WiFi, phone, radio, and broadcast television reception.

We even tried to tell him that the product was a sham, but he'd been taken in by it and nothing we would have said could convince him otherwise. I can only hope he neither lost too much money pursuing this "career," nor bilked too many innocent people.

Bonus PSA: the plug-in device that shows up in web ads and purports to "change the phase of your power" so you lower your electric bill also a scam. I'd name-and-shame, but they seem to keep changing the name (wonder why!), and they don't deserve the attention. I once wrote to some news aggregator and suggested they filter out the "press release" story their computer had vacuumed up. More recently, I found one on offer from a major retailer who probably hadn't scrutinized their third-party stuff very well, but I didn't have the time or attention to chase down where to complain.

Maybe DH and I need to start the electricity and magnetism scams gallery, but it must have helped the water scams gallery that the proprietor is a professor who could tell a big flock of students to be alert and report when they spot new variations on the nonsense.
You could sell people a pair of butter knives they can shove into electrical outlets and end all the problems in their life. At least this would be an honest product.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on January 04, 2024, 11:13:22 AM
I have been taking weekly Pilates reformer classes for I think almost a year now. That's about $700/year. To spend that much on an EXERCISE CLASS is so wildly out of character for me I can't tell you, but I have never in my almost six decades felt so good in my body. And I'm delighted with the way I look, too. I would venture to say it is the best money I've ever spent in my life. I definitely have no intention of ever stopping.

Pilates is awesome. My DH was only doing weights and cycling and I prodded him to try Pilates for years. Now he's hooked and as you said, he's never felt so good in his body, and he's never looked better. Reformer Pilates is next level.

I can no longer do Pilates because my legs don't work, but I miss it.

There used to be a Yogalates class at the Y. Combination yoga and pilates. Somehow after the pandemic it got switched to a different time so I can't attend. Wonderful class though. I miss it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: cannotWAIT on January 04, 2024, 12:33:57 PM
My tap water is disgusting--like you can see the iron particles settling out of it--and one day when I was having a problem with my filtration system, out of sheer desperation I made coffee with Pellegrino. I'm sure I just about killed my coffee maker but let me tell you, the result was delicious.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: LongtimeLurker on January 04, 2024, 02:54:22 PM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.

Do you have a well? If this is city tap water, you are talking probably miles of pipes at the least before you get to the source, where it would have sat in a treatment facility or underground storage tank. You are probably better off just getting a filter or R/O unit if you are worried about this. Then again, I don't live in an area that uses lead pipes so maybe its different.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Asalted_Nut on January 04, 2024, 03:21:54 PM
TL;DR Nest Smoke Detectors

When we first moved in the smoke detectors were A. Old as dirt, and B. didn't even have any batteries in them (x2 for a two story three bedroom). So we got new ones! Kiddee bluetooth interconnected, hardwired in. But oh man we had sooo many false alarms at between 2-4 in the morning, kids were traumatized and we no longer had any urgency upon hearing it. So instead of thinking oh hey there's a fire, it was more of a "stupid smoke detectors going off again".

Anyhow I started blowing them out with a shop vac every few months and that helped a bit, but tiny spiders would set them off because they were set up in a way that was really easy for spiders to get in and out.

Nest Smoke/Co detectors went on sale and I got five to replace all our smoke detectors - install was super easy as well as pairing them all in the app, so now I will get notified if I am away and one goes off :) Or I can silence on my phone if I am cooking and one says it will go off. They also have a fun little motion-sensing nightlight feature (that can be disabled) that helps light up our hallway and lego room at night when we walk past!

So far no false alarms, reviews make me think that they are pretty reliable! There are videos showing what it looks like if/when you open it up to clean it, and it seems the smoke detection chamber would not allow spider access, hopefully.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 04, 2024, 04:41:07 PM
Ok, you got your fancy milk frothers, but do any of you have a water spinner?

https://mayuwater.com/products/mayu-swirl-water-pitcher

I got one as a xmas gift. I have no idea if their claims are true, I generally just drink my tap water.
I did do a blind taste test and the spun water was the winner, FWIW.
So it tastes better, subjectively, and the little water tornado is kind of fun to watch.

I bit

"The Swirl is the ultimate solution for improving your drinking water and well-being. Stay well-hydrated and avoid dry skin, headaches, and overall health concerns. Unlike ordinary water pitchers, the MAYU Swirl employs innovative vortex technology that restores water molecules to their natural form, allowing better absorption into your body's cells and ensuring delicious-tasting water."

Water molecules are water molecules.   And your body cells will absorb as much or as little as they want based on their own needs.

The only positive I can think of for this money and space waster is that the swirling will aerate the water a bit.  Aeration makes water taste better, for example this is why boiled and cooled water tends to taste flat.

Thanks for the infusion of common sense :). That sentence made me roll my eyes so bad.

My grandmother used to drink tap water only. She would let it sit for a few minutes (so "the chlore would evaporate a little"), then stirred it before drinking it. She said it tasted better and while she didn't know why, she thought it might be because swirling made some of the chemicals evaporate faster. I'm guessing this may not be completely wrong, but the additional air may have been the real reason.

I was always under the impression that running the taps for a bit before filling a water glass was to get past the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing pipe grime. Because of the physics of how water moves through pipes, if you run it for a bit, the water that comes out will never actually touch the sides. If you have any lead in your pipes, you don't want to drink any water that has sat in them, just water that has passed through them. It's the same way you aren't supposed to drink warm water, because it's been sitting in a heater with a bunch of sediment. At least this is what my step mom explained to me when I was a kid, and what I learned in physics class about water moving through pipes.

So it wouldn't surprise me if long run, cold tap water tasted better. It also wouldn't surprise me if someone was taught to do this thanks to old lead pipes, but was given a nonsense explanation for why it should be done, like evaporating "chlore."

But yes, aerating water also makes it taste better, so there's that too, but saying it has to do with the molecules is utter poppycock.

Do you have a well? If this is city tap water, you are talking probably miles of pipes at the least before you get to the source, where it would have sat in a treatment facility or underground storage tank. You are probably better off just getting a filter or R/O unit if you are worried about this. Then again, I don't live in an area that uses lead pipes so maybe its different.

lol, I wasn't saying that I care about this, I was simply explaining where some rationale may come from for why people have been taught to run water for awhile before filling their glasses.

And yes, I grew up on well water in a 150 year old house, so highly likely there was lead, and that's likely why my stepmom who grew up on a rural farm insisted that we run the water for a minute.

As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: getsorted on January 05, 2024, 08:57:16 AM
My tap water is disgusting--like you can see the iron particles settling out of it--and one day when I was having a problem with my filtration system, out of sheer desperation I made coffee with Pellegrino. I'm sure I just about killed my coffee maker but let me tell you, the result was delicious.

Are we talking sparkling, or still?? Surely still water???

Coffee is one of those things where you really can taste a difference with filtered water. I am lucky enough to live where there is excellent tap water (my "money well spent" was a tap water test kit when I moved into my house), but it does contain a lot of calcium and filtering makes the coffee taste magnificent for some reason.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: MinouMinou on January 05, 2024, 02:45:31 PM
Best non-investment money spent: yarn. Hours of soothing entertainment. Sometimes used for gifts.
If I didn’t have a phenomenal local public library, I would say books.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 05, 2024, 03:34:55 PM
Best non-investment money spent: yarn. Hours of soothing entertainment. Sometimes used for gifts.
If I didn’t have a phenomenal local public library, I would say books.

Can I lead you down the rabbit hole that is spinning?    ;-)  Lovely fibres to fondle, and then spin. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on January 05, 2024, 04:13:39 PM
Any time you can turn human hair into a sweater, I'm on board.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 05, 2024, 07:02:53 PM
Any time you can turn human hair into a sweater, I'm on board.

Human hair sucks for spinning.  Much too thick.  Sheep wool, angora rabbit/goat, llama/alpaca, musk ox - now there is some fun!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: crocheted_stache on January 05, 2024, 08:43:12 PM
TL;DR Nest Smoke Detectors

When we first moved in the smoke detectors were A. Old as dirt, and B. didn't even have any batteries in them (x2 for a two story three bedroom). So we got new ones! Kiddee bluetooth interconnected, hardwired in. But oh man we had sooo many false alarms at between 2-4 in the morning, kids were traumatized and we no longer had any urgency upon hearing it. So instead of thinking oh hey there's a fire, it was more of a "stupid smoke detectors going off again".

Anyhow I started blowing them out with a shop vac every few months and that helped a bit, but tiny spiders would set them off because they were set up in a way that was really easy for spiders to get in and out.

Nest Smoke/Co detectors went on sale and I got five to replace all our smoke detectors - install was super easy as well as pairing them all in the app, so now I will get notified if I am away and one goes off :) Or I can silence on my phone if I am cooking and one says it will go off. They also have a fun little motion-sensing nightlight feature (that can be disabled) that helps light up our hallway and lego room at night when we walk past!

So far no false alarms, reviews make me think that they are pretty reliable! There are videos showing what it looks like if/when you open it up to clean it, and it seems the smoke detection chamber would not allow spider access, hopefully.
How long have you had them? Is it possible there fewer false alarms simply because they've had less time to gunk up?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Just Joe on January 06, 2024, 06:26:31 PM
TL;DR Nest Smoke Detectors

When we first moved in the smoke detectors were A. Old as dirt, and B. didn't even have any batteries in them (x2 for a two story three bedroom). So we got new ones! Kiddee bluetooth interconnected, hardwired in. But oh man we had sooo many false alarms at between 2-4 in the morning, kids were traumatized and we no longer had any urgency upon hearing it. So instead of thinking oh hey there's a fire, it was more of a "stupid smoke detectors going off again".

Anyhow I started blowing them out with a shop vac every few months and that helped a bit, but tiny spiders would set them off because they were set up in a way that was really easy for spiders to get in and out.

Nest Smoke/Co detectors went on sale and I got five to replace all our smoke detectors - install was super easy as well as pairing them all in the app, so now I will get notified if I am away and one goes off :) Or I can silence on my phone if I am cooking and one says it will go off. They also have a fun little motion-sensing nightlight feature (that can be disabled) that helps light up our hallway and lego room at night when we walk past!

So far no false alarms, reviews make me think that they are pretty reliable! There are videos showing what it looks like if/when you open it up to clean it, and it seems the smoke detection chamber would not allow spider access, hopefully.

Uh-oh - just bought x6 Kiddie smoke detectors for our house. Lithium batteries, no battery replacement for a decade they promise. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iris lily on January 11, 2024, 09:00:00 AM
I am old now and looking back on what we’ve done in the past several decades. We have put a lot of money into old houses, money we would never get out of them.

We stabilized three tiny Victorian houses, meaning  we tuck-pointed them, put roofs on them, new windows. We made the outside look good and did nothing to the inside. But we got them ready for the next person to come along and finish them.

Two of those three have been renovated after buying from us. The third one sits in a not nice location but it is  a cool old 1875 house, so I have hopes for it. It is absolutely solid due to the work we did, and it can sit there for another generation.

It is money well spent because I like saving buildings. The reason we chose these buildings was because we used them for gardening sites, we bought them initially because they had lots we could use for garden space because we had run out of garden space at our house. Yes, we live in a land of cheap real estate so we can do stuff like that. But still, when we sold these properties we lost at least $50,000 and that doesn’t count the hundreds of hours DH put in working on them.

As far as the house we’re currently living in and renovating, we officially become the people we used to make fun of, those people who “have more money than brains. “ We have $100,000+ more in this house than we’ll ever get out of it, and that’s OK. It’s a nice little 1941 cottage that we are polishing up, we are not cheaping out on any building materials.

Fortunately, I am letting the original aesthetic of the house dictate finish materials. So putting in marble anything in this house would be overkill because it’s a modest house, so we’re using tile. Well, I will admit to using marble backsplash in the kitchen and granite on the counters. We Put in oak floors throughout the house to match the nice original oak floor in the living room. Etc etc.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChpBstrd on January 11, 2024, 09:14:17 AM
I am old now and looking back on what we’ve done in the past several decades. We have put a lot of money into old houses, money we would never get out of them.

We stabilized three tiny Victorian houses, meaning  we tuck-pointed them, put roofs on them, new windows. We made the outside look good and did nothing to the inside. But we got them ready for the next person to come along and finish them.

Two of those three have been renovated after buying from us. The third one sits in a not nice location but it is  a cool old 1875 house, so I have hopes for it. It is absolutely solid due to the work we did, and it can sit there for another generation.

It is money well spent because I like saving buildings. The reason we chose these buildings was because we used them for gardening sites, we bought them initially because they had lots we could use for garden space because we had run out of garden space at our house. Yes, we live in a land of cheap real estate so we can do stuff like that. But still, when we sold these properties we lost at least $50,000 and that doesn’t count the hundreds of hours DH put in working on them.

As far as the house we’re currently living in and renovating, we officially become the people we used to make fun of, those people who “have more money than brains. “ We have $100,000+ more in this house than we’ll ever get out of it, and that’s OK. It’s a nice little 1941 cottage that we are polishing up, we are not cheaping out on any building materials.

Fortunately, I am letting the original aesthetic of the house dictate finish materials. So putting in marble anything in this house would be overkill because it’s a modest house, so we’re using tile. Well, I will admit to using marble backsplash in the kitchen and granite on the counters. We Put in oak floors throughout the house to match the nice original oak floor in the living room. Etc etc.
But... you could have spent that money driving a full size SUV instead of a small car for 10 years! What a waste!

/sarcasm

Housing fanciness is one of my weaknesses too. My old cottage has more potential projects than I have money or time, including wiring upgrades, brick pointing, hardwoods refinishing, blowing in foam insulation, adding more solar panels, aligning crooked doors, fixing creaks, etc... forever.

I have to draw a line in the sand and say things like "I'm going to live with that giant stain on the floor for the rest of my life" or "If I take on these types of projects I will consume my whole lifetime on such projects."
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iris lily on January 11, 2024, 09:57:11 AM
I am old now and looking back on what we’ve done in the past several decades. We have put a lot of money into old houses, money we would never get out of them.

We stabilized three tiny Victorian houses, meaning  we tuck-pointed them, put roofs on them, new windows. We made the outside look good and did nothing to the inside. But we got them ready for the next person to come along and finish them.

Two of those three have been renovated after buying from us. The third one sits in a not nice location but it is  a cool old 1875 house, so I have hopes for it. It is absolutely solid due to the work we did, and it can sit there for another generation.

It is money well spent because I like saving buildings. The reason we chose these buildings was because we used them for gardening sites, we bought them initially because they had lots we could use for garden space because we had run out of garden space at our house. Yes, we live in a land of cheap real estate so we can do stuff like that. But still, when we sold these properties we lost at least $50,000 and that doesn’t count the hundreds of hours DH put in working on them.

As far as the house we’re currently living in and renovating, we officially become the people we used to make fun of, those people who “have more money than brains. “ We have $100,000+ more in this house than we’ll ever get out of it, and that’s OK. It’s a nice little 1941 cottage that we are polishing up, we are not cheaping out on any building materials.

Fortunately, I am letting the original aesthetic of the house dictate finish materials. So putting in marble anything in this house would be overkill because it’s a modest house, so we’re using tile. Well, I will admit to using marble backsplash in the kitchen and granite on the counters. We Put in oak floors throughout the house to match the nice original oak floor in the living room. Etc etc.
But... you could have spent that money driving a full size SUV instead of a small car for 10 years! What a waste!

/sarcasm

Housing fanciness is one of my weaknesses too. My old cottage has more potential projects than I have money or time, including wiring upgrades, brick pointing, hardwoods refinishing, blowing in foam insulation, adding more solar panels, aligning crooked doors, fixing creaks, etc... forever.

I have to draw a line in the sand and say things like "I'm going to live with that giant stain on the floor for the rest of my life" or "If I take on these types of projects I will consume my whole lifetime on such projects."

Ahem. So what is wrong with renovation taking up a whole lifetime? Haha. That’s all we’ve done since we’ve been married, 30+ years. I didn’t even talk about the house we lived in, complete gut rehab on a Victorian house, that was barely finished when we sold it, 33 years after buying it.

DH has wonderful building skills so that’s just what he likes to do and I have learned that living in a renovation project is just what I will have to do.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 11, 2024, 09:58:28 AM
I have to draw a line in the sand and say things like "I'm going to live with that giant stain on the floor for the rest of my life" or "If I take on these types of projects I will consume my whole lifetime on such projects."
I'm in the same boat.  I keep having to remind myself to avoid falling into the trap of "tiny details exaggeration syndrome" (https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/26/cure-yourself-of-tiny-details-exaggeration-syndrome/) as MMM once put it.

It's a hard habit to break if you've been fixing things for a long time.  You spend so many days/weeks/months/years tackling big projects, then smaller projects, then tiny projects, and it's hard to stop noticing things that aren't quite perfect, and wanting to fix them.

One of my dreams for retirement is to build my own airplane.  Maybe.  Knowing myself, I'll be forever tweaking it to get that last 1MPH or 0.1 MPG out of it, or add some convenient feature.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on January 11, 2024, 10:05:27 AM
My dad's policy was to continue to renovate until the house is ready for sale.  Any time a house starts getting close to being finished, that's an indicator that it's no longer acceptable for our family to live there.  Because we'll just break shit.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: APowers on January 11, 2024, 10:31:07 AM
As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.

Ok, not to get too terribly off topic, but *this*. Every house I have EVER lived in has tap water that tastes noticeably better from one sink to another. In my childhood home, the best water was the upstairs bathroom; in my house now, the kitchen is better than the bathroom (I haven't tested upstairs vs downstairs. No special plumbing differences that I know of, and all fixtures are new....just mysterious differences in the flavour.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Neuroman on January 11, 2024, 10:57:35 AM
I traveled to a city and didn't want to drive--paying for taxis/ride sharing apps was kind of a drag but then I imagined that I was paying for a magic car and driver that could take me anywhere at my beck and call. It really helped!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: GuitarStv on January 11, 2024, 11:31:27 AM
As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.

Ok, not to get too terribly off topic, but *this*. Every house I have EVER lived in has tap water that tastes noticeably better from one sink to another. In my childhood home, the best water was the upstairs bathroom; in my house now, the kitchen is better than the bathroom (I haven't tested upstairs vs downstairs. No special plumbing differences that I know of, and all fixtures are new....just mysterious differences in the flavour.

Weird.  I could maybe see it being something to do with distance it has to travel in the pipes, but you would figure upstairs is going farther than the main floor.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on January 11, 2024, 11:45:39 AM
As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.

Ok, not to get too terribly off topic, but *this*. Every house I have EVER lived in has tap water that tastes noticeably better from one sink to another. In my childhood home, the best water was the upstairs bathroom; in my house now, the kitchen is better than the bathroom (I haven't tested upstairs vs downstairs. No special plumbing differences that I know of, and all fixtures are new....just mysterious differences in the flavour.

Weird.  I could maybe see it being something to do with distance it has to travel in the pipes, but you would figure upstairs is going farther than the main floor.

I wonder if there is a smell in each room? Smell and taste go together and those are both aromatic rooms. Maybe take a glass of each outside to drink?
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iris lily on January 11, 2024, 11:49:36 AM
My dad's policy was to continue to renovate until the house is ready for sale.  Any time a house starts getting close to being finished, that's an indicator that it's no longer acceptable for our family to live there.  Because we'll just break shit.
Hilarious! And so true, Dad wisdom.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChpBstrd on January 11, 2024, 12:13:07 PM
As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.

Ok, not to get too terribly off topic, but *this*. Every house I have EVER lived in has tap water that tastes noticeably better from one sink to another. In my childhood home, the best water was the upstairs bathroom; in my house now, the kitchen is better than the bathroom (I haven't tested upstairs vs downstairs. No special plumbing differences that I know of, and all fixtures are new....just mysterious differences in the flavour.
The inside of your faucet, past the rubber valve seal, is a coated in a unique ecosystem of algae, bacteria, and corroding metal. As you turn on the water, the initial surge washes loose some of these things and their byproducts into your glass of water. One experiment to try is letting the water run 3 seconds before putting the glass under it. This habit will probably also reduce your lifetime exposure to theheavy metals (https://blogs.edf.org/health/2021/01/12/lead-brass-and-bronze-food-equipment/) leaching out of the brass in your faucet.

Beyond the valve, your water flavor could be affected by the use of PEX (https://amarcoplumbing.com/is-pex-safe-for-drinking-water/) or CPVC plastic pipes for the run that leads to one faucet or another. This is a similar effect to the way water tastes funny coming out of a garden hose. Again, the solution is probably to run the water for a while to flush out the pipe. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 11, 2024, 05:35:56 PM
As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.

Ok, not to get too terribly off topic, but *this*. Every house I have EVER lived in has tap water that tastes noticeably better from one sink to another. In my childhood home, the best water was the upstairs bathroom; in my house now, the kitchen is better than the bathroom (I haven't tested upstairs vs downstairs. No special plumbing differences that I know of, and all fixtures are new....just mysterious differences in the flavour.
The inside of your faucet, past the rubber valve seal, is a coated in a unique ecosystem of algae, bacteria, and corroding metal. As you turn on the water, the initial surge washes loose some of these things and their byproducts into your glass of water. One experiment to try is letting the water run 3 seconds before putting the glass under it. This habit will probably also reduce your lifetime exposure to theheavy metals (https://blogs.edf.org/health/2021/01/12/lead-brass-and-bronze-food-equipment/) leaching out of the brass in your faucet.

Beyond the valve, your water flavor could be affected by the use of PEX (https://amarcoplumbing.com/is-pex-safe-for-drinking-water/) or CPVC plastic pipes for the run that leads to one faucet or another. This is a similar effect to the way water tastes funny coming out of a garden hose. Again, the solution is probably to run the water for a while to flush out the pipe.

The water from my bathroom cold tap also tastes better than the water from my kitchen cold tap (condo, all one level, built in 2000).  I wonder if the pipes get flushed more because the same pipe also supplies the toilet?  So the actual volume of water going through the pipe each day is greater.  In the kitchen the hot water gets used more, especially for washing dishes (by hand or by machine).

Every time I move, I do a taste test for tea - use cold water from the kitchen cold tap after running it for a bit (basically run until really cold), and using the same water after running it through a Britta filter.  So far the Britta has won for all 4 houses and 3 apartments/condos.  That includes 3 houses on wells and 1 house and all the apartments on municipal water (3 different municipalities, not close to each other).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on January 12, 2024, 06:54:59 AM
As for me, I live half the year in an urban highrise where the bathroom tap water tastes substantially better than the kitchen tap water. Fucked if I know why. The other half of the year I live in a remote rural area, but not on well water, the water comes straight out of the mountain behind my house and then is fed by gravity into my house untreated. It doesn't matter how long you run that water or what tap it comes out of, it's fucking yellow, smells weird, and I don't drink it.

Ok, not to get too terribly off topic, but *this*. Every house I have EVER lived in has tap water that tastes noticeably better from one sink to another. In my childhood home, the best water was the upstairs bathroom; in my house now, the kitchen is better than the bathroom (I haven't tested upstairs vs downstairs. No special plumbing differences that I know of, and all fixtures are new....just mysterious differences in the flavour.
The inside of your faucet, past the rubber valve seal, is a coated in a unique ecosystem of algae, bacteria, and corroding metal. As you turn on the water, the initial surge washes loose some of these things and their byproducts into your glass of water. One experiment to try is letting the water run 3 seconds before putting the glass under it. This habit will probably also reduce your lifetime exposure to theheavy metals (https://blogs.edf.org/health/2021/01/12/lead-brass-and-bronze-food-equipment/) leaching out of the brass in your faucet.

Beyond the valve, your water flavor could be affected by the use of PEX (https://amarcoplumbing.com/is-pex-safe-for-drinking-water/) or CPVC plastic pipes for the run that leads to one faucet or another. This is a similar effect to the way water tastes funny coming out of a garden hose. Again, the solution is probably to run the water for a while to flush out the pipe.

Yep, I always run the water for a bit, but pretty much no matter how long I run it, it still tastes markedly better from the bathroom than the kitchen.

Water is moving through A LOT of pipes to get up to my floor though, so who knows what it's encountering along the way up to those two rooms.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: ChpBstrd on January 12, 2024, 02:06:14 PM
The water from my bathroom cold tap also tastes better than the water from my kitchen cold tap (condo, all one level, built in 2000).  I wonder if the pipes get flushed more because the same pipe also supplies the toilet?  So the actual volume of water going through the pipe each day is greater.  In the kitchen the hot water gets used more, especially for washing dishes (by hand or by machine).
Yep, I always run the water for a bit, but pretty much no matter how long I run it, it still tastes markedly better from the bathroom than the kitchen.
@RetiredAt63 that's a good point. I'm also noticing a theme here, where the bathroom faucets are the source of the better tasting water, consistent with your hypothesis. However, bathroom faucets are also shorter, which means less pipe surface exposed inside the pipe between the valves and your cup. If there are funky things growing or corroding in the upper end of your faucets, there is less of it to pass through in the bathroom faucet than the longer kitchen faucet. Finally, the construction of a bathroom faucet is simple compared to a kitchen faucet with a spray hose (i.e. possible source of garden hose taste effect) and at least one extra pivot point, sealed and lubricated by plumbing grease (i.e. possible source of flavor).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 12, 2024, 03:28:14 PM
The water from my bathroom cold tap also tastes better than the water from my kitchen cold tap (condo, all one level, built in 2000).  I wonder if the pipes get flushed more because the same pipe also supplies the toilet?  So the actual volume of water going through the pipe each day is greater.  In the kitchen the hot water gets used more, especially for washing dishes (by hand or by machine).
Yep, I always run the water for a bit, but pretty much no matter how long I run it, it still tastes markedly better from the bathroom than the kitchen.
@RetiredAt63 that's a good point. I'm also noticing a theme here, where the bathroom faucets are the source of the better tasting water, consistent with your hypothesis. However, bathroom faucets are also shorter, which means less pipe surface exposed inside the pipe between the valves and your cup. If there are funky things growing or corroding in the upper end of your faucets, there is less of it to pass through in the bathroom faucet than the longer kitchen faucet. Finally, the construction of a bathroom faucet is simple compared to a kitchen faucet with a spray hose (i.e. possible source of garden hose taste effect) and at least one extra pivot point, sealed and lubricated by plumbing grease (i.e. possible source of flavor).

The faucets are certainly different designs.  If it is faucet design, one would think whoever designed them would be taking the factors you mention into account.  Because no matter how long I run the kitchen water it doesn't taste like the bathroom water.

Hmm, they sell water filters to attach to kitchen taps but not bathroom taps, even though people drink bathroom water (brushing teeth, taking pills first thing in the morning or last thing at night).
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on January 12, 2024, 08:30:05 PM
that's a good point. I'm also noticing a theme here, where the bathroom faucets are the source of the better tasting water, consistent with your hypothesis. However, bathroom faucets are also shorter, which means less pipe surface exposed inside the pipe between the valves and your cup. If there are funky things growing or corroding in the upper end of your faucets, there is less of it to pass through in the bathroom faucet than the longer kitchen faucet. Finally, the construction of a bathroom faucet is simple compared to a kitchen faucet with a spray hose (i.e. possible source of garden hose taste effect) and at least one extra pivot point, sealed and lubricated by plumbing grease (i.e. possible source of flavor).
FWIW, the pivoting nature of the kitchen faucet doesn't make any extra parts come in contact with the water.  The hose for the sprayer goes down from the valve into the cabinet, then back up through the outer body (i.e. the part that swivels) and into the sprayer.  (I just disassembled our kitchen faucet a couple weeks ago, and figure this all out!)
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Sanitary Stache on January 15, 2024, 02:37:20 PM
I make sure the kids know not to drink hot water from the tap.  I also explain that faucets with mixing valves allow hot water into the stream.  My bath tub faucet is the only faucet without multiple screens on it and is the one I prefer to drink from (cold water of course).  Since it doesn't have screens it also flushes very quickly.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: TreeLeaf on January 15, 2024, 03:29:21 PM
The treadmill that I bought for $60 dollars used off Facebook last year is really coming in handy during this cold snap.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AO1FireTo on March 13, 2024, 10:40:42 AM
My elderly father in law is going back to the home country, probably for the last time.  My wife and I decided to buy him a business class ticket both ways (14 hour flight) so he'd be more comfortable and be able to sleep during the trip.  He would never buy this for himself.  It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it to us. 
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: iluvzbeach on March 13, 2024, 06:44:23 PM
My elderly father in law is going back to the home country, probably for the last time.  My wife and I decided to buy him a business class ticket both ways (14 hour flight) so he'd be more comfortable and be able to sleep during the trip.  He would never buy this for himself.  It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it to us.

I love this.  What a nice, thoughtful thing to do!
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Morning Glory on March 14, 2024, 08:47:21 AM
YMCA membership. I am so much more motivated to work out now that I am a "regular" at a few group classes.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: AccidentialMustache on March 21, 2024, 08:50:43 PM
I was cutting leftover plywood strips recently to -ahem- fix deficiencies with the hanging closet system the house came with (eg, panels shift, bars drop out). We got a battery powered handheld jig saw and I used it for the first time. That is *so* much easier (and I make straighter cuts) than trying to wield the circular saw we've had for years.

Technically I think my in-laws spent the money; the jig saw was a gift, but I'm going to claim it counts anyway.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Luke Warm on March 22, 2024, 06:54:38 AM
$90 a day for my mom's adult daycare 3 days a week. She gets to hang out with other people instead of napping all day' keeping her engaged with the world.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Dicey on March 22, 2024, 07:13:46 AM
$90 a day for my mom's adult daycare 3 days a week. She gets to hang out with other people instead of napping all day' keeping her engaged with the world.
Wow, that's a pretty reasonable price for your sanity.
Title: Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
Post by: Metalcat on March 22, 2024, 07:16:12 AM
$90 a day for my mom's adult daycare 3 days a week. She gets to hang out with other people instead of napping all day' keeping her engaged with the world.
Wow, that's a pretty reasonable price for your sanity.

Very!