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.
