Author Topic: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.  (Read 124493 times)

Luke Warm

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #300 on: July 01, 2020, 08:01:07 AM »
i would say all my bicycles are money well spent. they provide transportation, exercise and adventure.

DadJokes

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« Reply #301 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.

keepingfocus

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #302 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!

Jezibelle

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #303 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.

horsepoor

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #304 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.

Zamboni

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #305 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.

Fish Sweet

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #306 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.

Alternatepriorities

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #307 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.

Fomerly known as something

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #308 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.

Zamboni

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #309 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.

SwordGuy

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #310 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!

vand

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #311 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.”

turketron

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #312 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.

Catbert

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #313 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.

vvelouriaa

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #314 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.

SwordGuy

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #315 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.

mspym

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #316 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!)

Turkey Leg

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #317 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.

Just Joe

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #318 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!

DadJokes

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #319 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

Just Joe

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #320 on: July 09, 2020, 10:19:49 AM »
Thanks. If I order anything, I'll use your code.

Mgmny

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #321 on: July 09, 2020, 11:27:28 AM »
posting to follow

okisok

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« Reply #322 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!!

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #323 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!

talltexan

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #324 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.

neophyte

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #325 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!

RainyDay

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #326 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!

SwordGuy

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #327 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. :)

horsepoor

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #328 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. ;)

Laura33

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« Reply #329 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!).

Just Joe

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #330 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.

MoneyTree

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #331 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.

314159

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #332 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.

aGracefulStomp

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #333 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.

Kris

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #334 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.

FIRE Artist

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #335 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. 

APowers

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #336 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!

FI45RE

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #337 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.

FI45RE

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #338 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.

wxdevil

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #339 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.

ixtap

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #340 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.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #341 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.

ixtap

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #342 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?!

2Birds1Stone

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #343 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!

lisabobisa

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #344 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.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #345 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")

former player

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #346 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.

vand

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #347 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:


habanero

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #348 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.

NorthernMonkey

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Re: The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.
« Reply #349 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:



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.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!