The "Money well spent" thread. NO INVESTMENTS ALLOWED.

[TreeLeaf]

The treadmill that I bought for $60 dollars used off Facebook last year is really coming in handy during this cold snap.

[AO1FireTo]

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. 

[iluvzbeach]

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!

[Morning Glory]

YMCA membership. I am so much more motivated to work out now that I am a "regular" at a few group classes.

[AccidentialMustache]

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.

[Luke Warm]

$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.

[Dicey]

$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.

[Metalcat]

$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!

[Freedomin5]

First class tickets for an 8.5 hour train trip. The train was delayed for 2 hours, so we were actually on the train for a total of 10.5 hours. The wider seats, extra leg room, and quieter carriage were absolutely worth the money, especially when the train got stuck in a tunnel for two hours and everyone got restless and loud.

[hachetjoel]

For me it's a flair58 + a mazzer super jolly a coffee shop closing down sold cheaply. I drink coffee every day so in aggregate it's not that much even if the upfront cost for both was $600!

[Metalcat]

First class tickets for an 8.5 hour train trip. The train was delayed for 2 hours, so we were actually on the train for a total of 10.5 hours. The wider seats, extra leg room, and quieter carriage were absolutely worth the money, especially when the train got stuck in a tunnel for two hours and everyone got restless and loud.

100%, I always used to go Via 1 when traveling for work to Toronto because it was a business expense. Then when I retired I tried economy and I was like "no...this hedonic adaptation is worth it" and upgraded for my ticket back.

It didn't help that my economy ticket landed me next to a strange young man who looked exactly like the murderer in Mr. Mercedes, who stank of cigarettes and was reading a very, very well worn and heavily notated copy of a book on the history of human sacrifice, and even though I had a laptop and headphones, kept trying to talk to me, and on the other side of me was a sick, coughing, screaming toddler.

Suddenly a few extra hundred dollars for a solo seat and near-silence felt less like an unreasonable splurge.

[weebs]

A couple weeks ago DW got us a reserved table for two at a the Little Bear to see one of our favorite artists - The Freddy Jones Band.  Worth. Every. Penny.

[vand]

Treated myself to a 34" curved widescreen monitor.

Truly a miracle of both tech and capitalism that I could exchange just 1 day's wages for such a great piece of kit.

[Just Joe]

Bought a ~$90 tool set that will help me solve the mystery of disappearing coolant in the car of offspring#2. Need to get this solved so they have reliable wheels for university this fall.

Kit has a variety of adapters for different radiator caps and a small pump to pressurize the cooling system. Pump it up to 15-16 psi and watch for a falling gauge needle which indicates a leak.

Allows us to inspect for leaks on a cool, stationary engine.

Since shops are getting between $75-$100 an hour plus markups on parts, it is a good investment in tools - again.

I've been down this rabbit hole before with past cars. Causes - loose hose clamp, leaking coolant reservoir, leaky radiator, expired hoses, or bad radiator cap.

Life driving older cars. Still a huge money saver to DIY whenever possible.

[Sandi_k]

Bought a ~$90 tool set that will help me solve the mystery of disappearing coolant in the car of offspring#2. Need to get this solved so they have reliable wheels for university this fall.

Kit has a variety of adapters for different radiator caps and a small pump to pressurize the cooling system. Pump it up to 15-16 psi and watch for a falling gauge needle which indicates a leak.

I've been down this rabbit hole before with past cars. Causes - loose hose clamp, leaking coolant reservoir, leaky radiator, expired hoses, or bad radiator cap.

Or a blown head gasket....

[erp]

I have the most lovely leather boots. Hiking. Wandering around. Walking through mud and slush. My feet are comfortable and dry and the boots are robust enough that I can get them resoled and refinished over and over again.

One of the best treats in my life is buying a pair of boots that cost twice what I'd ever paid before.

[Just Joe]

Bought a ~$90 tool set that will help me solve the mystery of disappearing coolant in the car of offspring#2. Need to get this solved so they have reliable wheels for university this fall.

Kit has a variety of adapters for different radiator caps and a small pump to pressurize the cooling system. Pump it up to 15-16 psi and watch for a falling gauge needle which indicates a leak.

I've been down this rabbit hole before with past cars. Causes - loose hose clamp, leaking coolant reservoir, leaky radiator, expired hoses, or bad radiator cap.

Or a blown head gasket....

Shhh! Never speak of that! ;)  But yep, huge problem....

In our younger offpsring's vehicle, oil remains clean and dry. No mocha in the crankcase so far.

In other news our eldest offspring totaled their car today.... Ugh! No injuries.Safety systems did their job. Hate it because it was an otherwise very good car.

[406MtnFire]

$10k on a Youtube content creator / podcast setup (4k camera, lens, desk, macbook, 32" monitor, mics, mixer, lighting etc).  Even if I don't make money on it, I think it'll be pretty fun and lead to cool people connections and future friendships. @AboveAverageInvestor on YouTube.  Just started 2 weeks ago. Feel free to provide helpful feedback if interested.

[GuitarStv]

$10k on a Youtube content creator / podcast setup (4k camera, lens, desk, macbook, 32" monitor, mics, mixer, lighting etc).  Even if I don't make money on it, I think it'll be pretty fun and lead to cool people connections and future friendships. @AboveAverageInvestor on YouTube.  Just started 2 weeks ago. Feel free to provide helpful feedback if interested.

My suspicion is that you don't need anywhere near that much stuff.


Just looking at the audio side alone of what you're talking about . . .
- You probably don't need or want a hardware mixer.  The input controls on almost all audio interfaces should suffice for setting reasonable recording levels, and the rest of the mixing you're going to be doing on your computer after the recording session.
- Figure out what kind of content you'll be creating to determine how many inputs/outputs you're going to need.  My guess is that four mics is probably way more than enough.
- Cheap microphones work just as well as expensive ones for most small setups.  I'd take an SM58 over the ubiquitous (and much more expensive) SM7B that Joe Rogan popularized.  The '58 will require less oomph from your interface pre-amps too (it's not uncommon for people running an SM7B to find that they need to buy external preamps or line boosters to get signal levels up high enough.  Generally I'd recommend a close mic'd dynamic for the typical noisy room that podcasters are running from, but there are also plenty of decent quality cheap condensers you can go with.  Rode NT1 or AT2020 are both quite usable for example.
- Might be personal preference, but I find two or three cheap/smaller monitors in a setup tend to be more productive than one big ass monitor.  You'll be more productive if you can jump back and forth between multiple screens rather than trying to arrange and switch between stuff on a single screen all the time.
- You don't need to spend $$$ on a desk.  The desk I've been using for music mixing for the past 16 years was found on the side of the road.  It's a good height and has a solid extendable keyboard tray.  Hit up your local dump and craigslist to pick something up for cheap.  Sanding it down, and painting or staining/sealing the furniture will make it look exactly the way you want and hide most minor defects.
- You might or might not need a laptop depending on the type of stuff you want to do.  If you don't, then you will be paying for useless portability and shorter component life.  If you do, you definitely don't need a macbook.  There are a wide variety of options out there that are cheaper and will work as good or better that should be considered.
- One thing I don't see in your list there . . . plan on getting a couple decent quality mic stands.  There are some very good boom arm stands that can attach to a desk (if you're planning on doing most of your recording in one location), or you're probably going to be looking for a few quality boom arm tripod stands if the desk doesn't work out.  Cheap stands have been a constant annoyance in my life for recording musical instruments.  They are unreliable, and once you get stuff setup they tend to move/slip.  They also tend to break easily.  If you're not packing them around lots of different places then this is probably not a big concern though.
- Another thing not on your list . . . assuming you're doing this in a room in your home, you will want some acoustic treatment.  Recording in an untreated room typically sounds like shit - lots of small room reverb, muddy lows and the reflections cause difficulty hearing upper frequencies with clarity.  Using closer dynamic mics can somewhat help with this while doing the recording but if you're planning to mix in the same room you'll probably want to fix the problems.  You can build some simple broadband sound absorbers for pretty cheap (they're mostly just wood, rockwool, and some kind of fabric to wrap around 'em), but you also need to know how to place them effectively in a room.  If you're interested, I'd strongly recommend you go through the information on this forum - https://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php (a lot of it is about pro-audio room design, but they've got plans for diffusers and absorbers).

[Arbitrage]

We bought a new dishwasher about a year ago; the one that came with the house worked ok, but didn't hold very many dishes and kept springing leaks. 

I was looking to replace it on the cheap...or at least on the reasonable.  Enough research led me to Bosch; for a few hundred dollars more than we would spend on a mid-range model, we could have the premium brand, for which all complaints and sacrifices seemed to fade away.  While I wasn't so worried about having the most silent dishwasher on the block, the promised capacity, washing/drying performance, economy, etc. all proved too tantalizing.

My wife LOVES this thing.  For the first time in her life, we can load the dishwasher up, ignore any prewashing aside from scraping large chunks into the compost bin, and our dishes come out sparkling clean and dry, even if the dishwasher was full and we ate a sticky mess of whatever.  It works how dishwasher commercials all say their products work, but never have (for us) across the many we've used in the past, including the new mid-range one we bought in our previous house.

[poetdereves]

DW and I have had the same washer dryer setup for almost a decade. The washer finally went kaput even after replacing a hot water inlet valve and an actuator, so we replaced it with a Speed Queen washer. The quality and durability is high above other options. I do quite a few sports and we have a toddler, so a commercial machine that can do a load in just over 30 minutes has been a game changer.

[Pam]

We bought a new dishwasher about a year ago; the one that came with the house worked ok, but didn't hold very many dishes and kept springing leaks. 

I was looking to replace it on the cheap...or at least on the reasonable.  Enough research led me to Bosch; for a few hundred dollars more than we would spend on a mid-range model, we could have the premium brand, for which all complaints and sacrifices seemed to fade away.  While I wasn't so worried about having the most silent dishwasher on the block, the promised capacity, washing/drying performance, economy, etc. all proved too tantalizing.

My wife LOVES this thing.  For the first time in her life, we can load the dishwasher up, ignore any prewashing aside from scraping large chunks into the compost bin, and our dishes come out sparkling clean and dry, even if the dishwasher was full and we ate a sticky mess of whatever.  It works how dishwasher commercials all say their products work, but never have (for us) across the many we've used in the past, including the new mid-range one we bought in our previous house.

Interesting...  I am in the market for a new dishwasher too...  would you mind sharing what model you bought?

[Arbitrage]

We bought a new dishwasher about a year ago; the one that came with the house worked ok, but didn't hold very many dishes and kept springing leaks. 

I was looking to replace it on the cheap...or at least on the reasonable.  Enough research led me to Bosch; for a few hundred dollars more than we would spend on a mid-range model, we could have the premium brand, for which all complaints and sacrifices seemed to fade away.  While I wasn't so worried about having the most silent dishwasher on the block, the promised capacity, washing/drying performance, economy, etc. all proved too tantalizing.

My wife LOVES this thing.  For the first time in her life, we can load the dishwasher up, ignore any prewashing aside from scraping large chunks into the compost bin, and our dishes come out sparkling clean and dry, even if the dishwasher was full and we ate a sticky mess of whatever.  It works how dishwasher commercials all say their products work, but never have (for us) across the many we've used in the past, including the new mid-range one we bought in our previous house.

Interesting...  I am in the market for a new dishwasher too...  would you mind sharing what model you bought?

It's a 500 series Bosch. 

[sonofsven]

Since I have spent every day the last two weeks sitting in a boat on the lower Columbia river chasing the elusive Spring Chinook, I will say good Grundens rain gear.
And a propane heater

[406MtnFire]

$10k on a Youtube content creator / podcast setup (4k camera, lens, desk, macbook, 32" monitor, mics, mixer, lighting etc).  Even if I don't make money on it, I think it'll be pretty fun and lead to cool people connections and future friendships. @AboveAverageInvestor on YouTube.  Just started 2 weeks ago. Feel free to provide helpful feedback if interested.

My suspicion is that you don't need anywhere near that much stuff.


Just looking at the audio side alone of what you're talking about . . .
- You probably don't need or want a hardware mixer.  The input controls on almost all audio interfaces should suffice for setting reasonable recording levels, and the rest of the mixing you're going to be doing on your computer after the recording session.
- Figure out what kind of content you'll be creating to determine how many inputs/outputs you're going to need.  My guess is that four mics is probably way more than enough.
- Cheap microphones work just as well as expensive ones for most small setups.  I'd take an SM58 over the ubiquitous (and much more expensive) SM7B that Joe Rogan popularized.  The '58 will require less oomph from your interface pre-amps too (it's not uncommon for people running an SM7B to find that they need to buy external preamps or line boosters to get signal levels up high enough.  Generally I'd recommend a close mic'd dynamic for the typical noisy room that podcasters are running from, but there are also plenty of decent quality cheap condensers you can go with.  Rode NT1 or AT2020 are both quite usable for example.
- Might be personal preference, but I find two or three cheap/smaller monitors in a setup tend to be more productive than one big ass monitor.  You'll be more productive if you can jump back and forth between multiple screens rather than trying to arrange and switch between stuff on a single screen all the time.
- You don't need to spend $$$ on a desk.  The desk I've been using for music mixing for the past 16 years was found on the side of the road.  It's a good height and has a solid extendable keyboard tray.  Hit up your local dump and craigslist to pick something up for cheap.  Sanding it down, and painting or staining/sealing the furniture will make it look exactly the way you want and hide most minor defects.
- You might or might not need a laptop depending on the type of stuff you want to do.  If you don't, then you will be paying for useless portability and shorter component life.  If you do, you definitely don't need a macbook.  There are a wide variety of options out there that are cheaper and will work as good or better that should be considered.
- One thing I don't see in your list there . . . plan on getting a couple decent quality mic stands.  There are some very good boom arm stands that can attach to a desk (if you're planning on doing most of your recording in one location), or you're probably going to be looking for a few quality boom arm tripod stands if the desk doesn't work out.  Cheap stands have been a constant annoyance in my life for recording musical instruments.  They are unreliable, and once you get stuff setup they tend to move/slip.  They also tend to break easily.  If you're not packing them around lots of different places then this is probably not a big concern though.
- Another thing not on your list . . . assuming you're doing this in a room in your home, you will want some acoustic treatment.  Recording in an untreated room typically sounds like shit - lots of small room reverb, muddy lows and the reflections cause difficulty hearing upper frequencies with clarity.  Using closer dynamic mics can somewhat help with this while doing the recording but if you're planning to mix in the same room you'll probably want to fix the problems.  You can build some simple broadband sound absorbers for pretty cheap (they're mostly just wood, rockwool, and some kind of fabric to wrap around 'em), but you also need to know how to place them effectively in a room.  If you're interested, I'd strongly recommend you go through the information on this forum - https://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php (a lot of it is about pro-audio room design, but they've got plans for diffusers and absorbers).

I think part of being FI is not having to justify needs as much anymore.  I never meant to imply all of those purchases were necessary. MacBook pro with M3 chip because my laptop couldn't handle 4k, Rode PodMics, RodeCaster Pro, Sony a6700 w/ 2 lens, ergonomic chair, lighting, room acoustic treatment. It's  nice setup for YouTube and work from home.  Definitely could get by with lesser equipment but I wanted a setup to grow into, not grow out of (assuming I do it regularly). I wanted the YouTube algorithm to accept my higher than bare minimum audio, video, lighting to supplement my organic growth. 

I think one of the best parts of FI is not justifying everything to everyone. I want it because I want it, and I can afford it, the end.

[vand]

$10k on a Youtube content creator / podcast setup (4k camera, lens, desk, macbook, 32" monitor, mics, mixer, lighting etc).  Even if I don't make money on it, I think it'll be pretty fun and lead to cool people connections and future friendships. @AboveAverageInvestor on YouTube.  Just started 2 weeks ago. Feel free to provide helpful feedback if interested.

My suspicion is that you don't need anywhere near that much stuff.


Just looking at the audio side alone of what you're talking about . . .
- You probably don't need or want a hardware mixer.  The input controls on almost all audio interfaces should suffice for setting reasonable recording levels, and the rest of the mixing you're going to be doing on your computer after the recording session.
- Figure out what kind of content you'll be creating to determine how many inputs/outputs you're going to need.  My guess is that four mics is probably way more than enough.
- Cheap microphones work just as well as expensive ones for most small setups.  I'd take an SM58 over the ubiquitous (and much more expensive) SM7B that Joe Rogan popularized.  The '58 will require less oomph from your interface pre-amps too (it's not uncommon for people running an SM7B to find that they need to buy external preamps or line boosters to get signal levels up high enough.  Generally I'd recommend a close mic'd dynamic for the typical noisy room that podcasters are running from, but there are also plenty of decent quality cheap condensers you can go with.  Rode NT1 or AT2020 are both quite usable for example.
- Might be personal preference, but I find two or three cheap/smaller monitors in a setup tend to be more productive than one big ass monitor.  You'll be more productive if you can jump back and forth between multiple screens rather than trying to arrange and switch between stuff on a single screen all the time.
- You don't need to spend $$$ on a desk.  The desk I've been using for music mixing for the past 16 years was found on the side of the road.  It's a good height and has a solid extendable keyboard tray.  Hit up your local dump and craigslist to pick something up for cheap.  Sanding it down, and painting or staining/sealing the furniture will make it look exactly the way you want and hide most minor defects.
- You might or might not need a laptop depending on the type of stuff you want to do.  If you don't, then you will be paying for useless portability and shorter component life.  If you do, you definitely don't need a macbook.  There are a wide variety of options out there that are cheaper and will work as good or better that should be considered.
- One thing I don't see in your list there . . . plan on getting a couple decent quality mic stands.  There are some very good boom arm stands that can attach to a desk (if you're planning on doing most of your recording in one location), or you're probably going to be looking for a few quality boom arm tripod stands if the desk doesn't work out.  Cheap stands have been a constant annoyance in my life for recording musical instruments.  They are unreliable, and once you get stuff setup they tend to move/slip.  They also tend to break easily.  If you're not packing them around lots of different places then this is probably not a big concern though.
- Another thing not on your list . . . assuming you're doing this in a room in your home, you will want some acoustic treatment.  Recording in an untreated room typically sounds like shit - lots of small room reverb, muddy lows and the reflections cause difficulty hearing upper frequencies with clarity.  Using closer dynamic mics can somewhat help with this while doing the recording but if you're planning to mix in the same room you'll probably want to fix the problems.  You can build some simple broadband sound absorbers for pretty cheap (they're mostly just wood, rockwool, and some kind of fabric to wrap around 'em), but you also need to know how to place them effectively in a room.  If you're interested, I'd strongly recommend you go through the information on this forum - https://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php (a lot of it is about pro-audio room design, but they've got plans for diffusers and absorbers).

I think part of being FI is not having to justify needs as much anymore.  I never meant to imply all of those purchases were necessary. MacBook pro with M3 chip because my laptop couldn't handle 4k, Rode PodMics, RodeCaster Pro, Sony a6700 w/ 2 lens, ergonomic chair, lighting, room acoustic treatment. It's  nice setup for YouTube and work from home.  Definitely could get by with lesser equipment but I wanted a setup to grow into, not grow out of (assuming I do it regularly). I wanted the YouTube algorithm to accept my higher than bare minimum audio, video, lighting to supplement my organic growth. 

I think one of the best parts of FI is not justifying everything to everyone. I want it because I want it, and I can afford it, the end.

TBH I agree with GuitarStv here. "Beginner athlete buys $5k roadbike" syndrome here.  A few will end up be able to say its money well spent, but most never really develop the dedication required to justify the outlay and would be better served with a much cheaper model.

I've never really understood the "Apple" factor, either (although I'm not a content creator)... someone explain that to me like I'm a 5 year old? I mean, my life is pretty much entirely Apple-free. I did have an iphone5 at one point and an iPad too, but I don't really think their products are materially better than much cheaper alternatives.  I realise there's a whole Apple eco-system that you can build all your home and consumer tech around, but unlike Microsoft and Amazon who are much more embedded in the business world, I have pretty much zero exposure to Apple. 

[RetireOrDieTrying]

What a fun and interesting thread!

In no particular order:

1) paint job on the free-to-me GMC. Still looks like new years later, and kept me from buying something else. $1200

2) BowFlex dial-a-number dumbbells. Used every day. $450

3) Adjustable, folding weight bench. $120

4) Adjustable pull-up/dip bars and custom fabrication to mount to hitch. $400

5) Big solar setup on my motor home (in which I live). $25k

6) iRobot vacuum/mop. I kick myself for not getting this sooner. $800

7) Ruger LCP II .380. Great size to vanish in a pants pocket. Reliable and can do 4" groups at 15 yards. $230

[GuitarStv]

$10k on a Youtube content creator / podcast setup (4k camera, lens, desk, macbook, 32" monitor, mics, mixer, lighting etc).  Even if I don't make money on it, I think it'll be pretty fun and lead to cool people connections and future friendships. @AboveAverageInvestor on YouTube.  Just started 2 weeks ago. Feel free to provide helpful feedback if interested.

My suspicion is that you don't need anywhere near that much stuff.


Just looking at the audio side alone of what you're talking about . . .
- You probably don't need or want a hardware mixer.  The input controls on almost all audio interfaces should suffice for setting reasonable recording levels, and the rest of the mixing you're going to be doing on your computer after the recording session.
- Figure out what kind of content you'll be creating to determine how many inputs/outputs you're going to need.  My guess is that four mics is probably way more than enough.
- Cheap microphones work just as well as expensive ones for most small setups.  I'd take an SM58 over the ubiquitous (and much more expensive) SM7B that Joe Rogan popularized.  The '58 will require less oomph from your interface pre-amps too (it's not uncommon for people running an SM7B to find that they need to buy external preamps or line boosters to get signal levels up high enough.  Generally I'd recommend a close mic'd dynamic for the typical noisy room that podcasters are running from, but there are also plenty of decent quality cheap condensers you can go with.  Rode NT1 or AT2020 are both quite usable for example.
- Might be personal preference, but I find two or three cheap/smaller monitors in a setup tend to be more productive than one big ass monitor.  You'll be more productive if you can jump back and forth between multiple screens rather than trying to arrange and switch between stuff on a single screen all the time.
- You don't need to spend $$$ on a desk.  The desk I've been using for music mixing for the past 16 years was found on the side of the road.  It's a good height and has a solid extendable keyboard tray.  Hit up your local dump and craigslist to pick something up for cheap.  Sanding it down, and painting or staining/sealing the furniture will make it look exactly the way you want and hide most minor defects.
- You might or might not need a laptop depending on the type of stuff you want to do.  If you don't, then you will be paying for useless portability and shorter component life.  If you do, you definitely don't need a macbook.  There are a wide variety of options out there that are cheaper and will work as good or better that should be considered.
- One thing I don't see in your list there . . . plan on getting a couple decent quality mic stands.  There are some very good boom arm stands that can attach to a desk (if you're planning on doing most of your recording in one location), or you're probably going to be looking for a few quality boom arm tripod stands if the desk doesn't work out.  Cheap stands have been a constant annoyance in my life for recording musical instruments.  They are unreliable, and once you get stuff setup they tend to move/slip.  They also tend to break easily.  If you're not packing them around lots of different places then this is probably not a big concern though.
- Another thing not on your list . . . assuming you're doing this in a room in your home, you will want some acoustic treatment.  Recording in an untreated room typically sounds like shit - lots of small room reverb, muddy lows and the reflections cause difficulty hearing upper frequencies with clarity.  Using closer dynamic mics can somewhat help with this while doing the recording but if you're planning to mix in the same room you'll probably want to fix the problems.  You can build some simple broadband sound absorbers for pretty cheap (they're mostly just wood, rockwool, and some kind of fabric to wrap around 'em), but you also need to know how to place them effectively in a room.  If you're interested, I'd strongly recommend you go through the information on this forum - https://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php (a lot of it is about pro-audio room design, but they've got plans for diffusers and absorbers).

I think part of being FI is not having to justify needs as much anymore.  I never meant to imply all of those purchases were necessary. MacBook pro with M3 chip because my laptop couldn't handle 4k, Rode PodMics, RodeCaster Pro, Sony a6700 w/ 2 lens, ergonomic chair, lighting, room acoustic treatment. It's  nice setup for YouTube and work from home.  Definitely could get by with lesser equipment but I wanted a setup to grow into, not grow out of (assuming I do it regularly). I wanted the YouTube algorithm to accept my higher than bare minimum audio, video, lighting to supplement my organic growth. 

I think one of the best parts of FI is not justifying everything to everyone. I want it because I want it, and I can afford it, the end.

It's not so much a 'justify' thing.

I actually think you would get better results and be happier with say an SM58 over a Rode podmic.  (And the SM58 will last forever and never let you down.)  The Rodecaster pro looks cool, but I don't think there's any reason to get one.  Most audio interfaces (MOTU M4, Focusrite Scarlett 4I4, etc.) will replicate the same functions in a smaller/less bulky package.  Same kind of story with room acoustic treatment . . . most of the foam stuff you can buy is inferior to what you can build for much cheaper (and many people arrange their acoustic treatment based on aesthetics rather than effectiveness - that's why I linked Sayer's website, they can explain the design specifics that will work best for what you've got).

I mean, don't get me wrong - I love shiny new stuff myself.  It's really fun to see a bunch of buttons, switches, and sliders to play with.  If you're absolutely sure of what you want then go out and get what makes you happy.  With a lot of this stuff though it takes many years before you really get a solid grasp of the most efficient way to work, and it's very easy to convince yourself that you need something it turns out you don't (trust me, I've blown my share of cash on cool looking stuff over the years  :P  ).


EDIT - I just realized that since you're doing video as well as audio your priorities are going to be very different to mine.  Looks are naturally going to be at least as important as actual quality of sound.  So maybe my advice won't work for your situation.  My recording area can have a face for radio.  Everything needs to sound great, but it can be as ugly as my eyes (or more importantly my wife's eyes) will tolerate.  :P

[Just Joe]

Bought a ~$90 tool set that will help me solve the mystery of disappearing coolant in the car of offspring#2. Need to get this solved so they have reliable wheels for university this fall.

Kit has a variety of adapters for different radiator caps and a small pump to pressurize the cooling system. Pump it up to 15-16 psi and watch for a falling gauge needle which indicates a leak.

I've been down this rabbit hole before with past cars. Causes - loose hose clamp, leaking coolant reservoir, leaky radiator, expired hoses, or bad radiator cap.

Or a blown head gasket....

Shhh! Never speak of that! ;)  But yep, huge problem....

In our younger offpsring's vehicle, oil remains clean and dry. No mocha in the crankcase so far.

In other news our eldest offspring totaled their car today.... Ugh! No injuries.Safety systems did their job. Hate it because it was an otherwise very good car.

Pressure test revealed the problem with the test kit within 30 seconds. Upper hose clamp wasn't tight enough despite feeling tight enough. Factory uses spring clamps. Someone prior to our ownership put a worm clamp on the radiator hose. Didn't leak until the engine was really hot and the cooling system was 12+ psi. At low temps/low pressures it might drip but near the 16 psi limit of the radiator cap, the hose threatened to slide off the radiator outlet and spewed coolant.

Hose clamp tightened. No leaks, life is good. ;)

[Just Joe]

In other news our eldest offspring totaled their car today.... Ugh! No injuries.Safety systems did their job. Hate it because it was an otherwise very good car.

Car is up on jackstands. We've removed most of the damaged parts. Front suspension will need to be rebuilt. Fortunately replacement parts are quite affordable on RockAuto. ~$50 for a lower control arm for example. Fenders for ~$50. Some parts will need to be sourced used.

The car's chassis was not harmed thankfully. All just bolt on parts that bent and absorbed the crash forces. Can properly repair the car for under ~$1K.

Edited for typo. Not 450 but $50... typo

[zolotiyeruki]

In other news our eldest offspring totaled their car today.... Ugh! No injuries.Safety systems did their job. Hate it because it was an otherwise very good car.

Car is up on jackstands. We've removed most of the damaged parts. Front suspension will need to be rebuilt. Fortunately replacement parts are quite affordable on RockAuto. ~450 for a lower control arm for example. Fenders for ~$50. Some parts will need to be sourced used.

The car's chassis was not harmed thankfully. All just bolt on parts that bent and absorbed the crash forces. Can properly repair the car for under ~$1K.

Do you have a u-pull-it salvage yard nearby?  The one I go to sells lower control arms for $35.

[Just Joe]

There was a typo in my post. New control arms are about $50, not 450.

We live in a small town so if we can't find the part locally, the drive to the big metro junkyard will consume more gas than the cost difference.

However if they have a whole wreck we can pick over it would be worth it. A couple of donor cars popped up on the local Facebook Marketplace page. Seller is parting them out.

[EchoStache]

I bought a pair of brand new 60 lb adjustable dumbbells for $500.  I travel for work so decided to get something I can use without a gym membership.  They adjust in 2.5lb increments from 5-60 lbs...this is important for dumbbells as a 5 lb *total* increase in load is appropriate/necessary for proper progression on many lifts.

No gym within walking distance, other than a Crossfit gym for $170/month.  I'll be in this area for at least another 5 months; this would have been ~$900.

A set of 5-60 lb dumbbells costs $1750 new and there is no way to travel with them.  They are simply too heavy(780 lbs) and take up too much space.  These would not offer the 2.5lb increments that my adjustable set offers.

A used set like mentioned above would be *maybe* half price or ~$800.

Used adjustable dumbbells are going for $350+ and there were none that I would want to own for various reasons(quality, durability, form factor, etc).

There are low quality, junk dumbells available cheaper.  The ones I bought are one of the very few offered by any company that have a lifetime warranty, and are able to be dropped without damage or voiding the warranty.  Most adjustable dumbbells don't survive a drop whether on purpose or by accident. 

This was a lifetime purchase.  I will use them extensively to maintain good health and strength, and I feel good about it.  Just got them today and already did my first workout in the comfort of my little apt.

Another unique advantage..one dumbbell can be stacked up to 115 lbs if needed for heavy 1 arm dumbbell rows, for example.  I'm not aware of many/any others that have this feature.  Another useful lift for such a weight would be back squats or front squats.  This isn't really a high enough load for me for those lifts, but it would be better than nothing and perhaps easier than holding two separate dumbbells.

[Telecaster]

It didn't help that my economy ticket landed me next to a strange young man who looked exactly like the murderer in Mr. Mercedes, who stank of cigarettes and was reading a very, very well worn and heavily notated copy of a book on the history of human sacrifice, and even though I had a laptop and headphones, kept trying to talk to me, and on the other side of me was a sick, coughing, screaming toddler.

This is such a great visual. 

[Metalcat]

It didn't help that my economy ticket landed me next to a strange young man who looked exactly like the murderer in Mr. Mercedes, who stank of cigarettes and was reading a very, very well worn and heavily notated copy of a book on the history of human sacrifice, and even though I had a laptop and headphones, kept trying to talk to me, and on the other side of me was a sick, coughing, screaming toddler.

This is such a great visual.

It was a lot for nearly 5 hours

[Morning Glory]

In other news our eldest offspring totaled their car today.... Ugh! No injuries.Safety systems did their job. Hate it because it was an otherwise very good car.

Car is up on jackstands. We've removed most of the damaged parts. Front suspension will need to be rebuilt. Fortunately replacement parts are quite affordable on RockAuto. ~450 for a lower control arm for example. Fenders for ~$50. Some parts will need to be sourced used.

The car's chassis was not harmed thankfully. All just bolt on parts that bent and absorbed the crash forces. Can properly repair the car for under ~$1K.

Do you have a u-pull-it salvage yard nearby?  The one I go to sells lower control arms for $35.

And they come with a free pair of sunglasses!

[Just Joe]

In other news our eldest offspring totaled their car today.... Ugh! No injuries.Safety systems did their job. Hate it because it was an otherwise very good car.

Car is up on jackstands. We've removed most of the damaged parts. Front suspension will need to be rebuilt. Fortunately replacement parts are quite affordable on RockAuto. ~450 for a lower control arm for example. Fenders for ~$50. Some parts will need to be sourced used.

The car's chassis was not harmed thankfully. All just bolt on parts that bent and absorbed the crash forces. Can properly repair the car for under ~$1K.

Do you have a u-pull-it salvage yard nearby?  The one I go to sells lower control arms for $35.

And they come with a free pair of sunglasses!

Well, in that case... ;)

[Fomerly known as something]

A “Real” mirrorless Camera.  Yeah my phone takes “good” pictures.  But I can take night photos or use a good zoom lens now.

[GilesMM]

After an angry letter from the post man and suspended delivery (for not having a proper mailbox), we just spent a fortune on a mailbox but it looks fabulous and is completely impervious to mail stealers (who are active in our 'hood).  It may outlive us.  The spouse is happy, so I'm happy.

[crocheted_stache]

After an angry letter from the post man and suspended delivery (for not having a proper mailbox), we just spent a fortune on a mailbox but it looks fabulous and is completely impervious to mail stealers (who are active in our 'hood).  It may outlive us.  The spouse is happy, so I'm happy.

Our mailbox is serviceable but not secure, and we've definitely had mail theft around. Do you have a brand/model to recommend?