GTKY: Best money you have spent

hoffse · April 2016

I ran across this article and thought it was kind of a fun read:

http://www.menshealth.com/the-fiscally-fit-man/best-things-to-spend-money-on

This made me wonder... what is the best money you have spent that was:

1) $10 or less

2) $10-$50

3) $50-$250

4) $250-$1,000

5) over $1,000 (any amount)

cbee817 · April 2016

This made me wonder... what is the best money you have spent that was:

1) $10 or less - pregnancy test with DD#2.. felt so sick the day before so I went to target and got one. Thought for sure it would be negative, but it wasn't! (DD#1 was very planned so we already had a test or 2 waiting for her).

2) $10-$50 - 2 tanks of gas in 2005 to get down to NYC over Columbus Day weekend. DH proposed to me in Central Park under a bridge in the rain- no one else was there and it was perfect!

3) $50-$250 - our annual membership to the museum of play about an hour away. It's a quick day trip, the girls love it there, and they sleep the entire way home. We're headed there next weekend for DD#2's birthday family day since her actual birthday is on a Tuesday.

4) $250-$1,000 - trip to Pittsburgh overnight to see The Black Keys for DH and me in 2014. 2 days just for us- girls stayed with my parents and we missed them like crazy, but we saw The Black Keys!

5) over $1,000 (any amount) - Disney world of course. First big family vacation and it was so much fun.. can't wait to take the girls on more adventures.

csuave · April 2016

cbee817 said:

This made me wonder... what is the best money you have spent that was:

1) $10 or less - pregnancy test with DD#2.. felt so sick the day before so I went to target and got one. Thought for sure it would be negative, but it wasn't! (DD#1 was very planned so we already had a test or 2 waiting for her).
2) $10-$50 - 2 tanks of gas in 2005 to get down to NYC over Columbus Day weekend. DH proposed to me in Central Park under a bridge in the rain- no one else was there and it was perfect!
3) $50-$250 - our annual membership to the museum of play about an hour away. It's a quick day trip, the girls love it there, and they sleep the entire way home. We're headed there next weekend for DD#2's birthday family day since her actual birthday is on a Tuesday.
4) $250-$1,000 - trip to Pittsburgh overnight to see The Black Keys for DH and me in 2014. 2 days just for us- girls stayed with my parents and we missed them like crazy, but we saw The Black Keys!
5) over $1,000 (any amount) - Disney world of course. First big family vacation and it was so much fun.. can't wait to take the girls on more adventures.

I love all of these @cbee817

MM PSA -- Dollar store pregnancy tests work.

hoffse · April 2016

1) $10 or less - a tie between my sweater shaver and the best waffle I have ever eaten in my life in Antwerp.

2) $10-$50 - our cat Gus. He was $11 from the Humane Society during an adoption drive. Our other cat, Lady, was free

Notable mention goes to our Emile Henry pizza stone. I believe we spent $40 on it, but we have used it 1-2x a week, every week, for over two years now. We just store it in our oven because we use it for everything.

3) $50 - $250 - visiting Stonehenge at sunrise. Due to the horrible exchange rate while we were in London, it was about $60 in tickets and $150 for a cab driver to pick us up at 5AM and wait around an hour for us. It was pricey but worth every penny.

4) $250 - $1,000 - this was the hardest one for me to decide! I keep coming back to our trip to Belgium last Christmas. We were all-in for hotels, flights, and trip insurance for around $850. We obviously spent more once we got there, but the cheap upfront costs enabled us to take the trip. It was awesome finally seeing that part of my H's heritage.

5) over $1,000 - probably my law degree at around $85K. I am very sure I wouldn't have gotten the kind of job I have without spending that money, at least not for many years. There's a huge salary gap between large and small firms where we live, and I made that $85K investment up within my first two years of practice.

hoffse · April 2016

@cbee the pregnancy test one cracked me up! That's a great answer!

KAdams767 · April 2016

1) $10 or less: I scored a fleece-lined pair of Nike running tights in 2003 for $6. Each winter, the same tights, new model, retail for $99. I've worn them consistently running in northeastern winters for the past 12 winters, no holes or obvious wear and tear. I would almost say these pants are actually worth the $99 retail price for how great they are, but since I once got a pair for $6, I can never bring myself to buy a new pair at full price. :-)

2) $10-$50: DH and I paid roughly $15/night to stay in an adorable hostel in Prague when we were dating and taking a European trip on a major student budget. It was the nicest hostel we've ever stayed at, with clean and very comfortable accommodations, plus served a delicious breakfast of homemade yogurt and granola, fresh fruit and coffee in the morning. We had such a great trip and we talk about it all the time, the memories have definitely lasted our lifetime.

3) $50-$250: Adoption fee for my dog. She is awesome. Enough said.

4) $250-$1,000: Anniversary dinner at Alinea in Chicago. The most expensive meal we've ever had, but it was amazing food and we had the.best.time.ever.

5) over $1,000 (any amount): Our house down payment. We worked and saved like crazy to put down 20% on our first house "together" and at times it was killer waiting for the right place to come along. We looked at about a million houses and finally found ours. It's perfectly suited for us and I seriously love coming home to it every day. I am so, so happy we could save and then spend that money!

PurpleBookmark · April 2016

Very interesting article!

1) $10 or less

My favorite bookmark, which is purple of course. I am a big reader and I used to use bits and pieces of things or cheap paper bookmarks until I splurged on a nice leather one with one of my favorite Bible verses on it. I use it every day and it always makes me happy.

2) $10-$50

My heart necklace from WalMart. I was grocery shopping and it caught my eye on clearance for $12. Obviously it was not a need or on my list but I just thought it was so pretty. I wear it at least 4-5x per week and I get so many compliments on it.

3) $50-$250

I'll also say a pet adoption, we spent $60 to adopt our cat, a beautiful old Himalayan sweetheart. We only had her for 2 years as she was quite old and passed of natural causes but she was the sweetest, best pet I could have ever had. We adored her.

4)$250-$1,000

I spent $450 many, many years ago on a prom dress. I loved it although it was really expensive. I actually paid less for my wedding dress! It was Betsy Johnson though and I loved it.

5) Over $1,000

Our current car is "new to us" but we absolutely love it. I can fit 3 kids in it, it drives wonderfully and I really love it.

als1982 · April 2016

1) $10 or less: About 10 years ago, I bought a copy of this book on sale at a Barnes & Noble. It's a little handy little self help guide with lots of life tips that I've read cover to cover about a million times. Super helpful as I was first getting started in my career and out on my own for the first time.

2) $10-$50: I'd say a really, really good bra. Always the foundation for feeling good in my own skin. I usually pick them up at the Nordstrom semi-annual sale.

3) $50-$250: Cole Haan wedges and black and tan for about $90 on sale. Ultra versatile, and professional but comfortable.

4) $250-$1,000: This one's hard... Probably a plane ticket, but trips are like children - you just can't pick one favorite!

5) over $1,000 (any amount): Easily our wedding. I think we dropped something like $35,000 on the wedding, plus $12,000 for the honeymoon. Worth every single penny and then some! Those memories are priceless.

JoanE2012 · April 2016

hoffse said:

1) $10 or less - a tie between my sweater shaver and the best waffle I have ever eaten in my life in Antwerp.

2) $10-$50 - our cat Gus. He was $11 from the Humane Society during an adoption drive. Our other cat, Lady, was free

Notable mention goes to our Emile Henry pizza stone. I believe we spent $40 on it, but we have used it 1-2x a week, every week, for over two years now. We just store it in our oven because we use it for everything.

3) $50 - $250 - visiting Stonehenge at sunrise. Due to the horrible exchange rate while we were in London, it was about $60 in tickets and $150 for a cab driver to pick us up at 5AM and wait around an hour for us. It was pricey but worth every penny.

4) $250 - $1,000 - this was the hardest one for me to decide! I keep coming back to our trip to Belgium last Christmas. We were all-in for hotels, flights, and trip insurance for around $850. We obviously spent more once we got there, but the cheap upfront costs enabled us to take the trip. It was awesome finally seeing that part of my H's heritage.

5) over $1,000 - probably my law degree at around $85K. I am very sure I wouldn't have gotten the kind of job I have without spending that money, at least not for many years. There's a huge salary gap between large and small firms where we live, and I made that $85K investment up within my first two years of practice.

Just getting back from our trip, and I'll say that the waffles in Belgium were amazing! We took a tour and as part of it, got a waffle to try. II said I'd split it with my DH. Worst decision ever! If I knew they were that good, I would've gotten my own! We later had one covered in chocolate. To die for.

Xstatic3333 · April 2016

This was super hard!

1) $10 or less

Once we were at our favorite beer bar in my hometown when the waiter stopped by our table and said, "We have a special Oktoberfest beer that was just rushed through customs from Germany. Would you like one?" It was so amazing. There are probably lots of other tasty treats that I could fill into this spot, however.

2) $10-$50

The fee for our night dive in Bonaire. So amazing! We spent the whole time being tailed by gigantic fish called tarpon, and got to see amazing bioluminescent creatures come out and shimmer in the moonlight.

3) $50-$250

My first scuba diving class. I could never have guessed what a big part of my life it would become.

4) $250-$1,000

The adoption fee for Baxter. He's the best ever!

5) over $1,000 (any amount)

Is it a copout to say our house? We just love it so much and feel so at home here.

cbee817 · April 2016

Thanks @csuave - when I first saw the post, I thought it was going to be really tough, but then I just started thinking of really good memories and it was so easy to write! Great post @hoffse

LillibetteV · April 2016

I like this game! Mine are:

1) $10 or less - this is actually the trickiest one for me to think up. probably my new little travel pharmacy for my purse. It's super small, but holds a ton!

2) $10-$50 - Moleskine notebooks. I can't live without them - it's like my own pensieve. I'd rather forget my cell phone for a day than my notebook.

3) $50-$250 - sunset dinner on our honeymoon. the restaurant was on the beach and they set us up with a bottle of wine and a beach blanket and we watched the sun dunk into the ocean (I'd never seen a west coast sunset before!) and then went inside to one of the best meals we'd ever eaten. It was just under $250 and worth every penny.

4) $250-$1,000 - weekend get away by myself when I was about 23. I was in a crappy low paying job, my love life was in shambles, I was living on my own for the first time and I was stressed to the max. My best friend was sick of my complaining and one morning on the phone said "call in sick right now and plan a spa weekend for yourself for this coming holiday weekend. don't call me back until it's booked" and then hung up on me. I took her advice and spent 3 blissful days walking through the woods, reading by a river, getting massaged and prettified, eating delicious food, and drinking wine. I left my cell phone in my glove box the entire time and the only person who even knew where I went was my mother. It was pure bliss and I promised myself I would do it again someday lol.

5) over $1,000 (any amount) - surgery for our dog after he was hit by a car. some people thought we were crazy, some thought we were saints, but we just knew there was never even a choice - money can be replaced, but family can't. and he's family. Plus we was only 11 months and very fit when it happened and the surgery was very successful so it's not like we gambled on an old sick dog!

julieanne912 · April 2016

I couldn't read the article because my work has that site blocked (they're really random about what they block), but here goes:

1) $10 or less

This one was hard for me, but I think this vegetable peeler: http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Original-4-Inch-Peeler/dp/B000H7O3QS

Seems silly but it really is the best peeler for peeling potatoes, which is a very annoying task.

2) $10-$50

My current purse. I really like it, I got it during the "Christmas in July" sale on Amazon for around $40. It still looks brand new which is unusual for purses in the sub $50 range.

3) $50-$250

My walnut Boosblock cutting board. I bought it after we bought our house and I seriously love it, it looks so nice. I leave it out all the time. I was really guilty for spending $150 on a cutting board but I'm so glad I did.

4) $250-$1,000

Roomba, hands down. Technically H bought this but I'm still counting it. We named her Ruby. We have 2 shedding dogs and with my work/commute schedule it's really hard to keep up on the housework during the week. I love coming home to sufficiently clean floors.

5) over $1,000 (any amount)

Another dog surgery voter. It was over $3000, and hit right after Christmas 2014 and right before we closed on our house. But it was well worth it, he was a "new man" after the surgery and I'm so glad we decided to go through with it, even though he's an older dog.

LillibetteV · April 2016

julieanne912 said:

5) over $1,000 (any amount)
Another dog surgery voter. It was over $3000, and hit right after Christmas 2014 and right before we closed on our house. But it was well worth it, he was a "new man" after the surgery and I'm so glad we decided to go through with it, even though he's an older dog.

the things we do for our pups right?!

julieanne912 · April 2016

LillibetteV said:

julieanne912 said:

5) over $1,000 (any amount)
Another dog surgery voter. It was over $3000, and hit right after Christmas 2014 and right before we closed on our house. But it was well worth it, he was a "new man" after the surgery and I'm so glad we decided to go through with it, even though he's an older dog.

the things we do for our pups right?!

I know... someone must be watching over us though, because the day before he got sick, I closed a deal where I earned a decent commission. Had I not earned that, we would have had to take most of the money out of our house fund. I had planned on using that money to buy some decor/furniture items for the new house, but it wasn't anything urgent.

labro · April 2016

I tried to read the article but it kept popping up full page ads that I couldn't click out of so I gave up.

1) $10 or less - This is probably cheating because I mostly used wedding gift cards and I was a few dollars short. We purchased a Breville Smart Coffee Grinder and I seriously use it all the time. We had a little manual grinder but it took forever to grind up coffee and this has really simplified the process. Then we got to start using the little manual grinder to mix up different spice blends.

2) $10-$50 - My off-brand phone case. I think I got it on Amazon for around $13 and for as much as I drop and abuse my phone, it's held up extraordinarily well.

3) $50-$250 - My new jeans from Buckle. H was shocked that I spent $90 on a simple pair of jeans but seriously they fit better than anything I've ever owned and I get a lot of wear out of them. I get compliments on how I look in them almost constantly and they just make me feel great about myself. They are still too new to tell if they'll stand the test of time.

4) $250-$1,000 - Opening my Roth IRA.

5) over $1,000 (any amount) - From a MM perspective - Probably the $3800 we spent on replacing our HVAC last year. Our heating and cooling bills have literally been cut in half. We were operating on a 25 year old heater and a 15 year old A/C and it's incredible what a more efficient unit has done!

From a NOT MM perspective - Every single dime we spent on our honeymoon in Munich/Bavaria/Austria. The whole trip was incredible and I will never ever forget our experiences there.

LillibetteV · April 2016

julieanne912 said:

LillibetteV said:

julieanne912 said:

5) over $1,000 (any amount)
Another dog surgery voter. It was over $3000, and hit right after Christmas 2014 and right before we closed on our house. But it was well worth it, he was a "new man" after the surgery and I'm so glad we decided to go through with it, even though he's an older dog.

the things we do for our pups right?!

I know... someone must be watching over us though, because the day before he got sick, I closed a deal where I earned a decent commission. Had I not earned that, we would have had to take most of the money out of our house fund. I had planned on using that money to buy some decor/furniture items for the new house, but it wasn't anything urgent.

Our pup cost us our kitchen renovation that we'd been saving up for. He broke both hind legs and needed 2 surgeries, a blood transfusion, a week in the ICU, and months of PT and medications. He's doing AWESOME and he still loves going on hikes with us, but...yea....not cheap.

Our kitchen mostly works fine, it's just hideous (1970s chic) and the appliances are getting old but I refuse to take out a loan for a renovation that's more "want" than "need". Waiting another year won't kill us but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't sad we had to put it off!

maple2 · April 2016

This is an interesting exercise. In the end, I included purchases for my benefit regardless of whether I was the one actually footing the bill.

1) $10 or less - Coconut rings DH and I bought when we were dating and travelling in South America. They've since been replaced with wedding rings, but the coconut rings will always have sentimental value. We spent over an hour looking for DH's when he accidentally lost it on a hike, and, let me tell you, it is not easy to find a brown ring made of natural materials on a dirt trail.

2) $10-$50 - Probably a shirt I bought to wear for my HS senior pictures 20+ years ago that I am wearing right now. It's not nearly as nice as I thought it was back then, but it's fine for everyday wear (in my relatively laid back field). I can't think of anything else in this price range that I've owned and used for that long.

3) $50-$250 - Professional family pictures when each of our kids was around 1. We take lots of pictures, but very rarely do they look as good as the professional ones. I especially like that they were taken at our home, so they capture a glimpse into our lives not just our faces.

4) $250-$1000 - Backpacking trip with a friend. We had planned to hike the PCT through WA, but record snowfall made us change our plans. We spent around 4 weeks on various parts of the PCT, but we also substituted some side trips in other parts of the Pacific northwest. It was a great adventure.

5) over $1000 (any amount) - College in general, and, in particular, a semester abroad in Africa. Those 4 months profoundly altered my perceptions of the world and my place in it. My college experience, both the academic and non-academic parts, helped set me on a path toward meaningful personal and professional choices. I discovered so many interests that are still a part of my life today.

short+sassy · April 2016

What a great post! I love hearing everyone's stories.

1) $10 or less

My first muffaletta sandwich. I moved to NOLA for that thing. Not really, lol, but the thought did cross my mind, "If I move to NOLA, I can have a muffaletta whenever I want one." For those of you unfamiliar, it's a sandwich on round seeded bread with Italian meats, cheese, and olive salad.

I found two Walt Disney World 35th anniversary knick knacks at a Goodwill for $3/each. Bought them both and then sold them on Ebay for $38 and $40.

2) $10-$50

I bought a storage unit at an auction for $11. Found $23 in $1 coins. A diamond/opal gold ring. Small stones, but pretty and I kept it. Kept a large, 90% full bottle of Chanel No. 5 parfum. Sold everything else for $360.

Don't let the $11 price fool you, though. The real cost was the 8 hours it took me just to clean the unit out. Plus 15-30 minutes here and there to individually sell a bunch of items.

3) $50-$250

My wedding dress, $198 (including shipping). I had always dreamed of having a beautiful, princess-like wedding gown. But, when the rubber met the road, I just couldn't see spending more than $300 (including alterations) on a dress I was only going to wear once. I checked out Ebay for used gowns. Even better, I found a Hong Kong dress maker with 100s of positive reviews and they had a gown that was exactly what I wanted. It was a gamble, but I bought the dress and sent my measurements/height. It arrived about a month later. Gorgeous! And it fit perfectly right out of the box.

4) $250-$1,000

6 day/ 5 night cruise to the Mexican Riviera (Cozumel, Cancun). $460 for two, all port fees included. It was a "one off" cabin from a group trip that the travel agent was trying to get rid of. I actually wasn't a big fan of the ports of call, but my H and I had the best time. I went swimming with dolphins, which was something I had always wanted to do. I tried out for and won a karaoke contest and performed that night for the other passengers on the main stage. Last, but not least, I hit a royal flush on a quarter video poker machine in the ship's casino, which paid $1,000. So I actually made money on the trip.

5) over $1,000 (any amount)

Down payment for my house (duplex). Hands down, the best financial move I have ever made. I bought at the bottom of the market and, within a year, real estate went from almost nothing to going crazy. Now I have a substantial amount of equity because home prices have increased so much. Renting out the other side of the house also fostered my interest in real estate investing (plus I started earning rental income right away). Turning my equity into a line of credit shaved years off the time it would take to buy more properties.

brij2006 · April 2016

Lol @short+sassy a muffaletta is the main reason H and I want to visit NOLA.

1) $10 or less

B-complex vitamin that helped keep DD in/alive early on in my pregnancy.

2) $10-$50
$18 for the parking fee from the night that got H and I back together (before we were married). Had I not gone that night, we likely wouldn't be together today.

3) $50-$250

The expensive dinner at a nice restaurant for our 1 year anniversary. It was worth every penny.

4) $250-$1,000
$600 for a day trip from London to Paris. I couldn't fit it into my weekend schedule, so went on a random Wednesday. It was crazy expensive for just 1 day, but I got to see all the major sights and have lunch in the Eiffel tower.

5) over $1,000 (any amount)
Our trip to Hawaii. Hands down. Best money we ever spent. It even surpassed my 6 weeks in the U.K.

Mustard76 · April 2016

How fun, I love this!

1) $10 or less
- My train ticket to go to my first "real" job interview after college. I had been waiting tables for the longest time and j was really struggling to pay my bills a month after graduation. I spent $10 on a train ticket to the city. I will never forget the feeling I had when I stepped off the platform. It was like I was really starting my life. I was going to set the world on fire. Looking back it sounds so naive, but I still remember how awesome that day was.
2) $10-$50
- Tickets to see Tesla the night we moved to NM. They were cheap, so how do you not go? And it's such a fun memory; we arrived to our apartment almost a week before our belongings. So we were sleeping on an air mattress with nothing in our apartment. That was a fun time for us as newlyweds, and that concert added to the fun. < br> 3) $50-$250
- The table that is currently in our entryway. I bought it when we moved to STL, because there wasn't enough to counter space for my coffee maker. Now that we have more counter space, I moved the table into the entryway and it is a wine bar. It has really become a statement piece in our house, I love it.
4) $250-$1,000
- My first car. My BF at the time sold me his car for the balance on his loan. It was like $400, and I paid off his loan with change tips that I had saved waiting tables. That's one of the nicest things someone has done for me. He really helped me out. That was my junior year in college and still the best $400 spent.
5) over $1,000 (any amount)
- This one is tough. I really can't say any of our homes, since luck with work has played a lot into that. Probably one of our trips to Vegas. We always have a good time when we go, and it's really the only vacation where we drop money. Otherwise, we travel on hotel points, or we spend our vacation time moving. Haha.

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