your good and bad purchases

Simple living, extreme early retirement, becoming and being wealthy, wisdom, praxis, personal growth,...
sree
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 1:52 am
Contact:

Post by sree »

Good: MacBook Air + iPod Touch

Bad: iPad 1st gen (sold it on Craigslist), PS2
Good: combination Wok/ skillet

Bad: George Foreman Grill, omelet pan
Good: Netflix

Bad: 90% of my DVDs
Good: prescription sunglasses online

Bad: Nikon binoculars online
Good: Alden wingtips

Bad: Bowling shoes (should have kept renting
Good: non-iron white dress shirts

Bad: all my other dress shirts


chilly
Posts: 274
Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:03 am

Post by chilly »

Good: Garmin GPSMap 276c - 6 years ago.

Bad: Droid X - 6 months ago.
Good: Quality silicone based personal lubricant.

Bad: Car with an automatic transmission.


B
Posts: 164
Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:42 pm

Post by B »

>Good: Quality silicone based personal lubricant.

>Bad: Car with an automatic transmission.
I'd like to know how these are related/comparable. ;P


DividendGuy
Posts: 441
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:58 pm

Post by DividendGuy »

Good purchases:
Call of Duty games--30 days of playtime on one, which equates to 7 cents/hour of entertainment (and counting).
My Schwinn beach cruiser bicycle
My iPhone--had it for 2 years as part of an ATT plan, but now use it as my my mini-iPad for all my mobile internet needs.
My $400 Toshiba laptop. It's been amazing.
A $10 pair of cargo shorts from Target. I wear them almost daily and have lasted over 2 years.
My $60 pair of Dr. Scholls non-slip work shoes. I've worn them 5-6 days a week for the past 4 years. Still goin' strong.
Bad Purchases:
My 2006 Pontiac G6. (And almost every other car I've purchased for that matter.)
My college education!


George the original one
Posts: 5404
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
Location: Wettest corner of Orygun

Post by George the original one »

Good: organic vegetable garden seeds from Territorial Seed or Johnny's
Good: rFactor (racing simulation) $50 back in 2005

Bad: rFactor - much time enjoyably wasted
Good: Samsung 30" 2560x1800 LCD monitor - fantastic color and unnoticeable pixels

Bad: Samsung 30" 2560x1600 LCD monitor - Triple HDTV-resolution screens are more practical today
Bad: anything involving real racecars - they're just like boats, but I can't help myself
Good: a monsterously large fanny pack from REI - keeps my hands free when clambering around while trout fishing and carries tackle, 5 lbs of fish, plus lunch & beverages when things go really well
Good: Rvrfishr spinners, #2 through #5 sizes, buy them in multi-packs from their web site
Bad: the cheapest Roostertail spinners because they don't spin unless you spend time teaking them and the epoxy bodies chip when bouncing off rocks.
Good: Cocoons polarized sunglasses http://www.cocoonseyewear.com ... excellent fit and they're having magic glasses when spotting fish in streams (really!)


dot_com_vet
Posts: 603
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:07 am

Post by dot_com_vet »

Good: New Honda in 2009. W/ Cash for Clunker trade that was worthless on the open market, new Honda was about $12k. Hope to get 20 years out of it.
Bad: Used washer and dryer that never worked right. Lots of frustration trying to fix them. Sewer backup eventually destroyed them and insurance replaced.


Balance
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 8:54 am

Post by Balance »

Good - Blender I have had for many years and is still crushing ice into a nice consistency.

Good - Rice cooker.

Good - 2005 Civic, I use it for work and its completely necessary since my home business requires me to drive to see properties all over my county.

Great - Replacing a lost library card for $2 and being able to check out all the books and movies I want.
Bad - XBox 360. I haven't used it as much as I initially wanted to. When I have spare time I would rather read.

Bad - All the books I bought and read once. I wish I had just checked them out at the library.

Bad - All the DVD's I bought before I became a ERE saver.


learning
Posts: 92
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 12:29 pm

Post by learning »

@everybody Thanks for all the replies. Reading this is making me re-evaluate some things. I've really got to think about how important my books are to me, for example. I'm wondering, to push it a little further, what are things that haven't been mentioned already that made a big improvement in your life, if any?
@JoeNCA what are your thoughts on the pro-grade photography equipment?
do you scratch your back often? :)
@ICouldBeTheWalrus the happy hacking keyboards reduce the number of necessary keys by using key combinations for rarely used keys. Is there more to it?
@M I like the idea of the lifetime 3g internet access via the kindle. Do you regularly use your kindle for web browsing, instant messaging, emailing, etc.? Does it have google voice? What is your experience of it?


George the original one
Posts: 5404
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
Location: Wettest corner of Orygun

Post by George the original one »

> what are things that haven't been mentioned

> already that made a big improvement in your

> life, if any?
The house we currently live in we bought 7 years ago. There were three improvements we immediately made:
1) Having the in-ground oil tank and oil furnace removed and a heat pump installed.

2) Having a custom chimney cap added to keep bats from nesting in there (we waited for the family to move out first).

3) Adding an exterior staircase to the 2nd floor deck to improve access to the acre yard. Otherwise one has to go downstairs and out through the garage. Incredibly, no prior owner had prioritized this upgrade in the 32 years since the house was built!
The real trick for ERE, though, is to gain similar life improvements without spending. When you think about improving your life, purchases have the least benefit even thought they're the first to come to mind. "If only we had XXX, we would have a better life" does not cut it.


JohnnyH
Posts: 2005
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:00 pm
Location: Rockies

Post by JohnnyH »

Good

PRS950 ereader: In reaction to an complete lack of local library I took up ereading. So very glad I did, but I do keep reference books (gardening and so forth) in hard copy... The king of ereaders, I can never go back to a 6" screen. The 7" screen is absolutely key to reading technical PDFs. Read 1700 pages on a vacation and still had a charge.
Stainless steel french press, would have already broken several glass ones.
Antec p180 computer case. 6 years service, and 3 major upgrades.
HTC Evo ($100 ebay, flashed to prepaid): Only because I can now deposit checks with it via Schwab... I can take pics of said check and have it in an ETF within a couple hours. Love it, no longer cash check (wait 3 days), ACH to brokerage (wait 3 days), brokerage receives (wait 3 days before available to trade).
Updates from the 'Investment Grade Gear' thead:

*My wet/dry Norelco. Nearly 7 years before it died... Soldered in some new batteries and hopefully good for another 7.
*Sansa Fuze 8GB (clickwheel model): nearly 4 years of service, over 1000 hrs... Add Rockbox and a 16-32gb mSD card for an amazing MP3. Also, it can be operated without looking at it, unlike all the top of the line touch screen players/phones... Seriously, I can't recommend these enough.
bad

NookColor: an impressive device, that becomes a full Android tablet with root... I tried for weeks trying to find productive things to do with it. In the end I failed. Conclusion: tablets are excellent personal TVs, everything else is done better by another device (camera, MP3, ereader, desktop/laptop).


jacob
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Post by jacob »

@JohnnyH - FYI, ACH to Scottrade takes 3 seconds, literally.


JohnnyH
Posts: 2005
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:00 pm
Location: Rockies

Post by JohnnyH »

@jacob: so you can initiate the ACH on Scottrade and it is instantly available for trading? Impressive.


jacob
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Post by jacob »

Yes


aquadump
Posts: 278
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:28 pm

Post by aquadump »

Good:

My 5 x $6 16oz Nalgene containers. This are liquid tight and perfect for making a week's worth of lunches and carrying them to work without a concern of a spilling mishap.
My $75 used propane grill. Ready right away and I've met many neighbors from grilling.
$30 running club fee. It's much less than a race, and I have many more running partners and in-depth friendships because of it.
College degree. A lot of fun exploring and in-depth pursuit while my mind was functioning optimally (as opposed to some "old" students).
Bad

A past mountain biking social obligation, due to 1:1 mountain biking to bar time peer pressure included in the event.
Unbugdeted projects. I learned a lot, but in some ways it was too much too fast.


Mater
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:46 am

Post by Mater »

Good Purchases:

-2000 Toyoto 4Runner-165,000 and still looking good and going strong.

-Used honda 1000w Generator-keep it in my truck-love it.

-Used lawnmower off craigslist-5 years and going strong.

-40" Flatscreen TV for my bedroom (while I loathed this purchase, it made my wife extremely happy. Sometimes you gotta meet in the middle)

-2010 model Chocolate Lab Mix from a nearby rescue. I think she cost 200$ to adopt after the spaying. She's a monster part of the time, but brings lots of happiness to our house!
Bad Buys:

-The rediculous amounts of clothes I've bought over the years. Especially shoes.
-All the electronic gadgets I've bought on a whim and never really used-Palm Pilot anyone?


Sam Gribley
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:37 pm

Post by Sam Gribley »

GOOD:
- 2005 F-250 4X4 Turbo Diesel, 6-seater truck w/ 80k miles bought used on E-bay for $19k. It was a repo and still had the paperwork in the glove compartment showing orig. price of $56k w/ all the options (it's loaded). Do I really need that much truck?... yes, because bolted to it is my
- Alaskan Camper. Very pricy, but something I will have and use until I am 100. Built by hand in America, the way things used to be, so every part of it is of the highest quality -no Chinese plastic. I don't like spending money, but will for quality. I call this my "Rancho Plano Bravo." It is my Plan B housing option, and unlike those monster RVs, this one goes wherever a 4X4 truck can go. Have already camped way out in the Alaskan wilderness off of 4X4 trails where there are no electric or water hookups --DON'T NEED 'EM, and still have all the luxuries of home --even hot water showers and a toilet--all in the bed of a pickup.
- Bicycle. I commute to work now (15 miles each way) and do it as a workout both ways, keeping my heart rate around 150-160 for the 50-minute commute. I got a 'touring bike' -so not quite a roadbike, not a mountain bike either. It is sturdy enough to go off road and to hit huge potholes, unlike a roadbike would be. I will put studded tires on it to ride it to work in the Alaskan winter. I save more than $200 per month in fuel this way, while getting a cardio workout that is far more interesting and dynamic than running. I often leave my truck/camper at work during the week and have a "base camp" to cook lunch in / take a nap that way. I then put my bike in the truck and drive home on Friday. Works pretty well.
- Kitesurfing gear. If there is one sport/hobby/past-time that those of the ERE mind would appreciate, this is it. After the initial outlay, it is free. It is both exercise as well as relaxation. It is meditative. It takes an immense amount of practice to master and you are constantly busy "crosschecking" every part of it -the kite, the wind, the gusts, the water, waves, boats, other kiters, the angle of the board. You have complete freedom to go anywhere you want on the lake/ocean if the wind is good (or you have a big enough kite or board). You can literally fly like a bird --80 feet in the air if that's your thing. It keeps your mind engaged and it is a solo act. You can do it all season (I wear a drysuit and kite in Alaska). You can also snowkite and use a landboard. Anyone who loves aviation would instantly become as addicted as I am.
BAD:
- Kindle. What a waste. There is nothing like having/holding a real book. I am the type that always has 5 or more books that I am reading and I have bookmarks and notes all over the place in all my books. As that INTJ type, I am always thinking of 100 things all the time and if a thought about a specific topic from a paragraph in a particular book comes to mind, I can quickly jump back into it. I also often remember *where* something is in a book (a little past half the thickness and somewhere around the bottom left page) --I can't do that with an e-book. Also, I love lending good books to friends and have built quite a library. The most use I got from the Kindle was the free internet access at Wi-fi hotspots.
- $4 lattes. I finally bought a $400 epsresso machine after crunching numbers and finding it to have a positive NPV as an investment. Latte as an investement? Yes. When good coffee is one of those things that you will not substitute, you can get ahead by spending less. I drink around 6 shots of espresso daily, and have paid for this machine in just a few months of use. If you're a coffee snob like me, get a good machine (Breville is best) that has a high-enough pressure rating and you can have BETTER lattes at home than what you'd get at a shop. I am such a coffee snob that I buy decaf espresso beans just so I can have latte at night after dinner and not be wired.
- Mach 3 / Quattro / any kind of disposable razor. Ever heard of "planned obsolescense" ? They don't make things like they used to for a reason. These razors are like a cellphone contract. You are locked in --unless you can maintain whatever appearance you want. In the military, we have to shave every day. I can't do the electric razor as it irritates the hell out of my skin. The Mach 3 costs me more than a hundred dollars every year! The blades are most likely designed to dull after 2 uses. So I got a safety razor and now shave like my Grandpa did back in the day. A pack of 50 Japanese-made samurai sword-sharp blades was obscenely cheap --a few bucks on E-bay. And they are 2-sided. So really 100 blades for a few bucks. They are so sharp that they can be used for 4-5 shaves. Then you switch sides! You HAVE to take your time, however, or you will slice your face like a piece of cheese. I use a pre-shave oil and have a brush to apply the shave soap (it raises the hairs to enable the closer shave).


JoeNCA
Posts: 81
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:58 am

Post by JoeNCA »

@learning
On pro-grade photography equipment: IMO, it's not necessary unless their efficiency and image quality are needed for income generating purposes such as photography business to cut down time.
Pro equipment will have faster and more accurate focus and better image quality but at 10x the price.
For most mortals, either of Nikon or Canon's lowest used dslr line up with kit lens will be more than satisfactory.


Jackson
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:21 am

Post by Jackson »

"I don't own a console -- it's not the initial cost that bothers me, it's the $50+ per game (and sometimes a subscription!) that really irks me."
Newly released games at a retail store do cost $50 or more, but what ERE-minded person would buy games this way? I buy older games that are used and then sell them when I'm finished with them. The games end up costing me only a few dollars this way.
Also, I've owned many game systems: NES, SNES, GameCube, Xbox, Nintendo 64, Wii, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3. I've never had one break on me, except for the NES, which was 20 years old when it stopped working. I replaced the non-working part for about $10, and now the NES works fine.
Purchases I regret:

- Mr. Steamy dryer balls. I hate ironing, so I thought these dryer balls would solve my problem. But, of course, they don't work.
- $100 futon from Wal-mart. The cushion wore out way too fast.
- Stability exercise ball. The product is fine; I just never use it, mostly because there are so many more-interesting ways to exercise.
- Most of the money I've spent on girlfriends.
- Most of the money I've spent on alcohol and at bars and clubs. Sometimes, the money is worth the experience but usually not.
- Half of the money I've spent on vacations. Some vacations I've loved and wouldn't trade the memories. Other vacations I've hated.
Purchases I'm glad about:

- Bicycle.
- Doorway pull-up bar.
- PlayStation 3 that came with two games and one Blu-ray movie.
- Wii.
- Garmin GPS.
- $20 keyboard from Craigslist.
- Scale for weighing packages.
- Microwave.
- Two-drawer filing cabinet.


Stahlmann
Posts: 1121
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 6:05 pm

Re: your good and bad purchases

Post by Stahlmann »

Ok, time for next round of Golden Shovel awards :lol:

bad:
- last week I bought Investments by Bodie, The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Daczyzyn, Good Boatkeeping by Aiken, Please Understand Me by Keirsey... This was 1254th time I wanted to be like my Divine Idol (many people held this title in my short life), but this time it should be about saving money... Ooops, I'm the sucker now :lol: (all used; about 150 PLN total, over 70% was shipping). This meme: have a lot books, you will be smart is hard installed in me... but only as saying.
- nook ereader - nope, this device didn't make me book worm [sold already]
- supplements

good:
IDK, probably I'm in my neophyte phase so I'm probably hard to please...

slowtraveler
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: your good and bad purchases

Post by slowtraveler »

This is a fun one.

Good:
Plane ticket to Thailand-$280 something
Flexible plane tickets and airbnb
Computer, Fancy Phone every few 3 years
10% of clothes and books I've bought (ERE, SPIN Selling, Horse Sense, Poor Charlie's Almanack)
Medical seeds back in a medical state
Alcohol-I've enjoyed the 2 beers I've had in Thailand.
Bus tickets around the country
Helmet
Vaporizor
Activated charcoal tablets when sick
Passport renewal
Custom made clothing that costs under $3 and does exactly what I want


Bad:
Every gift over $10 to a gf, every single $ not spent on something I also wanted to eat/do
90% of books and clothing I've bought (dress shoes, suit, extra shorts even though dirt cheap $1.3/pair, etc.)
Kindle- anyone want one for $40 +shipping from Thailand? lol
Backpacking gear-should've gone for cheap instead of quality
Buying medicine outright
Health Insurance
Ed Visa-far too constraining compared to a border run
Excess chocolate

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