It’s no secret that spending money releases some sort of endorphins in our brains. Sometimes we instantly regret buying something; however, other times we’re left wondering “What took me so long to buy this?!”
All content has been edited for clarity.
A Healthy Change Of Perspective
“Just shy of twenty grand to go to Antarctica traveling solo (small cruise ship). More than I’ve spent on every other vacation I’ve taken combined.
Was one of the best trips of my life. It also gave me enough space and clarity to realize how toxic my ex was to me so that I could find the strength to leave not long after I got back.
I’ll always want to go back to Antarctica. The inner peace I found there changed my life.”
Father Daughter Trips
“A quick seven-day trip to Maui in February a couple of years ago with one of my teenage daughters, who happened to be free the same week I had off. Work was grinding me down and I needed a break.
My wife and the rest of the family couldn’t go, they were working or in school. The tickets were expensive, about nine hundred each for bare-bones economy narrow rock hard seats, it was a twelve-hour flight that was packed to the brim – I was getting bedsores by the time we arrived.
We rented snorkeling gear and a car, and spent every day from dawn to dusk snorkeling, sitting on the beaches and hiking in the mountains; we did the Hana road, the Seven Sacred Pools, and the Haleakalā volcano national park at sunset, and took tons of photos. We ate spam musubi for breakfast, poke and somen noodles for lunch, and loco moko for supper. Slept like babies with the windows open wide in the cool nighttime breezes.
The best way to blow five grand EVER. So much what I needed at that point in my life.”
They Definitely Win Grandchild Of The Year
“My grandfather absolutely loves the Beatles. He listens to their music every day. He doesn’t speak English, but he always tries his best to sing along. It’s so endearing.
I had heard that Paul McCartney was coming to town for a concert. When I checked the ticket availability, there were only a few left and they were quite pricey. Especially for me, a high school student at the time. But I was determined to get him a ticket. And I did! I decided to present the ticket to him on my birthday since the concert would be just a few days afterward.
When I gave my grandfather the ticket, he had broken into tears and hugged me so hard. I had never seen him so happy. The smile didn’t leave his face for the rest of the day. Leading up to the concert, he would talk to everyone about how he was going to see Paul McCartney and that he had the most thoughtful granddaughter in the world.”
A Creative Pet
“I spent three hundred bucks on a mule. An actual living, four-hooved, long-eared mule. We raise cattle, so a protection mule was a good excuse. But, really, I just fell in love with him.
He’s huge and sassy. He’ll steal your hat and run away. He’s got a Ninja mode where he can sneak up on you, just to breathe down your neck or startle you. He does keep the coyotes away. However, he has proved himself priceless because he eats thistle.
When we got the lease on the land for our cattle the pastures had been neglected and were in bad shape. Thistle is a spiky plant that spreads across the pasture, choking out grasses. Cows won’t eat it. It’s really hard to get rid of. To our surprise, the mule cleared out nearly all the thistle in a matter of months. He would eat the flowers out of the center. He saved us an enormous amount of money and labor. We were able to avoid using chemical weed killers, which we really didn’t want to do.
Probably the best investment in our whole cattle raising experience.”
The Less Poop The Better
“My Litter Robot.
Yes, I spent six hundred bucks on somewhere for my cat to use the bathroom, but my house never smells, I don’t have to scoop litter, and I only have to empty the drawer once a week. Definitely worth it to me.”
Okay This Sounds Awesome
“My fiancé and I dropped close to three grand on a kitchen table and coffee table from Carolina Game Tables. The kind where you can take the top off and have a board game space underneath. They’re comparatively plain compared to some you see online, no lights or USB ports, no cubbies, drawers or cup holders. Just really solidly build solid wood tables where the top comes off. But hot dog they’ve been awesome!! We use them all the time. One unexpected use was legos. I got a Lego set and started building it on the coffee table and when I needed to stop for the night I just put the lid on until I was ready to continue.
Don’t regret a cent.”
“The Absolute Best Way To Do The Worst Thing”
“In-home euthanasia for my best friend and companion. I absolutely did not have the money for it, and covid meant I couldn’t have friends to be there with me, but I couldn’t bear to see her go on a cold metal table. The vet came in to my apartment and gave me as much time as I needed. I read a letter I wrote, and I got to sing to her in her final moments with her on my lap the entire time. The absolute best way to do the worst thing.”
His Neighbor’s Hate Him But I’m Happy For Him
“I spent too much money on a big treadmill for a very small apartment. But I’ve ran ten to fifteen miles on it every week for the past several years and it’s been incredibly helpful both physically and mentally.”
Shopping Local
“Art work. Can I always afford it, no. But my walls are full of orginal, ninety-percent local art. They make me happy to look at, I’m sure I made the artist happy too.”
Huzzah
“I went to a Renaissance Fair with my husband and some friends. It was his first time, and he’s a pretty introverted person, so while he has fun watching everyone else dress up and act all goofy and old-timey, he doesn’t really participate. When we went to buy our first drink, the wench tried to sell him on one of those big mugs that looks like it’s carved out of wood but it’s just plastic. It cost a hundred dollars. Yes, you get free refills, but we were not planning on drinking a hundred dollars worth of drink that day. I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted it- he looked like a little kid at Disney World. Without thinking, I whipped out my credit card and dropped a hundred dollars on a plastic mug.
All day, he walked around proudly with his mug. He even took some big gulps and cheered ‘huzzah’ once or twice. This might not seem like much but for my quiet, gentle giant, it is huge. I manage the finances in our relationship and I am constantly cracking down on wasteful spending, so I think we were both amazed I made such a dumb purchase. Four years later, we still have that mug. He gets a big grin every time he sees it and teases me about my irresponsible impulse. And every time I see it, I just think about how much I love that big galoot.”
True Story
“Board games, they are expensive, but they bring much joy.”
If Only They Assembled It For You
“My Couch. I moved out of my moms house last year and I always wanted a good couch. I tested so much. I went to so many funiture stores. Looked at so many different models. And then choose mine. Its actually from Ikea. Three seats and long enough to let someone sleep on it. In a grey but I saw they were also having a black cover so I am thinking about getting that one. Extremely comftable. I wanted a couch where you could chill out and love how fluffy it is without losing the ability to sit on it. In some couches you are not able to lean on the back and still have a straight back. You can sit on the back board and the armrests. They are flat so you can also put a cup of tea on them. Its also not too low so you dont feel like sitting on the ground (which I do strangely often compared to my love for this couch) but you can let yourself fall onto that thing! It also looks easy and simple.
So if you don’t want the suggestion of someone who tried a lot of couches and happens to be me then buy the Vimle couch from Ikea.”
This Sounds Awesome
“Eight hundred bucks for a front seat helicopter tour of Kauai for me and my wife! Totally worth it!”
Sharp Dressed Man
“I’ve been a large guy all my life. Like, really large. Dressing comfortably was always my preference because being stylish just isn’t an option at my size. This was always a source of anxiety at any social event that required dressing up.
When I realized I had four weddings of close friends all coming up within the year, I decided to bite the bullet and get some decent ‘formal’ clothes. I spent eight hundred on a suit jacket, two hundred fifty on two pairs of dress pants, a little over three hundred for 3 shirts and 3 silk ties that were between seventy and a hundred each. I stood for all my measurements and had everything tailored to my exact specifications. Did a fitting and had a second round of alterations on the pants so they actually looked decent, even though I wore them under my gut.
People were floored when I showed up to the first wedding. I received so many compliments and actual double takes. Being introduced to new people felt completely different. I felt impressive. Some of those weddings were the best times of my life and it was due, in no small part, to how those clothes looked and made me feel. Some of those friends have big pictures from their weddings hanging on their walls, and I don’t cringe in embarrassment when I see myself in them. Those clothes cost more than I had/have ever spent on clothing in any ten year period, and they were worth every penny.”
I Might Have To Get One Of These
“Over a hundred bucks for a towel heater. I will never dry off with a cold towel again.”
I Couldn’t Believe How Expensive This Was
“Lego Death Star.”
I Respect This So Much
“I got into a stupid fight with my brother, so I found a game he had pledged on kickstarter (Space Haven) and saw that for almost four hundred dollars I could write a premade character bio that would randomly show up. So I pledged it and wrote a character bio with his name and made him a flaming prick. I have never played this game and don’t want to.”
They Definitely Win Partner Of The Year
“I spent three grand for my wife to meet the backstreet boys and get front row seats. It is the best thing that has ever happened to her and the smile on her face after the show and look of pure bliss in someone who suffers often from anxiety was worth every cent.”
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