Last week, we asked you to reveal those moments when realized you’d been making a big mistake as a consumer. Today, we want to lighten it up and talk about those times that make you most proud.
Maybe you’re like me and it’s that cast iron skillet you’ve had for over 20 years, and which just gets better with use (and proper care, of course). Or perhaps it’s the car that’s seen you through two marriages, four jobs and five presidents?
And then there are those things that might have cost a pretty penny but were well worth the expense. After all, in some cases you do get what you pay for.
So share your stories with the room about those purchases that have made you most proud.
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Good computers, I get 6 years out of each one, sure beats buying a cheapo machine every 2 years like most people do (and complaining that the computer runs “slow” constantly).
Good video games, 100 hours or more of play for $5-10, sign me up, you can’t beat that for entertainment purposes.
Microwave, got it from a family member in 1984 and its still going, must be a real tank.
One more for the worst purchases list:
Carnival rides, its $4-5 here PER RIDE. Which is just insane price wise. I really love carnival rides but I simply refuse to pay $4-5 for a 2 minute experience.
I once bought a hunting knife in a garage sale for 50 cents. Used it for about 20 years, then discovered it was a collectible and sold it for $900.00.
Bissell Carpet Steamer…. Two kids and a dog…. It gets a lot of use.
A new with tags Navy Issue pea coat in my exact size for $18.50 off of that popular auction site.
I’m getting a degree in teaching, and have been trying to collect various books and trinkets to use in the classroom. I was shopping around my local thrift store one day and found a working miniature claw machine marked at $2.50. I immediately bought it, brought it home, cleaned it up, and filled it with candy and small toys. It works wonderfully (hiccups from time-to-time, but who knows how old it is?), and I hope to use it in the classroom as my treasure box.
2nd Gen iPod (charged / connected via Firewire) just prior to invading Iraq in 2003.
Sand killed CD players / Tapes melted in the sun (turning everything into the Chipmunks), my iPod brick kept steady over the year I was there and for years after (eventually the hard drive died).
My friend did the exact same thing and there was a power blowout while his iPod was connected. It died. Every day he would plug it in again to see if he could get it to work. After a week it came back to life.
Two purchases:
Our 1992 Toyota Camry (bought used in 1995, paid cash, all gravy since)
A carved amber necklace bought at a Junior League rummage sale; the salesperson insisted it was plastic and we insisted that it was real amber. They insisted the price was $15; we bought it!
Maybe not the best purchase I have ever made but definitely the best deal I ever got.
Fry’s had a pair of Polk floor speakers on sale for $80. Circuit City had the same speakers for like $200 EACH. Circuit City had a 110% price match guaranty. I took the Fry’s ad to Circuit City and pricematched the set of speakers. The math played out like this:
$400 for pair of Polk speakers
- $80 for pricematch = $320 difference. 10% of that is $32.
$80 speakers – $32 = $48 dollars final price after the 110% pricematch.
The salesperson that rang me up couldn’t believe it. I gave him the Fry’s ad and he picked up on a set for himself!
I never saw a model of Polk speakers at Fry’s that Circuit City carried as well after that.
1993 Acura Integra, purchased in 2000 for $5000…still have it, still gets 36 MPG, still runs great and doesn’t leak a drop of anything, and is cheap to keep running. I planned on keeping it for at least 300K miles, at this point (235K), I’m upping that to 400K or until I can afford a used UFO. I’m very careful with maintenance, so this car might last that long. ;o)
Acer Aspire Netbook – bought a year and a half ago and it has saved my bacon more than once. It’s so solid, I expect that it will outlive my newer and much more expensive HP desktop system.
Dirt Devil ultra-lightweight vacuum…bought one for my office for $30 on clearance at Target, and liked it so much I bought another one for my house…I have dogs, a very rough-surfaced exposed aggregate concrete floor, and sisal rugs that are almost impossible to clean…and this is the first vacuum I’ve seen that handles the rough surface without damaging itself, and still has enough suction to clean the dog hair out of the sisal. Saved me the $400 I was otherwise going to have to spend on a Dyson, and is light enough that I can easily use it on the spiral stairs, too.
Kenmore washer and dryer bought for $400 total from Aaron’s rental return. Ten years later, only the dryer has needed any attention…a belt…which was a $15 DIY job. When I’m ready to replace these, I will definitely go the rental-return route again.
Somebody mentioned a long-lived coffee pot…I have a WestBend coffeemaker that I bought for $50 at K-Mart back in 1996 that is still looking and working like new. Just use only filtered water in it and run white vinegar solution through it once a year.
WDTV and a couple 1TB hard drives
My Paragard IUD that has:
- kept me from not getting pregnant for 4 years and counting! It’s good for up to 12 years.
- made it so I don’t need to spend $10 a month ($120/year) on birth control pills,
- did I mention worry-free sex without babies?
It was free without insurance (I’m a grad student so I don’t pay for my insurance), but even if I did have to pay the $500 for the IUD, insertion, and aftercare I’d still be out on top after its full course.
Seriously, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself.
I bought a 1994 V6 Ford Mustang for $2900. That was 150,000 miles, and eight years ago. I still drive it. It runs well, has enough power, and is not a bad looking car at all. I’ve had to do regular maintenance, but I haven’t had any major repair issues. Sure, I only get about 20 mpg in the city, but not having to make car payments, or waste money on expensive insurance more than makes up for the cost of gas.
I’ll be upgrading to a newer car soon, but honestly it’s mostly because of the status symbol aspect. Of course, after the way my ’94 has been treating me, I’ll be looking for another mustang. Only this time it will be a much newer GT Convertible.
I have two:
1. Our Natuzzi leather sofa that we paid around $1000 for 13 years ago. It has put up with lots of abuse from us, the kid, and three pets. It still looks new.
2. Our 1999 Honda CRV that we bought new. I still drive it and have only spent about $450 in repairs not counting new tires, regular oil changes, and a new battery or two. Now it’s become a game for me to see how long it will last.
Multi-focal contacts. I’ve worn glasses, then plain contacts, for distance vision for decades. When I started having problems reading as well, I gave ‘em a try. Been a happy user for several years now. Too much of a coward to try Lasik.
Combo convection / microwave oven. above a cooktop. Does everything I need, and frees up all kinds of storage space. Looks classy, too.
A dust-buster and a water-dispenser for my dorm room. I drink a lot of water and there was no sink in there.
iPhone.
I was able to use its Apps to log exercise and diet, workout to music, keep my checkbook balanced, have a to do list, and most importantly, use OkCupid to find my lovely girlfriend.
It changed my life.
My wife and I would have to say our MacBook Pro laptops. Before I hear all the haters give me an earful about Apple and expensive disposable technology, let me just say that we have owned many computers and none have been as reliable and useful as our MBP.
I bought a 4 pack of these batteries: http://www.energizer.com/products/hightech-batteries/lithium/pages/lithium-batteries.aspx for my digital camera. I am still on the first pair of the 4 pack after nearly 6 months of moderate use.
I can spend an hour roaming my 3 acres, snapping photos and shooting videos and never have a problem with low battery warnings or the camera shutting off.
Standard AA batteries die within an hour.
I just asked a friend of mine this same question. Her response: “A divorce lawyer”.
a) paying cash for my tuition. It’s been really hard, but really worth it.
b) National Geographic photography expedition tour of Santa Fe. Gave me much more confidence, both in my photography and elsewhere. Expensive as hell, but worth every penny.
My subscription to Consumerist. Worth every penny.
My pillow-top queen sized mattress, on sale for $800 and my $40 Victoria Secret Demi-Classic bras are some of the best money I’ve ever spent!
The bras were a splurge for me cause normally i hate even spending $20 on a “good bra” but I went for it.. and now I’m so glad I did!
My smartest purchase was to buy Apple stock when it was $19.00. My stupidest was to sell my Apple stock when it reached $66.00 a share. However, that was still a pretty good return on my investment and one should always remember that stock isn’t worth anything to you unless you sell it.
One of the most useful things I own is a small travel steamer. It’s a simple hand-held that plugs in. It packs easily and is good for steaming clothes out of a suitcase, especially dresses. And, of course, it’s useful at home. I bought it several years ago, and I don’t think it cost more than $10 or $15.
My parents also gave me a basic GPS a couple of years ago, and it’s saved my direction-less self dozens of times. Oh, and the Blackberry I got a few months ago has also made a lot of things much easier.
A $12 air compressor for my car’s tires that I keep in my trunk. It’s gotten me out of numerous jams with flat tires in the middle of nowhere. Also saves on towing fees.
1920×1080 monitor.
I can have two documents open side by side with room to spare. All of a sudden my online classes got a LOT easier. My textbooks were less of a help than that.
A five-week-old tabby kitten from the local animal shelter, who cost about fifty dollars. Other than the thirteen years of constant love and affection she’s provided, about six months after I adopted her she woke me up and got me out of bed about thirty seconds before the built-in shelves above my bed collapsed and crashed down where I’d been sleeping, saving me from serious head trauma at the very least.
Is she a regular tabby or tuxedo tabby?
Laser retinopexy X 2, kept me from going blind.
1.Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker $75 new in store, Paid $7 new in thrift store.
2.Matched Micro Fiber Living Room set, $2400 in Nebraska Furniture,Paid $575 from a Staging company.
3.New Kitchen Counter. Home Depot $199.99 Paid $54.99 because it had a small chip in a spot we were cutting off anyways.
4. Brand new wireless security camera system Retails for $499.00 paid $14.97 brand new in a consignment shop.Resold for $200.00
5. 2000 Mercury Villager retail $4500 paid $1100 plus $79.00 for a distributor and $24 for a O2 sensor. Drives perfect 2 years in.
6. Ge side by side fridge New $2096.00 Paid $300 for one that was 3 months old off craigslist.
7. New knobs for my Kitchen remodel. Home depot $4.50 each!!! Paid $0.37 plus $5.00 shipping. Bought 45 Pulls and Knobs total. 202.50 at home depot or 21.65 on ebay? Hmmm Ebay Baby!
iPhone. I had an iPod so I started running, then had apps to track my exercise and diet, then used an App for OkCupid and found the love of my life. Also using it to balance my checkbook for the first time ever and with access to podcasts my sense of comedy has been redefined and I started to finally write. That’s not even counting how Pandora and This American Life and traffic maps have changed my commute.
The iPhone has improved my quality of life in ways I never imagined when I purchased it as a cool toy.
My Le Creuset cookware, it was actually a birthday gift from my husband. (I told him how much I would love them for my birthday)
I use my cookware every day and I still love my cookware. We have had various pots and pans over the years, none of them were cheap either and none of them held up as well as my Le Creuset.
My sports bras, I have always had a large chest and it is difficult working out because my boobs would hurt. I tried on some sports bras at Title9 and then bought them for $19 each at their warehouse sale instead of paying $60 each. They aren’t pretty and have 11 hooks in the front, but they are the best sports bras I have ever worn and I have tried many brands.
Title 9 calls it their “Last Resort Bra”
Our Australian Cattle Dog mix is our favorite purchase. We found her at the Humane Society and she is the best! She is so very smart and quiet stubborn. (just like her Momma)
She has more toys and blankets then most families. We love her so much!
14L Frye Campus Boots in “banana leather” back in ’04 (?). Seriously the best $275 I’ve ever spent. These boots get better with age. Definitely an investment piece for a Colorado girl!
Team Fortress 2 for $2.50, I have more than 100 hours in the game, love it so much,
Later on I sold my copy of The Orange Box on the PS3 (didn’t have a gaming PC at the time) for ~$22, turned around and bought it on Steam for $15.
TI-85 scientific calculator. Bought it in 1992 and I’ve used it to earn every single penny of income since college.
Gotta give props to my 1981 and 1983 Mazda Rx-7s.
Apple stock…ten years ago.
Best “purchase” I ever made was asking my parents to fund my move to TN. Best $700 I ever spent, and I paid back every penny plus interest. Early
A subscription to eharmony.com… It’s where I met my wonderful husband. Though I did pay for a 1 year subscription and then met him in like a month. =P
A HealthMate blender… It blends 1 glass at a time and unlike the magic bullet, it doesn’t completely suck! It’s sold through a diet website and it blends like a son of a gun.
Expensive running shoes… Better ventilation, more comfortable, lasts longer.
My parents have a good one too. They bought a 1990 Toyota tacoma in great mechanical condition for $500. A year later they got a decent price on a new Toyota tundra and got $1000 off of that with an owner loyalty discount because they owned the ’90 tacoma. They still drive both trucks and the old one is going strong.
Every piece of good, solid wood furniture I’ve purchased, mostly at second hand stores. You can’t buy furniture made solid and out of real wood anymore. Everything today is cheap pressed-board, assembled junk.
My bike.
Has saved me an incredible amount of money, made me healthier, smarter, in better shape, and sexier than ever before.
A $25 hand truck that converts to a flat-bed dolly. I still have it after 20 years. Oh, and a decent set of not-too-pricey tools.
Best child-rearing investments ever.
A used Zojirushi Rice Cooker for $15 (it would’ve cost about $170 new.) Years later it still works wonderfully.
Smartest purchase I’ve ever made was the $30 I spent to put a security freeze on my credit. ($10 per credit bureau).
On SEVEN separate occasions (as I document in my book, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE), Bank of America’s tellers let women with only a fake driver’s license — no bankcard, no PIN, no signature check — take a total of $12,000 out of my checking account. But, when those women went to various retailers and tried to get instant credit in my name, thanks to the credit freeze, they were stopped.
Find out how to freeze yours here:
http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html
Free to victims of identity theft!
I bought a used 1973 Fender Precision Bass in 1983 for about $450. I still own and play it 27 years later, it has never required any substantial maintenance, and is now worth far more than I paid for it, even adjusted for inflation.
Better yet, it has brought me thousands of hours of pleasure and continues to do so almost every day.
I bought a used 1973 Fender Precision Bass in 1983 for about $450. I still own and play it 27 years later, it has never required any substantial maintenance, and is now worth far more than I paid for it, even adjusted for inflation.
Better yet, it has brought me thousands of hours of pleasure and continues to do so almost every day.
My little ceramic space heater. Now I’m not constantly chilly, and I don’t have to heat the whole house just to stay comfortable.
First, my old Salomon boots; bought them in 1996, and they carried me across three continents and two mountain ranges. Finally (sadly) had to retire them….fourteen years later!
Secondly, I bought an old camera on Kijiji, the Craigslist of Canada. Paid 150, and it came with two mint condition lenses that would be worth well over 150 each (I had no idea at the time), along with a boatload of top quality accessories. The funny thing is, it happened only a few days ago!
On a side note, my friend picked up an old Toyota 4×4 from a farmer for a couple hundred bucks; the truck was rusted almost in half and had no dashboard (fun drive home). We spent 4 weekends taking it apart and fixing it up using practically free salvaged spare parts, and found to our surprise that, although the frame was bad, the rest was pretty much pure, low mileage gold. It’s still driving great and turning heads 4 years and 100,000 km later!
1) My Forschner Victorinox 8-inch chef’s knives. Professional quality, highly durable chef’s knife. $30. That’s like a tenth of the price of most similarly rated knives. So worthwhile that we even bought a second one just so that we could each use one if we were working in parallel.
2) 2 Used Reg E. Gaines spoken word poetry CDs for $2 each. Really excellent poetry. I bought them just because they were so very cheap, but they soon became some of my favorites.
3) Cheap mp3s from Amie Street. If you know how to find good underground music, there’s so much stuff that’s very very cheap. Plus Amie Street sometimes sells credit at 50% off, so not counting the interest I’m losing by paying a few months early, I’ve paid less than one dollar of real money for some really good albums.
4) 1.5 carat Amethyst engagement ring. It only cost $75 because amethysts are not expensive at all, but they’re very pretty. My wife gets compliments when she wears it. Diamonds are way over-rated and not really worth the cost. Fortunately, my wife agrees.
5) Our wedding. We spent about $2000 on the whole thing. It helped that we had it in our church and didn’t have to pay hardly anything for the hall. About $1000 of that was food for 100 people. Rather than hiring a caterer, we just placed some large take-out orders from places which also did catering and then used plates, silverware, and chafing dishes from the church and did a serve-yourself buffet. Because we chose our restaurants carefully, we had several people tell us that it was the best food that they’d ever had at a wedding. It’s really nice to have people come up to you a few weeks later and say “We really had fun at your wedding, and the food was so good”. I wrote a long comment with more details about it some time ago in response to post about doing weddings cheaply. If anyone reads this and wants more details, look through my older comments.
harmony remote
a short sale on a house built in 2008. original market asking price of $285K; i got it for $160K
Definitely my Logitech G7 Wireless Laser Mouse… That thing has lasted me 3… almost 4 years and still going! Just now the batteries are getting a short lifespan and it looks like I may have to replace it! Perhaps I can take advantage of the excellent logitech customer service? I hope so!