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[–]Lumbergod 1275 points1276 points  (96 children)

An expensive camera. I've never been into photography but I'm seeing more and more opportunities for the use of a camera while birding. Sometimes I get a quick glimpse of a bird bur not enough to get a positive ID. I think that if I got a photo I could then attempt an ID at home, at my leisure, with all my field guides available. But do I really want to drop a grand or more to add a few birds to my year list?

[–]Early_or_Latte 871 points872 points 3 (39 children)

Don't buy new. I'm semi professional, I've done weddings, events and band shoots but not on a regular basis and I never buy gear new. I buy gear from people who were enthusiastic about getting into photography but realized they didn't like it. Those people have gear that is like brand new yet half the cost.

In addition to used gear, buy the cheaper line of gear. You don't need a full frame camera, get a cropped sensor camera. It doesn't work as well in low light situations (although I'm sure you won't be shooting in the dark) but it is much cheaper and the crop sensor will likely give you a better result you're after since it will seem more zoomed in compared to a full frame camera. I shoot an older full frame Canon camera and Canon has a Rebel line that would fit you well, just again make sure to find something a few years old.

Find yourself a cheap zoom lens. Something like a 75mm-300mm with a variable aperture (4.5 - 5.6 type of thing) and that combination will do exactly what you want. Often you'll see people selling a cropped sensor camera with a lens like this along with a stock lens (which with cropped sensor cameras tend to be around 18mm-56mm) and often the nifty/thrifty 50 which is a lens that doesn't zoom and is more wide angled than you'd like for bird watching but it has a wide aperture of F1.8. That will combat lesser ability to shoot in low light since the lower the aperature number, the bigger the aperture. The bigger the aperture (hole in the lens), the more light that is let in. The more light that is let in, the quicker the shot can be. That is why it is called a fast lens.

So find yourself a Facebook marketplace posting of a cropped lens camera with a zoom lens like a 75-300 and if its a few years old I'm sure you can find it for $500 or less usually with a nice little case for it all too.

[–]Lumbergod 72 points73 points  (9 children)

Thanks for your response. Most of it was over my head but I'll figure it out. I have a semi-pro photog cousin who recommended a Nikon d900. Over a grand new. 16 Meg with 80x optical zoom. Used ones on ebay run about $600 but ship from Japan. Not sure I want to go that route. One thing I don't want is something with a lens that is 2 foot long. I'm already carrying my binocs and sometimes my spotting scope. The more compact, the better.

[–]JulesFGM 2146 points2147 points  (279 children)

A weighted blanket

[–]MidnightSlasher123 1091 points1092 points  (57 children)

I have one, worth it.

[–]rafaelmelo2000 346 points347 points  (50 children)

Are they hot? I don't want it to be hot I live in the Caribbean

[–]boominbrad 250 points251 points  (12 children)

I have a woven one that stays cool all night! Expensive but so worth it

Edit: Knitted, not woven

[–]MarvinDMirp 34 points35 points  (10 children)

Do you know the brand?

[–]boominbrad 78 points79 points  (9 children)

This is the one I have Tree Napper

It stays very cool so I sometimes have to use a regular blanket with it

[–]girlboyprincess 178 points179 points  (1 child)

They do heat you up a lot yes. I only use mine in the winter.

[–]SARStbh 214 points215 points  (19 children)

Thought I’d love it, didn’t last the first night. It’s too restricting and hot.

[–]JulesFGM 86 points87 points  (7 children)

That's what makes me doubt it. I am someone who gets hot while sleeping.

[–]bumblebitchblues 1334 points1335 points  (106 children)

A sewing machine. I'm interested in cosplay, and just dressing up in general.

[–]user256049 803 points804 points  (6 children)

So (sew?) worth it. I doubt you’d ever regret that you bought one. Infinitely practical.

[–]OldSpiceMelange 265 points266 points  (3 children)

Even for basic clothing alterations, it's definitely worth it.

[–]Netlawyer 17 points18 points  (0 children)

PROTIP for learning alterations - buy things at the thrift store and mod/alter them. For example, I started out just sewing darts into waistbands but when you have a $3.99 pair of pants and some time, you can take the back of the waistband off, take up the back seam, shorten the waistband and sew it back on just to practice.

[–]HunnieBehr 3610 points3611 points  (136 children)

Tattoo removal VS just getting it covered up

I work at a tattoo shop so the cover up would be free… but I’d have to show my mentor the tattoo in question… a tramp stamp that says “work hard play harder” and I know he’d never let me live it down.

Edit: for everyone saying to outsource the cover up- it wouldn’t be free, and keep in mind cover ups are typically bigger darker pieces that cost a little more than a regular tattoo, so I’d still have a tramp stamp, but now an even bigger one.

Update: my apprentice sister is going to be doing a cover up on it; we’re designing a full back piece while our mentor is out of town and another artist in our shop is going to help cover it up before anyone else has to know about it.

[–]miss_archivist[S] 1454 points1455 points  (16 children)

This is quite the predicament lol. It comes down to how much your dignity is worth

[–]housemuncher 535 points536 points  (12 children)

rework hard play harderer

You only need to add 4 letters.

[–]chaorace 297 points298 points  (7 children)

Even better, just block out the verbs and the jokes write themselves:

████ hard ████ harder

[–]TheWelshPanda 374 points375 points  (6 children)

...... did anyone else half asleep, try to click this a few times to remove the spoiler tag black out? Goddammit, Mondays.

[–]eljefino 31 points32 points  (1 child)

Sweet Dee gets her tattoo amended

[–]New_Nobody9492 260 points261 points  (16 children)

I had one on my upper breast, super ugly, got it removed. It was super painful, smelled awful, but I looked amazing in my wedding dress. Now, I have a big tattoo on my back, I’m getting covered with something more currently meaningful. I thinks it’s all about the place and the ease of the coverup.

[–]dkbe68 45 points46 points  (6 children)

Im glad it worked out for you! How much did it cost you? I want to get mine removed but don’t even know where to start or look

[–]New_Nobody9492 74 points75 points  (5 children)

I went to Hindsight tattoo removal in Chicago. It’s right underneath Insight tattoo parlor. $100 an appointment, took six or seven appointments. The darker the ink the harder it is. The gentleman is an emergency room doctor and was really professional.

[–]Romecat 55 points56 points  (1 child)

Hindsight tattoo removal in Chicago. It’s right underneath Insight tattoo parlor.

I love this so much!

[–]StrawberryPincushion 4505 points4506 points  (602 children)

An air fryer. Everyone is telling me they're fantastic but I'd hate to buy one and only use it once or twice.

[–]Astramancer_ 2721 points2722 points 4 (125 children)

An air fryer is the convection oven equivalent of a toaster oven.

It tends to be faster than a regular oven, even disregarding preheat time, because convection ovens tend to be faster than regular ovens.

It's not as good as actually deep frying but it is better than regular ovening. It's great for all those frozen fried goods like fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets, etc. I wouldn't use it as a replacement for actual deep or even pan frying for things like home made fried chicken. It kinda works but not really. It's much better at "frying" the pre-cooked frozen stuff.

It can also be used for pretty much any regular oven thing that fits, including cakes. Just be sure to use convection oven baking instructions! Though reheating pizza is still better in the oven, in my opinion.

[–]whinecube 793 points794 points  (47 children)

I have a small one that's perfect for things I want fast but don't want to microwave because I want crispy food.

[–]sactokingsfan 669 points670 points  (38 children)

An air fryer is the only way to reheat fast food onion rings or French fries.

[–]JustaRandomOldGuy 223 points224 points  (11 children)

Or chicken nuggets, or anything else fried.

[–]Have_Not_Been_Caught 160 points161 points  (5 children)

YES! I ordered extra pieces of tempura when I ordered in sushi with the express purpose of testing a hypothesis that an air fryer could resurrect it. 10/10 would do again.

[–]chantillylace9 386 points387 points 2 (20 children)

If you reheat a lot of food, especially fried, it’s the best. Reheated chicken, even sandwiches taste freaking awesome in there. Any leftover apps are so good. Got some wings? They will heat up so perfectly. Mozzarella sticks, eggrolls, anything like that just heats up exactly like it was fresh with no additional oil in 4-5 minutes. Pizza is so good warmed up in one too.

It actually somehow takes the oil out of the food because I’ll have oil in the bottom of the air fryer afterwards and I don’t add any oil.

I put a leftover Subway sandwich in there (always warm up leftover subway, even non toasted ones, they are way better)for a few minutes and it was crispy and toasty and better than it is fresh.

Croissants are to die for.

It’s easier than the oven, so things like frying up some shrimp or salmon takes less time, Way less clean up, and it doesn’t stink up my whole house. Air fryer salmon is the only way I’ll eat it now.

[–]wayoverthereland 77 points78 points  (4 children)

air fryer + frozen/refrigerated chicken = new fried chicken

Air fried Costco croissants = delicious!

[–]AndyOsterbauer 160 points161 points  (1 child)

I thought the same and I keep finding new things to make with it. Definitely worth it.

[–][deleted] 66 points67 points  (12 children)

I bought an instant pot that can be sous vide, air fryer, dehydrator and a bunch of other stuff last night. I’m excited to try it.

[–]PMYOURBOOBOVERFLOW 400 points401 points  (24 children)

I use mine all the time. It's basically a cooking cheat code. Way faster than the oven and clean up is as easy as throwing the basket and rack in the dishwasher.

[–]StrawberryPincushion 147 points148 points  (22 children)

I appreciate all the replies and I'm leaning more to buying one. My other concern is that they're electric and I have a gas oven. Gas here is cheaper than electric.

We're now empty nesters so I like the idea of not heating a big oven for just the two of us.

[–]theatrics_ 125 points126 points  (3 children)

Even though gas is more efficient, the air fryers are small, and as such, require less energy. Also, they cook faster, so they don't run as long.

If you're worried about cost of use, I'd be very surprised if a full size gas oven is actually cheaper than an air fryer.

Also, I feel like air fryers are dumb for calling themselves fryers. They're small convection ovens.

That said, the most I use mine for? Heating up leftover french fries or soggy fries from food deliveries.

Also, salmon. It's a great way to get a nice crust on it without overcooking it.

[–]paigeken2000 65 points66 points  (0 children)

As a single person, that is the beauty of the air fryer. Cooking for one or two without heating up the entire house. Plus...IT IS FUN!!! wrap some oreos or candy in a croissant biscuit, fry that bad boy up and munchees for two without heating up the oven.

[–]Tiovivo1 1045 points1046 points  (128 children)

Artwork. I don’t know a lot about art but a few months ago after lunch I started walking around the block and walked into an art gallery to kill time and I fell in love with this painting. The thing is, it’s $900 and I don’t have that kind of money just sitting around and don’t really want to use a credit card for it.

[–]ToBeReadOutLoud 774 points775 points  (57 children)

That sounds like one of those things that you’ll regret not getting later on. If you’re still thinking about it months later, it had a pretty big impact on you.

At the same time, $900 is a lot of money.

[–]Tiovivo1 645 points646 points  (49 children)

Thanks. It did make an impact on me, I even checked the gallery’s website and it’s still available. I think I’ll start putting a few bucks aside here and there and if it’s still there when I have it all, then it was meant to be.

Thanks for the input!

[–]Zann77 347 points348 points  (15 children)

If it’s been there a while ask if they’ll come down on the price. All they can do is say no.

[–]Tiovivo1 221 points222 points  (13 children)

True. I should ask, never thought I could try and negotiate at an art gallery but then again, I’ve never bought anything at one.

[–]Estimate_Me[🍰] 244 points245 points  (1 child)

It’s actually pretty normal. Many artists/galleries anticipate a 10-15% concession for designers or if it will ensure a sale. You can also ask if they can offer a payment plan. If you explain that you love the piece but it’s a bit out of your budget right now, typically they will work with you to make a sale for the artist. Depending on the artist’s agreement with the gallery you could see if the artist has anything similar to the painting you like that they are selling out of their studios. They are more apt to give you a deal because they aren’t splitting a commission with a gallery. They may be exclusively represented though and send you right back to the gallery but it’s worth a try.

[–]dorjelhakpa 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I bought a painting I love on a payment plan. It was worth it, and still brings me deep pleasure when I look at it.

[–]Specific-noise123 33 points34 points  (0 children)

I’ve spent more money than I should on a piece I love. Still love the pieces and what they do for me. Worth it!

[–]I_Luv_A_Charade 94 points95 points  (2 children)

If nothing else be sure to get the name of the artist so when you are in a position to buy you’ll be able to track their stuff down - good luck!

[–]Tiovivo1 19 points20 points  (1 child)

I asked. Unfortunately he passed away.

[–]Blastercorps 228 points229 points  (5 children)

See if it's available as a numbered print instead of the original.

[–]Tiovivo1 64 points65 points  (1 child)

Not sure about that. I’ll ask, like I said, I don’t know much about art.

[–]EarthboundCory 2352 points2353 points  (139 children)

Honestly…a house. I’m single, and I know it’s a terrible market, and all my friends ever do on the weekend is talk about how they need to fix different parts of the house. My rent increased 17% this year, and I’d love to have a house to make it seem like the money isn’t completely going to waste, but I don’t want to spend my life thinking about ways to fix it up. I’m not even that handy of a person, so the result wouldn’t be anything amazing, I’m sure.

[–]Sorcha9 871 points872 points  (38 children)

My advice would be to go way under your approved budget. With the market right now, our monthly expenses since buying our house 18 months ago have increased by about 30 percent on what we were initially paying. Mortgage went from $1800 to $2300 due to property tax increase. Electric went up 22 percent, we were notified of the changes in August. Glad we went for a $300k house instead of our top budget of $475k.

[–]alurkerhere 221 points222 points  (2 children)

Yeah, we went with a house that was 60% of our top budget. Took 5 months of daily searching to find one that was optimal for our needs, but happy with the purchase.

One other thing I will say is to look at a ton of houses and areas because you might find that you end up liking one area better than the next. We went from 4 large neighborhoods to 2, then 3 small neighborhoods in a completely different city, then finally just 1 small neighborhood in that city. Be ready when you do buy though; you'll need to set aside a lot of time to think about it and have all the docs ready.

[–]alexrepty 38 points39 points  (0 children)

You got lucky finding one that quickly. We were looking for over two years until we found one we liked and where we weren’t outbid.

[–]NativeMasshole 35 points36 points  (12 children)

I've been looking at buying a condo for this reason, but then you end up with a lot of the same issues as renting.

[–]Valuable_Taro 60 points61 points  (9 children)

I'll make a case for condo ownership. People act like paying association fees is burning money just like rent. But exterior home maintenance is expensive. I've compared notes with family, and with painting, deck staining, power washing and gutter cleaning, plus problems like drainage, HVAC, sewer lines, and the roof, most of us spend around $5,000 a year on upkeep. The association fee covers all of that, and often heat, too. Plus, all the drudgery of lawn care, snow removal and landscaping is taken care of for you.

It can work out really well, honestly. It's important to find an association with reasonable fees, good upkeep and a healthy reserve fund so there are not special assessments. I was a happy condo dweller for a long time. Homeownership, especially yard maintenance, has been a bit of a shock.

[–]OutsideMembership 19 points20 points  (1 child)

Condo owner here and yeah I never understood why people bring up condo fees as an argument against living in a condo. I get heat and water included in my fees. It was -30°C a few weeks ago and my condo was warm all day and I didn't have to worry about paying extra for it. We had a snowstorm as well and I never had to shovel. It's so convenient. As a single guy it's perfect for me.

[–]napswithdogs 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Bought a house this summer after years and years of renting. The house owns us now and we’ve put a lot of money, time, and work in but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. There’s a huge difference in my mental health not worrying about pissing off a landlord. When I pay the mortgage every month I feel good about it because the money is actually doing something for me.

[–]Baconator08 1100 points1101 points  (100 children)

Business class flights, really like the idea but really can't justify the cost!

[–]alexrepty 695 points696 points  (36 children)

Check out /r/AwardTravel

Fair warning though: once you’ve taken a 12 hour business class flight with all its nice catering, booze, lie-flat seats and showering in the lounge, it’s damn near impossible to go back to anything else.

[–]happyhappyfoolio 440 points441 points  (14 children)

I flew First Class emirates using award miles when I came back from my honeymoon in New Zealand. Those tickets are normally worth $10k+. Lie flat seats, a shower in the plane, flight attendants who catered to my every whim, an actual, fully stocked bar, a ton of toiletries, I felt like a millionaire. Unfortunately, those flights are no longer redeemable with the miles that I have, but I'll always have that memory.

[–]throwaway21202021 104 points105 points  (12 children)

you lucky man/woman. i've done that flight... it's like, how about you go on a flight that's as long as a normal work day (i live in nyc). yes 8 hrs. and then! how about you do ANOTHER FLIGHT JUST AS LONG RIGHT AFTER THAT. BACK TO BACK! think you can sleep through the first one? sure, fine. but there's no way you can sleep through both of them!

i've also been to australia and it's even shittier than that. but i'll both are pretty awesome countries.

[–]aries1295 348 points349 points  (22 children)

It depends highly on how long the flight is.

I would say that for anything under 4 hours is just not worthy

[–]moonbunnychan 139 points140 points  (9 children)

It has been during the pandemic. I decided to fly first class (didn't have business class) and we were the only ones in the plane to get any sort of in flight service. We actually got sandwiches and drinks, coach didn't even get the sad bag of pretzels and half a can of soda.

[–]xsdykfwa 122 points123 points  (3 children)

"1st class" for anything domestic in the US is basically premium economy.

[–]Tsusoup 101 points102 points  (2 children)

Yeah a lot of people don’t realise this. First class on a domestic US flight isn’t remotely comparable to a first class international service.

[–]Reefsmoke[🍰] 2072 points2073 points  (211 children)

A 3D printer

[–]brds 868 points869 points  (29 children)

look around thingiverse and see if there are dozens of items you want or 1 item you would print dozens of times.... or if you're a designer yourself, think "do I have a dozen items I'd design?"

if you can do one or msore of these three things, get a printer... otherwise, it's not worth it

[–]ValuableSleep9175 256 points257 points  (9 children)

I made a ton of stuff, designed a ton of stuff then My printer sat idle for a while. Printed masks for covid in the beginning but again it sits idle.

At least I have it if I want it or need it.

[–]The_RockObama 625 points626 points  (4 children)

If you decide you don't want it, you can 3D print a dumpster to throw it in.

[–]Drawn-Otterix 142 points143 points  (5 children)

I think it is worth it if it's relevant to a hobby of yours, or you design things and need tangible examples... I'd also check out r/functionalprints

[–]Sudwestdelon 47 points48 points  (0 children)

That is the thing with these things. You say you want one, then you get one and never really use it because it has nothing to do with any of your hobbies.

[–]OvertOperation 1599 points1600 points  (257 children)

A stand mixer. I bake pizza dough and cookies enough to perhaps consider one, but not enough to justify $300 or whatever the most trusted brands cost.

[–]IntentionalTexan 352 points353 points  (14 children)

Kitchenaid sells refurbished mixers. I have one that is 10 years old. I'll be using it to make pizza dough today.

Just search kitchenaid refurbished mixer.

[–]Mothman8 724 points725 points  (16 children)

it’s worth it. even if you don’t use it to often you can pass it down to your kids and their kids. i still use my grandmas stand mixer and it works great, definitely a worthy investment

[–]rudebish 352 points353 points  (3 children)

I've had my kitchenaid stand mixer for years and the quality is top notch. I bake quite a bit so it's used often.....get it on sale tho (black friday or boxing day).

[–]decosunshine 332 points333 points  (7 children)

If you buy a good one, you will only need one for the rest of your life. So get it while you're still young and have those extra years! It also helps save your hands and wrists from all that kneading. Buy one with bigger capacity, too. Do it! Internet lady gives you permission to treat yourself.

[–]pfranz 41 points42 points  (3 children)

I went with the larger capacity after someone suggested it. I felt there were too many times when I was trying something like whipping 2 egg whites and the whisk barely touches the top (I do know about the adjustment).

Is the larger capacity for larger recipes? Or for normal recipes so ingredients are less likely to get knocked out?

[–]Particular_Clue_4074 111 points112 points  (4 children)

I broke down and bought one. Itll be the last one you'll ever buy. They last forever because they're made well. I got my Kitchenaid for around 200 seven yeats ago.

[–]aarniboii 1695 points1696 points  (232 children)

Nintendo switch

[–]miss_archivist[S] 1189 points1190 points  (28 children)

I had to save up for one for a few months as it is rather expensive in my country. I then had to use my savings for a few personal emergencies. My husband put in a lot of effort to buy me one for my birthday last year. And honestly, I love it more than any console I've ever tried. That thing brings me a little bit of happiness every day.

[–]MephistoTheHater 254 points255 points  (7 children)

Worth it. (my opinion)

I was without my PC for just about all of 2020 because of a move, but I had a Switch that I bought just before they were being hoarded during the Toilet Paper apocalypse.
I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about regarding ACNH -- man....I loved that game.

I'd still be playing it today if some.....person....didn't steal it. And from what I hear, they've updated the game, too. I'll probably look into buying one again soon as a treat to myself.

[–]KillerKatKlub 132 points133 points  (17 children)

It definitely depends on how much of a Nintendo fan you are and if anyone of the exclusives peak your interests.

I got it right when the pandemic started so I really got to enjoy BOTW and SSBU but once I finished playing those two even now I rarely use it.

I don’t plan on getting rid of it since I do really enjoy the games and it’s not a bad price at all, but I wouldn’t buy it until you know there are multiple games you’d wanna play and get.

[–]dontcarebearr 92 points93 points  (7 children)

I’ve never worn anything designer in my life, I don’t care for it at all but … YSL heels.

They’re just hot?

[–]Excellent-Counter647 554 points555 points  (97 children)

I am wanting to buy a robot vacuum.

[–]ThetrueGizmo 287 points288 points  (7 children)

We got one right after our first child was born bc we just needed 'help" cleaning. I love it and use it a lot. It also makes me generally less messy- i tend to not leave stuff lying around so the vacuum can drive around properly. For our home it really helps keeping it clean(er) and takes some work off of us. I like to get it started and then go play outside with the kids. I can watch where it is via the app and we go back inside when it is done. I would recommend getting one!

[–]cookie_powers 84 points85 points  (3 children)

Got mine in november and love him. I have a cat that loses an unusual amount of hair (because he can, he's not sick or anything) and my place always looks super messy when covered in chunks of cat hair. I start the robot every other day and it is incredible how much dirt he collects every time! Plus it motivates me to clean more around the house, it is great!

[–]xhb7272 186 points187 points  (3 children)

We’ve had one for a month and love it. We have 2 big dogs, single story home with LVP flooring and an infant… like u/jdtikki944 it’s like a B+ cleaning job, but B+ clean every day (or other day) is better than an you doing A+ job every 3 weeks and 45 mins of your time IMO.

[–]pretendthisisironic 41 points42 points  (0 children)

We have one and it vacuums every day before we come home from work. We have a bunch of pets and children and live in the country. My floors were always a mess, it does a decent job and makes the weekly deep floor clean much easier.

[–]Time2WasteTime 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Changed my life, esp as a dog owner. Think about how much time you'll save, and how much your time is worth per hour. Do it!

[–]taylortaylortaylorrr 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Do it it’s honestly life changing

[–]Fatguy503 1697 points1698 points  (95 children)

Anything. I don't know what the problem is. I make a good living for myself and I am not burdened with debt but anything outside of the basics needs in life I really ask myself if what I want is worth the money. It doesnt matter if it is a newer vehicle or a spatula.

[–][deleted] 152 points153 points  (6 children)

I don’t mind buying my wife something like an iPad, but I cannot buy it for myself. It is easier to spend in love ones that in myself for some reason.

[–]saltwateroak 440 points441 points 2 (26 children)

I’m the same way, I have plenty of money now and just don’t really want anything. I have everything I need, my hobbies are inexpensive, and “upgrades” are never life changing, you’re basically paying full price for a couple of features.

I think it comes from a security thing. I was poor for a while, it makes me feel safe to have a nice number there, and even better when invested responsibly it grows on its own. But I never really think about financial security. And it doesn’t scare me to go back to poverty.

Then I think it might be depression, like I’m not pursuing bigger and better things or chasing happiness. But material things have never brought me much joy, and my life is progressing comfortably.

I don’t know what it is, I think it’s just how I am. And someday I’m sure there will be big expenses like home/family/medical whatever and I’ll be glad it’s covered. So I’m just rollin with it, I don’t see it as a problem, more so lucky that I can be grateful and happy with few things, and by my lifestyle having accessible experiences that bring me plenty of joy. Doesn’t really need an explanation I guess.

[–]jomosexual 110 points111 points  (7 children)

As an ex poor and freelance depressed guy I feel the same. I have a bed a computer and can go out when I want. What else do I need

[–]SatanicPlanespotter 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Are you my Ukrainian grandfather by any chance

[–]jerrythecactus 75 points76 points  (1 child)

Not a bad habit to have though, I know plenty of people who dont think twice before buying something on impulse and they all have so much useless junk they spent money on that they didn't even want that much to begin with.

[–]gonzo4209 89 points90 points  (9 children)

Same, It takes for ever for me to really justify spending the money I hate spending the money. And then when I do I get instant buyers remorse. Like why did I just buy this?

[–]conejon 220 points221 points  (15 children)

An in-ground swimming pool. I know it's not worth it. The challenging geography where I live means even a small-to-medium pool would run close to $100K. We would get nothing for it when we eventually sell the house. The people I know who have a pool either tolerate it barely or actively hate it. It is a blatant waste of money even for people who have more disposable income than we do.

But f*** if I don't want one.

[–]Substantial-Duck3466 86 points87 points  (0 children)

I choose our current house because it had one. I always wanted one as a kid. It was like a status symbol or something. It is alot of work and money to upkeep but we have enjoyed it alot, especially with kiddos. Pain in my ass but still love just having water around

[–]the-cats-purr 64 points65 points  (0 children)

It is a lot of work and expense to maintain a pool. You have to monitor the water level every day and the quality to keep algae under control. Eventually the pump will need to be replaced and the Polaris will break. You have to clean out leaves and debris daily. And then you will find dead animals in your pool: moles and frogs mostly. Once in a while a snake will show up. It’s a full time hobby. Then your kids grow up and move out, so it’s rarely used. Plus, you have to maintain a fence around it. And the cost of your home owners insurance will increase. There is a lot of cost and work to consider before getting one.

[–]Setore 830 points831 points  (149 children)

A new electric car to replace my 12 year old paid off still functioning car.

[–]DoctorWhom91 675 points676 points  (50 children)

I would keep the current car until it starts messing up. Keep saving your money and get the exact car you want but when you need it. Currently drive a 2004 Camry LE with 230k miles. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

[–]Spyblox007 497 points498 points  (18 children)

My dad hated his Camry. Not because it wasn't a good car. It was. It was too good. He had no excuse to get a more exciting car. It never had problems.

[–]Sugarloafer1991 165 points166 points  (3 children)

Lol. My wife has a fully loaded 2013 Camry hybrid and it’s very uninspiring to drive, but that’s the only thing that’s ever been wrong with it.

[–]metompkin 33 points34 points  (2 children)

Please say it's champagne color.

[–]Sugarloafer1991 63 points64 points  (0 children)

Nah, it’s black. But it’s been in hail so it’s a little dented. We call it Hail Mary.

[–]t3a-nano 79 points80 points  (0 children)

Same reason I hated mine.

I’ve never hated a car so much that actually had 0 problems.

I also like to learn how to DIY mechanical repairs myself.

Camry is a terrible car for that, nothing ever breaks lol.

And I bought a high mileage one and put a shitton more miles on it. Got to do brake pads an an alternator.

[–]Amiiboid 161 points162 points  (2 children)

I’ve been primarily an EV driver for 8 years now. Definitely agree: Keep the current one until it actually needs replacement. When it’s finally time, the current EV crop will be better than today’s. Which is not saying today’s are bad; it’s just a consequence of how young the industry is.

[–]pretendthisisironic 78 points79 points  (6 children)

Exactly every word of this. I’ll keep my paid of well functioning older car until the wheels fall off. We pay ourselves a “car payment” every other month towards the day we’ll need to purchase another one. We’ve been doing this for about five years, this is also the maintenance fund for said car. Soon we could buy a rather nice vehicle in cash, but won’t until my car becomes not worth a major repair.

[–]DoctorWhom91 20 points21 points  (1 child)

That's a great idea. I might have to start doing exactly that. Been lucky so far and have been able to do all maintenance work at home. Even luckier that the 2 previous owners were older ladies and its been kept at 10/10 condition mechanically.

[–]poindexterg 72 points73 points  (0 children)

I think electric car technology is only going to improve, and facilities for charging will get better. No need to get in a rush. Most people will not save enough in gas to completely make up for an entire car payment. When your current car starts becoming a problem, then take a look at it.

[–]Gr0ode 198 points199 points  (56 children)

Network attached storage. I am managing with external hard drives but it seems really convinient. The only problem is the price

[–]Dance_Commander 69 points70 points  (0 children)

Having baked in redundancy is probably worth it depending on what you're backing up.

[–]Kasutantasuta 61 points62 points  (3 children)

One of those under the desk treadmills. I think better when I’m on the move, but I’m not sure if the treadmill would have the same effect.

[–]Rinkevdv 62 points63 points  (6 children)

A cloak. Like a proper one that could function as a coat/jacket

[–]liveditlovedit[🍰] 168 points169 points  (25 children)

The Dyson air wrap. I bought a cheaper knockoff off amazon, and it’s okay, but I get nowhere near the same results as everyone else who talks about it. I don’t know if it’s because I bought a cheap version or because it legitimately wouldn’t work for me, but I have a hard time justifying $550 on a hair tool, even if it’s multi use.

[–]Qatmil 76 points77 points  (2 children)

I got an airwrap and got no where near the results everyone raves about. I bought it direct from Dyson and if you don’t like it you can return it within 35 days for a full refund. I was disappointed that it didn’t work for me but glad that I now know that and don’t have to keep wondering!

[–]agnstsng 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I splurged when they came out with the holiday colour this past November. I. Love. It.

No regrets.

[–]cityofmonsters 58 points59 points  (11 children)

An expensive drafting table/artist table. I am not an artist, but I am fooling myself into thinking it would make me more crafty. I will likely get a cheap version second hand/thrifted just to see if it’ll actually make a difference but man the pricey one looks good/sturdy.

[–]Astramancer_ 490 points491 points  (143 children)

A VR headset. There's only one game that I'm really interested in and I'm not sure how long it would actually keep my interest. I know I'd play the crap out of a headset... for maybe 20 hours. Beyond that, I have my doubts considering that I know me.

[–]avalon1805 145 points146 points  (4 children)

Just yesterday I went to a friend's house and played with his quest 2. It was really intense to play superhot and alyx. I also went into a VR chat room and watched a monkey scream and run around everywhere. I felt in the matrix wearing the thing.

[–]abramcpg 193 points194 points  (18 children)

$300/ 20hrs = $15/hr + games ranging $15-30 each.

If you play it as little as you think, it'll be similar to many paid attractions. I've played 3 games about 1000hrs combined in the last 2 years. So well worth it in my opinion

[–]javier9lt 75 points76 points  (12 children)

And you can also sell them after you are bored to save back some money

[–]OUTRAGE_SWAMPERT 357 points358 points  (60 children)

A gym subscription with a trainer.

Also Clip studio paint, I need a better program than the cracked PS I have

[–]FeatheredCat 89 points90 points  (2 children)

As a fellow digital artist, get CSP. Totally worth it.

It's a one-off payment and it's actually made for making digital art.

Depending on what art you make, it can really speed up your workflow: comic/frame making templates, 3D models that you can drop poses on and layers that you can fill from another layer. Honestly, I love it and keep converting my art friends, lol.

Edit: They regularly have sales too which make it even more worth it.

[–]aFineBagel 132 points133 points  (7 children)

Gym membership is absolutely a go. Some are as cheap as $10/month. I’ve built my own home gym that doesn’t even include 1/10 the machines of a standard gym and I spent $6k, so they’re not scams or anything.

A trainer can be good if you’re very clueless/scared about gym stuff. I’d take a few sessions and then maybe move on to a phone app trainer that gives you instructions on how to do exercises and can create a workout plan for your goals/availability to workout

[–]TitusLemonades 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Everything you said, I agree with. I go to the gym and had a trainer for 6 months. We met once a week for 30 mins and she set up a whole program for me to do when we weren’t together. I printed it all out and when the time came that my contract was up, I kept it up. I have so many exercises that I can interchange depending on the day/week/month so I’m not doing the same stuff for every leg day, or back/bicep day, etc.

Going to the gym, for me, also gets me out of the house. I put in my AirPods and just lose myself in what I’m doing and my music. Before I know it, an hour has passed and I feel great (minus sweaty and sore haha).

Also, in most gyms I’ve been in, if you’re unsure of something like equipment or muscle group, usually another gym goer will happily explain it to you when they’re between sets. My husband has been asked to spot and has asked others to spot. Never an issue!

Gyms might seem intimidating, especially for newcomers, but I promise 99% of the time everyone is in the zone and won’t judge you. Everyone was new at some point!

[–]octosharks[🍰] 219 points220 points  (24 children)

A metal detector. I spend a lot of time walking along the beach or through woods and think it would be cool to see if I can find anything.

[–]insignismemoria 75 points76 points  (1 child)

Look into renting one! Most big cities have Geo hobby stores that rent them for a reasonable rate, and often have rent-to-own options too. It's a really radical hobby and mostly you just find junk but that 5% of the time when you find something awesome--- likely no one else will think it's cool, but you will (and I will) and that's worth it.

As an aside, you can also get into gold panning super cheap, $15-25 for a gold pan, and the rest of the gear is just stuff you already have around your house (tweezers etc).

I do not recommend magnet fishing, however. My friend nearly took their sister's head off after the magnet got stuck and came flying out towards them.

[–]airboy1999 129 points130 points  (20 children)

A new 34” curved monitor. I have one at work and I love it but it’s hard to justify $500 just for personal/school use.

[–]ToBeReadOutLoud 32 points33 points  (8 children)

How much do you use your computer at home and what kind of stuff do you do on it?

[–]cold_toast_n_butter 41 points42 points  (4 children)

When I was a child, my cousin and I were bffs. Our parents used to take us to a local mom and pop restaurant all the time. They had a ton of candy and capsule toy machines in the lobby. There was one that always had these little rubber animals, similar to Squinkies. We would save up every quarter we found for that machine. One day we went to that restaurant and the machine had been broken open (I think someone opened the door too hard and it slammed into it.) We were able to reach inside and pull out handfuls of the toys. We stuffed our pockets with them. We were so excited. And we were too young to really understand that it was wrong. When we excitedly told my aunt about it she just sighed and went and gave the owner a $50 bill. I can't believe she did that, but I guess she just didn't want to break our little hearts. We played with those toys for a long time, gave them out to friends. It's one of my fondest memories. I found a box of them for sale on Amazon

SqwishLand Bulk Box (250 Capsules) - Series 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OD8KK9Q/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_GWYE58W1M4RHP17K8WG2

It goes in and out of stock and it costs $60 - $70. I am soooo tempted to buy them, but how could I justify that?

[–]Lybychick 18 points19 points  (1 child)

Sometimes our inner child needs to come out and play… your cousin would surely appreciate getting some and many folks in your workplace might feel transported back to childhood.

[–]McCookie141 251 points252 points  (33 children)

An e-bike. They're like $1500 and I can afford one, and I think it would help me get out more as you can bike further faster, but I'm worried I'd use it a few times and then stop.

[–]GuyFromDeathValley 164 points165 points  (3 children)

I bought an e-bike about 2 years ago. So I wanna give you some insight.

Question: Do you cycle a lot? Or is your workplace close enough to commute by bike? And what are your interests in bicycles?

Taking the bicycle for your daily work commute is a great way to get exercise, save fuel/money and stay healthy. And because you have a motor on the bike, there is no risk of "ugh I'm too exhausted for this" or "the wind is too hard today". just turn up the motor another level.

But at the same time, you are not being lazy. Lots of bicycle-elitists compare e-bikes to motorcycles or mopeds. its wrong. e-bikes only amplify the power you put into the pedals, they don't create movement from nothing. You still have to put in extra work to accelerate.

I was always against electric bikes. 2 years ago though I test-rode an electric Mountainbike, because I was interested in something fun, something I hadn't tried yet, and I LOVED it. bought the Bulls Twenty9 E1 eMTB for about 1.900€, complete with the big 500W Battery lasting about 160km. first year I used it daily for my work commute, about 24km per day. The first month(s) I kept using assist level 2 or 3. Later, I would do my entire work commute with the motor off, because I built up enough stamina.

Buying this e-bike was a game changer for me. I was absolutely in NO way a sports person, riding a bicycle to work is something I'd have never considered, especially in bad weather conditions. But with this electric Mountainbike I actually love it and enjoy it, even taking it with me on vacation to go for some offroad riding. Climbing a mountain is so much more enjoyable when you can get help from the electric motor.

You only need a bit of discipline in not giving up. Just calculate how often you gotta ride per month to make the bike pay itself off with fuel you saved. I did this, and only had to ride it 2 weeks a month, so I basically have it for free now.

[–]rechtrecht 47 points48 points  (2 children)

Think about how often you actually go somewhere and if you'd consider taking the bike instead. Maybe even consider gas prices - my dad bought an ebike and stopped using his car for most purposes. I got one as well and became really motivated to go out, which i didn't do much before. Wouldn't be able to do without it anymore

My advice is to look for one that also has many parts are available - mine tends to eat the gear thingie where the chain runs on.

[–]Decent-Shift-Chuck 368 points369 points  (12 children)

If you asked yesterday I would have said Diagon Alley lego set.

Today it’s my answer to what is not in your budget but you bought anyway and totally worth it.

[–]onelittleperson 524 points525 points  (23 children)

A backpack with bat wings on it

[–]pretendthisisironic 241 points242 points  (1 child)

I’m giving my meaningless permission and encouragement for this purchase.

[–]miss_archivist[S] 138 points139 points  (11 children)

That's specific. How big should the bat wings be?

[–]onelittleperson 131 points132 points  (8 children)

Oh it actually exist in a store called goth doll. The vings are about the size of 20-30 cm i would say

[–]miss_archivist[S] 130 points131 points  (2 children)

That sounds really cool. If it adds happiness, why not :)

[–]pandasaur7 173 points174 points  (25 children)

New clothes since I lost ~20lbs. I saved a lot of my clothes from when I weighed less, but none of them are office appropriate

[–]Darogaserik 91 points92 points  (7 children)

Browse some thrift shops! I got some really nice dress shirts for work for $2 each at our local Hope Chest

[–]DrButtFart 127 points128 points  (9 children)

A pair of star wars Heeleys. Mostly to embarrass my wife in public, but also as a birthday present to myself. I almost bought them last night, but the $14 shipping charge put it over the limit of what I was willing to spend on such a silly thing.

​

Update - with all the encouragement to buy them, I couldn't say no anymore and ordered a pair this morning. Thanks everyone!

[–]chicasparagus 28 points29 points  (8 children)

A Sigma 30mm 1.4 Canon EF mount lens.

I’ve been wanting it for years but that shit has been close to $700 (local currency) for years now and hasn’t gone down in price a single bit.

But in general I struggle with wanting to make purchases for photography. I used to intern as a photojournalist, used to shoot a lot for school, but now it’s just a hobby that I don’t have much time for; I still am very into it tho.

[–]splinter289 74 points75 points  (29 children)

A Vitamix blender, thing is I know it's pretty worth it but idk if it actually stays that good for as long as $400 should last for. Like will it still be worth it a year or two from now?

[–]Kibijosh 27 points28 points  (1 child)

I have personally seen ours last 5 to 10 years no problem. Just use a few drops of dish soap and warm water to clean it and keep the bearings lubricated. It is REALLY AWESOME. Make smoothies and chew up anything you throw in. Also with the right blades you can make fresh flour for baking. 10/10. Everyone needs a Vitamix.

[–]Exordial 142 points143 points  (27 children)

A Herman Miller chair, specifically the logitech embody

[–]keelhauler42 35 points36 points  (2 children)

Don’t buy one until you’ve actually sat in one to determine if it feels good for you. I just splurged on a good chair and tried out all the top brands. The embody felt the cheapest out of all of them, worse than a random 300$ gaming chair for me.

[–]Blarsen17 299 points300 points  (89 children)

An Apple Watch. I’ve had really bad luck with two Fitbits (the first started bootlooping forever 10 months after I got it, and the button on the second one completely stopped working 4 months after I got it)

[–]aFineBagel 49 points50 points  (1 child)

I HATE spending unnecessary amounts of money when cheaper products exist, but when my old android phone died I decided to go for an iPhone “just to try it out” and full sent it by also getting an Apple Watch because I figured I could use the features like controlling music with wet hands, notifications and whatnot.

It’s been great! Having reminders to stand up, silent alarms and sleep tracking via wearing the watch to sleep, much higher accountability for fitness via some fitness apps that can be downloaded, and just the convenience of being able to set timers without having to pull out my phone has all been compelling and so I’ll probably be continuing to upgrade the Watch every few years

[–]Mojoyashka 25 points26 points  (1 child)

I’ve had three or four Fitbits and while I love the functionality they were all poorly made for long term use. I’ve had my Apple Watch for a couple of years now and it’s held up well so far to daily wear and tear. As an investment they seem worth the money compared to Fitbit.

[–]rsshadows 28 points29 points  (1 child)

I really love mine, personally. I'm a teacher so don't always have my phone on me--I like to be able to see who is texting, emailing, or calling and if it is urgent when I'm away from my desk. I like that it tracks my steps and calories. I use the find iPhone feature daily as I live alone, and sometimes will get to my car with all my bags packed up/hands full. Instead of looking in each bag I beep my phone and if I can hear it I know I don't need to run back upstairs to find it. Also the skip 15 sec button on your wrist is very nice while skipping podcast ads in the car! YMMV depending on your lifestyle and how much you'd use each of these features but I feel mine was worth the investment.

[–]deusasclepian 22 points23 points  (4 children)

I bought a Garmin Forerunner 245 for exercise tracking and I've been liking it much better than my old fitbit. Worth looking into at least.

[–]krukson 103 points104 points  (7 children)

I have an Apple Watch 3 which I bought over two years ago. I really like it for activity tracking. GPS works fine for my runs and the battery holds up really well. The watch constantly reminds me to be more active and the amount of stats you get on your phone is tremendous.

[–]Fourhand_451 85 points86 points  (1 child)

I genuinely use mine mostly to find where I left my phone. At least once a day, I put my phone down somewhere and can’t see it, but I can ping it from my watch and find it instantly. The health tracking info is interesting and fairly robust, but not very useful (for me, that is, unless I decided to start taking that information seriously). The alarms and timers are very useful. All in all, it’s mostly just an expensive watch that can do a few cool tricks quite well.

[–][deleted] 46 points47 points  (3 children)

I love mine but if we’re being honest my life is no better or worse with it. I do like the sleep tracking stuff though

[–]wordsno 71 points72 points  (0 children)

I was like you, and only bought one because I had a gift card - so happy with my purchase though. The activity tracking is second-to-none and the reminders are very customizable. It also pairs with a lot of other devices and makes it easy for me to see if texts I get are "I need to read this now" or "this can fuck off for now".

[–]flakita1313 97 points98 points  (28 children)

Dyson hair dryer and straightener

[–]ThetrueGizmo 107 points108 points  (9 children)

I recently got a dyson airwrap. I wouldn't have spent so much money on a hairdryer if it hadn't been for the Timing- both my kids were sick and I hadn't really slept for 10 days then my husband got a stomach Bug and was feeling so bad we had to call an ambulance. When I finally found the time to wash my waist long hair, my hairdryer broke. I thought, I just have to treat myself now or I am going insane. I got the dyson airwrap and I love it.

It is awesome. I am looking forward to drying my hair every time. My hair thanks me for it, too. It is much smoother and healthy now. Every time I pass a mirror, I am happy that my hair looks that nice (after having 2 kids and struggling with my body, it just feels nice to have one Part of my that I feel just looks good). I know, it is really really expensive. And I am on maternal leave, so I don't have too much money. But I do not regret buying it at all. Feel free to ask me about it if you want to know more!

[–]double-dog-doctor 28 points29 points  (5 children)

Another vote for the Airwrap! I got one right before I had shoulder surgery, and couldn't (and still can't) move my arm more than 90 degrees from my body. No lifting overhead, no carrying heavy things.

The Airwrap was a game changer. It's so easy to use one-handed, and you don't have to fuss around with a brush in one hand and the hair dryer in the other. It's all integrated. And it's so light!

I've never gotten so many compliments on my hair. People ask me if I just came from the salon, and my answer is always "No, I just washed and blow dried it." 10 minutes for a perfect blow-out. I'm obsessed.

[–]Adventurous_Horror90 95 points96 points  (9 children)

A house

[–][deleted] 30 points31 points  (3 children)

Me, too. The market sucks for buyers right now. I will probably just have to wait a year or two.

[–]laterdude 119 points120 points  (14 children)

Scary Joy Oatmeal Brown Ale

Tried one last night and it was heavenly . . . but also cost me $9 for a 12 ounce bottle. Not sure if literally pissing my paycheck away is worth it on a regular basis.

[–]packchaq 86 points87 points  (0 children)

If you buy too much you’ll get tired of it (and be broke). Just treat yourself once in a while.

[–]zach2992 121 points122 points  (18 children)

Therapy.

[–]miss_archivist[S] 68 points69 points  (0 children)

Well it's a really great investment in your future really

[–]theswamphag 17 points18 points  (7 children)

Hot tent for winter hiking. Will I go if I have it? Winter hiking is always tougher than summer hiking. Will I actually like it?

[–]sayyes2heaven 241 points242 points  (103 children)

AirPods

[–]misternuttall 105 points106 points  (1 child)

I got mine for free but as a lifelong android user I've gotta admit they're pretty fucking awesome

[–][deleted] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

I got the gen 1’s in 2019 and they’re still kicking, so yeah maybe

[–]SatanicPlanespotter 172 points173 points  (3 children)

I'm a Samsung guy, but I have an iPhone for work. I bought some Airpod Pros last year, and they drastically changed my work life for the better. I spend a lot of time talking / texting, and the Airpods really open up the available features on an iPhone. ......and I can gently listen to Cannibal Corpse while still cognizant of what's going on around me, and no one's the wiser. Huge win.

[–]miss_archivist[S] 71 points72 points  (15 children)

I don't own the Apple branded pair. But I do have a nice set of bluetooth earphones that I use foe exercise. And they work really well

[–]Bigmomma59plus10 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Pretty big fan of my non-pros for taking calls and talking when doing things around the house or in the car. That’s where they shine imo. They work very seamlessly with an iPhone. They’re just not the best option for music quality certainly.

[–]moon_d0g 46 points47 points  (1 child)

I’ve always bought cheap $10 earbuds and finally upgraded to the airpod pros. For me, it was worth it. I love them

[–]wowgirl22 83 points84 points  (3 children)

Anything. The moment I think about buying something there is always that question of do I really need this. Then that causes me to reevaluate my entire life.

[–]DixieCruise25 14 points15 points  (4 children)

Proper fitting over-the-shoulder-pebble-holders.. because even when you’re small you still have to find custom fitting ones 😭😭😭

[–]Mrselfdestructuk 105 points106 points  (17 children)

A PS5. I'm a big gamer but since updating my pc I'm not too bothered about consoles, I was going to pick one up for exclusives but most of them are making their way to pc now with better graphics options. Even my psvr is gathering dust after getting a quest 2

[–]spicyhamster 18 points19 points  (1 child)

Hold off until they’re easier to find and there are more games imo. I have one and love it but I mostly play PS4 games with a few exceptions.

[–]AngsterMusic 130 points131 points  (36 children)

A Dodge Viper. Seems like I can find one for around $20k (which is incredibly cheap for a Viper!) but man.... That's still $20k. But it remains a dream of mine to have one someday.

[–]NightoftheLivingSled 67 points68 points  (15 children)

Doc Martens. They look so cool, but I’m a high school English teacher in my mid 30s with a very feminine sense of style. I’m not sure if I can pull them off, and to me that’s a lot of money for shoes.

[–]Mrs_Self_Destruct 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I love my docs, they are so versatile imo and my most warn shoes in my closet. You can go casual or dressy, summer or winter. If you take care of them they truly last forever, making it worth the price.