# Luxuries you don't enjoy **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008 "2026-07-29T21:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![aruvqan\_myers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@aruvqan\_myers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan_myers)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/202 "2026-08-11T12:51:09Z")
Grocery/dairy store in Connecticut [Stew Leonards, if you must know =) -] at one point in time sold 3 cute little jars of lumpfish caviar, plain, soy or wasabi flavored. They were also reassuringly inexpensive, like $5US per 1 ounce jar. Made it so I was actually willing to make blinis demidorf a couple times. Refuse to spend for sturgeon caviar, and they are a dwindling population so lumpfish which has the same mouthfeel and salty fish egg taste [will not claim any sort of talent at tasting the miniscule differences in salty fish eggs] as the expensive crap is what I buy if I absolutely need salted fish eggs. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/203 "2026-08-25T03:05:20Z")
I don’t like waterfall/rain shower heads. I really really prefer a hand-held shower head. But if i can’t have that, i at least want it to be aimed at an angle so i can point it at my back and keep my hair (mostly) dry. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/204 "2026-08-25T04:31:48Z")
Plenty of fancy foods aren’t worth the bother. I don’t really understand spending big on vodka. I can understand drinking it in quantity. Any fancy fashion that is not also high quality. If I’m paying, I’m unlikely to be buying first class airline tickets without a very good reason. I like weightlifting and squash and other sports, but golf isn’t my thing. Designer things that are clearly farmed out to some third company and are the same as their unlabelled stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/205 "2026-08-25T05:16:04Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I don’t really understand spending big on vodka. I can understand drinking it in quantity. I don’t get it either. But I suppose it depends on what you want to do with it. Drink it straight, or in a vodka martini, you might want something from the top shelf. But if you mix it with anything—Coke, tonic, ginger ale, tomato or clamato or orange juice, or just about anything other than dry vermouth—you don’t need top shelf stuff. The taste of the mix always overwhelms the vodka. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/206 "2026-08-25T13:17:31Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Drink it straight, or in a vodka martini, you might want something from the top shelf. Ah, the great vodka debate. I once had my son set up a blind taste test of six vodkas, from CVS gallons to various super premiums. My circle of weekend blowhards took tastes and rated them each from least to most favorite. The results were utterly random except for one distinct pattern: people tended to like their vodkas more after three or four previous tastes. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/207 "2026-08-25T13:31:19Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > If I’m paying, I’m unlikely to be buying first class airline tickets without a very good reason. I don’t generally pay to fly first class, but that’s definitely something i enjoy if it falls into my lap for whatever reason. I don’t like vodka in general, but if they all taste the same (and the legal definition literally includes that it doesn’t have a distinctive taste) then i doubt anyone likes expensive vodka _less_ than the cheap stuff. I thought the point of this thread was “luxuries that you’d prefer to avoid”, not the rather commonplace “luxuries you didn’t think are with paying for”. Which is why i mentioned rain showers. Please, no. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/208 "2026-08-25T14:18:31Z")
I don’t enjoy rain showerheads, but I also don’t consider them a luxury. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/209 "2026-08-25T15:14:04Z")
Manicures and pedicures. Not interested. However, I will fly first class whenever possible. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/210 "2026-08-25T17:49:57Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Drink it straight, or in a vodka martini, you might want something from the top shelf. It is more or less straight vodka, and by Federal law, Vodka is supposed to be mostly tasteless. Of course- cheap vodka is bad, but once you get to say Smirnoff, most can not tell the difference. Grey Goose is mostly marketing and a cool bottle, it generally does just okay in blind taste tests. > **[This Blind Vodka Taste-Test Changed The Way I Drink — & Saved Me So Much $$$](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/03/147252/vodka-taste-test)** > > We participated in a blind vodka taste test and the results were shocking. > The results? Vodka A, voted the cheapest, turned out to be Grey Goose. Vodka C was Titos (spot on for a mid-range guess). And — drumroll, please — Vodka B, voted the most expensive, was Smirnoff. I was shocked. (Full disclosure: Smirnoff _did_ set up the tasting, but we had no idea which alcohol was which until after the fact.) The cheaper vodka option I had loved in my youth actually tasted better than the “high-quality” pricier bottles that I now turned to time and time again. So contrary to popular belief, price does not directly correlate to quality or taste. We, in turn, can (and should) decide for ourselves which taste and price point we feel comfortable selecting. > [@Procrustus](#): > > Manicures and pedicures. Not interested. I get ingrown toenails, and if I find the right technician. I get relief. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/211 "2026-08-25T19:19:08Z")
Fancy cars. I drive a used Honda and I love it. I especially love not having to buy a new car for like, 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/212 "2026-08-27T09:41:27Z")
Hot springs. I used to like em but they just bore me now. Currently vacation in Iceland ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/213 "2026-08-30T22:54:47Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > My Timex does its job: it tell me the time. That’s all I need it to do. I don’t understand why anybody who wears a watch needs anything that does the same, but costs a helluva lot more. Its conspicuous consumption. You’re showing people ‘I have so much money I can afford to spend it on unnecessary things since I have more than enough to meet my needs’. Cars, giant houses, yachts, jewelry, watches, clothing accessories, etc are big on this. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I drive a used Honda and I love it. I especially love not having to buy a new car for like, 20 years. I can understand this POV, but safety features on cars are advancing rapidly. Cars that are 10+ years old don’t have nearly as many integrated safety features as newer cars. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/214 "2026-08-30T22:57:33Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Cars, giant houses, yachts, jewelry, watches, clothing accessories, etc are big on this. True, but one can enjoy a fancy car, or a yacht. They do things that less expensive cars and boats don’t do. An expensive watch, like jewelry, is just for show. My wife has a lot of nice jewelry, but I doubt any of it is worth what a Rolex costs. (I don’t really know what a Rolex costs though) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/215 "2026-08-30T23:04:31Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > True, but one can enjoy a fancy car, or a yacht. They do things that less expensive cars and boats don’t do. An expensive watch, like jewelry, is just for show. My wife has a lot of nice jewelry, but I doubt any of it is worth what a Rolex costs. (I don’t really know what a Rolex costs though) Theres different levels of cars though. Like an $80,000 luxury sedan will have features that aren’t on a $25,000 sedan. But for the higher echelon of cars they have limited production lines to increase the prices (bugatti, rolls royce, etc). Car prices go into the tens of millions for limited production models. Also among the rich, getting the biggest and most expensive yacht is how they signal their superiority to each other. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/216 "2026-08-30T23:10:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > (I don’t really know what a Rolex costs though) The least expensive Rolex men’s _production_ watch has a suggested retail of about $6,500. The most expensive is about $160,000. The bulk of models are in the $50-80K range. They also have various options and upgrades and for the real enthusiast, custom one-off’s. Rolex very aggressively polices who sells their watches for how much. You can expect to pay full retail every time until you’ve bought a dozen or so. Ref here: **[Rolex man watches (US)](https://www.rolex.com/en-us/watches/find-rolex/man?group=0)**. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/217 "2026-08-30T23:59:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It is more or less straight vodka, and by Federal law, Vodka is supposed to be mostly tasteless. Not a fan of Vodka, but I heard those that are will run the el-cheapo stuff through a Brita (activated charcoal) filter with good results. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/218 "2026-08-31T09:14:30Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > True, but one can enjoy a fancy car, or a yacht. They do things that less expensive cars and boats don’t do. An expensive watch, like jewelry, is just for show. I don’t think this is so. An expensive watch can most certainly be enjoyed, and not just for show. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/219 "2026-08-31T10:35:55Z")
Super expensive cigars. Well, let me qualify. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, but the added value (relative to cost) is lost on me. I still indulge periodically, and I’m invariably disappointed. I can tell a $2 cigar from an $8 cigar, but I don’t think I can tell the difference between an $8 cigar and a $50 Cuban. That’s the extent of the subtleties I can discern. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/220 "2026-08-31T11:21:59Z")
Excessively dark chocolate. 55% cacao is about as dark as I like it. Anything more tastes like punishment for swearing. I like Hershey’s Special Dark. There, I said it. Excessively sharp cheddar. I like cheddar for the smooth cheesy taste, not the pucker power. Medium cheddar is best. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008/221 "2026-08-31T12:19:58Z")
Mmm, very very old cheddar. I like chocolate up to about 85%, too, but i didn’t when I was younger. And i think my favorites are currently in the 65%-72% range. Jewelry is partly to show off wealth, but it’s also because people like to ornament themselves. Tattoos aren’t a show of wealth, for instance. And there’s lots of inexpensive jewelry people enjoy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luxuries-you-dont-enjoy/1032008.md?page=10)