# What is worth splurging on? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830 "2019-11-22T18:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/41 "2019-11-23T03:34:43Z")
Splurge on what makes you comfortable, like the furniture you regularly use, including your office chair. Also splurge on the stuff that won’t break when you need it, like tools and tire pressure gauges. And shoes. Definitely comfortable shoes. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/42 "2019-11-23T03:41:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Chairs. Both my office chairs cost an arm and a leg, but since I spend a fair amount of time in front of various computers (and have no ass) a quality chair is a necessity. Unrelated, but a lumbar support pillow and a coccyx cushion can make even a mediocre chair much more ergonomic. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/43 "2019-11-23T03:48:45Z")
Whatever you’re spending on alcohol or cigarettes, you’re objectively better off spending that money on real drugs. I mean the best expense is probably yoga or tai chi, but you’re not going to do that. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/44 "2019-11-23T04:15:08Z")
High speed internet. The electric bill. _shrug_ I guess I’m like the Joker. It doesn’t take much to make me happy, and so there is little for me to splurge on. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/45 "2019-11-23T04:28:15Z")
It’s not my list. I abuse my headphones at the gym and am happy with basic ones. I don’t drink much bourbon, but maybe whisky. I buy garbage bags at the dollar store or by the box, as long as they hold together. You don’t necessarily have to pay a fortune for good knives or bedsheets. But they’re worth choosing carefully, even doing research in Consumer Reports or trusted equivalent. My first set of knives was Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan bought at an outlet store. CR rated them well, but a professional chef would be more demanding. When I was young I spent a lot of my money on books. I still do. Food, fitness, education, stuff for work and sleep is worth choosing carefully, and often paying more is better. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2019, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/46 "2019-11-23T04:32:08Z")
Some stuff really isn’t worth splurging on. Most vodkas taste the same. Nice hotel rooms need a decent discount. I used to buy pricy clothes but live in a town with great secondhand ones. Time intensive stuff is worth paying for. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/47 "2019-11-23T04:37:05Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > Lawn mowing. But I’ll do my own moving and skip the coffee altogether, thank you. This explains so much. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/48 "2019-11-23T04:43:28Z")
a) Computer monitor. As a reviewer once pointed out to me, it’s the thing you’re bloody looking at all day when you’re at your computer. The visual quality does matter. b) Wine. It’s not about the price or the prestige. It’s about the available variety and finding what you like. It makes an amazing amount of difference. c) Mattress. I’m picky; I’ve got a spine that’s picky. At roughly 30% of the motels and other spaces I’ve been put up at, I’ve preferred to drag the bedsheets to the floor and sleep there instead. The one I loved at the mattress store didn’t yield when I sat on it – it was as determined to retain its shape as if it had been a block of marble, and yet it was…soft! Your preferences for a mattress’s behavior and texture may be dramatically different from mine, but do you like it to be the way you like it? I sure do. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/49 "2019-11-23T09:59:27Z")
Musical instruments and art supplies. The increase in price and quality makes a huge difference. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/50 "2019-11-23T11:03:22Z")
Things that separate you from the ground always cost the same, whether cheap or high quality. Tires, boots, and mattresses. Cheaping out will cost you later for replacements, and could actually harm you. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/51 "2019-11-23T11:14:40Z")
I’ve never regretted paying $200+ for a pen or a Swiss army knife. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/52 "2019-11-23T13:41:39Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > …But a good lamb shoulder will stay with you and comfort you, forever. What, exactly, are you \*doing \*with that lamb? Mine: [ul] [li]Balcony on a cruise ship[/li][li]Lightbulbs[/li][li]Shoes and socks[/li][li]Pens[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/53 "2019-11-23T13:57:03Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Okay, edumacate me: Why is any one cell phone any better than another? The screen is higher quality and touch functions are more responsive; apps run more smoothly. Camera quality is better. They look and feel better in the hand. Again, this is where one person’s splurge is someone else’s parsimony: I’m about to upgrade my Galaxy 6 after only 3-4 years, and I think I am going to upgrade to a Galaxy 9, which should be about $300. I fully get that to some people, that’s a terrible indulgence when my phone is adequate, and that if I had to upgrade, there are serviceable phones for less. And to others, waiting 3 years to upgrade a phone and to upgrade to last year’s model is being cheap ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/54 "2019-11-23T14:30:21Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Firearms, knives, motorcycles, and wine. > [@kopek](#): > > You skin em and I’ll knock em down to freezer size. > > And again the thought crosses my mind — we haven’t met yet because??? 😃 Have either of you been to [Enix Brewing](https://enix.beer/) in Homestead? Great food and beer. I’d be up for meeting there or Brew Gentlemen, VooDoo, or House of 1000 anytime! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/55 "2019-11-23T15:25:02Z")
Soap. I would go dirty before using cheap soap. Fortunately, the discount store I work in carries method soap, and I get an additional discount. I use the the store’s bags as garbage bags, and go to 7-eleven with my reusable coffee cup. But I am NOT giving up method soap. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/56 "2019-11-23T15:26:43Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > If you drive in cold climates: All wheel drive, heated seats, heated steering wheel, remote start. It magically turns winter from intolerable to tolerable. 100% agree. The biggest winter driving torture I even endured was when my mother owned a '57 VW beetle 50+ years ago…mind you, I guess it beat waking…barely. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/57 "2019-11-23T15:28:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Soap. I would go dirty before using cheap soap. Fortunately, the discount store I work in carries method soap, and I get an additional discount. > > **I use the the store’s bags as garbage bags** , and go to 7-eleven with my reusable coffee cup. But I am NOT giving up method soap. As a Scot I can relate to that. When store plastic bags get banned here in Canada in the near future that will be a huge boom to the bags you have to buy. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/58 "2019-11-23T15:32:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Have either of you been to [Enix Brewing](https://enix.beer/) in Homestead? Great food and beer. I’d be up for meeting there or Brew Gentlemen, VooDoo, or House of 1000 anytime! I greatly enjoyed the last time I had a beer with you. I’m up for another anytime. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/59 "2019-11-23T15:33:30Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > A national financial columnist, Rob Carrick, wrote a column today about things worth paying extra money for. I kind of liked it. His list includes bedsheets, headphones, garbage bags, living alone, a good backpack, paying for movers, recharging cables with long cords, bourbon, quality basic coffee, fewer but better vacations and a good winter jacket. > > Hard to argue with that. Any other suggestions? > [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Sauces and condiments. They go a long way and the good stuff doesn’t cost much more than the rubbish. This! I hope I’m never in a position in life where I can’t afford a decent bottle of ketchup or good salsa ---
**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:** [November 23, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830/60 "2019-11-23T18:49:43Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Soap. I would go dirty before using cheap soap. Fortunately, the discount store I work in carries method soap, and I get an additional discount. > > I use the the store’s bags as garbage bags, and go to 7-eleven with my reusable coffee cup. But I am NOT giving up method soap. Just out of curiosity, what is better about more expensive soaps? I ask because I’ve never used anything but the walmart stuff, so I have no idea. I do have BO issues even though I shower, I’d gladly spend more on a higher quality soap that helped with BO problems, but I don’t know if the more expensive ones are necessarily better for that. > [@pullin](#): > > Things that separate you from the ground always cost the same, whether cheap or high quality. Tires, boots, and mattresses. Cheaping out will cost you later for replacements, and could actually harm you. I agree these are things to never pick lazily, but sometimes more expensive isn’t always better. One of the best mattresses I ever slept on was a $300 memory foam bought from amazon (I’d compare it to my 2k memory foam mattress I bought a few years ago). On another worn out inner spring mattress I put a $150 foam topper on it and it became much better. It pays to be diligent, but with mattresses I don’t know if cost is the same as quality. With tires and boots it is, but with mattresses there can be some good finds on the cheaper spectrum. But thats just my opinion. > [@Hampshire](#): > > If you drive in cold climates: All wheel drive, heated seats, heated steering wheel, remote start. It magically turns winter from intolerable to tolerable. Yup. However if you don’t have heated seats you can buy an aftermarket heated seat cover for $20 or so, that helped family during midwest winters when they were short on funds and still in school. They sell heated steering wheel covers too, but I don’t know how they avoid tangling the cord around the wheel. My brother says his new car has a feature where when he turns the heat on, the vents don’t produce air until all the cold air has been cycled out. Which is nice, in most cars you get in and turn the heat on, and its about thirty seconds of cold air until the heated air comes on. Of course with a remote starter its a moot point. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-worth-splurging-on/843830.md?page=4)