Is this where you pretend to not know that phones are used for more than just calling people? Or where you pretend to not realize how a faster processor, greater bandwidth, more memory, more storage, better display, sturdier water-proof construction with scratch resistant glass, better speakers, better camera, Bluetooth stylus or any number of features might make one phone better than another?
Do you also need to be edumacated on how any one computer is any better than another? Do you think all laptops are equal?
I know that phones are used for many different things. But can’t any smartphone do those things?
With a few exceptions, none of the ads I see for cell phones mention any of those things. They don’t explain why you should want a particular model of cell phone; they just try to associate lots of positive emotions with it so that you feel like you want that phone.
Not equal, but I think (rightly? wrongly?) that many of them are equally good at doing what I want/need them to do.
I guess that, at least when it comes to technology, I’m a satisficer rather than a maximizer.
It may not be a problem now, but for me at least (as a cheap person who buys pre-paid phones) until recently it was common for phones to not have enough internal memory to store all your apps. My first smartphone had 1GB of internal memory, which means I had to delete apps to make room for new downloads. My second had 16GB and I thought ‘theres no way I’ll use all 16GB’, but I did because apps kept getting bigger, and they made it so you can’t move apps to the microSD card. My current phone has 64GB of internal memory (plus a 128GB microSD card, and it could’ve taken a bigger one but I didn’t need that much storage), and the memory issues aren’t a problem now.
Plus as the phone got bloated it would run slower, freeze up, etc. Lack of internal storage was the reason I replaced my last 2 smartphones.
They just plain smell better. Most soaps use chemicals to scent them. Method uses natural oils, and yes, I can tell the difference.
When we first got them in the store, I bought a bunch and le5t the other cashiers smell them. Most of them ended up buying some, and three of them each gave me a free bottle as a “thank you.”
Nice bedsheets are great and I do like them. But splurge on the bed first. I find it amazing that some people put such little time and money into something that you spend one third of your life using.
Why do you reapond to his snarky answer, but ignore my pleasant one, when I was the one you originally asked?
I honest to god don’t see phone ads much. I try to insulate myself from ads in general. But I can tell when my phone can’t load apps, or run multiple ones at once. I notice when I get a new phone and it does these things better . . .or when someone else’s phone does them better or worse. My parents have midrange phones. I find them annoying to use. When I research phones, technical specs are front and center of any write-up.
The one thing I “splurge” on is tipping at restaurants. If the service is at least average, I will give a 25% to 30% tip.
Concrete things: Champagne, Whisky, Beer, food, books, shoes, sofa, bed.
In general: time and space. Pay others to do the work for you (home cleaning, tax adviser, the day I’m rich I will hire a chauffeur and a secretary), rent a bigger flat, hotel room, whatever you are staying in. Travel with comfort.
Good bicycle tyres - make a huge differance to handling, grip and comfort - bad ones will be sketchy on downhills in the wet, they will puncture more easily, they will be a swine to fit and remove(not good if you are stuck at the side of the road with a puncture) they will soak up your limited physical effort and not be comfortable to ride they give you a hard jarring vibration, and on the mountain bike they need to give you traction in mud.
Good cycle tools - poor ones let you down when you need them most, they round off fastenings have rubbish ergonomics - which rules out most mulitools unless you spring the cash.
Cycle shoes, gloves, shorts - good ones wash and dry out easier and do not chafe as for the helmet, you might only need it to work once - but that’s when a good one matters.
Cycle lights - cheapies dont last are not bright, get condensation in them wont turn off or wont turn on and spread the light badly.
Good tea - life is too short to drink cheap rubbish that has no flavour or refreshment.
Toolbox - I’ve had any number where they rust, the hinges strain, weigh more than the tools in them, are almost but not quite long enough -no more of this shall I take.
Beer, tools, food, shoes, hiking gear.
Hard disagree on first class plane tickets though. Yeah, it’s nicer, but it’s not several thousand dollars nicer. I’ve flown it for work, but would never spend a month’s salary on a more comfortable 15 hours.
Use upgrades for overseas travel. There, I see the point of at least biz class. Who wants to waste vacation days overseas feeling like garbage from riding in cattle class? Especially as you get older.
On the shoes part—and me and my 4E feet heartily agree—I think Sir Terry said it pretty well:
Re the poster who only liked 75 dollar and up Champagne, what do you like? I don’t think I could find a 10 dollar bottle that would please you, but I might be able to find a 30-40.
That was me. Yes, I can find decent champagne for around $40. I actually like trying new ones I see in that range. A low end Taittinger is usually $40 to $50 around here and is pretty good. I’m also okay with Veuve Clicquot yellow label, which is around $45 at Costco.
I would add winter tires to that list. Even without studs, the improvement in grip over so-called “all-season” tires is incredible. It’s not only about snow and ice, but about cold weather. All-season radials are made from a type of rubber that starts to lose its grip at temperatures below about 40 F even on bare pavement. The colder the weather, the worse they grip. Unfortunately you can’t use winter tires in summer, because they’ll literally fall apart if you drive in hot weather.
Solid hardwood furniture in a timeless style, purchased either new or used. It should last for generations. Some of the cheap assemble-it-yourself crap I’ve bought hasn’t even survived the assembly stage.
Decent hiking boots.
Decent beer.
I haven’t flown in years, but I may do so this spring. If I do it won’t be in cattle-car (coach/economy) class. I’ll gladly pay extra for business or first class.
This. And specifically:
This is so true - the difference quality tyres make is really surprising. Life is too short to be spending it scraping the skin off your knuckles when you’re supposed to be riding your bike.
j
One thing I wish I knew was, what’s worth splurging on, when I buy it. Like, I bought an article of clothing and paid a lot for it, but it has been wonderful, it has held up for years, and if I’d known I would have bought another one in a different color. It’s one of the more expensive items in my closet but on cost-per-wearing it is one of the cheapest!
I will also splurge on pillows. Even more important than sheets, for me.
And first-class airline tickets. I hate flying, it scares me, and with first-class I am drinking my first G+T while people in coach are still boarding, my seatmate if I have one absolutely will not spill over into my seat, and I will be one of the first ones off that scary metal tube that I don’t want to be on in the first place.
Electronics
Anything durable that you use regularly is often worth paying a premium for.
The extra cost per hour of great boots, tools, phones, computers, etc. ends up being very very low if you use that thing for an hour or more a day.
For travel, prior to having small children, I found that combining ultra-cheap lodging with occasional lavish lodging was a great sweet-spot. You will remember the interesting characters you meet at hostels and the swanky live-like-a-king hotels. Spending the same amount of money on mid-market stuff is boring and forgettable.
Now that I have small children, renting a house or a condo that has separate rooms means that the children actually go to sleep at a reasonable hour and we don’t have to creep around in the dark, so that’s worth splurging on.
These lists always have “garbage bags” on them, but I don’t buy garbage bags by price, I buy them by thickness. And the name brands are almost invariably thinner than the brand you’ve never heard of. I don’t care how fawncy your technology is, if you’re less than 1 mil thick, you’re not going to do as well as the bags I get.
Real Estate.
The houses we looked at were going for $125,000, but we decided to splurge on a large lot and mountain view for an additional $25,000.
Now 30 years later, the house was appraised at $750,000, while the neighbors with no view and a standard lot have houses worth about $650,000. And we still enjoy the view and yard.
For me, musical instruments and the accessories. My Kamaka ukulele with Aquila Red Series strings add joy to my life every day.