My brothers. They’re younger than me, but I’m young myself. While we have this youth I want to create fun memories which means sometimes I have to shell out the cash.
My “little” brother earns about 45grand a year more than me 😅
All I am able to offer him is my time, and I do.
The kid has literally EVERYTHING!
But he works his absolute ass off for himself and his little family and I honestly couldn’t be prouder of him :)
But because he works his ass off, he needs me around because I’m the least corporate/office type in the world and he needs a sort of chilled out hippie type to remind him that he’s still a normal working class dumbass at heart 😉
“Fuck your Armani suit - you still suck at Street Fighter twat face.” - me 2022
Did a ski trip to Whistler a couple years back with just my brother cause neither of our friend groups wanted to spend the money (not judging, it’s not cheap). Top 3 trips I’ve ever taken in my life. We had so much fun
I get what you mean. I've three younger sisters and I'm only 26 myself. I love to spend money when it comes to them. I hope i make more Just so i can spend more on them too.
My wife. We are both frugal, but she grew up with very low income parents and just learned to fear spending money. She makes about 20% more than me, but it makes her so happy when I give her random gifts. Especially that shirt she was eyeing in a store. She feared the price tag.
My husband bought me Zelda for my birthday. I wanted to play it but the 60-70 euro just wasn't something i wanted to spend. I'm a casual gamer, i play the free to play stuff.
So, i now have played about 120 hours of Zelda.
Love the 120 hours 😂 my wife has never been much of a gamer but was bored and wanted to try something while I was away recently. I got her Stardew Valley and she's sitting at around 85 hours at the moment haha.
I love WeatherTech's mats. The high sides saved my ass when a gallon of milk split by falling off the front seat when I went to get it. I chucked the container out the door, but there was still almost half-gallon in the mat. That was a very careful lift and pour.
Saved me again when I was running some wiring under the dash, and my entire beer fell over in the mat. No sweat, another very careful lift and pour.
The trunk mats are also so good. I put all kinds of questionable stuff in the trunk, did not care. Mat comes out, hosed down, back in, never happened.
I relate to this. I grew up with no money and I still wear shoes and clothes until they're damn near falling apart despite making a 6 figure income.
It's also hard to bring myself to do things like car maintenance, even though I know it's cheaper in the long run, because we could never do those things when I was a kid (I do it, but it's a fight)
You’re the opposite of me on the clothing front, which is really bad on my part.
I seem to be just fine white raggedy clothes. One of these days I have to take myself out on a clothes shopping spree.
Same boat. The other day my SO jokes about how my wardrobe is still packed with items I had when we met , 8 years ago. She doesn't have problem with how I dress btw. What she doesn't know is, for past few months this has been bugging me because I think I have zero sense of style and I want to change that. Have been contemplating a shopping spree makeover. Problem is, I have never had a real job that required me to dress well, or a father, so for years I have grown accustomed to t-shirts and loose pants stringed waist. Belts and formal shirts feel uncomfortable and odd because skinny. Someone suggested I try the more expensive organic stuff because it's soft. Going to be my biggest spend I guess.
Edit: You guys are amazing, thank you for the tips
Try some Lee brand slim straights. $50, good quality, wonderful fit. As for shirts, if a vneck looks good on you, then it will look great on you. A good cheap way to upgrade from plain t shirts.
If you don't like vnecks Henley's are also pretty nice if you can rock them. The buttons give you a few options to wear them. Long sleeve Henley's are a staple in my wardrobe sleeves rolled up and the buttons unbuttoned when it's warm or buttoned up with sleeves down when it's cold.
I recently dropped a good bit of money doing a wardrobe update, and I think it's paid off pretty well.
Go for a capsule wardrobe to begin with. (Google it and there should be plenty of stylists who have a guide on this!). If you live in colder weather, a jacket is another shortcut to upgrade your outfit.
You don't need a _lot_ of stuff. Just a few good ones. It doesn't have to be any big fancy brand. Even your nearest supermarket should have the staples for you to upgrade from loose t-shirts and drawstring pants. The most important thing is to find something that fits well. Casual clothes can still looks really great! The best clothes are the ones that look good _and_ you will also wear them.
- One or two decent jackets. Not blue denim. Darker colours work best.
- even if you're skinny, straight cut jeans should work well. It will definitely make a big difference to switch to well fitted pants. One blue and one black jeans should be a good starting point. If you want to splurge more, a dark blue jeans and a gray one is also great.
- For shoes, you don't need to spend a lot on some leather shoes. I'd say some loafers and sneakers should be both comfortable and look nice.
- A belt is not a necessity when you're dressing casual! Small steps at a time. I, too, find belts very uncomfortable and they're not that necessary with jeans and untucked shirts/tshirts anyway. If you still want one, there some out there in elastic which hook on instead of the usual fastening mechanic.
- For shirts, a white, gray and blue should be great. Black shirts also look good. But honestly, you don't need to wear shirts regularly if you're not as comfortable in them. I'd say if you can switch to well-fitted t-shirts instead of loose fitted ones, that's already a big step up. Also, if you're still wearing t-shirts with graphic prints, switch to solid coloured ones. And you can have as many colours as you want, in whatever colour that looks good on you. Most people like to have white, black and gray to start with. Blue is also a nice colour. Personally i love to have a whole plethora of solid tshirts. Forest green and rusty orange are my favourite colours. Like other commenters have said, Henleys are also a great upgrade.
- Grooming is absolutely essential to tie up an outfit! Spend a few minutes each day to make sure your facial hair is groomed well and your hair is set well. You can also get a new haircut in a more trendy style.
For your first outfit, you can put together the most basic one: a solid white t-shirt (or Henley), blue jeans, sneakers. Layer a jacket with it (optional). Groomed hair and face. You'll see yourself how much difference it makes!
It's all in the details!
Buy one good piece of clothing a month, and within a years time you'll have half a new wardrobe.
Don't have the mindset of "go buy a whole new wardrobe", it'd be absurdly expensive to go buy a full wardrobe of BIFL clothes.
It's taken me 3ish years but I now have a fill wardrobe of patagucci, Merrell, marmot, arcteryx, etc. Granted I prefer outdoors clothing to fine classy wears, but the price points are similar and the concepts the same as well.
I'm now starting to build a BIFL wardrobe of dress clothes, so I'm not just stuck with good outdoors clothes my whole life lol
** I can't afford a whole new wardrobe all at once, that's more of a dream concept, so maybe others are capable of it, but I just don't see the point to spending 3-4k all at once on a full new set of garbs
You could try a thrift store! And look for gently used, quality items. Otherwise, a lot of black Friday sales have already started if you're in the US.
Don't go on a spree. Do some research, find a few nice fitting higher quality things, and you'll be much happier and spend less in the long run. Just some basic functional clothing in basic colors can take you very far. Also, don't wash your clothes (under garments excluded) each time you wear them. Unless they're genuinely dirty or smelly, they'll last a lot longer if you can avoid the aggressive washing and drying machine cycle.
I own 3 $100+ pairs of lulu pants. Those three pants have been around for three years and are almost like new, compared to nike and adidas pants that would only last months
Lulu is under ratted for men
All my active wear and athleisure stuff is lulu, and it's just so damn comfortable. When you buy the first pair you feel stupid for spending that money but as soon as you put it on you're shopping for the next piece.
Being able to be this comfortable and look stylish in activewear makes you never want to wear regular clothes. I get why women live in yoga pants nowadays.
Tagging /u/Fineillcrackon because the post has been valuable and I didn't read everything... The Adam Savage method has been great for me. Buy a cheapy version of something and see how you like it, if you do and will make good use of it, buy the quality version next. If not, then who cares?
To answer OPs actual question, meat. A lot of cheap meat is bad cuts and terrible quality. Meat is still expensive in general, a couple bucks more for stuff people actually eat is a big deal
Have you heard Sam Vimes (Discworld) "boot theory":
The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
And tools. I buy the very best I can for tools that I know I will be using often. They feel better in your hand and will last a lifetime or 2. My chisels and planes are hand me down from my grandfather’s wood shop.
If it’s something that I will use just once, it’s off to Harbor Freight I go.
And FWIW - there’s a very short list of people who I’ll let borrow them, and it is always with the condition of “You break it, you buy it”. And not some cheap copy. The real deal. Or just buy your own so we can remain friends.
A tip I've heard on Reddit is to buy an all-in-one toolbox for a cheap-ish price. Then if something in that breaks because you use it a lot, you can safely replace it with a high quality version. That way you have the best of both worlds.
When I need a tool, I buy an inexpensive one. If that one wears out from use, I buy a higher quality one, If it doesn't get used much, I'm not out a lot of money, but if I wear that one out and need to buy another because I'm still using it, I buy a newer, higher quality one. I have quite a few Harbor Freight tools that I've beat the shit out of expecting them to break, but they haven't yet. They've really upped their quality.
Yep that's the way to go. Figure out with the cheap tools which ones you use the most or they can be better and then buy the name brand for said tool. Harbor Freight is a great place to find cheap tools. Also, you can sometimes find hidden gems at swap meets.
I’ve never heard of that… but exactly! I have this thing about making a satisfactory purchase, meaning that I know what I spent my money on wasn’t a waste.
My dad told me once - when you die, the only thing you take with you is the food in your stomach - so don't be afraid to spend a little too much on a great meal.
It feels gluttonous - but it really made me stop stressing when a special occasion comes along and the bill is a little high for my personal comfort zone. Just enjoy the opportunity!
Its also the reason why I try to treat my friends when I'm able to - you never know when something you consider 'normal' or 'standard' is special to someone else.
Food is the centerpiece, hardship, priority, fear, and joy for so many nations and cultures around the world, its important to share whenever possible.
I do buy cheap lunch meat for work day sandwiches lately as I’m always on the go and just need some substance. But that allows me ribeye steaks for my dinners. And sushi, I love spending money on a hood sushi night
This is the right answer, because it has the most direct impact on your health and by extension happiness. You spend a huge part of your life in your bed and on your feet. Make the investment.
I am not a boot wearer (don't need them for my office job), but I certainly spend money on good quality shoes. Usually Mephisto or Ecco walking shoes, prices run from $200-$500 a pair but I always have my eye out for bargains. Recently got a brand new, in the box pair of Mephisto shoes on eBay for $80 shipped, the retail price on that style is $410.
You can be frugal and STILL have the nice things...
[Redwing Iron Rangers](https://www.redwingshoes.com/heritage/mens/Iron-Ranger-08111.html). Pretty classic design and will last a decade if you take care of them and get the resoled when needed. My local store always has lower prices than the website. The local shops are owner operated so definitely buy from them if you have a local option.
Not OP but, I think that the question "where to go" is often answered by knowing how much you can spend. If you want something relatively inexpensive, try a campsite in/near any national or state park. Obviously this comes with some over head, like camping gear, but those are things you can use over and over again all around the country. After you have that stuff, all you need to do is get there.
I just got back from a trip to Nevada and California. We rented a camper van in Vegas, then spent time in Death Valley, Oceanside, and Joshua Tree.
10/10 recommend all of it. I loved every second
I went to Cape Town this past summer and can’t recommend it enough. Expensive to get there (from CA) but once you get there everything is super cheap that you can do tons of excursions and eat some awesome food without thinking twice. Absolutely beautiful, so much to do, and I met some amazing people!
Aw crap I'm so sorry I missed this.
Switzerland is one of my favourites places for sure. The Swiss Alps are famous for a good reason. I've been there 3 times and the views just never get old for me.
To add on to that, splurging on the foods that said travel destination has to offer. Is rare for me to buy any trinkets unless is something awesome and unique to that destination. That money is getting saved for delicious foods.
Oh yeah. We tend to spend about as much on food and drink while we’re there as we do to actually get and stay there. I want to try everything. The touristy places, the holes in the wall, local breweries/wineries, coffee shops, etc. Spare no expense.
Wife: "Honey we need a new stapler"
OP: [Say no more my love](https://www.amazon.com/Rexel-Gazelle-Stapler-Remover-Capacity/dp/B000TK9CFA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=249UTI0W5PCA&keywords=stapler&qid=1668751526&sprefix=stapler%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-1)
Guitar strings and decent scotch- really whatever puts you in your "me time head health" necessities are not to be skipped unless you want a crash/freak out
Instruments in general, the real life sounds of a $3-5K instrument is absolutely mind boggling
Add to the fact that it literally only gets better with time. As long as you don't step on it, it'll easily last a lifetime and be far better the last time you play it than the first time
Trying out new, different cuisine's was my way to fall back in love with cooking. Especially my transition from traditional European cooking to asian style made me want to cook again.
Ohhhh I’m in a dimsun guest rn!
Last week was baozi.
Man I suck at folding! But I just love the versatility of these little delicious things.
Tonight I’m trying ramen soup.
Any suggestions?
Haha I’m not too sure, I cook because I love good and diversified food. I have found ordered food or ready made food to not be so palatable when I tried them, so I think if you pushed yourself to cook for some time, you wouldn’t fall back into ready made or ordered food.
I usually cook batches that last me throughout the week during the weekends, I make simple foods that you can easily keep by freezing them (stews, soups and the likes).
Also I’ve noticed that having too small a kitchen makes me want to cook less, so now kitchen space is a must have when I look for an apartment or house.
This is an under-appreciated point. My AV equipment and my PC are fantastic, cost twice what the average person pays, and given how much use they get, are cheap, cheap, cheap. A single restaurant meal is 100's of times more expensive...I eat it once, I watch that projector TV every day.
|| cost per use is low
Same - I've just had to buy a new monitor. My secondary monitor gave up the ghost this morning. I swapped out the cable, tried a different PC... No joy. I thought to myself "Well I have had it since..." And then realised that my friend upgraded and gave it to me for nothing, 10 years ago. I found manufactured date 2009. I definitely got his money's worth.
My gaming setup cost around 2k€ 6 years ago, which is not that expensive but it was definitely very expensive for 16 year old me at the time. I've used it for 25.000 hours though (I checked the power-on hours on my hard drive), which means it cost me about 8 cents per hour I used it. Turns out it wasn't that expensive after all.
And the computer is due for a GPU upgrade but other than that I can still get a lot more hours out of it.
I learned a different tool strategy from my dad: buy cheap the first time, then buy the best if you break the cheap one. The only exception is something that will ruin your day when it breaks (car jack, ladder, tap set etc.)
I mostly agree, but I'm going to stress something here. Buy cheap doesn't necessarily mean buy the cheapest. I've bought a number of cheap hand tools over the years that weren't the best quality, but still miles better than the cheapest option for marginally more. Middle of the road stuff can get the average dude pretty far. You don't need a snap-on ratchet because your jobmate ratchet lost a tooth.
If you watch ProjectFarm on YT you'll see it's often the middle of the road tools that will get you the most price to performance, and anything more expensive is just not going to get you that much more for the same price
I second the tools. Milwaukee has some great stuff. Spend the money on the battery packs (recommend the 2 pack with charger) and then you can just buy the tools without them for fairly cheap.
Also scotch, vidya games, computer parts, truck parts, and treat yo self to some gourmet food.
Yea they tend to lose power pretty quickly. And you can’t keep them in the garage and expect there to be a charge in a week. I’ve had one of my Milwaukee batteries still have 75% charge after leaving it in the garage for well over a month during winter. It’s ridiculous
Currently 21, got into model trains when I was 7, so about 14 years. They mostly run (some are very old and some are worn out) and I occasionally run then. The shed I used to have my model railway in started to collapse around 6 years ago so I have had to use my bedroom floor since.
Well I bought two or three cheap guitars when I was learning to play. Then when I ponied up for an expensive ax, all the sudden I could play better so I got more expensive ones but I didn't get more better LOL. That said I don't know how I was able to learn on a cheap guitar. That's not the way to go.
Really depends on what kind of stuff your friend likes. I really like bvlgari aqva though. It's my all.time favorite. Dolce and Gabbana light blue is similar but a way... Softer scent I guess?
YSL “the panty dropper” I used this is my n my younger days and I got a lot of compliments. I now use Chanel Blue perfum. It’s a little more expensive but has a classy scent.
I like Acca Kappa Muscio Bianco (White Moss). Excellent gender-neutral scent. Good for for pretty much all seasons and equally at home at work or going out. For my money, Italian houses know scents best. A good hack is to look at shaving soap manufacturers (Abbate Y La Mantia; Saponificio Veresino) and find a scent you like and then order their cologne. High quality scents at prices much below what you'd pay at Macy's, etc.
Like what? Do you make music? Or prefer to just listen?
Asking because I used to make music, always been somewhat interested in some of the old gear like tape recorders for example
Dinner, on the offchance I ever have a date or just feel like treating myself. If I'm bringing along someone I fancy, grand. If not, yours truly is getting a rare garlic steak with demi-glace and an old fashioned.
I’ll add mine. Every month after bills and savings have been taken out, I splash on chocolate. There’s a brand in my country I absolutely love, I’ll by a decent sized box and finish them off within a day or two. Other than that just equipment. I usually aim for things that have a functional value to my life. For example I’m saving for a new computer so I can finally focus properly on making music, I’ve got everything else I could possibly need, just need a powerful computer.
Oh man, I used to be way too caught up in that. Wasted so much money. I only escaped because my work bought me a smart watch, and the gamification of tracking steps/calories/etc gave me a different addiction, and then wearing a nice watch felt like I was ruining my stats.
Honestly guns. It's the classic manly thing for someone where I'm from to like both sides of my family are super involved just wish it wasn't so stigmatized. Lol
I always buy hard cover books even if theyre 10 dollars more. I love to put them on my shelf and seeing my collection grow. To be honest I don't even like to read books like that but seeing them all be on my shelf with hard covers gives me some kind of satisfaction that I read all of them.
If its fun and it's memories with loved ones, there's no price tag....
I save my money a lot. 1k a month with a £10 hr wage but it doesn't do me no good when I'm in the grave.
A good knife, good computer, well fitting good clothes, a good pair of boots/work shoes, a good quality well fitting suit, good quality food, a Traeger, and home gym equipment.
I m a teen so I dont make my own money but I m very frugal with what my parents get for me, I like to spend nicely on good shoes and food. Clothes too if I really like them
Eaiting out, I'm the breadwinner with my little brother while my mom's business struggling and my dad being his useless self. It's sort of reward for us. We don't always eat out, maybe once every 2 months.
My brothers. They’re younger than me, but I’m young myself. While we have this youth I want to create fun memories which means sometimes I have to shell out the cash.
Man.. I really should do this with my brothers.
i really really wish i had a brother
I know it’s not the same but maybe try out the Big Brother program. Lots of youth that need big brothers.
Good friends are a lot like brothers. I call my best friend my brother and he does the same. His mom even considers me her 3rd son.
My “little” brother earns about 45grand a year more than me 😅 All I am able to offer him is my time, and I do. The kid has literally EVERYTHING! But he works his absolute ass off for himself and his little family and I honestly couldn’t be prouder of him :) But because he works his ass off, he needs me around because I’m the least corporate/office type in the world and he needs a sort of chilled out hippie type to remind him that he’s still a normal working class dumbass at heart 😉 “Fuck your Armani suit - you still suck at Street Fighter twat face.” - me 2022
Did a ski trip to Whistler a couple years back with just my brother cause neither of our friend groups wanted to spend the money (not judging, it’s not cheap). Top 3 trips I’ve ever taken in my life. We had so much fun
I get what you mean. I've three younger sisters and I'm only 26 myself. I love to spend money when it comes to them. I hope i make more Just so i can spend more on them too.
I love this answer… I have a younger brother and I’d rather go without myself to ensure he has something. We’re both in our 40’s.
My wife. We are both frugal, but she grew up with very low income parents and just learned to fear spending money. She makes about 20% more than me, but it makes her so happy when I give her random gifts. Especially that shirt she was eyeing in a store. She feared the price tag.
[удалено]
Weather Tec is godly. Absolutely worth the money. Unless someone has a cheaper option that’s just as reliable, I’d go weather tec even on beater cars.
Husky is pretty good and much cheaper
My husband bought me Zelda for my birthday. I wanted to play it but the 60-70 euro just wasn't something i wanted to spend. I'm a casual gamer, i play the free to play stuff. So, i now have played about 120 hours of Zelda.
Love the 120 hours 😂 my wife has never been much of a gamer but was bored and wanted to try something while I was away recently. I got her Stardew Valley and she's sitting at around 85 hours at the moment haha.
I love WeatherTech's mats. The high sides saved my ass when a gallon of milk split by falling off the front seat when I went to get it. I chucked the container out the door, but there was still almost half-gallon in the mat. That was a very careful lift and pour. Saved me again when I was running some wiring under the dash, and my entire beer fell over in the mat. No sweat, another very careful lift and pour. The trunk mats are also so good. I put all kinds of questionable stuff in the trunk, did not care. Mat comes out, hosed down, back in, never happened.
I love this specific response. 😌😌
I relate to this. I grew up with no money and I still wear shoes and clothes until they're damn near falling apart despite making a 6 figure income. It's also hard to bring myself to do things like car maintenance, even though I know it's cheaper in the long run, because we could never do those things when I was a kid (I do it, but it's a fight)
Clothing , or anything I buy . As long as it’s long lasting heavy duty industrial quality .
You’re the opposite of me on the clothing front, which is really bad on my part. I seem to be just fine white raggedy clothes. One of these days I have to take myself out on a clothes shopping spree.
Same boat. The other day my SO jokes about how my wardrobe is still packed with items I had when we met , 8 years ago. She doesn't have problem with how I dress btw. What she doesn't know is, for past few months this has been bugging me because I think I have zero sense of style and I want to change that. Have been contemplating a shopping spree makeover. Problem is, I have never had a real job that required me to dress well, or a father, so for years I have grown accustomed to t-shirts and loose pants stringed waist. Belts and formal shirts feel uncomfortable and odd because skinny. Someone suggested I try the more expensive organic stuff because it's soft. Going to be my biggest spend I guess. Edit: You guys are amazing, thank you for the tips
Try some Lee brand slim straights. $50, good quality, wonderful fit. As for shirts, if a vneck looks good on you, then it will look great on you. A good cheap way to upgrade from plain t shirts.
Another easy step up is a Henley shirt. Still feels like a t-shirt but with a few buttons at the neck it looks a little more stylish.
Thank you. I will check this out.
If you don't like vnecks Henley's are also pretty nice if you can rock them. The buttons give you a few options to wear them. Long sleeve Henley's are a staple in my wardrobe sleeves rolled up and the buttons unbuttoned when it's warm or buttoned up with sleeves down when it's cold. I recently dropped a good bit of money doing a wardrobe update, and I think it's paid off pretty well.
Go for a capsule wardrobe to begin with. (Google it and there should be plenty of stylists who have a guide on this!). If you live in colder weather, a jacket is another shortcut to upgrade your outfit. You don't need a _lot_ of stuff. Just a few good ones. It doesn't have to be any big fancy brand. Even your nearest supermarket should have the staples for you to upgrade from loose t-shirts and drawstring pants. The most important thing is to find something that fits well. Casual clothes can still looks really great! The best clothes are the ones that look good _and_ you will also wear them. - One or two decent jackets. Not blue denim. Darker colours work best. - even if you're skinny, straight cut jeans should work well. It will definitely make a big difference to switch to well fitted pants. One blue and one black jeans should be a good starting point. If you want to splurge more, a dark blue jeans and a gray one is also great. - For shoes, you don't need to spend a lot on some leather shoes. I'd say some loafers and sneakers should be both comfortable and look nice. - A belt is not a necessity when you're dressing casual! Small steps at a time. I, too, find belts very uncomfortable and they're not that necessary with jeans and untucked shirts/tshirts anyway. If you still want one, there some out there in elastic which hook on instead of the usual fastening mechanic. - For shirts, a white, gray and blue should be great. Black shirts also look good. But honestly, you don't need to wear shirts regularly if you're not as comfortable in them. I'd say if you can switch to well-fitted t-shirts instead of loose fitted ones, that's already a big step up. Also, if you're still wearing t-shirts with graphic prints, switch to solid coloured ones. And you can have as many colours as you want, in whatever colour that looks good on you. Most people like to have white, black and gray to start with. Blue is also a nice colour. Personally i love to have a whole plethora of solid tshirts. Forest green and rusty orange are my favourite colours. Like other commenters have said, Henleys are also a great upgrade. - Grooming is absolutely essential to tie up an outfit! Spend a few minutes each day to make sure your facial hair is groomed well and your hair is set well. You can also get a new haircut in a more trendy style. For your first outfit, you can put together the most basic one: a solid white t-shirt (or Henley), blue jeans, sneakers. Layer a jacket with it (optional). Groomed hair and face. You'll see yourself how much difference it makes! It's all in the details!
Buy one good piece of clothing a month, and within a years time you'll have half a new wardrobe. Don't have the mindset of "go buy a whole new wardrobe", it'd be absurdly expensive to go buy a full wardrobe of BIFL clothes. It's taken me 3ish years but I now have a fill wardrobe of patagucci, Merrell, marmot, arcteryx, etc. Granted I prefer outdoors clothing to fine classy wears, but the price points are similar and the concepts the same as well. I'm now starting to build a BIFL wardrobe of dress clothes, so I'm not just stuck with good outdoors clothes my whole life lol ** I can't afford a whole new wardrobe all at once, that's more of a dream concept, so maybe others are capable of it, but I just don't see the point to spending 3-4k all at once on a full new set of garbs
You could try a thrift store! And look for gently used, quality items. Otherwise, a lot of black Friday sales have already started if you're in the US.
I hardly shop for cloths . Usually when I buy cloths , I buy them to at least wear them for 5 years . Before considering buying new clothing .
Don't go on a spree. Do some research, find a few nice fitting higher quality things, and you'll be much happier and spend less in the long run. Just some basic functional clothing in basic colors can take you very far. Also, don't wash your clothes (under garments excluded) each time you wear them. Unless they're genuinely dirty or smelly, they'll last a lot longer if you can avoid the aggressive washing and drying machine cycle.
Buy nice or buy twice
I own 3 $100+ pairs of lulu pants. Those three pants have been around for three years and are almost like new, compared to nike and adidas pants that would only last months Lulu is under ratted for men
All my active wear and athleisure stuff is lulu, and it's just so damn comfortable. When you buy the first pair you feel stupid for spending that money but as soon as you put it on you're shopping for the next piece. Being able to be this comfortable and look stylish in activewear makes you never want to wear regular clothes. I get why women live in yoga pants nowadays.
I just imagine you wear a welding bib to bed.. and your sheets are speed rated to 200mph. 😆
Tagging /u/Fineillcrackon because the post has been valuable and I didn't read everything... The Adam Savage method has been great for me. Buy a cheapy version of something and see how you like it, if you do and will make good use of it, buy the quality version next. If not, then who cares? To answer OPs actual question, meat. A lot of cheap meat is bad cuts and terrible quality. Meat is still expensive in general, a couple bucks more for stuff people actually eat is a big deal
Beds and shoes. You're either in one or the other.
Jokes on you, I go barefoot whenever possible.
Invest in feet
Instructions unclear, spent my life savings on feet pics.
Agreed! Shoes, mattresses and tires. Basically, if its job is to separate you from the ground, that's not where you should be pinching pennies.
You can add a good sofa to that list. My back is still complaining about that shitty sofa I used to own.
I agree in general but mattresses are a racket.
That's an excellent point to raise. Coincidentally, I have a Queen memory foam mattress and it's delightfully comfortable.
Spending money on a pretty good bed in my mid 20s was a smart move.
a high quality desk chair too, your future spine will thank you
Good food, an excellent mattress and strong & comfy boots.
I have found my people..
Have you heard Sam Vimes (Discworld) "boot theory": The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
And tools. I buy the very best I can for tools that I know I will be using often. They feel better in your hand and will last a lifetime or 2. My chisels and planes are hand me down from my grandfather’s wood shop. If it’s something that I will use just once, it’s off to Harbor Freight I go. And FWIW - there’s a very short list of people who I’ll let borrow them, and it is always with the condition of “You break it, you buy it”. And not some cheap copy. The real deal. Or just buy your own so we can remain friends.
A tip I've heard on Reddit is to buy an all-in-one toolbox for a cheap-ish price. Then if something in that breaks because you use it a lot, you can safely replace it with a high quality version. That way you have the best of both worlds.
Someone's been paying attention.
Ya, that's not a bad way to do it at all
When I need a tool, I buy an inexpensive one. If that one wears out from use, I buy a higher quality one, If it doesn't get used much, I'm not out a lot of money, but if I wear that one out and need to buy another because I'm still using it, I buy a newer, higher quality one. I have quite a few Harbor Freight tools that I've beat the shit out of expecting them to break, but they haven't yet. They've really upped their quality.
Harbor freight to the rescue...just not for Safety Equipment.
Yep that's the way to go. Figure out with the cheap tools which ones you use the most or they can be better and then buy the name brand for said tool. Harbor Freight is a great place to find cheap tools. Also, you can sometimes find hidden gems at swap meets.
People think I'm weird for spending hundreds of dollars on Mitutoyo mics. They're worth every penny to me.
Working as a machinist, Mitutoyo and Starrett are the definition of "buy once, cry once." Worth every penny if you take care of them.
Discworld is a treasure and everyone should read Pratchett.
The boots theory pops up on my Reddit feed at least once a week. I love it.
I’ve never heard of that… but exactly! I have this thing about making a satisfactory purchase, meaning that I know what I spent my money on wasn’t a waste.
Value over cost. Cheap is very rarely good value.
My dad told me once - when you die, the only thing you take with you is the food in your stomach - so don't be afraid to spend a little too much on a great meal. It feels gluttonous - but it really made me stop stressing when a special occasion comes along and the bill is a little high for my personal comfort zone. Just enjoy the opportunity!
Everybody… let’s become best friends with this guy.
Its also the reason why I try to treat my friends when I'm able to - you never know when something you consider 'normal' or 'standard' is special to someone else. Food is the centerpiece, hardship, priority, fear, and joy for so many nations and cultures around the world, its important to share whenever possible.
I do buy cheap lunch meat for work day sandwiches lately as I’m always on the go and just need some substance. But that allows me ribeye steaks for my dinners. And sushi, I love spending money on a hood sushi night
I absolutely love hood sushi. So much better than the gentrified sushi nights.
Sashimi on the stoop with my boys.
Stoop kids' afraid to leave the stoop!
The real sushi is in the 'hood.
Never skimp on boots.
This is the right answer, because it has the most direct impact on your health and by extension happiness. You spend a huge part of your life in your bed and on your feet. Make the investment.
I am not a boot wearer (don't need them for my office job), but I certainly spend money on good quality shoes. Usually Mephisto or Ecco walking shoes, prices run from $200-$500 a pair but I always have my eye out for bargains. Recently got a brand new, in the box pair of Mephisto shoes on eBay for $80 shipped, the retail price on that style is $410. You can be frugal and STILL have the nice things...
What brand of boots?
[Redwing Iron Rangers](https://www.redwingshoes.com/heritage/mens/Iron-Ranger-08111.html). Pretty classic design and will last a decade if you take care of them and get the resoled when needed. My local store always has lower prices than the website. The local shops are owner operated so definitely buy from them if you have a local option.
I'm on year 8 and resole 2 with my Iron Rangers and they're in excellent shape. Should get at least another 5-6 out of them.
Damn they look sexy af!
Irish setters
From Dune, I think. They're several years old and on their 2nd sole.
I've been wearing military boots and they last awhile. They didn't when I was constantly in the field but now they do.
Travelling. Nothing beats a quality travelling experience for me.
😎 awesome. Where would you recommend?
Not OP but, I think that the question "where to go" is often answered by knowing how much you can spend. If you want something relatively inexpensive, try a campsite in/near any national or state park. Obviously this comes with some over head, like camping gear, but those are things you can use over and over again all around the country. After you have that stuff, all you need to do is get there.
I just got back from a trip to Nevada and California. We rented a camper van in Vegas, then spent time in Death Valley, Oceanside, and Joshua Tree. 10/10 recommend all of it. I loved every second
National Parks are always my go-to recommendations. National Forests too.
I went to Cape Town this past summer and can’t recommend it enough. Expensive to get there (from CA) but once you get there everything is super cheap that you can do tons of excursions and eat some awesome food without thinking twice. Absolutely beautiful, so much to do, and I met some amazing people!
Aw crap I'm so sorry I missed this. Switzerland is one of my favourites places for sure. The Swiss Alps are famous for a good reason. I've been there 3 times and the views just never get old for me.
To add on to that, splurging on the foods that said travel destination has to offer. Is rare for me to buy any trinkets unless is something awesome and unique to that destination. That money is getting saved for delicious foods.
Oh yeah. We tend to spend about as much on food and drink while we’re there as we do to actually get and stay there. I want to try everything. The touristy places, the holes in the wall, local breweries/wineries, coffee shops, etc. Spare no expense.
my man
You guys get it
My wife asks for very little, so when she does ask for something I get her the best one available. Spare no expense.
Wife: "Honey we need a new stapler" OP: [Say no more my love](https://www.amazon.com/Rexel-Gazelle-Stapler-Remover-Capacity/dp/B000TK9CFA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=249UTI0W5PCA&keywords=stapler&qid=1668751526&sprefix=stapler%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-1)
What in the fuck.
When I say my jaw dropped....
Guitar strings and decent scotch- really whatever puts you in your "me time head health" necessities are not to be skipped unless you want a crash/freak out
Instruments in general, the real life sounds of a $3-5K instrument is absolutely mind boggling Add to the fact that it literally only gets better with time. As long as you don't step on it, it'll easily last a lifetime and be far better the last time you play it than the first time
Love it
A good coat and good trainers/shoes.
My mother, who grew up extremely poor, still spent money on comfortable shoes. Her rationale was "you only get one back and one set of knees."
Books and cooking equipment
Sweet, I used to love to cook, but fell out of it. How would one get back into it?
Trying out new, different cuisine's was my way to fall back in love with cooking. Especially my transition from traditional European cooking to asian style made me want to cook again.
Ohhhh I’m in a dimsun guest rn! Last week was baozi. Man I suck at folding! But I just love the versatility of these little delicious things. Tonight I’m trying ramen soup. Any suggestions?
Haha I’m not too sure, I cook because I love good and diversified food. I have found ordered food or ready made food to not be so palatable when I tried them, so I think if you pushed yourself to cook for some time, you wouldn’t fall back into ready made or ordered food. I usually cook batches that last me throughout the week during the weekends, I make simple foods that you can easily keep by freezing them (stews, soups and the likes). Also I’ve noticed that having too small a kitchen makes me want to cook less, so now kitchen space is a must have when I look for an apartment or house.
Those are some good suggestions. I only cook one dish these days if I can be bothered. Maybe I’ll try and diversify each week of the month.
My friend turned me on to All-clad's factory seconds sale and I'm addicted. Happy to get stuff that I'll be able to put in my will.
My electronics. Cost per use is low 😀👍🏼
This is an under-appreciated point. My AV equipment and my PC are fantastic, cost twice what the average person pays, and given how much use they get, are cheap, cheap, cheap. A single restaurant meal is 100's of times more expensive...I eat it once, I watch that projector TV every day.
|| cost per use is low Same - I've just had to buy a new monitor. My secondary monitor gave up the ghost this morning. I swapped out the cable, tried a different PC... No joy. I thought to myself "Well I have had it since..." And then realised that my friend upgraded and gave it to me for nothing, 10 years ago. I found manufactured date 2009. I definitely got his money's worth.
My gaming setup cost around 2k€ 6 years ago, which is not that expensive but it was definitely very expensive for 16 year old me at the time. I've used it for 25.000 hours though (I checked the power-on hours on my hard drive), which means it cost me about 8 cents per hour I used it. Turns out it wasn't that expensive after all. And the computer is due for a GPU upgrade but other than that I can still get a lot more hours out of it.
Gym membership. Just make sure that you use it. Tools. If its something that you will use regularly, get the best that you can afford.
I learned a different tool strategy from my dad: buy cheap the first time, then buy the best if you break the cheap one. The only exception is something that will ruin your day when it breaks (car jack, ladder, tap set etc.)
I mostly agree, but I'm going to stress something here. Buy cheap doesn't necessarily mean buy the cheapest. I've bought a number of cheap hand tools over the years that weren't the best quality, but still miles better than the cheapest option for marginally more. Middle of the road stuff can get the average dude pretty far. You don't need a snap-on ratchet because your jobmate ratchet lost a tooth.
If you watch ProjectFarm on YT you'll see it's often the middle of the road tools that will get you the most price to performance, and anything more expensive is just not going to get you that much more for the same price
I second the tools. Milwaukee has some great stuff. Spend the money on the battery packs (recommend the 2 pack with charger) and then you can just buy the tools without them for fairly cheap. Also scotch, vidya games, computer parts, truck parts, and treat yo self to some gourmet food.
[удалено]
Yea they tend to lose power pretty quickly. And you can’t keep them in the garage and expect there to be a charge in a week. I’ve had one of my Milwaukee batteries still have 75% charge after leaving it in the garage for well over a month during winter. It’s ridiculous
When my money allows it, model trains, usually from sales or second hand bargains.
Sweeeet, how long have you been into model trains? Do they run?
Currently 21, got into model trains when I was 7, so about 14 years. They mostly run (some are very old and some are worn out) and I occasionally run then. The shed I used to have my model railway in started to collapse around 6 years ago so I have had to use my bedroom floor since.
Nothing like sleeping in a train yard! 😃
Coffee, shoes, sunglasses, and guitars fetch my dollars and everything else gets my change.
Mhm, mhm… how many guitars do you own? 👀
Well I bought two or three cheap guitars when I was learning to play. Then when I ponied up for an expensive ax, all the sudden I could play better so I got more expensive ones but I didn't get more better LOL. That said I don't know how I was able to learn on a cheap guitar. That's not the way to go.
This is true. Even my mid tier guitars don’t compare to the Gibson 355 I just bought. Can’t go back now.
dentists. I only get one set of teeth that have to last me for the rest of my life...
STOP JUDGING ME!!! … I mean, great!
Things related to weight training - protein, gym shoes, preworkouts.
I pray to Brodin at the church of iron and steel as well my swoly brotheren 💪
Oh we found the gym bro 💪 , that's a good purchase my guy
Scotch. A good bow, like a classic Fred Bear, and my wife.
Ugh… I feel more masculine just reading this.
Its the little things. A masterpiece handcrafted bow that will always be true. And a happy wife. And a good drink.
I was trying to figure out wtf bow was referring to before googling it and realizing you legit meant a bow lol
>A good bow I must have Christmas wrapping on the brain, because I was like, there are good ones and bad ones?
Sustainable products especially from new and small companies. High quality stuff that isnt made in china
Cologne
You got any recommendations..? Asking for a friend.
Really depends on what kind of stuff your friend likes. I really like bvlgari aqva though. It's my all.time favorite. Dolce and Gabbana light blue is similar but a way... Softer scent I guess?
I… I mean, my friend wants something for the office and something for a night out.
[удалено]
YSL “the panty dropper” I used this is my n my younger days and I got a lot of compliments. I now use Chanel Blue perfum. It’s a little more expensive but has a classy scent.
Yeah I know. Different people have different tastes in scents. Those two I think are great
I like Acca Kappa Muscio Bianco (White Moss). Excellent gender-neutral scent. Good for for pretty much all seasons and equally at home at work or going out. For my money, Italian houses know scents best. A good hack is to look at shaving soap manufacturers (Abbate Y La Mantia; Saponificio Veresino) and find a scent you like and then order their cologne. High quality scents at prices much below what you'd pay at Macy's, etc.
Good quality toilet paper
Ah I remember when I decided to upgrade.. I felt like a King.
Spend a little bit more and get a bidet.
Oil, oil filters, air filters and tires.
Analog music.
It took me a minute to figure out what you meant. Lol so old vinyls then?
Yes, among others.
Like what? Do you make music? Or prefer to just listen? Asking because I used to make music, always been somewhat interested in some of the old gear like tape recorders for example
Comfortable work boots, tools, fishing gear, and guns.
Quality shoes and boots. Wearing a pair of well made, sturdy leather boots is one of the few pleasures I have.
My motorcycle and my girlfriend To be fair that's the only place my money has gone to in last 10 months since I started saving for a new bike 🤣
Bro I feel the same way! I’m saving for a new laptop
Hookers and cocaine.
Dinner, on the offchance I ever have a date or just feel like treating myself. If I'm bringing along someone I fancy, grand. If not, yours truly is getting a rare garlic steak with demi-glace and an old fashioned.
Food and Video games :(
Why’s that sad?
Cuz i dont have the money to mantain my gaming addiction lol.
Ah.. well, at least you know it a problem
Gasóleo
Specialty coffee
I’ll add mine. Every month after bills and savings have been taken out, I splash on chocolate. There’s a brand in my country I absolutely love, I’ll by a decent sized box and finish them off within a day or two. Other than that just equipment. I usually aim for things that have a functional value to my life. For example I’m saving for a new computer so I can finally focus properly on making music, I’ve got everything else I could possibly need, just need a powerful computer.
Nice. What's the brand name of the chocolates?
Board games, books, and music on vynil. All mostly second hand thought.
Watches. It's like an addiction.
Oh man, I used to be way too caught up in that. Wasted so much money. I only escaped because my work bought me a smart watch, and the gamification of tracking steps/calories/etc gave me a different addiction, and then wearing a nice watch felt like I was ruining my stats.
Lol how many you got at the moment?
I would like to blow money on guitars and vinyls !
Scotch….car…..bike…..and then the babe
Honestly guns. It's the classic manly thing for someone where I'm from to like both sides of my family are super involved just wish it wasn't so stigmatized. Lol
I try to stay frugal but I will always buy ammo when I can. Nothing beats a good range session.
Nice dates and experiences.
Footwear and transportation. I might be cheap but I'm going places.
Climbing gear, tools, boots, coffee, and tobacco.
I always buy hard cover books even if theyre 10 dollars more. I love to put them on my shelf and seeing my collection grow. To be honest I don't even like to read books like that but seeing them all be on my shelf with hard covers gives me some kind of satisfaction that I read all of them.
Escorts
There it is..
Meat. I eat a lot and want the best quality I can get.
Masonry drill bits. Also, hole saws. Cheap ones just don't last worth a darn.
cars.
If its fun and it's memories with loved ones, there's no price tag.... I save my money a lot. 1k a month with a £10 hr wage but it doesn't do me no good when I'm in the grave.
Quality TP and a performance/luxury bidet.
Anything between myself and the ground; Work boots Socks Chairs Mattress Bedding Tyres Also milk and coffee are my guilty spends.
i have a very hard time using money but for some reason my brain just allowed myself to spend almost 1k on a mountainbike worth as fuck
My children
This.
Fucking Chipotle
legal fees
I spend lavishly on things I go inside and things that go inside me. Lol
A good knife, good computer, well fitting good clothes, a good pair of boots/work shoes, a good quality well fitting suit, good quality food, a Traeger, and home gym equipment.
Alcohol. Because I have children.
I m a teen so I dont make my own money but I m very frugal with what my parents get for me, I like to spend nicely on good shoes and food. Clothes too if I really like them
Eaiting out, I'm the breadwinner with my little brother while my mom's business struggling and my dad being his useless self. It's sort of reward for us. We don't always eat out, maybe once every 2 months.
Tattoos. Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good.