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Ask HN: What do you perceive as worth spending money on?

• tomh- 16y ago
  I spent either money on good memorable experiences (dinners, traveling, friends etc), entertainment (movies, games) or investments in products/services which will earn back their value (books, courses, hosting etc)
• dglassan 16y ago
  ditto on the craft beers and non-fiction books. I spend money going out with friends every weekend to have a great time. I guess it's just a gut feeling, if I believe something is worth the price, I'll spend the money on it. Sometimes I'm wrong and pay too much for something that's not that valuable, but other times I feel like I purchase things at a great price that offer me a lot
  • aspir 16y ago
    I agree. Sometimes being miserly just isn't worth it. It's a good way to alienate people if done poorly. It also begs the question of "What are you saving up for in particular?" If it's for a house payment or a large long term goal or to keep a balanced budget that's one thing; but if it's to simply save for saving's sake alone without an objective, it can become oppressive. It did for me, that is.
• trouble 16y ago
  I think it’s worth spending money on travel, but the amount is determined by how long I have to stay in one place to afford a trip. If a trip to Europe means I have to save up for two years beforehand, chances are I’ll take it off my priority list in favour of less-costly trips that mean I can take time off my job every three or four months. Other things I believe in spending money on include education (although I do think that my university fees are unfairly high), good food, make-up and shoes (makes a big difference to how I am treated by others, unfortunately), kitchenware that lasts forever, a laptop and phone that work without causing me to stress, and bright, colourful things that make me happy. I also like shiny things but the price is normally too high compared to how much I like them.
• aspir 16y ago
  I've discovered that opting for higher quality foods (not gourmet or a 100% organic diet, just slightly better than spam/ramen) is well worth the results in regards to short term energy and health. Let alone long term health. I just feel better with fresher fruits and vegetables and quality grains and meats. I used to swear by ramen, but buying cut rate flour noodles and stock separately is nearly as cheap, and I'm noticeable healthier. GIGO for meatspace, essentially.
• qq66 16y ago
  Rent - I need a great place to come back home to. Food - fresh, high quality food improves my life a lot. Car - my 30 30 square feet of personal space that I can transport to wherever I want.
• davj 16y ago
  Spend money on things you need. If you want it, and need it, w00t!
• achompas 16y ago
  Travel. Going out with friends and dates. Fresh, locally raised food. A good pair of leather shoes. Oh, and that copy of Snow Leopard required to grab the iOS SDK. =/
• andywood 16y ago
  Good food, good neighborhood, books, hobbies. Or put another way - health, mental health, personal development, and fun.
• lotharbot 16y ago
  1) Tools -- must have a high ratio of time or annoyance saved vs. cost. For example, quality kitchen tools that will make cooking easier every day for the next 20 years are worth spending a bit of money on. 2) Games/entertainment -- must give me a lot of hours of fun for a low hourly cost (like 50 cents an hour or better.) Video games that I'm going to play to death fall into this category; movies at the theater do not. 3) Family -- I'm willing to give up an awful lot of money so my son can grow up with his grandparents (and great grandparents) around, and so I can hang out with my brothers and sisters as they all grow up and start families.
• zavulon 16y ago
  1) Gifts for loved ones 2) Things that make my life easier 3) Things that bring me joy Roughly in this order of priority ...
  • Zev 16y ago
    I opened the thread to say just this, in a much less succinct fashion. I like your version much more.
• Shakattack 16y ago
  1) Technology - Quality speakers, nice monitors, computers, etc 2) Good pair of running shoes and a tennis racket 3) Food - Not often, but nice restaurants when I can Other then that, I don't care as much about what I drive, what I live in, etc. I do care - but as long as I'm living in an interesting city I'll be fine.
• marcuswestin 16y ago
  For anything that you spend more than an hour per day doing, get the very best that your money can buy you. This probably includes - your bed - your desk setup if you work at one, including the chair - food - the people closest to you (roommates, family)
• b3b0p 16y ago
  First, I really (really) enjoy spending money on other people, especially those important to me (friends and family). When it's a surprise it's even more fun! I love to see their face light up when they least expect. Great feeling. Now, if we are talking about items for myself, not necessarily of great importance, I do indulge on certain things, but I have rules. I have no problem spending money on well designed items that look, feel, and function properly with the quality I desire. Examples include Macbook Pro with Mac OS X, Apple Cinema Display, Water Field Designs Muzetto and I'll tell you why. First, the Macbook Pro. I used to do Linux as my platform of choice, loved the whole idea of open source, freedom, the platform, the options, and it's abilities. However, I would spend countless hours gettings thing like sleep / hibernate working on my laptop, wireless card setup correctly, tweaking my Fluxbox settings, among other things. It got the point I started to really value my time spent working (this was before I actually had a career) and doing other things I enjoyed. I didn't have much desire to use Windows for my main system, so I grudgingly invested in my first Apple, a Macbook Pro v1. It was hotter than heck, but I loved it. Things worked! Wireless! Video! And most important to me was sleep and hibernate were flawless! it was amazing. For the Apple Cinema Display, you wouldn't think it would be that big a deal, but it made my desk nearly clear of cables now and the extra power connector made it worth every cent. This is the 24". Since I have this nice display now, I had now qualms purchasing the 13" Macbook Pro this time with it's smaller screen (and price). I love the portability of this little guy and not having to take out the power supply and just keep it in my bag, pure luxury. The screen is gorgous too!. My other display is a Dell U2711, I have delegated it video games. Finally, the bag, as many call it, a nearly $300 man purse, the Water Field Designs Muzetto (with sleeve of course). Quite simply the most beautiful bag I have ever owned or seen. I love it to death. It looks great, feels like a tank, is easy to just pick up and go. It gets a little cramped with my iPad, power supply, and Macbook Pro, but that's good otherwise I would jam it full of excess items. It forces me to travel lite. I got the cream. It attracts all sorts of people and I get comments almost everytime I'm out and about with it. That got a little long, so I'll leave it at that.
  • patrickaljord 16y ago
    Ubuntu user here. Wireless, video, sleep and hibernate work too and I never spend time tweaking anything.
• cromulent 16y ago
  Health insurance, and life insurance (I have dependents).
• photon_off 16y ago
  I personally enjoy collecting scientific gadgets that fascinate me like a child. I have an IR thermometer, pocket microscope (might get a USB one soon), range-finder, digital caliper (measuring the height of a piece of paper is surprisingly gratifying), altimiter, multimiter, scale (not as precise as I'd like [10mg]), and weather indicator. Eventually, I want a collection capable of measuring any attribute of anything I come across. On my list: lightmeter, wetness-ometer, electron microscope (when I hit it big), soundmeter, and smelloscope.
  • Kliment 16y ago
    Try this, homemade electron microscope (appears to be WIP): http://www.chemhacker.com/topics/stm/ http://www.chemhacker.com/topics/stm/ Or this, a finished, working one: http://sxm4.uni-muenster.de/introduction-en.html http://sxm4.uni-muenster.de/introduction-en.html
    • mechanical_fish 16y ago
      These are STMs, by the way, not electron microscopes. Making an electron microscope is probably a more expensive task for the homebrewer, because you invariably need a vacuum-proof chamber with a door that can be opened and closed, and the pumps to evacuate it...
• kia 16y ago
  For me my health (both physical and mental) is the most important thing so i spend money on things that make me healthier and happier.
• fezzl 16y ago
  Food: meals and snacks.
• rstocker99 16y ago
  1) Books. A number of years ago when the startup I worked for got acquired my wife suggested that I go out and buy myself something nice to celebrate. After wandering around looking for something fun to buy and not finding anything that excited me I eventually bought myself a $10 book. 2) Things that save me time and make my life more convenient. Often this means services vs. products e.g. paying someone to do work around the house I don't want to do. I'm a sucker for convenience. 3) Good food. Because I love to eat. 4) Experiences e.g. travel. For some reason paying for something that will provide a lifetime of memories always seems worth it. I'm not particularly price sensitive. If I perceive what I'm buying as worth it I'm happy to pay. For example, if I'm buying a steak at the butcher I'll pay more to get a really good ribeye vs. a cheaper cut. In general I'd rather have less stuff but really enjoy what I have.
  • SkyMarshal 16y ago
    "In general I'd rather have less stuff but really enjoy what I have." Hear hear. Less, durable, long-lasting high quality things > more cheap crap.
  • prawn 16y ago
    I'm similar. Convenience. Fine dining. Travel experiences. But I'd add cookware to the list - pains me to see people struggle along with cheap and shoddy knives, small chopping boards and weak pots and pans.
    • etm117 16y ago
      I totally agree on the knives. If you want easy brownie points I recommend purchasing for your mother (or father if he does the cooking) a set a nice knives for the Holidays or birthday one year. You will be a hero the first time they cut a tomato and don't squish it. My mother still thanks me and it has been over 6 years since I gave her a set of Wüsthof.
      • prawn 16y ago
        Funny you should say that, because we bought a set of Wusthof-Trident for my in-laws. I bought mine in Germany and carted them back through China. Gives you a special appreciation of them when you've carried heavy knives and a wood block on your back for a couple of months to get them home!
• kranner 16y ago
  Books. Still a fan of the dead-tree variety. It's not so much paper vs e-ink, more that every new book is a new physical object with its own size, shape, weight and (sometimes) smell.
  • jmhobbs 16y ago
    Oh, the smell. I love the smell of really new books, and I love the smell of really old ones.
  • srv 16y ago
    I absolutely love everything book-related, and have for a long, long time. But as you say, each book is an item with its own size, shape and weight. Having to pack the thousands of them I have amassed for moving has lead me to finally getting a Kindle.
    • kranner 16y ago
      I know what you mean having suffered the same issue multiple times. But if I'm going to spend quality time with a book, I still think it worthwhile to purchase the physical version. The digital version is good for archival and portability, but the first time through a good book feels like it should be with its most authentic representation.
• sosuke 16y ago
  I enjoy spending money on things that will help me make more money or save money. Home entertainment saves me from spending money out and good computer hardware helps me develop faster, dual monitors, test hardware all help me make money. I have a real hard time buying stuff that doesn't fall into those two categories for myself.
• timcederman 16y ago
  Friends, food, travel.
• lotusleaf1987 16y ago
  1. experiences--vacations/trips 2. quality food 3. house/apartment 4. possessions I enjoy having nice things, but fewer of them. I like to spend my money on things that I imagine my grandkids would fight over. But really, I think vacations and memories are a much better investment in the long haul. I don't buy things unless I think it's something I will still want in another year, or hopefully two or more. Eating healthy costs more, but without a doubt I think it's worthwhile to pay more to eat organic/local foods. Living in a place you feel comfortable and happy to be at is also very rewarding, just do the extra work to find a deal.
• danilocampos 16y ago
  Experiences and adventure: Blowing a pile of money to go somewhere new is always worth it. The memories are priceless and occasionally the experience helps me redefine what I thought possible for myself. The right price is whatever I can scrape together to make this happen. (Trip to Europe, basic gear for camping, a tank of gas or two for a roadtrip.) Plus standard geek staples: iPhone, solid computer for coding, writing and designing. Nothing surprising in the tools department.
  • andrewingram 16y ago
    I totally agree with the experiences thing. Assuming you're not saving up for a house or something, what better thing to spend your money on than a new experience? A lot of people suddenly become frugal when confronted with the price tag of an amazing holiday, but are perfectly happy blowing £50 on a night of drinking. It always seems like a false economy to me.
    • div 16y ago
      A night of drinking is an experience as well. It may not be a 'new' experience, but it still is. Blowing a fifty on a pair of socks is another story.
      • eru 16y ago
        If they are superior socks. (Though going barefoot is quite cheap and a nice experience, too.)
      • andrewingram 16y ago
        what if they're really good waterproof socks that never smell?
  • twymer 16y ago
    The fact that you and many others said experiences were more worth it is not so surprising. http://lifehacker.com/5608980/spend-on-experiences-instead-of-possessions-for-longer-happiness http://lifehacker.com/5608980/spend-on-experiences-instead-o...
• kbob 16y ago
  A Pagani Zonda.
• kloc 16y ago
  I see a trend here. Good food. On loved ones. Gadgets.Books.( All same for me too). Wonder what people here would spend on if they had 10 times the money they have now.
  • exit 16y ago
    spend it on not spending time working on idiotic shit
    • div 16y ago
      ah, to be free from the rat race
• startupCurious 16y ago
  This is a fully loaded question!! "What is the right price of some of the items you value" --> India has double digit inflation right now.Not of much significance to people on HN,the cost of certain food items has doubled in India, over the last couple of years! Have been recommended to read "Wealth of Nations",Adam Smith, have the book,but havent got around doing that. Maslow's heirarchy of needs( Google it) ,is a good rule of the thumb- which determines what your needs would be, depending on which "level" you are.
• paolomaffei 16y ago
  Clothes (got a consulting biz), a dell 30' + 13' macbook pro, my dog (food and veterinary) I found that traveling with couchsourfing is both cheaper and more FUN actually And then I try to invest whatever I make in new ideas, websites - always trying to get the passive income higher since I pretty much only have active one now.
• lazyjeff 16y ago
  One thing that people here haven't mentioned: Good furniture -- costs pennies per day, is there waiting for you after a long day, makes your place aesthetically pleasing, allows you to entertain guests, and you can sell it for at least half the price when you're done with it.
• deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
• siculars 16y ago
  right now, not much.
• SkyMarshal 16y ago
  Knowledge, relationships, experiences, health. Eg, books, education, travel, new skills (be it Haskell, spelunking, or Spanish), good times with friends, family, and significant others, etc. And good health makes it all possible (or rather prevents it from becoming impossible). Things, only insofar as they facilitate the above, but not for the sake of having 'cool' stuff or the latest 'must have' gadget.
• jobeyonekenobi 16y ago
  Books - yes, the physical kind. Although this has to be calmed down a bit, because I can only get through about 2 a week, but they make me feel very wealthy indeed. Food - We have an excellent butchers in the town, and it's game season, so I am looking forward to getting a brace of Partridge and cooking something up. Travel - it really does expand the mind. I did not realise how educated I had become from being 'dragged' away 5 times a year by my Mum. Even if I can only go 100 miles away for a weekend, it's still wonderful. And the deviation from everything else I have read so far on here: Exercise: I really value the money I spent on my MTB. I love my Bouldering gear (shoes, crash mat and chalk really), and I wouldn't be without going to Muay Thai twice a week. Doing all of this makes me feel like I have more of a rounded life - Yeah, I get to be sedentary for 14 hours at a time tweeking stuff on various VM's, but I also get to test my body to (what feels like) its limits, and I get physical camaraderie from the boxing, or the biking that just isn't the same from a book.
• liljimmytables 16y ago
  "What is the right price for some of the items you value?" This question has changed its meaning for me in recent months, as I'm saving up to fund some {pre-,}incubation work in the new year. Ordinary things like "a shiny new phone" through to "getting the roof fixed" are now being framed in terms of a week's work at minimum wage. So far there have been very few things as important as a week's work, and as a result the things I love are being fulfilled in slightly strange ways. I now know a whole load about quality homebrewing. My music collection is filling out with all the albums I never got around to buying in my teens (thank you, charity shops). And buying new gadgets has been replaced with writing a few apps and revving the firmware. It's made me more aware that I don't really want _that_ book or _that_ device, but that I will be content with anything that stimulates me and makes me feel richer in the areas I care about. And on the whole, "you could do a week's work for that" has been the perfect whip to keep my tech covetousness at bay. If this post reads smug or pious it wasn't my intention, you can bet I will be right off the wagon as soon as the new project is up and running...
• djm 16y ago
  Here are a few of my handy tips to help you decide whether you should go ahead and buy that new X: (1) Think about cost in terms of the work you had to do to buy it, not just the sale price. You are (most often) buying X with post-tax income so add your tax back on. (2) Think about the opportunity cost of making the purchase, or "what can't I afford if I buy X?" (3) Consider whether you are just buying X because it is a status object and whether there is a cheaper alternative (do you really need that merc when you can get from a->b in a honda? and so on). In choosing what things are important to spend money on I'd generally echo others comments - people looking back over their lifetimes tend to value experiences they had more than junk they bought so spend your money buying experiences.
  • irishman_irl 16y ago
    I like my BMW 5 series as I am a driver at heart. To me driving a well designed car like, with a 1000 tiny well thought out performance tweaks is an experience I enjoy every day. Having struggled with noisy, underpowered, no fun, front wheel drive Toyota's & Hondas for years I would be hard pressed to give this up. However if you just buy something like this for the badge, you need your head examined.
• known 16y ago
  Gold and real estate.
  • ashconnor 16y ago
    An interesting life if ever I saw one...
• elblanco 16y ago
  1) Something I need. Clothes, house, food. I try not to skimp on those things, I buy decent clothes, eat good food, live in a nice house. I always know that if times are tough, I can scale these back easily, but these things always get paid for first. 2) Something I want, but only if it performs its principle function correctly, operates reliably, and is cost effective. I'll buy a Honda over any Mercedes for example. (I could cars in this category even though I need one for transport because I could always go el cheapo used car for my actual needs). 3) If I have time or opportunity, luxury items, but only one or two per year -- they don't have to conform too tightly to the cost effective idea but I have to make sure I can use it. If I buy it and have no time to mess with it, then it's a waste. These usually take the form of travel once or twice a year.
• nirajr 16y ago
  My basic thumb rule is, does a spend now help the cause of my larger plan in life, or goes against it. So, spending on a new experience would make more sense for me than saving that money and investing it into something, as I've figured out that my experiences have been my biggest investments. The question is how to make an objective judgement on whether a spend is beneficial in terms of the larger plan or not. For myself, I have learnt to do it over time, and know where to draw the line. (Not that I don't make on the spur expenses, but have noticed that these days, my thumb rules applies itself 'in the background' even when I am making an on the spur purchase)
• roadnottaken 16y ago
  I try not to spend money on things that will result in watching more TV. Things like cable, DVR, etc. I want some of these things, but I feel like this sort of spending results in lower life-happiness which is the opposite of what you want from spending money.
• pugil 16y ago
  Better than what I should ask when. When the time is appropriate. When I feel like of it.
• petervandijck 16y ago
  A house that I own.
• imp 16y ago
  Gym membership, books, GeekDesk, services that save me time (doggy daycare, gutter cleaner, etc.).
• sachitgupta 16y ago
  I just graduated and started a full-time job, so I've been dealing with this because I want to save as much as possible. Here's what I've spent money on: Technology - phone, iPad. Bed, desk chair, food. On the flip side, I've also been getting rid of everything I don't need or haven't used in the last 6 months (100 Things Challenge). My motto: own less and only things you need, but for those, buy the best quality.
• ryne 16y ago
  Concerts/shows. I rarely buy music but I still want to support the artists I like and its a great experience. I tend not to go to shows that only sell via Ticketmaster or are exorbitantly priced.
• jasonkester 16y ago
  I tend to lean toward spending on Experiences rather than Possessions. That said, there are certain classes of Possession that can really make your life better if you buy the best. Always buy the best: - Kitchen Knives - Development tools - Toilet Paper All the above can be skimped on, but they'll make you unhappy. I've spent enough of my life sawing onions in half with a squirrelly 99 cent Ginsu clone, trying to get Eclipse to autocomplete anything at all and letting roommates bring home a 60 pack of Welfare Brand Flims-E-Paper. Now that I've got two dimes to rub together, all that stuff is a thing of the past.
  • akgerber 16y ago
    I get the impression that there are a lot of unnecessarily expensive kitchen knives out there. Professional cooks spend all day using a knife & most of them use some knife that cost maybe $25 at the restaurant supply store.
    • modoc 16y ago
      My brother-in-law is a chef and he, and almost all of his chef/sous chef friends all have pretty impressive knife collections they bring with them to the job each day. Primarily Japanese knives, purchased one at a time as they save up the money. While prep cooks will use stock kitchen knives, most chefs will use their own tools, which tend to be pretty expensive.
    • stewiecat 16y ago
      Our cook in college would use the most beat up cheap aluminum pots, pans, and roasters but he insisted on bringing his metal briefcase of knives with him to work every day.
    • kyleslattery 16y ago
      The top rated chef's knife by Cook's Illustrated is only about $30 (and it's awesome): http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47520-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B000638D32/ http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47520-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs/d...
    • kingnothing 16y ago
• drblast 16y ago
  Anything that is an instrument of creativity. For me, this includes musical instruments, computers, and conventional building tools. These things are priced all over the map. At the very low end, you get crap that ends up limiting your creativity. At the very high end, you're paying for a name or features that might be nice to have, but not having them isn't going to prevent you from going from amateur to pro if you want. I buy the things in the middle of that spectrum. The sweet spot for musical instruments seems to be about $1000, although you can arguably get by with $500 instruments and be happy. For computers, I buy the lowest priced one that has the features I want, usually wireless, decent graphics card, etc. Every computer produced since 2002 has had the power to do everything I need to do, minus high-definition video editing (nothing will ever be fast enough) and playing Starcraft 2. I have an $800 desktop for those two things, cheap laptops running Linux for everything else. The best money I've spent recently was on singing lessons. Not a "thing," but finding the right instruction for something you want to do can be extremely valuable. For the rest of my life I'll be a better singer, which is great.
• josefresco 16y ago
  My kids and their future.
• tlrobinson 16y ago
  Definitely not "stuff". This pg essay really resonates with me: http://www.paulgraham.com/stuff.html http://www.paulgraham.com/stuff.html I've found my attitude changing from "can I afford this?" to "do I really want to be burdened by this object" During my last move I put everything own into a storage unit, and cherry-pick the few things I actually need/want as I need them. Next time I move I'm going to get rid everything left in storage. I figure if it's been in storage for that long I probably won't ever need it. Incidentally, this is exactly the same strategy I take with my computer. Once or twice a year I'll backup everything, reformat, and only copy back over what I need, as I need it.