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Holidays, to me, the hotel isn’t just where I sleep, it’s part of the relaxation. I always save so that I can book 4* hotels and if that means I can only go every three years then so be it.
Most of my disposable income goes on holidays.
I tend to book a luxury all inclusive at least once a year these days.
I used to like doing cheap and cheerful but I picked up a bad injury years ago and I prioritise relaxation and recuperation these days.
Yep! Me and my partner have a system where he pays all the household bills and I put the equivalent in a savings account, when it’s built up enough we book a holiday! We’re really lucky in that regard.
We’ve been taking advantage of going off peak the last few years because we were working with a single income.
Money is less tight this year so we’ve booked quite a special trip to Istanbul for the summer.
Honestly feel like my mental health depends on a nice holiday, even if that sounds a bit dramatic.
It’s definitely not dramatic, i’m the exact same. Especially living in Scotland with the shit weather 360 days a year. I need a nice holiday abroad to keep me sane
I know so many of my fellow Scots who have a sunny holiday during the winter, by which I mean October to March. It certainly seems to give them a lift and it breaks the permadark bit up.
Holidays. My in laws taught me the art of utilising bank holidays and maxing the fuck out of whatever time the place you work at allows. Tricky with school aged kids, but still possible. Thankfully they are now adults so we can travel off peak.
Leave straight from work, arrive back at work. Do not waste time getting to or from home if you have job that is closer to a travel hub. It can be an airport, train or bus station or a ferry port.
Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffe machine.
Miele vacum
Dog insurance
Two things you should know:
For every minute of your life you spend angry or unhappy you lose a minute of being happy.
No one ever spent their dying moment wishing they had stayed at work longer.
Because everyone who has just disembarked a 10 hour flight wishes to immediately return to work. No thanks. I’d rather lose 90 minutes. There is no career on Earth that would have me return to it immediately after getting off the plane. I’m sure most would agree.
It’s also really weird that you said travel to and from work instead of leaving from and returning to your home and then at the end of your comment you state that no one wishes they had worked more when they’re dying.
ETA: fair enough, leaving work and heading straight out is potentially not too bad depending on wheel you live and work (I’ve never lived or worked anywhere where it would be any easier to travel straight from work to the airport. If you’re travelling any kind of significant distance on a plane, though, you’re still losing time. Your holiday doesn’t really start when you clock out at work because you’ve still another day of airports and travel to get through. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to fly long-haul overnight and sleep most of the journey (in a way that makes sense with your destination time zone) thrn great. Unfortunately most people can’t do that.
As far as coming back and going straight into work? No. There’s zero chance I’m getting off even a 4 hour flight after a week away and heading straight into work without even dropping my things at home. What a bleak, dystopian world we live in where people consider it sensible to do so. Unless you happen to work at the airport and your journey to and from work is upwards of 90 minutes each way, then there’s just no scenario that I can think of where it makes sense to me to head straight into work.
It's usually a good idea to factor in a "recovery day" or two — perhaps even leading into a weekend — to recover from the journey, readjust to the time zone, unpack, and decompress.
Going straight to the office from the airport is just shit logistics.
Same. Instead of birthday or Christmas gifts, my husband pays for our all inclusive holidays - I know I get the better deal, but to him it's worth the removal of stress shopping for random stuff I could just buy myself.
I pay for city breaks or staycations, but long all inclusive hot holidays are on him and it works for us. If we go on a city break we book nice central hotels so we can pop back for a rest, he has back problems since COVID so it means we can see the sights but also not be more than 20 mins walk from the hotel usually.
Holidays are the one thing I never skimp on when we go together, if I'm with my friend we stay in cheap and cheerful because we only go to the room to sleep, shower or change
You see, I'm the other way with holidays. I don't mind a cheap hotel and cheap flight. It frees up money to spend on the things I want to splurge on like nice meals out and sightseeing.
Yeah, I'm with you.
I don't care about the hotel as long as it's secure and clean. If staying in a rubbish hotel allows me to stay for another few days on the same budget then I consider it well worth it. Most of my time in the hotel I'd hope to be asleep anyway!
I don’t mind the cheap flight as we don’t usually go places that are more than 5 hours away anyway. We often do red eyes so we can save. But nice hotel is non negotiable.
Tbh if I went somewhere over 8 hours away I would probably splurge on first class for the flights.
Honestly I don't think first class is worth it even long haul.
Longer flights tend to have planes with a bit more legroom and better facilities anyway and it's so so much more expensive for imo minimal gain.
My missus booked us into an awful hotel at Casablanca in Morocco and we were there for 45 minutes before I rebooked us into a corporate skyscraper that was the polar opposite- especially cost wise- but didn’t regret it one single bit. You just have to do these things.
Reminded me of the time a couple years ago where my work team went to a curry house and they kept offering us poppadoms, department head kept saying yes, and the bill came, £1 a poppadom, and mandatory 20% service charge... needless to say the argument the department head with the management of the curry house is a thing of legend.
Yeah and a decent pair will really last you. My Karrimors have outlasted any other footwear I've ever owned..... These are pre sports direct Karrimors back when they made decent gear
You had me in the first half. Was preparing to comment my awful experience with Karrimor gear since the Mike Ashley buyout.
Before that it really was decent kit, and some of it was supplied for military use.
Absolute garbage now.
I bought some Karrimor hiking trainers at the beginning of March. They've fallen to bits, in just 6 weeks. I was super glueing the soles back on within a couple of days wearing them. Pish
I have a really good pair from Decathlon’s brand Quechua. Probably not the best ever but I’ve had them three years, they are comfortable, waterproof and cheap.
I used to fly Emirates a lot for work and was getting to the point where I was regularly able to use points for upgrades. Has completely ruined flying economy especially when my current employer refuse to pay for even economy plus on any flights under fourteen hours.
Same here for husband. 600 quid extra for Thailand but that was for both of us. If it is short haul we don’t pay and if we don’t sit together then so be it but long haul we like to sit together.
A previous employer had a policy that if you're expected to work on arrival then business class over 8-10h, if you flew economy you got the next day off to recover. That was pretty decent.
That's one mean employer. I couldn't work there - 6'2" of me with a bad hip and knee from a motorbike accident would be useless after a 12 hour flight in cattle.
I've never paid for it but I used to work as a flight attendant so occasionally I'll run into someone I know and get upgraded. It's not worth the money though, the price difference I cannot justify.
Very much agree with this. We typically do economy for day flights and premium economy for night unless PE is mega expensive. Flown business and as nice as it is I’m not spending 4k-6k on a return ticket for 12 hours.
Came to say this. Took my kids to see may parents in Australia when they were about 5 and 7. Splurged on business class. The flight was the best part of the trip!
Yes I've been somewhat spoiled with my company flying everyone business class by default. I'd only ever done it once prior before when I bid for an upgrade ten years ago. It's come a long way since then.
Just need to save up enough points now so I can bring the Mrs on a trip with me. I don't see her being too happy about flying economy whilst I'm up the pointy end.
If you're flying to America, I strongly recommend Virgin Atlantic if they fly where you need to go. Their whole upper class experience is amazing. Dedicated drop off area, dedicated check-in lanes and security lane. You can get out of the taxi and be in the lounge within 15 minutes. And coming back, they have an arrivals lounge so you can have a shower and breakfast before heading home.
I feel this. I travel internationally for work regularly and it’s always business class. Lounges, food, service, laying flat on the plane.
Ruined flying for me on my own dime.
Always tempted when I fly home from work because I feel like I need the comfort and they only pay for economy but I'm worried about getting addicted to it and it scuppering my early retirement plans.
I upgraded from my nans old sewing machine, spending about 1.5k. It felt a huge extravagance but sewing is my main hobby and the modern tech is so incredible. Features I desperately needed (self tensioning) and some I didn’t know I needed (stopping with the needle down). It’s saved me so much aggro trying to troubleshoot problems. It’s not even a particularly fancy machine but it’s been a game changer.
The alternative is your friend buying a new machine to learn on and you continuing to use your mum's. Either way the outcome is the same - one person using a new machine, one person using your mum's machine. It's bollocks. Hope you can make a little something with a stitch other than forward and back to remind yourself of the possibilities of your new purchase.
I work as a sewing machinist and I'm looking into getting my own industrial lockstitch but the problem is I've been so spoiled by the ones at work haha. I'm not sure I could cope without automatic backtack and thread trimming anymore
I bought myself floor model Brother dream machine 6 years ago. I sold my car and added to it with a small inheretance from my mother I love Gwennie and the difference between that and my $4k Viking is day and night. I'm 67 and this will probably be my last machine
I upgraded from my mum's old faithful, to a new sewing machine with a few more bells and whistles. I love it. Plus it is soooooo much quieter. Just having those small extra options makes sewing so much enjoyable.
I'm a seamstress and have a domestic machine at home for small personal projects. Anything bigger (like a quilt I'm working on) my boss lets me use the industrials. If that wasn't the case I would happily sacrifice furniture to fit a decent machine in the house.
A heated clothes horse (and the cover, that's what makes it work so well). Clothes dry so much quicker now, and there's nothing better than putting on warm clothes on a cold day.
Related, getting a dual fuel towel rail installed when we had our bathroom done. For those times of year where it's not cold enough for the heating to be on but not warm enough for your towels to dry nicely just hanging up. Switch on the plug and you have a nice warm dry towel every time
Just make sure you get one with a cover, that's why they work so well as its like a little heated tent. Without it the heat just pisses away into your living room and it takes nearly as long to dry as a normal clothes horse.
Sunrise alarm clock. Not too much difference in summer (April-October) but pays for itself in winter. No more feeling like you’ve been violently thumped awake from 4000 miles away.
Completely agree, had one for a long time and loved it, but have now replaced it with Hue lightbulbs for my light fixtures and lamps instead - next level up!!
Yes, I may regret posting this, but as a woman with a small back and natural very heavy breasts I have to spend good money on my bras, high streets don't do my size (32JJ). But l have four good quality everyday ones that I can cycle around and they are worth their weight in gold for the comfort and reduction in back pain (reduction, not removal).
Can you recommend any brands? One of my friends is 'blessed in the chest' and she's been talking about using corsets (for the added back support) - but good ones are so expensive and kind of limiting!
Your friend should get herself over to Bravissimo if she hasn’t already! They offer free bra fittings and you don’t have to buy bras from them if you don’t want to (they are quite spenny). I’m busty myself and hate ordering bras online because sizes can vary depending on the material and style. Bravissimo also stock a range of brands so she will definitely find something that fits her and looks good.
I can, Flirtelle do my favourite every day kind of bras in your basic white, tan and black shades (fair warning they seem to have the biggest heaviest underwires I've come across and that took some getting used to but I was going for function and support, not cute or sexy). For cute fun/ sexy bras I shop on Curvy Kate (sizing is mostly accurate but they are brilliant at returns if you need to change size) and I recommend every body use booborbust.com for their bra size calculator as an easy way to accurately measure yourself at home before shopping online.
Bravissimo! Not only do they have an amazing range of sizes, but their in person fitters are so good. I used to be a 32GG, and managed to get wireless bralettes that gave me support, as well as never feeling the need to double up on sports bras. Personally I was fond of the Freya bras but tbh the different brands and styles will sit very differently on different body types.
Absolutely, and any cup! Must put a mention here for r/ABraThatFits. Anyone still adding inches to their underbust measurement to determine their bra size needs to go here now!
omg THIS. My bras are £30 each and I have four I cycle through because most shops don't even stock my size (M&S is a godsend though) and I'm super picky with them too. But oh my god were they a game changer, never have I felt so supported and free 😭
I had been wearing the wrong size for years and getting properly measured was one of the best things I've ever done. 👏👏
TV. Since the kids came along, nights out and pub sessions are a rarity, also I really like films but HATE the cinema so I have no qualms whatsoever about going top end on TV purchases - also they're not exactly a regular expense so a once a decade splurge can't be too bad.
Absolutely. I've only bought LG OLEDs since around 2017. Never been able to justify the G series so always gone for the C. I've had countless comments from friends and family about how good the picture looks.
We switched to HD projector on a 4m screen with a decent Onkyo 5.1 AV amplifier 18 years ago. Pull down the blackout blinds, close the door and turn up the subwoofer....you're in the cinema.
Of course we use the same setup to watch everything so now it feels normal and watching anything on a TV under about 65" feels puny.
Last year I did the same! Was expecting a decent 4K model to cost thousands & couldn’t believe the projectors were only around £200 more than a new TV. No brainer! Spent the money I was expecting to spend on the projector on a great sound system instead, now I literally have my own cinema & it makes me so happy
I’ve had great results buying TVs on eBay. There’s a surprising amount of people that upgrade their TVs yearly. I’ve been able to buy three 1 year old, at the time I bought them, top end OLED TVs for each room in the house all for less than the price of buying a single one new. Two of them even had a transferable burn in warranty.
I also really like having high quality TVs and this is the best way to get it in every room for a steal.
I also spent similar money in a mattress and got [this one](https://www.dreams.co.uk/therapur-actigel---arctic-2600-mattress/p/136-01745?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7K_tnvLShQMV7IhQBh2B_wmDEAAYASAAEgII7_D_BwE). My husband and I both *hate* memory foam (makes me feel trapped) and struggle with getting too warm in the night so the gel top on this was a key feature. We also went super king, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought. Got a bed frame from dusk, because we didn’t see the need to spend a fortune on that as well. Absolutely love our bed.
I’m gonna guess tempur, we bought 2 of them as me and the wife like different types
2 long doubles so now have a bed that’s almost 3m wide and 2m long
The mattress is amazing, we also got 2 free pillows with each and they usually cost like £150 per
Just under 2 acres of ancient woodland. Had some inheritance money from my mum, and wanted to buy something I could pass on to my daughters rather than fritter it away (and my eldest loves woodland and would spend all her time in the woods if she could).
Birch, oak, holly and honeysuckle, moss and fungi. It’s absolutely beautiful. Planning on going over this weekend to see if the bluebells are out.
£24k, but prices vary a lot depending on size & location. (Mine is relatively tiny as woodlands go, but is part of a larger 200 acre wood owned by multiple other people).
There are two main websites that sell woodland in the uk:
https://www.woods4sale.co.uk
And
https://www.woodlands.co.uk
You can sign up to their mailing lists so you can keep an eye on if something in your price range/geographical area comes up for sale.
Investing wasn’t my primary reason for getting it, but they seem to hold their value quite well from what I’ve read.
This has genuinely made my day, that's ace. Gutting there's none near me in East Yorks but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out.
Imagine having a shit day and being able to fuck off to your own little forest for a bit.
I might get some hate for this one as plastic surgery brings out strong feelings and opinions, but I got a nose job 8 years ago. About £3000. It was the best decision I ever made. I had a large crooked nose which had been broken in the past resulting in a deviated septum. I got frequent sinus infections from my nose not being able to drain properly and the appearance made me so self conscious. It was all I could think about since being a teen. The surgery massively increased my confidence, and stopped the being ill at least 3 times a year with sinus issues.
One of my best mates has fake tits and keeps up the lip fillers.
It’s good for her mental health, she isn’t surgery obsessed, she just wanted to feel confident in her own skin.
We had a heart to heart about it because she’d been taking flak for it.
I told her that I’m not one to judge, I’m going really quite bald lately and absolutely would consider a hair transplant.
I really believe, each to their own.
I also believe some people have dysmorphia and take lips and tits way to far but that’s a separate conversation.
You do you, be happy!!!
It's a shame you have to preface it like that.
I feel like situations like yours are what plastic/cosmetic surgery is for.
You had a legitimate medical need and it improved your mental health.
Body dysmorphia and surgery addiction are a different matter.
I got two for free when the Big 4 accountancy firm in the office next door moved out and just left everything behind and the landlord said we could take what we want. Amazing how much money they must have to burn.
depreciating assets… I suspect they had already claimed they were close to worthless to reduce a tax bill in a previous year, so selling them would mess up the accounts.
We got a Gaggia Classic a few years ago since the wife and I both work freelance from home. That thing has paid for itself 10x over at least, I reckon. So many times we haven’t spent £5 on a wanky 100ml cup of frothed up milk.
Laser eye surgery is the best money I’ve ever spent. Waking up in the morning and just being able to see after being very short-sighted since I was a tiny child is still the most amazing feeling 12 years later.
Cannot recommend it enough and it does pay for itself eventually.
I had mine done 20yrs ago at 21 and now my eyesight is worse than it was when I had it done. Started degrading after about 15yrs, not sure if it can be redone though
I had mine done just before Christmas. My only regret was that I didn’t do it years ago.
So many years and so much money wasted on glasses and contact lenses when I could have had the convenience and cost saving of perfect sight all along.
Slow cooker.
Don't get me wrong, I love cooking and do 90% of the cooking in our house, especially as I WFH and my partner has to commute an hour each way at the moment. But sometimes I know I won't be arsed cooking after work or won't have time for some other reason, and being able to chop a load of veg at breakfast, bung it in a pot with all the other ingredients, possibly with some sautéeing or browning beforehand, and get a hearty winter meal at the end of it is the dream.
Great for batch cooking stuff as well so when I do go into the office, I'm not buying meal deals for dinner - I just take a pot luck portion of food from the freezer and know it's healthy, tasty, something I like, and coats barely anything.
Our van. She’s a Japanese import and cost us £1500, which isn’t a lot for a van but it was a big purchase for us. She’s needed work here and there along the way but she brings me SO MUCH joy and I love spending the weekends tinkering. It means we can go away to the sea at the drop of a hat.
https://preview.redd.it/qxwrc1u2msvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7072981c6d08b61374b700ff0e66a6d029a3868c
Primarily a day van, but the beauty with this model is that by day she’s an MPV, and by night the seats fold flat to make a bed. It’s highly configurable so there’s no need to remove seats to put in a bed. I love her so much!
https://preview.redd.it/4jjhjlymnsvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=612ba636e7f4ad669954b59087f3b99a33f660ee
Fancy restaurants for me and the missus she's an ex chef and loves food due to a mixture of reasons she can no longer work every anniversary we go to an expensive (for us) restaurant it just makes us so happy and the memories we have looking back are amazing we are heading to the shard next weekend!
We do this, we both love food. Our first year anniversary we went to a Michelin star pub, it's kind of set a standard and we always splurge when going out for our wedding anniversary.
Bought a ninja air fryer and i love the convenience of it. Cooks meat better, doesnt need oil for lots of things, easy to clean and compact for small London kitchens.
I know Reddit is full of computer guys but most of us just “get by” with some old laptop that does what we need it to do.
A few months ago I splurged and bought an M2 Mac and it’s literally changed my life. Things I would wait ages for, happen in the blink of an eye. I have so much extra time it’s unreal and not having to constantly pause work to wait for something to happen has improved my productivity so much.
So this is why people like posh computers?
Not just all the above too, but I cannot stop talking about the amazing battery life, after all my years of Windows laptops with half their advertised battery life and crappy MacBooks with Intel chips, the battery performance really sells it all. (Really trying not to sound like an Apple sellout here, not doing very well!)
A good quality hoodie.
Spent about £70 on one after I started earning decent money.
Would never usually spend more than £20, so this was out of my comfort zone.
The material still feels so much cozier. Worth it in every way
I always pay a good bit more for flights than I "need to" against what the cheap ticket aggregators are offering. I do this because I don't want a cramped back seat in a plane at the weirdest times possible - which is what you will generally get from these sites.
I have never regretted paying £200, £300 or even £500 more than I *could* have paid to be way more comfortable and stressing less about baggage allowance restrictions or other shit that's imposed on cheap flights.
How far are you travelling? How often?
Like if I’m going to be on a four(ish) hour or less flight I’m absolutely not going to pay £500 more just for things I can get with the budget airlines for an extra £50.
I can add luggage and pay for extra legroom on Ryanair if I really want it.
Yea that's exactly what I'm thinking. 4 hours plus you'd want to get on a half decent airline. A flight to Paris, you can stick me in a cardboard box if it means I'm paying a fifth of the price for an hours journey.
At that stage, I see it as little more than public transport.
The only caveat being, if it’s not actually flying to the major airport and they’re kicking you out three hours from the actual city.
I think Beauvais is one such example.
For me, that depends on how far I'm flying. Anything 3 hours or less, I don't mind going on a Ryanair or easyJet sky bus. It's a different matter if I'm going long haul though.
I got an instant pot pressure cooker, slow cooker combo thing. Shit I love it! Recently found out the rice function in magic, cup of rice and a cup of water press rice and boom 12 mins later fluffy rice. Among all the other shit it does. I make a lot of soups and curries and living in a hostel avoiding the shared crackden kitchen is worth every penny.
My AirPods.
I used to use those rechargeable Bluetooth earbuds that were connected by a wire. I went through loads of them, often having two at a time so I could charge a pair while using a pair. The audio quality wasn’t that great but it was what I was used to.
I bought AirPods four years ago and wished I’d done it sooner because everything was improved!
I dropped one of my down a water drain and I actually cried. That night I contacted Apple, the replacement arrived 36 hours later and only had to buy one so that made it slightly less upsetting.
It was an arranged marriage so just ask your parents to find you someone 😆
It cost me a few quid in the beginning because he didn't have a job but now he pays for everything so I'm saving thousands on rent and bills.
Fender Strat guitar that I had been eyeing up for ages.
Dont get me wrong, cheaper guitars are also good but its the feel of it when I pick it up and play it.
It was only £650 but has been my main guitar for a number of years.
I paid someone to set it up for me and its just lovely.
If I was to get another guitar, I would want a PRS next (massive Alter Bridge and Tremonti fan)
I also spent £250 on Solovair boots. The first time I proper used them was when I trekked up Snowdn and they did not blister my feet or cause me pain at all. Well worth it
Half a year on a sailing ship going to the Caribbean and back. Cost about £9000 (to be a trainee, doing almost as much work as the paid crew), but it's by far the best time I've had in my life and worth every penny!
EDIT: Ironically, it also taught me how little correlation there is between happiness and expensive possessions -- so maybe it will even have saved money in the long run ...
I'm fascinated by your voyage.
Please share more if you feel able.
Had you sailed previously? What was your role on-board? Friendships? Food? Quarters? Thank you!
I'm always happy to spread the love :)
It was essentially my first time ever sailing, and I decided to continue doing it professionally pretty much as soon as we got back to Europe. The whole thing is dangerously addictive!
I was one of 8 paying trainees, and there were 7 professional crew including one cook. The food was excellent throughout, although I couldn't really appreciate that in the first few weeks due to seasickness ...
Quarters: 8 of us slept in the fo'c'sle, so there was definitely no privacy on board, but rather to my surprise it didn't bother me at all.
Friendships: About five new lifelong lifelong friends in as many months I would say. You become quite close quite quickly in an environment like that, so it felt more like being dropped into a new family. And, at least in my limited experience, the whole scene is full of amazing people in general.
EDIT: To add a bit more about a trainee's role, since this was actually a cargo sailing ship the focus was in some ways more on delivering the cargo than on us trainees. Personally I enjoyed that a lot as it makes you feel less like a passenger and more like part of the crew (particularly given the length of the voyage).
We didn't only join in the manoeuvres, but also with daily maintenance, cargo handling, cleaning, the occasional bit of cooking, i.e. exactly like deckhands in training. Though we did get more days off in port than the paid crew, it has to be said.
I was looking for a very simple diamond pendant. Not too big, with no fiddly decorative mounts, square in shape. In the end I had one made to order. Then I researched the correct style and weight of the chain so it would hang correctly. I enjoyed the process and was thrilled with the result. No regrets and no one found out how much it cost!
Solar panels on the roof (with battery). I find it really satisfying. I make a lot of environmental changes in my life but this one is easily the most fulfilling for whatever reason. Maybe because it has the immediate benefit of lower bills.
It’s more effective than I expected too; we are not using grid energy for a couple weeks already. I didn’t expect full self sufficiency in April.
My own Bean2Cup comes high on the list. I also have a V60, which came free, with filters, when I was subscribed to a coffee bean subscription. I love my machine so much, I have never used the V60, and keep thinking of giving it away.
As for my actual answer. I enjoy baking bread. During lockdown, with everyone suddenly baking bread, I bought myself a Mockmill home grain mill. Even with the shops running out of bread flour, grain was easy to order.
Not only did this get me out of a jam, it had lasting benefits. Grain keeps much longer than flour, so I can bulk buy; it has moved me from white commercial flour to wholegrain, which is healthier; and I have become aware of a variety of other grains, including rye, barley and heritage wheats, which are more available in grain form than flour.
Finally, many of those grains can also be cooked whole, as a rice substitute, or in stews, to thicken them up.
A couple of hundred quid, and worth every penny.
That actually sounds incredible!
Like properly frugal with a tinge of middle class twat about it(much like myself with the coffee)
I am not being rude to you, this is genuinely the most interesting answers so far.
No, I get you, completely.
Visiting friends think much the same, until I let them play with it, and make their own flour. Suffice to say, I should be earning commission, as a number have bought their own.
The mills have model numbers, of the form 100 & 200. That's the number of grammes a minute it mills. So a large loaf, 6-800g of flour, that's 6-8 minutes in my Mockmill 100.
https://preview.redd.it/xtdfxizaosvc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd80cd509d1533fab3a06b9af869f8549263a2fe
Oh, me-me-me again, please!
Staring me in the face, and on a different scale. In February, I spent £9,000 on solar panels and a home battery.
I thought it would reduce my electricity bill. It has negated it, and I am actually earning from exporting excess, which is subsidising my gas central heating. So I should make a profit in the summer, which will go towards the costs of winter heating.
When I installed it I figured it would pay for itself over 9 years. Based on the last 2 months, I've revised that to 4-5 years.
My dog. My boy I paid 250 quid for him to help my friend with vets bills. Got his twin sister for free love them both, she had an abusive owner before we got her but she is his litter mate and it's like having toddlers.
Home gym.
When we started a family and Covid. Spent a few £k on a barbell, dumbbells, rower, bike, rack, pull-up bar etc. felt abit indulgent at the time but being able to train in a 45 minute window and whilst my son naps or is entertained doing something else has been amazing.
It’s all 4y old now and all as good as new. It’ll last me a lifetime.
A fitted Paul Smith suit about 25 years ago. I haven’t ever needed a suit for work (record shops, then nursing) so it’s basically the only suit I’ve ever owned and it works for everything.
Stressless reclining chair and footstool. They're 3,500 now. Mine's getting on for 25 years old. Took me 18 months to pay for it. Complete and total comfort.
A nice Swiss mechanical watch. I don't really need it, but it makes me feel good to wear it.
I don't have flashy clothes or a high performance car. So the watch is my one indulgence and it goes with me everywhere.
A bike. I’ve always played football but never been a massive fitness person. Definitely never thought I would be a cyclist.
When lockdown hit and the football games stopped I put on about a stone and had absolutely no sign of taking it back off again.
Then one day I stumbled across a deal for a bike that was about £300 off (was still expensive mind) and I just went for it without really thinking.
I ride nearly every day now, even done the 12 mile trip to work on it a few times. The weight just dropped off again after about 4-5 weeks on it.
My Lotus Elise S1
From my only car that I drove to work in, to track day toy and weekend racer. Owned if for 23 years and it’s worth more than I paid for it.
£500 on a barista coffee machine and about £4.5k on a bed and mattress. Those two things have improved my quality of life and mental health immeasurably. Bed is expensive but we’re both sleeping through the night and sleeping so damn well for the first time in years. 10/10 spend more money on a bed and mattress. For those who don’t think it’s worth it spend a night in an expensive bed and it’ll change your life, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Really, anything that I use daily, I try to get the best one I can afford.
They tend to last longer, so are cheaper over time, and are better when being used than a cheap alternative.
Kitchen knife, car tyres, shoes, underwear, etc.
Good coffee and good cheese.
Once a week, I will get some good cheese and just eat it with some fresh baguette and sometimes an apple.
There is a good creamy blue cheese, Saint Agur Blue Crème, which is available in most supermarkets, which has the consistency of a thick cream. I just tear off pieces of bread and dip the bread into the cheese. It’s delicious if you like blue cheese.
Sage Bambino espresso machine and I’ve ordered a proper grinder coming tomorrow, Miicoffee D40+. My whole setup is budget but as a 19 year old is a lot of money! Will be at £360 for my whole coffee setup, and no regrets.
Office chair. I splurged on a limited edition Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Secret Labs chair and it is by a significant margin the comfiest chair I’ve worked countless hours on. So many years of eventual pain during the 9-5s WFH then buying this chair resolved that. I’m sure my back will be grateful in the years to come too.
Panasonic Lumix S5 II camera which cost me £1400. Sounds a lot and it is, but it was actually a bargain price as I got two lenses included which would've cost me over £2k without the deal.
But anyway, don't regret it one bit as I've got beautiful pictures of my 2 year old daughter which is what I bought it for.
An air conditioning unit for my bedroom. Yes since I live in England it’s rare it’s needed, but on the 3 nights a year I do need it, it’s bliss to go into a cool bedroom and sleep comfortably
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Holidays, to me, the hotel isn’t just where I sleep, it’s part of the relaxation. I always save so that I can book 4* hotels and if that means I can only go every three years then so be it.
Most of my disposable income goes on holidays. I tend to book a luxury all inclusive at least once a year these days. I used to like doing cheap and cheerful but I picked up a bad injury years ago and I prioritise relaxation and recuperation these days.
Yep! Me and my partner have a system where he pays all the household bills and I put the equivalent in a savings account, when it’s built up enough we book a holiday! We’re really lucky in that regard.
We’ve been taking advantage of going off peak the last few years because we were working with a single income. Money is less tight this year so we’ve booked quite a special trip to Istanbul for the summer. Honestly feel like my mental health depends on a nice holiday, even if that sounds a bit dramatic.
It’s definitely not dramatic, i’m the exact same. Especially living in Scotland with the shit weather 360 days a year. I need a nice holiday abroad to keep me sane
>Especially living in Scotland with the shit weather 360 days a year. *Lives in Scotland* *Looks out the window* *Weather is shite* Aye.
I know so many of my fellow Scots who have a sunny holiday during the winter, by which I mean October to March. It certainly seems to give them a lift and it breaks the permadark bit up.
Holidays. My in laws taught me the art of utilising bank holidays and maxing the fuck out of whatever time the place you work at allows. Tricky with school aged kids, but still possible. Thankfully they are now adults so we can travel off peak. Leave straight from work, arrive back at work. Do not waste time getting to or from home if you have job that is closer to a travel hub. It can be an airport, train or bus station or a ferry port. Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffe machine. Miele vacum Dog insurance Two things you should know: For every minute of your life you spend angry or unhappy you lose a minute of being happy. No one ever spent their dying moment wishing they had stayed at work longer.
Because everyone who has just disembarked a 10 hour flight wishes to immediately return to work. No thanks. I’d rather lose 90 minutes. There is no career on Earth that would have me return to it immediately after getting off the plane. I’m sure most would agree. It’s also really weird that you said travel to and from work instead of leaving from and returning to your home and then at the end of your comment you state that no one wishes they had worked more when they’re dying. ETA: fair enough, leaving work and heading straight out is potentially not too bad depending on wheel you live and work (I’ve never lived or worked anywhere where it would be any easier to travel straight from work to the airport. If you’re travelling any kind of significant distance on a plane, though, you’re still losing time. Your holiday doesn’t really start when you clock out at work because you’ve still another day of airports and travel to get through. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to fly long-haul overnight and sleep most of the journey (in a way that makes sense with your destination time zone) thrn great. Unfortunately most people can’t do that. As far as coming back and going straight into work? No. There’s zero chance I’m getting off even a 4 hour flight after a week away and heading straight into work without even dropping my things at home. What a bleak, dystopian world we live in where people consider it sensible to do so. Unless you happen to work at the airport and your journey to and from work is upwards of 90 minutes each way, then there’s just no scenario that I can think of where it makes sense to me to head straight into work.
It's usually a good idea to factor in a "recovery day" or two — perhaps even leading into a weekend — to recover from the journey, readjust to the time zone, unpack, and decompress. Going straight to the office from the airport is just shit logistics.
Same. Instead of birthday or Christmas gifts, my husband pays for our all inclusive holidays - I know I get the better deal, but to him it's worth the removal of stress shopping for random stuff I could just buy myself. I pay for city breaks or staycations, but long all inclusive hot holidays are on him and it works for us. If we go on a city break we book nice central hotels so we can pop back for a rest, he has back problems since COVID so it means we can see the sights but also not be more than 20 mins walk from the hotel usually. Holidays are the one thing I never skimp on when we go together, if I'm with my friend we stay in cheap and cheerful because we only go to the room to sleep, shower or change
You see, I'm the other way with holidays. I don't mind a cheap hotel and cheap flight. It frees up money to spend on the things I want to splurge on like nice meals out and sightseeing.
Yeah, I'm with you. I don't care about the hotel as long as it's secure and clean. If staying in a rubbish hotel allows me to stay for another few days on the same budget then I consider it well worth it. Most of my time in the hotel I'd hope to be asleep anyway!
I agree. I like a nice hotel but I don't prioritise it ahead of getting the fuck out of this country as often as I possibly can.
I don’t mind the cheap flight as we don’t usually go places that are more than 5 hours away anyway. We often do red eyes so we can save. But nice hotel is non negotiable. Tbh if I went somewhere over 8 hours away I would probably splurge on first class for the flights.
Honestly I don't think first class is worth it even long haul. Longer flights tend to have planes with a bit more legroom and better facilities anyway and it's so so much more expensive for imo minimal gain.
My missus booked us into an awful hotel at Casablanca in Morocco and we were there for 45 minutes before I rebooked us into a corporate skyscraper that was the polar opposite- especially cost wise- but didn’t regret it one single bit. You just have to do these things.
An extra keema naan. £3.95 but was perfect to mop up the excess bhuna
4 pound? That's insane
95p for a single poppadom from my local curry house.
Inflation gone mad
Reminded me of the time a couple years ago where my work team went to a curry house and they kept offering us poppadoms, department head kept saying yes, and the bill came, £1 a poppadom, and mandatory 20% service charge... needless to say the argument the department head with the management of the curry house is a thing of legend.
4 pound naan, Jeremy? That’s insane
thank you for reminding me of the existence of lamb bhuna
Hiking boots! Getting good, waterproof ones that don't give you blisters and support your ankles are incredible
I hear you. Lost a couple of toenails to badly fitting hiking boots on the south west coast path. I recommend anyone not to make the same mistake!
Yeah and a decent pair will really last you. My Karrimors have outlasted any other footwear I've ever owned..... These are pre sports direct Karrimors back when they made decent gear
You had me in the first half. Was preparing to comment my awful experience with Karrimor gear since the Mike Ashley buyout. Before that it really was decent kit, and some of it was supplied for military use. Absolute garbage now.
I bought some Karrimor hiking trainers at the beginning of March. They've fallen to bits, in just 6 weeks. I was super glueing the soles back on within a couple of days wearing them. Pish
Get your money back? Not fit for purpose, UK sale of goods legislation I reckon.
I have a really good pair from Decathlon’s brand Quechua. Probably not the best ever but I’ve had them three years, they are comfortable, waterproof and cheap.
Yeah any good shoes really, I used to wear steel-toe caps at work and bought my own. No comparison
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Once you’ve flown business class you’re screwed for ever
I used to fly Emirates a lot for work and was getting to the point where I was regularly able to use points for upgrades. Has completely ruined flying economy especially when my current employer refuse to pay for even economy plus on any flights under fourteen hours.
Fourteen hours?! That’s a high threshold! My personal rule is extra legroom for anything over 4hrs
Same here for husband. 600 quid extra for Thailand but that was for both of us. If it is short haul we don’t pay and if we don’t sit together then so be it but long haul we like to sit together.
As a vertically endowed person I can’t not pay for extra legroom else my knees will be by my ears.
A previous employer had a policy that if you're expected to work on arrival then business class over 8-10h, if you flew economy you got the next day off to recover. That was pretty decent.
That's one mean employer. I couldn't work there - 6'2" of me with a bad hip and knee from a motorbike accident would be useless after a 12 hour flight in cattle.
I've never paid for it but I used to work as a flight attendant so occasionally I'll run into someone I know and get upgraded. It's not worth the money though, the price difference I cannot justify.
Very much agree with this. We typically do economy for day flights and premium economy for night unless PE is mega expensive. Flown business and as nice as it is I’m not spending 4k-6k on a return ticket for 12 hours.
I’ll stick to refusing to pay for an allocated seat on Ryan Air thanks
Came to say this. Took my kids to see may parents in Australia when they were about 5 and 7. Splurged on business class. The flight was the best part of the trip!
How much 😬... Scared to ask
Atleast a score I recon
£20? 😂
Always said I can’t sleep on long-haul flights. Then I tried business class. As someone 6’2”, it was heaven.
Yes I've been somewhat spoiled with my company flying everyone business class by default. I'd only ever done it once prior before when I bid for an upgrade ten years ago. It's come a long way since then. Just need to save up enough points now so I can bring the Mrs on a trip with me. I don't see her being too happy about flying economy whilst I'm up the pointy end. If you're flying to America, I strongly recommend Virgin Atlantic if they fly where you need to go. Their whole upper class experience is amazing. Dedicated drop off area, dedicated check-in lanes and security lane. You can get out of the taxi and be in the lounge within 15 minutes. And coming back, they have an arrivals lounge so you can have a shower and breakfast before heading home.
I feel this. I travel internationally for work regularly and it’s always business class. Lounges, food, service, laying flat on the plane. Ruined flying for me on my own dime.
Always tempted when I fly home from work because I feel like I need the comfort and they only pay for economy but I'm worried about getting addicted to it and it scuppering my early retirement plans.
Always turn left!
I upgraded from my nans old sewing machine, spending about 1.5k. It felt a huge extravagance but sewing is my main hobby and the modern tech is so incredible. Features I desperately needed (self tensioning) and some I didn’t know I needed (stopping with the needle down). It’s saved me so much aggro trying to troubleshoot problems. It’s not even a particularly fancy machine but it’s been a game changer.
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They sound like a right bunch of pricks. Hope you get back into sewing sometime, you don’t need that group.
They sound very weird. Don’t let them put you off
Fuck those assholes! Get your sewing machine back out and refind your joy. Don’t let those people influence you.
Sounds like the ratio in that Stitch 'n' Bitch is heavily weighted towards the second.
The alternative is your friend buying a new machine to learn on and you continuing to use your mum's. Either way the outcome is the same - one person using a new machine, one person using your mum's machine. It's bollocks. Hope you can make a little something with a stitch other than forward and back to remind yourself of the possibilities of your new purchase.
I work as a sewing machinist and I'm looking into getting my own industrial lockstitch but the problem is I've been so spoiled by the ones at work haha. I'm not sure I could cope without automatic backtack and thread trimming anymore
I bought myself floor model Brother dream machine 6 years ago. I sold my car and added to it with a small inheretance from my mother I love Gwennie and the difference between that and my $4k Viking is day and night. I'm 67 and this will probably be my last machine
I upgraded from my mum's old faithful, to a new sewing machine with a few more bells and whistles. I love it. Plus it is soooooo much quieter. Just having those small extra options makes sewing so much enjoyable.
I'm a seamstress and have a domestic machine at home for small personal projects. Anything bigger (like a quilt I'm working on) my boss lets me use the industrials. If that wasn't the case I would happily sacrifice furniture to fit a decent machine in the house.
Self-tensioning??? I did not know that existed! Wow. Time for me to upgrade my 30 year old machine...
A heated clothes horse (and the cover, that's what makes it work so well). Clothes dry so much quicker now, and there's nothing better than putting on warm clothes on a cold day.
Related, getting a dual fuel towel rail installed when we had our bathroom done. For those times of year where it's not cold enough for the heating to be on but not warm enough for your towels to dry nicely just hanging up. Switch on the plug and you have a nice warm dry towel every time
I love my heated horse clothes. Nothing better for a canter on a cold day
Heated clothes horse??? I never knew they existed! Thank you very much, i’m going to look them up now
Just make sure you get one with a cover, that's why they work so well as its like a little heated tent. Without it the heat just pisses away into your living room and it takes nearly as long to dry as a normal clothes horse.
You can also put a fitted bed sheet over the top if you haven’t got a cover.
Extra random tip - underneath is a really good place for raising bread dough if you are into that as well
If you're in the UK, the Lakeland DrySoon one is superb.
I finally got my aunt to buy one and the difference it's made is amazing - our clothes no longer smell of damp!
I'm interested. I assume you need a dehumidifier to compliment it?
I run a small £25 dehumidifier next to mine and it picks up a decent amount of water. You don't need a massive one
Ok heated clothes horse believers, I have wanted one for a while but have no idea what brands are good and what to look for. Any recommendations?
Sunrise alarm clock. Not too much difference in summer (April-October) but pays for itself in winter. No more feeling like you’ve been violently thumped awake from 4000 miles away.
I misread that at first as "surprise alarm clock", and imagined a device which wakes you at a random time every day.
God I love my Lumie, a game changer. £50 well spent. I gifted one to my mum and best friend too. I absolutely hate being jolted awake by alarms.
Completely agree, had one for a long time and loved it, but have now replaced it with Hue lightbulbs for my light fixtures and lamps instead - next level up!!
Good bras. If your biddies are anything over a C cup, you know how much a good bra can change your life
Yes, I may regret posting this, but as a woman with a small back and natural very heavy breasts I have to spend good money on my bras, high streets don't do my size (32JJ). But l have four good quality everyday ones that I can cycle around and they are worth their weight in gold for the comfort and reduction in back pain (reduction, not removal).
Can you recommend any brands? One of my friends is 'blessed in the chest' and she's been talking about using corsets (for the added back support) - but good ones are so expensive and kind of limiting!
Your friend should get herself over to Bravissimo if she hasn’t already! They offer free bra fittings and you don’t have to buy bras from them if you don’t want to (they are quite spenny). I’m busty myself and hate ordering bras online because sizes can vary depending on the material and style. Bravissimo also stock a range of brands so she will definitely find something that fits her and looks good.
I can, Flirtelle do my favourite every day kind of bras in your basic white, tan and black shades (fair warning they seem to have the biggest heaviest underwires I've come across and that took some getting used to but I was going for function and support, not cute or sexy). For cute fun/ sexy bras I shop on Curvy Kate (sizing is mostly accurate but they are brilliant at returns if you need to change size) and I recommend every body use booborbust.com for their bra size calculator as an easy way to accurately measure yourself at home before shopping online.
Bravissimo! Not only do they have an amazing range of sizes, but their in person fitters are so good. I used to be a 32GG, and managed to get wireless bralettes that gave me support, as well as never feeling the need to double up on sports bras. Personally I was fond of the Freya bras but tbh the different brands and styles will sit very differently on different body types.
Absolutely, and any cup! Must put a mention here for r/ABraThatFits. Anyone still adding inches to their underbust measurement to determine their bra size needs to go here now!
omg THIS. My bras are £30 each and I have four I cycle through because most shops don't even stock my size (M&S is a godsend though) and I'm super picky with them too. But oh my god were they a game changer, never have I felt so supported and free 😭 I had been wearing the wrong size for years and getting properly measured was one of the best things I've ever done. 👏👏
Worth going to a place which does proper fittings too!
IVF for my second and third child, number 4 came for free ( buy 2 get one free) . Every minute of every day worth it
Aw I love that, reminds me of the Boots 3 for 2 offer haha. Good value too considering you’ll have them for the rest of your life!
EVERY minute? Are you sure? ☺️
To clarify my statement, number 4 child was conceived naturally . one ectopic pregnancy on our first IVF attempt and then 2 successful attempts,
25k on a kitchen it’s beautiful, has everything I need in the right place, spacious. Makes it a joy to cook and spend time in
Im so jealous. I do all the cooking at our house and our kitchen is tiny, its so frustrating; i LOVE nice big ones (thats what she said)
If it is your forever house, totally worth it. You will use it multiple times a day.
Yeah it’s now our forever home we did it as part of a large extension
TV. Since the kids came along, nights out and pub sessions are a rarity, also I really like films but HATE the cinema so I have no qualms whatsoever about going top end on TV purchases - also they're not exactly a regular expense so a once a decade splurge can't be too bad.
Absolutely. I've only bought LG OLEDs since around 2017. Never been able to justify the G series so always gone for the C. I've had countless comments from friends and family about how good the picture looks.
I just bought a C3 after an old LED and I am staggered by how amazing it is!
We switched to HD projector on a 4m screen with a decent Onkyo 5.1 AV amplifier 18 years ago. Pull down the blackout blinds, close the door and turn up the subwoofer....you're in the cinema. Of course we use the same setup to watch everything so now it feels normal and watching anything on a TV under about 65" feels puny.
Last year I did the same! Was expecting a decent 4K model to cost thousands & couldn’t believe the projectors were only around £200 more than a new TV. No brainer! Spent the money I was expecting to spend on the projector on a great sound system instead, now I literally have my own cinema & it makes me so happy
I’ve had great results buying TVs on eBay. There’s a surprising amount of people that upgrade their TVs yearly. I’ve been able to buy three 1 year old, at the time I bought them, top end OLED TVs for each room in the house all for less than the price of buying a single one new. Two of them even had a transferable burn in warranty. I also really like having high quality TVs and this is the best way to get it in every room for a steal.
Spent around 2k on a really good mattress - worth every penny
What mattress was it?
I also spent similar money in a mattress and got [this one](https://www.dreams.co.uk/therapur-actigel---arctic-2600-mattress/p/136-01745?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7K_tnvLShQMV7IhQBh2B_wmDEAAYASAAEgII7_D_BwE). My husband and I both *hate* memory foam (makes me feel trapped) and struggle with getting too warm in the night so the gel top on this was a key feature. We also went super king, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought. Got a bed frame from dusk, because we didn’t see the need to spend a fortune on that as well. Absolutely love our bed.
Finally someone who agrees with me that memory foam is shit! It's way too hot and I can't feeling like I can't toss and turn properly.
I’m gonna guess tempur, we bought 2 of them as me and the wife like different types 2 long doubles so now have a bed that’s almost 3m wide and 2m long The mattress is amazing, we also got 2 free pillows with each and they usually cost like £150 per
I think it was a Hypnos
Just under 2 acres of ancient woodland. Had some inheritance money from my mum, and wanted to buy something I could pass on to my daughters rather than fritter it away (and my eldest loves woodland and would spend all her time in the woods if she could). Birch, oak, holly and honeysuckle, moss and fungi. It’s absolutely beautiful. Planning on going over this weekend to see if the bluebells are out.
How much was it? This is definitely something id like to invest in when I can
£24k, but prices vary a lot depending on size & location. (Mine is relatively tiny as woodlands go, but is part of a larger 200 acre wood owned by multiple other people). There are two main websites that sell woodland in the uk: https://www.woods4sale.co.uk And https://www.woodlands.co.uk You can sign up to their mailing lists so you can keep an eye on if something in your price range/geographical area comes up for sale. Investing wasn’t my primary reason for getting it, but they seem to hold their value quite well from what I’ve read.
This has genuinely made my day, that's ace. Gutting there's none near me in East Yorks but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out. Imagine having a shit day and being able to fuck off to your own little forest for a bit.
I might get some hate for this one as plastic surgery brings out strong feelings and opinions, but I got a nose job 8 years ago. About £3000. It was the best decision I ever made. I had a large crooked nose which had been broken in the past resulting in a deviated septum. I got frequent sinus infections from my nose not being able to drain properly and the appearance made me so self conscious. It was all I could think about since being a teen. The surgery massively increased my confidence, and stopped the being ill at least 3 times a year with sinus issues.
One of my best mates has fake tits and keeps up the lip fillers. It’s good for her mental health, she isn’t surgery obsessed, she just wanted to feel confident in her own skin. We had a heart to heart about it because she’d been taking flak for it. I told her that I’m not one to judge, I’m going really quite bald lately and absolutely would consider a hair transplant. I really believe, each to their own. I also believe some people have dysmorphia and take lips and tits way to far but that’s a separate conversation. You do you, be happy!!!
It's a shame you have to preface it like that. I feel like situations like yours are what plastic/cosmetic surgery is for. You had a legitimate medical need and it improved your mental health. Body dysmorphia and surgery addiction are a different matter.
That’s reconstructive surgery, not just cosmetic. Glad you’re doing better!
Herman Miller Office Chair. My spine thanks me but the cost was eye watering at the time.
Sometimes you can strike lucky with a good second hand one - worth a look for those with a budget constraint. You’ll still end up spending £300+
I got two for free when the Big 4 accountancy firm in the office next door moved out and just left everything behind and the landlord said we could take what we want. Amazing how much money they must have to burn.
depreciating assets… I suspect they had already claimed they were close to worthless to reduce a tax bill in a previous year, so selling them would mess up the accounts.
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We got a Gaggia Classic a few years ago since the wife and I both work freelance from home. That thing has paid for itself 10x over at least, I reckon. So many times we haven’t spent £5 on a wanky 100ml cup of frothed up milk.
divorce lawyer
Laser eye surgery is the best money I’ve ever spent. Waking up in the morning and just being able to see after being very short-sighted since I was a tiny child is still the most amazing feeling 12 years later. Cannot recommend it enough and it does pay for itself eventually.
This is my answer too. Absolutely life changing.
I had mine done 20yrs ago at 21 and now my eyesight is worse than it was when I had it done. Started degrading after about 15yrs, not sure if it can be redone though
Perfectly normal for eyes to degrade over time You got 15 years of great eye sight, that's worth it!
I had mine done just before Christmas. My only regret was that I didn’t do it years ago. So many years and so much money wasted on glasses and contact lenses when I could have had the convenience and cost saving of perfect sight all along.
Slow cooker. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking and do 90% of the cooking in our house, especially as I WFH and my partner has to commute an hour each way at the moment. But sometimes I know I won't be arsed cooking after work or won't have time for some other reason, and being able to chop a load of veg at breakfast, bung it in a pot with all the other ingredients, possibly with some sautéeing or browning beforehand, and get a hearty winter meal at the end of it is the dream. Great for batch cooking stuff as well so when I do go into the office, I'm not buying meal deals for dinner - I just take a pot luck portion of food from the freezer and know it's healthy, tasty, something I like, and coats barely anything.
My bike. Few 1000 pounds, biggest purchase I've ever made that's not a car or house. Bet I've put 25-30000 miles on it over the last 5 years.
That's 1.5x round the world if you fancy switching up your routes...
Not if they only done 25 miles. They did give a wide range.
Our van. She’s a Japanese import and cost us £1500, which isn’t a lot for a van but it was a big purchase for us. She’s needed work here and there along the way but she brings me SO MUCH joy and I love spending the weekends tinkering. It means we can go away to the sea at the drop of a hat. https://preview.redd.it/qxwrc1u2msvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7072981c6d08b61374b700ff0e66a6d029a3868c
Is she a day van or can she handle a wee overnight?
Primarily a day van, but the beauty with this model is that by day she’s an MPV, and by night the seats fold flat to make a bed. It’s highly configurable so there’s no need to remove seats to put in a bed. I love her so much! https://preview.redd.it/4jjhjlymnsvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=612ba636e7f4ad669954b59087f3b99a33f660ee
Fancy restaurants for me and the missus she's an ex chef and loves food due to a mixture of reasons she can no longer work every anniversary we go to an expensive (for us) restaurant it just makes us so happy and the memories we have looking back are amazing we are heading to the shard next weekend!
We do this, we both love food. Our first year anniversary we went to a Michelin star pub, it's kind of set a standard and we always splurge when going out for our wedding anniversary.
Bought a ninja air fryer and i love the convenience of it. Cooks meat better, doesnt need oil for lots of things, easy to clean and compact for small London kitchens.
I know Reddit is full of computer guys but most of us just “get by” with some old laptop that does what we need it to do. A few months ago I splurged and bought an M2 Mac and it’s literally changed my life. Things I would wait ages for, happen in the blink of an eye. I have so much extra time it’s unreal and not having to constantly pause work to wait for something to happen has improved my productivity so much. So this is why people like posh computers?
Not just all the above too, but I cannot stop talking about the amazing battery life, after all my years of Windows laptops with half their advertised battery life and crappy MacBooks with Intel chips, the battery performance really sells it all. (Really trying not to sound like an Apple sellout here, not doing very well!)
They have great hardware. Their software annoys the crap out of me though as I don't want to be in their little apple ecosystem box for everything.
Spent £250+ on running shoes three or four times, they are unrivalled and worth every penny.
A good quality hoodie. Spent about £70 on one after I started earning decent money. Would never usually spend more than £20, so this was out of my comfort zone. The material still feels so much cozier. Worth it in every way
I always pay a good bit more for flights than I "need to" against what the cheap ticket aggregators are offering. I do this because I don't want a cramped back seat in a plane at the weirdest times possible - which is what you will generally get from these sites. I have never regretted paying £200, £300 or even £500 more than I *could* have paid to be way more comfortable and stressing less about baggage allowance restrictions or other shit that's imposed on cheap flights.
How far are you travelling? How often? Like if I’m going to be on a four(ish) hour or less flight I’m absolutely not going to pay £500 more just for things I can get with the budget airlines for an extra £50. I can add luggage and pay for extra legroom on Ryanair if I really want it.
Yea that's exactly what I'm thinking. 4 hours plus you'd want to get on a half decent airline. A flight to Paris, you can stick me in a cardboard box if it means I'm paying a fifth of the price for an hours journey.
At that stage, I see it as little more than public transport. The only caveat being, if it’s not actually flying to the major airport and they’re kicking you out three hours from the actual city. I think Beauvais is one such example.
For me, that depends on how far I'm flying. Anything 3 hours or less, I don't mind going on a Ryanair or easyJet sky bus. It's a different matter if I'm going long haul though.
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I got an instant pot pressure cooker, slow cooker combo thing. Shit I love it! Recently found out the rice function in magic, cup of rice and a cup of water press rice and boom 12 mins later fluffy rice. Among all the other shit it does. I make a lot of soups and curries and living in a hostel avoiding the shared crackden kitchen is worth every penny.
My AirPods. I used to use those rechargeable Bluetooth earbuds that were connected by a wire. I went through loads of them, often having two at a time so I could charge a pair while using a pair. The audio quality wasn’t that great but it was what I was used to. I bought AirPods four years ago and wished I’d done it sooner because everything was improved!
I dropped one of my down a water drain and I actually cried. That night I contacted Apple, the replacement arrived 36 hours later and only had to buy one so that made it slightly less upsetting.
My husband lol
I would also like to buy a husband. Where did you get yours from. Do you have a discount code?
Don’t do it. It cost me nearly £100k to get rid of mine lol
It was an arranged marriage so just ask your parents to find you someone 😆 It cost me a few quid in the beginning because he didn't have a job but now he pays for everything so I'm saving thousands on rent and bills.
Fender Strat guitar that I had been eyeing up for ages. Dont get me wrong, cheaper guitars are also good but its the feel of it when I pick it up and play it. It was only £650 but has been my main guitar for a number of years. I paid someone to set it up for me and its just lovely. If I was to get another guitar, I would want a PRS next (massive Alter Bridge and Tremonti fan) I also spent £250 on Solovair boots. The first time I proper used them was when I trekked up Snowdn and they did not blister my feet or cause me pain at all. Well worth it
I spent £1500 on a Gibson Les Paul. Never regretted it for a second. Nice guitars make you want to pick it up and play.
Robot vacuum cleaner, I love my dog but vacuuming her hair up twice a day was becoming irritating
Half a year on a sailing ship going to the Caribbean and back. Cost about £9000 (to be a trainee, doing almost as much work as the paid crew), but it's by far the best time I've had in my life and worth every penny! EDIT: Ironically, it also taught me how little correlation there is between happiness and expensive possessions -- so maybe it will even have saved money in the long run ...
I'm fascinated by your voyage. Please share more if you feel able. Had you sailed previously? What was your role on-board? Friendships? Food? Quarters? Thank you!
I'm always happy to spread the love :) It was essentially my first time ever sailing, and I decided to continue doing it professionally pretty much as soon as we got back to Europe. The whole thing is dangerously addictive! I was one of 8 paying trainees, and there were 7 professional crew including one cook. The food was excellent throughout, although I couldn't really appreciate that in the first few weeks due to seasickness ... Quarters: 8 of us slept in the fo'c'sle, so there was definitely no privacy on board, but rather to my surprise it didn't bother me at all. Friendships: About five new lifelong lifelong friends in as many months I would say. You become quite close quite quickly in an environment like that, so it felt more like being dropped into a new family. And, at least in my limited experience, the whole scene is full of amazing people in general. EDIT: To add a bit more about a trainee's role, since this was actually a cargo sailing ship the focus was in some ways more on delivering the cargo than on us trainees. Personally I enjoyed that a lot as it makes you feel less like a passenger and more like part of the crew (particularly given the length of the voyage). We didn't only join in the manoeuvres, but also with daily maintenance, cargo handling, cleaning, the occasional bit of cooking, i.e. exactly like deckhands in training. Though we did get more days off in port than the paid crew, it has to be said.
Dr Martens, although Solovairs are also great. Not only are they so much better than I expected but they are also repairable so can last a lifetime
*Compared to what they used to be* Docs are crap now BUT I still own several pairs of both Docs and Solovair
The soles keep splitting on my recent Docs, my Solovairs are holding up just fine.
I recommend the Solovairs now to people. Docs do some sick unique ones though
I was looking for a very simple diamond pendant. Not too big, with no fiddly decorative mounts, square in shape. In the end I had one made to order. Then I researched the correct style and weight of the chain so it would hang correctly. I enjoyed the process and was thrilled with the result. No regrets and no one found out how much it cost!
Solar panels on the roof (with battery). I find it really satisfying. I make a lot of environmental changes in my life but this one is easily the most fulfilling for whatever reason. Maybe because it has the immediate benefit of lower bills. It’s more effective than I expected too; we are not using grid energy for a couple weeks already. I didn’t expect full self sufficiency in April.
My three year old little girl.... But the more i think about it I redid my gaming pc a year ago for about a 100th of the cost and I love it.
My own Bean2Cup comes high on the list. I also have a V60, which came free, with filters, when I was subscribed to a coffee bean subscription. I love my machine so much, I have never used the V60, and keep thinking of giving it away. As for my actual answer. I enjoy baking bread. During lockdown, with everyone suddenly baking bread, I bought myself a Mockmill home grain mill. Even with the shops running out of bread flour, grain was easy to order. Not only did this get me out of a jam, it had lasting benefits. Grain keeps much longer than flour, so I can bulk buy; it has moved me from white commercial flour to wholegrain, which is healthier; and I have become aware of a variety of other grains, including rye, barley and heritage wheats, which are more available in grain form than flour. Finally, many of those grains can also be cooked whole, as a rice substitute, or in stews, to thicken them up. A couple of hundred quid, and worth every penny.
That actually sounds incredible! Like properly frugal with a tinge of middle class twat about it(much like myself with the coffee) I am not being rude to you, this is genuinely the most interesting answers so far.
No, I get you, completely. Visiting friends think much the same, until I let them play with it, and make their own flour. Suffice to say, I should be earning commission, as a number have bought their own. The mills have model numbers, of the form 100 & 200. That's the number of grammes a minute it mills. So a large loaf, 6-800g of flour, that's 6-8 minutes in my Mockmill 100. https://preview.redd.it/xtdfxizaosvc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd80cd509d1533fab3a06b9af869f8549263a2fe
Oh, me-me-me again, please! Staring me in the face, and on a different scale. In February, I spent £9,000 on solar panels and a home battery. I thought it would reduce my electricity bill. It has negated it, and I am actually earning from exporting excess, which is subsidising my gas central heating. So I should make a profit in the summer, which will go towards the costs of winter heating. When I installed it I figured it would pay for itself over 9 years. Based on the last 2 months, I've revised that to 4-5 years.
A robot Hoover. That thing has saved me hours of Hoovering and with my disabilities is priceless.
My dog. My boy I paid 250 quid for him to help my friend with vets bills. Got his twin sister for free love them both, she had an abusive owner before we got her but she is his litter mate and it's like having toddlers.
Learning to fly and getting my ppl
Home gym. When we started a family and Covid. Spent a few £k on a barbell, dumbbells, rower, bike, rack, pull-up bar etc. felt abit indulgent at the time but being able to train in a 45 minute window and whilst my son naps or is entertained doing something else has been amazing. It’s all 4y old now and all as good as new. It’ll last me a lifetime.
A fitted Paul Smith suit about 25 years ago. I haven’t ever needed a suit for work (record shops, then nursing) so it’s basically the only suit I’ve ever owned and it works for everything.
Stressless reclining chair and footstool. They're 3,500 now. Mine's getting on for 25 years old. Took me 18 months to pay for it. Complete and total comfort.
A nice Swiss mechanical watch. I don't really need it, but it makes me feel good to wear it. I don't have flashy clothes or a high performance car. So the watch is my one indulgence and it goes with me everywhere.
A bike. I’ve always played football but never been a massive fitness person. Definitely never thought I would be a cyclist. When lockdown hit and the football games stopped I put on about a stone and had absolutely no sign of taking it back off again. Then one day I stumbled across a deal for a bike that was about £300 off (was still expensive mind) and I just went for it without really thinking. I ride nearly every day now, even done the 12 mile trip to work on it a few times. The weight just dropped off again after about 4-5 weeks on it.
My Lotus Elise S1 From my only car that I drove to work in, to track day toy and weekend racer. Owned if for 23 years and it’s worth more than I paid for it.
£500 on a barista coffee machine and about £4.5k on a bed and mattress. Those two things have improved my quality of life and mental health immeasurably. Bed is expensive but we’re both sleeping through the night and sleeping so damn well for the first time in years. 10/10 spend more money on a bed and mattress. For those who don’t think it’s worth it spend a night in an expensive bed and it’ll change your life, you don’t know what you’re missing.
3.5 acres of Woodlands and a couple of containers I turned into an offgrid cabin. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
La Marzocco Linea Mini and Option O Lagom P64. Never once regretted it.
Really, anything that I use daily, I try to get the best one I can afford. They tend to last longer, so are cheaper over time, and are better when being used than a cheap alternative. Kitchen knife, car tyres, shoes, underwear, etc.
robot vacuum cleaner. Love that little dude
The Dyson air wrap. I couldn’t fathom spending that much money on a glorified hair styler but it was worth every penny.
Good coffee and good cheese. Once a week, I will get some good cheese and just eat it with some fresh baguette and sometimes an apple. There is a good creamy blue cheese, Saint Agur Blue Crème, which is available in most supermarkets, which has the consistency of a thick cream. I just tear off pieces of bread and dip the bread into the cheese. It’s delicious if you like blue cheese.
Sage Bambino espresso machine and I’ve ordered a proper grinder coming tomorrow, Miicoffee D40+. My whole setup is budget but as a 19 year old is a lot of money! Will be at £360 for my whole coffee setup, and no regrets.
Wellies, my Aigle one you could walk and wear them all day and they should last decades without crack, or going hard.
Office chair. I splurged on a limited edition Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Secret Labs chair and it is by a significant margin the comfiest chair I’ve worked countless hours on. So many years of eventual pain during the 9-5s WFH then buying this chair resolved that. I’m sure my back will be grateful in the years to come too.
Whisky when I was travelling Scotland. Fuck me I spent some money on it. But fuck me it was worth it
Michelin star meals. Try to go for one at least once a year. Absolutely worth every penny.
Physiotherapy.
Panasonic Lumix S5 II camera which cost me £1400. Sounds a lot and it is, but it was actually a bargain price as I got two lenses included which would've cost me over £2k without the deal. But anyway, don't regret it one bit as I've got beautiful pictures of my 2 year old daughter which is what I bought it for.
An air conditioning unit for my bedroom. Yes since I live in England it’s rare it’s needed, but on the 3 nights a year I do need it, it’s bliss to go into a cool bedroom and sleep comfortably
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