I was given a gift certificate to the Sunglass Hut. I successfully spent the gift certificate on a pair of sunglasses. I can now say I would rather buy sunglasses from Adolf Hitler, naked with an erection, in front of a synagogue than the Sunglass Hut. The quality of the item I purchased is simply not related to the price. The price would suggest that by putting on the sunglasses, I would have an entourage, a coke habit, 6 pack abs, a Ferrari and a model girlfriend with similar, but not quite as cool sunglasses. The quality suggests I have a strangely-shaped head. Satan cringes when he hears what I wish upon the people who work at the Sunglass Hut. Ron White's take on the Sunglass Hut: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy1wbG_bOuw&feature=PlayList&p=059749ABD7947861&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy1wbG_b ... PL&index=2</a> Focus: What do you splurge on? What do you skimp on? Sec. Focus: What's your opinion on sunglasses and other accessories?
Oh man buying sunglasses is the worst. God forbid if your face is not shaped like the model's on the ad, you're screwed in that case. I don't wear sunglasses ever unless I'm canoeing or something, they just don't like me, sunglasses that is. I don't wear any rings or watches or bracelets or necklaces either, for the same reason. That being said I always buy good jeans, not gay designer stuff but the expensive Levi's and similar brands. I also splurge on tech stuff like laptops and monitors, if I'm going to be staring at this screen for 4+ hours a day I want the best and my experience has shown that well made laptops last much longer than cheaper ones. I buy cheap Converse and other canvas style shoes and go through them quickly. They're not good for your knees and if you walk in them for longer than 6 hours your feet start to really hurt but they're cheap and can match almost any outfit. My examples aren't the best because I haven't really needed to buy anything in a long while, did all my college shopping in the summer. I'm sure other members have better examples. I know Blue Dog for instance only buys the best gator meat/roadkill.
I like sunglasses because I have this horrible defect in my eyes known as Iritis which gives me mind-numbing headaches whenever the sun hits them directly. However, I also beleive that's it's FUCKING RIDICULOUS to pay $250 for a piece of plastic on your head. Harley Davidson makes great ones. You can usually get them for under $50, they block glare well and look good.
Do Levi's count as being expensive jeans? When I was in the states I bought a couple of pairs of 501s for $40ea. My girlfriend at the time was wearing one of her several pairs of $300 jeans. I know that $300 is an absurd price to pay for jeans, but surely paying less than $50 means the jeans are cheap, or good value? Me? I skimp on clothes and splurge on clothes. I skimp on casual clothes (jeans, T's, sneakers etc) and splurge on office attire (suits, shirts, shoes, ties etc)
The Levi's I buy are around 145$ CAD (which is about five bucks and three nickles in the states) and I consider them amongst the more expensive single items in the casual attire. Suits and office attire are different, it depends where you work but you should always have at least two good fitted suits.
Personally, I can't just go out and buy a pair of sunglasses. Because i don't wear contacts, and my vision sucks, I need to get prescription sunglasses. This raises the price to near Sunglasses Hut levels. But since they actually do something other than block UV rays, I say this is worth it. I don't really splurge that often, but when I do it's usually cereal. I flat out refuse to eat off-brand cereal. It doesn't taste nearly as good.
I splurge on booze, I guess. I have a few nice bottles in my cabinet. Also, food. Aside from eating too much takeout/cheap Asian food, life is just too god damned short to buy the cheap tomato sauce.
50 bucks for jeans? Shiiitttt. I have four pairs of jeans, all purchased for under 40 bucks (two pairs for around 15). I simply will not spend any real amount of money for clothes. Just...don't care. I splurge on drunken evenings, motor oil, and pet care. As far as sunglasses go, I've had a pair of 75 dollar VZ black shades for the last two years that I love and wear all the time. If I didn't live in a real sunny place though, there is no way I could justify spending that much on them.
I don't wear sunglasses because I have a narrow head and it's impossible to find any that don't look ridiculous on me. Not to mention if I pay $300 for sunglasses they better be made of gold and shoot lasers. As for other stuff, I go pretty light on casual clothes although I could probably wear a different white t-shirt for 3 weeks straight. I do have a soft spot for nicer clothes like polo shirts and dress shirts though.
The only sunglasses I buy, and I hardly ever buy them anyway, are the cheap $10 pairs you get at gas stations because I usually only keep them for at maximum a week before I lose them. Same thing with watches, plus I just use my cellphone to check the time. I splurge on stuff like booze and electronics though. In electronics you really do get what you pay for so I don't mind spending hundreds of dollars more for something when I know it will last longer then the bargain bin model.
While I don't spend a lot on sunglasses, they are an everyday essential for me. At any given time, I have at least two pairs with me. My eyes are sensitive and I wrinkle up my forehead in the sun (wrinkles are the enemy, you hear me?) and so I wear them even when it's overcast. I used to buy nice ones for $100+ but after about the second pair got destroyed by my puppy, I went back to spending $8-20. While this won't make much sense to you boys, I splurge on some* of my make up and similar products. Bliss Naked Body Butter is the shit and worth every penny of it's $35 price tag (8oz.) As a professional make up artist, I have spent a lot of money on my make up... the most inexpensive eyeshadows I own are $16 apiece. *Maybelline Great Lash mascara is by far the best on the market. Available at WalMart for four dollars and some change. It should be replaced every couple of months anyway, so spending $28 on that Dior only makes you look like a fool that was impressed by a fancy label.
I got a new pair of polarized Oakleys this Christmas. My gf got them for $160, and they're worth every fucking penny. I had a pair that got scratched at the firing range, and they lasted me over 5 years before that happened. I also splurge on footwear. I wear good boots and shoes, because foot pain sucks. Otherwise, I'm a total cheapskate.
I don't really have a choice when it comes to shoes, I need to find quality shoes that last, as I don't know when I'll find them in my size again. Superfeet insoles are a great invention, I get a pair for all of my shoes. As for sunglasses, I used to just buy cheapo gas-station glasses, but stopped into an outlet store and got a pair for $300 aviators for about $50. They're perfect for driving, as the Julbo glasses I affix to my backpack have these awesome blinders on the sides. Good for avoiding sunlight, bad for peripheral vision.
I wear prescription glasses and can't switch out of my regular glasses and into prescription sunglasses. When I change glasses I feel like I'm looking through a fishbowl for the first couple of hours and can even get Migraines and motion sick. So, the greatest investment for me was Photogray color changing lenses. I play Softball 4-5 days a week from spring through fall, so I am outdoors A LOT and couldn't live without them. You can't put a price tag on good eyewear.
Sign up for steepandcheap.com and you can get all the expensive sunglasses your heart desires for cheap money and not have to deal with the ridiculousness that is the sunglass hut. I've bought nine or so pair of sun glasses this year. Oakley, Smith, Native, etc. All $200+ retail price glasses, but I didn't spend more than $70 on any one pair. If they don't fit (like two pair of the Smiths which are for really narrow alien heads or something) I offer them to my friends for what I paid, or put them on Ebay. I spend excessively on car "stuff", tools, and sports gear. I have a rack that has 7 pairs of downhill skis on it right now. None older than 4 seasons old and 3 pair haven't even been skied yet. But I got a good deal on them and will ski them eventually. Mountain bikes, road bikes, a dozen or so hiking packs of various sizes since I'm convinced I can tell the difference between a 1150ci pack and a 1200ci pack. I have a few hundred yards of climbing rope even though I only rock climb maybe once a year. Ice axes because they're "neat" and all sorts of pfds because they have some new feature. Basically I'm a car and gear nut. At least I'm not hooked on crack.
Aside from electronics, there's not much that I refuse to buy off-brand. I suppose I don't buy clothes at walmart or target, but Express, Polo and BR are hardly boutique. I also refuse to buy really shitty whiskey. It needs to be Crown, Makers Mark or better if I'm buying a bottle. Other liquors, I don't care. Hand me an $8 bottle of vodka and mixer and I'm as happy as if it was a $40 bottle. Most of my groceries, I will go for the store brand. Sodas, bread, vegetables, frozen fruit etc it really doesn't matter what brand you end up with. There are a few things I will buy name brand, like dog food condoms. My dog's the only companionship I plan to have for a while, so I like to keep him well fed. Name condoms are of course to decrease the likelihood of hangers-on as a result of a barskank encounter backfire.
Im pretty frugal when it comes to, well everything, especially everyday clothes (I wont spend more then $40 CAD on a pair of jeans and nore more then $50-60 for a pair of shoes). The only thing I spend serious money on (besides electronics, for obvious reasons) is workboots and tools. If Im going to be using something everyday for hours on end to make a living, you better bet is going to be top of the line. Its not uncommon for me to spend $200-300 on a pair of workboots. The lowest Ill go for hand tools is Mastercraft (because of the lifetime warranty) and for power tools its gotta be DeWalt. In the world of tools, your get what you payfor.
I'd say 50 bucks is about middle of the road expensive for jeans, but hell if I would pay any more than that. I like wearing nice things, but I'm usually just a shirt and jeans guy anyway so it's not too hard. You don't have to spend a lot to look good. As for sunglasses, I look supa fine in cheap ass aviators, so I'm set. I splurge on music things. I splurge a LOT of money on music things. Whatever I've got one life, I might as well spend it playing sexy, sexy, orgasmic instruments.
I make a very good living but my wife buys most of our shit and TJ Max and Old Navy. I don't see the value in designer shit. The one thing I do splurge on is organic food. The most important investment in the world is your health. Keep your $300 jeans, they'll look good on you in the cancer ward.