Does collectible stuff count in the context of this thread? Because if so I've dropped some serious cash on my gas mask collection. But if not... Focus: Cigarettes. I always smoke good cigarettes because if I'm going to kill myself then I'm going to do it right. I've tried the cheapo brands like Tahoe, River Horse, Pall Mall, etc; they make me gag, and they don't even dent the nicotine cravings that permeate my waking hours. Thats why I'm a Marlboro Reds guy, always in a box, never a soft pack. The soft packs get crushed too easy since I usually keep them in a back pocket. I could save twenty bucks a week if I switched to a cheaper brand, the cheapo shit usually runs about 2.50 or so a pack around here. You might be able to get a carton for twenty some dollars. But the savings just aren't worth it to me, I'm used to a certain flavor and strength.
These, plus custom fit liners. A deal for what I paid at about $725 including tax and liners, since they retail for $799 alone. Every skier drools over new skis, but many don't know that it's the boots that matter. If you don't get your feet right, your skiing will suffer. Plus, I ski patrol, so I need my feet to function well and not bother me for 8+ hour days including hiking, shoveling, and just plain old standing around. Ever needed to sit down while wearing ski boots because they were so damn uncomfortable? Yeah. If you're ever in the Tahoe area and need boots, go see Cosmo at Cosmo's Footwerks. The man KNOWS feet. He examines your feet carefully, talks to you about your skiing, hands you the right boot for you, and then custom fits it. No trying to figure out what latest boot features are good and which are bullshit while the teenage kid working in the ski shop stands around picking his nose.
I finally pulled the trigger on a few pair of the Patagonia boxer briefs and could not be happier. I think they are like 20 bucks a pair if you find them on clearance, maybe $15, but absolutely worth it. I drop money on my penis sensations, no problem.
We had a thread like this once, either here or on the old board, and someone mentioned high thread count bed sheets. Just tonight I splurged on a set of 600 TCs for the first time. Worth it? I'll know soon, I suppose. As for my own direct experience, I'm going to go with cars. If you don't give a crap about driving and want only to get from point A to B, an entry level crapbox with an automatic will do you just fine. If like me you want to enjoy your time behind the wheel then, well, you're gonna pay for it. My previous cars were an '03 BMW 540 6-speed, with a 2000 Ford SVT Contour coming before that. At the beginning of last year I took advantage of the retardedly awesome lease deals Honda was running on the Accord coupe, and got a V6 6-speed for the monthly payment of a well-optioned crapbox, paying nothing when I signed the papers, and averted having to pay a couple grand in maintenance on the Bimmer over the course of 2012. It's still a lot more expensive than a Fit, but see the thread title: It's worth it.
600 TC isn't high. (I know I sound like an asshole, I'm sorry.) My princess ass refuses to sleep on less than 600, and when we move I'm buying a pair of 1200TC sheets, because those...those feel like you're sleeping in an orgasm all night long. WORTH. IT. A couple of years ago I bought a Mazda CX9, AWD, leather, loaded. It's not a luxury vehicle by anyone's standards but mine, and the payments are a bit higher than they were on my Jeep, but it's worth it. The ride + the comfort = money well spent for me.
It's worth knowing that exposes have found that manufacturers frequently lie about thread count. If it has a high number and still doesn't feel like it? Might be lying.
It's something to do with separating the threads or some shit. My mom explained it to me one time. Some of the suspiciously high thread counts you see around (like 2000) can't really exist if they count it properly.
I just recently purchased a Springfield TRP 1911 for a bit over a thousand dollars (1911's range anywhere from $400 - $5,000). And if I had the funds, I would definitely purchase one in the $3,000.00 range. This may seem stupid to people that do not shoot firearms as many of them look similar. The thing is though, there are lots of minor tweaks that can occur regarding coatings, custom fitted parts, materials used, and other not easily noticeable differences that set many firearms apart. And as with most things, you will always drool at the ones that are the best. Pens are also a huge thing for me. For some reason I always end up purchasing the most expensive gel pens / roller pens. Not only do the pens flow easier onto paper, but the ink is also archival! Which for the shittiest of reasons it makes a difference to me because there is a small chance that some archaeologist might discover my notes someday.
Re: Re: Trust me, it's worth it THIS. If you're going to use a set of tools with any regularity, buy quality the first time around. I have wasted lots of money on crappy chisels, rasps, etc (the list goes on) for my woodworking only to find you truly get what you paid for.
I have mine on right now. I got them on clearance at Journeys and they are amazing enough that i would consider paying full price.
Wait, so you walk around all day and then open your drinks with your shoe? That's fucking disgusting.
Along the same lines as good sheets, a good mattress makes a world of difference. Boyfriend and I were sharing a crappy old double bed for over a year, and it was awful. He's 6'2'' and hardly fits on a double bed alone, so needless to say we were not sleeping too well. Then we moved (again) and bought a relatively nice cal king bed, and holy shit, it was life changing. I sleep so much better, my back feels better, and I'm not constantly fighting for more space and more blanket. Never again will I hesitate to drop a little extra cash to ensure a better nights rest, be it on pillows, sheets, blankets, whatever.
I can't believe I didn't think about this for my first psot., but quality headphones. I'm not saying drop $150+ on Beats by Dre, Sennheiser or Bose. Those are all good and well, but I will not hesitate dropping $40-$60 on earbuds because the quality can make a world of difference. I look sideways at people who tell me how much they love music and can't live without, but are still rocking their shitty iPod/iPhone headphones. Can't like it that much if you're losing 20% of the quality. Altec Lansing makes incredible quality (sound) earbuds for about $40, I wish I got the Best Buy protection plans for them because the style I got kept coming apart. I went and go these Phillips set for about 50 that worked really well, even came with an Android App to further tune music and customize functionality. Also if you're going to buy music, its totally worth it to get CD quality 320 kbps. Anything else sounds bad.
1) V0 is basically indistinguishable from 320K for a fraction of the file size. 2) On the earbud note, these have been languishing in my Amazon cart for a while: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VEQ2UU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VE ... PDKIKX0DER</a> Just $12, and sound quality supposedly competes with products $60 and up. Just need to buy 3rd party tips. But seriously folks, if you like music, do yourself a favor and get some better earbuds. It's like being in the same room with the instruments.
For the people talking about thread count, that's only half the battle. I agree that good sheets are great, as well as the good mattress noted upthread. But you can get crappy 600-1200 TC sheets from Target/TJ Maxx and be completely wasting your time. The quality of the fabric is more important. Consider a burlap sack shredded and turned into sheets. It doesn't matter if it's 900 thread count, it's still going to be scratch and annoying.
I like to find the sweet spot with major purchases, by this I mean that price point where only minor improvements can be achieved by almost doubling the money committed. For instance a $4,000 stereo will not sound twice as good as a $2000 one, it might only be 8% better overall, however a $1000 unit will probably be twice as good as a $500 unit, including more features, warranty etc. In this instance the sweet spot might be $1600 and no matter how much money you throw at it after this point you would only be looking to improve total quality by a maximum of 5-10% which for all practical purposes is undetectable once you get the bastard home. Also this extra “wank price” washes off almost immediately after you purchase the product, its why it’s best to buy luxury vehicles that are slightly used, I recently saved over $20k off a car that had done only 14,500km, for all intents and purposes it was a still new car. I could sell it after 85,000km and only lose $6-10k if I look after it. But more to the point what do I splurge on? Boots. Have 3 pairs of RM Williams each cost between $300-$400. These are the only boots I have, and my total footwear collection only numbers 5 including a pair of sneakers and a pair of gumboots. I've also had one pair for about 5 years and worn them hard, can still nugget them up and wear them into a restaurant or pub without a second thought. RM's are awesome.
Mach 3 or any premium razor blade is infinitely better than a 50 cent Bic. Granted, a pack costs so much they put security locks on them like electronics. I'd really like to invest in a straight razor, but am afraid it's going to be a pain in the ass each night.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/</a> I'll even refer you, so you can save the $8 bucks a month. If that's your sort of thing.
On that note, Norelco SensoTouch. http://www.amazon.com/Philips-1250X...52273&sr=8-10&keywords=norelco+electric+razor $180 on Amazon. Got it a few years ago, haven't used a straight razor since. If it died tomorrow morning I'd replace it that afternoon. Worth every penny.