Ask HN: What should I spend my money on after a decade of frugality? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What should I spend my money on after a decade of frugality?

For the first decade or so of my working life I scrimped and saved. Over the the last few years, my salary has increased around five-fold. (Whilst I certainly don't have millions in the bank, I am apparently now in the top 98th percentile in my country by taxable income). Recently I bought a robot vacuum in a sale, something I would previously have dismissed as an expensive toy. I was pleasantly surprised how much value I got from it. Really I should have got one sooner. It makes me wonder what else might I be missing out on due to hang-ups about spending that are no longer appropriate to my situation? I've thought a reasonable amount about pensions, savings, giving, property, etc, so I'm not really talking about that sort of thing. I'm more interested in (relatively) small purchases I might have overlooked due to a decade of frugality.

View on HN

There was a good article recently on HN, `Everything must be paid for twice`:

https://www.raptitude.com/2022/01/everything-must-be-paid-fo...

Always think of the second order effect of a purchase. Bought a new guitar? Now you have to take guitar lessons and entertain joining a band or going solo if you happen to be very gifted with it. Same with anything. New self-help book? Now you have to get shit done on purpose, otherwise it's just a bunch of paper with no meaning.

Thought provoking, thank you. The article advocates the worthy goal of actually putting the effort in to something rather than buying ever more stuff that you'll never get around to getting the most out of. A helpful reminder.

But as I implied in my question, I think if anything I might need to correct in the opposite direction. My primary laptop is twelve years old, and I'm starting to think about replacing it. I don't want to become a wasteful consumerist, but I also no longer want to spend my limited time doing things like vacuuming when a robot can do it more frequently than I ever will with less effort, freeing up time for more fulfilling pursuits.

You want to upgrade those things you spend the most of your time and energy on. The top two are arguably your mattress and your shoes/insoles. The third is probably your employer’s responsibility (which may well be you). After that? What do you do a lot of, that you want to do easier or better? Cooking? Get better knives, ingredients, utensils. Painting? Get lessons, buy better materials. Sports? Upgrade yr gear.

Just having some extra money can make life a little smoother. Many of these things aren't that expensive but might not have been considered when acting frugally.

1. Buy extra copies of things where it provides convenience i.e. extra power cords for computers/phones that you leave where you need them. 2. If you travel somewhere often (i.e. family for the holidays or a significant other's house), consider buying an extra copy of things and leaving it there instead of packing/unpacking. 3. Buy personal items in bulk so you don't have to go to the store as often when things run out and you can save money this way over time, too. 4. Throw out clothing that you only wear when you have no more clean clothes and replace it with clothing you do like. Consolidate socks to one or two types to simplify matching. 5. Outsource laundry, cleaning, lawncare if you spend time doing that. 6. Spend extra on more convenient flights.

Surprised I'm the first to comment on this. Upgrade all the following to premium quality:

* Sheets / mattress * Towels * Underwear / socks

The quality is better as the price goes up (then at a certain point you're paying for brand). These are things that you use on your body every day. Buying well made things here are little reminders that you've made it and are taking care of yourself.

Buy time.

You have only a set number of hours left.

But you can buy some of those hours back with certain purchases.

What exactly those are takes knowledge of how you spend your day - it may be worth writing down what you spend time on.

I always have problems with the idea of buying stuff. It's easy to buy stuff that you think that you want and become a slave to it. Think of the idea of buying the car you always wanted. Now you have to maintain it and take good care of it. I often think of all those guys that get up on Saturday mornings to wash and wax their prized car. They have become slaves to it. Is it really a plus in their lives?

I would say not to focus on stuff but experiences is probably your better bet. I remember the first time I went to a luxury stake restaurant. We dressed up and got what we wanted not what was cheap. It was just fun. I don't do it often but it's worth it to me. Simply because it's not something I do on a regular basis.

I know I can buy all the stuff I need to make the perfect stake at a fraction of the cost of going out once. But is it the same? It's not to me.

For you, think of something you have not done but might find enjoyable. Don't go cheap but do what you like.

> I know I can buy all the stuff I need to make the perfect stake at a fraction of the cost of going out once.

Now here’s someone who isn’t familiar with the Lee Valley catalog.

I assure you, you can spend many hundreds on the stuff to make the perfect stake. Their exquisite, custom hand planes and sleds are works of functional art, worthy of use with the finest exotic wood, itself with costs that approach the surreal. Which is, of course, why going out and buying a great stake can cost so much, too.

The highest utility purchases that have sometimes been non trivial $$$, other than experiences (Rally Driving, Scuba Diving, MIG welding course) are home optimizations that I use every day:

1. Bidets in every toilet, never going back to toilet paper, 2. Automatic blinds in bedroom with sheers and blackouts that incrementally rise on a timer, 3. Sensor light switches that auto detect and auto turn off, 4. Automatic vacuum and mop, 5. Home automation controllable light switches and remotes, optimizing light switch placement in room, 6. Great furniture that looks good and is comfortable (there’s a huge leap going from IKEA > Crate & Barrel > Design within reach, 7. Good power tools and job specific tools.

These are all things that incrementally improve my life every day.

Prioritize your health and then comfort but continue saving money.

If you are able to not want anything for a decade, no need to change it now.

My partner buys non-essentials significantly more than me each month. Sometimes I get in competitive mode and want to spend as much as her. I force myself to buy stuff and almost always regret it.

Things that I actually think are worth it are Bose QC35 headphones, iPhone, gym membership, massage, nice mattress, video games, portable speakers, nice running shoes.

I've seen a lot of colleagues develop health issues as they age so I'd suggest spending a bit on ergonomics (e.g. a better chair, desk, or monitor) to keep things like RSI and eyestrain from creeping up on you later in life and also spending a bit on things that help maintain and monitor your health (sonic toothbrush, exercise gear of your choice, blood pressure meter, etc.).

I'm in the same boat.

The things I bought early into adulthood are now falling apart and need to be replaced. I chose to splurge on the replacements, because I know what I want and how much I need it.

Otherwise, my policy is to "spend it on the plot". By that, I mean that you should spend money on things that bring change in your life. This can be travel, hobbies, new experiences, etc. Sometimes it means paying extra to preserve the energy for what matters (e.g. the occasional cab ride).

That being said, remember that your decisions have an environmental impact. Being wealthy does not excuse you from caring about your planet. Don't consume just because you can, unless you buy second hand.

You can also use the money to reduce your workload. Hire help or simply work less. You can afford to pick who you work for and for how long.

I'm no environmental saint. But I fear being wasteful so I tend I buy midrange phones and keep them for years. My laptop is 12 years old (a battered sub $1000 ThinkPad still running a lightweight Ubuntu spin just fine).

I asked the question because I habitually agonise over purchases, particularly "things". The robovac made me realise I might be missing out for no good reason on things that could improve my life. This post is an attempt to balance my default deny approach to spending.

On the other hand, I was talked into buying an OLED TV recently, which in retrospect probably wasn't worth it. It's better than my old 1080p TV, but after a couple of days I got used to it and stopped noticing.

I do the same. I feel the same way. I don't know if there's an easy fix, but I also don't know if it needs to be fixed.

You're happy, right? And you act in a healthy, sustainable way? The only thing you need is something to need. Not bad! Then let the money pile on. Financial security is also good to have. You can use it for a well-placed "fuck it" once in a while. Mine was a long motorcycle trip a few years ago.

I found this rather convincing. And always nice to hear "keep doing what you're doing"!

I don't need much more stuff. But some suggestions in other replies did resonate. Mainly around a good bed and work chair, and ways to get time back from chores.

I will also think about things to help me keep fit. I tend to find intentional exercise pretty mind-numbing after a short while. But I do enjoy the outdoors so perhaps ways to enable and encourage me to be active out and about.

Lots of food for thought.

The advice that experiences are better than things is good, but most of my valued and cherished experiences were free or very cheap. I care more about the people around me than what we're actually doing. If you can spend some money to have more quality time with your friends and loved ones, do that.

When it comes to items, focus on things you use everyday. I bought a Brompton folding bicycle. It was a big purchase for me at the time but I use it every single day and get a lot of pleasure and enjoyment out of it. If you cook a lot, get a great chef's knife and so on.

Other hobby items are nice but even if you really love hiking you probably only manage to go once a week. But you wear shoes everyday, so spend money on the regular everyday shoes, not the hiking boots.

Firstly, when buying something consider what it sells for used. The Delta in price is the real cost, and that makes many things much more attractive to purchase. Being able to think this way is part of the luxury of having money.

Spend good money on anthing that separates you from the ground: beds, tires, shoes, etc.

Spend money on things that encourage good habits. Buy new kitchen appliances for eating in (or do a full reno); workout equipment, gym membership, or sports fees.

Spend money on your outdoor spaces. Whether that be money on a backyard with pool, or hiking/camping gear; make it easy to want to be outside.

Those are my recommendations, other than self improvement of course.

I live the same way. I don’t consider price much just total cost of ownership per year. Purchase price - sale price - transaction fees= total cost

Divide by usage and you get a pretty guideline on if something is worth it

Someone posted on /r/FatFire a while ago, that resonated with me as minimalist. Spend money on things that reduce or take the pain away and eliminate routine chores first. Removing the negatives will enhance your life without collecting things that bring joy in the short term and only last for a short while.

A nice mattress and a nice computer chair.

Pay a cleaning service to clean your house. A gardener to take care of your yard if you don’t love gardening. The first investments should be to buy time back at a discounted rate. Eventually you will run out of cheap time then it becomes much harder

I find gardening very relaxing, but I have been wondering about cleaning, so thanks for the positive reinforcement!

Invest in your health? A bike? A ruck sack? Something else that gets you outside, taking in some sunshine & fresh air, etc.

What about services such as house cleaning, laundry, gardening, cooking/meal prep, etc?

Build your own theme park, with Blackjack, and Hookers - in fact, forget the park!

I mean you could even forget the blackjack in a pinch

use it to make sure you never need to work again

Compete financial independence is obviously attractive, but it's not a straightforward trade-off. It would take me years, and if there are things I can spend on to make the most of my spare time along the way, they might be worth it

Reply on news.ycombinator.com