Interesting skimming through the comments - in the past couple of years we have installed gutters (HUGE difference in moisture level in the basement, which means dehumidifier runs less); purchased Energy Star-rated front-loading HE washer (saving on electricity, water, and detergent, not to mention being gentler to our clothes). Most significant BIG purchases, though, have to be having our 100 year old house insulated (followed up by paying someone with an infrared video camera to come in and show us the places the insulation missed) and replacing ALL of our old drafty windows with new, double-paned vinyl ones. Check around - we got a significant discount on purchase price and installation by having them all done at once.
Hm, I can think of a lot of purchases that have saved me money over the years. Two big ones that stand out are:
(1) My bicycle-great for getting around town (to save on T-fares!), entertainment, and fitness
(2) My kindle-I don't really ever spend money on kindle books, but I do use my kindle to take out library books all the time. It saves me time (no need to get to the library to pick up and return) and money.
When my fiancee and I purchased our new home we installed a tankless water heater. We have a 1400 sq ft 3/2 home and live in Florida (so the water doesn't have to heat very much at all) - our energy bills are rarely over $100/month in the summer when we have the AC running all day, and are usually $30-50 in the "winter" when we don't heat or cool the house. The few thousand dollars for the water heater and plumbing/electrical installation has already paid for itself and we will NEVER run out of hot water, no matter how much laundry we wash, dishes we do or showers we take!
We bought an old car (2004) to two behind our motor home, but it already had the towing apparatus plate installed and we got a deal on the towing hookup as well, so we saved a few thousand dollars.
I bought a new $800 WWII-style fleece-lined B3 bomber jacket. December through March it easily reaches -30C/F where I live in Canada. It's the warmest thing I've ever owned and I'll never need another winter coat again. Errr... Unless I get really fat and can't fit in it anymore. After years and years of shivering (and having to buy a new/used coat every 5 years or so) I guess I'd finally had enough and decided to fix the problem permanently.
how expensive something seems, is relative to income. buying a $20 blender (the best one i could afford) might not seem expensive to other people. however it was a very large purchase for me (so large that i took weeks picking out the right one). it saved me money within 2 days because coconut butter is soooooooo much cheaper to make at home and i needed to make coconut treats for a party. the coconut butter i would have had to buy would have been easily $30, but instead i only had to spend $24 total including the blender by making it at home ($4 worth of coconut flakes and $20 for the blender).
I bought a decent stainless steel pot/pan set as a final replacement for my non-stick pans that I had to keep re-buying as the non-stick coating would inevitably start peeling off. These new pots/pans should last me forever (barring any unforeseen scorching catastrophes)!
I would not say it is expensive, but I bought a Sushezi sushi maker on Amazon for less than $20, and it has saved me that much many times over. Sushi is very expensive, no matter where you go, and when you're vegetarian, it's really silly to spend that much money on what is basically rice, seaweed and avocado. And I really LOVE my avocado sushi. I now bring sushi to family gatherings (much to the amazement and awe of my mother).
I have always been one of those people who doesn't spend a lot of money on shoes or clothing but my husband really like cowboy boots. Several years ago he spent a couple hundred dollars on a pair he loves. And he wears them all the time (at least 5 days a week) and only has had to resole them every 2 years or so. In the long run they have been totally worth the cost and saved us money in replacing shoes every season or year since they are timeless, will last forever, and inexpensive to upkeep :)
We just purchased all new energy-efficient appliances for our kitchen. Not only did we seriously cut down our utility bills, but the city we live in gave us a stipend/refund for doing so.
I think my financial habits aren't that bad, though I am not planning anything at all. i just go with the flow sometimes, other times I prefer to step out and so on.
I just sold my car.... and bought a bike!
(not sure if this extreme of a change will last, we'll see)
I responded on Twitter. https://mobile.twitter.com/1bets1/status/250663501981442048
Interesting skimming through the comments - in the past couple of years we have installed gutters (HUGE difference in moisture level in the basement, which means dehumidifier runs less); purchased Energy Star-rated front-loading HE washer (saving on electricity, water, and detergent, not to mention being gentler to our clothes). Most significant BIG purchases, though, have to be having our 100 year old house insulated (followed up by paying someone with an infrared video camera to come in and show us the places the insulation missed) and replacing ALL of our old drafty windows with new, double-paned vinyl ones. Check around - we got a significant discount on purchase price and installation by having them all done at once.
Hm, I can think of a lot of purchases that have saved me money over the years. Two big ones that stand out are:
(1) My bicycle-great for getting around town (to save on T-fares!), entertainment, and fitness
(2) My kindle-I don't really ever spend money on kindle books, but I do use my kindle to take out library books all the time. It saves me time (no need to get to the library to pick up and return) and money.
An energy efficient window air conditioner from craigslist.
Discount gift cards to rather mundane retailers like petsmart, CVS, etc.
When my fiancee and I purchased our new home we installed a tankless water heater. We have a 1400 sq ft 3/2 home and live in Florida (so the water doesn't have to heat very much at all) - our energy bills are rarely over $100/month in the summer when we have the AC running all day, and are usually $30-50 in the "winter" when we don't heat or cool the house. The few thousand dollars for the water heater and plumbing/electrical installation has already paid for itself and we will NEVER run out of hot water, no matter how much laundry we wash, dishes we do or showers we take!
We have a White-Rodgers programmable thermostat that saves us a lot of money and makes our waking-up and home-coming so much more comfortable!
I liked you and your post on Facebook.
Not crazy expensive, but I bought thermal curtains. It helps in both hot and cold weather to keep the utility bill low.
Liked and commented on Facebook too!
We bought an old car (2004) to two behind our motor home, but it already had the towing apparatus plate installed and we got a deal on the towing hookup as well, so we saved a few thousand dollars.
https://twitter.com/missluckybreaks/status/250638291911733251
I bought a new $800 WWII-style fleece-lined B3 bomber jacket. December through March it easily reaches -30C/F where I live in Canada. It's the warmest thing I've ever owned and I'll never need another winter coat again. Errr... Unless I get really fat and can't fit in it anymore. After years and years of shivering (and having to buy a new/used coat every 5 years or so) I guess I'd finally had enough and decided to fix the problem permanently.
I purchased a treadmill so that I can work out at home instead of paying a monthly gym membership! Saves me time and money!
High efficiency washer and refrigerator!
how expensive something seems, is relative to income. buying a $20 blender (the best one i could afford) might not seem expensive to other people. however it was a very large purchase for me (so large that i took weeks picking out the right one). it saved me money within 2 days because coconut butter is soooooooo much cheaper to make at home and i needed to make coconut treats for a party. the coconut butter i would have had to buy would have been easily $30, but instead i only had to spend $24 total including the blender by making it at home ($4 worth of coconut flakes and $20 for the blender).
Thanks, John! Being a TA is definitely a great way to offset your expenses (especially if you're in grad school)!
I bought a decent stainless steel pot/pan set as a final replacement for my non-stick pans that I had to keep re-buying as the non-stick coating would inevitably start peeling off. These new pots/pans should last me forever (barring any unforeseen scorching catastrophes)!
I would not say it is expensive, but I bought a Sushezi sushi maker on Amazon for less than $20, and it has saved me that much many times over. Sushi is very expensive, no matter where you go, and when you're vegetarian, it's really silly to spend that much money on what is basically rice, seaweed and avocado. And I really LOVE my avocado sushi. I now bring sushi to family gatherings (much to the amazement and awe of my mother).
https://twitter.com/PurpleLarkspur/status/250630420364947456
We bought a Prius 4 years ago, and calculate that we have saved thousands of dollars on gas!
I have always been one of those people who doesn't spend a lot of money on shoes or clothing but my husband really like cowboy boots. Several years ago he spent a couple hundred dollars on a pair he loves. And he wears them all the time (at least 5 days a week) and only has had to resole them every 2 years or so. In the long run they have been totally worth the cost and saved us money in replacing shoes every season or year since they are timeless, will last forever, and inexpensive to upkeep :)
A playstation 3 so we could cut the cable bill and use the net streaming over 4 years ago. Best decision ever.
We just purchased all new energy-efficient appliances for our kitchen. Not only did we seriously cut down our utility bills, but the city we live in gave us a stipend/refund for doing so.
I think my financial habits aren't that bad, though I am not planning anything at all. i just go with the flow sometimes, other times I prefer to step out and so on.