Top Stories

People Explain Which Expensive Purchases Actually Paid For Themselves In The Long Run

People Explain Which Expensive Purchases Actually Paid For Themselves In The Long Run
Westend61 / Getty Images

Major purchases like cars, houses, that bomb $250 pair of Japanese denim jeans that hug your curves and make your thighs feel thick - but not bad thick - good thick, like powerful sexy M'baku thighs. Like you could take the stage as Lady Legasus - them kinda jeans. Yeah, that stuff is all an investment.

We know they're going to last a long time, be there for us, and as long as we're good to them, they are usually well worth the cost. So why don't more people have them?

In the words of the philosopher Todrick Hall, "That sh*t's expensive."



Let's imagine things don't totally suck right now. You have money to invest and you're ready to get the most bang for your buck. So what should you get?

For that we turn to the experts, Reddit:

What expensive purchase have you made that has paid for itself many times over because you saved money in the long run?

There are so many things on this list that we never would have thought of. Never really considered myself the kind of girl that needed a backhoe in her life... but I'm clearly wrong about that.

An Old Truck

23 years ago, I bought a used 1991 Toyota 4-cylinder truck. Paid it off early. Its now 29 years old, and refuses to die. Good gas mileage, low insurance. I change the oil myself...

- series-hybrid

Hell yeah!!! I had an 85 pickup growing up (22R engine), owned a 95 Tacoma for like 10 years and sold it with almost 260k. Then a couple years ago I picked up a 2001 Tacoma with 240k miles on it for $4k. Put a couple grand into it for maintenance and it became my daily driver while the nicer vehicle sits at home. 255k on it now, and I kinda want to put a turbo on it. Freakin' love those trucks.

- bitNine

Windows

New windows on our house. Replaced the old single pane metal framed windows. It was like a waterfall of cold air coming off of them and the noise from the street was obnoxious. Heating bill was cut in half.

- peanutbuttersnoflake

Forget Rent

Giphy

When I moved back to my home town over a year ago I bought a 27' sailboat to live on because rent here is outrageous. Boat cost $4,500 to buy, and moorage at a decent marina is about $170/month. Rent for a studio apartment or 1br here is $900-$1300; every month I save between $600 and $1100, so the boat paid for itself in 4-9 months.

- tonderthrowaway

Lose, Lose, Lose, Lose

Quality cold weather gear.

Not only does it work better and look better, I've had a couple jackets for over 5 years now that see heavy use. Meanwhile I have a couple friends that basically buy and throwaway cheap gear every season. Works like sh!t, looks like sh!t, ends up in a landfill, costs more in the long run. Lose, lose, lose, lose.

- slowjams

Buy A Better Bike

I bought a 500.00 bicycle to use as my main transportation. 500 doesn't sound like a lot but when you're only making 8 an hour, it took some time to save up for it. With public transportation being 2.50 a ride the bike paid for itself in about 3 months. I used that bike for about 3 years. I still have it but i moved so i can't use it for the same purposes.

- Rigma_Roll

"I bought a bike..."

I bought a bike that was probably almost $500 after tax. Not really even that expensive for a bike, but pricey when you're making minimum wage. Such a smooth ride compared to the $100 bikes I bought and destroyed from big-box stores. Plus my bike shop will do a quick tune-up every season for free. A good bike is life-changing.

- luces_arboles

"Not even an expensive one..."

I have a bike. Not even an expensive one, just a regular bike that I use to go to work every day. It's an half hour ride. I no longer use public transportation or a car so I save money on gas or metro tickets. Cycling an hour a day is enough to keep in ok shape so I don't need to go to the gym.

Best money I have ever spent.

- obvious_freud

$25 Scissors

When my wife and I first started dating she wanted to learn to cut hair and wanted a pair of scissors that cost $25, which was a lot for us then. She offered that if I bought her the scissors she'd cut my hair for free as long as we were together. She lied. After 25 years she declared that she'd repaid me for the scissors and was going to stop cutting my hair. Still not a bad deal.

- h2f

Suited Up

Giphy

A very expensive suit.

This was the late 90s and I was 20 years old getting paid by the hour to do glorified help desk work. I had dropped out of college a couple semesters in because I needed to work. A recruiter called me out of the blue saying they needed someone right away. Could I interview the next day. The employer was the largest privately held company in the US and they had a reputation for being a VERY conservative suit and tie operation.

All I had was a poor fitting sport coat I got when I worked at circuit city. I called my father and he said go to Nordstroms, explain the situation and they'll get one done for you. So that's what I did and $600 later I'd emptied my bank account and was walking out the door with a new suit freshly altered that night.

I did the interview and just hit it out of the park. They offered me $55K starting salary to do app support. Which in the 90s was a crap ton of money for a guy going from making not a lot of money.

- CorrectPeanut5

The Amazing Backhoe

I have 6 acres of land with a fair amount of trees on it. I spent about 25k for a backhoe that has saved, and will save me tons of back-breaking work.

It's amazing the amount of stuff I can do that would take huge amounts of energy without the backhoe.

Need a tree taken down and the stump removed? Give me an hour. Need a dead horse buried (true story)? Give me about 2 hours. Need a 100 foot long trench dug for water or power? Give me an hour. Need a 15 foot deep hole dug for who knows what nefarious reason? Give me about 2 hours. Need to flip a car? Give me about 2 minutes. Plow something? Completely destroy your yard? Move that dirt? Drag something heavy? Unstick something stuck?

It was a s***ton of money for me, but incredible what I can do.

- aigheadish

They Don't Make 'Em Like This Anymore

Kenmore Washer and Dryer purchased new from Sears in 1998. They are still going strong and I guarantee when they do kick the bucket... the new washer and dryer I'll have to get from Lowes will be lucky to last 10 years.

- Nonhipster72

My wife and I have been sorting pictures. We found one of my grandsons first day home from hospital. Our tan Maytag washer dryer is in the back of the photo just delivered days earlier. The same Maytag is still working daily. It does at least a load a day, she just needs a belt every 3 years.

- c3h8pro

No More Waiting On Strangers

I live in Minnesota and am a single woman. One winter I missed two shifts at work because my car wouldn't start and I didn't have anyone who could jump it and road side assistance couldn't be there for hours. After that, I went out and spent a little over $100 on a portable car starter. It is a small black box that connects to the battery and jumps the car without needing someone else's car. This has saved me so much time and money.

Also being a single girl who at the time worked at night, I didn't have to worry that some stranger stopping to help might have ulterior motives. I feel much safer and always keep it in my purse. Added bonus, I can charge my phone with it too. I've been singing its praises ever since!

- thehallowedpen

These Actors Seemed Miscast But Absolutely Nailed The Role | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

The Actors Who Seemed Miscast But Absolutely Nailed The RoleFew people bought into the idea of Bryan Cranston in the role of Walter White before Breaking Bad...

"When my wife and I..."

When my wife and I purchased our home about 25 years ago, I had to go oversess for what turned into an extensive trip. When I came back, we had some really nice Danish furniture. She had also purchased very expensive mattresses. Since I did pay for all of this, I take a tiny bit of credit, but it was really her good sense! I am lying on that same bed and mattress now, and all of it is still in great shape, even after many moves including a few international ones. She also taught me that spending good money is worthwhile for dress shoes and appliances. That too has always worked out well in the long run.

shafflo

"You can buy these cheap..."

Straight razor: You can buy these cheap but are better if you buy a vintage one restored or buy an expensive one new. You will never need to buy blades for your razor ever again. Sure Straight razors are expensive to get into and can seem .....intimidating and Murdery.

Gents when you get the technique down it will provide a better shave than anything else youve used. Ladies as a man who has done drag in a miniskirt and learned to use a straight and use it on your legs is easier than the face and you will never feel a smoother pair of legs in your life. you will never clog the blade because it has no safety bar for the hair to clog up so you could shave off your beard and not hav to worry about clogging up the blade.

MajorMinceMeat

"Not an expensive item..."

Not an expensive item, but something totally worth having for large dogs who love to play fetch is getting a Chuck-It stick and balls. Its paid for itself 100 times over.

wifferpated

"Almost 20 years ago..."

Good tires!!

Almost 20 years ago, I splurged & spent just over $800 on a set of good tires for my T/A. The better handling was nice, but what really convinced me was when I was be-boppin' along a new road one day, probably about 15 or 20 mph faster than I should've been, came over a slight rise & saw that the road made a sudden 90* turn to the left about 75 or 100 yards ahead - & to make matters worse, there was water on the road!

I hit the brakes as hard as I dared, trying to modulate the pressure & keep the brakes right on the edge of locking up (my car was built before antilock brakes), and I was able to bleed off enough speed to make that turn without going onto the concrete... The wet traction capabilities of those tires saved my butt that day. (There was actually a 2nd time that the wet-traction capabilities of those tires kept me out of a wreck, but I don't remember enough of the details anymore to write about that time.)

I have a different performance car as my daily driver these days, & about a month ago I again spent $800 on a quality set of tires - the difference is, THIS time I wasn't second-guessing myself, wondering if it was a frivolous use of money. Spending a bit of good money on tires is cheaper than replacing sheetmetal (& possibly being injured)!!

Occams_BattleAxe

"Easily saved..."

A decent mountain bike in 2009 to replace a car (commute to work). Car was paid off but still costing £150+ per month for petrol, insurance and parking. Work was less than five miles away.

Bike cost £450 and was used every weekday from 2009 to 2018 when I started working from home. Cost about £50/year to maintain.

Easily saved over £10K over those nearly ten years and that bike is still going strong. Only downside was in 2011 I hit a patch of ice, came off and busted both arms. That was a fun three months.

Another plus side of cycling in all weathers is that any type of weather now doesn't bother me. Except hail.

FortyEightK

"Granted..."

My laser eye surgery. Granted, I only had it on the 20th of Feb, but it's a whole different world I'm seeing and it should pay itself off in five year's time.

King_Phyrrus

"We've been together..."

A good pair of Brooks Ghost running shoes.

I'd never spent more than $30 on a pair of shoes. The only time I did spend $30 on shoes was for a friend's wedding. So when I got into running (a few times weekly and the occasional 5k) I cried because my new boyfriend (now husband) said I should invest in high priced, quality shoes. I caved and I've never had to replace a pair of running shoes because they crapped out on me, always because 2 - 5 years later there was another pair I liked out there.

We've been together for 8 years now and that first pair is still going.

Lochnesstastic

"A lot of them..."

A weighted blanket. I get a better quality of sleep with it.

Also, I got a bidet attachment for the toilet a couple years ago. It's a good investment, saves on toilet paper. A lot of them aren't even that pricey.

Ermaquillz

"I used to buy..."

Bluetooth headphones. I used to buy a pair of wired 10$ headphones monthly because each month the wire would break and I couldn't hear anything. One day I paid 30$ for PSYC Wave X1 bluetooth headphones and they fit perfectly on my ears and not only that, they sound great and they offer great sound cancellation. The only complaint I have about them is not the headphones fault, but Windows 10's fault which is pairing issues. Since I bought them like 2 years ago I've saved 240$ and I think I'll be saving even more until I decide to buy another pair since these ones are beginning to wear out. I tried changing headphones to ones specifically made for gaming and they were the absolute worst, so I'll stick to these, because they're the best.

LeviathanDEMON

"My shaving setup..."

My shaving setup was about $250 but now I get better than barber shop quality shaves for about 5 cents per shave.

highhorse617

A good pair of boots, specifically Doc Martens, though really any stupidly sturdy boot works. I only ever have one pair of shoes I regularly wear, and I do a lot of heavy lifting, woodworking, etc etc. I used to get a pair of about $90 boots every year/ year and a half, decided to spend like $150 on a pair of Docs and they have lasted me about 4 or 5 years now of constant, heavy use. Only regret is that I didn't get the more expensive boots with the lifetime warranty that they offer.

heodeosmehskndd

Also, less of a money investment and more of a time investment, but antique hand tools. A lot of tools aren't made anymore or aren't made well. And even if they are, they're often intended for use with power tools and don't work well with hand tools. You need to go to tons of yard sales to find some of them, but they'll last longer and work better than anything else on the market.

heodeosmehskndd

"My idea behind making these videos..."

I bought an expensive tripod and an expensive mic. I like to make some videos as a hobby to document my travels and my life at sea as a sailor. I haven't saved any money as such, but the presentation of my videos (on YouTube) has improved so much. Now the videos are more stable and sound quality has improved too. My idea behind making these videos is that I can look back at them someday, and now thanks to these purchases, the video documentary documentaries will definitely be more watchable.

trendz19

"I've probably made..."

When I moved into an apartment with a washer/dryer hookup, I went out and found a used pair for ~$350.

Best investment of my life. I've probably made double that back by now from how much I've avoided spending at the laundromat.

Dandymcstebb

"So it worked out."

I bought a duplex in 2016 right before everything got very expensive in my area. I live in one side and rent out the other. My mortgage is $1000 per month and I collect $1060 in rent each month. So it worked out.

Brunosrog

"Don't even remember..."

Dyson vacuum. Bagless. Don't even remember the model. $400.

Got it 15 years ago, thing is a beast and with some attachments can do anything, never even needed maintenance.

TriscuitCracker

"We don't need to..."

A $600 electric fireplace. We don't need to run the heat as high or as often because it heats up the area we stay in the most during the day.

prettyinpink_xoxo

"It drives like a dream..."

I bought a 2014 Honda Accord almost brand new. It has been across USA east to West and back, and from NC to Newfoundland Canada and back, taking scenic drives gravel roads, dirt roads, National Parks, nature views.

Two things that had to be replaced in 140k miles. One headlight burned out, replaced both.

A rear wheel bearing went bad, replaced that.

Plus routine maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer.

It drives like a dream and each road trip, which was about ten thousand miles, only cost me about 1100 dollars in gas which isn't bad considering all the slow driving on scenic routes or gravel /dirt roads.

BannedforCuriosity

"I shape my own eyebrows..."

Waxing kit. I shape my own eyebrows and wax about once a month and the kit was less than $60 (so not super expensive to begin with). Definitely paid for itself!

littlepawroars

"Takes a week to two..."

Hybrid cars are a good example of this.

My family got a hybrid Toyota RAV-4, because it wasn't much more for that than the regular.

Takes a week to two more before needing gas again, because the car uses both an electric motor & battery + gas when a little extra is needed.

RosabellaFaye

"A really good..."

A really good pair of hiking shoes and coats. Costs a lot at the beginning but will last you through harsh winters and even if worn almost daily last for years. By the time they have worn out I probably am paying the same as I would for cheap versions more regularly that wouldn't work half as well.

Not_invented-here

"Probably..."

My parents bought a hair trimmer almost a decade ago for myself to save money on haircuts and I still use it to this day. I can't even imagine how much money we've saved on haircuts. Probably somewhere in the thousands.

Jirasu_

"The money I have saved..."

I bought a great travel backpack that I take everywhere instead of a suitcase. The money I have saved when I fly by not paying for a carry-on or checked bag has easily paid for the bag itself many times over.

dadler701

"I have a very small wardrobe..."

Clothes. I have a very small wardrobe of good quality clothing that costs a bit of money. When people ask where I get my jeans, work pants, shirt, shoes from etc, and I tell them Nordstrom, they are quick to tell me how they would never spend that much money on clothing. Along with an eye roll to let me know how frivolous I am.

But my clothes last forever compared to their clothes. I don't seem to have the wearing out issues other people do with my clothes.

Also, cloth diapers. A wash for one kid but we don't have to buy any diapers for kid two.

marianlibrarian13

"After we had two children..."

A vasectomy. After we had two children we knew that was a good number for us. We both come from huge families and we know how hard it is financially and emotionally to provide for a large number of kids. Wasn't even that expensive either.

regulardrunk7

"I've made deals..."

Fishing poles. I've made deals on certain fish I caught and some I've cooked myself. Started fishing when I was 6 and started to cook when I was 8. Ain't nothing better than a boat and a pole.

skippyjohn_23

"15 years later..."

My house. 15 years later and it's worth more than 3 times what I paid for it, and my monthly repayments are so low I couldn't rent a single bedroom flat for the same amount.

AlsoNotTheMamma

"If you're a guy..."

Not expensive, but a rice cooker. If you're a guy, it's essentially a required purchase, and it pays for itself tenfold.

ComicSys

"I started with a snake..."

Plumbing tools. I've saved thousands clearing blockages. I started with a snake and moved on to a plunger, that $50 in tools saved me heaps and started me learning how to use other tools. I have my own sanders, drills, chainsaw and hand tools now.

SerenityViolet

Infamous Internet Rumors That Ended Up Being True

Reddit user strakerak asked: 'What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?'

boy playing at laptop inside room
Photo by Ludovic Toinel on Unsplash

In 2017, I returned to my office after my lunch break to hear my supervisors discussing Tom Petty. This seemed like a random topic to me until one of my supervisors told me Tom Petty had passed away. He was a huge fan of Petty and spent the next hour or so combing through the internet to get more information.

He came back into the room my other supervisor and I were working in and announced that Tom Petty wasn't dead after all. News outlets had jumped the gun to announce his death, but he was actually still alive.

The next day, I came in to find out that Tom Petty was dead; the news may have been premature, but true.

This is a classic example of the rumor being started on the internet. Sometimes, like with the news of Tom Petty's death, the rumor can run wild and appear everywhere. Other times, the rumor can be seen by just a few people and dismissed. However, a lot of times, these rumors turn out to be true.

Redditors know a lot of internet rumors that turned out to be true, and are eager to share.

It all started when Redditor strakerak asked:

"What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?"

The King Of Pop

"Michael Jackson writing the music for Sonic 3."

"He actually did, but was never credited on the game because it would breach his contract with his record label."

– -WigglyLine-

"He did the same when he appeared on The Simpsons. He appeared under a pseudonym, and the Producers said it was an impersonator."

"Only years later they confirmed it really was Michael."

"His singing voice was actually done by an impersonator, though."

– given2fly_

The Truth Comes Out

"In 1998, US Men’s National Team captain John Harkes was shockingly cut from the team right before the World Cup. The coach claimed it was because Harkes wouldn’t fit into his new preferred formation, but rumors flew on the early internet that it was actually because he had slept with his teammate Eric Wynalda’s wife. The rumor was so well-known in soccer circles that Harkes expressly denied it in his autobiography the next year."

"Fast forward 12 years to 2010 and Wynalda admits it’s true. The coach then came out and admitted it was why he dropped Harkes, but that he’d planned to keep the secret as long as Wynalda did."

– guyfromsoccer

Video Evidence

"The Tim Burton Hansel and Gretel that aired once on halloween in the 80's."

"I heard for years that it was fake but I knew it was real because my dad recorded everything in the 80s and he recorded that. We let a good friend of ours borrow it and switch it over from VHS to DVD and soon after that it made its way on to the internet , and there it is now. I know it's our copy because the tracking in the beginning is screwed up. Still have the VHS."

– Frozenthickness

"There was a similar story with a Nickelodeon movie called Cry Baby Lane. It was supposed to be so scary that Nickelodeon got complaints and denied its existence for years. Someone uploaded a taped copy to youtube about a decade ago."

– PattiAllen

The Movie Business

"That North Korea hacked Sony Pictures because of The Interview movie."

"I worked in the movie business at the time and the account managers at Sony all basically needed to get new identities as all of their personal information got leaked online."

OldMastodon5363

"My partner worked on that movie and the production bought all the crew 1 year of an identity theft tracking service."

CMV_Viremia

Keep Away From The Ears Of Kids

"Some banned episodes or scenes of cartoons."

"For example, I remember there was a Dexter’s Lab cartoon where he clones evil versions of DeDe and himself and they swear like every other word (censored of course), and people debated whether it even existed cause they only aired it like once. Now it’s pretty accessible online."

– Spledidlife

Yes, It's True

"Echelon, a massive electronic espionage system by the US and allies to intercept all electronic messages, especially emails."

"In the mid-nineties it was a topic on conspiracy BBS boards. A lot of people in my bubble at the time (mainly uni students in Europe) were including fake threats to the US in the their email signatures as a way to "protest" and "fill the system with false alarms" (obviously useless)."

"Then, in 1999-2000 came out to be true and a lot of security service agencies from UK and other US allies started to admit they were part of the espionage network."

– latflickr

How The Mighty Fell

"John Edward’s love child."

– ACam574

"A reminder that he was cheating on his wife while she was hospitalized for cancer treatment."

– Fanclock314

Ugh...

"Carrie Fisher's heart attack. Some a**hole who was on the same flight was livetweeting the whole medical emergency and justified it by insisting she was just making sure the family was informed."

– everylastlight

It Actually Happened

"Every year around her birthday there was a rumor that Betty White died. When I heard she died, I scoffed, saying that dumb rumor is back.... then saw it on the news. I was in shock."

– Known-Committee8679

"The fact that Betty died literally right before she turned 100 is such a Betty White way to go out."

– Paganigsegg

Big Actor, Small Roles

"I distinctly remember some rumors about the reason why Bruce Willis was taking so many roles in sh*tty movies before it was announced he has dementia."

– KampferMann

"RedLetterMedia did a deep dive on his recent movie activity to try and work out why exactly he was taking part in basically scam-movies. They noticed he had an earpiece in one of the scenes and joked that the director was feeding him lines. I remember they even disclaimed over the rumours at the time, and possible made a follow-up vid when it was revealed to the public."

– CardinalCreepia

What To Do Next?

"That the writer of LOST were making it up as they went."

"Turned out to be absolutely true."

– homarjr

That last one was kind of obvious!

Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comment below.

Person holding large stack of books
Photo by Jay Lamm on Unsplash

Whether you're naturally interested in fun facts and trivia or not, it's always nice to know a few that you can pull out of your pocket at a moment's notice as a nice conversation starter.

But there are some fun facts out there that are so weird, people become more preoccupied with how the teller found out that information rather than the information itself.

Redditor Dry_Bus_935 asked:

"What is your 'don't ask me how I know' random fact?"

Nuclear Fail Safe

"You have quite a lot of time, certainly more than ten seconds, to turn back on the main pumps of a nuclear reactor once you have accidentally turned them off."

- egorf

"I'm not surprised. The amount of fail safes, redundancies, and emergency scenario planning for nuclear power plants is insane."

"I toured a nuclear plant and wrote my high school senior thesis on the plans put in place to ensure the Fukushima disaster would not happen at that plant."

"I'm sure the secondary pumps are plenty capable of handling the reactor until the main pumps are repaired or just turned back on."

- Borderlandsman

Happy Cat

"If your cat chews on fresh eucalyptus, they might start hallucinating and fall over repeatedly, leading to a $400 emergency vet bill just to be told she’s just kinda high."

- oddidealstronghold

"And, that's part of why koalas love it. Little stoners."

- littlebluefoxy

Archaeology: Do Not Lick

"Old human bones are very porous, so if you lick them, they’ll stick to your tongue."

- clanculcarius

Sharing is Caring

"A pigeon will only eat a Starburst if you chew it up a little bit first. Just to clarify: chew the Starburst, not the pigeon."

- OhTheHueManatee

"Instructions unclear. Pigeon unhappy."

- Wild-Lychee-3312

Intriguing Anatomy

"Everyone is here with the creepy crime stuff, and I'm just like, 'A soft fur rat has 22 nipples.'"

- horroscoblue

"Okay, so either they have really small nipples, their nipples overlap, or they have nipples in places where there shouldn't be nipples."

"(I've never written the word 'nipples' so many times in a singular sentence before.)"

- GdeGraaf

'Don't Ask Me,' Indeed!

"Turmeric can be used as clothes dye. It is capable of permanently dyeing cotton cloth even after it has passed through the digestive tract of an adult male."

- SlefeMcDichael

"You s**t your pants, didn't you?"

- PMmecrossstitch

"I'd prefer not to answer that question."

- SlefeMcDichael

High-Risk Survival Skills

"If you ever trying to survive in the Arctic, don’t eat polar bear liver. It is so high in vitamin A, it will kill you."

- WrongWayCorrigan-361

"It's also surrounded by a lethal amount of angry polar bear."

- horanc2

Real-Life Spies

"TV shows and movies go out of their way to make military/intelligence officers look bada**."

"But real-life 'spies,' by design and training, are boring. They have regular houses and standard second-hand cars, they dress down, and they have vague, boring job titles (accounts receivable) as cover, and they do not draw attention to themselves. Most come from specialized academia."

- Ok_Worth_1093

Haunting Reality

"Your muscles can keep twitching for several hours after you die."

- JustDave62

"Also, beards can appear to grow. This is however not because the beard itself grows but because the skin shrinks."

- RRautamaa

"I worked at a morgue for over eight years. If you grasp the hand of a dead body to move the arm, the hand will grasp back, but that's just muscles and tendons reacting to the tension."

- goneferalinid

The Sneakiness of Drowning

"When a drowning victim is revived, get them to a hospital as soon as possible. Drowning is the leading cause of death of kids from the age of one to seven and is ruled as accidental drowning when it comes to secondary drowning or dry drowning."

"Basically, your lungs are full of water despite being revived. Your lungs will absorb the liquid, but not before your body acidifies from high levels of carbon dioxide. The only chance to survive is to have the lungs pumped with oxygen via CPAP machine and time."

"Also, drowning is extremely quiet. You don’t hear the victim go under. And if you see flailing, do not attempt to save the victim otherwise you’ll become another drowning victim. Throw them a lifeline and hope their amygdala realizes that a rope or something is floating near them and grabs on it."

- Dfiggsmeister

Not Everyone's Favorite Chocolate

"Hershey’s chocolate has the strong smell of vomit or feces to some people (me), and that’s because they use butyric acid as a preservative. Butyric acid is the compound that makes vomit smell so bad."

"Edit: Digging further into it, there are some claims that they may not be “adding” the butyric acid, but rather it is occurring from essentially spoiling the milk in their milk chocolate. Either way, the butyric acid and putrid smell remains a part of their product."

- hefewiseman1

"That explains the weird aftertaste I always get! I don’t smell it but their chocolate always has this super unpleasant sharp/acidic aftertaste that I find repulsive. I assume this is why!!"

- PomegranateNo975

Do Not Lick the Asbestos

"Asbestos tastes like chalk. And if you lick it, it has the texture of extremely gritty sandpaper. Which is actually the feeling of microscopic asbestos needles piercing your flesh!"

- TooYoungToBeThisOld1

Mapping Out the War

"Beginning in 1911 in anticipation of the outbreak of WW1 in 1914, two statesmen, one from England and one from France, began visiting locations in France that they believed would be the settings for a number of major battles that would occur during the great war."

"Long bike rides through these future battle zones in the countryside and weeks spent building a foundation for a French-Anglo codebook that would later prove important in helping win the war."

- fjordperfect123

Avoiding Lawsuits > Protecting Patients

"Doctors, or surgeons more specifically, that make too many mistakes during surgery, ie, leaving instruments in patients, frequently gets ‘quietly traded’ to other hospitals where they continue their path of destruction with the patients not being aware of their past record. Hospitals tend to keep quiet about the matter to avoid lawsuits."

- Kittytigris

Bonus Points: Do This While Having Lunch in Your Car

"If you overfill a fast food gravy cup and then put a lid on, it will create a pressurized gravy stream that sprays all over your face and uniform while your coworker looks on in horror."

- thechaosjester776

This subReddit thread was so a roller-coaster of random facts, we've surely all walked away learning something.

But the biggest takeaway might just be: Maybe don't lick so many things.

Shocked woman covering her mouth
vaitheeswaran Nataraj/Unsplash

When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.

But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.

Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.

It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.

Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:

"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"

These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.

Bleeding Out

"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."

"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."

– DongLaiCha

Tragic News

"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."

– accountnameredacted

Bottom Of The Barrel

"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."

– Crotch-Monster

A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.

Like Father, Like Son

"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."

– psycospaz

Busted

"Flashing blue lights."

– FiddleOfGold

"This sobered me up just thinking about it."

– redmaple_syrup

Losing Sight

"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."

– MissHibernia

Quitting The Bottle

"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."

– omgtater

These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.

Unplanned House Guests

"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."

– Oneinsevenbillion75

Serious Health Warning

"Elevated liver enzymes."

"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."

"So I opted for recovery, instead."

"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."

– Far_Meal8674

The Joyride

"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."

– foxfood9116

The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?

How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.

But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.

Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.

Woman holding multiple shopping bags
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.

Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.

These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.

From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.

Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:

"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"

"Tale As Old As Time..."

"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","

"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."

"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."

"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."

"Lol!"

"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom

"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."

"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."

"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."

"I think he was a germaphobe."

"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."

"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."

"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.

"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."

"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."

"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000

Money Burn GIF by nog Giphy

Who Wore It Better?

"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."

"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."

"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."

"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'

"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"

"No."- mertsey627

Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...

"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."

"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."

"It was very low key."

"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."

"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."

"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."

"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."

"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa

south park wedding GIF Giphy

See You In Court!

"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."

'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."

"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."

"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."

"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."

"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin

It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!

"I work in a public library."

"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."

"A popular book that just came out."

"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."

"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten

A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!

"My own."

"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"

"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."

"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"

"Unacceptable!"

"This shall not stand!"

"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."

"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."

"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."

"I got over it."- DeathGrover

homer simpson episode 23 GIF Giphy

Holy Matrimony!

"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."

"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."

"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."

"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."

"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."

"It's just a party."

"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree

When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...

"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore

In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...

"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."

"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."

"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."

"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."

"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."

"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."

"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."

"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."

"We don’t offer wrapping services."

"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."

'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae

Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso Giphy

Happiest Place On Earth!

"I used to work for Disney."

"That in itself should tell you everything."

"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."

"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."

"Suddenly got worse huh?"

"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."

"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."

"I'm not kidding."

"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."

"My wife worked booking."

"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."

"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."

"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."

"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."

"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."

"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong

Disney World GIF Giphy

The horror!

Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!

It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...

Said absolutely no one.