If you are one of the millions of people who are struggling with post-pandemic finances, the thought of spending extra on anything makes you clench your wallet. As much as it's easy to gravitate towards the cheapest possible brand or type of service sometimes it's worth a little extra for a better product.
One service I will always pay the extra is when it's time to go for a haircut and color. If it can't be included in that month's budget, it will simply wait until the next. The reason is for how expensive it is to fix a bad job, or how long it takes to grow out an embarrassing haircut. Heading to the salon at the big blue discount store is not my idea of a good deal.
If I'm not walking out of a hair appointment feeling like a million bucks it's not worth it to me. Thankfully, I found a great local stylist whose prices are great and her work is perfect—looking at you J! In fact, she could charge more, but that's why it's always important to tip your stylists so they know you appreciate their work.
Redditor biancalin wanted to know what other people don't mind shelling out the extra dough for.
They asked:
"What's one thing you're always willing to pay the extra price for?"
No “ragrets” right?
Rainbow GIF by 60 Second Docs
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“Tattoos from an artist that knows what they're doing.” ExpressW
“Tattoo artist here, please do. Yes we might be more expensive compared to Scratchy Dave from behind the Walmart, but we'll do your tattoo justice and make sure you're cared for, that it stays as it is and doesn’t make you look like a middle-school student's desk.”
“There's a reason why good artists ask for a higher price, and its not cause we want to f**k you over.” Clayman8
Time is a valuable thing…
“My time. I used to always try to save money while traveling until I realized I was wasting hours and adding stress to my life. Sure, the bus is $100 cheaper but it's 3 hours longer, doesn't leave when or from where you want, and is a miserable ride. Pay for the flight!”
“I've seen this shift with little things too - ‘splurging’ for an Uber if it's make my trip simpler or even paying to have something done in my apartment building (we have laundry and cleaning services) if I'm stressing about getting it done. It's nice to save money but not at the cost of being a miserable ball of stress.”
“Edit: I just eventually came to view stress and wasted time as a ‘cost’ even if it doesn't necessarily show up on my balance sheet.” montage10
“They say a cheap man pays twice as much in the long run."
“Tools: If you are earning a living with them, you want something totally reliable and is not going to break and work properly every time. They say a cheap man pays twice as much in the long run.”
“I bought up a set of Ryobi power tools for work and for DIY at home they are pretty good. But, when I was onsite and found the batteries take 3 hours to charge. I don't have that kind of time. Also the hammer drill didn't always hammer. I'm a Milwaulkee boy now and I am completely satisfied.” quadruple_negative87
You might even find one at a thrift shop…
“A really good quality winter coat or jacket. To me, it's definitely worth the investment if you live in a country that gets cold winters. Here in Ireland it doesn't snow much in winter due to us being a small island, but we get very cold winters and very wet ones, so you get really cold rain.”
“Paying extra for a really good quality, warm and waterproof coat makes SUCH a difference if you're out and about a lot like I am. It pays for itself because it can last you years.
“I'm due a new one this year, got five years out of my last one and it's still good, but I've lost a significant amount of weight this past year and it's much too big for me now.” LasRua
Ughh layovers…
“Currently sitting in the airport for an egregiously complicated over-night layover, all to save $80. I'll always pay the extra $80 moving forward.” Trappest_1G_Sucks
“Yeah, everything is more expensive while traveling and additional length of travel time needs to be accounted for. Adding 2 hours of travel time to save a few bucks may seem like a decent bargain when you're buying the ticket, but several $5 bottles of water and the $15 Burger King combo that you eat during your layover will make you regret that decision to cheap out on the flight.” iWillNeverReplyToYou
“Don't cheap out on stuff that separates you from the ground. Mattresses, shoes, and tires.” maverickaod
“Excellent way to remember that! I've been paying the price for years now (foot surgery), after wearing high heels, having to dress the part in finance, banking, etc., with most every other woman in the 80's, 90's, then with flip flops, with zero support. Glad I've always gone with the good mattress, car & truck tires, and a good office chair where I can and do soak my feet!” 1plus1dog
Safety is worth it…
“Motorcycle helmets. You don't need the most expensive helmet, but you should pay what it takes to get something with a decent certification (SNELL, ECE, FIM) and not just DOT. Some technologies like MIPS are also well worth the extra spend.” Bicameral_vtech
No back pain=worth it.
“As a lady with rather generously sized boobs I'm accustomed, and happy, to pay through the nose for a really good bra. The difference it can make to my day is worth every penny.” CourtneyFish_Lately
Holy crap yes…
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“Toilet paper. Nothing worse than cheap toilet paper.” Mentalhygienx
The Best 'Actually, You're Speaking To The Boss' Experience | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
There are a few experiences as frustrating as dealing with an entitled customer. But there's absolutely nothing quite like dealing with someone who doesn't r...Good tradespeople…
“A good plumber, water damage f**king sucks.” midnight-genius
Many Americans would…
“I'd Pay extra taxes to get things like universal healthcare.” wombo23
Local is always best.
“Local beef: Since I started buying from farmer's markets, I can't stand most supermarket steaks anymore. This is noteworthy for me because I'm notoriously the guy who can't taste quality in most food products.” Diabhol
Something that will hold up is worth it.
“Good furniture. My family used to be in the furniture business and we still have things from the store in our homes. Some are now antiques, others are just good, solid pieces of furniture. You can always recover a couch, have a table re-stained, and have a dresser painted. I like IKEA as a place holder, but they generally don't last after a move.” LionCM
You are worth it!
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“Anything to do with my peace, safety & general well being. I'm worth every penny.” Hot_Paramedic7616
“Get out of your comfort zone.”
“I've read travel so much time and disagree, if you like resort vacations and only go to the next beach to relax it's ok, I get it. But if you travel I see everything as a Adventure, don't get the nice hotel room, get a hostel and meet other traveler's at the bar.”
“My best experiences are coming if something comes unplanned. 3000km away from home and my motorbike broke down I need to write in Google translate with the Mechanik, no problem. Get out of your comfort zone.” 0timme
They truly are a treasure…
“True friends. You can only have the best of friends if there is that "extra mile" of effort paid by both of you. If a said person puts a lot of effort into helping you just because they want to be nice, you should push yourself to help him with even more effort and that's how a cycle begins where both parties win in the long term."
“That's how I made very good friends in university. I was the one that needed a bit of help and my colleagues went the extra mile to aid me with courses and I returned the favor twice for that moment. Right now me and my new hommies are in an "endless" cycle of returning the favor for last time."
“Edit: And if a random person goes that extra mile once for you and you never return the favor when you could have, then you are a di*k. Why? Because you Contribute to the other person becoming a d*ck because they might go "that's it, I am done with helping others" just because he put effort into helping you, but you never pay back the favor. That's why some never want to go the extra mile and pay the extra price and thus, true friends are expensive, but they are definitely worth it!"
Good local food…
“A solid local restaurant. I'm lucky to live in a city where you have to go out of your way to go to a chain restaurant. I live in New Orleans so you have to actually leave the parish (county for you normies) to go to one of those bland outback's or olive gardens. I will always pay extra to support local." OPisalady
Their favorites…
“Shoes, toilet paper, skin products (not necessarily the most expensive, but, I have allergies to so many of the ingredients, when I find one that works, I'm buying several) and antiperspirant...still in mourning over dove discontinuing my soothing chamomile dry spray...RIP”
“Oh, and sanitizers/cleansers. I sorely missed my brand name hand sanitizer, which I used for more than just my hands, when it was in short supply...don't get me wrong, I started the pandemic with 3 extra jugs of the stuff from a previous "do you need anything from costco" ordering mistake, but, still.” DishyPanHands
Have you heard of LLBean? Those will last decades.
“Backpack, I used to buy so many Jan sports and stuff and after a year zipper always breaks or the backpack itself tears, I bought a north face 5 years ago and still use it.” Skroooge
One winter in Maine and you’ll understand.
“Winter tires. Preferably studded tires. Huge difference in the winter, and a potential lifesaver.” beardofdoom2017
While it’s not in everyone’s budget to splurge on every item these are some good examples of when to spend the extra when you’re able. You’ll be glad you did in the long run.
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Curious to hear from those who lived to tell their distressing stories, Redditor mind_guardian asked:
"For survivors of attempted kidnapping. How did you escape?"
The following Redditor had very close calls.
Spontaneous Escape Plan
"Guy at a club and his mix of friends was insistent about coming back to a party, I politely declined. Didn't think much of it. They got increasingly aggressive about it, to a physical extent, and I left. Walking back home, I realized they were following me in their car."
"Dashed down the road through the mid-path of a packed apartment complex and just started yelling like crazy."
"No one actually responded or poked their head out or maybe they just didn't hear me. But it sparked the escape reflex of the creeps and I hid in a bush until my heart slowed down. Jumped the fence of someone's property -risky in its own right- wandered through a field, avoiding the main roads, and circled back to a side-street to home. Lucky I knew the area better than they did."
– Dangercakes13
Offering A Ride Home
"I don't know sure what this was, but i was riding my bike home alone, cutting through a deserted middle school and high school parking lots during the summer time. A man in a station wagon pulled up and offered me a ride home. I never stopped pedaling, just said no I'm fine."
"He pressed several times saying he could fit my bike in his car, it was no big deal. I kept saying no. He gave up and left. Don't know if it was just a genuinely helpful guy (this was the late 70s or early 80s so it wasn't yet completely extinct practice that strangers might offer each other rides) or a potential kidnapper."
– DiligentAdvantage475
Up In The Treehouse
"My mum was always paranoid someone would kidnap us kids from the yard. We used to play outside while she worked from home, we were 10, 8 and 6 at this time. She paid our neighbours teenage daughter to sit in the yard and watch us. Mostly she just ignored us and read a magazine with her headphones on and Walkman playing, but she was nice to us. I remember thinking this was stupid and mum was right there anyway so why did I 'basically a teenage' need to be babysat lol."
"One day we were all up in our tree house being jerks to our babysitter and unplugging her headset cord while she was trying to nap. A man and woman came into the yard via the side gate. They started talking to my youngest sibling trying to get her to climb down. The babysitter screamed for help but no one came. She ended up throwing the ladder from the treehouse over our back fence into her own yard and made us all climb into her yard with her dog who was going insane at the fence."
"We ended up locked in her house and she called the police. My mum didn't hear any of the commotion from inside the house and she won't speak about it even now that we are all adults. Never complained about my babysitter after that though."
– Dark_Valefor
The Creepy Customer
"I don’t remember how old I was, just that I was small enough to fit into the kids seat on a grocery cart. This was the early 90s and my mom had taken me grocery shopping with her. I was sitting in the grocery cart while my mom was focused on picking out produce only a few feet away when an older woman swooped in between us and started pushing the cart away quickly. I recall her smiling at me and trying to make me feel comfortable while also making the 'shh' gesture with her hand."
"I did not feel comfortable and started making enough noise to alert my mom. She ran over and loudly yelled at this stranger that this child was hers. The most chilling part that I still remember was that she didn’t flee the scene and instead made a comment about how cute I was and calmly walked away. Before she disappeared down an aisle she took one last look at me and winked."
– gnophy
People who were actually abducted talked about how they got out of their situation.
The Elderly Hero
"It was the 90s in SE Asia. I wasn’t old enough to go to school yet so my grandma took care of me while my parents were at work. My grandma had a little convenience store and one day 2 men approached her. One was in his 30s and the other was an old short man with white hair. They were carrying those hand weave basket pig cage."
"They asked my grandma if I was for sale. She told them to bugger off. While my grandma was distracted, they snatched me and I was carried away. I was kicking and screaming until they knocked me out. One of the neighbors saw me and alerted my grandma. My grandma rode her bicycle down the main street looking for me. She argued and threatened them to get me back."
"If it wasn’t for my grandma and her stubborn fierceness, I wouldn’t be here. She passed away in 2016. Love you and miss you grandma."
– Sir_Blinklot
Dumb Cabbie
"My wife told me that when she was just a teenager, she got in a cab and the cab driver just abducted her. He didn't take her to her destination, instead he took her to a hotel room. She was really scared but she kind of started playing along a little and pretended that she was interested and into it. Then he lay down on the bed, and she said something like 'Oh, I'm hungry. Can we order a pizza first?' and the cab driver said okay."
"So she picked up the phone, while she was dialing he wasn't paying attention so she disconnected the cable. Then she said, you know, I think the phone is broken. Let me go to the front desk to tell them, and I'll order the pizza while I'm there. So he says, okay sure."
"She went to the front desk and told them what was happening, they called the cops, the cops came and hauled him away."
– humanefly
Fighting For Life
"Was drugged at a small town bar, went to the bartender and asked what drink she had given me. She recited what I had ordered. I told her I asked because I'm not feeling well suddenly and it was like the world was spinning on its head. I sat at my seat because she said she hadn't seen anyone near my table/drink. Cool, whatever."
"It's getting worse and I feeling the worst I've ever felt in my life. I don't really remember what happened but a guy had led me outside and we were getting in a car. I remember hearing 'bracele' and seeing handcuff clink on my tiny a** wrist. My first response was scream, kick, anything. I already felt like vomiting and pooping so in my panic of scream and writhing around (drawing a LOT of attention from a closed car apparently) I stopped for a second and hear 'finally you b*tch' before I vomited all of the back seat, myself, and I threw myself forward to cover him as well."
"At this point I had no control between vomiting and screaming as loud I as could to vomit more, my drugged self was like 'it can't get worse for me' and I literally pulled my pants down and shat as my body saw fit. Guy never left the parking lot because of the commotion I raised."
"I remember hearing people banging on the windows and the guy freaking out, so I started screaming 'help' the best I could. The guy was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and drugging me with meth and fet that they found on his person. Blessed be the big man 'mike' who carried my vomit poop cover self to the gym (next to the bar) where they let me shower and change."
– totallyoriginalacct
The Ultimate Betrayal
"My best friend tricked me into hanging out with her after I moved to another coast to be closer to her. Once I got there she introduced me to her 'friend' then slipped out of the house. When i asked about it he laughed and said 'you really thought she was your friend? She owes me money and you’re her payment. I’ve known about you for months. None of this was coincidental' then proceeded to pull up pics of me and conversations between them two."
"After a lot of initial crying and begging I told him I needed to go to her house to get my stuff and my phone. He told me he would get me all new stuff and I didn’t need it. Why would I go back to her. I immediately told him that he was right. I didn’t wanna go back to her. That he really saved me from her cause what kind of friend would sell me to someone. I told him that he was gonna take care of me and I knew that. I just needed my phone to let my parents know I was okay and wouldn’t see them for a bit or they’d get worried and file a report."
"After much convincing he agreed to let me go to her house around the corner to grab my stuff and come back. I took off running once I got around the corner. Had to take 2 busses and 2 trains to get home. I haven’t had a close friend since."
– [deleted]
These Redditors recalled making a run for it before anything bad could happen.
Declining An Invitation
"When I was 8 years old (f) I had just moved to a new house that was directly across the street from the school I would be starting in just a month or two. I would sometimes go to the school and play by myself for a bit. One time I was headed back home when I was approached and surrounded by a group of boys in their early teens. They told me to come hang out at their house. I shook my head and tried to run home but was blocked. The second oldest pulls out a $20 and tells me that I can have it once we get to their house. I think for a moment and decline again but am blocked again from leaving. My heart is racing and I keep looking longingly at my house."
"The boy with the money holds it out to me and says to take it and he'll give me another $20 at the house, it's in his wallet, he forgot it. The oldest chimes in telling me I would be able to buy a LOT of candy with that money. I hesitate, and start to reach my hand out to take the money and then see my chance to run between two of the boys and escape. They yelled and tried to grab me but I made it home."
"I saw some of them on occasion but I always stayed far away and they seemed to have forgotten about me. I later learned that the house they were trying to take me to belonged to a drug addicted mother who was rarely home and her son's just did whatever they wanted."
– CMaya2006
Teacher "Dad"
"I was 12 and some guy was walking towards me after school. He said, 'Hey there kiddo, You remember me, don't you!? Mom told me to take you home!' I thought, 'B*tch, that's the oldest trick in the book!' My parents told me if this ever happened, one thing I could do was run to the nearest adult and yell 'Mom, Mom' or 'Dad, Dad' So that's what I did."
"A teacher was walking into the school and I said, 'Oh Dad, there you are!' The guy got TF outta there. I explained to the teacher why I did what I did. We didn't get his plate number sadly enough."
– SMG4-Is-My-God
"It Only Takes A Second"
"When I was very little my dad took my sister and I on a river camping trip for a few days. We got to the little rural town at the end of the river where a buddy left our truck and trailer at the boat launch for us. My sister was old enough to sort of help dad with loading the boat (hold rope so it doesn’t float away while we back up etc) but I was too little to really do much so I started wandering around looking for stuff. I found a dead bumblebee and I really loved bumblebees so I decided to bury it in a little grave to pay respects. I found a patch of flowers near the edge of the boat launch, by the woods. I’m crouched down, completely absorbed by my trying to make a little cross for a headstone out of two twigs and a bit of grass, when suddenly I hear my dad’s deep, booming voice scream."
“HEY!!!”
"He was a good ten yards away from me but it was so loud I could feel it in my chest and I jump and spun around towards him. He is already halfway to me, running. His face looks scary. He looks so mad, so focused, and he’s looking over my shoulder instead of at me. I run over to him, no idea what’s happening but scared that I’d at least get in trouble if I didn’t go over to him right away. He picks me up and puts both me and my sister into the truck to finish loading by himself."
"Apparently a man tried to take me. I never even knew he was there. Dad caught sight of him just as he began lunging towards me and scared him off. I wouldn’t have known until I was already gone if he hadn’t been so aware."
"Watch your kids, it only takes a second."
– CopsaLau
A Convenient Tool
"I was about 7 at the time, and at that time i thought it was cool to carry a pocket knife, well, one day i was riding my bike, and a man knocked me over covering my mouth, i grabbed my knife and stabbed him in the side and ran inside crying."
– Toaster_Ruler
Listen To Your Gut
"I was 19 walking to work in the early hours of the morning in winter. I knew someone was following me for a little while and I was just praying I was making it up. Suddenly all the sh*t I have even been taught about self defence came forward. He grabbed me and pulled me."
"There was a moment when I turned to look at him and he laughed and it was at this point I pissed my pants. I was walking as close to the road as I physically could without being on it and I pushed my head down and then threw it back as quickly as I could."
"He fell and I ran in the middle of the road with my armsout screaming. Flagged down to cars. It was a very scary moment in my life and taught me a harsh lesson. Listen to your gut, even if you've done something 100 times if you don't feel safe you're not safe."
– Ok_Talk_90
These and hundreds of other examples on this Reddit thread reflect the sad reality of the horrors of the crime that still happen to this day.
Hopefully, what the survivors did to flee from their traumatizing situations can be a useful reminder to always stay vigilant, whether it is for yourself or your children.
And when all else fails, always scream and fight for your life before the situation can get any worse.
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Interesting points were brought up when Redditor onegrayhair asked:
"What culinary hill are you willing to die on?"
People shared cooking tips and how some foods should be prepared a certain way.
Poor Construction
"Nachos should be built wide not tall."
– DBroncos515
"I hate when the chips at the bottom don’t have all the cheese and toppings, but the chips on top have too much. Balance is key to a great plate of nachos!"
– yo_kashlee
Jaws Have Limitations
"We need to make burgers wider not taller."
– John_Lives
"If I have to disassemble a burger to eat it, it’s missing the point, isn’t it?"
– JediTigger
Just Let It Stew
"Homemade chili is almost always better the next day."
– burritokiller1971
"And most soups and stews."
– wjglenn
Add Some Zap
"Worcestershire sauce can work magic."
– dberis
Resourcefulness
"Being poor isn’t a culinary crime. It takes talent to make cheap food taste as good as my mom did."
– urbancowgirl42
People had plenty to say about rating recipes.
Unfair Critique
"When you're baking from an online recipe, don't change three or four ingredients "to make it healthy" and then leave a one star review about how bad it is."
– cliff99
Inaccurate Reviews
"Don't leave a 5-star review on someone's recipe while saying 'This was a great recipe... after I made these 10 changes!' At that point, you're not rating that person's recipe, you are rating YOUR OWN recipe. That person's recipe must not have been so good if you had to make so many changes."
"Also, don't leave a 5-star review on someone's recipe while saying 'This recipe looks great, I can't wait to try it!' Why skew the ratings when you haven't even tried it yet?"
– randomentity1
Snobbery Is Tasteless
"Being snobby about food to the point where you're hindering someone else's enjoyment is not a positive personality trait."
– swordcowboy
Taste Buds Don't Lie
"If it tastes good it tastes good."
– Danielwols
Some questioned others' capabilities in the kitchen while others straight up forbade them from doing something that is unfavorable.
The Complaint
"People who hate cooking with stainless steel don’t know how to cook with stainless steel."
– 3Me20
There's A Dress Code
"DON’T WEAR YOUR APRON INTO THE BATHROOM."
– andre3kthegiant
"I've called people out for doing this. It's disgusting. This isn't a hill to die on, this should be common sense. People be dumb."
– Aldayne
Cross-Contamination–Bad
"I had to call a girl out again for putting a container of raw meat on a cold station."
"She complained that I 'always call her out on that.'"
"Yeah no sh*t, you're the only one tryna catch state health code write ups.'
"e/ she saw the post and I made her cry, oops."
– ChefBoredAreWe
Don't Interrupt The Cook
"Get out of the kitchen if I'm cooking. Out out out I don't want your help."
– Justice171
Not All Salads Are Good For You
"I live in the Midwest, I love the Midwest but just because you call something a salad does not mean it is healthy and an acceptable side dish to your main course. Snicker-marshmallow-mayo-whatever is not salad."
– ArachnesChallenge
I don't consider myself a cook, but I do pat myself on the back for some of the dishes I do know how to make well.
One of those is Japanese curry. And while I can't keep from serving and eating what takes at least an hour-and-a-half to make, I do find that my leftover tastes infinitely better the next day.
I make a HUGE batch of curry sauce so I can continue enjoying it for the next few days. There's something about leaving it in the fridge and heating up portions at a time that really activate the spices.
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