I love to save money just about as much as I love money itself. Now, don't get me wrong, I love shopping but I love not having to worry about being broke more. Been there. Done that... a lot.
So I seek out deals constantly. If I can save a dime I will, proudly. So I will often buy generic or on clearance.
However, I have come to the realization that every once in a while it is important to spend. There are items out there that rely on quality--and that quality may have a higher cost. Certain last longer when you spend a little extra.
Redditoru/kushnairwanted to know about the times when money was actually... "no object!" They asked:
What is expensive, but worth buying?
When I first started getting into fitness I quickly learned that my $10 Walmart sneakers were not going to cut it. My feet were almost destroyed and the sneakers themselves maybe lasted a week. So now it's Nike and Adidas ($100) for comfort and success. However, when I purchase new pairs, even years late, I still tear up.
Fixers
Water Fix It GIF by Boomerang OfficialGiphy"I'm usually a cheapskate, but I prioritise hiring people to fix things with a good reputation. I would rather pay one dude a reasonable amount to fix (house, car, equipment) than 2 separate people cheap rates to half a** it."
Feet Work
"Shoes for work because I walk around in them all day."
"I like the adage "Always spend money that separates you from the ground" shoes, bed, tires, chair."
"A lot of shoes are built like crap these days tho, and cost a fortune."
Sleep Well
"Pillows. I used to buy $30 pillows every few months because they'd lose their support after a month or 2 and I'd start waking up with headaches and a sore neck. I invested in a good pillow a year ago and still going strong, for about $150."
"That's what I used to think too, but I was spending close to $150 a year on pillows anyways. I'm sure there are other options cheaper than that. My point is it's a good investment to go high end than to buy cheap ones 5 times a year. I hope you can find one in your budget range that provides better long term value."
On a Cloud
"Do not underestimate a great bed! One of the things I pay extra for. The difference in sleeping on the cheapest bed and one that is pricey (but more specific for your body) is a huuuge difference. It does wonders for your physical AND mental health."
- Bokun89
"Yes! Found out the hard way - screwed up my back by being too lazy to change a lumpy spring mattress on time. Ugh."
Take a Seat
Episode 2 Reaction GIF by The OfficeGiphy"Comfortable office chairs."
- jonn1017
"Seriously, how is it possible that in 5 years, I've had two engagement rings and only one chair?"
All true, very true. The damage to your back with a bad office chair can be irreversible. And when needing competent handymen and women, people, open that wallet. It'll hurt but so can bigger and unnecessary repairs.
The Cut
raul julia GIFGiphy"A good kitchen knife."
- devatrox
"Doesn't have to be too expensive either. Most people blow a lot of money on a set when really all they need is a solid $50-100 chef's knife (5-8" or so) for most tasks."
- irongull
For the Butt
"Those toilet seats that gently lower themselves. Never hear that SLAM again in the middle of the night."
"Those aren't even expensive. We got them at Home Depot or Lowe's or whatever by accident when we moved into our new house years ago, and they were the same price as the others. Found out after installing them that they lower slowly and they're fantastic. You walk away from the toilet like a hero in an action movie walking away from an explosion."
Mouth Issues
"Proper dental care. Not caring for teeth can cause many, many more health problems than just those related to the teeth. So besides brushing and flossing and cleaning your tongue you should also visit the dentist twice per year for a check up."
"You only get one set of teeth when older... it's the thing everyone sees when you speak to them... take my advice and take care of them! I didn't and now I have to get work done that would have been avoided with a simple daily brush."
Run Fast
"Quality running shoes. They'll do wonders for your feet. I've learned the hard way that if you buy cheap running shoes, you'll pay the price in terms of blisters and foot pain."
"My friend's sister had been running for like 10 years and was constantly dealing with blisters, foot pain, shin splints, etc. Everyone just assumed she was unlucky and for some reason no one thought too much more about it."
"Finally my friend's wife, who is a super experienced runner, asked about what shoes she wore and learned she had been buying Walmart brand running shoes and wearing them until they fall apart. And even after all that she still had to be convinced to spend on a proper pair of shoes."
On my Skin
Season 2 Premiere GIF by Rock This Boat: New Kids On The BlockGiphy"Nice underwear. I thought it was ridiculous to spend the same amount on a single pair as I could on an entire pack of Hanes, but man does it make a difference in comfort."
Made for Walking...
"Good work boots...forget those cheap crap ones the employer will buy you."
- sssnell
"My dad said the same thing, he even argued with the HR before in bis company after the company set a new policy stating its employees must use the boots the company provided."
Noises Off
"Good headphones. Noise canceling out the bus to work is absolutely life changing."
"A brand called aftershocks uses "bone vibrations" or something to transmit noise, so they sit on a spot on your skull, right behind your ears. They're intended for athletes who need to hear traffic while they're running. Really useful!"
Back Talk
mattress bicyclist GIFGiphy"Also a good mattress. I recently had severe back issues and was advised to change my mattress. I chose a relatively expensive, ortho-specific option and wow, it just feels so relaxing."
- Cthaehen
Winter Time
"A good winter coat (more so for countries where it gets quite cold and/or wet obviously) nothing worse than it being cold and the wind just goes right through you."
- DOOODARS
"That and a great pair of winter boots, living in a northern climate it's amazing how much longer you can be outside with a good coat and good boots on. Thick sole and wool socks will favor you more than any running shoes in the snow."
Lasered
Natalie Portman Wow GIF by Searchlight PicturesGiphy"Laser eye surgery. Couldn't afford it, went into debt for it but would do again in a heartbeat."
- vefefew
Gold
"Real olive oil, not generic supermarket oil. It's freaking liquid gold."
"You can get 100% cold pressed extra virgin olive oil at Costco for a reasonable price. Other than that I'd look at higher end grocery stores outside of the big chains like Kroger, Publix, Safeway."
Fitted
"Any well fitting quality piece of clothing."
- F-Ciel
"I buy expensive jeans once every 2 or 3 years and they still last beyond the 'new' ones, so now I have a steady growing amount of good jeans. I was not rich growing up and when i started working I couldn't buy these, so I had to buy the cheaper ones. They didn't last more than a year, so I never had more than two. It's not only worth it in the long run for the money, but also for my self esteem that I can finally buy good and comfortable clothes that look better."
On the regular...
"Pretty much anything you use regularly, buy a good quality version of it and learn how to look after it. Example: a decent knife and learn how to sharpen it, pair of good shoes and don't leave them out in the rain. But be careful, you wouldn't buy a Rolex when a Seiko 5 would do you just fine."
2 Wheels
Motorcycles GIFGiphy"Good motorcycle equipment (helmet, gloves, etc), that stuff can save lives."
I were underpants so infrequently but when I do I spend a little extra. I like to feel comfortable in certain areas. And I also believe in spending a little extra coin when it comes to concert tickets. Anyway to get closer to Adele.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
- People Divulge Which Expensive Brands Are Not Worth The Cost - George Takei ›
- People Break Down What Is The Most Expensive Total Waste Of Money - George Takei ›
- People Break Down The Things That Are Way Too Expensive - George Takei ›
- People Share Which Expensive Purchases Are Worth Every Penny - George Takei ›
- People Explain What Is Way More Expensive Than It Should Be - George Takei ›
- People Explain Which Things Are Actually Cheap To Make But Sell At A Ridiculous Price - George Takei ›
- Adults Divulge The Comfort Items They Still Sleep With Today - George Takei ›
- People Break Down Which Things Everyone Should Stop Buying Immediately - George Takei ›
- People Share The Most Life-Changing Purchases They've Made That Were Worth Every Penny - George Takei ›
- People Break Down Which Things Should Be At Least 5 Times Cheaper Than They Are - George Takei ›
- Products People Can't Imagine Buying The High-End Versions Of - George Takei ›
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.