Shoes

I am really hard on shoes.  I don’t like untying them and will walk around with shoes half on until my foot works its way inside to avoid doing so.

Good shoes last longer, look nicer, are more comfortable and support your health.  Spend the money.

Computer chair

I’m sure you could acquire a computer chair for ~$40 at Office Max that doesn’t give you splinters and offers you a place to sit.

If you are in front of a computer 8 hours a day, a top of the line chair will cost you between $0.25-$0.50/hr over the course of a year.  You will probably use that chair for 3+ years, so now we are talking $0.07 to $0.16/hr.

The chiropractor is $25/visit on my insurance, I think the math is fairly obvious here.

Headphones

I threw away $30 headphones 3-4x a year for about 3 years prior to committing to spending money on headphones.

I’m now using Ultrasone H15g headphones (at work) and Shure e2c sound isolating in-ear monitors (mp3 player).  The H15g’s were about the best $100 or so I’ve ever spent.

Fitness / Training

Anything to keep you moving, consistently is worth the money.  Gym memberships should be tax deductible.

Knives (kitchen)

You shouldn’t be eating out every meal.  You shouldn’t microwave anything ever, really.  Therefore, you will be in your kitchen at least once a day.  From today until forever.

That said, good knives made me a three times better food preparer.  More efficient, safer and when will I need to replace them?  I won’t.  I just sharpen the blade on my $15 sharpener.

Tattoos

I have no tattoos or plans of ever getting one.  I do find the skilled artists fascinating.

How anyone could walk into a random tattoo shop in Southern IL. and pay a dude $30 to permanently mark your skin is beyond ridiculous, though.  Forever is worth some extra consideration and cash, in my opinion.

Hard drives

Losing your data sucks.

Schedule backups and don’t buy crappy hard drives.

Use RAID (mirroring).

Watches

Jewelry isn’t really my thing.  But, I do think appearance matters in a lot of situations.

If you go the non-trendy route, a good watch can make you appear less like a bum.

For those you don’t buy into this idea, what is your impression of a dude wearing a watch that also functions as a calculator?  Or the guy bragging about the steal of a deal he got on a watch on the home shopping network?

The idea is, you can spend money here and not be throwing money away.

Experiences

Occasionally, I think its good to go over the top on things, like dinner with friends. So, you dropped $250 more than you intended, whatever.  If you are on a tighter budget, rework the numbers.

My brother’s favorite band is Incubus.  They only play larger venues.  I am more than willing to pay more for a good seat and enjoy the show, even though my brother would be content with a lawn ticket.

The movie, “The Hangover”, was a funny flick and I will probably watch it at home again at some point.  But, I paid $8.50/ticket to see it in the theater and I’m glad I did.   200+ people laughing the entire movie added something to the experience, I think, that won’t be there if I had just watched it at home, alone.

Things I wouldn’t spend extra on

• Cell phone
• Laptop
• Car insurance