3 of our best and 3 of your worst

[Fern]

Name 3 of your best, and 3 of your worst purchases:

Best: A 10-speed, orange Schwinn bicycle that i saved up for when i was 15 years old. I got as much mileage out of that as i did with my cars.

A worn denim jacket i've had for years, goes with everything

A pair of binoculars, for about $100, that's given me many years of pleasure watching the birds. It will last forever.

Worst: A $100 bottle of perfume, what was i thinking??

A computer bought on one of those shop TV channels, it crashed just after the warranty expired and the company never responded to me.

Clothing that doesn't fit right to begin with.

[pennywise]

3 best:

1) U.S. Savings bonds, stocks, and CD's
2) clothes line to dry the clothes
3) my free subscription to this site (does it count, I'll add another for measure)
4) my education

3 worst:

1) all this junk in my house that I do not need: knick knacks and STUFF
2) our swimming pool that we only used one year (what a lot of work)
3) a bad pick up truck we paid far too much for.

[marjorie]

1. Skein of yarn. This started me crocheting, a hobby I've enjoyed for years, and sometimes have found profitable.

2. A can of green beans. A $.20 can of beans? Yes, my introduction to stockpiling. We were so poor with first child that even buying this meant sacrifice.

3. A pair of sandals my mom had made for me when I was 16. I wore them so long the leather shredded/decomposed.

Bad

1. car my son never drove, and I took a $1200 hit on.

2. Marriage license. Explanation unneeded.

3. Clutter, mostly crafts that I shouldn't have bought in the first place, and will lose lots of money selling or donating.

[singinjeannie]

Best:

My husband's vasectomy - we can finally relax and have fun after four kids (2 unplanned).

Our honeymoon tickets. Best vacation I've ever had and we'll likely never be able to afford to travel like that again. Went on a cruise and to Disney. Had a blast and many great memories to cherish forever.

A book called, "Breaking Free from Compulsive Overeating" by Genene Roth. Changed my life.



Worst:

My house. I love it, but we really couldn't (can't) afford it and 8 acres takes a tremendous amount of time to care for.

1991 F-250 with 48,000 miles on it. The things been a repair job a month ever since we've owned it and my DH keeps insisting "it's a great truck." It eats gas, too.

Everything that I purchased for our Home-Based business that failed miserably. Don't ever believe an MLM person who says "You don't have to be a salesperson to succeed at this." Yeah, right. $7,800 in debt later...

I could list tons more worsts!!!

-Jean

[PrincessPerky]

Best.

1. 20$ hair stick, I have hair longer than my DD, and I NEED it out of my way, this stick does it, but it doesn't like the pool . So I will be getting one for NON pool use.

2. New safer carseat for DD, havn't needed it, but I feel safer every time we drive.

3. Marriage liscense

Worst

1. Craft junk
2. Several toys that are now in the good will
3. New computer case with green fan, ok it does look cool, but not like I needed it!

[Fern]

I loved all your answers, and you gave me a good laugh.

[singinjeannie]

This is a fun thread to read. Good question!

-Jean

[akaivyleaf]

I think my best purchases have always been the ability to buy what other people have overextended themselves on. I bought a 10,000 fur coat for under 200 bux. I was in the right place at the right time. I've purchased other things in this way. Not that I go hunting for other folks problems, but if they appear, why not. I can put divorce as one of my best purchases. Best 35.00 I ever spent...we split the 70.00 cost down the middle, but I would have gladly paid for the whole thing.


My 3 worst purchases: One would assume the marriage license but I didn't buy that, or those inlaws from hell so I can't count it... Lets see...clothing purchases just to go shopping with my friends, eatting out countless meals,things I bought just because I could, not out of necessity.

[Jorge]

Probably doesn't count, but #1 of best is my dog. She's a full bred and the best companion ever!
#2 my house - it's nice to have a place called home and be able to do what we want with it
#3 paying for classes at the community college

Worst:
#1 buying into too many multi-level marketing schemes because I wanted to help friends and/or family and make a little money on my own
#2 buying a motorcycle that I never rode
#3 spending over $1000 on a bike instead of trying to find something more reasonable

[CRFSaver]

Best
1: My computer. I paid dearly for it at the time and it has served me well over 3 years. I use it more then I watch TV (and watch tv on it, tuner card). It has gotten me jobs, entertained me, got me on guest lists at clubs, etc.
2: Grill: Bought a little Patio Caddy propane grill. Love it. I use it 4-5 times a week. It is small enough to fit on an apartment balcony, yet big enough to fit 9 NY strip steaks on for cooking out. Gets up to 700 degrees and even with the amount I use it the gas tank lasts a year.
3. My car. I know shocking but I bought it for so cheap (thanks mom) and (knock on wood) i have had to do nothing but new tires and new brakes. Drives great on the highway and only has 77k miles on it.

Worst:
1.Roller Blades. What is it about the female form that will make you go and spend 150 bucks on something I have used a total of 2 times. Good thing is I am still friends from her and even went to her wedding.
2.Remote control car. Ok I just had to have a remote control car to play with. used it 2 times and gave it to one of the charities. It was only 25 bucks but how dumb!
3.Gym membership in Chicago. When I lived there I joined a gym that was 100 bucks a month. Beautiful gym but what was I thinking? went maybe 3 times a week for abuot 6 months. When I got done with school and took off time I was too busy partying to go to the gym. How logn did it take me to cancel? 6 months again.

I think of all the money I wasted on stupid stuff like that.

[shengmei]

Best:

A book about surviving college for dummies. I graduated within three years...saved lots of $$$

My five cats. They save $$$ by helping me with depression (better than any psychologist). The also save hundreds of dollars because everytime I see a knickknack I like, I think to myself "will my cats destroy it?". The answer is invariably yes. So they keep me from spending money on stupid knickknacks.

My furniture: I pick them out of the trash and I repaint/refinish them. They look good now. I do pay for cat-furniture, though...

Worst:

A home-based e-bay business....

Reference books that were outdated the minute they came out. Internet is so much better.

Earrings, skirts, stockings, shoes with heels, and cosmetics. I wore none of those things for two years.

[Some1Shy]

3 best:

1)gym membership..its the best investment i could had done..it keeps me fit and gets me out of the house ..it keeps me away from the shops when i have no reason to go hence no spending money that doesnt need to be spent!

2) going to goodwills/charity shops to buy clothes and NOT heading to fashion bug where things are WAY over priced,

3) opening a savings account (if that counts)

3 worest

1) spending too much money on make-up ..glad i sorted that one out

2) spending to much money on clothes that end up to big for me 3 weeks later

3) spending to much money on food and than it going to waste!

[fiffer010]

good
1. gym memebership
2. 5 dollar pair of sandals i bought 5 years ago
3. computer

bad
1.clothes
2.VCR
3.expensive camera

[Bluezy]

My top three best:

1. My education.
2. My 95 Nissan Pick-up that runs like a dream and an engine to die for.
3. A jumperoo for CJ when he was 9 months old. He used that thing until he was too big
to fit in the seat. Kept him out of mischief for months.

My top three worst:

1. A trendy double bed suite for my mother. She won't sleep in it.
2. Spending R5,000 in South Africa with a friend on a home business that collaspsed.
3. An Isuzu Amigo....you don't want to hear this story.

[marglo]

Best
1. marriage license - actually it was 43 years ago and I don't even remember paying for it but it was a very good investment! :-) I have a wonderful patient husband.
2. paying back money to the government many years ago...it's a long story and I don't remember all the details but if we hadn't done this my dh would not be getting his SS check now.
3. The trips we have taken both with our 2 youngest kids and alone...wonderful memories!

Worst
1. A recliner loveseat that broke very soon after we bought it.
2. Too much money spent on clothes for me
3. Too much money wasted tryng to make money online.

[contrary1]

Fun thread...........love these kind that make me evaluate & think

Best
1: pair of Birkenstoks............can't even remember how many years ago
2: the divorce; I've made & saved more money since that.........it did cost me big bucks at the time, added grey hair and generally was a nasty period in my life
3: any real estate.

Worst
1: any exercise equipment. I keep thinking it will be different! Fortunately, with freecycle, I'm no longer spending money on this habit
2: a business I opened with my sister. No longer have the business, and no contact with sister. Whole thing was a disaster I'm still trying to get resolved
3: anything I bought because a friend was selling it. I still don't have a real good response to this problem. No seems so final, but I'm practicing!

[Lostsoul33]

This is a fun and interesting thread.
Here are my answers:

Worst purchases:
A house that we lived in for 5 months and hated
A treadmill that collected dust
A collection of rings to sell on ebay which were hard to sell

Best purchases:
My computer. I can't imagine how I lived without my pc
Marriage license and honeymoon to South Carolina. Awesome man and the trip was great.
Our kingsize bed. After the honeymoon and always having a kingsize bed, we came home and made the big purchase. We love it!

[Ima saver]

Best
1. my sweet puppy Holly, she is so precious to me.
2.My beautiful house, built just the way I wanted it
3.A beautiful piece of property with a drop dead view

Worse
1. A $450 bike that I only rode a few times, it was too uncomfortable for a short person.
2. Paying off my daughter's car and it was wrecked 3 weeks later
3. Giving my daughter lots of money to pay rent, etc. for about 10 years, about $50,000.

[Snoopy2645]

3 OF MY BEST WOULD BE

1. MY CAR THIS HAS TRULY BEEN THE BEST CAR EVER
2. tHIS COMPUTER ITS ABOUT 8 YRS OLD BEST COMPUTER I HAVE HAD
3. MY DRYER BOUGHT USED 10 YRS AGO & STILL WORKS FINE


3 WORST PURCHASES

1. OUR DISHWASHER it sucks our first one did too why we bought a new one I am still trying to figure out
2. our labtop computer what a hunk of junk that thing is
3. kitchen table just bought less than a year ago & I guess they just dont make things like they used to KWIM

[elcheapo]

my best buys My education My house My car
my worst buy a king sized bed ( the cost for sheets aren't cheap enough)
a bird path ( it became a haven for pigeons, talk about cleaning time)
a inground swimming pool ( the maintence is costly)