Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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jerome99
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Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by jerome99 »

Not sure if this subject has been taken up before, but would love to hear where Bogleheads decide to splurge and spend some of their hard working money on none investing "treats" if you will. My list is below.

Annual Expenditures

-Country Club Membership Dues and other golf expenditures- $3,800
-Massages- $500
-Other "beauty" or "relaxing" services- $1,500
-Fine Dining- $1,500
-House cleaning- $1,600
-Eating lunch out during work week- $2,300
-Brand label clothing, jewelry, etc- $2,500

I am sure there are more, but these are the larger ticket items.
Last edited by jerome99 on Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Wizard
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by The Wizard »

(That's bogle, not boggle...)
My biggest splurge is dive trips to the Caribbean twice a year or more.
Last one spanned Superbowl Sunday and I just booked 14 days on Bonaire & Curacao spanning Halloween. Should likely surpass $5000 for two, I'm guessing...
Last edited by The Wizard on Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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market timer
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Re: Where do we boggleheads Splurge?!

Post by market timer »

Rent: $28K (need to cut this)
Travel and restaurants: $8K

But I'm fairly aggressive about cutting costs elsewhere: no car, no cable, hardly any possessions.
Last edited by market timer on Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Wizard
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by The Wizard »

market timer wrote:Rent: $28K
Travel: $8K

But I'm fairly aggressive about cutting costs elsewhere: no car, no cable, hardly any possessions.
We can't really call rent of your primary living quarters a SPLURGE, mt...
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market timer
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by market timer »

The Wizard wrote:
market timer wrote:Rent: $28K
Travel: $8K

But I'm fairly aggressive about cutting costs elsewhere: no car, no cable, hardly any possessions.
We can't really call rent of your primary living quarters a SPLURGE, mt...
I could get a roommate and pay $1300 or get a studio and pay $1700. It's a splurge to have a 1BR as a guy living alone.
livesoft
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by livesoft »

Flying antique planes.
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nvboglehead
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by nvboglehead »

Ocean cruises. And some frugal Bogleheads find deals at around $100 per day!

http://vacationstogo.com/

http://www.bestpricecruises.com/

http://www.cheapcruises.com/default.asp?

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Jake46
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Jake46 »

Wine.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by chaz »

I bought an iPad 3.
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Stonebr
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Stonebr »

Early retirement.
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semperlux
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by semperlux »

Currently:
-travel ~$10k annually

When I lived in NYC:
-travel ~$5k annually
-food ~$5k annually (I miss Manhattan restaurants)

Recently:
Been bit by the car bug like letsgobobby. Lusting after a new sports car, but painfully holding back. Still driving a beat up old '91 Acura. We shall see how long I can delay the gratification, so to speak. :happy
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by sscritic »

If I get hold of my agent today, I will spending an extra $100,000 on the house I really want as opposed to the house I need. I don't know where nonnie has gone, but tell her the granite countertops are gorgeous. My granddaughters love the two pink bedrooms: one is named Eloise and one is named Princess. I haven't decided yet if my office is going to be Eloise or Princess.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Alex Frakt »

The Wizard wrote:My biggest splurge is dive trips to the Caribbean twice a year or more.
That used to be mine (well, once per year), but the recession has hit us pretty hard so no trips since Cozumel in 2008.

However I am seriously thinking about splurging on this: Garmin Forerunner 610 Touchscreen GPS Watch with Hear Rate Monitor at $400 or maybe this Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS Watch with HRM at $250. I started running (and eating better) a couple of months ago after my doctor threatened me with a lifetime of statins if I didn't get my cholesterol under control.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by SteveB3005 »

Fishing gear, power tools, and most recently vinyl LP's.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

If fixing up a home it considered a splurge, then throw me into pile.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by beardsworth »

jerome99 (original poster) wrote:Not sure if this subject has been taken up before, but would love to hear where Bogleheads decide to splurge and spend some of their hard working money on none investing "treats" if you will.
You'll find lots of answers in this thread, titled "That Extravagant Thing You Do," which ran from 2009 to 2011:

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=36702

Marc
Dealmaster00
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Dealmaster00 »

I don't really splurge, and keep my cost of living at rock bottom, but here are some of my recent big purchases in the last year:

37" 1080p LG TV: $320 - got on sale on Newegg, this is my new computer monitor. Sold old monitor for $130 cash.
Beyerdynamic DT990 250ohm headphones and external USB DAC/amp: $250 - got some nice headphones and a source that can drive them. Sold another pair of headphones for $150 to justify this (yes, I like headphones).
Roomba 560: $250 - I am too lazy to vacuum so it wasn't getting done. Now the roomba does it for me!
40" 1080p TV: $200 - got it on sale on Amazon for black friday. This is my main TV but don't use very much except when I have company over.
120GB SSD drive: $100 - tired of having to routinely clean out 32GB SSD as my boot drive, upgraded a few months ago.
Travel: $3000 - had long distance gf and went to visit few times but we recently broke up. I guess I get to save this now!
Last edited by Dealmaster00 on Sat Apr 14, 2012 7:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by VictoriaF »

MarcMyWord wrote:
jerome99 (original poster) wrote:Not sure if this subject has been taken up before, but would love to hear where Bogleheads decide to splurge and spend some of their hard working money on none investing "treats" if you will.
You'll find lots of answers in this thread, titled "That Extravagant Thing You Do," which ran from 2009 to 2011:

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=36702

Marc
The word extravagant is more exquisite than splurge. ;)

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Midpack
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Midpack »

Stonebr wrote:Early retirement.
+1, me too.

And I just bought a new car, even though my 10 year old Honda Element would have most likely given me years more service without serious maintenance issues. For most, car buying is a varying mix of rational, and not...
You only live once...
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beyou
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by beyou »

Spoil my kids, though not really spoiling since my criteria is it must be for items/trips
that have some redeeming value (educational, sports for fitness).

For instance, got each kid an ipad under condition they would download books and read,
not just play games. Now of course would be more frugal to borrow books from a library
but if this is what it takes to motivate them to read, worthwhile.

Biggest splurges were trips related to hobbies and school.
Usually try to make a family vacation out of these opportunities that arise.
MattE
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by MattE »

Short vacations, I suppose? My wife and I don't get enough vacation days to really make our trip spending as efficient as it could be (i.e., fixed costs like plane tickets exist no matter how long you go for and generally constitute the majority of the expenses), but instead of reducing the number of trips we go on, we do want we want anyway, in shorter spans. For instance, this year we want to go to Florida for 4th of July with my relatives and also visit my best friend in Texas at the end of the summer, but only have 4 vacation days to use between the two trips. So instead of doing just one and going for a whole week or something, we're doing both trips and only going for 3-4 days.

That's really it though - I'm a function-over-form person in every conceivable manner, so we don't spend money on high-end anything unless it makes sense to do so (i.e., I have a beastly desktop PC and we have a very nice TV, but we won't replace those two items until they literally stop working).
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HomerJ
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by HomerJ »

Vacations.
gordonopolis
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by gordonopolis »

Travel 75%
Restaurants 25%

DG
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by carolinaman »

We are planning the complete overhaul of our 40 yr old kitchen. New cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc. Estimate $15-20k that includes some sweat equity. I do not like to spend that amount of money but I suppose once every 40 years is ok.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by DTSC »

semperlux wrote:
Recently:
Been bit by the car bug like letsgobobby. Lusting after a new sports car, but painfully holding back. Still driving a beat up old '91 Acura. We shall see how long I can delay the gratification, so to speak. :happy
I am glad someone else here drives a '91 Acura. I had planned to replace it when the combined age of my 3 kids (7, 4.5, 2) is older than the car, but it is burning oil and I don't know if it'll make it another 5 years!
dad2000
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by dad2000 »

Priceline vacations for hotels and cars, but never flights. I was an early adopter and have saved on hundreds of bookings.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by JDCPAEsq »

No question, housing - 4,250 square feet for two.
John
Last edited by JDCPAEsq on Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The Wizard
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by The Wizard »

JDCPAEsq wrote:No question housing - 4,250 square feet for two.
John
Gotcha beat there, John: roughly 3000 sf (& 5 bedrooms) just for myself...
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Raybo
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Raybo »

When I bike tour, I stay in motels and eat in restaurants (versus camp and cook).

I buy organic produce.
No matter how long the hill, if you keep pedaling you'll eventually get up to the top.
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czeckers
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by czeckers »

Having a large family is our biggest splurge by far.

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scouter
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by scouter »

3 weeks in Hawaii last year.

Good beer.

Good wine.

YMCA membership for swimming 3x a week. (o.k., and the occasional sauna)

Maid every other week.
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midareff
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by midareff »

#1. International Travel.... a couple of times a year for two to three weeks a time. Retired lastThursday so a couple of months in Thailnd is on the agenda for this summer as soon as I square away the 457 and DROP accounts and get them set with my rollover IRA @ VG.

#2. I like taking/going out with friends to a nice dinner .... high end Italian, Joe's Stone Crabs, Smith and Wollensky, etc.

#3. I have been bitten by the camera bug and Canon L (professional) glass is simply splurging. But then again (and see #1), being able to count the teeth in the Rhino's mouth at a few hundred yards is really amazing.

#4. I like fine men's jewelry, watches and rings.

#5. I scrimped, saved and sacrified to meet my retirment goals on a year after years basis. There was noting left available for ANYTHING until all investment and retirement savings goals for the year were met. The first year i was able to meet those goals and have something left over for me was 2006.

#6. The best is yet to come.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by ruralavalon »

Travel. Vacations in Hawaii, Wisconsin, and the Upper Penninsula of Michigan as often as possible but still using less expensive choices in those locations.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by fishnskiguy »

Good split bamboo fly rods. $1,600 to $4,000 depending on the maker. Actually, you can spend north of $15,000 for a rod by some famous dead builders, but I only buy from current makers.

But no more than one per year.

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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Jim127 »

Home theater for me. I love movies, but hate going to a movie theater.

Sony VPL-VW85 front projector
Carada 106" screen with masking
Salk Sound speakers with matching custom sub
Parasound Halo A51 amp
Oppo Blu Ray player
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by ddunca1944 »

Travel: An international trip every other year (excepting years of market crashes)

Techie toys (iphone, ipod, ipad)

Good wine
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kingsnake
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by kingsnake »

Bimonthly house cleaner

Having a reputable landscaper design and put in the lawn/plants/trees/shrubs at our new house

Last week bought a pair of $400 binoculars (a pair of Eastern Bluebirds nesting in our backyard I intend to spy on)
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by gkaplan »

I don't earn enough to splurge.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by livesoft »

It's interesting to me that what some people call splurging is a normal expense for others.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by dratkinson »

livesoft wrote:Flying antique planes.
What kind? Cub, Taylorcraft, Ercoupe, Swift....
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by mickeyd »

We splurge in spurts.

DW is currently of a mind that we should "update" our home. So that's what we are doing. I'm prepared to let loose of up to $25K for her project, but it's really open-ended. Of course, I'm OK with the way it all looks today and don't get the "dated" talk that she and the contractor speak of. Since we already have the cash available and it's only earning about 45bp, why fight it?

Besides, I will enjoy the benefits of the entire process also.
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livesoft
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by livesoft »

That should've been "flying in antique planes". B-17 and other WWII aircraft.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by Saphomd »

I only splurge on good baseball seats 4 or 5 times a year at AT and T Park. :sharebeer
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by snyder66 »

I don't consider it a splurge if you can afford it, pay it in cash, or at least afford to pay off your credit card statement. Anyhow, We spend a lot of food, mostly organic and local when we can. Considering a home addition and a car that is not needed, but a toy.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by zaboomafoozarg »

Computer stuff: about $500 per year
Vacation: $2000 once every 7-8 years
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frugalhen
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by frugalhen »

2 cruises per year (I enjoy "Shopping" for deals), dinners out with decent wine......................
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letsgobobby
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by letsgobobby »

having kids, the ultimate splurge.
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LonePrairie
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by LonePrairie »

I rent an apartment in a nice convenient location, often buy new computers, and buy lots of Kindle books. No cable TV, no car, never buy jewelry, rarely eat out, never buy coffee except when I'm traveling.
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by travellight »

.... on what every girl wants, real estate.
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cheese_breath
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Re: Where do we bogleheads Splurge?!

Post by cheese_breath »

At the grocery store. Spend too much on cakes & cookies, and way too much on ice cream.
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