Bed. That is the "luxury" you should prioritise above anything else.
I've slept in all kinds of qualities of bed (and discussed it with others who have done the same.)
The quality of the bed you sleep in at night is a huge factor in the quality of the you that you are when you're awake. The best sleep I've had on bad beds is still no better than the worst I've had on good ones and when you repeat that day after day, into week after week, into year after year, the cumulative effect on both your quality of life and physical health is immense. You should never make sleeping on a bad bed your long-term plan if you can possibly avoid it.
Every single day of your life is influenced by the quality of sleep you got before you started and therefore the quality and type of bed.
It is a huge gap in privilege between people who have lifestyles that make a good bed a standard expectation that is easily achieved and those who have to make do with what's cheap. The former group will always just be healthier, happier, better rested and more prepared for the challenges in front of them than the other.
I'd recommend a good quality pocket-sprung mattress (you can't really find cheap bad ones) over a sturdy wooden slatted frame although the modern foam mattresses are also very popular now and can be a good choice if you can't easily realistically get a massive heavy inflexible mattress where it needs to go.
A bidet. Main con is having to use toilets not at home.
honestly only thing preventing me to buy bidet is that vision that after every other toilet visit will be disgusting.
long time ago I spent some time in japan and having integrated bidet in every toilet was amazing, but for me it is all or nothing, either want to live in the world of bidet or in the world of toilet paper, not in the middle.
getting an extra-long phone charging cable is such a silly purchase but it’s sooo useful. like i can’t live without one at this point. phone almost dead but the outlet is too far away? not anymore it’s not!
Recurring house cleaning services.
I'd probably be divorced by now if we hadn't made the investment. It doesn't cost as much you think and whatever it costs the mental health and couples benefits of a clean home is worth the investment.
Amen. A good house cleaner only must charge slightly less than a divorce.
I’ve thought about this but always get turned off at the thought of strangers in my little messy 1 bedroom apartment.
Any tips for finding a good one or additional points to help me make the plunge?
They've likely seen a LOT worse. Just remember the difference between a maid and a cleaner. A maid clears up the mess, a cleaner cleans the place. If your getting a cleaner, you'll need to make some effort to get the mess out of their way.
I've also found that's a useful effect. If you've someone coming in to clean every week or two, then you have a deadline and motivation to do your tidying. I don't want to pay a cleaner to waste time shuffling around my clutter.
The first time they come is really hard (so much shame), but it gets easier. I'm not going to pretend that I'm not sometimes up at 5am cleaning before the cleaner comes, though.
Just ask around and google. Word of mouth is your best bet for finding someone running a one person business, though you can look at any noticeboards in shops near you--my local coffee shop generally has someone with a flyer up. Yelp and Google will turn up worker-owned cooperatives, which makes me feel better about the ethics of paying someone to clean.
A nice keyboard, mouse and monitor. It's the way you interact with your computer the most and yet many people seem content with bargain versions, even when they spend 8-10 hours a day using them.
Same for your computer chair. Get a comfy one, you're gonna sit in it a lot.
Whats the best way to get a good chair without having to spend thousands? I know post is about splurging, but oof that's a tough spend.
Good loose leaf tea.
This. Most retail teabags are made with "fannings" which is basically the dust left after they've made the actual proper tea. It's cheap and brews very fast so it has mass market appeal but it tastes accordingly. Quality loose leaf tea is amazing and the flavour difference is huge. It doesn't immediately get that burnt tannin flavour like fannings do.
Ever since a buddy turned me on to adagio.com, no turning back to regular tea bags.
For those who use cannabis like me, I gotta say a good vape is worth its weight in gold in the day to day experience.
Can I ask, how often do you consume and what vape do you use? I consume mostly for recreation (I have a medical reason but Ill just honestly admit the recreational factor is bigger for me because my health issue isnt that serious) and Im a daily smoker at this point. Sometimes I worry about the toll its taking on my physical health and I know vaping is supposed to be less taxing. My wife also uses daily and she actually has medicinal reasons/has a medcard. Ive looked into handheld vapes and tried a few, but Im a bong guy and nothing as of yet has compared to the feeling of hitting a clean, fresh bong. All you really get if you look for advice online are a bunch of ads and adbait articles about vape # 2973 being the best for you
Socks. I spent my life wearing cheapo Walmart socks but my partner bought me a few pairs of merino wool socks last christmas. Hoo boy are those things amazing, they keep your feet cool in the heat and warm in the cold, and it feels like you're wearing silky little clouds.
Merino wool is the good stuff. My sock experience is the same. I also bought some fancy sneakers that are merino, treated to be water repellent. I wear them to the office all year and I've not had any smell issues. I used to always buy cheap shoes and cheap socks but here it seems that your choice of material really makes a difference. I'll pay the price for that.
Nice socks are more comfortable and last longer. I think long term they're even more economical
Blackout curtains and high-thread count silk sheets.
blackout curtains are the difference between 67 and 80 degrees F in the summer for me
Good coffee. It's always worth it for me. There's still an upper limit of super-expensiveness I won't go past, but neither do I cheap out.
I'm the same with tea. Cheap tea is awful, good tea is amazing. Unfortunately expensive ≠ good. Thankfully I've found a good supplier, for a reasonable price (for the quality).
I'm a big fan of Harney and Sons for good black tea. Their Victorian London Fog is goated.
It took me a while, but eventually realized that the price of the good stuff was still maybe a tenth the cost of getting coffee from a kiosk.
And a good coffee grinder. The difference in freshness is quite noticable when grinding whole beans right before brewing a pot.
Similarly, £1's worth of really great chocolate is usually more satisfying than £1's worth of cheap rubbish even though the actual quantities are vastly different.
Don't go cheap if it separates you from the ground. Buying quality shoes, tires, sofa/ recliner, and bed will always be worth the investment.
Definitely a bed. Do not cut costs on your mattress, you spend a third of your life laying on one and if it's not good, it will fuck your back up.
One of my luxuries is that I shave using straight and safety razors (it's actually more economical & less of an environmental impact that using shitty gillette style razors) is to splurge a bit on the shaving soap and brush
Nothing like a nice, frothy lather!
Still MUCH cheaper than buying Gillette razors....and a much better, more enjoyable shave.
Here’s hoping we can build a nice community like Wicked_Edge over here.
Good underwear. I like Saxx boxer briefs. Breathable, doesn't ride up, and they support my junk with choking it.
support my junk with choking it
If my underwear choked my chicken for me, it would free up so much time in my day!
/s
A heating blanket.
Pros:
- It's warm and cozy
- It keeps achy joints happy in the winter
- It attracts cats
Cons:
- Your cat will claim it and you will feel guilty taking it back
In the same family, I got a heated mattress pad. I’m sure it has paid for itself because I can keep the house cooler at night. There’s something so refreshing about sleeping in a warm bed with cool winter air.
If you like to cook, a decent chef's knife. If you like to play video games, a quality controller. If you travel at all, a quality carry on bag and/or backpack. If you're creative and like to write music, a small USB midi controller.
These are some of the things that come to mind.
Idk if this counts as a luxury or not but sometimes spending extra to get some fresh fruits or vegetables that are locally grown is so worth it.
As for the bed, amen. Hip problems run in my family and I replaced my old worn out bed with a hybrid bed and my hip pain became so much more manageable within 2 weeks.
My rule is anything I use almost every day is worth splurging on. I will also splurge on specialized tools, like nail clippers.
For example, I got an expensive trash can for the kitchen and it’s just a nice object that adds a subtle bit of niceness to the day. The lid drops at the perfect speed, and the bag never slips off the opening.
A bidet. I'm in America.
I'd also add a slow closing toilet lid. Never slam it again.
Really good tea. Very cheap, but a lovely luxury that can take you to a different time and place. Love it.
Good coffee. I roast my own coffee but I will definitely splurge on great quality beans.
@ag_roberston_author already mentioned a supportive office chair, if you're sitting a lot. I would also argue an electronic convertible standing desk is a good one. Not only is standing good for you, the adjustment ability means you can position the desk for an optimal sitting position as well.
Yeah. I thought it was a luxury the first time my work got me a standing desk, but the health benefits are huge.
A long shower.
Most people spend roughly 1/3 of every day in bed. If you have the money to splurge on one piece of furniture in your house, spend it on a decent mattress. When I was younger, I just threw a futon on the floor and called it good enough, but I sleep so much better now that I'm no longer doing that... and a good night's sleep improves your odds of having a good rest of your day.
Good shoes. The old school Birkenstocks completely eliminated my back pain. A good office chair and desk to avoid posture issues.
I completely agree with this one. I used to use shoes and boots without caring until my feet started to feel uneasy. I switched boots and started to use insoles in some of them (specially my bigger vegan punk boots), also switched chairs.
I have little to none back/feet pain even after using boots all day. Still, walking in concrete will always be more tiring than soft floors.
A good, supportive pillow: You use it every day and it can help prevent neck issues. Most people keep pillows for quite a long time anyway, so if you find one you like, why not spend more on something that you really like?
A good monitor: I upgraded to a really big and high resolution monitor about a half a year ago and it has made a huge difference. Before I was experiencing really bad eye strain and it is gone now. I have more space to do my work, which has increased my productivity, too.
Good coffee: My morning coffee makes me happy. I don't usually spend a ton on coffee, but I do like to get decent, whole-bean coffee. About once a month I will treat myself to some really nice, fresh coffee beans. I live by a roaster and can get it for a good price and super fresh.
What’s your favorite coffee, at the moment? We just got some Dean’s Beans (Sumatra French Roast) and my wife says it’s the best she’s ever had. I quite like it, as well.
Not OP, but I do like coffee.
I like to have one or two monthly “roaster’s choice” subscriptions. This way, I get to try something a little different every few weeks.
I’ve enjoyed Black and White, Intelligentsia, and Sey so far.
Deep tissue massage. I have scoliosis and so have chronic back and shoulder pain, so massage is remedial moreso than luxury. It is nice to have though generally, good reminder to take a break
A great keyboard, a good mouse, a laaaaaarge mouse pad.
I use those things throughout most of the day, why not make it enjoyable.
A decent affordable mechanical keyboard is a huge ergonomics upgrade. My partner needed a new more compact keyboard for her setup and it needed to not have an unpleasant sound (she's never previously used a keyboard that is both comfortable to type on and listen to) so we got her a well reviewed £50 one (which for us was a big investment) with hotswappable MXred clone switches. It's already great for her day to day use. Nice comfortable feel, quiet and pleasing sound, cool lights etc but it's also a really affordable platform to modify into something more special and specialized if she feels she needs it (or just fancies doing so with Christmas money etc). I've been trying to ignore how much nicer it is than the alright membrane one that came with a Dell PC about 15 years ago but I've had to use both one after another today and it's really striking just how much more pleasant one is than the other. I spent a long time trying to resist the urge to replace my "functional" keyboard with something actively pleasant to use but I think I may be asking for something that doesn't feel actively unpleasant and fatiguing to use next-time someone wants to know what I might like for a birthday/Christmas.
I went back to a trackball maybe two years back and it is glorious. For whatever reason, my family had trackballs growing up and then I never had one as an adult.
I made the switch several years ago and never looked back. Trackballs are wonderful. I splurged on a Logitech MX Ergo Plus. So nice.
I had a Microsoft thumb trackball growing up and it was so good. There's a Logitech with a similar design, but it doesn't have the same feel. At work, I've been using a Kensington Expert and loving it. I don't know how people use regular mice.
A weighted blanket, especially if you have anxiety. I run hot when I sleep and I’ve had no issues since the blanket is weighted with small glass beads evenly distributed throughout the inside.
Perhaps it's more of a hobby than a little luxury, but if you do any handwriting at all, a nice fountain pen and quality notebook. It's just a nice feeling to write with a really smooth pen on good paper. And if you have RSI/arthritis like me, you may find that fountain pens are less fatiguing to use than a roller ball or gel pen. Sure, you have to clean and refill every so often, but that turns into a fun little ritual itself.
It's pretty much always a great investment to give yourself the opportunity to try out different variations of a tool then upgrade to a great version of the style you like.
r/fountainpens was probably my favorite subreddit. Everyone was so nice and supportive of each other. During the time when Reddit gave out free awards, I made several accounts just so I could award new people who introduced themselves with entry-level fountain pens.
Aww! I never got up the courage to post but that's so thoughtful and encouraging for newbies!
Yaaaasssss found r/fountainpens and decided to get one since I write a lot at work. Love refilling and changing colors :)
Orange juice that’s not from concentrate, is strictly 100% orange juice, and has no sugar added. Get away from me with that cheap shit. I’d rather have water than bad orange juice.
Varieties that contain pulp aren’t better or worse; it’s just a matter of personal preference. Same with versions that add vitamins. (My personal favorite is Simply Orange.)
Electronic soap dispensers.
