Worth the Money

Reading Koji's Kitchen's list of lessons learned in 2006 made me think of a few things I learned last year. Fortunately, the only common mistake we made was The Good Shepherd (I only buy bras at Victoria's Secret...) so the list won't be too redundant. Mostly what I'm thinking about are things worth a little extra cost -- especially if you can get them for less.

So, here's This Land's List of Things Worth the Money:

1. Hot tubs. Get a fully insulated one and use the chemicals they sell at Wal Mart. (And that's not because they're cheaper, but because they work great.) There's a cost to running a tub, but we use the thing damn near every day. It's worth it.

2. Shoes that fit. I used to buy sneakers at Big 5, only on sale, and only spend $20. Until I discovered Sketchers. These shoes fit my feet better than any other brand I've ever worn. I still only buy them on sale, but I'll spend the extra for the comfort.

3. Cotton dress shirts. Sometime back in the spring I saw an ad in the New York Times (which is another thing worth the money) for Paul Fredrick's. Special introductory offer for one of their basic white dress shirts for $19.95. I ordered one. Then got another on clearance. I've picked up three others at The Gap, all on clearance, and all 100% cotton. They look so much better than the cotton-poly blend shirts they sell at Mervyns or Gottschalks. The cost here isn't money -- on sale they're just as cheap -- it's ironing. I don't mind.

4. High-speed Internet. No explanation needed.

5. One nice fountain pen. This is an absolute luxury that most people would not include on the list. But I write for a living so it's on mine. I have a Waterman Charleston.




And, for the heck of it, here's a few Things Not Worth the Money.

1. Watches. The New York Times is filled with ads for very nice, very expensive watches. I have one I bought for $8 at Wal Mart and I defy you to tell the difference. At least from a respectable distance...

2. Edward Jones. Maybe it is worth it for some people, but the fee Edward Jones was going to charge to manage our small retirement holdings was excessive. Besides, since I've taken responsibility for it, I find I'm more actively interested and focused on building our retirement savings.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to add to either list!