5 Expensive Purchases That Were Well Worth the Money

Frugality is my way of life. I often write about my daily efforts to save money, find cheaper products and always consider alternatives.

However, there are certain times when expensive purchases are well worth the investment, even if the wallet does take a significant hit. My great grandfather always used to say, “The cheap is expensive” and in many cases, he was right.

Sometimes, it’s preferable to buy an expensive, high-quality item that will last many years over a cheaper alternative that will break down or not fulfill your needs..

When it comes to those purchases, I don’t mind spending extra money. Lately, I’ve made a few of those pricier purchases… these are the last 5 that were well worth the $$.

1) A mattress

Considering we spend 1/3 of our life in bed, having a good mattress to sleep on is a must.

Most of my life I slept on old, bad mattresses that damaged my back. The mattresses were already sunk, noisy and plain uncomfortable. This was the result of sleeping on over-used, mid-quality mattresses with over 20-30 years of daily use.

So of course, I always woke up with terrible back and neck aches – and it was making my life miserable.

The great thing about now having savings is that I can afford to give myself certain pleasures. For me, it all starts with having an amazing mattress.

It’s not just for the back aches – it’s also because there’s no feeling like getting into bed after a long day of work and feeling every muscle in my body relax.

Totally worth the $1800 price tag.

2) Laser Hair Removal

I got laser hair removal over 10 years ago, when the technology was more expensive and my pocket was taking a hit from it. Today’s Universal IPL machines are more efficient, safer and less invasive so the treatments are also more affordable.

But even back then, every cent spent on IPL was well worth the investment.

Why is permanent hair removal worth it?

First of all, shaving is frustrating: it needs to be done so frequently. You also need to consistently replace shavers and purchase shaving cream, which is at least a bi-monthly expense.  Waxing is painful and can damage your skin, not to mention, getting it done in a salon is pricey.

I no longer have to worry about that. 🙂 By investing on permanent hair removal, I’ve saved hundreds of dollars plus so many hours of my time.

3) Programming classes

All over the web, websites and programmers say: don’t waste money on courses, you can study programming online for free or very cheap. (I actually wrote a list of the best sites)

In theory, they’re right. I tried to study online through these courses, spending at most $25 a month on online/app-based courses.

What did I have to show for it? Nothing! For me, this strategy just didn’t work. I don’t have the discipline required to sit my tush down and study on my own day-in and day-out.

What bothered me most was the lack of access to a teacher. I had so many unanswered questions, or I needed different explanations in order to fully grasp the lesson.

So in a moment of despair and questioning my abilities to learn how to program, I decided to invest on myself. I signed up to an expensive course where I would be required to sit in a classroom, with other students and actual teachers lecturing at the front of the class.

It was one of the best decisions I made – I learned so much in the 10 months I spent studying and I can actually sit and program today.

While I wasted over two years trying to learn on my own, I learned far more taking an actual sit-in course for 10 months.

Well worth the $5300. I don’t regret it for a moment, although I did cry on the inside when I signed the contract.

4) An electric bicycle

I often complain about traffic here. It gets worse by the day as they are trying to triple the population within the city without developing roads or improving public transportation.

This resulted in having to fight my way into buses to get to work, and then being stuck like a sardine in the bus for over 30 min just to make it down a few blocks… It takes me about 12 minutes to get to the same location by bicycle because I skip all the vehicular traffic.

So I went for it – I bought an expensive electric bicycle that makes it easier for me to get to work or move around the city.

Now I don’t have to fight to get into an overly-packed bus that is stuck in unmoving traffic. It takes me just as long to get to work (1 hour overall including the train) but it’s less hassle and more comfortable.

$1330 well spent.

5) Money spent on trips

What am I saving for if not to gift myself trips and goodies?

Life is about experiencing and enjoying special moments, and for me, the best moments come in trips. I love to travel, but travelling can be pricey. Between the airplane ticket, hotel stays and food, it can empty out by pocket in no time.

But honestly? Most of the time it’s worth spending money on a trip because life is short and if you’re not going to live it to the fullest, what’s the point?

My last trip to Thailand was one of the best trips I have ever had. I met with friends from middle school and high school and it felt like we never parted ways. We reconnected, toured Bangkok and Krabi, swam, laughed and enjoyed good food.

It’s now of one of my most treasured memories.

Overall it cost me over $2000 but it was worth every cent.

What expensive purchases have you made that were worth the cost? Tell us below!

Thanks to Freepik for the featured image