Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 15:19     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A new car.

I’ve never bought a new car. I always think that I would like one but I don’t do it.


I’m 60 and have never bought a new car either. I just don’t care about cars enough to even want a new one.


NP- Have never bought a new car, but I like nice cars. I have a Mercedes but paid 25k for it used. I treat it very well and plan to drive it forever, as I did with the previous one.


We buy new cars, but we drive them for 8-10+ years. Last one cost me $50K, sold it 13 years later for $14K. Paid $30K for another car, sold it 11 years later for 11K.
We like having new, so we don't have someone else problem (like many used cars do). And it works well if you keep cars for a long time. Financially we come out the same as someone who buys used cars---and we don't do repairs ourselves and need reliable cars for getting to jobs.

Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:57     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
I'm worth about 25M.

There are lots of things I can afford that I don't buy, lots of things I want that I cannot afford, and a few things I want that no money can buy

Regardless of how much you have, OP, the above largely holds true.






Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:57     Subject: Re:What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Anonymous wrote:Nicer car, fancy clothes, expensive shoes, branded handbag, Apple Watch (too distracting), expensive sunglasses, expensive wine/liquor, extravagant travel, private yoga instruction.

What I am buying that I didn’t in the past… luxurious towels and linens, a person to organize my house and help do Swedish death cleaning, beach house, lots a less extravagant travel.

Single 60 yo woman btw (might rethink the private yoga thing)


I have an Apple watch I got as a gift. Tbh I find it neither distracting nor very useful. I have it on the Snoopy setting so once in a while I will glance down and see Snoopy doing something cute and it makes me smile. That is about it.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:57     Subject: Re:What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A car. Our HHI is about $250k, we have three kids, live in a dense neighborhood in DC and do not own a car.

It's so much easier. One less hassle, no trips to the DMV, no need to clean or get gas or find parking or get an inspection. Saves a ton of money. And we end up walking a ton which is good for the body and mind.

For the longest time I kept thinking it would get hard at some point - once we bought a house, once kid number 2 got here, once the kids got bigger - and we'd buy a car. My current one is "once a kid has a travel sport" - that would really break us. And if we need one, we'll get one, we're not absolutists. But it continues to be a delight.


Uber is the best.


PP here. We don't frequently do this. When I do, I prefer Curb (or, as a backup, Lyft) and don't even have an Uber account. I would say that I take a cab or Lyft round trip maybe once or twice a month? My husband probably similar?

We do use Zipcar probably monthly to go see friends/family who live a bit further out. And we rent a car for a weekend or week for vacation probably three times a year. Beyond that, it's walking, busses, and metro for us!
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:53     Subject: Re:What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Anonymous wrote:A car. Our HHI is about $250k, we have three kids, live in a dense neighborhood in DC and do not own a car.

It's so much easier. One less hassle, no trips to the DMV, no need to clean or get gas or find parking or get an inspection. Saves a ton of money. And we end up walking a ton which is good for the body and mind.

For the longest time I kept thinking it would get hard at some point - once we bought a house, once kid number 2 got here, once the kids got bigger - and we'd buy a car. My current one is "once a kid has a travel sport" - that would really break us. And if we need one, we'll get one, we're not absolutists. But it continues to be a delight.


Uber is the best.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:52     Subject: Re:What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Nicer car, fancy clothes, expensive shoes, branded handbag, Apple Watch (too distracting), expensive sunglasses, expensive wine/liquor, extravagant travel, private yoga instruction.

What I am buying that I didn’t in the past… luxurious towels and linens, a person to organize my house and help do Swedish death cleaning, beach house, lots a less extravagant travel.

Single 60 yo woman btw (might rethink the private yoga thing)
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:40     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Nice watch, Apple Watch, Nest cameras, Roombas, more expensive shoes
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:18     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
toothpaste
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:18     Subject: Re:What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
A car. Our HHI is about $250k, we have three kids, live in a dense neighborhood in DC and do not own a car.

It's so much easier. One less hassle, no trips to the DMV, no need to clean or get gas or find parking or get an inspection. Saves a ton of money. And we end up walking a ton which is good for the body and mind.

For the longest time I kept thinking it would get hard at some point - once we bought a house, once kid number 2 got here, once the kids got bigger - and we'd buy a car. My current one is "once a kid has a travel sport" - that would really break us. And if we need one, we'll get one, we're not absolutists. But it continues to be a delight.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 14:03     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Private schools, country clubs, designer bags and clothes, expensive jewelry.

We do have a beach house
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 13:46     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
I use my phone a lot and the flagship model is worth it. Cost is negligible since we use trade in incentives to upgrade every few years
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 13:22     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Boob job with implants. I've worked in plastic surgery adjacent field and absolutely not, no.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 13:13     Subject: Re:What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Rolex, expensive clothes….. the list would be pretty long. We live very well but buying expensive stuff is not our thing.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 13:04     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Apple products. I just don't like the interface and navigation.


+1

People get weirdly judgmental over it! I have one for work, so I know what I'm "missing."


People get weirdly defensive about all of their choices, particularly financial ones. They don’t like being told that other people think [fill in the blank] is not worth the money to the other person. Private schools, country clubs and second homes in particular seem to bring out huge defensiveness.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 12:26     Subject: What item could you “afford” but don’t buy?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Designer purses. I just don’t get it.


I am sort of fascinated by them. On Housewives it's so interesting to see women like Kyle Richards, who is incredibly wealthy, be obsessed with other women's Hermes bags. And irl I see women looking super frumpy (Walmart, discheveled level frumpy) with real Vuitton bags. It's like people attach some sort of supernatural powers to those bags.


I am frumpy. In theory I should be into the bags because designer clothes wouldn't fit me and designer shoes would probably hurt my feet. However, I don't care to buy them so luckily I avoid this stereotype.