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What is the BEST "value" you ever paid for?

andyhaus44

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So far this year, it's been this clipboard.

58A7FB62-799B-46C8-86F0-9DBB2E4592E0_1_50.jpg

I keep blank My Fastlane Daily's in the storage compartment (it opens up on the right side), as well as my 1/5/10 strategy and now I look at it at least once a day.

In the past, I started/stopped using MFD but now that I have a good system for it, it's going to stick :)
 
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BMT1987

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This is my best value, the Breville Barista Express (BES870) -- especially with this COVID stuff and the boom in remote work, I'm now able to enjoy espresso multiple times a day. Caffeine helps keep me going (and I especially love coffee and espresso; go to your local roaster, not Starbucks, and pick up a different bag every time; the different natural flavor profiles of coffee are freaking AMAZING).

BES870XL_Transparent_1300x1300.png
 

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A thick foam pillow instead of a thin feather-filled one.
It brought two direct benefits that had a chain reaction on my sleep:
-it allowed me to sleep on my side because my neck was bending too much with thin/old pillow I was using. This allowed me to stop snoring once and for all
-it kept my head more fresh, which made me sweat less and sleep more comfortably
Cost: more or less 20 USD

Screenshot 2022-04-20 at 11.47.11.png
 
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financemailer

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What is the best "value" you ever paid for?

Just curious to hear people's experiences.

For me, my foam roller was a great value. It cost around $20 bucks but helps relieve my back and neck of stress and pain. On bad days, rolling on this thing becomes the best $20 bucks I ever spent!

717E9lDfEaL._AC_SR201,266_.jpg


What is the best $X you ever spent?

There is no limit ... if you spent $80K on a Corvette and felt is was the best value ever, then that's OK!

Let's hear it!
Best value for my money? I must say, all the online courses I bought to educate myself on health, money and computer knowledge. Online tutorials are a must for me because they are affordable and I can go back to it time and again anytime.

Jae
 

andyhaus44

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Had a pinched nerve in my neck, and using this 2x a day for 15-20 minutes got rid of it!
Only took 2 days until the pinched nerve was gone.

Cervical Neck Traction Device for Instant Neck Pain Relief -

61BsWpnCvYL._AC_SX679_.jpg

@MJ DeMarco, you ought to give it a try
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Had a pinched nerve in my neck, and using this 2x a day for 15-20 minutes got rid of it!
Only took 2 days until the pinched nerve was gone.

Cervical Neck Traction Device for Instant Neck Pain Relief -

View attachment 43958

@MJ DeMarco, you ought to give it a try

Thanks for thinking of me.

I tried something similar and it only made things worse.

However I wonder if this has a different modality, so it might be worth a try.
 

andyhaus44

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Thanks for thinking of me.

I tried something similar and it only made things worse.

However I wonder if this has a different modality, so it might be worth a try.
You're welcome MJ. I hope it gives you some relief.
 

fastlane_dad

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For many years I kept praising how much value I got out of my NESPRESSO machine.

I was very resistant at first to buying one -- but having used one for close to a decade (especially first thing in the morning) - has literally been a process and a way of life for me waking up for MAN MANY YEARS!

I have since switched to more of a french press setup in the AM (that takes longer to make!) But provides great coffee and something to sip on for a bit while longer rather then the typical espresso I'd have.
 
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Tammyanne

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Back in 2009, at the height of the recession, unemployed, and struggling with a business I had tried starting a few months earlier, I paid $210 for a ticket to Ireland for a 6 week trip through Europe. Hard to beat those experiences even though I should have been "getting a job" or working on the business:). I've nearly always found value in travel.
I can relate.
 

MTF

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Two tools I started using recently that are worth way, way more than they cost:

www.ahrefs.com - crazy good SEO tools. I primarily use it to check out my competitors and see for which keywords they rank and then writing better articles to outrank them :)

www.surferseo.com - incredibly useful AI-powered tool for writing high-value SEO-optimized articles. Combines perfectly with Ahrefs.
 

Vinz

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I bought a laptop lenovo (model G50-70) core-i3 full HD 1To in September 2014 for...395€. I have bought countless plane tickets with it, played games, watched probably about 400 movies, edited my short movies, took it to class to write lessons and summaries, conducted Skype meetings and even read one book cover to cover. I have taken it to several countries too. It never let me down. Yet now, after 6 years of loyal services...it's time to retire it as I'm losing too much time waiting for it to load.

It's arguably one of the best things I've ever bought. And it's still running well (except for the battery which lasts about 90 minutes compared to 8h at the beginning).
I know I'm bumping an old response from a deleted user , but I have pretty much the same laptop ! (G50-45)
Have had it for 8 years. Is still solid, works smooth after installing an SSD and Linux Mint on it.
Daily use for years, reinstalled Windows and Linux multiple times, played lot of games to the point of nearly overheating it, still works great.
The operating system is important too.
But I just can't seem to think about getting a new one, since for what I use it it still works great.
 
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BaiAnrui

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da7711a8add96971ce653d5a0dfed0bbb0f26b07.jpg


If you have an adhd brain like me, it's hard to relax. But then i bought a hammock. I could really stay in this for a while.
Best purchase for me in a long time! And this one was only 59 euro ;)
 
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andyhaus44

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Thanks to this eSeasonGear vibrating watch, I no longer need the Alarmy app to wake me up. It's quiet and vibrates just enough to wake me up, plus I don't ever wake my wife up

51dbW-yUiDL._AC_UX679_.jpg
 
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Consolation

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The e-cig (electronic cigarette) store in my local area. Their price is similar to other stores but the first time I went there they gave me a discount, without hard selling and unwanted promotion. Just small talk like, "You're from here?" and "You must be an expert in IT!" when I mentioned my work.

Other than e-cigs, they offer haircut as well. I did try and wow ! You can have the nicest haircut anywhere in the world but it's difficult to find a barber who can engage in a delightful conversation.

Today, I went there to get juice for my e-cig. Unfortunately, it was closed because someone passed away. (I lived in a closed-knit community. When someone died most of us will be there for the family. You can't lie because we know who died. It's the only legit reason for businesses to close).

So, the owner who were not there, kept me informed thoroughly. He did apologized few times for the inconvenience. Just as he always been replying every time when I messaged him if I wanted to go to his store.

PS. Smoking is harmful. But, I heard cigar is not.
 

PapaGang

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I waited a couple years to post this, but this ranks very high on my value list, a Rad Mission:
Screen Shot 2022-10-25 at 9.31.36 AM.png

For less than a thousand bucks I got a well made, durable and reliable e-bike that features a twist throttle and 4 levels of assist. I have put at least 3,000 trouble free miles on it over the last three years, I have saved approximately $1,250 in fuel over that time period, while tripling my happiness and fulfillment, not to mention improving my fitness. It's a lot of fun.

I could name other e-bikes here, but this is the one I have the most experience with, and in my book, the only sub $1,000 bike that has been trouble-free. I did upgrade the pedals and the set clamp. Everything else is stock.

Twisting the throttle and feeling that flat, linear torque delivery is so darn good.
 
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PapaGang

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The Costa Ricans have an ultra-sophisticated technologically-advanced coffee system that everyone uses. It looks like this:
View attachment 39403
I've always jokingly referred to this as the 'dirty sock.' Surprisingly, it makes a damn good cup of coffee if you use boiling water and actually clean it every now and then. So back here in the states I adopted this system into a more hygienic (ultra-advanced, state-of-the-art) system based on the same principle:

View attachment 39404 View attachment 39405
Seriously, this is dirt cheap and produces excellent drip coffee (Manual Drip Coffee Filter Cone + #6 filters). I buy the filters in bulk on Amazon and pour directly into a large thermos. I guess the best value would be to kick the habit. But without exhorting to such draconian measures I'd recommend this route any day.

I know this seems like a 'cheapo' solution, but I've spent a fortune on different coffee machines and this delivers the best cup. As an added bonus, with daily experience in the 'black arts' -- you too can develop awe-inspiring unique coffee-making skills. I mix my own blends and often experiment with flavors.
Totally agree here. High quality beans & pourover method rank high on my fulfillment curve (low cost, high fulfillment)
My cost per cup was around 23 cents last time I ran the numbers.
 
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andyhaus44

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Used to occasionally get painful sores on the inside of my nose for no reason at all, this took care of it
mupirocin-ointment.jpg
 

KateKendrick

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What is the best "value" you ever paid for?

Just curious to hear people's experiences.

For me, my foam roller was a great value. It cost around $20 bucks but helps relieve my back and neck of stress and pain. On bad days, rolling on this thing becomes the best $20 bucks I ever spent!

717E9lDfEaL._AC_SR201,266_.jpg


What is the best $X you ever spent?

There is no limit ... if you spent $80K on a Corvette and felt is was the best value ever, then that's OK!

Let's hear it!
The Jura Impreza 2. We bought this coffee machine 15 years ago and use it daily. It has never been serviced and has never missed a beat. Fresh ground coffee and a perfect pour every time.
 

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snowpl

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This little boy to wake up with light.
My mobile “sleeps” in other room and in 90% when I need an alarm clock I am woke up by light which is more natural and makes my day bit better :)
Also not sleeping with your mobile nearby improved the quality of my sleep.

D2FFB689-9260-4348-B51A-AA41929A7BB2.jpeg
 

MJ DeMarco

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Automated robot vacuum by Roborock.


Assuming it lasts longer than 6 months, it helps keep a 13,000 square foot house clean. No mapping required, users Lidar, and automatically empties. I didn't have high expectations for an automated vacuum, but thus far this thing is pretty damn effective.
 
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biophase

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Automated robot vacuum by Roborock.


Assuming it lasts longer than 6 months, it helps keep a 13,000 square foot house clean. No mapping required, users Lidar, and automatically empties. I didn't have high expectations for an automated vacuum, but thus far this thing is pretty damn effective.
I have this brand also. I have a Q5. It’s much better than the Roomba brand. I am wondering if I should upgrade to the one that actually mops also.
 

REV5028

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Automated robot vacuum by Roborock.


Assuming it lasts longer than 6 months, it helps keep a 13,000 square foot house clean. No mapping required, users Lidar, and automatically empties. I didn't have high expectations for an automated vacuum, but thus far this thing is pretty damn effective.
I have this brand also. I have a Q5. It’s much better than the Roomba brand. I am wondering if I should upgrade to the one that actually mops also.

I recently purchased an Ecovacs Deebot. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow.. hopefully it's as effective as your Roborocks, though I don't think it uses Lidar (that's super cool yours does). We'll see.
 

biophase

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I recently purchased an Ecovacs Deebot. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow.. hopefully it's as effective as your Roborocks, though I don't think it uses Lidar (that's super cool yours does). We'll see.
I originally bought the cheap roomba version that did not use LiDAR. It basically has to bump into something to map it and it made scuff marks on all my white baseboards, and then transferred the paint it took off onto my furniture. Lol.
 
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biophase

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https://a.co/d/3zU5Ogo

12A0E266-6987-49E2-8F43-A06FBF4EFCEA.jpeg

This is one of the best bang for the buck products I have ever bought. You may think you might not need one because you do not do any construction, but it is come in handy in hanging paintings, TVs, installing lights and measuring distances from walls.

This is way more efficient and accurate than using a regular level.
 

REV5028

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I originally bought the cheap too mba version that did not use LiDAR. It basically has to bump into something to map it and it made scuff marks on all my white baseboards, and then transferred the paint it took off onto my furniture. Lol.
Oh no! lol good to know, thanks for sharing
 

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