Luxury stuff you can't get rid off?

[Birchwood]

Although I had a very successful career, I was always frugal in things I wear. I always shop JCPenney or Kohl's, on sale and off season, but managed to mix and match, and nobody knew.
When I was with the Navy in 1997, I bought a Stainless steel Rolex Submariner for $950 at the PX. The US price was about 2K. I wear the watch for years. That's the only luxury thing I own. Midcareer, I was looking into a forum, and discovered another Rolex GMT Master II for sale by a collector which was half priced the new one. I bought it at $2,500.
Nowadays, a Plastic Quartz at $60 is more accurate. Both Rolex seems anachronous & very old school.
I still wear both watches on a regular basis, a throwback to an era when sailors and naval aviators wear a Rolex to keep good time. Now, they prob. wear a Casio or Timex which keep better time.

 

[unclemick]

Although I had a very successful career, I was always frugal in things I wear. I always shop JCPenney or Kohl's, on sale and off season, but manage to mix and match, and nobody knew.
When I was with the Navy in 1997, I bought a Stainless steel Rolex Submariner for $950 at the PX. The US price is about 2K. I wear the watch for years. That's the only luxury thing I own. Midcareer, I was looking into a forum, and discover another Rolex GMT Master II for sale by a collector which is half priced the new one. I bought it at $2,500.
Nowadays, a Plastic Quartz at $60 is more accurate. Both Rolex seems anachronous & very old school.
I still wear both watches on a regular basis, a throwback to an era when sailors and naval aviators wear a Rolex to keep good time. Now, they prob. wear a Casio or Timex which keep better time.

My Sister's kids all Naval Academy grads used to deliberately not wear a watch on leave - a fad?

Me - Pendleton, Filson brands from Salvation Army, DAV, or other thrift stores when they are mis priced and the size is right.

heh heh heh - every year I donate a bunch of clothes so I can do more 'prospecting??"

 

[ls99]

My one luxury stuff is my Jaguar 95. It cost me a whopping $3000.- and another 2K in parts plus may labor. And no I will not get rid of it.

The other one is DW. Ditto.

 

[W2R]

A close friend of mine inherited a Rolex. He doesn't like wearing it, and will probably sell it at some point. The places that buy used gold jewelry, diamonds, and such around here, also advertise that they buy and sell used Rolex watches. He'll probably take it to a place like that and see what if anything he can get for it.

I don't really have any luxury items that I can think of. All my life I dreamed of having a luxury car, but when I could finally afford one I realized that I just wanted the fantasy, not the car. So, I never bought one. Also I never had a Rolex; I wear a Timex watch and always have.

My luxuries are extras that others might not even want, such as the keypad entries on all of the exterior doors of my house. Or, buying a dream house located right next door to F. Or, expensive shoes (that I wear until they are only suitable for yardwork, and continue to wear until they are only suitable for the trash).

 

[Meadbh]

I have an extensive collection of Waterford Glass and Newbridge Silver that has followed me across the Atlantic. I enjoy bringing it out when I have guests, despite the lack of a dining room. I even use it occasionally when I am dining alone, just because it makes me feel special. I intend to continue enjoying it for the rest of my natural days, and then my executors can figure out what to do with it.

 

[braumeister]

I don't really have any luxury items that I can think of.

+1
I had several friends who really loved their Rolex watches, and some who loved their very high end cars, but I just never saw the point, when a modestly priced item will do the job just as well.

OTOH, I retired many years before those guys. Perhaps the two are related?

 

[ejman]

Dunno, luxury to me is being able to do exactly what I want when I want to such as not having the Sunday evening -have to go to work tomorrow!-blues. That is a luxury I certainly would never want to be rid of. Pricey material gizmos as in jewellery or mansions or luxury cars never meant much to me so I never bought any even though I could afford them. So I don't have any to get rid off.

 

[utrecht]

Does a 60" 4K TV count as a luxury item? I'm a TV junkie.

 

[aaronc879]

Does a 60" 4K TV count as a luxury item? I'm a TV junkie.

My "TV" is my 15" computer monitor so I would consider any TV to be a luxury item. I don't have anything that people on this forum would consider a luxury item.

 

[Sue J]

Many women love purses and have many and switch around frequently. I'm a one purse gal. I like it small and simple. So my splurge is a good quality purse.

My current one is a small Coach purse. It was bought at one of the Coach Outlet stores so it's not even from their high end line. Knowing how I shop it was probably a discontinued clearance item or on sale.

That's about as "luxury" as I get. I've had it since 2007. I'll keep it a while longer.

Just remembered... we do have an actual luxury item that we don't want to get rid of, it's a Leica M3 camera with a dual range Summicron lens. Right now one of our sons has borrowed the lens to use with a digital camera body. He bought the body specifically to use with many different lenses and he bought an adapter for the Summicron bayonet mount. This defeats all the automatic aspects of the digital body but the Summicron pics are fantastic and he's having a good time experimenting.

 

[redduck]

Does a 60" 4K TV count as a luxury item? I'm a TV junkie.

I would say that for you, the 60" TV is a necessity item--especially during football season. Now, if it's a color TV, then maybe it laps over a bit into the luxury column.

 

[FreeBear]

Cable TV, almost top tier!! Thinking about all sorts of alternatives, but we actually love it and watch a lot of it. We've had good cable TV for only 3 years, had basic cable for a few, rabbit ears for decades!

 

[RunningBum]

Jefferson's Reserve Aged at Sea. Blanton's. Angel's Envy. Rock Hill Farms. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit. A number of other somewhat less expensive bourbons. I'm slowly getting rid of them though, but I seem to keep up with restocking.

 

[AllDone]

I have some inherited jewelry and silverware. Other than that I don't even have an engagement ring. My mother keeps trying to dump silver on me because she doesn't want it. She did get me to take the 12 year old (now 14 year old) BMW convertible. It's fun to drive, but a gas-guzzler. Fortunately, I don't drive much.

A few years ago I saw a signed lithograph that I liked in an antiques store. They were asking $900 for it which was too rich for my blood, but the next time I wandered through it was knocked down to $600 so I bought it. It's now worth about $5000. That's probably the fanciest thing I own. My DH would choke, if he knew what I spent on it.

 

[Helen]

I own some expensive backpacking gear, does that count? It's a depreciating asset so I won't get much on resale, but I feel like it has already paid for itself in the experiences I have had with it.

I also have a lot of depression glass (place setting for 12 with all the bells and whistles) from the 1920s that my Grandmother gave to my Father. I don't use it because I can't put it through the dishwasher and the only place I have to store it is the attic in the garage.

I've never been a collector of things. Now that I am retired a large portion of my budget is going toward travel and adventures. I'm loving it!!!!

 

[Nodak]

Mine is a McIntosh stereo system that I bought for $1500 in 1972. The replacement cost today would be closer to $25,000. It weighs a ton but nothing else I've listened to sounds as good.

 

[rodi]

Like Meadbh I have some waterford crystal - in my case it's wine glasses we got for wedding presents. I use them with the inherited bone china and silver flatware that was my grandmothers. I splurge on really nice provencal table linens as well. And finally... we have quite a selection of le creuset cookware - which is far more expensive than what you could "get by" with - but brings me joy to use.

All are luxurious - and all make me happy.

 

[FIREd]

We inherited a bunch of very nice stuff. From DW's side of the family we got some fine linen tablecloths and hand-painted bone china. From my side, some nice crystal glasses and sterling silverware. When we downsized, we kept only the best stuff. We enjoy it immensely and use it as often as we can, partly because it is such fine quality and partly because it reminds us of our departed relatives.

When my dad retired from his job as an executive, he gave me a few nice items as well - watches, belts, neckties, pens, lighters, etc... I use most of them routinely - although the neckties don't get a lot of action . And why not? I entered retirement, not the seminary. I might as well enjoy those fine things.

 

[Texas Proud]

Does a 60" 4K TV count as a luxury item? I'm a TV junkie.

What kind did you get

I was looking to get a 70" HD... but now have been gravitating to a 4K.... still cannot pull the trigger since the cost is so high... I will have to be OK with the 48" Vizio.... that was a refurb...

 

[Texas Proud]

Oh... just remembered that I have some great speakers... they are Legacy speakers...

I bought them when I was young from a BIL... back then IIRC they were about $2,000 to $2,500 each... from what I see something similar cost around $6,000 for a pair today.... I also bought their Studio model that cost me $1,000 for a pair.... looked them up and I saw them for $1655... not sure if that was a pair or not, but would think so...


Funny thing is that I do not listen to them that much anymore... when I got married we moved and I do not have rear speakers... do not use surround sound like I used to.... and the cats have broken my cable from the TV to the stereo a couple of times...

Might move the main TV upstairs where I could use everything I have, but could not at night when kids need sleep....

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Nada. Born a peasant. Still a peasant.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Bamaman]

My luxury is having 2 houses, one of which is waterfront. The boathouse in the front yard has two relatively new boats slung out of the water.

Otherwise, we live rather frugally in order to afford to travel often.

 

[kcowan]

We travel business class to Europe and we often go out for fine dining.

We have spent a wad on appliances so we can cook easily.

We have taken the special insurance rider of our fine jewelry. Don't value it much anymore.

 

[Midpack]

Our indulgences? We own a boat (a huge budget no-no, but while we're still able to enjoy it), and we dine out more than the averages say we should. Otherwise we're pretty LBYM, we always buy with long term value in mind and we keep things until they break or wear out. I resisted expensive watches, and haven't worn one in years anyway since my smartphone is usually handy when there's no clock around.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

It's my pearl handled boomerang, I can't seem to part with it more than a few seconds at a time.