# Treat Yo'self.



## Janus (Oct 23, 2013)

Like many of you I'm a pretty frugal guy, and I'm happy to say that I get a shopper's high from buying stocks, not consumer products. I don't tend to treat myself with anything more than too much nice wine when a life milestone achievement rolls around. But recently I finished an extremely gruelling 3-year professional designation, and I'm determined to make a bit of a thing of it and buy something for myself - something special that I'll remember. This designation was the hardest thing I've ever done in work or school, so I feel the need to waste some sacrificial money in recognition of that. It's against my nature but I can't help it.

I have no idea what it should be, and I'm not exactly asking you all what *I* should buy, but I'm curious what you all consider to be a good memento for an achievement. Something lasting. 

Have any of you broken your frugal code to mark a milestone?


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## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

When I sold my home and bought again with no mortgage I treating myself to a big LED flat screen TV and sound system.


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## Itchy54 (Feb 12, 2012)

I prefer experiences, not things. That being said I would do a trip from my bucket list, get a great photo and have it framed.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

I have no problem buying something which will provide me with many years of (free) experiences.

To mark my upcoming retirement, I think I might buy a new sea kayak - my current one is 12 years old... top of the line 18ft single, kevlar reinforced fibreglass boat will run about 5k. Small change when I think about the places I will paddle, and the natural wonders that I will see (refer to my posts about close encounters with orcas).

Just to think, just 6 months ago I was considering buying myself a 2015 BMW M4, even if it meant I would work for a few more years. Instead, early retirement and a kayak. Works for me.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Maybe a nice watch to mark the time spent on the achievement? Then every time you check the time, you'll be able to think of it.


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## Oldroe (Sep 18, 2009)

For my retirement I bought a 50 plasma surround sound. Could have cheeped out and bought a lesser system but every time I looked at the pioneer it was love. No regrets.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

I renewed my passport........again.


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## Janus (Oct 23, 2013)

Jon_Snow said:


> I have no problem buying something which will provide me with many years of (free) experiences.
> 
> To mark my upcoming retirement, I think I might buy a new sea kayak - my current one is 12 years old... top of the line 18ft single, kevlar reinforced fibreglass boat will run about 5k. Small change when I think about the places I will paddle, and the natural wonders that I will see (refer to my posts about close encounters with orcas).
> 
> Just to think, just 6 months ago I was considering buying myself a 2015 BMW M4, even if it meant I would work for a few more years. Instead, early retirement and a kayak. Works for me.


This I quite like. There are some good ideas here, but the tech ideas don't apply for me because I want something I'll like as much in 10 years. And travel is always a great way to spend money, but for some reason I want something physical and tangible for this. The watch is a good idea, but a kayak is something I hadn't thought about. Awesome!


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Janus said:


> The watch is a good idea, but a kayak is something I hadn't thought about. Awesome!


On a frugal note, a good kayak that is well taken care of will hold it's value very well. I've got my eye on a few open water single skull row boats. Not a substitute for a good kayak but you can cover more ground and get a great full body workout. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BK53EgskOc


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I bought a golf membership this year(some restrictions but i am a member)
I love golf because i decompress and have fun with the boys once or twice a week.
Any sport or activity or equipment/gear...whatever your outside work interests are i always a good bet!


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

I buy guitars or take trips. Tonight I came back from 4 weeks in Namibia and will also possibly buy a new Deluxe Stratocaster, both in celebration of a milestone. But of course you'd have to be a guitar player or love to travel in remote places.


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## Janus (Oct 23, 2013)

indexxx said:


> I buy guitars or take trips. Tonight I came back from 4 weeks in Namibia and will also possibly buy a new Deluxe Stratocaster, both in celebration of a milestone. But of course you'd have to be a guitar player or love to travel in remote places.


I play drums and am all set up with a kit.

As far as exotic places goes, I'm lucky that my work regularly takes me to Indonesia, India, Philippines, Korea,... basically all over Asia. So I get a good amount of travel in for work and for fun.


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## SkyFall (Jun 19, 2012)

Buy a good scotch


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## Islenska (May 4, 2011)

My treat was two separate trips (father/son deal) to Iceland and New York for a couple of weeks

They enjoyed it, a win-win and now we have a treasure trove of memories, remember when 5 years later still.

Something special about a one on one with each son and not to be put off for another time.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I am for watches. A really really good watch (rolex, Cartier, patak, etc) Is something that will remind you of your accomplishment when you wear it but can also be passed down. There's a story to it. I know many people that have brought really once watches to celebrate key achievements and it know many others that have some from they fathers, grand father, great fathers that were passed down and they were an achievement. 

Jewellry works to, but I don't think guys like that as much. Those are my treats for when I accomplish something very major. I plan to pass on my watches and gemstones to my kids when they are older, along with the Jewellry and watches than my grand mother, grandfather, and parents have given me. I have already started sharing the stories with my girls about the significance of each piece.


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## Time4earlyretirement (Feb 21, 2014)

+1 on watch. Think IWC.

Men rarely wear accessories; a watch that really pops improves overall image so much imo. The plus side is that they hold value better than cars :biggrin:

http://www.thewatchquote.com/Photo-img29950_1200.htm&IWC%20Portuguese%20Chronograph


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

I treat myself by getting to look at my excel spreadsheets to see how far we've come. I must admit I have been a little obsessed with this lately. My wife laughs when I am checking our accounts on the iPad before even getting out of bed in the morning.


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## Sprucegum (Dec 12, 2012)

My wife and I spent 10 years working/playing every weekend on our recreation property. When we sold it for 4 times the money put into it we bought a ridiculously expensive little motor home. We really enjoy having our own bed and bathroom wherever we go.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Deck yourself out with the watch I'd say.

And a few dope custom suits. But I'm kind of assuming you already own those since they are cheap in Asia anyways and you work in finance...


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## GreedIsGood (Dec 4, 2013)

@Janus, Off topic but which professional designation? CFA? If so, care to give some insights on it? I passed L1 in June 2013 but I didn't take L2 this year.

What kind of work do you do?


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

I also like Donald's golf membership idea.


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## wendi1 (Oct 2, 2013)

Watches are going the way of the dodo - do kids even wear them nowadays? If you must have a watch, get an antique one.

How about a smokin' leather briefcase? Or a piece of art?

I am an experience junkie, too, so I would take a trip or a theatre subscription or lessons in something I wanted to learn.

Kayak lessons? Golf lessons?


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## DayTek (Sep 26, 2013)

Trips are our treat. We try to do a small, in province trip every year around our anniversary. This year it's in Niagara Falls. Big trips are every couple of years and they take about a year to save and plan for.

My husband and I went to Ireland in 2011. We visited the Bushmills Distillery (my husband loves Bushmills…LOL). While there, my husband purchased a large bottle of Bushmills and had it personalized and put in a fancy container. It's been 3 years and it's not half gone…LOL. He only breaks it out on special occasions. We keep it on a kitchen shelf and it immediately brings back memories of the trip. It's also quite a conversation piece when we have visitors!
So that's an example of something tangible that you can keep for a long time and memories attached to it as well.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

I finally put a deposit and ordered the brand of car I've been wanting for 40 years, a Porsche, even got the optional timepiece in the middle of the dash  Got the blessing of the wife and she picked the exterior and interior colours. I probably shouldn't have spent so much but after 40yrs of work and being self-employed for the last 30 I think I'll just consider it a retirement gift.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

I am also big on travel and experiences. Travel might not be the best since we do a lot of it that it doesn't really stand out. But experiences always well.
There is a zero-g parabolic plane experience coming to Canada next fall. I might consider that, it's $2800. There's locations all over the world.
I do plan on doing the aerial dogfighting plane experiences at some point. Renting the supercars on the race track for several laps is pretty fun and unique. All can be done in Las Vegas and many other locations.

As for 'things'? I guess I don't have a nice suit, that might make the list. Haven't worn a watch in a decade and they're not allowed on the shop floor for safety issues. I do want to get a used porsche or M5 at some point but that probably won't be due to some milestone accomplishment.


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## ashin1 (Mar 22, 2014)

watch was the first thing that came to mind as well!

whats is your budget?

for me if i had the extra cash I would totally get a motorcycle!

been looking and drooling over cafe racers


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## atrp2biz (Sep 22, 2010)

I've gone from 235 lbs to 215 lbs over the past three months or so by cycling to work and generally eating normally. Just by commuting, I average 125-175 km per week. Don't have much time on weekends, so commuting is the extent of my riding. If I can crack below and maintain 195 lbs (I'm 6'3"), I have to reward myself somehow with a higher end bike.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

atrp2biz said:


> I've gone from 235 lbs to 215 lbs over the past three months or so by cycling to work and generally eating normally. Just by commuting, I average 125-175 km per week. Don't have much time on weekends, so commuting is the extent of my riding. If I can crack below and maintain 195 lbs (I'm 6'3"), I have to reward myself somehow with a higher end bike.


Interesting you mention that. I've gone from 235 down to my current weight of 208 - pretty much accomplished by completely cutting out fast food from my diet. I am in a very physically taxing industry, so lack of exercise is never a problem. I'm 6'4", so if I get to just under 200 lbs, that is my sweet spot.

You have got me wondering if I should treat myself for getting in better shape - a Big Mac perhaps? A Double Whopper?


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## Janus (Oct 23, 2013)

GreedIsGood said:


> @Janus, Off topic but which professional designation? CFA? If so, care to give some insights on it? I passed L1 in June 2013 but I didn't take L2 this year.
> 
> What kind of work do you do?


Congrats on L1! Yeah it was the CFA. 3 years of agony! Working 11 hour days then coming home to study for another 4 hours is not something I'll miss. Perhaps coffee and I will have a healthier relationship going froward. 

I work in asset management as a fund analyst - I've got to say I've met very few people taking the CFA who actually work in the industry. Most of the people I've met on exam day have been accountants who thought it was "nice to have".



wendi1 said:


> Watches are going the way of the dodo - do kids even wear them nowadays? If you must have a watch, get an antique one.
> 
> How about a smokin' leather briefcase? Or a piece of art?
> 
> ...


Lessons, that's another good one.

I think the main thing I've learned from this thread is the sporting ideas. In terms of buying things that are expensive and durable (i.e. not clothing that can be ruined by mustard!), outside of watches I really like the ideas of kayaks, bicycles, golf clubs... Frankly I'd get something sports related if I didn't live in Hong Kong, as I have nowhere to store anything here! And this has to be the least cycling-friendly city in the world.

The budget is about $500-$1000. Don't want to go too crazy! At the end of the day maybe I'll buy myself a nice $500 watch and put the rest into The Swatch Group stock . Do what makes you happy, right?


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

atrp2biz said:


> I've gone from 235 lbs to 215 lbs over the past three months or so by cycling to work and generally eating normally. Just by commuting, I average 125-175 km per week. Don't have much time on weekends, so commuting is the extent of my riding. If I can crack below and maintain 195 lbs (I'm 6'3"), I have to reward myself somehow with a higher end bike.


Good point. I am working on getting back in to shape and need to lose about 50 more. When I do my treat is a personal shopper and new wardrobe.

I already have a few nice watches.


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## cashinstinct (Apr 4, 2009)

Personnally, my treat is my smartphone... I tend to change my phone every year, by selling the old one or gifting it to my gf.

Monthly it's around maybe $50 for the hardware and $50 for the phone plan (corp plan)...

Some say it's not worth it, for me it is... that's something I use every day, a little too much... so per usage/per day, the cost is not high.

(I know it's a luxury  )


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Mechanic said:


> I finally put a deposit and ordered the brand of car I've been wanting for 40 years, a Porsche, even got the optional timepiece in the middle of the dash  Got the blessing of the wife and she picked the exterior and interior colours. I probably shouldn't have spent so much but after 40yrs of work and being self-employed for the last 30 I think I'll just consider it a retirement gift.


'Atta boy!! You freaking earned it.
You'll never regret buying quality.


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

Some type of sporting equipment, inline skates, bike, cross country skis, downhill skis


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Mechanic said:


> I finally put a deposit and ordered the brand of car I've been wanting for 40 years, a Porsche, even got the optional timepiece in the middle of the dash  Got the blessing of the wife and she picked the exterior and interior colours. I probably shouldn't have spent so much but after 40yrs of work and being self-employed for the last 30 I think I'll just consider it a retirement gift.



See he got a watch with car to surround it.  Congrats


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

Watches on their own just seem so boring, this way I can glance at the timepiece while having fun driving. Expensive wrist watches bother me, I seem to always scratch them, same problem with expensive sunglasses. I have two pairs of scratched Oakleys now, I guess I'm hard on stuff, lol. Sitting on the dash the timepiece should be protected


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## SkyFall (Jun 19, 2012)

Which Porsche did you buy?


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## Bytowner (Aug 22, 2014)

When I finished my Masters in England I wanted something that evoked the time/occasion and place. I got a yard-o-led sterling silver fountain pen from Fortnum & Mason. It wasn't absurdly expensive, but I'll treasure it. My suggestion would be to do likewise and get something that evokes Hong Kong and the accomplishment. An antique or precious abacus or something.


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## 6811 (Jan 1, 2013)

I sold the last of my three motorcycles when I was twenty-five. Just grew out of them, same with muscle/sports cars. They just don't interest me any more, and the same goes for coins and other collectables that stay hidden away in a box somewhere. I bought my last watch based on how well it kept time and if I could tell the time without my glasses on.

Rewarding myself these days is buying a new tool for the hobby workshop - last year was a floor drill press with mortising attachment, and a couple of years before that it was a thickness planer. This year was a new Trek 7.2 bicycle after decades of riding an old CCM. I guess this makes me somewhat utilitarian in my rewards thinking, but I feel satisfied getting both the use out of these tools and the pleasure out of making the various small woodworking projects that seem so well appreciated by family and friends.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

I had a quarter century crisis (no crisis....just using this as my excuse) and a few months back I bought a Beretta Silver Pigeon C, in 12 gauge, 5 chokes -- she was used (like new), but still a $2.3k shotgun out the door. This was the first time in my life that I was wreckless with my money. My great grand kids will be able to shoot this gun.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

SkyFall said:


> Which Porsche did you buy?


Macan S. The practical side of me still has control


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## SkyFall (Jun 19, 2012)

Mechanic said:


> Macan S. The practical side of me still has control


awesome! I hear that thing was a beast!


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## Bytowner (Aug 22, 2014)

I'd suggest getting something that evokes the time (occasion) and place. When I finished my Masters in London I bought a yard-o-led stirling silver fountain pen. Something relevant to what/where you're celebrating. Like an antique or precious Chinese abacus.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

6811 said:


> This year was a new Trek 7.2 bicycle after decades of riding an old CCM.


Great bicycles are SO worth the money. I've got an awesome Rocky Mountain that I just love. Once you ride an excellent machine you just can't put up with inadequate bikes. To me they're just such incredible, precision engineering that lasts forever- like a good manual film camera.


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## joncnca (Jul 12, 2009)

Just my thoughts but you might find it interesting. I can relate to the grueling state of working toward a designation, long hours, years of your life. 

I was already married so I was already more prudent with money, and then got busy and just couldn't justify too much of an expense, even if to mark the occasion, and the letters behind my name were reward enough. Eventually, just moved on. 

Then I had a kid, she's under a year old and I'm amazed at how much I love this person. And I've realized that this first part of being a dad is sooooooo much harder than any of the work and studying, and I'm glad I didn't blow too much money on a realities early achievement, great as it might have been, because there was more and better to come. 

My point is, don't splurge too much. Your range of 500 to 1000 is pretty decent, especially if you're single. And I also think that a watch is a fantastic idea. Never thought of that.

As an aside, agree with the Porsche at the later stage of one's career when they've actually done some work. In 30 years or so I hope I'll get that Acura NSX I wanted, haha


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

indexxx said:


> Great bicycles are SO worth the money.


Never mind the bicycles, where are the &%$# Namibia pics? :biggrin:


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Nemo2 said:


> Never mind the bicycles, where are the &%$# Namibia pics? :biggrin:


They're coming!

i shot about six 32-gig cards in RAW so it'll take me a while to go through them, do a bit of post-processing and load them onto my website. Plus the university is back in next week so work is getting busy- I hope to have them up in about 6-8 weeks.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

indexxx said:


> They're coming!
> 
> i shot about six 32-gig cards in RAW so it'll take me a while to go through them, do a bit of post-processing and load them onto my website. Plus the university is back in next week so work is getting busy- I hope to have them up in about 6-8 weeks.


:encouragement: We arrive back in Toronto, (volcano permitting), October 20....just in time!


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## banjopete (Feb 4, 2014)

Until the time is right, I feel like I'm being reckless spending all my money on stocks which is still a thing to splurge on. When that pot's full enough it's 1980's porsche 911 time, no question.


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