What are the best and worst value thing you own?
Discussion
Been thinking about all stuff we all have and how much of it is basically a waste of money, or at least very poor value when you consider how much it cost, how often you use it and how well it actually does what it is supposed to do.
My conclusion is very boring: The dish washer, washing machine and tumble drier seem to be by far the best value things we own. When you think about it they are hard to beat on value. Work for years (generally), save a phenomenal amount of time, do what they are supposed to do pretty much perfectly and don't cost a vast amount relatively speaking.
How dull - White goods win hands down!
Was going to say my computers too but they too often don't do what they are supposed to do.
Second had stuff if a different matter all together. Be interested to hear what the best bargains you ever got on second hand items.
TD
My conclusion is very boring: The dish washer, washing machine and tumble drier seem to be by far the best value things we own. When you think about it they are hard to beat on value. Work for years (generally), save a phenomenal amount of time, do what they are supposed to do pretty much perfectly and don't cost a vast amount relatively speaking.
How dull - White goods win hands down!
Was going to say my computers too but they too often don't do what they are supposed to do.
Second had stuff if a different matter all together. Be interested to hear what the best bargains you ever got on second hand items.
TD
I think modern "budget" cars are astonishingly good value. The fact that you can spend less than a third of the average yearly salary and end up with a car which will happily run to a six figure mileage with little more than routine servicing is mightily impressive.
I'd add Android smart phones to the list too. The wife has just got a Moto G4 and it's an amazingly powerful, capable little thing. Not long ago, it wouldn't have been possible at any price let alone for £150.
Worst value - toddler shoes. It's very easy to spend £50+ on a pair and they grow out of them in about five minutes.
I'd add Android smart phones to the list too. The wife has just got a Moto G4 and it's an amazingly powerful, capable little thing. Not long ago, it wouldn't have been possible at any price let alone for £150.
Worst value - toddler shoes. It's very easy to spend £50+ on a pair and they grow out of them in about five minutes.
Edited by kambites on Friday 8th July 09:30
I agree on the white goods and budget car but they bring no pleasure do they. For me it's my Nespress machine, cost me about £130 and gets used at least 6 times (wife as well) every day making me feel slightly less zombie with each cup.
Worst value? Without doubt the £750 road bike sat in the garage that's been used a grand total of 3 times, oh and the bike rollers that have been used even less. Seemed a good idea at the time but I still grab my mountain bike every time.
Worst value? Without doubt the £750 road bike sat in the garage that's been used a grand total of 3 times, oh and the bike rollers that have been used even less. Seemed a good idea at the time but I still grab my mountain bike every time.
When I first bought a washing machine my mother said "It'll change your life" 
... She was right.
Not 100% sure on the smartphone suggestion, yes I use it a hell of a lot... but 90% of what I use it for I don't really need to do, so is it actually an expensive waste of my time?
Motorbike probably counts as best and worst value, I've had some fantastic holidays on it, saved loads of time by commuting on it, and it's put some massive grins on my face, but due to various reasons I have hardly used it for the last couple of years
... She was right.Not 100% sure on the smartphone suggestion, yes I use it a hell of a lot... but 90% of what I use it for I don't really need to do, so is it actually an expensive waste of my time?
Motorbike probably counts as best and worst value, I've had some fantastic holidays on it, saved loads of time by commuting on it, and it's put some massive grins on my face, but due to various reasons I have hardly used it for the last couple of years
Best value without a doubt my Kindle. Nothing fancy, just a basic model and access to a wealth of copyright free classics. About £60 for countless hours of use.
My iPhone a close second, used all day everyday, as an alarm clock, calendar, mobile bank, fitness tracker, news feed. For weather updates, videos, shopping, and seeing the kids when I'm away. On a two year cycle about £1 per day. Bargain!
Worst value, pretty much every car I've ever owned! Especially those bloody MINIs.
My iPhone a close second, used all day everyday, as an alarm clock, calendar, mobile bank, fitness tracker, news feed. For weather updates, videos, shopping, and seeing the kids when I'm away. On a two year cycle about £1 per day. Bargain!
Worst value, pretty much every car I've ever owned! Especially those bloody MINIs.
antspants said:
Worst value? Without doubt the £750 road bike sat in the garage that's been used a grand total of 3 times, oh and the bike rollers that have been used even less. Seemed a good idea at the time but I still grab my mountain bike every time.
i was about to say the same thing. i think my road bike has cost me £2 per mile, maybe more than that. too nice to leave locked up outside work so i commute on my cheap, beaten up, homemade fixie. the carbon road bike sits gathering dust...Suspect that I am in a minority here but I think my android phone is not great value - mainly because I do't use it for much so this is my issue not the product's.
Costs a sodding fortune in contract fees and it mostly just sits there slowly running down the battery - but then I'm not a facebook / instagram / twitter type person, although one day I will come out of my cave and see what all the fuss is about.
Costs a sodding fortune in contract fees and it mostly just sits there slowly running down the battery - but then I'm not a facebook / instagram / twitter type person, although one day I will come out of my cave and see what all the fuss is about.
Not a tangible 'thing' as such, but my Spotify premium membership.
£10 a month for all the music I could possibly ever want or need. Played on the phone, or the amp, or the PC. The ability to take it on public transport, to work, even overseas, despite having no internet connection.
I used to pay that for a single CD and that was going back 10 years or more. Outstanding value.
£10 a month for all the music I could possibly ever want or need. Played on the phone, or the amp, or the PC. The ability to take it on public transport, to work, even overseas, despite having no internet connection.
I used to pay that for a single CD and that was going back 10 years or more. Outstanding value.
I am going to disagree on the white goods.
I buy electrically operated stuff based on the buttons per pounds sterling scale. Thus a 600 quid fridge that has just one measly switch to set how cold you want it scores very low on my scale. Unbeatable in fact as the vacuum cleaner cost less.
Most buttons for my cash? Smart phone / tablet / laptop depending on how you count the buttons.
Overall least value, posh suitcase. Never ever gets used.
Best value. My collection of used toothbrushes. Lash them on a stick & you can scratch your back. Use them to clean stray / hard to reach bits of car. Stick 1 down the side of the sofa & see what comes up. Remove the gunge in the dishwasher / washing machine and from between toes. Clean crap off shoes. Plant in the garden for the dog to find. Smear jam on badly parked cars. Dust Lego. Use as book mark in Haynes manual. Remove grot from tools. Stir tea.
I buy electrically operated stuff based on the buttons per pounds sterling scale. Thus a 600 quid fridge that has just one measly switch to set how cold you want it scores very low on my scale. Unbeatable in fact as the vacuum cleaner cost less.
Most buttons for my cash? Smart phone / tablet / laptop depending on how you count the buttons.
Overall least value, posh suitcase. Never ever gets used.
Best value. My collection of used toothbrushes. Lash them on a stick & you can scratch your back. Use them to clean stray / hard to reach bits of car. Stick 1 down the side of the sofa & see what comes up. Remove the gunge in the dishwasher / washing machine and from between toes. Clean crap off shoes. Plant in the garden for the dog to find. Smear jam on badly parked cars. Dust Lego. Use as book mark in Haynes manual. Remove grot from tools. Stir tea.
I'd say the best value item I have is my Musical Fidelity A1 amplifier, a mate who owned a hi-fi shop gave me two burnt out ones for working a Saturday and I paid an engineer £80 to build one good one out of the two.
Hundreds of hours of listening pleasure and counting, it's also good for warming my socks on a cold winters morning
Worst value have been various motor/travel/home contents insurance policies that weren't claimed on, if I was in a position to need them then they would've been worth every penny...
Hundreds of hours of listening pleasure and counting, it's also good for warming my socks on a cold winters morning
Worst value have been various motor/travel/home contents insurance policies that weren't claimed on, if I was in a position to need them then they would've been worth every penny...
To provide a counterpoint to all the tech stuff
My bed, doing simple math i must've so far flopped down on it a few thousand times for some much needed rest/relaxation, and nothing quite beats the feeling of stepping out of the shower and having a lie-down on fresh sheets, grabbing the blankets and dozing off.
My bed, doing simple math i must've so far flopped down on it a few thousand times for some much needed rest/relaxation, and nothing quite beats the feeling of stepping out of the shower and having a lie-down on fresh sheets, grabbing the blankets and dozing off.
Tango13 said:
I'd say the best value item I have is my Musical Fidelity A1 amplifier, a mate who owned a hi-fi shop gave me two burnt out ones for working a Saturday and I paid an engineer £80 to build one good one out of the two.
Hundreds of hours of listening pleasure and counting, it's also good for warming my socks on a cold winters morning
Worst value have been various motor/travel/home contents insurance policies that weren't claimed on, if I was in a position to need them then they would've been worth every penny...
Would have joined you on the Musical Fidelity kit had not my A308 power amp not gone pop (loudly) last year. Still, have had it for about 10 yrs and the upside is that when I got it repaired I got it fully upgraded. A308 pre /power / CD combo is one of my favourite possessions!Hundreds of hours of listening pleasure and counting, it's also good for warming my socks on a cold winters morning
Worst value have been various motor/travel/home contents insurance policies that weren't claimed on, if I was in a position to need them then they would've been worth every penny...
One the other side of the scale my wife pestered me to buy her a food dehydrator last year. £80 and not only does it take up valuable space in the kitchen, it also never get used now (as I predicted). The only thing that has been made is about 2kg of dried turmeric coated green kale. It is utterly vile, and of course fills your teeth up with green bits to add to the experience. Still, mushroom picking season soon so hopefully I will end up with a cupboard full of dried Ceps to last me through the year.
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