The first luxury item you bought?

[gstrom99]

I bought a pair of work/hunting boots, that were expensive at the time - $150 (back like 25 years ago) and fit great. I'd always bought cheap Kmart style boots before. WOW, what a difference!

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Washers, dryers, water heaters, and dishwashers are luxuries. So are heat and air conditioning. These are the household luxuries I would miss most if everything went to hell. Also, cars. Any car is a luxury. Remember how bad it felt the first time your car broke down and you had to walk? I drive a 10-year-old Ford, and I could replace it today if I felt like it, but I couldn't be happier if it were a Bentley. I thank God for it every time I drive it.

I think my first big extravagance was a $2200 used lathe. My first machine tool. I bought it from a company called Plaza Machinery, run by a now-dead man named Joe Bergamo. He turned out to be a disgusting swindler. Sent me the wrong machine with the wrong motor, and it had much more wear on it than he claimed. He wouldn't take credit cards, and I found out why. Never buy anything over the web if they won't take a card. There is only ONE reason for that policy, and it's to allow sellers to cheat people.

Not long afterward, I bought a Chaiwanese (Taiwan parts assembled in China) Bridgeport clone, and I spent over $12,000 on a 4-ton Taiwan lathe. Both new. I stuck them in a little two-car garage. I have never regretted it.

Another luxury: when my wife got her green card, I brought her here via business class. She goes on and on about it, even today.

 

[paulsharvey]

Boots that fit. Used to be regular shoes and boots stopped at size 13; so had to kinda deal with them being a bit small. Now, size 14s are pretty available, if limited selection. Don't know if that really counts?

 

[gsganzer]

About 20 years ago, I bought some polypropylene thermal underwear for a hunting trip in Idaho. Before that, I used the cotton waffle weave long johns like everyone else. What a difference! I never knew you could feel so toasty warm and not clammy! Now I see merino wool and many other thermal underwear types.
When I was working in Alberta CA the other year at -52C, I bought some expidition weight thermals. I never knew good thermals could make such a difference in your comfort.

 

[not2old]

My first luxury splurge was a Needie Weedeater. They were new on the market and cost about $125.00 in about 1972. I knew they would be way cheaper next year but bought one anyway because of how much easier it was to trim my 66'x160' property. Next year they were about $80.00

 

[rgr33]

My first luxury purchase was a floor model beta video recorder from Sears.
It had no remote, and the picture went blank when you got up and tried to estimate how long the commercial break was.

Our only tv was a 12 inch Sony.
I paid $1000 for the recorder, at a time when I really had to argue with myself over whether I could afford to buy a good shovel

I look now at a big screen tv, with satellite receiver, Bose sound bar, too many channels to watch, free movies, it seems downright prehistoric now

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Interesting. The first thing I ever bought that I thought of as a luxury was artwork.

 

[JasperFrank]

I was never very good with a hammer and nails. I sucked at it. And its hard to find a lefty hammer.
Building my house, this became an issue.
I splurged and bought a "Paslode" gas powered framing nail gun when they first came out. $$$$. Contractors snickered at first at it. Then they all wanted to try it. Then they all wanted one also.

 

[Hughman]

My first luxury item was a 10 year old Camaro (1970 RS) that I paid $600 for. No longer had to drive around in mom& dad's Honda Civic. It got 7mpg on a good day, but it was all mine.