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Writer's pictureDillan Taylor

Buying nice things

A black pair of over the ear headphones

I don’t really buy nice things. Except when I do.

Aside from some necessary outdoorsy items in Vancouver Island, I haven’t purchased any new clothes since 2019. I shop at Goodwill and the Dollar Store.

Here’s where my money tends to go:

  1. Food

  2. Books

  3. Events—shows, trips

  4. Airbnbs

  5. Tech (which are usually business expenses)

I’d love a Tesla as much as the next American. But if I had $1m to get a new car, I’d still probably get a used 2016 Honda Civic. Paid in full.

In short, I don’t care about “living luxuriously.” I don’t have an Instagram. Humbly bragging about my income on this blog is all the dopamine I need.

BUT.

There’s a piece of advice from Tim Ferriss that’s stayed with me over the years:

For things you use on a daily basis, bite the bullet and pay for high quality.

I don’t count a car in this category, because a new car payment can simply bleed us of money. But this week, I bought a new mattress and a new pair of headphones.

I figured a week of Covid isolation was the perfect time to invest in these things. My mid-grade mattress was super firm and I was waking up several times a month with neck and back pain. My old wired earbuds were itchy and didn’t keep the noise out.

Were these purchases absolutely 100% necessary? No.

But my God am I happy with them.

I melt into this new mattress. I’m wearing these headphones right now. I can’t even hear my fingers type on the keyboard. They keep the world away and I’ve never felt more focused.

The best thing? Both these items will hopefully last me several years. I don’t have to think about them for a while.

The next plan is to buy a new desk and desk chair when I move to NYC. Stay tuned.

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