The Best Money I Ever Spent: Experts Weigh In on These 7 Purchases From Reddit Users

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Everyone loves a good deal and getting the most bang for our buck. So when Reddit users started sharing stories about the best purchases they’ve ever made, we took note. From life-changing home gadgets to fun musical instruments, these everyday folks highlighted the game-changing buys that had made a huge impact on their lives.

GOBankingRates then spoke with experts to evaluate the worthiness of Reddit’s most raved-about buys. Read on for their hot takes on seven fan-favorite products that Redditors say gave them the absolute best value ever.

Collectibles

In one Reddit thread, Applecity82 wrote, “A guy offered me a bunch of football cards and he wanted $100 for them. I knew I could get $90 just for one of them. I ended up selling all of them for around $425 bucks. That was 20 years ago. I would today have told him what it was worth and gave more. But at 17 I figured it was his fault not mine that he made such a dumb choice.”

Trae Bodge, a smart shopping expert at Truetrae.com, shared that buying things for less than you know they’re worth is always money well-spent as long as you know where you can sell them for a profit.

“A quick Google search can give you a sense for how much things are selling for and then it’s just a matter or being a savvy seller on a site like eBay or knowing of the right site to sell to so you can turn a profit,” she continued. “A good example of such a site is MPB.com, which specializes in the buying/selling of used camera and videography equipment and it’s so easy to use. Let them know what you have, and they provide an estimate and a free shipping label. If your item arrives to them as promised, they pay you via direct deposit in two days.”

Fitbit

Reddit user NerdularNerdence wrote, “A Fitbit Versa 2. It’s helped me lose weight and track sleep.”

Bodge shared that any item that helps you establish healthy habits is a wise way to spend $100. “Especially because good health is far less expensive than ill health,” she said. 

“When considering which fitness/sleep tracker to buy, make sure it has all the features you want and make sure it pairs with your smartphone or computer so you can get the most use out of it,” she continued. “Before you buy, make sure to look for ways to save on your device. I find Slickdeals to be a helpful tool for this — you can enter the name of the tracker in the search bar and several options to save will pop up, If you’re not in a rush, you can also use Slickdeals to set a Deal Alert for the tracker you want and you’ll receive a notification when it goes on sale.”

Musical Instruments

In another thread, a Reddit user said, “I bought a ukulele with $100! It’s my best purchase because unlike other musical instruments, I just kept coming back to play the ukulele and it has kept me relatively happy through tough patches.”

Bodge responded: “Spending $100 on something you will use regularly AND that will bring you joy is a great investment! For musical instruments, in particular, see if you can find one that is gently-used rather than buying new. You can find used instruments on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, as well as at your local music shop. Sam Ash sells used instruments, as do websites, like MusicGoRound, Sweetwater, and Reverb.”

Musical instruments are big on the Reddit threads. User MemeManThomas said, “Bought a Squier Strat. I try to play it every day.”

Daniel Szczesniak of All Gifts Considered shared, “For those who are willing to put in the work, musical instruments are a great buy…You can find an entry-level version of just about any popular instrument on Amazon for about a hundred bucks, or a halfway decent used instrument at your local music store, pawn shop, or on Facebook Marketplace. As a longtime guitar player myself, there are few things you love as much as your first guitar, and the Squier Stratocaster is a beginner classic that you really can’t beat.”

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

In the same thread, another user shared, “I woke up hung over a couple years ago to the realization I had bought a Fallout 4 Christmas sweater the night before. Best drunk buy ever.”

Szczesniak doesn’t think this is the best use of money. “I’m glad this person liked their Fallout sweater, but so-called ‘ugly’ Christmas sweaters are so overdone that they’ve become a meme, and a bad one at that,” he shared. “The problem is that, for every theme or interest (Fallout 4, Snoop Dogg, llamas with sunglasses, Dunder Mifflin) there are cheap ‘sweaters’ that are really just sweatshirts with screen printing or cheaply made imports. You can find a Christmas sweater with a fun theme on uglychristmassweater.com, but I can’t even find what materials they use (‘crafted from soft, high-quality materials’) or where they’re made. Instead, I’d recommend finding someone on Etsy or getting a friend to hand-knit a sweater. It can still have a fun theme, but the fact that it was actually made by hand will far outlast the cheap novelty of these other products.”

A Special Meal

Another Reddit user shared that they spent money “on groceries and prepared a meal for someone.”

Szczesniak thinks this is a good purchase. “The time, effort, and money you spend on blessing someone else will always be more memorable and meaningful than what you buy for yourself. Keep your ears open for those who have lost a job, lost a loved one, are dealing with an illness, or have just had a baby.”

Home Improvement Help

In another thread, a Reddit user shared, “As a first time home owner, my electric screwdriver/drill. Saved my wrist on countless minor things I have to do.”

Szczesniak agrees that this is a good use of money. “Never underestimate the importance of basic equipment! An electric drill is the one power tool every homeowner needs. As a homeowner myself, [a] Dewalt drill has lasted me 15 years and has helped me complete countless home projects. It’s the ideal gift for first-time home buyers.”

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