what was your most NON-YMAM extravagance?

[Ombud]

Just spent $260 on a cake at the charity dinner!

[msventoux]

A few hundred on a fountain pen.  Possibly more than once. 

[Blonde Granny]

Having (2) 2015 Mercedes sitting in the garage.

[gooddecisions]

Right now it's all the overpriced order forms my co-workers are bringing in. It kills me to overpay for something I can get a trader's joes for a fraction of the price. There are 4 people peddling stuff right now and soon it will be neighborhood kids joining in. I can move past the kids pushing it at the grocery store, but I'm too weak to say no to co-workers and neighborhood kids. 

[haapai]

Bulbs.  The squirrels, chipmunks, and moles love me. 

[Deleted]

When going out to dinner I don't care about the price and with my love of seafood I usually end up ordering one of the most expensive things on the menu.

[resolution]

I just spent $90 on a whole bunch of low carb baking supplies (like almond flour and peanut flour) and I plan to throw out all the old baking supplies instead of storing them for when I get tired of the diet.

[jackb1117]

Turbo-charged luxury vehicle in the garage.

[joemilitary]

hookers and blow

[Tiny]

A Free Cat.

He had a handful of 'bad habits' - like pushing stuff off of other stuff. I lost a couple of pieces of expensive glassware (I lost about $1000 worth of Fenton, Northwood and Dugan pieces (Yeah, I should have put the 'good stuff' someplace safe after the first explosion and I did... he was a very persistent, clever cat.) Dozens of inexpensive knick knacks - bits of art work hit the floor as well. And alarm clocks, and lamps, and anything at all. His main job was to make sure that gravity was working correctly each and every day. He'd do this to entertain himself - even if no one was around to witness him clearing a shelf, table, mantle, counter, what ever...

He also like to throw up on expensive non washable things and his puke always seemed to stain stuff. Thankfully he ALWAYS used the litter box - and as long as the "lid/cover" was on it - he'd keep his butt in the box.

He had a $500 paw (declaw regrowth) back 15 years ago... so that was pretty expensive at the time. He also had a $500 tummy - total spent over time solving the puking problem.

I have to admit that cat loved me. I was the center of his universe. I fear I will never be loved like that again. Off all the pets I've had I miss him the most (even if his hobby was 'pushing things off of other things').

[tallguy]

My then-wife greeted me with, "I spent some money today." 

Me: "What did you buy?" 

Her: "I bought a hot dog.  It was only $250."

Me:  "Well for that price I hope you bought TWO hot dogs!"

We had talked about it, so I knew it was a possibility, but, $500 for the privilege of renting a tux to eat hot dogs.   

It looked like hundreds of symphony patrons had taken a wrong turn on their way to Benaroya Hall.

Dressed to impress in tuxedos and sequined dresses - and the occasional Mariner cap - more than 1,700 dapper baseball fans filed into Safeco Field last night for the Hot Dog Gala, a black-tie charity fund-raiser that unveiled no-frills cuisine in high-brow fashion.

For $250 a pop, it was a chance to tour the swanky new baseball stadium while sampling the new Mariner Dog and washing it down with champagne or sparkling cider.

After getting their fill of Mariner Dogs - not to mention a pricier smorgasbord that included shrimp, crab cakes and chicken satay - those in attendance were treated to a fireworks show and then allowed to wander around the stadium.

They sat in the dugout, lounged in the players clubhouse and took strolls around the upper decks as the HB Radke Swing Band played just behind center field.

The event was to raise money for United Way of King County and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

link

[bean29]

-rofl-I'm thinking the Patio DH put in this year, and you people are talking about $260 for a Cake or a few hundred for a fountain pen?

DH put in a paver patio, after he re-built the upper deck this summer.  IDK how much, because a lot of it is on his personal card, and I never saw the invoice for the pavers.  The deck was at least $5,000 and the patio is at least $8,000.  We just spent $1,000 to use up some of the leftover pavers and ran a sidewalk along the side of the garage, and to form an apron on the back of the 3rd car garage. 

We also bought new furniture this year.  We were due for it...we have been in this house for 10 years and lived with a sectional from our last house until we just couldn't get the stains out and it looked horrible.  2 leather sofas, a recliner, a TV Console and new furniture for MIL b/c our puppy tore her sofa - $5,000.  The new furniture for MIL was  a good deal - $800 at the most, and they provide "free" doggie daycare for our two dogs, so we just replaced her furniture.  We had bought the old stuff too.  We have  that in storage - 2 of the 3 pieces are in "like new" condition and will likely go to our son when he graduates from college.

The layout of my living room is so much better with the new furniture, I really am glad we bought the furniture.

When I was in the store checking on our furniture purchase, They had just put some patio furniture on clearance - 2 gliders with cushions and a gas firepit for $400.  I called DH and asked about it - and he said buy it.  Then I added 3 stand alone chairs and it raised the price of the set to $700.  It is all on our new deck and really works well, A set I was watching at Home depot had a glider, 2 chairs and a table and was $500.  The chairs did not have cushions either.  DH said he told me to buy it b/c he knew we were getting a refund of overpaid business taxes.

We did all this this year, b/c DD graduated from HS and her Grad party will be the last huge party we know we will have for a while.  The original Deck was a "temporary deck, and the patio fixed landscaping issues that needed to be dealt with. 

[tallguy]

-rofl-I'm thinking the Patio DH put in this year, and you people are talking about $260 for a Cake or a few hundred for a fountain pen?

I don't think it is the amount of the expense that is relevant, but rather the absurdity or the lack of real "benefit" accruing from the expense.  Sounds like you spent a lot (or he did) but you got a lot for it.

[mojothehelpermonkey]

Oct 18, 2015 12:37:47 GMT -5 Tiny said:

A Free Cat.

He had a handful of 'bad habits' - like pushing stuff off of other stuff. I lost a couple of pieces of expensive glassware (I lost about $1000 worth of Fenton, Northwood and Dugan pieces (Yeah, I should have put the 'good stuff' someplace safe after the first explosion and I did... he was a very persistent, clever cat.) Dozens of inexpensive knick knacks - bits of art work hit the floor as well. And alarm clocks, and lamps, and anything at all. His main job was to make sure that gravity was working correctly each and every day. He'd do this to entertain himself - even if no one was around to witness him clearing a shelf, table, mantle, counter, what ever...

He also like to throw up on expensive non washable things and his puke always seemed to stain stuff. Thankfully he ALWAYS used the litter box - and as long as the "lid/cover" was on it - he'd keep his butt in the box.

He had a $500 paw (declaw regrowth) back 15 years ago... so that was pretty expensive at the time. He also had a $500 tummy - total spent over time solving the puking problem.

I have to admit that cat loved me. I was the center of his universe. I fear I will never be loved like that again. Off all the pets I've had I miss him the most (even if his hobby was 'pushing things off of other things').

The "free" kitten that my SO found has been way more expensive than my friend's $35 Humane Society kitten.
-$100 to deflea, deworm and clean her up (Although a women in waiting room gave the receptionist $50 toward that bill because the kitten was so cute.)
-$200 for shots and another deworming
-$400 to get spayed and microchipped
She has gotten a lot less expensive over the past year. However,  just last month she ran up an $80 bill for a torn dew claw and next week she is scheduled for a booster shot. Good thing she is cute.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

These days, it is probably the wine pairings we attend each month.  Inevitably, we order a couple (or more) bottles of wine.  Some of the bottles are reasonably priced, but last one we went to we ordered 2 bottles of a $50 merlot, and a $43 Chardonnay.  Total bill for the night was just over $350.

[Deleted]

We've spent $15K YTD on travel and we're not done yet.   That includes a week in Iceland, but we also drove to 2 family weddings, both with overnight stops.  We took DS, DDIL and our baby granddaughter to one, paying for their hotel rooms and renting an SUV so we had enough room for all the baby stuff.  I flew to Ohio for a 50th anniversary picnic for my HS because they were bringing back some of the nuns who taught us.  DH and I spent a long weekend in wine country earlier this month.  We'll do our usual road trip to Myrtle Beach at Christmas to visit family.

Ordinarily our clothing expenses are so small they're a joke; most days I'm wearing a giveaway T-shirt from my huge collection of freebies.  I did, however, buy a pair of ostrich boots for $750.  I love them and wear them a lot.  Hey, it could have been worse.  I liked the caiman ones even better but they were $1150!

[buystoys]

This week, it's our new fence.  Hubby has drooled over the black metal fences since we moved here, but refused to pay the prices we were seeing.  A friend got a deal a couple of weeks ago and we are paying about 1/3 the price of the panels hubby priced for a built-to-spec, fully installed and painted fence.  Absolutely over the top for the street we live on, but hubby likes it so I'm good with it! 

ETA:  $1K on new trees and probably about $2.5K for irrigation on the back 1/3 of our yard.  At least the cranky neighbor has just stopped talking to us and gripes to everyone else. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Oct 17, 2015 23:53:40 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Just spent $260 on a cake at the charity dinner!

Oy vey! I could have baked you one for a little bit less.

Spent $125 on a distressed leather briefcase/computer bag. I bought it from the artist who made it, which made it a bit cheaper.

[seriousthistime]

Oct 17, 2015 23:53:40 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Just spent $260 on a cake at the charity dinner!

 Assuming it's a charity you support (and how can there be any other assumption?) look at it this way: you made a $250 donation and bought a $10 cake.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 18, 2015 15:10:54 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Oct 17, 2015 23:53:40 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Just spent $260 on a cake at the charity dinner!

Oy vey! I could have baked you one for a little bit less.

Spent $125 on a distressed leather briefcase/computer bag. I bought it from the artist who made it, which made it a bit cheaper.

That's not the point.  At the dinners we've been to, there is a table of goodies and each table you are seated at bids for choice of whichever cake.  How much you contribute gives you which choice of the desserts you get.  If you donate the most money,  you get first choice.

[Miss Tequila]

Oct 18, 2015 12:05:33 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

hookers and blow

Who pays for that? You just find the drunk girl at the bar...Err...not that I've ever been the drunk girl at the bar..

[Ombud]

Oct 18, 2015 15:33:51 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 18, 2015 15:10:54 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Oy vey! I could have baked you one for a little bit less.

Spent $125 on a distressed leather briefcase/computer bag. I bought it from the artist who made it, which made it a bit cheaper.

That's not the point.  At the dinners we've been to, there is a table of goodies and each table you are seated at bids for choice of whichever cake.  How much you contribute gives you which choice of the desserts you get.  If you donate the most money,  you get first choice.

there were 10 cakes auctioned off. Mine came with a bottle of tawny port. Wasn't very good but a good cause and shared with table

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 18, 2015 15:57:36 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Oct 18, 2015 15:33:51 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

That's not the point.  At the dinners we've been to, there is a table of goodies and each table you are seated at bids for choice of whichever cake.  How much you contribute gives you which choice of the desserts you get.  If you donate the most money,  you get first choice.

there were 10 cakes auctioned off. Mine came with a bottle of tawny port. Wasn't very good but a good cause and shared with table

Yeah, that's pretty much what happened.  I think that the last time we went to one, we (the table as a whole) paid $300 for 8 servings of creme brulee.  No port.

[Ombud]

Oct 18, 2015 16:29:31 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 18, 2015 15:57:36 GMT -5 Ombud said:

there were 10 cakes auctioned off. Mine came with a bottle of tawny port. Wasn't very good but a good cause and shared with table

Yeah, that's pretty much what happened.  I think that the last time we went to one, we (the table as a whole) paid $300 for 8 servings of creme brulee.  No port.

They had me take home the cake stand so I'm thinking of making an apple pie next year and having it auctioned off on that stand.

[MarleyKeezy78]

Our Wrangler Rubicon. But now we are planning on paying off some debts and getting a RV in a year or two to go with it   But at least we will save on hotels  

[whoami]

I ordered a $260 Japanese Wagyu 8 oz filet at Craftsteak at the MGM Grand in Vegas.  

It was good, but not $260 good. 

[whoisjohngalt]

Marrying a guy with  ALOT!!!! of debt

[taz157]

Marley - My DH would want your Jeep.  He had one several years as a second vehicle..  When it became the primary vehicle,he didn't like it as much so used it as a trade in another vehicle.  That happened 12.5 years ago and I haven't heard the end of it... 

[Deleted]

The $1,000 I donated to a local council candidate.  He may or may not win, but knowing I voted with my $$ against corruption and sleaze is worth it.  

[Deleted]

And probably the new 2016 Kia Soul I bought Friday    But it's gorgeous!