Jump to content

Tribe of Mentors? What's best purchase under $50?


Nell-e

Recommended Posts

For those of you familiar with the Tim Ferriss book, "Tribe of Mentors", he asks a bunch of successful people a list of questions.  One of the questions is "What's your best purchase under $50?"

 

I thought of this after I purchased a vegetable steamer.  I absolutely hate vegetables.  It's probably the trait I have most in common with Buffett.  The steamer makes vegetables tolerable and if it gets me to eat healthier and reduces my risk of cancer, diabetes, etc, it most likely would be my best purchase.

 

So what's your best purchase under $50?

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

She took one look at you paying for that pizza and thought, "This guy has a five-year plan"  ;D ;D ;D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those of you familiar with the Tim Ferriss book, "Tribe of Mentors", he asks a bunch of successful people a list of questions.  One of the questions is "What's your best purchase under $50?"

 

I thought of this after I purchased a vegetable steamer.  I absolutely hate vegetables.  It's probably the trait I have most in common with Buffett.  The steamer makes vegetables tolerable and if it gets me to eat healthier and reduces my risk of cancer, diabetes, etc, it most likely would be my best purchase.

 

So what's your best purchase under $50?

 

Depends on what you value most!

 

Best value:  I bought a Spiderman comic book in 1978 for $1.25, when I was 9, which I still own today and it's worth about $1,700-1,800...20% compounded over 40 years.  I read it only once when I bought it, otherwise it remains in mint condition.

 

Best emotional value:  Five dollars I spent in January of 1991 at Army Navy Department Store in downtown Vancouver, when I bought my father a pair of galoshes for his shoes, and then we went and had fries and gravy with some coffee in the basement of Woodward's Department store...it was the last thing I bought for him before he died in April of that year.

 

Best changed my life:  Invested $25/month in AIC's Value Fund back in 1994...whose annual report I read in 1998, and which held Berkshire...which led to me reading Buffett's 1998 letter on their website...which led to me joining the Motley Fool's message board in 1998 for free...which led to me buy Berkshire shares in 1999...which led to the MSN Message Board...which led me to Fairfax...which led me to start Corner Market Capital...which led to starting CofBF...which led to taking over PDH...the remainder of the story is unfinished!

 

Cheers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those of you familiar with the Tim Ferriss book, "Tribe of Mentors", he asks a bunch of successful people a list of questions.  One of the questions is "What's your best purchase under $50?"

 

I thought of this after I purchased a vegetable steamer.  I absolutely hate vegetables.  It's probably the trait I have most in common with Buffett.  The steamer makes vegetables tolerable and if it gets me to eat healthier and reduces my risk of cancer, diabetes, etc, it most likely would be my best purchase.

 

So what's your best purchase under $50?

 

Depends on what you value most!

 

Best value:  I bought a Spiderman comic book in 1978 for $1.25, when I was 9, which I still own today and it's worth about $1,700-1,800...20% compounded over 40 years.  I read it only once when I bought it, otherwise it remains in mint condition.

 

Best emotional value:  Five dollars I spent in January of 1991 at Army Navy Department Store in downtown Vancouver, when I bought my father a pair of galoshes for his shoes, and then we went and had fries and gravy with some coffee in the basement of Woodward's Department store...it was the last thing I bought for him before he died in April of that year.

 

Best changed my life:  Invested $25/month in AIC's Value Fund back in 1994...whose annual report I read in 1998, and which held Berkshire...which led to me reading Buffett's 1998 letter on their website...which led to me joining the Motley Fool's message board in 1998 for free...which led to me buy Berkshire shares in 1999...which led to the MSN Message Board...which led me to Fairfax...which led me to start Corner Market Capital...which led to starting CofBF...which led to taking over PDH...the remainder of the story is unfinished!

 

Cheers!

 

I won't even try to top any of this.

 

Especially the "Best emotional value" - reminds me of my Grandfather & makes me cry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

 

I did something similar on a first date when I was a freshman in college. Made sense to me because as a college student I didn't have a lot of money.

 

Never got to a second date. I blame it on the coupon and nothing else!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

 

I took my wife to a skating rink with a half-off coupon.

 

She called me a cheap skate.

 

;D  ;)  8)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

 

I did something similar on a first date when I was a freshman in college. Made sense to me because as a college student I didn't have a lot of money.

 

Never got to a second date. I blame it on the coupon and nothing else!

 

Sounds like you may have saved money on more than just the pizza.

 

"I ain't sayin' she a gold digger..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

 

I did something similar on a first date when I was a freshman in college. Made sense to me because as a college student I didn't have a lot of money.

 

Never got to a second date. I blame it on the coupon and nothing else!

 

It’s natural selection at work. if she can get past it, she is keeper!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

 

I took my wife to a skating rink with a half-off coupon.

 

She called me a cheap skate.

 

;D  ;)  8)

not on a first date (I don't think dating is usual in my country, most people never had a first date), but I did buy my wife´s engagement ring with a coupon (she thought I was taking too long and she bought the magazine herself  just for the coupon ;D...) however even with the coupon it did cost about 100$ so it doesn't qualify for the thread

 

best sub 50 buys? I would go for the wearables: food, water, shelter, a long warm daily bath... Other than those I wasn't able to remember a single one since this thread has started.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I bought a pizza on my first date with my future wife. I even used to coupon to bring the price down further. It’s was much less than $50 as well. Come to think about it, she did mention the use of a coupon a couple of time later on. So, I think using the coupon to bring down the price by $4 or thereabouts wasn’t a good idea.

 

I took my wife to a skating rink with a half-off coupon.

 

She called me a cheap skate.

 

;D  ;)  8)

not on a first date (I don't think dating is usual in my country, most people never had a first date), but I did buy my wife´s engagement ring with a coupon (she thought I was taking too long and she bought the magazine herself  just for the coupon ;D...) however even with the coupon it did cost about 100$ so it doesn't qualify for the thread

 

best sub 50 buys? I would go for the wearables: food, water, shelter, a long warm daily bath... Other than those I wasn't able to remember a single one since this thread has started.

 

 

Interesting.  I'm curious, if there is no dating, how do you go from not knowing someone to knowing that you wish to marry them?

 

A short while after my wife and I started dating I bought her roses (less than $50 back in 1990) and she yelled at me about how much I spent.  Saying it was stupid because they were just going to die in a few days and she doesn't need gifts anyway.  I knew then that I'd end up marrying her.  It was my first value investment which is still paying dividends to this day.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...