People Are Sharing "Impulsive And Expensive" Purchases That They Have No Regrets Over, And Several Threw Me For A Loop

In my opinion, no matter how money-savvy a person is, almost everyone has made at least one impulsive purchase that cost more than they expected to spend.

Cosmopolitan / Via giphy.com

Sometimes, that pricey purchase could end up being something you realize you can't live without in hindsight — or something that changed your life for the good. I asked the BuzzFeed Community: What is the most random, expensive thing you've spent a lot of money on but don't regret? The responses were honestly, quite surprising! Here are some of them.

Note: Some of these responses have been edited for length and clarity.

1."I was earning minimum wage at the time and once spent the equivalent of over two months' wages on a VIP ticket to 'An Evening With Arnold Schwarzenegger' here in the UK, which was a fancy black-tie dinner with Arnold being interviewed onstage by a well-known British TV presenter. I got to sit at the front table, a professional photo with Arnold, and spend some time in the backstage area where Arnold and I had a short conversation where he complimented the fancy cowboy boots I was wearing and signed a rare The Terminator poster for me. The Terminator is my all-time favorite film, and Arnold has been a hero of mine since I was 12, so this was a huge deal for me."

2."I bought a movie projector for about $1K. I love movies, and that’s really all I ever do. I now prefer my own bed over movie theaters."

—brelightyear

3."A boob job and veneers, over $20K spent. I got each procedure almost exactly a year apart from each other. Definitely not a need but I LOVE them, and they make me so confident, secure, and happy. By far the best money I've ever spent."

—Anonymous, 31

4.A $500 automatic litter robot. We haven’t scooped our litter box in three years. Worth every single penny we spent on it, and we’re looking at getting a second one. If you have cats and hate cleaning the litter box, it’s a must!"

—Ali, 27

5."A safari in Tanzania. Booked it in about 30 minutes two weeks ago. One of the best moves I’ve made. I didn’t realize how much stress [I had] from two years of COVID and not being able to see my friends and family. (I am posted overseas.) The trip was literally a breath of fresh air after being in a strict lockdown in my country and helped restore some faith in mankind. It is wonderful to see what the good people of Tanzania are doing to actively preserve and protect our earth and its creatures."

"I had countless heartfelt conversations about local struggles due to the pandemic and came away buoyed by the natural beauty and the deep sense of human and Earth history. I am absolutely in awe of what a beautiful planet we have both in physical beauty as well as the kind of people."

—katherineballard1

6."A king-size bed with linen sheets and duvet cover cost me over $1,000 for everything, but I don't regret it even a tiny bit."

—Anonymous

7."Impulsively bought a next-night stay at an expensive hotel in Denver for myself and my husband. This happened on a Friday night, and I booked it for Saturday. Luckily, my parents obliged in taking our toddler. I'm glad I did it. While we love our son, it was nice to get some private time away. We slept in late and had brunch and spent the afternoon exploring the city."

—mcoates38

8."I decided to go on a three-week study abroad trip to Thailand to study vet medicine. I put about $4K on my credit card. It ended up being more than just an amazing experience to put on my resume. I learned about myself, my goals, my morals, and my beliefs. That trip changed my world forever. So no, I don't regret it one bit."

9."A Facebook friend shared a photo of a dog that was up for adoption. A few days before I had asked the universe to send me a second dog that needed a home. I messaged the foster, asked a few questions, filled out the forms, and adopted her less than eight hours later. Best impulse purchase ever. It’s worth every vet bill and dollar spent."

—Anonymous, 33

10."My GE Opal Ice Maker (the Sonic ice). It was stupidly expensive for a poor teacher like me, but my whole family uses it every day. I love filling my cup before work each day and having good ice all day long. It makes all our drinks feel fancy. We can chew ice with abandon. It was completely unnecessary, and now I don’t think I could live without it! Worth every stinkin’ penny!!!"

11."I spent almost every dime I had to fly to Europe to see my dying uncle — and I don’t regret it. My uncle was one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known, the absolute kindest man, insanely smart, funny, and caring. He made everyone he loved KNOW that he loved them. He was just an incredibly amazing person. He was German and lived through World War II and was incredibly close to my grandparents, who both fought for the US, and he spent a lot of his life dedicated to making sure younger German generations understood the severity of what had happened there."

"He was diagnosed with cancer when I was in my teens, and after college I was struggling financially, working multiple bar jobs when it became apparent he wasn’t going to live much longer. I had a friend who worked for an airline at the time, and she helped me get a less expensive ticket, but I had to fly in and out of different countries than he lived in and find buses to get between cities in languages I didn’t speak. I definitely took a chance on finances by spending over $1,000 to go see him for the last time (and losing one of my jobs for taking time to go), but I have zero regrets, other than wishing I could have done it many more times before he was gone."

—Anonymous

12."I managed to get into a really good financial position during the pandemic. I paid off all my debts and credit cards, and working from home full time meant less spending. So I decided to treat myself to a home gym."

13."It's not really expensive, but on a very tight budget, $129 was a splurge for me. I bought a Cosori multifunctional oven to replace my basic toaster oven, and I have zero regrets. The new oven replaces an air fryer, toaster oven, dehydrator, grill, pizza oven, and rotisserie, and I kid you not, it's easily my favorite appliance now! Just the rotisserie feature alone makes it worth every single penny."

—Amy, 54

14."Buying first-class rail tickets for a trip to London instead of standard fare. It cost about double, but I don’t regret a thing. I have an anxiety disorder so being in the spacious first-class carriage rather than standard was a huge relief. Plus you got access to free food and alcohol."

15."A few years back I paid $1,000 for a gaming laptop with my tax returns. I needed a good laptop for school for game development and animation but didn't have the room for a desktop computer. That laptop ran so smoothly for the rest of the time while I was in school. I didn't even bother using the school computers. It was definitely worth the money."

—loweithia

16."So at the end of last year, I went through a massive episode of depression. This devastated my hefty collection of houseplants, many of which were rare, imported, and expensive. I adjusted my meds and started therapy, came out of the fog, and saw the houseplant wasteland. After the painful process of throwing out dozens of now-dead plants — some of which I’d grown from pieces of stem or seeds — I took a few months to breathe and adjust."

17."A $930 Moncler dress. I went into the store not even knowing that dresses could get THAT expensive. I thought it would be around $200–$250. Almost shit my pants at the register, but I was already in love with the dress and how it looked on me by then."

—luciar4fc2aff82

18."I impulsively bought a Peloton bike despite having a perfectly fine and much cheaper spin bike that I was already using. It’s been over a year, and I don’t regret it one bit. Peloton changed my life. It helped me lose 30 pounds and opened up a whole new world of fitness for me. I use my Peloton about five days a week, and when I’m not on the bike I’m doing some of their strength or yoga classes. This impulsive buy has increased my confidence and helped ease my anxiety. Best purchase ever."

Peloton / Via giphy.com

—Anonymous

19."A gorgeous orange 2018 Chevrolet Equinox that was a lease turn-in with less than 10,000 miles on the odometer with all-wheel drive. Her name is Georgia, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world."

—betherick85

20."I recently purchased a replica of a stuffed animal I have had since my birth. It is an original and hasn't been manufactured since the early 2000s. I just really love my stuffed (but by now, outworn) animal. Just so I can have a new one to have for the rest of my life, I bought a collectible factory new stuffed animal and do not regret it one bit because it reminds me so much of everything I love! I asked my mom what it cost back then, and I paid more than double the price now — still worth it!"

—Sofia, 26

21."My first Gucci purse! I never thought I would want to afford a high-end luxury item, but I got a bonus check, and I decided to treat myself. I know it may be dumb to spend almost a grand on an item to hold your things, but when I look at it, I see all the hard work I have done."

22."When I was 23 and fresh out of any obligations from college, I wanted to travel abroad. I found an agency that would help you find work while traveling. I filled out the standard contact form stating that I would like to visit New Zealand. They called me the next day, gave me their pitch, and by the end of the day, I had paid this company about $1,500. I was so afraid it was a scam the whole way through the process, but it turned out just fine."

"Basically, what the company does is help you through the entire visa application process as well as the hiring process in the country of your choice, so you arrive with a job already. I was going to be an au pair (foreign nanny) and so they helped me set up a profile and interview with families. It was my first time doing a long-term trip with a visa, so the peace of mind was worth the money. I lived in New Zealand for a year, loved my family that I lived with (they even gave me a car to use while I was there), and I traveled around the country every weekend when I wasn't working! Best $1,500 I ever spent."

—Mallorie, 30

23."At the beginning of the pandemic, I was pretty isolated. I was self-employed and I have an autoimmune disease, so I found myself housebound and without much work. I started watching all the seasons of Top Gear and The Grand Tour and suddenly remembered how much I used to love learning about cars. A month later, I bought a BMW. Honestly, that car saved my sanity. When I couldn't go anywhere or see anyone and I was crazy with cabin fever, I could hop in that car and cruise up the highway with the windows down and music blasting, and for a while, I could forget about the world."

BMW / Via giphy.com

—Sara, 39

24."So many stuffed animals. I have really bad anxiety and they bring me comfort to hold and snuggle. Whenever I see a particularly cute and fluffy one, I’ll get it. Fast-forward to me having 20."

—stellarstella64

25.My guitar. I had gone into the vintage guitar store intending to window shop, not drop almost $1K. I picked the guitar up and plucked a couple of strings. I just had a gut feeling that it was meant to be. This thing is my most prized possession and truly feels like an extension of my body. Every song I’ve ever written and been proud of came out of this guitar. I would carry it out from a burning house before saving anything else I own (except the cat)."

26."Chili Sleep/Ooler. I'm a VERY hot sleeper, and living in the deep South I basically wouldn't get a good night's sleep all summer. I ordered the Ooler, which is basically a mattress pad with tiny tubes running through it and a machine that cools the water and pushes it through the tubes to keep it at the temperature you want."

"The mattress pad cost more than my mattress did, but it was so worth it. You can set it between 55 and 90 degrees and have consistent sleeping temps, and it probably pays for itself with what I've saved being able to keep the AC lower at night and better health from better sleep. No regrets, I tell everyone I know about it."

—violetbaudelairegt

27."My espresso machine!!! I love it so much, and it actually saves me a lot of time and money, so it's the greatest purchase ever."

28."I bought a puppy at the height of COVID without doing a minute of research about the breed. I saw a couple of pictures, knew that it was a reputable breeder my friends got their pup from them, another friend — who is a lifelong animal activist endorsed them — fell in love, spent $3,600, and a year and a half later, I don’t regret it one bit."

—comment1

29."A house. It probably doesn't count as impulsive as the actual purchase took a few months, but I got annoyed after a neighbor in the apartment complex told me I laughed too loud. The next day I started the process of buying a house. I moved, am now renting it out, but impulsive it is not because it's a really great investment!"

—fredadek

30."My car was breaking down, and I went to have it fixed, and walked out with a Jeep. Best investment ever; I love my Jeep."

—troopahtrooper

Have you ever made an impulsive purchase that you are extremely happy with in hindsight? Tell me in the comments below!

Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.