> $400 investment

Why is this word used to describe "pure financial loss" so often when talking about purchased luxury goods?

> Investment: the outlay of money usually for income or profit

Because the implication is that there is non-monetary profit. The person is describing it not as a loss but as an investment, because it was an investment in themselves and their ability to sleep at night and an investment in their child feeling safe and whatever other impossible-to-directly-price externalities were realized as a result of the monetary loss.

I suppose the problem is that there isn't a good word for this concept. I just find it interesting that, in my experience, this is only used in relation to luxury goods.

> in my experience, this is only used in relation to luxury goods.

Not really. You can also "invest" in personal relationships, for example, which implies neither a financial outlay nor an expectation of financial return.

When used in the context of purchasing consumer goods, I think it is most often used in the context of goods which are expensive (the financial outlay) and durable (ie, capable of providing enjoyment--analogous to profit--for a long time into the future). And of course those goods are more likely to be considered "luxury" goods.

In the case of a relationship, maybe it could be argued that you are profiting, in the currency being used: you get more positive interactions out than you put in. ;)

> this is only used in relation to luxury goods.

It isn't. People say it in regards to quality goods of all kinds - shoes, mattresses, food.

Because the value the item brought you was worth more than the money you exchanged for it. My Bose QC35s were one of the best investments I've ever made, lasting many years and very many loud plane rides. Or would you consider groceries a "pure financial loss" as well?

> Or would you consider groceries a "pure financial loss" as well?

Being healthy results in me being able to make more money, so it literally is an investment.

Investing in a luxury purse or basinet has no concept of profit, but can happily result in high value. Profit and value (or satisfaction) are not the same.

So goofy that you asked this with the "usually" right there in your own quote.

Investment in x% higher likelihood of your child's safety.

> It blows me away that people actually care how much other people spend on something at all.

It's an idle discussion thread about consumer electronics. Not an attack on the core of your personal identity.

It blows me away that even with the investiture of 100% of your intelligence and effort, at the peak of your personal ability, that you couldn't realize that I only said "It blows me away" because I was mocking the comment I replied to.

> It blows me away that people actually care how much other people spend on something at all

Well you can dislike this fact but there is nothing seems to be blown away about it. Because this is such a mundane fact about people.

Bro I'm not blown away, I just copied the parent comment to be equally hyperbolic about said mundane topic.

Have you looked into leasing your phone? You pay more per month but always have the latest upgrade. I'm curious about it too and am hoping you've done the numbers on it.

No I haven't. I typically just buy them up front every 2 or 3 gens and use them on whatever cheap provider I'm on at the time. Currently using Spectrum (also my home internet provider) for service.

>I usually sell my $1k phone after a couple years so I end up paying much less than $1k in the end, while getting a better phone out of it than had I just bought the $500 phone up front.

Yes, there are different ways to go about it. I buy the best phone of last year or the year before, and run it into the ground.

But is it just me, or are the changes so incremental now it's hard to justify a new model of any brand? Sure the processors get better etc, but I use my phone to browse the web, text/phone and email.