That's awesome about the bald eagles!

Technology is one of the things I spend money on and then regret. Phones and stuff that quickly slips into planned obsolescence.

But then there are things like the Nook, which I have been using daily for years now. So I wonder about tablets and whatnot.

The Vimes theory of boots has really been true for me. But I think it's time to realize that the last pair of Docs I bought is super lovely but is never going to fit me right or "break in" and I should probably just acknowledge that the uk sizing without halves just doesn't fit me. But it's sad because I have had Docs that were comfortable or that I could work with insoles and stuff. Dunno if it's the zipper on this one or what, but it just doesn't work.

I bought a new pair of slip on shoes to replace the Earth shoes and they're nice but not quite as comfy as the Earths.

I just remembered another rule of thumb for quality from my friend Claudine, who used to be a buyer for Gap.

I asked her to breakdown the difference between Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic and she could cite exactly how many stitches per inch there was for each brand.

Another example was that for assembly line production on clothes they cut out all the pieces on a big machine. The bigger the stack of fabric that the machine is cutting through the more it would get slightly off-register from the top piece to the bottom piece.

So Banana Republic wouldn't cut more than twelve pieces at a time, whereas Old Navy would stack it one hundred high. So the fit would be more variable.

Things like that.

I have a jacket that cost my parents s fortune in 1991 but I still wear it ever winter. It was made by Pategonia and was worth it.

I'm going to buy a new lens that I don't need this morning.

Timelies all!

The single most expensive item of clothing I own is my wedding dress. Other than that, I don't think I have spent more than $200 on any single item of clothing or shoes.(With shoes, well Easy Spirit doesn't get that expensive, and I can't find shoes in my size anywhere else.)

I'm not big into the whole oooooooh, shoes! thing. My sister and niece are. But the shoes I do buy tend to be two to three times as expensive as theirs because I want them to last forever. And I probably have less than half the number of shoes that either of them have. It helps that I don't care whether or not they're fashionable.

Some things I think are worth the investment because you tend to wear them every day: coat, glasses, haircut.

I concur with all of these, especially glasses. Though expensive haircuts break the rule of "pay once for quality vs replace cheap stuff multiple times" because a pricey haircut will grow out at exactly the same rate as a cheap one.

Also worth paying for - quality furniture. I was almost 30 before I figured out that cheap IKEA furniture was cheap for a reason. We finally bought a grown-up couch and that one's lasted us 10 years and counting.

I buy Danskos, which I think are expensive, but do not reach the level of Desigber shoe prices. However, they allow me to stand upright and walk without pain. I do wear them out in about a year because my right leg drags a little and I wear fown the heel to the point that I keep turning my ankle

I think there are a lot of decent haircuts to be had at reasonable prices. The best haircut I've ever had (from a fancy fancy hairdresser) was incredible, but was it 8 times (or whatever) better than my usual? No.

Actually, I think that's how I try to judge things, more than on their innate goodness: Value per dollar, compared to other things in the category. Which is why I couldn't even bring myself to try on $200 jeans the other day. I just can't believe they are that much better than the $80 ones I can buy on sale.

Calli is me WRT shoes. My shoe buying habits also changed drastically when I started having foot problems (neuroma, plantar fascitis). Shoes with good support and structure are pricey, but way less pricey than foot surgery. I do miss wearing heels, though.

Tom, with the kind of photography you're doing, I'd consider a new lens to be a darned good investment.

Also worth paying for - quality furniture.

Very much this. My 'new' couch is actually a top-of-the-line one my mom and dad bought 30 years ago. It needs re-upholstering, but the frame is solid and the lines are gorgeous.