You aren't "investing" your money, you're spending it.

[Torak]

I hate it when people say they are "investing" in the purchase of some sort of pricey consumable item.

I'd be interested to see your ROI on that £500 baby sling. 🙄

Gifting is another one I hate. But today I'm irritable about investing.

Terry Pratchett obv! Teddy Pratchett first editions are probably worth as much as a Rodex watch. 😂😂

I don’t think OP is really talking about people who literally treat expensive watches and handbags as an investment along the lines of buying and selling shares, or gold, or wine, or other things of that nature.

I think (correct me if I’m wrong OP) they mean people using the word ‘investment’ to justify any expensive purchase, especially items that they will eventually use and wear out and replace.

I would argue that an ‘investment’ isn’t just about money though, it can be about your time and energy and enjoyment too. So someone might see a Peloton bike as an investment in their health, or a new computer as an investment in their child’s education, or… I don’t know, a robot vacuum cleaner as an investment that will give them more time and energy to spend on other things.

I would have said that if I was buying baby/kid stuff and tossing up whether to get a cheap or standard version that would last 1 kid or an exy one that would last for 4 kids and still be able to be passed on. Same principle with things like my coats, shoes etc.

@PollyPage

We have 12 rolexes, worth about 10 to 20k each. I have 4 1980s chanel bags, one owned by someone famous and dead, total worth around 30k. I'm not saying it's the type of house I would care to live in but a house none the less. Do you really care enough to want photos? I can't really be flagged to offer proof to someone who clearly has no idea of assets as they probably don't have any.

Are you some sort of octopus?! Who needs 12 watches.

@MissBPotter

Haha yeah I see people saying ‘an investment piece’ for something expensive. How many handbags/coats/dresses go UP in value or make you money?! I think it’s a marketing tool. It’s just spending as you say. Maybe it’s worth it to get good quality that will last for years, but highly unlikely to be an investment.

Actually do have clothing that I no longer fit into that I bought in the 80s that I was looking at EBay prices the other day and they have gone up. I bought good quality and top designer brands of clothing mainly in their sales that I did wear for years. (Unfortunately no amount of dieting and exercise will push my ribcage back into position after Ds or Dd or both pushed my left side ribcage so it now sticks out at a strange angle when they were dancing away inside me)

I am very careful where and how I spend money as I am on a fixed income and any savings have got to last me as I am not in a position to add to them. Plus I want to use some of them to help my children get on the housing ladder.
But for me there are some things worth spending more on. Not so much clothes as I don’t really go anywhere that I need fancy stuff but on household good. I paid more for my sofa as I wanted British made rather than imported half way across Europe, good quality mattress as sleep is important and I am getting to the age where a cheap mattress means I get out of the bed in the morning practically bent double with back pain and Good quality garden tools as cheap just don’t last. But I am happy with beko kitchen appliances as I have always found them good quality.
At the moment I am waiting for my survey on roof solar panels. If I get a survey that says my roof is suitable then I will be getting them as this is an investment into my future energy needs. I invested in a new boiler last year as it would save me 30% on heating costs but unfortunately that has been swallowed up with the price increases.

YABU an investment is anything that yields long term benefits. They don't necessarily have to be financial. A piece of furniture, equipment, handbag or (possibly) clothing could be described as an investment. Food or travel cannot. Often "investment" is used in a relative way eg for a piece of clothing when by paying more it lasts longer.

On the other hand, I'm sure people do use it to justify unnecessary spending. I doubt a £500 baby sling is a worthwhile investment for most people compared to a cheaper version.

I think things like an instant pot can be an investment if day they save you money by eg stopping you buying ready meals. I’m that case there would be a measurable ROI.

Dictionary definition of investment: the action or process of investing money for profit.

In economics investment is buying capital (ie a physical thing to do/ make something from).

But even if you were right the OP is still being daft.

It's it also a good way of justifying kidding yourself that an expensive purchase is truly worth it?

It entirely depends on what the item is.

I agree that most of the time it’s just an annoying phrase and you won’t get a ROI.

BUT, DP collects watches, every one he has is worth more now than what he paid for it.
His ‘collection’ is valued at >££££ he paid for them, and he gets to wear them and enjoy them.
If/when we sell them we will definitely make more profit than we ever would have if the money had been sitting in a bank account gaining interest.

So yes I would call them an investment.

I think investment pieces are things you will use for many years and work out cheaper than replacing cheaper items every other year.
I bought when I started work a black work skirt that was very expensive. £20) I still have it and wore it till I became pregnant at 38.
Other people I worked with would buy a new one every year for a fiver. 21 years at £5 per year = £105 as opposed to my £20 outlay. And I probably could get my money back for it as it is a certain designer.

A new piece of Apple technology an investment? No. A piece of expensive but highly sought after branded jewellery (as long as it's silver, platinum or gold) probably yes.

@KTheGrey

Is a sheepskin coat an investment then? Am totally looking for an excuse to buy one.

In Siberia, you can obtain a mortgage for a fur coat but that's judged as a survival aid in the cold.

A long fur coat can cost more than $1550 (£1000), beyond the purse of many people where the average wage is the equivalent of $600 (£400) a month. You can take out a mortgage on a fur coat - banks will lend to enable people to buy the garment they need.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11875131

I do have some nice bags & tbh any Ive sold on have sold for what Ive paid or a bit more. I don't really consider them investment pieces as I wear them & Im not precious as opposed to keeping them safe & pristine.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

It's it also a good way of justifying kidding yourself that an expensive purchase is truly worth it?

Agree - I think people are misunderstanding the OP and taking this very personally.

I love Instagram fashion accounts, but whenever I hear ‘investment piece’ you know the clothes company wants you to buy 3 coats in different colours this winter and then a couple of lighter versions for spring.

Is anyone else wondering where you can buy a black skirt suitable for work for a fiver?

I think even £20 is cheap for a work skirt.

Yabu. The definition of investment reaches far wider than turning a profit (Cambridge dictionary).

I’ve invested in various things and I’ve felt the benefits physically, financially and emotionally.

Oh yeah my lego & wooden toy stuff has excellent resale value.

You have clearly touched a nerve OP!

I've changed my vote from yanbu to yabu, but only on the strength of the "good shoes and coat" arguments.

Otherwise yanbu and I look forward to your "gifting" rant!

@Whiskersonkittens21 see up thread comments about this. You don't buy Rolexes to wear them generally.

A fur coat is rarely a good investment because fashion and culture changes.

My stepmother (European) recently left me her old mink coat when she died. It must be 40 years old and probably cost over £1000 when her first husband bought it for her. I couldn't sell it now for more than about £250.

@Sally872

Ffs investing in clothes means spending more per item in the hope it lasts longer than cheaper items. Many can't afford to do this. Those who say this are normally justifying spending on themselves which the shouldn't.

Nobody is investing in a coat expecting a financial return if they had to sell it. You're being ridiculous.

That’s not entirely true. My DS buys clothes from Depop and sells them for more than he bought them for. Lots of brands that young people like do very limited ‘drops’ that sell out within hours and then sell the following day, or a few months later, for double, so he has often bought eg a coat or specific pair of shoes that he loves, worn them for a few weeks/months and then sold them for more. Same with guitars, especially second hand ones - and in fact one of his cars (an old 1980s BMW which went up in value during the year he owned it!)

Plenty of things are in low supply and increase in value

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea

To be fair, while I don't know what it is like now, there was a time when some slings were so in demand you could sell them second hand for more than they cost new.

Weird one, my baby sling wasn’t an investment but I did sell it for more than I paid for it (long time ago)

My mom bought expensive baby clothes and they didn’t resell well at all (Mostly Ralph Lauren)