This week's homework

At this link here:  Weekend Assignment #95: The Best Money You Ever Spent , Scalzi gives us this week's homework. 

This week's special Weekend Assignment was suggested by Teeisme57:

"My ex-husband always said the best 10 bucks he ever spent was buying his dog, Ace, from the local animal shelter. What's the best money you've ever spent? Whether it's something you love, something you use all the time or something that doesn't owe you a nickel, what is it?"

"Extra Credit: Aside from food, what's the next purchase you plan to make?"

Thanks for the question, Teeisme57 -- that's a tough one.

Hmm.  My cat was free.  (Neener.)

I would be quite tempted to say my education -- excepting my parents spent that money (thanks Mom & Dad) and I'm not sure it's the best money they ever spent.  It's certainly in the running for the best money ever spent on me, which is saying something.  I mean, I sure wouldn't be where I am today without that law degree.  Or the college degree, come to think of it.

And while there are a few other obvious candidates here (my home, my car, my computers...), I think that I have to go with:  my featherbed.

I mean, if you're going to spend 8 hours a day participating in a single activity (that would be sleep, people -- minds out of the gutter), I figure you might as well splurge a bit on giving yourself the best possible environment for said activity.  Ever since I bought myself my nice gushy featherbed, I've turned into a stomach-sleeper, and I've slept way more soundly.  I've probably always been a stomach-sleeper-trapped-inside-a-side-sleeper-with-a-hard-mattress, and the featherbed has given me night after night of warm, soft, sleeping comfort.  Well worth the eighty bucks.

As for the Extra Credit question, I'm not exactly sure of the next purchase I'll be making.  It's likely to be some airline tickets (as there are no less than three trips in the planning stages right now -- something for my father's 70th birthday, a trip to my cousin's wedding, and a "ski" trip with friends.  That latter being in quotes as I've never skied.  Perhaps that should say a "trying not to run into a tree and end up sitting in the lodge sipping hot chocolate with my leg in a cast" trip with friends.)