Money Well Spent

As a general rule, I do not like to spend money.  I do not have any particularly expensive hobbies, am pretty anti-materialistic in terms of clothing, cars, furnishings and other trappings.  That being said, there are some things that I have purchased over the years that I am 100% glad that I did.  One thing I did notice is that these mostly involved "experiences" rather than "things."  It certainly makes me consider carefully where I want to spend my money in the future, where I get personal value, and what types of things I later consider "wasteful."

In no particular order, here are the best expenditures that I have spent or spend money on.

• PRK Eye Surgery - I have worn glasses and contacts since the 5th grade, and my eyes worsened all the way through College.  My vision was poor enough to require glasses/contacts immediately upon waking, and then throughout the day.  The loss of a contact was a major emergency, and I was always getting them knocked out while boxing.  Earlier this year I had corrective eye surgery.  My vision is now 20-15, I don't have to deal with contacts, eye solution, glasses or annual exams.  Great use of money.
• Trip to Thailand & Cambodia - I met my brother and his girlfriend in Bangkok, Thailand last November.  It was the first time traveling internationally with my brother, and it was money well-spent.  We went snorkeling in Koh Chang, saw Angkor Wat, kicked around in Phom Phenh, visited Lumpini Stadium, the mecca of Muay Thai, and generally had an amazing time.  This trip would have been worth it if it had cost twice as much.
• Annual AAA Membership - Less exciting, but my AAA membership is the best deal for anything that I have ever come across.  At just over $100 a year, I get roadside service, free towing, and I get to skip the DMV.  If I use the service just once a year, it pays for itself.
• Gym Dues at Wild Card Boxing Gym - While I pay a decent amount of money each month to train at this world famous gym, I have an excellent coach, train alongside famous professionals and top-level amateur fighters, and get excellent sparring.  It is actually rare that I spar with someone more than once or twice, just because there are so many people coming through the gym that you are constantly getting new and different competition.

There are certainly more, but these are the ones that come to mind immediately.

What do you spend your money on?  What do you feel is money well-spent, and what do you consider wasted purchases?