Best cheap investments you have made?

[HTSS_TR]

My House ?

It wasn't cheap when I bought it in 1997, it was triple what I paid in 2006 and now it's 250% so I make 150% profit if I sell now.

For car maintenance, the best value tool is Mityvac 7201 I bought in 2003 for $60-65. I use it to siphon oil, ATF, brake fluid for all my cars, it paid itself after I did the first oil change in the MB E430. Dealer charged $150 for oil+filter in 2004-2005 (it's $250 now) and my cost of 8 quarts M1 0W40 and filter was around $40-50.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
My House ?

It wasn't cheap when I bought it in 1997, it was triple what I paid in 2006 and now it's 250% so I make 150% profit if I sell now.

For car maintenance, the best value tool is Mityvac 7201 I bought in 2003 for $60-65. I use it to siphon oil, ATF, brake fluid for all my cars, it paid itself after I did the first oil change in the MB E430. Dealer charged $150 for oil+filter in 2004-2005 (it's $250 now) and my cost of 8 quarts M1 0W40 and filter was around $40-50.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
My House ?

It wasn't cheap when I bought it in 1997, it was triple what I paid in 2006 and now it's 250% so I make 150% profit if I sell now.

For car maintenance, the best value tool is Mityvac 7201 I bought in 2003 for $60-65. I use it to siphon oil, ATF, brake fluid for all my cars, it paid itself after I did the first oil change in the MB E430. Dealer charged $150 for oil+filter in 2004-2005 (it's $250 now) and my cost of 8 quarts M1 0W40 and filter was around $40-50.



Sure. But sell it and what can you buy? Someone else's house that's also increased 150%.
I bought and flipped 15 houses and I've found its not worth the effort in my local market anymore.
Here the best return is to buy 2 houses next door to each other and build a 4plex and sell them as condos.

As far as your mityvac I liked the idea but wasn't paying that kind of money for one,so I bought a transfer pump for 8 bucks.

 

[zzyzzx]

As long as car repairs are counted, I recently repaired an automatic transmission for around $30. I'm pretty sure that if I took it to a mechanic I would have only heard offers for a rebuild costing thousands. Been driving the car for more than a month fixed.

 

[aaronrkelly]

Bought a car for $150.....

My sister wrecked her car....1996 Saturn, only had 70K miles on it. Hit a semi with it. My mom calls and puts me on the search for a cheap work car to replace it. I ask where the old Saturn is cause I was going to come get it and haul it off to the crusher for scrap price. Its parked outside the apt she says. "How did it get there, Id have expected the wrecker to haul it back to the yard". Seems they drove it there.....drives fine, looks like [censored]. She wouldnt dream of having my sister drive it.

So I paid her scrap price for it.....$150. Since then my sister has gone thru 3 cars.

Im still driving that ruined Saturn back and forth to work. Ive taken it on mutli-state trips before. Its currently got 102K miles on it.

Every single thing works on the car......AC, cruise control, power windows and locks....mechanically its perfect. Aesthetically its abysmal. All the glass, lighting and such is top notch and we dont have inspections around here.....so its good to go.

Ive kept strict records of all service and costs just to see how cheap I can drive.

Its been in "service" 20 months.....and 31K miles. Total cost (purchase price of car+all maintenance including tires, oil change, repair etc) is $628.20......so Ive been driving for $31.40 per month.....or approx 2 cents per mile. This doesnt include gas, license fees or insurance of course.

 

[FordMan59]

I bought an '88 Ford Escort with 146,000 for $500. in 93, it currently has 518,000 miles and I've collected about $1000. in insurance payments for damage in accidents that weren't so bad they had to be repaired. Since I do most of my own repairs/maintenance the most expensive repair I've had has been about $250-300 when I paid a mechanic to replace the clutch/pressure plate/throw out bearing.

Back at the first of the year I bought 4 cases of '40's era surplus Russian 7.62x54R ammunition on stripper clips, I took the ammunition off the stripper clips and stored it in ammo cans, sold all the stripper clips but 24 for my own personal use and made enough money to pay myself back for all the ammunition, the surplus rifle I'd bought it for, plus about $300.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Best cheap investments? I purchased quite a bit of stock in 2008 and 2009. One in particular was purchased at $32/share and is now over $100/share.

It's tripled in value over 4 years, and is still climbing.

 

[dlundblad]

The cheapest investment I've made was buying ammo last spring. It was nice knowing I could sell a .22 brick for $80 while only paying $21 for it if I had to.

 

[Volvohead]

OK, I'll play late.

I have been into vacuum tube electronics for many years. Principally vintage-era audio, which has proven fortunate and rewarding.

I've boxes, cartons and caddies of NOS (new old stock) tubes that I paid $5 to $15 each 20-30 years ago. Some were freebies given with the equipment at hamfests. Both small signal and power tubes, US and European makes from the golden age (1950-1970). Hundreds of them. Some are now worth $250+ a piece. None have less than doubled or trebled in value. I have no intention of ever selling any of them.

I've hit a couple ten and twenty-baggers in the market over the years, but nothing dollar for dollar like these crazy old vacuum tubes.

 

[morris]

the money i payed my lawyer for my divorce!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bud_One]

I purchased a 1993 Nissan 240SX - one owner car - for $350 - he was unable to get it to pass states inspection after trying for 2 years. I got it to pass states - drove it 3 years and was rear ended twice... totaled it both times....and I recieved over $6k for both claims. Last one did it in...

But it was the best $350 I've ever spent