5 People Reveal the Best Thing They’ve Ever Bought for Over $5,000

Investing in something that costs more than $5,000 is often a purchase designed to, quite literally, change your life forever. From cars to wedding rings, here’s the $5,000 purchase people told GOBankingRates was the best thing they ever bought.

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Dave Bochichio, founder of Clean Cut Finance, said in January 2022 he and his wife purchased a split HVAC system for their house. They paid $15,000 for three units.

The couple lives in New Hampshire where it’s hot in the summer and frigid in the winter. Bochichio said they were paying around $3,400 per year in propane to heat their house. Additionally, their window AC units were not efficient and the house was regularly hot in the summer months.

“Buying the HVACs lowered our annual propane bill to below $800 and lowered our summer electricity bill by approximately $80 per month,” Bochichio said. “This means we’re saving about $2,840 per year plus the HVAC system does a much better job, making us more comfortable year-round.”

The couple expects the system to pay for itself in 5 1/2 years. Bochichio recommends anyone thinking of purchasing a split system to consider how much they’d be saving on heating and cooling over the next five to 10 years after the initial investment. Plus, consider the additional year-round comfort no matter what the weather is like outside.

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The best thing Krissy Hadick, founder of The Hadicks, spent $5,000-plus on was a new car.

At the time Hadick made the purchase, she was pregnant with her son. The car she currently had was not big enough to properly fit a car seat. In order for a car seat to be properly installed, the passenger seat would need to be moved forward to accommodate the car seat. This meant no one would be able to sit in the passenger seat while the driver was driving the car.

After a lot of searching, Hadick and her husband decided on a Honda CRV. It cost $28,662. 

“One of the main reasons we chose this car was due to the safety features and space to haul around baby gear like a stroller. My favorite feature to this day is the back doors open up to a full 90 degrees which makes getting a baby and toddler out of the car seat an absolute breeze!” Hadick said.

Many of the people GOBankingRates spoke to about their best purchase for more than $5,000 cited engagement and wedding rings as being worth it. 

Matthew Robbs, founder of Smart Saving Advice, has a unique spin on this purchase. He bought a new wedding ring for his wife for over $5,000 after they had been married for five years.

Robbs said when the couple first got married, they were broke. Only a couple thousand dollars were spent on their entire wedding and reception. His wife’s original wedding ring was about 1/3 of a carat. She never complained, but Robbs said he always felt bad she didn’t have a proper ring.

By the time of their fifth anniversary, the couple’s finances had improved considerably. Robbs surprised his wife with a new wedding ring in celebration.

“The ring cost about $8,500, but the look on her face made it all worthwhile. Even now, seven years later, she still remarks about how it sparkles in a different light or how shiny it is after we get it cleaned,” Robbs said.

Baron Christopher Hanson, realtor at Coldwell Banker Realty, purchased one of Martina Navratilova’s vintage Porsche 911 Carreras. 

Owning and driving a 911 has been a dream of Hanson’s since birth. A year later, he completely disassembled, restored and reimagined this 1984 Porsche in a different paint color with an all-new custom two-toned leather interior. This resulted in an even more beautiful work of art. 

“Wherever I go in my bespoke Christopher 911 Porsche Targa, people stop and stare, take pictures to post over social media or ask me how I made such a classic sports car so beautiful,” Hanson said.

Pam Howard, owner of Our Adventure is Everywhere, said her hot tub instantly came to mind as the best purchase. This hot tub cost about $5,700 when it was first purchased and has been worth every penny for Howard’s family. 

In addition to being wonderful for soothing sore muscles, the unexpected benefit has been the conversations everyone has together as a family while soaking in the hot tub.

“It’s amazing how much kids, even our teens, will open up and talk to their parents when sitting in a hot tub. We’ve heard about their life, dreams and problems all while enjoying the hot tub,” Howard said. “Plus, it’s a great place to plan your weekend or next vacation – with everyone’s input!”

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