Every December I do the same thing: I look at my bank statement, wince a little, and then immediately start defending at least half a dozen purchases that felt outrageous in the moment. Turns out 2025 was no different. But here’s the funny part — every single “splurge” I grumbled about at checkout has become something I use almost daily. And I’m clearly not alone.
I asked around the office (and a few friends who always have the best recommendations) for the one big-ticket item they bought this year that actually, truly, no-regrets earned its price tag. The answers surprised me. No one mentioned designer handbags or fancy watches. Instead, people lit up talking about gadgets and tools that quietly make life smoother, happier, or just more fun.
So before you finish your holiday shopping (or treat yourself, because why not?), here are six splurges that real people swear were worth every penny in 2025.
The Splurges We’d Buy Again in a Heartbeat
1. The Bird Feeder That Turned My Dad Into a Wildlife Photographer
Around $100. That’s all it took to give my father the best gift he’s received in years. It looks like a regular cedar bird feeder, but there’s a tiny high-definition camera inside that sends live video straight to your phone. Motion detection, night vision, the works.
Within a week he was texting the family group chat at 7 a.m.: photos of cardinals, blue jays, even a sneaky squirrel doing acrobatics to reach the seed. Then came the deer — yes, an actual deer — tiptoeing up at dusk for a snack. The video quality is ridiculous for the price; it honestly feels like having a private National Geographic channel outside the kitchen window.
In my experience, the best gifts aren’t the flashiest ones. They’re the ones that create tiny moments of joy over and over. This feeder does exactly that.
2. The Weekender Bag I Now Refuse to Travel Without
I’d been lugging the same ratty backpack on weekend trips since college. You know the one — zipper half-broken, no structure, everything ends up in a wrinkled ball at the bottom. Last Black Friday I finally caved and spent $138 on a proper soft-sided duffel.
Nine pockets. A separate shoe compartment. Water-resistant fabric that actually works (tested in a surprise downpour in Seattle). And somehow it still slides under the airplane seat in front of you without turning your legs numb. I’ve taken it on at least fifteen trips this year and every single time I think, thank goodness I stopped being cheap about luggage.
Pro tip: pick a color that isn’t black. Mine’s a deep forest green and I can spot it across any baggage claim carousel in seconds.
3. The Kitchen Beast That Slashed My Electric Bill
I eyed those combination air fryer/pressure cooker monstrosities for years, always thinking they were just overhyped countertop hogs. Then my mom gifted me one (retail around $220) and within a month I was evangelizing it to everyone I know.
Crispy roasted veggies in twelve minutes. Yogurt that actually tastes better than store-bought. Whole chickens that come out impossibly juicy. But the surprise bonus? Living in an all-electric apartment, swapping my ancient oven for this thing dropped my power bill by roughly 25% during the winter months. The savings basically paid for half the machine.
“I thought it would just collect dust. Now I’m mad I waited this long.”
That’s a direct quote from my grandfather after I strong-armed him into buying one. Enough said.
4. Replacing My Dying Earbuds Wasn’t Optional — It Was Therapy
There’s a special kind of misery that comes with earbuds slowly falling apart. One side crackling like a bowl of Rice Krispies. The other perpetually dead because it refuses to charge. For months I told myself I could “make do.” Then April hit and I realized I was legitimately crankier without my podcasts shielding me from the world.
Dropping $249 on the newest noise-cancelling pros felt criminal. Until the package arrived. Spatial audio, adaptive transparency, battery life that actually lasts a full workday — suddenly the subway didn’t feel like an assault on my nervous system anymore. Doing dishes became weirdly enjoyable again. Even the gym felt tolerable.
Sometimes self-care looks like therapy. Sometimes it looks like tiny computers you shove in your ears so the world is forced to shut up for a while.
5. The Wet-Dry Vacuum That Saved Moving Day (and My Bare Feet)
Moving house in the middle of a snowstorm is exactly as fun as it sounds. By the time the movers left, our gorgeous new hardwood floors looked like a muddy ice rink. I was ready to cry.
Then I remembered the $370 cordless wet-dry vacuum my sister-in-law swore by. Filled the clean-water tank, added a splash of floor cleaner, and watched in horrified fascination as the dirty-water tank turned the color of chocolate milk. Ten minutes later the floors gleamed and we could walk around barefoot without risking frostbite or a tetanus shot.
It’s ugly, it’s heavy, and I love it more than most humans. If you have pets, kids, or just live in a place with actual weather, do yourself a favor.
6. The Pocket-Sized Camera That Reignited My Creative Spark
I’ve shot video professionally for years, so buying yet another camera felt ridiculous. Then I held the latest palm-sized gimbal camera (the full creator kit runs about $660) and everything changed.
It’s stupidly small, fits in a jacket pocket, yet shoots 4K footage that legitimately rivals cameras costing four times as much. The stabilization is witchcraft. The low-light performance is insane. I’ve started carrying it everywhere — morning commutes, weekend hikes, random street corners at golden hour. Suddenly I’m making short films again just because I can.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect? It forced me to slow down and actually look at the world again. Turns out that’s worth more than any spec sheet.
Looking back, none of these purchases felt “cheap” when I clicked buy. But every single one pays dividends in time saved, frustration avoided, or straight-up joy delivered. That’s the difference between a splurge and an investment — one leaves you lighter in the wallet and heavier in regret. The other just makes life better, one ordinary day at a time.
So tell me in the comments: what was your best splurge of 2025? I’m always looking for an excuse to add something new to the cart.
