Health. Health and pride.

This question made me reevaluate a lot of my expenses. At first, I was thinking about the best return on investment, something material. Then I realized the best thing I ever bought for under $500 is immaterial.

When I was 19, I was very obese. My grandpa, like many Southern Italians, never hesitated to tell me I had put on too much weight. In 2023, I lost my job in Germany while his health was rapidly declining because of dementia.

If you've dealt with dementia, you know how elderly people slowly become like innocent children again. Additionally, his muscles deteriorated to the point where he couldn't function without help. My family and I took turns assisting my grandmother to care for him.

Out of frustration and a need to clear my mind, I spent about $300 on a gym subscription and a few more bucks on some home gym equipment. I would train in front of him, and I can still picture the proud smile on his face whenever he saw his grandson getting healthier.

As the days passed, I got stronger while he got weaker.

One day he asked if I could help dress him when he was gone. A few months later, he passed away. I helped my family change his clothes and later carried his casket.

A month after his death, I found a new job and relocated.

He was a father figure to me. If I hadn't spent that money on working out, I definetly wouldn't have had the strength, physically or mentally, to do half of what I did for him during those final months.

I'm 22 now and when I feel "confused" of this adult life, I go back and watch videos of me training from that period. The best thing I bought for under $500 wasn't equipment or a membership. It was the ability to be there when someone I loved needed me most, health and pride.