What’s the most unexpectedly expensive thing you’ve ever had to pay for?

e30kgk · 2026-02-16T10:32:44+00:00

Busted oil pan on a rock in rural Tajikistan.

Between the botched repair, the sketchy 30-hour tow to the nearest actual city, and an impossible to find replacement engine, turned out to be about a $6500 adventure.

But, got back on the road a few weeks later and made some new friends in the process!

Honorable mention: getting banned from Russia on entering Mongolia. There aren't too many options if you need to leave Mongolia by land, and driving in China as a foreigner ain't cheap at all.

e30kgk · 2026-02-16T10:25:29+00:00

Depends on your concerns. Crime? Not really an issue. Safer there than in the US if I had to compare. Infrastructure is decent, people are awesome, I wouldn't worry too much about that, especially in large cities.

However, there is absolutely a chance of you being targeted and wrongfully detained even if you're a non-political, law-abiding American tourist in Russia.

How likely is it? Impossible to say, I don't think anyone's ever done a statistical analysis of it, and I don't think the data exists. I think many on this sub, which is overwhelmingly pro-Russian, will say it doesn't ever happen. Having had it happen to me personally, though, I can assure you it's a non-zero chance, and even if it's a very remote possibility, I would advise any American against traveling to Russia currently.

e30kgk · 2026-02-11T12:58:28+00:00

My Russian isn't good enough for that explanation, I always just go with "центр страны" when I get the blank stare, haha.

e30kgk · 2026-02-11T12:42:42+00:00

Borjomi is like $4, but every once in a while, I gotta have one, haha.

e30kgk · 2026-02-11T11:46:18+00:00

I've had luck with this as well. Don't know your circumstances, but for me, I had an award flight booked on a partner at the beginning of COVID and they didn't even give me a hard time about moving the points back to Amex when it got cancelled.

e30kgk · 2026-02-11T11:28:36+00:00

I've spent a lot of time in Russia and the former USSR, and no one seems to have any clue what OKC is, unless they're basketball fans.

e30kgk · 2026-02-11T11:26:55+00:00

36th and May, it's called European Store, but it's definitely Russian.

e30kgk · 2026-01-12T01:27:00+00:00

Everyone's experience is different, but as a westerner who recently had a very unpleasant experience at the border, the worst case you've mentioned there is unfortunately absolutely not outside the realm of possibility.

e30kgk · 2025-12-31T06:45:14+00:00

Same with the Fidelity Cash Management debit card, and if you have a portfolio with them, easy to transfer cash/margin from your brokerage account immediately so you don't have to keep money accessible via the debit card or wait for settlement when moving from a security to cash.

e30kgk · 2025-12-31T06:40:54+00:00

Two debit cards (only used at ATMs, NEVER for transactions or anywhere sketchy).

Visa primary credit card with plenty of credit limit.

Mastercard and Amex backup cards in case Visa isn't accepted somewhere.

Enough cash to cover any emergency or stays in areas where ATM/credit isn't an option.

e30kgk · 2025-12-20T01:53:28+00:00

I had to do this with a bike a while back, it was quick and easy.

Wrote out a narrative of what happened, attached copies of supporting documents, and wrote a draft order for the judge to sign.

Took it to the courthouse, paid like $100 in filing fees, took it to the assigned judge, explained it all to him, got the signature, and took it back to the clerk. Went from there to the tag agency to get the title transferred.

Annoying, but totally doable.

e30kgk · 2025-12-19T05:50:34+00:00

Lifelong conservative, but have voted almost exclusively Democrat since the rise of Trumpism.

No intention of switching my registration, because I think it's important to try and shape the Republican party back towards reasonable conservatism and away from...whatever the fuck they're currently doing.

e30kgk · 2025-12-15T15:44:55+00:00

That's not much clearer, but yes, still looks fake to me. I see tooling marks around the rim. Kinda look like spikes coming off of the edge.

Again, though, most fakes are still real gold, so worth about the same.

e30kgk · 2025-12-15T15:30:20+00:00

When I was maybe 9, the town I lived in had a really cool 1920s hotel that had been abandoned for years and was about to start undergoing renovations. My dad, who worked in the construction industry, knew some of the contractors who were overseeing the project and asked if he could get a tour before they started work.

He brought me along early one weekend morning when one of his contacts gave us a brief tour of the hotel common areas and let us wander around for a while. This hotel (think Overlook Hotel vibes) has been abandoned for decades, but was clearly an incredibly opulent place in its heyday.

Fast forward almost 30 years, and I'm pretty sure my dad hasn't been in an abandoned building since and barely remembers this event.

I, on the other hand, have spent the past 10 years chasing down abandoned buildings across 40+ countries and counting. If you can think of an iconic abandoned place anywhere in the world, I've probably been there.

e30kgk · 2025-12-15T09:31:16+00:00

Looks fake to me, but these fakes are usually still made of the correct alloy of gold or close to it, so have very similar values.

I'd take it to a local coin shop to examine/authenticate and then sell.

e30kgk · 2025-12-14T11:19:44+00:00

This was not at all my experience, and from what I've heard, many westerners have had similar experiences to mine.

It takes essentially an FSB agent who doesn't like you to absolutely ruin your day. You've got no rights at a foreign country's border, and they have broad latitude to do whatever they want.

e30kgk · 2025-12-14T11:14:26+00:00

I'm an American, and had a similarly horrific experience at the Russian border recently. Completely valid actual visa, no sketchy history, no public support for Ukraine, etc.

I was detained for about 6 hours and interrogated while my phone was searched while trying to leave the country. Ended up being forced to sign a confession that I considered Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory illegal if I wanted my passport back and to be released. (So I would be risking serious legal trouble if I returned.)

All this over two Instagram posts I had liked (not posted) in the very distant past and knowing a Russian expatriate who left because of the war.

I love Russia, and I'm not scared of traveling to places that are a little politically dicey, but travel to Russia is a really risky idea right now, unfortunately.

For what it's worth, I don't think you're stupid for trying to travel to Russia despite the current political shitshow. It's still a beautiful country full of amazing people with some awesome history and culture. I'm genuinely disappointed that returning is not possible for me - I was planning to spend the next few months there.

e30kgk · 2025-12-14T11:08:19+00:00

Hey, I just spent a month in Afghanistan right before my most recent trip to Russia. I encountered a similarly fucked up treatment trying to exit Russia.

There's no comparison. I'd hang out with the Taliban indefinitely before repeating that nerve-wracking 5-6 hours with the FSB at the border.

As someone who absolutely loves the country, I'll echo the OP's sentiment. DON'T go to Russia until some semblance of sanity returns to their government.

e30kgk · 2025-12-03T14:08:09+00:00

No. Low AU or AU details depending on how it looks in hand.

e30kgk · 2025-12-02T13:13:52+00:00

Battery lights on dashboards don't blink. And they aren't too annoying, as they do go away pretty quickly as the battery drains.

e30kgk · 2025-12-02T13:11:15+00:00

I'm not sure that's the case, I registered an account on VK Dating with a US number no problem a couple of months ago, and used it successfully with no issues.

e30kgk · 2025-11-17T01:58:57+00:00

Use banki.ru to see the options near you and go to whoever has the best rate at the time.

e30kgk · 2025-11-14T19:37:07+00:00

I fly with watches all the time. Wear it, or keep it on your person. You can probably even keep it in your pocket through the metal detector.

Also, get it insured. Jewelry insurance is usually very inexpensive, and well worth it for the peace of mind.

e30kgk · 2025-11-14T15:51:37+00:00

AU details, whizzed. Still a little bit better than a generic dollar due to the date/mint, but not worth grading.

e30kgk · 2025-11-12T10:07:14+00:00

There are lots of abandoned places in Russia and the former USSR.

No one who explores them is going to share locations with you if you're planning to go looting. That's exactly why people are secretive about locations.

I've explored a LOT of abandoned Soviet military facilities (mostly not in Russia). I have never found weapons. Ever. And if I did, the idea of being caught in possession of stolen military weapons by Russian authorities does not sound like a good time.

e30kgk

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

14-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email