THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT

Deep Pockets - One Christmas, my wife, who seldom wears jewelry, wanted diamond earrings as her gift. I obliged but figured the little box would ruin the surprise, so I bought an inexpensive fleece jacket at a farm supply store and put the earring box in the pocket.

- BY Reader's Digest Readers

On Christmas morning, she raved about the jacket as she tried it on. My daughter had to ask her how she liked the pockets. She was thankful to receive the earrings and wears them a few times a year. But the jacket is nearly worn out.

—RICK CRAIGER Summerville, OR

Best Truck for Your Buck

My neighbor was upgrading to a bigger truck, so I took his little pickup off his hands. It had 100,000 miles and several scratches on it. But it rumbled along as I commuted to my second job so my wife could chauffeur the kids in our van. It brought loads of soil when we started a garden to keep our spirits up during COVID-19, and barrels of water to keep it alive during drought. It carried me to Los Angeles to bring my mom to chemotherapy appointments (and later, home to live with us). It hauled my kids' boxes when they moved out. It was the quiet hero of our household, but it came time to pass it along. A neighbor kid was learning to drive, so I sold it to his family at a discount. I knew I had already gotten more than its worth.

—MIKE SMITH Elk Grove, CA

Thank You, Public Broadcasting

In 1962, I was given a used typewriter as a young woman and decided to learn to use it. Our local PBS station in Pittsburgh offered a free course a few nights per week. I bought the accompanying $10 book with “homework” to aid learning, practiced faithfully and watched each and every episode. What a bargain—for $10, I got a life skill that serves so many purposes. Like typing this message.

—MARILYN BURNEY Hampton, VA

Frozen Assets