I ordered it from Temu…

Read time: 4 min 19 sec

Whatup Reader!

Last week I ordered a hip ab and adduction machine from Temu. My guess is that you just read that sentence and thought the same thing as the majority of folks on Instagram who messaged me after I shared about my online expense: I'm shook.

A little backstory: I have loved the hip ab/adductor machine forever. Call it what you want: good girl-bad girl machine, in-out machine, no matter the name, my love for it has remained the same.

Unfortunately, said machine is typically only found in a traditional gym, and I have not been a member of a Globo gym for over ten years. (Shoutout to Harbor Fitness in Brooklyn! ) Truth be told, I actually haven't been a member of any kind of gym since COVID, before which I was all about that CrossFit life (shoutout to CrossFit 718 and CrossFit SouthBay), but CrossFit boxes are not known for their accessory machines.

I started building out our home gym in 2020, and by all accounts and measures, it’s complete. But, over the past few months, a desire for convenience got the best of me and I started looking for a machine to replace the ol’ cable setup for hip ab/adduction.

I have purchased the majority of our big gym equipment pieces from a company called Titan Fitness. They make quality stuff, with a smaller footprint, at home gym prices. They also have a tendency to roll out equipment at a very reasonable price, and then based on how popular the machine gets, significantly increase the price. If you are an early adopter of the equipment, as I have been for most of the big pieces in our gym, it's great.

Their hip ab/adduction machine, however, has been around for a few years now, which means that what started out as a $500 piece of equipment has become a $1,500 piece of equipment that is currently on sale for $1,097.

TV gif. Danny Devito as Frank on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia shakes his head very quickly and stares through his glasses with fearful; eyes. He says, “nope…”

I am by no means opposed to investing money in quality products, but $1,000 for a machine that I know I won't use that often just didn't sit right with me.

So I took to Reddit.

I'm a huge fan of Reddit and really value what gets shared over there because no one's getting paid to write the long-ass, super detailed comments that get posted. I am a proud member of the home gym subreddit, and the general sentiment on there for equipment purchased from Temu is actually overwhelmingly positive.

The caveat is that you just have to do your research and identify whether the equipment is a dupe or simply a product made by a normal, reputable brand, and it’s just being sold through Temu (often without the logo).

Such was the case for the hip ab/adduction machine that I bought; It's simply the unbranded version of HVO's hip ab/adduction machine. Now this is not to say that HVO is some hugely popular brand, but it has reviews, it has specs, it has whack AI-images...but it also it has all the things that I needed to make a super-informed decision about the purchase. I wouldn’t get a leg-press from them, but an accessory machine? Bet.

I placed the order last Monday and I was sitting atop my very own hip ab/adduction machine on Sunday. Total cost including shipping: $450.

Perhaps you’re reading this wondering why am I telling you this at all? (I realize that the actual question from some of you may be, "Did you die when you used it?" Clearly not. Nor do I have any concern that the machine will break. It's not commercial-grade but I went in knowing that, and it's plenty sturdy for someone my size.)

As I was saying, this story: Why tf am I sharing it?

Because I have eyes, I'm alive, and I doom scroll with the best of them. I am aware of everything that's currently going on in this country, and despite the fact that the news gets worse every day because the literal worst people are in charge and it feels like no one is doing anything about anything…life goes on.

The sun rises, the sun sets, we go to work, we earn money (though, seemingly, not nearly enough), and we also continue to spend money.

That last part right there is largely the point of today's email: we spending money.

The number one thing I took from reading (yes, I read occasionally) Gary Keller and Jay Papasan’s "The One Thing”, was Gandhi’s quote: "Action expresses priority."

Similarly, what I am wanting to convey with this email, is that purchases express values.

I'm not here to tell you how to spend your money or where to spend your money. As is the case with so much of what I do, I simply like to share my reflections and invite you to join me.

Given the political undertones of this email (and the reality that we cannot escape politics), if you want to take from this message that you can vote with your dollar and that it's worthwhile to be cognizant of where your money is going and who your money is funding, be my guest.

But, in all honesty, where my head was at when I sat down to write this email, was simply communicating the value of auditing how you spend your money.

Purchases express values. Purchases demonstrate what we value.

I am no one's CPA and I realize that some folks' purchases reflect merely what's possible for them in this K-shaped economy. I'm not talking to those people.

For those of us with disposable income, however, I think it's a worthwhile endeavor to take a moment and simply look at what we're buying.

We can say that we want things to be a certain way or that we wish to change things in our lives. Our receipts are probably one of the best indicators as to whether or not we're actually working towards any of those things that we say we want, personally, professionally, politically, or otherwise.

Purchases express values. Purchases demonstrate what we value.

I personally want to be able to crush a watermelon between my legs.

How bout you?

Happy Tuesday, Reader.

Maestro out.

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