How much money is too much to waste?

For example: I drove from Maine to NW IN to visit my dad for the holidays and I always stop overnight outside Buffalo because it’s pretty much the halfway point. When I arrived at the first rest stop we stopped at, I discovered I had forgotten my dog’s retractable leash and only had his short 5 foot nylon leash. It’s a total pain in the butt to try to get him to poop while on the short leash so when we got to Buffalo, I went to the local Petco and bought a new retractable one for $16.99. Which got me thinking that several years ago, I wouldn’t have so blithely blown that money and would have toughed it out trudging through the 2 feet of snow trying to get the dog to poop rather than standing in the parking lot while he had 20 feet of leash to gambol on. Which then got me wondering how much other people think is too much money to waste.

What say you?

$1 is too much money to waste. But the monetary value of an item is a very personal thing. Some people consider money lost gambling to be a waste, others consider it bona fide entertainment. I won’t even put $1 in a slot machine or buy a lottery ticket. But I’ll buy a sweatshirt at a hotel gift shop for twice what it would cost at Sports Authority at home if I’m cold and forgot to pack one. My values have changed over the years as my income goes up.

Wasted money disturbs me mightily, but yeah, sometimes you just have to say, ‘I’m paying for convenience’ or whatever. And in your case, seventeen bucks for ease of walking a dog in the snow (!) sounds justified to me. Also, you get to keep the leash and use it forever. It could live in the car and then you’d always have it when you needed it.

I meant to address this too. When I cook, I do my damndest not to dirty any more dishes than are absolutely necessary, even though it doesn’t matter. We have a dishwasher and kids to load it, so I could dirty all the dishes in the house and it would make no difference to me. Yet I still have this quirk, and I think it is because I developed a mindset when I was poor that any amount of inconvenience is preferable to further outlay of resources. It has changed a little as my financial situation has improved, but doesn’t quite come naturally!

I agree with Dung Beetle that it’s more about paying for convenience than wasting money and thus the amount varies with the convience gained.

On a regular month if I go to work every day it would cost me $120 if I paid the cash fare each trip, $100 if I buy tokens in packs of 10 and $121.00 if I buy a metropass. Yep buying a monthly pass is greater than the cost of 40 trips but it means not digging for tokens or cash each day instead I get to wave the pass over a reader as I walk onto the subway platform and I have a receipt that I can use on my taxes that almost gets me the extra $21 back. Almost.

I still kind of cringe every month when I do it but I do it anyway :slight_smile:

Instead of “wasting money,” maybe the idea you’re really getting at is that it sucks when you have to pay a “stupid tax” (ie, you have to spend money that you wouldn’t have if you had remembered to do something, like to bring the leash), and the suck sometimes isn’t in proportion to the amount of money.

Problem with money is that I figure I’ll die with something in the bank. That means that I’ll effectively waste at least a portion of it. So money that I made when I was 13 will never, ever, ever be spent.

So when I have to buy the proverbial (it is now) dog leash, I just think of it like I’m spending from the bottom of my stack, not the top ;). I’d say $30 if you forced me to pick a number.

It depends on the convenience I’m paying for and my current feeling of wealth/poverty. I’ve bought jackets ($100) when I’m cold and didn’t pack one/one isn’t closer than home. And I’ve gone without swinging through Target for Advil when I have a headache because I won’t spend the $7 on the generic bottle when I have a bottle at home (even though its a consumable!)

Each person’s definition of “waste” is key here.

I tend to consider myself a cheap-ass Polock. Tho I make well into 6 figures, I pick up pennies, drink water whenever possible, bring my lunch every day… I bring a thermos of coffee every day - can’t imagine why someone would buy Starbucks instead. And the idea of buying bottled water when tap is fine almost makes me ill.

But when I want to spend money on something, I do. For example, I own a hobby car - which is certainly unnecessary, and spend plenty on greens fees. I like to gamble, either at golf or cards. Tho I thik I end up slightly ahead, I don’t even keep track, and wouldn’t gamble with any money I wasn’t fine with losing.

One time I spend whatever I wish is when I’m on vacation. But I sorta feel that the fact that I’m cheap every day in countless ways, allows me to spend whatever I wish on the occasions that I want to.

So I wouldn’t have bought the leash. I guess my “comfort” is something I’ll pretty readily sacrifice to save even small amounts of cash. I RARELY eat out, I eat a lot of pasta, rice, and veggies, I keep my thermostat WAY down and wear and sleep under layers, I’ll walk or bike whenever possible …

Probably the most I would “waste” would be pennies. We regularly go to the Garfield Park Conservatory, and I would readily bring a handful of pennies for my kids to throw in the various fountains… But I guess I could say I derive enjoyment from that, so it isn’t actually a waste…

I agree. Waste is money spent for no decent return. I bring my lunch because it is much cheaper and because I then get to not waste time in cafeteria lines and can eat while reading the Dope. I started to bring soda from home, not only because it was much cheaper but because our soda machine was unreliable. Now we get it free.

On the other hand, I’ve decided that when I go to the Shoreline to see someone paying extra for real seats, not lawn space, that is close enough to see the performer is well worth it. Ditto for decent theater seats - though we still do TKTS. And for certain groceries I’ll pay more for a name when that means good quality - but for others, store brand works fine.

I am most acutely & sincerely aware of the value of $1. There are somethings that I will spend some money on, but if you knew the miles of ‘without’ I’d travel before parting with just $1*, you’d laugh.

*except on others. This time of year, I give to others what I’d never spend on myself. Ever.