I am generally pretty frugal since we only have one income, but these are the things I have to have:
Books and magazines. Have you ever visited somebody and noticed they had no books or magazines around? It’s creepy, isn’t it? I am paranoid about running out of stuff to read. Sometimes I just go to the thrift store and buy a huge bag of paperbacks to have in reserve. These days, most of my book budget goes to buying books for the boy but I can’t imagine going a week without buying a thing or eight to read.
Quality Kitchen Equipment. Can’t buy the cheap stuff, it’s not worth it in the long run. Of course, I don’t have everything top of the line, but it is all good sturdy stuff and I expect most of it to last my entire life. Although sometimes I go overboard…I’ve got 3 chicken roasters but we never eat roast chicken. I just like to look at them.
Cute Clothes for the Boy. This one is really indefensible and the practical side of me wants to shoot myself for it. My Dad wears a lot of Polo clothes, and since I think it is so incredibly cute if I see a little boy Polo shirt that matches one he has I always buy it. They cost twice as much as a just as good quality brand, but it is just too adorable to dress up my kid like his Grandpa. My husband wears a lot of it, too, but I think it’s cuter when Nicholas matches Grandpa because they look so much alike. It’s a sickness, I know.
Books and magazines. I am a bookstore addict. It is a compulsion I cannot control. I’m not joking here. On payday I must not go near a bookstore or I will spend hundreds of dollars.
I really like used book stores. All the fun, none of the guilt. Sure, they smell a little funny, and apparently no one in a used book store can alphabetize, but I still love 'em.
And music stores. I am in heaven in a good indie music store. I can literally spend hours shuffling through CDs. But as CDs are way more expensive then books, I tend to try not to do that too often.
CDS! Specifically, Andrew Lloyd Webber cast CDS!
I have some that are worth far more than I paid
for them. I have all 3 versions of the Japanese
Phantom of the Opera!
I will buy any ALW cast CD any time, any language,
any price!
Books, especially out-of-print books, and then bookcases for the books.
But used bookstores save me a ton of money.
I have to go into Half-Price Books at least once a week.
Old prints by a particular illustrator.
Love 'em, got to have 'em. eBay, my love.
Clothes & Jewelry.
Alas, why is it easier to spend money than to make it?
In fact, now that I think about it, whenever I buy ANYTHING, I always buy the absolute best thing that I can, provided that I want it. I’ll take an inferior product if I like it better.
Bottom line, I splurge on everything. I’ve worked damn hard to get here, and as for Mr. Cynical Jr., he can go amass his own damn fortune, I’M SPENDING IT ALL!!!
And I forgot magazines. Everytime I go to the grocery store, gas station, book store, anywhere that sells magazines, I have to grab one. It doesn’t matter what magazine either, if it has at least one story that catches my eye I’ll buy it.
I have a thing for tabloids too. Especially Star Magazine. Nothing like (somewhat) totally false gossip to brighten your day.
Groceries. I always feel that as long as I’m not eating out, I can still buy good food at the grocery store and save some cash. For example, I always buy real butter (the stuff made from 100% cows milk), despite the fact that in can run up to 4 times more expensive than margarine. I can’t stand “fruit drinks” like Kool-aid or Hi-C, and always buy actual juices like Ocean Spray Cran- blends or the like. It doesn’t have to be “not-from-concentrate” but it does have to be all juice. Again, much more expensive, but worth it. Also, I have to have good bread. I hate those crappy 50 cent loaves. I usually go for the heartier loaves, even if they are 6-7 times more expensive than the cheap stuff.
Computer games. To be fair, I haven’t bought one in months, as my wife’s and my “luxury item” budget has been nil for some time now, but when I MUST spend money, I always seem to gravitate towards EB or Babbages.
CDs. This hasn’t been as big of a habit for the past 4-5 years (I have about 200 CDs, and had about 150 5 years ago), but I could EASILY get back into collecting music once again.
Gifts. It irks my wife that I never budget when I buy gifts for others. Come christmas and birthday time, I always take the “money is no object” mentality when buying for others. Which is not to say that I don’t buy cheap gifts, if that is what I feel is appropriate, but I always conceive of the idea for the gift first, usually I don’t even think of the cost unless its really expensive. Unfortunately, I now have it in my head that THAT is what I want to buy, so I am always disapointed in the gift I give if I can’t give the one I originally wanted.
On special occasions, I have been known to grill filet mignon for myself, my SO, and my dog. The dog gets an extra slice of bacon, and I cut it into small bits for her.
For my dog’s birthday this year, I sat her at a TV Tray, and fed her two NY Strip steaks with broccoli on the side.
Yeah! This is what’s wrong with one of my friend’s houses. No books around whatsoever. I’m a book junkie too - almost all used so at least they weren’t TOO expensive.
Quality Kitchen Equipment.
Ugh, me too. I’m a sucker for this stuff!
**Cute Clothes for the Boy. **
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Or girl, in my case. Our ultrasound with her was wrong (said she would be a boy) so now I’m going nuts buying frilly girly things. Oh well, she always looks good.
First, I just want to say to CheapBastid: mmmmmmm . . . Swedish Fish . . .
Now my list:
Baseball stuff - jerseys, collectibles, anything baseball. I just dropped about $600 for a Ted Williams autographed ball.
Comic Books - hanging head in shame Yes, I’m a dork. I’m 27 and still collecting comic books. Over the years, I’ve convinced myself that by the time I’m 70 I’ll be able to retire based on the value of my collection. I have about $2500 worth of comics right now, the most valuable one is an old Spider-Man worth about $200.
Video Games - I’m a Playstation junky. I have to have the most complicated controllers with the most features and any game I want as soon as it comes out, regardless of the fact if I just wait awhile, it’ll go down in price about $20-$30
Me too Cynical…I’m a single mother with two kids. But food is something I like to splurge on more often than anything else. I’ll take them out to eat occasionally. I buy good stuff and cook for them. They don’t always eat the way I’d like for them to but they won’t be growing up and making jokes that mama fed them out of the microwave while they were growing up. They both love steak on the grill. I’m a pretty good cook. As a result my daughter wants to go to culinary school when she graduates. Just like my grandmothers house used to be, the kitchen is the hub of our home.
And I splurge on them now and then. I’ll buy them that expensive pair of tennis shoes sometimes, after all they’ve been wearing Pay Less all year most of the time. Neither one of my kids are above wearing their cousins hand me downs either. We’re doing a little better now that we are getting regular child support but there was a time when we really had to scrape. We ate a lot of hamburger and never shopped at the mall.
Yeah, if I’m gonna do any splurging it’s usually on groceries. Most of my other purchases are more carefully thought out.
