September 19, 2011

Splurge vs Save

If you know me, you know I'm pretty cheap.  Like I want to quit my job yesterday so I only spend money on necessities now cheap.  I buy generic groceries {except peanut butter or mac & cheese} and started selling Avon to make a lil extra moolah. 
But there are some things we splurge on, sometimes.  It's not often but these things are worth it, to me.
  • Erin Condren Life Planner.  Sure you guys have seen these on every Tom, Dick, & Harry's blog but it's because they really are the cats pajamas.  I was fortunate enough to buy mine on the Plum District deal and got mine for next to nothing.  Now before I owned this I would call you crazy cakes for buying a $50 plannner.  However, now that I'm the proud owner of said life planner, I can say without a doubt that it's TOTALLY worth every penny.  Fun quotes?  Check.  Customizable front cover?  Check.  Bright colors and stickers?  Check.  Plus I love the way it's set up.  Each day has a morning, afternoon, and evening section to help you organize your days THAT much better.  Are you sold yet? 
  • Starbucks.  I know alot of people claim they'd NEVER pay $4 for a cup of coffee and those people are dumb coffee drinkers.  Here's the thing, I would never pay $4 for a cup of COFFEE either, but I would pay $4 for a caramel apple spice or a salted caramal mocha, yes I would.  Now we don't have the luxury of Starbucks out in the sticks so you bet your sweet ass anytime we are near one I stop. 
  • BornFree bottles.  When I first put $9 baby bottles on my baby registry people thought I was nutso.  I explained to them how awesome they were because the prevent colic, ear infections and upset tummies.  I still got the side eye from people.  Well people I am here to say something I have always known, I was right.  You see about 2 months ago KP shattered one of her glass 9 oz bottles and since she's only on one bottle a day I didn't want to buy one to replace it so I just bought a cheap $5 NUK bottle to get me by.  Well the first time I used it I realized it sucked.  KP had to keep stopping to get air and the feedings took forever.  Needless to say that was the last time we used it.  I will say it till I'm blue in the face, BornFree rocks.
  • Designer jeans.  I've already blogged about how designer jeans changed my life and I meant it.  Nothing makes me feel better than when my ass looks great in a pair of jeans, it's true.  I haven't bought a pair in at least 2 year so thankfully I'm finally back into my old ones.  My go-tos are Joes Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, and Seven, can't go wrong with any of them.  Try it, you'll see.
  • Stride Rite shoes.  When KP started walking my mom was all, "she NEEDS Stride Rites" and I was all "OK mom put the bottle down now" because I knew Jimmy would die over the price tag {he thought $12 sandals were too expensive}.  But we took her, got her measured and that day she was walking 100% better.  Sure she still falls down, she's a toddler, but she is so much more stable and I can really tell a difference.  So I guess my mom isn't THAT crazy afterall.
  • iPhone.   At first I tried to be all, "psh what's the big idea, I like not being all available, all the time" and boy was I wrong {first time for everything, right?}.  I can't explain how life-changing this phone is and I'm sure I don't need to.  I bet most of you have one too because you're awesome too.  I used to hate Twitter but now that I have the ap I big pink puffy heart love it, don't know what I'd do without it.  I also could not function, or lose weight, withot MyFitnessPal ap.  Seriously the iPhone is worth having for that ap alone.  And now that Jimmy has one too we have a baby monitor ap so that when we are away from the home we can put one of our phones wherever KP is sleeping and it will call the other phone when she makes a sound.  Coolest thing EVER.
So those are some things that I can't  don't want to live without.  I may wear Target's knock off version of the Tory Burch Selma Riding Boot but it's so I can splurge on Starbucks every once in a while. 
What things are worth the money to you?  Anything you cheap out on so you can splurge on something else?


14 comments:

  1. great post! I've totally given up on any extra treats at the grocery store (chocolate, ice cream, chips) not to be healthy, but because 4 days a week I get a delish McD's mocha frappe. there probably isn't much I wouldn't give up for a frappe...:)

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  2. I always buy generic if there's an option. And well, a gluten-free generic option, if applicable. No need to spend more money because it all adds up!

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  3. I am sooo cheap! Whenever there is a generic option I buy it. Sometimes I hate it and then I never buy it again. But other times I LOVE it and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.

    Like diapers. Target brand all the way! But only for my 2 year old daughter. For some reason I hate them for my 6 mo. old son. They just don't fit right on him.


    Expensive bottles are the way to go. The cheapie ones are way to much of a hassle.

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  4. Great post! I always buy generic as well to save money. But then I go buy a starbucks coffee, kind of defeats the purpose

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  5. Agreed! :) My hubby will not let meknow no name Ketchup or Kraft dinner. Or marshmellows! :)

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  6. I have a mental block about cheap diapers and am still using Pampers on my 7.5 month old.

    some things are ok generic, like coffee filters, sugar, flour. other things, like frozen waffles, not so much.

    we have never tried a bottle other than Born Free. however, she can't use the Born Free sippy at all.... the slightly cheaper beginner Playtex straw sippy has saved us a tiny bit of $ and works great :-)

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  7. I love this! We all have our things to splurge on and justify the reasons why. I enjoy reading what is "important" to other people.

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  8. I like this post. I am a splurger on things like groceries. But then, I cut back on things for me. For example, I won't DARE spend $$ on my hair other than box dye. I rarely get things like my hair cut, or pedicures (but I got one yesterday for our trip! squee!), or fancy shoes. I will however, always buy pampers, no matter the cost. They work for us. Oh there are so many other things I could say. But basically, I'm a cheap-ass about most things, but you'd probably not know it when walking into my house. I'm good at hiding it.

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  9. My biggest thing is that I will NOT buy generic toilet paper. I buy Charmin every time. I tried a few different store brand equivalents and they just don't do it. With having to be in there all the time right now cause of being preggers...you know I'm DEFINITELY not going cheap now.

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  10. AMEN to all of those (except the baby items and iphone--I still live in the stone age without internet on my phone). I will Always pay for an Erin Condren planner and Starbucks!!

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  11. I have never heard of one of those planners. I like living in my hole. I'm also very cheap. I don't buy generic diapers though. I go through amazon mom instead and get the boy huggies. they fit him best. I buy cheap laundry detergent though. never thought I would. I don't have an iphone either, never will. I can't justify that phone bill every month.

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  12. I'm the same way when it comes to certain things. I totally thing designer jeans and the iphone are worth it. FOR SURE!

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  13. I am a cheapity cheap when it comes to grocery shopping (I like to call it "a smart shopper") and I like to buy off season for nice sweaters and coats and exercise gear and what not to save money, but then I splurge on the delicious lattes, fancy jeans (go Joes!), and shampoo - it totally makes a difference!

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  14. I just had a baby and so I'm not into my pre-pregnancy expensive jeans yet. I just got a great pair of Citizens of Humanity Jeans at Plato's Closet for $20. You have to try on a ton of jeans there, but I love having high quality jeans that fit.

    Jen

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