Splurging vs. Scrimping

Wednesday, September 05, 2012


The thought of spending $200 to get my hair done makes me have a bit of a stroke, which is probably why my hair looks like burnt seaweed. On the other hand, I don't bat an eyelash at spending $16 for a pound of coffee when there are perfectly good alternatives for half that price. It's interesting how people will "splurge" on different things based on what's important to them, and how easy it is to scoff at someone else's choices ("She paid $150 for a pair of RUBBER BOOTS!"), but also so easy to justify paying $65 to have somebody paint your toenails, if that's your jam.

I'm borrowing this idea from Holly (and I'm sure I've seen similar posts on other blogs recently too!) So thank you, Holly and others, for the inspiration.

Here are some of the places I cheap out and others where I go crazy:

I splurge on...

[+] Coffee. I brew my own coffee at home 95% of the time, which is a savings in itself, so I pay a little more to make sure it's good. I usually buy either Starbucks or Just Us coffee which runs anywhere from about $13-$16 a pound. It's a nice treat at the start of every day, and it gets my morning off to a good start, so for me it's worth it.

[+] Running shoes. I spend about $300 on running shoes over the course of the year, which sounds like a big number, especially on top of paying for a gym membership, but it's recommended that runners replace their shoes every 300-400 miles and I've run about 600 miles so far this year. I got new shoes in January and the soles are breaking down, so I ordered a new pair last week and they arrived today. I always get Nikes so I can use Nike+ with them, which means I'm usually paying well over $100 for a pair. Running in worn-out shoes can result in injury so it's not a place I like to scrimp.

[+] Moisturizer and sunscreen. Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer and City Block sunscreen have been favourites for a long time. There are definitely more expensive options out there, but there are cheaper ones, for sure. These are products I use every single day, so I justify that it's worth a few extra dollars, and they last a really long time.

[+] Baby stuff. Things like Eli's car seat, high chair and playpen were not discount items. These are things that have to last for years and get a lot of daily use and they're worth paying more for.

[+] Wine. There are definitely "cheaper" wines I love to bits. Yellow Tail Moscato is a nice alternative to Nova 7 and The Accomplice is my favourite affordable red wine. But given the choice, I'd be buying this, this, this, or this every time, and sometimes, it's worth it to get the nice wine. Like for a special dinner, or a Friday after a stressful work week, or a random Monday evening to sip on while you eat popcorn and watch Top Model. Life is too short to drink bad wine.

I save on...

[+] Haircuts. I go so long in between haircuts it's a sin. You know how you're supposed to have a trim every six weeks? Fuggedaboutit. As of right now, my hair hasn't seen a pair of scissors since January. NINE MONTHS AGO. I also just buy whatever shampoo is on sale.

[+] Manicures and pedicures. I almost always do my own nails at home. Maybe once or twice a year, if I get a gift certificate, I'll get my nails done, but for the most part it happens in front of the TV after Eli's gone to bed. That way I don't feel sick to my stomach when they chip after a day or two.

[+] Clothes. Recently I spent $90 on two pairs of work pants at Banana Republic and it made me feel a bit woozy. They were 50% off, which was the only reason I bought them at all. I never pay full price for any clothing unless it's from Joe Fresh, because even the cheapest of the cheap is OK with paying $20 for a dress. Otherwise, it's sale racks, email alerts, and coupons for this girl.

[+] Entertainment. Lately I've been getting all my books from the library and watching TV and movies online and on Netflix. I mean, how often do you read and re-read and re-re-read the same book? Chances are you buy it, read it and never crack it open again. I'm not going to lie and say the library isn't a huge pain in the ass, because it kind of is. Our local library sucks - there are never any good books checked in so I have to either go to another branch or place ridiculous holds on books I want to read, drama ensues, YOU DON'T NEED TO HEAR ABOUT MY LIBRARY WOES SO LET'S MOVE ON. It's free.

[+] Groceries. Shopping for groceries is a draft post of its own (lucky you!) but I do try to buy produce in-season, dry goods in bulk, and local whenever possible. We almost always eat in and I make most of Eli's baby food, other than things I obviously can't whip up, such as Cheerios. We eat good quality food and we don't coupon or do anything embarrassing, but given the choice between full-price toilet paper and on-sale toilet paper, I will buy the toilet paper that's on sale. Fifty cents here and there in the grocery cart adds up.


You Might Also Like

12 comments

  1. I agree perfectly with the way you've split your splurges and your saves. The one I find tough is the baby stuff, though, because there are so many brands and options out there to choose from. We were recently choosing a new video monitor and one was $129 while another was $400 ... what the?! I'm sure you won't be surprised that I went with the former over the latter.

    Have you bought Starbucks coffee at Costco? I think it's cheaper than buying it from Starbucks locations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always forget to look for things at Costco including coffee! I usually buy it at Starbucks so I can get the free drink with my gold card but maybe I'll look for it on our next Costco run.

      Delete
  2. This is a great post, I always love to read "lifestyle" type posts from those in the same province as my new found home. Its got me thinking about my save and splurge choices.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it's interesting when you think about it and everybody's so different!

      Delete
  3. Great post!
    I splurge on coffee too! I always have a good selection of teas and lots of options for my Tassimo PLUS a big can of coffee for brewing pots. HOLY EXPENSIVE, but I love having a little cafe in my kitchen. (I live four hours away from Halifax, so four hours away from a decent coffee shop, seriously!)
    I don't know how girls can splurge on makeup/hair. I'm like you, I let my hair go as looong as possible. Again, quality salons are four hours away, so when it finally is time to go get my hair done I have to put $ aside for gas to Halifax, $ hotels and then a whopping $150 for hair. Yikes! That's an expensive weekend I put off until I can't put it off anymore...
    I also have to admit to buying the cheapest makeup products out there... I look forward to the day I can splurge on all the finest of things!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I buy cheap makeup too. Most of mine is the free stuff you get in Clinique gift with purchase bags :) I have a little bottle of Benetint I got in my Christmas stocking years ago and I ration that stuff like crazy!

      That's crazy how much time and money it takes you to get your hair done! No wonder you put it off.

      Delete
  4. I splurge and save on about the same things you do.

    I pay about $30 (with tip) for my haircut, mostly because I've found a stylist I absolutely love. And I don't think $30 is bad. But I can't imagine paying more than that.

    I'm also big on splurging on running shoes (for the reason you highlighted), coffee (mmm Dunkin' Donuts and Green Mountain) and skin care (although I'm a Mary Kay consultant, so now I get a good discount).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. $30 is good for a haircut. I wish I could find a stylist that charges that. I usually pay around $60 at an Aveda salon because I go so rarely I like to make sure they'll do a good job.

      Delete
  5. I am SO pleased that i have found a local hairdresser that cuts my hair for about $40 with tip and I like the cut. I used to spend loads in the South of London on my hair and I never really liked it.
    My big expense seems to be natural products for anything - hair, cleanser, moisturiser etc. I am a massive fan of all things paraben free, oh and vacations. I will spend thousands on an experience including eating out, thats all part of it. BUT I hate to pay a restaurant bill otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm the same way with eating out on vacation. It's the whole experience so it's worth paying more. We used to eat in restaurants way more often so now it's more of a treat and I'm more likely to splurge!

      Delete
  6. You just made me feel so much better about my lack of haircut. My baby girl is around the same age as your baby & I think I got my hair cut back in January or February when I had a half day out to take care of some routine maintenance. My hair is wayyy too long and is always spun into a bun on the top of my hair but I am not ready for short "Mom hair". My hair is so long that people say "Wow - your hair is so long"...not "Wow, your hair is so pretty/shiny/amazing". I used to spend money at salons on said haircuts but went to Hair Cuttery on a whim & got one of the best hair cuts I've ever gotten.

    I definitely splurge on a nice wine here & there too. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The topknot is my best friend since having a baby. If your little girl is anything like Eli she loves to yank handfuls of hair out and nothing hurts worse!

      Delete