What purchases do you spend a lot on, and on what purchases will you go generic, or go without?

I'm always amused by the fact that everyone has their own special purchasing priorities. I just told y'all, in the Kitchen Gadgetry topic, that I've been using the same thrift-store pots for ten years. I can't imagine buying a new set of knives at any place more expensive than the dollar store. I won't spend a lot on clothes or electronics. (Okay, it could just be that I'm cheap as hell.) But I'd gladly pay $5 for 4 sheets of stationary if I thought it was cute enough. And I'm starting to get into buying expensive fabric, books, and art supplies.

What do you scrimp on, and what do you splurge on?

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2000

Answers

I've gotten to a point in life where hardly anything new is worth the money to me, especially stuff like kitchenware, dishes and so on. That's not because I am not interested in cooking. I am. And when I feel motivated I do a lot of it and I enjoy it. It's just that over the years, I have found that I am able to find 99% of those sorts of things at thrift stores and garage sales, including some very nice cookware that's sooo expensive at places like Williams Sonoma. Since shopping for this kind of bargain is so much a part of my life anyhow, my view is skewed. That, and my need for instant gratification is not so great.

I don't have a lot of extra money to spend at this moment, but the thing I would spend and have spent money on would be fine art, good original art. As an artist I appreciate everything about it. Well, you can't buy one of a kind used art for cheap any too often, can you?

I also will spend real money on an occasional antique piece which appeals to me so much that I cannot pass it up.

And since I am primarily an artist I, too, would and do sometimes spend real money on paper, paint and other materials to make art. And we have bought two iMacs new. If there is a book which I cannot wait to read and wanted to own forever, I also might pop for a new copy. Again, these would more likely be art related books, technical or otherwise which might be printed in smaller runs, and might not be very easily available in the aftermarket.

But except for buying gifts for people, I rarely shop in a real store and buy new. Not that I don't lust after things, though...like right now I am lusting after a comfortable new, not used, couch.

Of course there's always good food.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2000

My husband and I had this discussion yesterday, in the middle of the grocery store. There was this ready-meal that he said he'd had before and was really good, but he couldn't justify paying #3 (about $5, I guess) for it. I told him that was stupid, because he'd pay several times that amount if he got it in a restaurant, and because if he can afford to drop thousands on new TV's, stereos and musical instruments, three quid on some chicken with white wine sauce was hardly going to break the bank. Then I picked up a #4 box of enchiladas for myself, knowing he would go back for the chicken if only to try to balance things out. It worked.

I'd rather spend a lot of money on things like trips and holidays, rather than Dreamcast games or CD's. My husband says he hates spending money on trips, because you're not left with anything tangible afterwards, whereas he'll always have that guitar for which he paid the same amount of money as could have bought us a week in Spain.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Shoes. Really good shoes are worth the money. I always used to try to wait until good shoes were on sale and make do with cheapass shoes until then. I finally figured out that my feet and my comfort are worth more than that. On the weekend I bought some full price expensive-ish shoes and a pair of good shoes that were on sale.

I also don't have a problem buying food that seems expensive. Since we don't spend much money on meat or meat by-products, I don't mind paying for fresh fruit and veg all year round, or gourmet condiments.

However, I only buy Loblaws-brand toilet paper and paper towels. There's no feeling the cottony softness of Cottonelle or using the quicker-picker-uppers to wipe up spills in our house.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I was telling Paul about this topic last night, and he goes "Yeah, like you buy $5 bars of soap." And then I laughed because I actually bought several bars that costed more than that. But hey, if it costs less than ten bucks to start a week of mornings with soap that makes me happy... Well, there you go.

Sometimes I want out-of-season fruit. I justify it by saying, "It's not as expensive as meat, and it's better for me." And yeah, Paul always reminds me that the frozen entree stuff still isn't as expensive as eating in a restaurant.

At least I'm good at rationalizing stuff. I'm almost ready to start buying expensive shoes, even though mine last for years because I hardly wear shoes anyway.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

My husband and I had the shoe discussion last week, because he FINALLY accepted what I've been telling him for years: Buying one pair of expensive, built-to-last shoes is actually cheaper than buying several pairs of craptastic shoes. I was so proud when he came home with his purchase; it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get that idea through to him.

I also spend money on good-smelling stuff and certain cosmetics, though not as much as I used to spend. Good foundation, concealer and mascara are all worth paying dearly for; lipsticks and eyeliners are not.

The thing which I'm not willing to spend a lot of money on -- and yet still do -- is magazines. Ian and I spend at least #50 each month on magazines, the bulk of those being his special Dreamcast, PC, and DVD magazines, as well as Record Collector, Q, Select, NME and Mac User. No, he does not own a Mac, but the #5 magazine sure is pretty. I just buy trashy stuff like Inside Soap and Hello!.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I spend money on good workout shoes (both runners and aerobics) because I have terribly pronated, flat feet that *lay me out* if I don't. I tried to skimp and just get a good pair of cross-trainers and ended up icing my swollen knee and feet for a week.

I spend money on trips to see my family in another state because I have lots of young neices and nephews that I want to see grow up. You can't replace that time when they're older.

I also spend money on good fish and poultry (to eat)..because you really, really don't want to eat bad fish.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I spend money on shoes. It's just not worth ruining my feet with cheap shoes any more.

I don't scrimp on bras, either. At my age, the girls need all the help they can get, so I'm going to spend money and get something that will last and perform. Unfortunately, spending a lot of money on undergarments doesn't guarantee quality (Vickie's Secret, I'm looking at *you*.)

I have good cooking utensils (cast-iron pots and good knives), because I like to cook.

I don't spend money on shampoo or conditioner; I've tried the expensive stuff, and it doesn't make my hair look any better than White Rain does. Ditto cleansers and makeup - there's plenty of good stuff at the drugstore.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I spend my dough on good shoes...on ebay to get the lowest price. I love Birkenstocks and I bought a pair of new $85.00 sandals there for $50. Everything else I am downright frugal on.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I'll spend more money on clothes... as a double-digit-size woman, I have trouble finding anything that 1) fits and 2) I actually like. So if I can find a nice white blouse or a pair of classic black trousers that'll last, fits, and go with everything, I'll cough up bucks for that. For shoes, too, because I only buy maybe one or two pair every year, if that. If I wear a good pair of sneakers every day and they don't kill my feet, it's worth it to me to spend $100+ on 'em. Socks and underwear, however, come from Target.

Furnishings, it depends. We have a really expensive down comforter and comforter cover, because we sleep with that every night, and the cheeper one we bought before was miserable... down leaking everywhere and bunching up at the bottom.... I'd spend money on good pillows, too. But sheets? Sales. Rugs? Ikea.

For books, I generally buy used and/or paperbacks, but yet I'll willingly spend $30 on a Duran Duran import CD that I already have the domestic version of and is exactly the same....

I won't buy Barbies/toys that're more than, say, $8-10.

Something that I've recently found myself splurging on and thinking it's worth it is really good restaurants. The Husband-Type Man and I recently went to Union Square Cafe in NY, and had a $200 meal... but it was AMAZING, you know, where you finally understand why the chefs are "artists"... not because of how the food looks on the plate, but how it tastes, and how the wines compliment it. It was a Food Epiphany. I wouldn't do this every week, or even every month, but I'd think it was worth it for an ocassional special night out.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Good restaurants are totally worth it. I tend to only go to them when I'm with my friends, as my husband is appalled at spending more than #15 per person for a meal, but when I do it is bliss. Luckily, London is chock full of amazing restaurants. The biggest problem is that I usually feel totally out-of-place in them.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I will also spend money on shoes. I keep them forever and I barely wear them anyway since I'm at home 95% of the time. I will also spend money on furniture since you keep it forever.

I buy some store brand stuff at the grocery store, but I will splurge on paper towels and toilet paper. And beer.

My husband doesn't bat an eye when it comes to spending money on computer stuff or his car.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I have to spend lots of money on good work and running shoes. I'm on my feet all day. Plus, I have flipper feet. They are totally flat and they pronate like crazy. Good seats at the theater. I saw "Phantom of the Opera" from the nose-bleed section and it just wasn't worth it. I don't go often, but being close makes a world of difference to me. I love original art work, but never have the bucks to spend all at once. So I've found that artists are really great at saying, here, just pay me what you can when you can. When I was a grad. student, I bought a piece on a very long-term payment plan for $400. The person selling it to me got to know me and gave me support and encouragement as I got it paid off. It is now worth $2000, not that I'd *ever* sell it. Or artists will lower their price/piece if I get more than one piece (I am thinking of the lastest additions to my dragon collection that I bought yesterday).

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I won't buy generic peanut butter or baby wipes. But I do buy my shoes at Payless. Mostly because when you wear a size 12 you can't find shoes anywhere else. There's a Nordstrom Rack near me & they carry my size, but I can only afford to spend $20 or $30 on shoes maybe twice a year. It doesn't really matter if they're comfortable or not, because when your feet are this big you're at the mercy of what's available, you don't get much choice.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

BUY DECENT SHEETS - god, there is nothing worse than sleeping on cheap, ripping or pilling linens. I splurged (kinda) and got a really nice set (have to wash them and get them right back on as I have no spare set), but they are so soft and nice. Agree with the shoe analogies - better to invest in a DECENT pair instead of several cheap pairs that trash your feet and make you grouchy. Books are my passion - I will go without groceries for books. New, used, whatever... Good olive oil if you cook a lot, and fresh berries or tropical fruits, and good wine (easy for me to say since I live in Wineville USA - SF Bay Area). As far as gifts, if I find something someone will aboslutely just love, it doesn't matter if it was fifty cents or fifty dollars - just finding that PERFECT thing and giving it to them is a blast.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I'm with everyone on shoes...I just don't care for the cheapies anymore, they don't fit right, and my shoes last forever anyway, so it's okay to spend more I figure. I also spend whatever I want on cleaning supplies -- HATE to clean these days and if sprays and powders do it faster/better or just make me feel well-equipped, so be it. We don't really skimp on meats, but I rarely buy seafood at $7+ per pound, gads. I cut myself off from paper towels for several years, but have started buying them again. They are really quite handy. Name brand canned vegies are just fine, unless it's peas and then only the LeSeur Petite peas will do. Forget about cheap vodka, or any cheap hard liquor. My favorite vodka these days is Kettle One. But I still drink the cheapest wine (French Colombard, Livingston Cellars I think?) With sheets, they have to be at least 200 thread count, cheap towels and rugs don't last. And just about all the clothes I buy, I buy on sale. It's just fun, like hunting or sleuthing.

Check out this site from JCPenney, http://www.fallingprice.jcpenney.com/. They debut an item at a normal price, say shorts at $21.99 or something, then everyday they decrease the price a little. You can ask to be notified each time the price goes down. I bought my son two pairs of shorts for $3.20 each cuz I had the patience to wait until the price came all the way down -- you run the risk of the item selling out of stock, but if it's something you can live without, I figure why feel pressured? Just wait and if it's still available at the lowest price, it's yours! Paid more in shipping that I did for the clothing, but still less that $8 total for each pair of shorts.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Looking around, we've splurged on our cars and our computers, but we did it because we intend to get a ton of service out of them over many many years. And we've taken some really nice trips and spent some money on ourselves that way. If you've read the Shopping Spree topic, you know I tend to spend a lot on clothes when you look at the lump sum - but I refuse to buy any clothes that aren't on sale, and I really need them to be marked down pretty deep. I will not spend more than $30 on a pair of shoes and I try to find them cheaper than that. I have two good pairs of dress shoes that I did spend a little more on, because they need to last, but I've had great success with buying shoes at low prices and then having them last years more than I expected. Sometimes, I'll even love a pair so much that I got on sale that I'll go back and buy an extra pair or two at that great price and just put the extras in the basement until the pair I'm currently wearing fall off. :-)

Oh, and eating out is a big time splurge for us on a regular basis. We eat out more than anyone else I know and we usually go big and pay a bundle every time. We like the fancier places. I know it's a bad habit. If we had to suddenly save a whole bunch of money and really cut expenses hard, giving up the fine dining would be soooo difficult... :-(

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

i will splurg on cloths! i will always by kathie lee cloths instead of the tother brands walmart sells

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

I'll spend appalling amounts of money on shoes and handbags, but I clip coupons and use pots, pans, and dishes that I dug out of my mom's garage. I've also been known to re-use sandwich bags.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

I am a total spendthrift, a shopping diva. I mostly splurge on clothes, shoes, cosmetics, and skincare. I love finding a bargain, but instant gratification holds me in thrall and often keeps me from waiting for a sale. I rationalize it by telling myself that you get what you pay for, that expensive=quality. It's also very important to me to have nice bed linens, but I really only have one good set of sheets. When I go to the grocery store, though, I use a lot of coupons and pay close attention to prices. Except on cat food and litter; the expensive stuff is totally worth it in that arena. Cheap food and litter lead to a very stinky cat box. I buy a lot of books, but I have an employee discount that saves me a lot of money there, fortunately.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

I won't spend money on skincare and haircare stuff beyond the bare minimum -- witch hazel and cotton balls, soap, white rain shampoo and conditioner. I buy expensive concealer (Clinique) and semi-expensive mascara (Almay) and cheap-ass lip, eye, and fingernail stuff (Wet 'n Wild, I am looking at you).

CDs and electronics -- I've been meaning to replace my portable CD player for three years and haven't gotten around to it, never use my Walkman... Go on buying sprees with CDs and then don't get more for a year, and still haven't bought a disk drive for my G4. Not a priority. My spouse, however, is the reason we have a Dreamcast and a Nintendo 64, decent stereo equipment, and, for that matter, my G4.

Clothes -- I go to Name Brand Clothing a lot. They have tons of stuff from Lane Bryant, but it's six bucks instead of thirty, a much better deal, and usually nothing's wrong with it. I probably STILL spend too much money on clothes but I try to get them second-hand or at the very least, on clearance, and it's way more fun than buying full price from the mall fodder available here. High fashion bores me to tears. Expensive shoes -- not as long as cheap ones hold up, because they don't seem to stay in style long enough to justify the expense.

I buy a lot of magazines -- I love getting them out of the newsstand brand new (I always pull from the middle of the stack -- untouched magazines! Yay!) and will pay stupid amounts of money for ones that look interesting. Ditto books, but less so, and hardly ever hardbacks. I buy a lot of used books.

I've finally learned to buy food I like, even if it's more expensive, because if you hate everything in your kitchen then you *will* (if you're me) wind up in a restaurant that night, while the food at home rots. So it makes economic sense, frappuccinos and all, to bring home what I'll eat. I think.

I am utterly susceptible to small items of home decor -- ten-dollar candle holders and the like. This is my biggest weakness.

On the other hand, I hardly ever buy jewelry, but when I do, it's something very nice, and I treasure it.

Oh, and vet bills. My cats and ferrets get better medical care than I do. Yeesh. That's one of the few areas in my life where the words "cost is no object" really does apply.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Eva, my G4 was a splurge, also. But I justified it in large part with the knowledge that Macs last and last forever and I won't need to buy a new one for a long time. You should go buy your disk while they buyin' is good - disks are dirt cheap (relatively speaking)!

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Sara, that's so funny about the sandwich bags - I do that too. Because otherwise it seems like "such a waste", to quote my darling Mother. And I only have one set of sheets for summer and one for winter. I have been trying to buy new sheets for months and I am having a lot of trouble committing to the purchase.

But I'll spend a lot of money on shoes - athletic shoes and all others. I used to buy cheap shoes, my feet got incredibly screwed up and several surgeries later, I just suck it up and buy the expensive ones. But I try to find them on sale. If I'm out to dinner or out for drinks with friends, I don't care how much it costs. I figure that's why I work so much, so that I can spend money on what I want. I'll also spend a lot more money on gifts for people than I would spend on myself. In order to look magnanimous. ;)

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Funny you say that Eva. I've spent more on my dog this year in both vet and grooming than I've spent on my own doctor and hair styling. .. sigh.(cocker spaniel). I tried to get clippers and do her hair myself at home. She's a good sport, but that's totally something you have to go ahead and shovel out the bucks for.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

I've read that the only true test of intelligence is the ability to detect irony, and I usually do a good job. But I just gotta admit, floosie throws me for a loop with her posts everytime. I can never tell if she's kidding or not. Floosie, you're wonderful, whoever you are. You really make my day sometimes.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2000

I spend the cash on linens. Snatch up those 100% cotton sheets at the next White Sale and you'll rue the years wasted sleeping in a polyester blends. And my down comforter was one of the best purchases of my life. One might argue that a Texan does not *need* a down comforter, and one would have an excellent point, especially if you saw me cranking the AC down to 60F in the summer to get my bedroom nice and cold. But mmmmm.... it's like sleeping in a marshmallow.

On the other hand, I regularly eat Raman noodles. A meal for 12 cents!

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2000

Yeah, I love cotton sheets. Or I'll settle for poly/cotton 250 count. I still buy them cheap, though, because I'm a cheap bastard like that. Paul really likes those "t-shirt" sheets. I only buy those for the kids, though.

-- Anonymous, October 09, 2000

OK here's something to be said for cheap comforters. I got a cheap one a while back. So cheap, that the down all traveled to one side because the stitching came out on one half. Now it's perfect, because I, who am hot natured, can sleep with my SO who is cold natured, and we can have different amounts of down in the covers.

My sheets, however are 300 count egyptian cotton...they are da bomb. No shams, matching or otherwise....ha! *g*

-- Anonymous, October 09, 2000