It’s true, I’m one of the most frugal people I know — in a good way!
Fortunately, Dave is totally “on board” with my scrimping and saving mentality because by not spending money on some things, we are able to save up for other more important things.
Now obviously “the important things” are different for every person and family, but I’m convinced that even if you’re serious about saving money, there are probably still a few things you are just willing to pay for…right?
Over the past few years I have personally noticed a handful of things, services, and opportunities that I’m willing to shell-out a few extra bucks for. Here’s my list…
1. An Oil Change
Growing up, my dad always changed our oil, but after I got married, I realized that I could use BOGO coupons and get TWO oil changes for only $38.00 total. I love that I can get my oil changed in only 15 minutes; and that they fill up all the fluids, check a bunch of things under the hood, pump up the tires, and disposed of all the old oil for us. Totally worth the money in my opinion!
2. Car Washes:
We use to wash our own cars — even though it was a lot more time consuming than going through a car wash. But then I realized I could get my car wash, waxed, and dried for only $3.00 at a local car wash. Plus, I can use their high-powered shop vacs to vacuum out the inside of my car for free with the purchase of any car wash.
Sure, we are fully capable of washing our own cars, but I think $3.00 is worth all the time and effort I can save!
source
3. Nice Sheets
When we got married, I registered for really inexpensive sheets so we could get a few extra sets {remember, I’m frugal}. After a few washes, they started looking worn, feeling rough, and I even ripped one when I was changing the sheets.
So, I invested in a much nicer set of sheets. And even though I definitely didn’t spend as much as I could have, I got a great set of sheets that is still holding up 4 years later!
4. Pre-washed Lettuce
We grow a lot of our own lettuce in the spring and summer, which means we have to thoroughly wash and dry every single piece. It tastes delicious, but when our homegrown lettuce is gone, I buy organic, pre-washed tubs of lettuce from the store.
It’s definitely more expensive than buying a head of lettuce, but it’s SO nice to be able to make a salad in seconds — without all the washing, spinning, and drying!
5. Picnik Pro Photo Editing
I’m not a great photographer so I’m not willing to spend a bunch of money for photo editing, however I wanted more than I could get with all the free programs. So I spend $24.00 per year for Picnik Pro…and it’s worth every penny!
6. Insulation
OK, so this is kind of a crazy one, but we’ve spent a chunk of money adding lots more insulation to our OLD home. Hopefully it will save us a bunch in the years ahead — and I did get a rebate from Menard’s!
7. Slippers
We wear our slippers constantly from October through April so we always invest in a good pair — and I’m always shocked at how expensive they can be. Seriously, the slippers in the picture below are $100.00 — for slippers!
And even though I won’t spent THAT much on slippers, it’s worth the extra expense so I can put soft cushy slippers on every time I come home!
8. Underground Sprinkling
Yes, this can be a big investment, but if you want a nice lawn and don’t necessarily want to spend several hours each week moving sprinklers around, then I’d highly suggest investing in underground sprinkling.
We actually installed underground sprinkling at our first house and were thrilled to realize that our new house has it too. It saves us SO much time and is definitely worth the extra investment.
9. Technology
In my opinion, there is way too many tech. gadgets on the market, causing people to want more, bigger, better.
Dave and I try really hard not to get sucked into it all. We have really basic cell phones, we have the cheapest Internet, and the most basic cable package, but there are still a few things that we really DO need — especially for my business.
We haven’t broken down and purchased anything really fancy, but we both have nice laptops, we have a nice camera, and I’m even looking into getting an iPad {for business of course!}
10. A Nice Bathroom
We’re in the middle of some massive renovation projects right now — one of which is our master bathroom. We’ve been scrimping and saving so we could purchase our dream house, and now that we bought it, I told myself that I would NOT nickel and dime my way through our renovations.
So even though we’re staying on budget, I’m still willing to splurge a bit on our bathroom {which is usually one of the most expensive rooms to renovate}. I figure we’ll use this bathroom multiple times a day for many years, so it’s worth a little bit of a splurge!
{yes, I’ll show pictures when the bathroom is finished…but you can see the “before pictures” here!}
These are just a few things we’re willing to spend a bit more money on…
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Tina says
One splurge I don’t mind spending money on is my pest control service. I do not like bugs! Seriously, this is the job that I cannot imagine myself doing so I hire someone else to do it for me. It only costs $60 every other month. They will do an exterior spray and inspection as well. They do an interior spray anywhere that you ask them to. The spray that they use is non toxic. They come back and repeat sprays between the normal times for free if necessary. We live in an area where the pests can be deadly or harmful so I appreciate what they do so much! Plus, I don’t have to be grossed out by bugs. It’s a win-win.
Sheena says
Well can’t say i agree with your number one (oil changes though that is a great price for two) only because when i get mine changed i get it changed at the community college in town and they do it all for free! you just have to buy the oil and filters and with some good couponing it will cost you almost nothing. they also can do things like frount end alignments and just about everything else a car will need just get in contact with your local college and see if they have a mechanic division and they are always supervised so you know they are going to do a great job. Also your helping them get a chance to learn hands on.
Stephanie says
I have wanted to make a similar list on my blog. I would include baby carrots, ready to eat from the bag, and fully cooked bacon that only needs a few seconds in the microwave as opposed to twenty minutes and the stinky, greasy mess that goes with cooking it old school way!
Andrea says
Yes, I would have to add baby carrots to my list too! They are more expensive… but SO worth the time I save cutting up the big carrots 🙂
Kristen @ Joyfullythriving says
Great list, Andrea! Even the most frugal of us have splurges, and rightly so. My splurges? I always buy name brand chocolate chips for my baking. I try to use coupons and stockpile, but I won’t stray from my Nestle or Hershey’s! Also, my husband and I travel. As teachers, we enjoy having our summers to visit family and friends. We rarely stay in a hotel but the trips are worth the money for the memories that result!
Andrea says
Yup, us frugal gals need to splurge every once in a while. That’s what we save for, right??
My husband is a teacher too — and I can pretty much leave whenever I want, so we do most of our traveling in the summer as well. We always try to stay with family and friends, I use coupons for everything, and we still have a great time!
Pam says
I love your splurge list! I totally need comfy slippers, but I can’t seem to find any that hold up for very long — do you have a brand you consider “worthy” of money spent? I would love a pair of Uggs, but it’s just not in the budget… Maybe Santa?
Andrea says
I usually just end up getting my slippers from Target, and I’m almost always happy. However, I’ll be watching for those UGG slippers to go on sale — they look AMAZING!!!
Christine (iDreamofClean) says
Love your splurge list! Especially the technology items! My splurge list changes depending on the season of life I’m in. Lately things have been extremely hectic so, even though I’m naturally a DIY kind of person, I’m now paying for convenience services…anything from personal assisting to office work…to tax prep. One day life will slow down (maybe!) so I can add a few “fun” convenience items too!
Andrea says
I totally agree Christin — my splurge lists changes from time to time too — especially now when we’re renovating out house. I’m much more willing to skip vacations and never go out to eat in order to spend more on the house!!
I forgot to mention that I also pay for our accountant to do our taxes every year…b/c I think that’s really important from a business standpoint. I don’t want any errors to fall on my shoulders!
Mariposa says
I usually buy the pre-washed organic organic lettuce as well. It seems the best way to buy it organic and is SO much easier! I do want to try and grow my own this year, but we will see…
Andrea says
Home-grown lettuce is the best lettuce you’ll ever taste, but it does take some time to wash and dry it all.
Try it once, if you decide you don’t want to put in the extra effort, you can always go back to the organic lettuce tubs!!
Anne says
I love your list topic! I am very frugal too, but I love to splurge on Trapp candles and fresh flowers.
Danielle says
The iPad is TOTALLY worth it. I mean, i didn’t buy ours, it was a gift, but they’re incredible. You van do sooooo much with them. And we haven’t spent much on apps at all. Therer are tons of great free ones.
I’m currently debating on how nice of new sheets to buy on our limited budget. The nice ones we bought after getting married are literally threadbare. Anyone recommend a certain threadcount?
Sue says
I think of somethings that you have to buy quality over the cheaper item.. Like I have bought my kids winter coats at LLBean the last couple of years.. (now I did hit a sale one year at their outlet store ).. but my daughter has worn that same winter coat for over 2 years now.. and it is a 3 in one coat so you get more than just winter use out of it…. Ask any mom of a 8 year old.. 2 years out of a winter coat.. that is alot..
I have one question though… What is a pig cooker? it is on the pic of the car wash..
Sue in NJ
Andrea says
haha…I don’t know what a “pig cooker” is either, I just liked the picture and it fit well with the post!
Ashli says
I’m pretty sure that a pig cooker is the large barbeque cooker that looks like a water heater on it’s side. They are typically black with a chimney on top. We use them down here in the south for pig roasts and they are actually large enough for a car wash!
Karen says
This is interesting to compare!
Hubby enjoys taking care of the cars, so he washes and waxes them, and also changes the oil to save us some $$. My 20-something nephew lives with us, and my sons are willing to have him buzz their hair. That saves me around $32/month. I stretch my haircuts to once every 6-8 weeks, and buy a box of L’oreal (I’m worth it, you know) about as often. I spent waaaay too much on perms for many years, only to find I have nice, naturally wavy hair. Who knew? No cable, cheap internet, basic phones (except for mine) which are still too expensive.
We will typically “splurge” on tires, tax preparation, triple-pane windows, tipping a good waitperson, nutritional supplements, a reliable handyman (priceless), and shoes (most of the time). I only buy shoes/sneakers once every 1-2 years, but the boys go through soccer cleats like they’re disposable. If they aren’t outgrowing them, they’re ripping out the seams of good kangaroo leather. Plus, one son wears orthotics and requires good quality shoes.
Some people consider money spent on pets “splurging. We consider it a responsibility we committed to when we got them. (We don’t spend thousands to prolong the life of an 18 year old cat, for instance, but we don’t scrimp on their vaccines, food, medicines, or annual check-ups.)
And you’re right about the sheets. I made the cheap-o mistake too many times.
sheena says
I love what you said about pets it’s so true!
Also have you ever tried going to your local college for a haircut? You do need to be careful but the instructors tend to be really good about watching the ones who are new and at times may even take over. There is one girl I go to and she is really good and it only costs me a few bucks not including tip because I think if they do a good job they deserve it!
Also really agree with the tip splurging waitressing is a hard job and if there is someone running around cleaning tables then the waitress has to tip them at the end too along with a bartender if there is one.
Jolon @ Savvy Chic Savings says
Oh, you know I’m oh-so-frugal… but I have my splurges, too!
I also pay for Picnik and Hootsuite Pro… yet I put up with my old hoopty laptop. Hmmm. Might have to fix that soon!
I definitely can’t live without my visits to the salon every 5 weeks and department store makeup and skin care.
You’re right about nice sheets, too!!
Ashli says
I feel so much better now, we just put in a sprinkler system and I’ve been having sticker shock at what it cost. That being said, I think it will pay for itself in the long run because it’s fine tuned to water much more efficiently than sprinklers and it comes on in the early morning hours when the sun won’t evaporate everything (and much earlier than we’re willing to be outside watering manually.)
The only other thing we splurge on is vacation each year. We want to spend the time with our kids before they are fully grown, and childhood goes way too quickly! Well, there is one more thing…the occasional milk shake from Chick Fil-a. After all, you only live once!
Andrea says
Ashli, you will LOVE your underground sprinkling…so consider it money well spent! And you are right, underground sprinkling actually uses less water and is much more efficient than regular sprinklers.
Dave and I don’t take many “real vacations” right now. We mostly just visit family and friends around the country {which means free lodging!} However, I’m certain that once kids are in the picture, we will make an effort to travel more during the summer.
Ashli says
I suppose I should clarify, when I say we splurge on vacations I mean we take them. That doesn’t mean that we don’t try to save as much as we can though! 🙂