So, what are you cheap about? On what do you splurge?

[eyesroll]

I got into a conversation with our art director today -- I love him dearly, but he's, how do I put this...horribly nosy. And he was surprised to find out that I've probably never worn anything to work (other than glasses or wedding ring or maybe a winter coat) that cost more than $30-$40; most of my clothing cost much less. I can't stand to spend money when it comes to clothing -- things from Target, thrift/vintage stores, super-super-super clearance racks, stuff my sister doesn't want anymore makes up the bulk of my wardrobe. I have at least three pairs of shoes that cost $5 or less (here's a hint for women who wear under a size 8 shoe or so -- size 5-6 boys shoes might fit and cost way less. I have a pair of athletic shoes and a pair of tux shoes I got that way) and none cost more than $25.

My mom hates this, BTW -- "you are both employed and you have no children; you can afford better than that" -- well, I spend little money on clothing so I can afford "better than that" in other things (see below).

The art director called me (jokingly, I think) cheap, and I got to thinking -- I have no problem plunking down good money for a bottle of wine or a nice dinner out. I also buy a lot of books. That's, I guess, where I choose to spend my discretionary funds. I cheap out on necessities so I can have a few luxuries, I suppose.

How about you? What can you not stand to spend money on? On what do you splurge when you can?

[Donkeyboy75]

1. With few exceptions,

I'm cheap when it comes to things I do not ingest. I splurge on things I do ingest. I also splurge on travel.

[chelsea0011]

2. Cheap on clothes.........70% off end of year sale...I'm stocking up

[Beware the Beast Man]

3. Cheap: groceries (believe it or not), clothes, utilities

Splurge: DVDs, CDs, entertainment, dining out, nicotine (sadly)

[eyesroll]

4. I'm schizophrenic on groceries.

On one hand:
"Big-ole jug of generic lemonade for $1! Yippee!"
"This bean-soup mix costs 39 cents and will last a few dinners."

On the other hand:
"$5.99 pasta sauce is so much better than Ragu."
"Ooh....(exotic ingredient)....I don't need it; I don't know what to use it for....but it looks interesting so I'll get it!"

I suppose it evens out.

[hlthe2b]

26. Yeah, I'm schizo on food too... will pay minimal for staples, but

premium for hormone-free organic milk, wild-caught canned/packaged Salmon, premium coffee beans.

Same on makeup and skincare-- I'll spend big on the best sunscreen for the face, but much less for other things.

[meegbear]

5. Cheap/splurge on food ...

I would buy a cheap cut of beef at the grocer but I would buy the high priced spices and ingredients to cook with it.

[scarlet_owl]

6. I'm cheap on clothing. I only buy at goodwill or clearance sales.

On edit: I spend too much on marijuana.

[eyesroll]

9. It's probably impossible to be thrifty on that, if you choose to partake

I mean -- there's $2.99 wine and there's $299 wine, but there's no $2.99 pot -- even the throw-away stuff ain't cheap.

I suppose you could grow your own...:D

[Corgigal]

7. cool topic

cheap-anything that washes anything. Washer and Dryer. Dishwasher.
Also vacuum cleaner and other cleaning items. I just buy the one who gets it done and cross my fingers.

pricey-certain foods, example spaghetti sauce , certain vegetables, and cuts of meat. I also go pricey for the kids, if they want it for the most part they can have it. I go cheap on myself, clothes and haircuts.

I am looking at a piece of furniture that I must have. Giant entertainment center cost 1600 dollars. I think that is a bit pricey but furniture is my personal weakness.

[Mizmoon]

8. Always surprised by those who cheap out on food & heat

If you're not warm and well fed, what the hell is it all for, anyway?

The place where I'm cheap is cars - I laugh at people driving bottom-of-the-line Mercedes. Yeah, nothing like spending tens of thousands for a fancy nameplate on a plain old vehicle ... get a Honda already.

[eyesroll]

10. Ah. Yes. My cars are always cheap.

I have a Saturn now, had a Neon before (the Saturn is much more reliable, BTW).

[bobbobbins]

11. good booze is way more important that good clothes

[Magrittes Pipe]

13. Well, duh. You don't need clothes to live.

[Mrs_Beastman]

12. Cheap on haircuts,clothes

but I'm a firm believer in splurging on shoes, not buying tons of shoes, just shoes that are comfortable and won't ruin my feet. I learn of the joy of good shoes while working in a clothing store with marble floors...it's painful just to think about!

[eyesroll]

15. Haircuts. Yes.

My last haircut was....sometime....
I'm due for another one. It'll be at Supercuts or similar.

I understand about shoes in that situation -- I worked at Kids R Us (with hard tile) for years, and they wouldn't let us wear gym shoes at all.

But, I sit in an office all day, so my shoes can be downright impossible to walk in and it wouldn't affect my day...

[Mrs_Beastman]

39. I just got my haircut today at the Aveda Beauty school

For $13.00 bucks I got a cut style, shampoo , makeup applied and a hand and facial massage...Can't beat that

[eyesroll]

40. Wow! I don't think we've got any Aveda schools out here.

We have a "dental school dropout" beauty school that I pass on the way home from work (plus, I'm sure, some reputable ones as well that I haven't seen).

[Mrs_Beastman]

46. Aveda has a website

http://www.aveda.com/home.asp

I'm getting my hair dyed tommorrow for $30.00...and to top off my cheapness, they don't allow tipping

[Beware the Beast Man]

16. Yep, I'm pretty cheap on haircuts, too.

Wouldn't you say, Mrs. B? :)

[Mrs_Beastman]

47. Yes

$15 on clippers every two years is as cheap as you can get...unless you get dreads

[jmm]

50. Haircuts are the only thing I'll splurge on

without thinking about the cost. For everything else I'll atleast try to bargain hunt and usually I'm successful. The last time I got my hair cut and dyed I paid $100 plus tip but I like to think I made up for it with the $20 outfit (including shoes :)) I'm wearing today.

[Lerkfish]

14. I splurge on my son, and computer stuff...

actually, I splurge on eveything, now that I think of it.

:)

[Squeech]

17. Splurge on travel, cheap on everything else

I try to leave the country every year, usually to Brazil, and it costs several thousand dollars.

So I'm always looking for ways to save elsewhere. I buy my clothes at the after-Christmas sales. I look for loss leader sale items at the supermarket. (Another motivation for the above is, my local supermarket is horrible-- the local alternative weekly identified it as the most expensive in town, and their employees are clueless.) I get books, kitchenware, even furniture at yard sales. I drive a 12 year old car (Saab).

What I'd really like to do is stop paying the cable bill, but Mrs. Squeech would never hear of it.

[pansypoo53219]

18. i am the same on clothes

and if you go barefoot most of the time, you save on shoes there. i still wear a pair of boaters from lands end that are over 15 years old.
and i get gorgeous sweaters at estate sales.

i splurge on meat for cooking. food is wear i do not compromise. luckily it is cheaper if you cook.

why spend outrageously for cheesecake, when you can make it.
and i make damned good cheesecake.

[eyesroll]

19. Dinner at pansypoo's tonight?

:D

[bif]

20. I'm cheap on cars, clothes and basic necessities

Like toilet paper and that kind of stuff (gottaq love costco). but I splurge on food, booze and books and music. Although I cand tellthe difference between expensive wine and cheap wine (hey, I'd live on Chateaux Margaux if I could afford it), I usually drink a decent Chilean Cab that costs around $6.50 for the 1.5L bottle. Hey, it's "Wine Night" most weekend nights at the Bif household.

[Rainbowreflect]

21. I'm with you on clothes.

I shop thrift stores & have way too many clothes that cost me less then $5 each piece. Our local Goodwill stores have a 99 cent clothing day at least once a month. I will drop $10-$20 on that day. I spend my money on books, movies & music. I also do beading & love to spend money on beautiful beads.

[curse10]

22. I, on the other hand, love to splurge on clothes

I also love good cosmetics.

[eyesroll]

23. I am super, super, super cheap with cosmetics

I wear minimal or no makeup unless I have to, and even then it's Cover Girl-type stuff.

I do like the Bath and Body Works Oatmeal Facial line, though, which ain't cheap -- so you know what I do? I get an obscene amount of B&BW scented lotions and body sprays for gifts (from people who feel obligated but don't really know what to get me). I return them for lip balm and face scrub...

[curse10]

24. I'm a M.A.C. girl

I don't wear a lot of makeup, but when I do, I want it to feel and look fabulous.

I use some Bath and Body works stuff. Their true blue spa line is a nice alternative to Bliss Spa stuff, and at half the price. And I don't htink B&BW is very expensive, but I might be skewed on that :-)

I also love Body Shop stuff. I spend way too much money there.

[Lavender Brown]

25. Cheap with clothing, splurge on accessories

I ruin all my clothes, but I like my hangbags, gloves, shoes, scarves to last. And jewelry. I have very little jewelry, because I really only like things that are very nice or have sentimental value.

[sniffa]

27. i'm cheap on most everything

but spLurge on food and drugs.

[mrboba1]

28. cheap on some groceries

but gotta have my Silk soy milk!!

[TX-RAT]

29. Cheap on clothes.

Splurge on good Whiskey and fine cigars. My weakness.

[cmf]

30. Cheap on almost everything

I only buy clothes on sale or used. Our house is only as big as we need, not the biggest we can afford. I go to the library instead of buying books. We have the most basic cable there is (we tried an antenna, but we could only get FOX), and we don't have long distance on our phone. When we go on vacation, we choose by what destinations are on sale.

I do splurge on hair products (I have curly hair that is very specific on what it likes), my conditioner isn't the most expensive, but it's not Suave, either.

We also splurge on music. If we like a band, we buy the CD. We also make it a priority to go to live shows of the bands we like. Fortunately, we're indie pop fans, instead of the mass-market stuff, so tickets aren't that expensive.

[AngryAmish]

31. Cheap clothes - expensive shoes

Allen Edmonds are worth it. $300 but worth every penny. But I have not bought a new suit in three years.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Housing & Cars

I buy used cars. (My wife's was new, but it's now 10 years old and still suits us fine.)

We bought a house in a area with low property values so we wouldn't have to have much of a mortgage. We have the income to live somewhere more upscale, but i figure "What for?"

The house/home is what you make it. Where it is doesn't matter that much to me.

My wife is someone who buys things on sale a lot. It's not that she can't afford to buy at Fields. It's that she takes pride in not overpaying for anything. Same with me.

Besides, i don't care about money with regard to impressing others. Money is just something to spend. We keep our expenses low so that when something comes along that we feel like spending money on, it's always there. If we had a $2k mortgage payment, a $700 car payment, and $8k in property taxes, then money would matter. I don't want the money to matter.

So, i'm generally frugal, but only so we have the extra to spend on things we DON'T need.
The Professor

On Edit: Forgot about the splurge part. Good beer, even though it's more expensive. And musical gear. Not so much that i buy only expensive boutique stuff (though i have a little of that), but i've got way more stuff than i need. Never can have too many guitars, i always say.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

33. 'On what do you splurge?'

Sorry. I misunderstood. No sex threads.

[eyesroll]

34. Well, do you "splurge" on name-brand toilet paper?

I can't stand the generics myself.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

35. It usually happens after 'I Touch Myself'

[Love Bug]

36. Cheap on clothes and food

I can't remember the last time I paid full price for clothes, unless it was for a 6 pack of panties at Target! Shoes, too--I have wide feet, so I usually check the clearance rack at my local "there's not a foot we can't fit" shoe store. I also check consignment shops and thrift stores for clothes and shoes--you'd be surprised what you can get there.

For food I avoid most convenience food except for frozen pizza, but even that is the store brand. I have a chest freezer and use it for the 1/2 cow I just got for $2/lb. Yes, folks, I paid $2/lb. for grain-fed non-hormone-filled t-bones, roasts, sirloin steaks, ground beef, etc. I also live near a bread thrift store so I stock up on cheap bread and the other discount stuff they sell. Right now I'm looking for a source for organic chicken and pork for the freezer. I have a small garden for some veggies and also get some from the farmer's market, which also go into the freezer. I think that freezer is the best $300 I've ever spent!

However, I do pay a lot for cosmetics and skin care. I use Bare Escentuals makeup and some expensive skin care line they sell. Yes, I know I can spend less on Mary Kay or cheaper stuff at the drugstore, but I'm 50 and have tried just about everything they make and my skin has never looked better, so the price is worth it to me.

I also buy a lot of books (some used) and DVDs on discount.

[skygazer]

37. Cheap on most things

I'm very careful about groceries, shop sales, use coupons. I hardly ever buy clothes and when I do, I shop thrift stores or sales. I even travel cheaply, shopping for the best flights and staying at less expensive motels. I drive a car that cost me less than ten grand.

I splurge on hair care products and body lotions. Also books, I spend a lot on books. On the rare occasions that I eat out, I eat at nice places and get a good bottle of wine.

[mvd]

38. I splurge on..

CDs, including newer pop/rock, which I thoroughly enjoy. I have bought nearly all of them. Ok, maybe I shouldn't have bought the Ashlee Simpson (a C+, her bubble-grunge could be better,) but I'm mostly satisfied with my choices.

Always willing to buy a lot of books, as I never want to run out.

I've been splurging on computer security software, but I'll have to stick with some starting this fall.

I'm cheaper on grocery items and clothes.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

42. I give this post a B+

:D

[Radius]

43. Dude

Unless you use software for business or it is a game and you want to pay for quality (Doom3), I would never buy software.

I only buy music after I have downloaded the album from Kazaa and weeded out the shitty songs.

Cheap as Hell:
Beer, most of the time Bud Light
Clothes
Computer stuff
Furnature, refinish.


Splurge:
Animal stuff (vet bills far exceed human bills)
Quality vehicles(japaneese, american commercial). Buy a good car and it will last 10 years or more<250k miles and I feel cheated.
Movies and Books.
Good food (sushi, indian, etc) once a month or so.
Scotch, lasts a while.

[mvd]

45. Well, that has to do with personal preference and experience

I can still find many CDs I enjoy most of the songs on. And I've found various things wrong security products and it's taken a while to weed out the best for me.

[rene moon]

41. Both

but on my clothes and accesories, I'll splurge. Not all the time, I do shop at a great consignment store but I also love BeBe and Banana Republic. My style is classy, slight funky for work and funky at home.

As for my home, food, etc--I would say Ia m economical:)

[barb162]

44. I used to splurge like crazy on almost everything

clothes, vacations, jewelry, cars, furniture. That stuff is pretty much out of my system now and I have enough really expensive terrific clothes to last me 100 years and the clothes will not go out of style (I believe). I even used to have jewelry made. I had to wear Italian and French designer shoes. What I have to have now is M&Ms and diet cola. I have gone very basic on food too. My shoes now only have to be comfortable. Now I want good sweat pants with deep pockets and I don't give a dooddely damn if they are designer or not. I have found a lot of things I considered very important are not really important. But try taking my M & Ms and you're dead. I have gone cheap on almost everything

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

48. I splurge more than I don't...

Cheap: clothes, shoes (except sneakers)

Splurge: travel (esp. cruises), electronic gadgets and toys, DVDs, books and yarn (I knit and crochet)

[medeak]

49. welcome to DU NYCparalegal!

:-)

[redqueen]

51. I only splurge on toilet paper

Meaning I don't buy generic... I get the good stuff.

Not much disposable cash these days.

:cry:

[dolo amber]

52. Hotel rooms

Never understood the need to shell out big bucks on a swanky room...unless I'm in just an utterly crap town that has not even a bowling alley I'm not planning on being in my room except to sleep and shower. I don't require much to do that. ;)

[eyesroll]

53. I'm more of a path-of-least-resistance person with hotel rooms

Is my company paying for it? I'll stay where they send me (which is usually somewhere overpriced but quite nice).

Is it for a wedding or other function where there's a block reserved? Unless the block rate is absurd or something, I'll stay there.

Sometimes, laziness wins over cheapness.

[VaYallaDawg]

54. Probably mostly cheap

for me. Esp. groceries, clothes, shoes.

Biggest splurges: CDs, travel, books (and God, they're a pain when you have to move!), good booze, occasional dinner out w/friends (super splurge on that one).

[Butterflies]

55. I splurge on a great family vacation once every 3 or 4 years

involving airplanes, beaches, nice hotels, restaurants, souvenirs, etc. and in between those far apart vacations we don't go much of anywhere (cheap.)

[Ivan Sputnik]

56. Clothes . . .

I buy most of them from a store that sells factory rejects and overstocks -- and you can find excellent stuff there if you're patient.

I splurge on books and CDs.

[SOteric]

57. As with most things in my life, the answer is complex.

I'm thrifty, though I've discovered over time I'm not thrifty in a typical way. My mother taught me to be concerned not with spending the fewest dollars. Our goal is to obtain the highest quality, longevity and cost per use. It's false value to buy a pair of this season's trendiest shoes at a discount house for $15 if the shoes are poorly made and it's a dead heat as to whether the fad will be over before the shoes fall apart. If I'm going to spend $15 on shoes, I'll likely need to do so 4 times a year. So, for my bucks, I'd spend the same $60 on a quality made shoe of an understated design which hasn't gone out of style in the last 2 decades and won't likely go out of style in the next two. I'll even spend the extra $15 to have studier heels applied. And with proper care & maintenance, I'll likely get 2 years wear out of them if not more.

I use that same principle in just about everything. If I'm going to splurge on something it's likely to be a splurge aimed at pampering the people I love.

[DelawareValleyDem]

58. Everything NT

[bratcatinok]

59. I'm cheap

when it comes to clothing. I don't work because I'm disabled so I don't need expensive clothes. I do splurge on jeans though since I'm hard to fit. I'm a combination of cheap and splurge at the grocery store. I buy store brands for most canned goods but buy good meat.

My rent is cheap even here in my small town because the house is old. I splurge on electicity during the summer because I become physically ill if I get hot.

I drive a 10 year old car because all I need it for is to get around town and to get to my Doctor appointment.

My hair is long and I trim it myself. I need to splurge and have my dog professionally groomed because right now I'm having trouble holding him still to cut his toenails.

Living as cheaply as I do allows me to splurge on good coffee, makeup, candles, antique costume jewelry and I'm about to re-do my living room.

Early this summer I splurged and bought a riding lawnmower because I was tired of paying someone to do the lawn every week. I also thought I'd be able to mow the lawn if I had the riding mower. Unfortunately I didn't realize how much the mower would vibrate so I can't use it. However, fiance loves it so now the lawn is mowed twice a week whether it needs it or not.

[sleepyhead]

60. Splurge on food.

A good dinner can make up for the absolute worst day. And books - one can never have too many books! Cheap on toiletries - Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap is a shampoo, body wash, bath soap, and foot soak. Also cheap on paper towels - buy them in bulk at Costco. Oh yeah and socks too. Crew socks can be had at a dozen for 3-4 bucks.

[RetroLounge]

61. Hmmm, good question

I'm kinda "frugal" in everyday life. I spend little for food, clothes, etc. Just don't care much about either to go on a spending spree. Basics work fine.

But I splurge on hobbies. Used to be Vintage Guitars, but I sold them all off. Sometime I drop a bunch on certain 50's furniture, vintage 50's china, and other collectibles. These days it's Classic Cars and Model Railroading.

RL

[Lizzie Borden]

62. Cheap on clothes...

splurge on horse feed, dog food, cat food and veterinarians.

[LWolf]

63. Cheap on clothes.

Cheap on furnishings and "decorating."

Spend on books, music, and recreation.