Splurge Items Vs. Penny Pinching Items

I refuse to pay the extra on call waiting or caller ID. My neighbor just said yesterday, I thought there was something wrong with your phone, I got a busy signal. I was on the phone = busy signal. She hadn't heard one for such long time, she came over and rang the door bell.

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I overspend on bottled water. To me, it tastes different and I thoroughly enjoy the convenience. I agree with your list of what you hate spending money on. I will also add to that socks (where do they go?), dryer sheets, most cleaning supplies, and weddings. Not the wedding gift, but the whole bridesmaid dress/matching shoes.

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I hate spending money on bottled water. You get taken every time and then foul the environment when you throw them away. I have a 1 qt juice bottle that I fill over and over again and only buy another when it breaks of I loose it. I hate spending money to pay the butcher to do something I can do myself. I.E. I cut the skin off my chicken breasts and pull the bone out. Chicken on sale for $.99 lb is the same as boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.41lb.

I hate spending money on public employees' VERY generous retirement checks. I hate spending money for pork barrel projects and illegal aliens on welfare and social security. My family came here legally and I don't see why others cannot do the same.

Good luck to you and yours.

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(Sorry, this is so long!)
Most of my splurge items are done with a penny pinching attitude. For example, I like nice, well made clothes, but can't afford them. So, I buy them used.

Shoes are a different matter. I will spend a pretty penny on a well made, durable, attractive, pair of boots. I live in an area that is rainy nine months out of the year. I wear my boots on an almost daily basis. I am on my feet, a lot of the day and I like being comfortable. I also feel darn attractive in my boots. My current pair cost an arm and a leg, but have lasted years. To me, it was worth the money. We buy my SO expensive boots as well. His have also lasted years, and have been drug through sound water on many, many occasions. It's important that while working nights on the water, his feet are warm, dry and comfortable.

The kids do (mostly) hand me down, sale or gifted clothes and I have been able to find them expensive, gently used boots. Their grandmas/nana love buying them shoes and clothes. God bless the grandparent impulse to spoil.

Our cars were used, but are also well made, hunted for months and are safe.

Our house was a short sale and had a collapsing roof, two bathrooms in disrepair and was being eaten, from the outside by blackberries. It's twenty minutes from town. It was...a deal but meant work. Doing things DIY, with family help, and trades w/ more competent friends we've been able to do A LOT, so hopefully, when we sell we will get a return for our work. I'm learning a lot working on it.

Bottled water grinds my gears. I'll be honest. Watch the movie "Blue Gold" and you'll prob. never go back. Likewise, I don't do paper towels or paper plates/napkins. I do buy tampons and pads. Note to self: look into a diva cup. I don't have makeup (had some cheap stuff and the kids got into it...), but am going to splurge because I'm getting married in a few days.

We eat what we have and wait till town before adding more to the fridge. I do feel strongly about the ingredients I buy and make an effort to provide a well balanced diet from fresh foods.

I buy a lot of our tools and gadgets (camera for ex.) from individuals or pawn shops. I love haggling, and it's one of the few places where that is culturally acceptable. The internet has also been kind to us in that regard. I don't pay for cable, but do get netflix and the internet. We don't go out to dinner more than once every few months...and then we do lunch. It's cheaper.

Well, thats enough out of me! Love this question, BTW

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Haha @ the irony of coming on this site to get away from shopping for the one item I splurge on! My bazoombas grew 5 sizes during pregnancy and never shrank after breastfeeding, they just fell. I try to buy bargain bras, but its just no good, I must spend a small fortune on them and I hate it. I hate that they're so huge and in the way and that they cost me so much money (otherwise I'd be scarring others' vision for life). I hate that its the only thing I can thing of for this post. Ugh :)

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Batteries it just annoys me to no end that everything in the world has batteries they can make a rechargeable electric car but a robot toy needs a thousand batteries.
I feel the same way about paper plates and napkins

I have to add to my list
Cable TV- hate paying for it
Cell phones- hate paying for it
Air- at gas stations really I am paying for air?

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I hate spending money on anything that has to do with vanity. My makeup will be almost totally gone before I go out and spend 100 bucks on new stuff. But I love spending money on my favorite perfume and will not go one day without it.
I hate spending money on cigarettes yet still do it. That one is killer.
I hate spending money on doctor visits, my monthly premium already sucks and then to add to it by actually going to the doctor really pisses me off, and I hate paying for prescriptions that are probably killing me instead of the opposite.

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Unfortunatly, my things I do spend money on list grows every year and the other list does not. This year I added make-up to my money spending list and began buying Smashbox and Urban Decay, but I have problem skin and it really does keep it clearer. I guess the only thing I really hate spending a lot of money on is shirts, i usually go cheap on those and most pants I can't because I am so tall. This year I will have a garden too so vegtables might make the list of money saving things...
Really to me it is more about where I hate spending my money than what it is on... I hate shopping at the store that starts with a W and ends with a Mart, because of many of their policies on employees and breaking the laws to keep prices low enough no one can compete....

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Yes, I am the same way. There will be something I want for months and months and just won't buy it for whatever dumb reason! Kind of like an apron. I have needed one for the longest time. Guess what - My mother-in-law bought me the cutest cupcake apron for Christmas! (I love cupcakes!) I am just happy I don't have to spend the money on a $20 apron.
But then today, I went to Ulta and spent $50, yes $50 on shampoo and conditioner!!!!!! I mean come on. How dumb is that? But, they had a really good by 2 get 2 free sale thing going on plus I had a coupon, so I couldn't help myself :)
I am with you though. I don't know what it is or why I do this...but at least I know I am not the only one!

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I HATE that I have to buy feminine products and that those companies KNOW you have to buy them so you are forking over $5-$10 a month on them. Or, why does women's deodorant cost twice to three times as much as mens???? I hate that my family seems to only NOT react when I use Tide laundry detergent...that stuff is expensive!!!

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I'll consider this a "wants vs. needs" question. Most of the time I have no problem spending money on things I need. But when I pick the item up, I say to myself, "do I want it, or need it?" Most of the things we buy, we don't need, seriously. The next time you go shopping, try it. Say to yourself: Do I want this?, or do I need this? Then I find myself battling with name brands. I do not like to spend more for the name brand, but that inner voice "wants" the name brand!
We are given so many choices in this day and age, it's about being smart enough to make the right decisions. I think it's something every average woman struggles with (wants vs. needs).

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I hate spending money on ice. It seems like such a waste when I can make it for free.

Water bottles are another one. We have stainless ones that we usually take along with us, but sometimes it's just more convenient.

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That's a funny one... I like to keep stock of supplies, but I really hate overspending on pretty much the same things (future Garbage).
I try to get coupons for these things so it's not such a waste of money.
I like buying nice clothes and shoes for my daughter, but I only get reasonably priced things for myself.

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I'm sure there are a thousand things I could add to this list, but the first thing that comes to my mind is how I will (almost) NEVER pay full price for my own clothing, and rarely treat myself to pricier clothing items, but I will do it for my son. Yes, I usually get him stuff for next year on this year's clearance, yada yada, but if I find a really cool item that is not on sale, there's a far greater chance that I'd get it for him, than if it were for me.

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Good question!
I don't buy new cars- don't want to have the payment, but I always buy high end Euro cars.(well, now that I am married I don't always have a say in all vehicle makes) I don't spend money on purses- I have 2 that were given to me and I hardly ever even use them.
I do consignment shopping-but buy name brands so I know they are well made. I DO splurge on boots and shoes! A BIG weakness.
Paper products never bothered me- I equate it with being clean, but never buy paper plates.

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I will never cheap-out on shoes (except for summer flippies). A good pair of shoes will never be a bad investment for me! My grandfather and father are both fanatical about it and I guess they passed it on to us!

As for things I hate spending money on... t.p. tops the list for sure. I also really don't like buying things that make other things "work". For example, my son got a cool "Cars" racetrack for Christmas. Batteries? Fine, whatever. Not so happy when we discovered that only the "Piston Cup" series cars worked on the track... the other 20 that he owns won't work. Awesome... $15 spent to make the original gift work. Yuck.

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I agree with you about the paper products. One thing that sets me apart from other moms that I come across in my community, it seems, is that I am not overly in love with getting a new car every few years or buying high end purses. I've never been one to salivate over a car and I like having a car payment-free for as long as possible before getting a new one.

As for purses, I do appreciate a well-made one but I'm too fickle to purchase a Louis Vuitton or a Marc Jacobs purse. I feel that to spend that kind of money on a purse, you have to be committed to it and I just don't love purses all that much. If my husband gave me one for a present, I'll gladly receive it but for me to go out and spend that kind of money on one would be difficult to do because I know that I tend get tired of purses quite easily and I have no qualms donating my not-so-expensive purses and moving on to the next one when the urge hits.

However, I will spend on things that have to go the distance like kitchen appliances, furniture and bedding. It's great if I can get them on sale (and we usually look for that) but I have been burned too many times by buying something that was a good price but didn't turn out to be a good value after all. An example of this would be the juicer that my husband bought me at a great price on line that maybe lasted a month. Not so good of a price after all if you figure how much use we actually got out of it vs. money spent.