9.18.2012

Making a Dollar Out of Fifteen Cents*

A while back, Lisa did a post for her Mid-month Money Manifesto about saving money and what things that she likes to splurge on. I liked the idea, since I am a money saver, and often times people in my life have tried to convince me to have fun NOW instead of always saving money for later. I usually save it for later, but there are a few things that I find worth splurging on.

How I Splurge:

- Travel (I actually travel pretty inexpensively, but I do it for extended periods of time) 

Boracay, Philippines

- Lunch out once a week
- Races
- Brunch with friends on the weekends (we have a list we are trying to tackle)

Pancakes at La Note

- Fresh fruit and vegetables from the farmers market/market
- Boots (although I still get them at places like DSW)
- Camera Stuff
- Giant's games
- Some running gear
- Fancy creamer
- Gifts for other people

How I Save: 

- Generic toiletries (thanks to Up and Up)
- Taking the casual carpool instead of the bus
- Generic paper goods etc (ziplock, paper towels, dryer sheets) 
- Bringing my lunch at least 4 days a week

Pre-made veggie bags for lunches

- Cooking/eating at home
- Buying in bulk (bulk aisle about once a month / Costco about once every 3 months)

Costco trip
- Discount running shoes (I always wait for a coupon/deal and then buy a couple pairs)
- Couponing in general
- Thrift store shopping (for clothes / common household items)
- Borrowing books from the library (My no book buying challenge is still going strong!)
- Not driving
- Growing my own veggies
- Making coffee at home

*refers to a Tupac song and/or a Master P song. I think they are referencing drugs, but I am not. 

How do you save? What do you splurge on?

16 comments:

  1. I splurge on local food, good produce and sometimes running shoes. Otherwise, I'm pretty cheap! :)

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  2. I'm with you on splurging on pancakes (brunch in general) and BOOTS! I stalk the www.yoox.com website - amazing italian boots that I put in my dream box and wait until they go on sale. hmmm...that reminds me - must go check website. ;)

    I'm on a "no book buying" streak too...love the downloadable ebooks my library has for my kindle.

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  3. Those are reasonable splurges. We splurge at nice restaurants about once a month, and we do eat out once a week (but always pack lunches).

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  4. Oooh I totally thrift shop and buy generic! I'm loyal to NO brand--whatever is cheapest!

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  5. I buy generic and in bulk all the time. Hmm... we do splurge on nice meals out. and I try to eat lunch at home every day.

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  6. Save: all of my furniture is from second hand stores, I buy clothes at discount shops (TJMaxx!) and I buy new clothes only when what I already own is falling apart, transportation - for years I walked everywhere instead of driving, now that I live in a city where I need a car, my car is 10 years old.

    Splurge: travel! quality shoes (maybe this is a "save?" better to buy one $90 pair that lasts 5 years than 5 $20 pairs that barely last a year), quality groceries for cooking at home

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  7. I love that you're able to avoid driving. We have a very old vehicle that lacks a car payment, thankfully. I don't spend much on clothes. We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to. We don't take fancy vacations. When we do travel, we try to stay somewhere with a kitchen where we can prepare our own meals. When you're spending $1,500 a month on daycare, it's pretty easy to find lots of ways to cut out costs!

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  8. Travel is def a good splurge! Eating in saves so much it's amazing and tastes so much better!

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  9. You do a great job on your save list. I think everyone has to figure out the formula that works for them. Anyhow, my saves are probably along the lines of entertainment--we don't go out all that much (sitter, etc. adds up!). I also am not a big clothes shopper, outside of athletic wear. I plan meals every week too, so that we are eating in almost every day.

    So with you on splurging on travel--totally worth it!

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  10. those are all really good ideas ad i think i mesh with you very well, I do about the same on things!

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  11. I just found your blog via the 2012 Bookmark Break Challenge. I was intrigued because I love travel too and then...I noticed you are a Giants fan! I'm here in the Bay Area too and we bleed orange and black in our house! We splurge on Giants games, eating out with friends once a week and I also pay a little more for my shoes because after breaking my foot I can't wear discount shoes comfortably. I also splurge on books but at a discount at Amazon. I have an iPad and use it when I travel but I can't give up the feel and the smell of a real book. Other than that I'm a TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and general thrifty shopper. Although, now that we have grandbabies, I hit the Carter's outlet a lot (and The Dugout kid section)! Nice to find you and here's hoping the magic number drops from 8 to zero really soon. Go Giants!
    Robin

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  12. I love your plugs for the library--glad the "no book buying" is still working for you.

    I need to be a better saver, but here's what I try to do: buying few (non-running) clothes, bringing lunch to work (I need to do pre-filled baggies of veggies like you do), no cable TV or expensive cell phone plan.

    What I need to do better: stick to a grocery budget, drive less.

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  13. When we decided to 'retire' very young and go live on our sailboat, we started saving and have been able to do it without feeling deprived! Some of my save/spend list matches yours...

    We own a car.
    We have internet and minimal cable tv.
    We like to travel.
    We golf but at much less expensive courses and no longer have a club membership.


    I do use the library.
    I enter giveaways! And have won lots of great stuff through my blogs.
    I don't waste food.
    We shop the food sales, bulk bins, Costco and PLAN.... I love to cook.
    We eat at home most of the time or I pack a cooler - also health related.
    We use coupons for lots of different things.
    I have started thrift store shopping for some things.
    We don't waste resources... power, water, heat.
    I mend things and I love to sew.
    We rarely buy coffee out.... take the thermos along in the car all the time.
    Use tap water.
    Bought a freezer for bulk buys and homemade soups, chilis, stews, etc.

    This is a very interesting post. I likely could be doing even more. I like to think of if as kind of a game.



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  14. That top picture is dreamy. I want to go there:) Nice tips for saving money. I grew up in a saving family and my husband grew up in a splurging family, so I prefer to save but sometimes end up splurging. For example when I buy my running clothes, I go to Target or the outlets. When my husband buys me running clothes as gifts (so Sweet) he goes to Nordstroms. I always love the clothes, but cringe thinking how much he spent:0

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  15. I love that we are both staying strong w/ this no book buying thing. I will say I was extremely tempted to buy one this weekend when I got to the airport and realized I had forgotten my library book at home! Luckily I had my Nook with me, so I had a book to read on that but I was SO tempted to buy the library book I was reading at the airport as i was really getting into it (I'm reading The Language of Flowers).

    We have al ot in common in terms of what we splurge/save on. One thing I splurge on is having a house cleaner. I would rather have that than a gym membership! I save by getting groupons for things as much as possible!

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  16. I loved this post on Lisa's blog and I love that you picked it up... we definitely splurge on some of the same things (travel, brunch, gifts, ...) :)

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