What do you scrimp on/ splurge on?

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

I always try to eek out an extra month on my haircolor by using mascara on my roots (eeew, I know!). But I will go to my death bed with a killer watch on!

Susan

#1 Nick 11-18-04
#2 Kate 04-26-06

[C99]

I get my hair cut/colored once/year. I buy new clothes once/month.

[aliceinwonderland]

Get hair cut twice a year or so, and I color it myself with hena.

Our biggest expense after the mortgage is food. I love good food. we also go on vacations we can barely afford and that we probably should not. Concert tickets too, occasionally. We rarely do take out, I cook most of our meals, even when I live in a different city ;).

I have spent lots on face creme before...

ETC that my son's preschool is going to be the big expense around here in September. But I do not consider that a splurge as such. Just wanted to qualify the statement above :)

[KBecks]

This is tough.... we have been very budget-conscious lately, so not many splurges around here.

I've been trying generics -- found that I really like generic White Cloud diapers at Wal-Mart vs. Huggies. And they are $5 a case cheaper. I changed to Suave shampoo and conditioner a few years ago and decided to skip the pricier stuff.

DH and I love to go out to really GREAT restaurants and will spend $200+ on a fantastic meal (with yummy wine) once or twice a year. That's probably our biggest splurge.

[Lovingliv]

We have BASIC (read $10, for reception only) cable, we eat rice and beans 4 nights out of 7, I pack lunch from home for DH and myself everyday, but I have cleaning ladies twice a month that I hope I NEVER have to give up!

[maestramommy]

Dh brings home old paper to print documents we don't send out on, and he has a useful box collection for mailing, storing, etc. We also buy generics for meds, vitamins, wipes.

If there's anything we don't skimp on it's usually food. We finally decided that the 89 cent TJ's pasta just doesn't stand up to Barilla, so that's what we go for now :-).

[kedss]

We splurge on coffee and fresh bakery goods, and scrimp on clothes, we usually only buy new stuff if we just can't fit into anything. LOL!

[JTsMom]

We scrimp on clothes and the like. I can't even imagine spending hundreds of dollars on a purse! I color my own hair, and get it cut 2 or 3 times a year max. I've even started doing my own waxing.

But food- that we splurge on! Our food bills are embarassing. We also splurge on anything photo related.

[crl]

Save on make-up, cleaning products (vinegar and baking soda are cheap!), clothes (mostly). Splurge on food. Pretty much middle of the road on other things I think.

[dules]

Scrimp - shampoo, conditioner (Suave), hair color (home), skin and bath products for myself/DH (Trader Joe's or Target).

Splurges - mostly for DD: Hanna Andersson, Stride Rites, nice books and toys. I cannot resist a good children's book.

Best,
Mary

[kath68]

Scrimp: clothes (second hand esp. for Charlie, and rarely new clothes for me), never buy or wear jewelry, generic brands for everything unless there is a great sale on something (not brand loyal at all), we don't get magazines or newspapers, and we rarely have taken a real vacation. We will drive our cars into the ground.

Splurge: Get my hair colored every six weeks (the grey is unbearable to me, and it is the only girly thing I do), we have a house cleaner, we eat out way too often (3-4 times a week for dinner, about the same for lunch, and breakfast like once a month). We also have Tivo and HBO, but they save us $ in the long run -- we never rent movies and rarely go out for entertainment. Or buy DVDs, even.

[babystuffbuff]

Scrimp: Suave shampoo; Target brand body wash, skin care, pain relievers, dryer sheets, etc. I only get my hair cut a few times a year, and the only time I ever had a manicure was on my wedding day. :) I hardly ever buy clothes that aren't on sale, and I also don't have many shoes or purses - I just don't see the point.

Splurge: My mom loves getting flowers delivered to her. After nearly 30 years of marriage, this is a fact that still eludes my dad, so I have flowers sent to mom on special occasions (birthday, Mother's Day, Easter, etc.) since it makes her so happy. Mom says she always makes a big deal out of them in front of my dad, but he has yet to get the hint. :P DH splurges on jewelry for me, which is incredibly sweet, so I try to remember to wear it. :)

I also spend way too much money on eBay. Not sure if that counts as a scrimp or a splurge, since I get things for way less than I would pay in the store.


Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins, and thinking about TTC a munchkin of our own :)

[dhano923]

Scrimp: I use coupons for groceries (our stores all offer double coupons), I buy all the kid's clothes on clearance (unless I REALLY want it ASAP), recycle used copy paper for DS's coloring, buy Kirkland brand laundry soap, papertowels, and formula, and get my hair cut 3x a year, but color it myself at home.

Splurge: We are foodies, so love to go to nice restaurants and buy good quality meat, have DVR and High-Def cable box so we can record shows and watch high-def shows, get a pedicure every 3 weeks, strollers (we have a Valco Twin, a Flyer and a Triumph, and a Milano in the storage room), Bobbi Brown lipgloss and mascara and MAC foundation. We also have memberships to the zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Aquarium (which I guess could be a scrimp since we save money this way!)

[ribbit1019]

Scrimp: Just about everything right now. :P I've probably bought 10 outfits for DD total, I just put her in what people give her (not how I would dress her if I had the $) and DS is in all handme downs minus a couple of outfits. DH and I only shop at outlet stores for clothes, shoes etc. I only get my hair cut twice a year and don't color it (even though I should).

Splurge: For the kids professional photos and Britax car seats, for us concert tickets (I always see BNL when they come to town and we go all over the country to see Madonna) and occasionally a nice dinner out (but only to the tune of $100 at the most).

Christy
My Waterbabies
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[kijip]

scrimp: housing (small 2 bedroom apartment that is a lot less than I could afford), no cable (though this is not really a want of mine so it really does not count as a scrimp), never buy movies, rarely go to movies (if i do it is to the $3 shows at what used to be called the "Dollar Theatre" LOL), penny pinch on basic groceries, rarely buy clothes for me or brand new clothes for Toby, drive a small car that is paid for (1998 Corolla). Stopped going out to dinner except for very special occasions.

splurge: Music (CDs and shows), carseats, hair products (from shampoo to spray wax), shoes (just won't buy cheap shoes and my size never, ever goes on sale around here), gifts for my nephew and vacations to visit him, breakfast out every Sunday (which is actually a line in my budget, LOL) and certain grocery items that I just buy regardless of the price (fresh fish, good meats, sauces and chutneys that I am too lazy to make).

[elliput]

Scrimp - DH trims my hair maybe once a year, and I don't color.

Splurge- Omaha Steaks (but only when there is a good deal!)

[punkrockmama]

I scrimp on my husband! Seriously, he always takes leftovers instead of going out to lunch with co-workers or something. I buy the cheap toilet paper (but I actually like that better, the high end stuff is too linty. I also can't remeber when I bought new clothes for myself.

I splurge on music. I love live music, it's good for my soul. In the past few months I have spent a ton of money on tickets for upcoming shows. And I splurge on baby gear, BIG TIME.

[mamato1]

scrimp: cosmetics, haircut and color only a couple of times a year, use coupons on any and everything, cook at home most of the time

splurge: cable and DVR, high-speed internet, toys and clothes for DS and no money is too much for a product that I think is safer for him.
Chris

Mama to Brendan (aka Boomer) 01/16/04


http://b3.lilypie.com/FnI6m5/.png

[mommy111]

Sorry, Sarah, this is completely unsolicited advice but I had to chime in. Have you tried cluing dad in? My dad is exactly the same (maybe worse, the last time he forgot mom's birthday and didn't even remember that he forgot). Now I just call him a couple of days b/f a birthday/mom's day and say 'Dad, its mom's bithday tomorrow, and she'd really appreciate some flowers'
You may have tried thgis already or not want to interfere, but it sure works with my dad. And mom doesn't know, doesn't have to know and is very happy that he remembers.

[proggoddess]

Scrimp: clothes, shoes. I am still wearing stuff from high school! (Although that is about to change now that I'm done being pregnant.) DD is wearing *my* clothes from when I was a baby. DS may be wearing a lot of pink....

Splurge: makeup. I almost always buy on sale, however I have a tackle box full of makeup! It's not like I need any more. I also like to buy stuff from the natural/organic section of the supermarket, even if it's just cookies. Somehow I think they're healthier just because they cost more. Also, I cannot live without high speed internet!

[torontomom]

deleted...

[jayali]

Fun post!!


Scrimp
Workout clothes,
Play clothes for Matthew will only buy stuff on sale because I am SO SICK of putting something on him and literally a minute later having is stained with something.
Haircuts and colors (though that is about to change because DH has commented on how bad hair has been looking lately!)

Splurge -
Waxing. DH once said that "We may be living in a refrigerator box, but J will still go to Elizabeth Arden to get waxed." You got that right buddy!
Great jewelery (Susan, DH has a watch collection that you may want to share!). I LOVE sparkly things.
Furnishings for the house (so that it will look great when we go to sell it in the Fall)
Great linens. We LOVE sleeping on great sheets and pillowcases.

[lisams]

Splurge on-
bras
shampoo/conditioner
make-up

Scrimp on-
hair coloring (do it a home)
haircuts (I'm embarassed to admit that I usually get my hair cut at Supercuts, but it almost always turns out just how I want it!)

[bostonsmama]

Scrimp: Everything. We coupon shop at commissary for groceries, TJs & Kroger double coupons in btwn, hair color & mani/pedis at home, cheap travel when I tag along w/ DH on business & we redeem airline miles for leisure. 99 cent movie theater on base on wkends (movies 2-3wks old). I don't ever buy books or CDs-just the radio & library for me. I shop yard sales, eBay and consignment stores for cool finds, but not often. My aunt, a jeweler, gives me all her old (but beautiful & valuable) jewelry, so we haven't really bought jewelry since my wedding ring.

Splurge: Fine wine & alcohol, food (even though we coupon shop, our monthly bill runs $400-500 b/c we like fine food). Large purchases like our car, kitchen appliances & gadgets, house renovations/improvements, our yard (we have a lawn company, installed sod, & are now installing an inground sprinkler). And dare I say: fertility treatments. Yep...1/8th our income gone for this year.
Larissa

Baseline appt July 25th! Tentative retrieval ~Aug 10th, transfer ~8/13 or 15

Proud Aunt to Jack Dorian, born to my bro & SIL 3/06
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[new_mommy25]

I have one pair of shorts, one pair of jeans, and about 5 tops that fit. I'm too cheap to buy clothes because I know I will lose the weight.

OTOH, I have no problem buying a $150 sling.

[MarisaSF]

Scrimp #1: Almost everything. I just picked up a file cabinet from craigslist tonight.

Splurge #1: Time researching the prices of stuff and gas money to pick it up. I seriously spend hours trying to save 2 dollars. <smacks head>


Scrimp #2: Good karma.

Splurge #2: Donations to my favorite groups.

[buddyleebaby]

I wait until the supermarket has a really good sale on meat and then I buy 30 ponuds or so and freeze it.
The other day they had chicken leg quarters for 19 cents a pound. You should have seen the haul I came home with...

[shilo]

scrimp: i'd say more than half of my wardrobe and a lot of our housewares like towels, sheets come from places like ross, tjmaxx and target. my favorite place to shop for baby clothes and toys is the awesome children's resale shop around the corner from my parents place. i check for our 'staples' every time i'm at the grocery or target, but i wait for the 2 for 1's and sales and then load up. so i might come home with 6 of dh's deodorant one trip and 4 boxes of our preferred trash bags the next.

splurge: dh's and my 'toys' - when we buy something like a camera or a car, it is usually high-end, but we do 'shop around' for the best deal. hobbies - we are divers and cyclists, neither of which are particularly 'inexpensive' hobbies, but it brings us together and is good for the mind/body/soul, so 'worth it' in my book. for me, the one personal item i will splurge on is shoes - not pretty ones necessarily, but comfort (mephisto, keen, ariat, and stonefly are my 'drugs' of choice). for my job pre-DS, not only was i on my feet pretty much 8 hours a day, but i got to look at all of my patients feet after 60 years of wearing high-heels and pointy toed shoes - no thanks :).

lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[LD92599]

Scrimp
Love my 99¢ shampoo & conditioner!
Use coupons as much as possible, though I'll also just 'run in' to the store and come out w/ a cart full w/o any coupons
We don't buy red meat ~ instead order it when someone else is taking us to dinner LOL!
Store brand crackers, bread, etc.
DH cuts his own hair and DS's (though that's gonna change effective next haircut, WHEN DS has hair again that is!)

Splurge
Highlights for me approx 2-3 times per year (because DH cuts his own hair!)
Random pedicures (DH wants me to wear more shorter skirts, which means I need to wear sandals which require a pedi!), eye brow wax, etc.
Eating out way too much (but 90% of the time w/ a coupon!) but then I have leftovers for the next night usually
QM2 Cruise in Sept coming up - by taking QM2 i only need to take 1.5 days off work vs. 5 for Carnival, etc (just due to timing!) so that's an extra 3.5 days off during the year w/ DH or DS!

Laura
Will is three...and doesn't sleep :-(

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[aliceinwonderland]

I am loving this thread for some reason. Exposes our inner quirkiness I suppose.

Anyway, i can't believe I forgot this one, as I am particularly proud of myself for it: I walk by at least 3 Starbucks on my way to work each morning, and I never stop. I buy my little milk-thing and make my coffee at work. Yay me.

[aliceinwonderland]

Susan--My mom does the same re: hair color, only she uses black eyeliner. I thought she was the only one!!!

[dules]

Sister! LOL. Where is the BBB mamas weight loss support board? I just broke down and bought some shorts (on sale at JJill) but just cannot bring myself to buy new T shirts and only have about 3 that fit.

You are not alone! :)

Best,
Mary

[dules]

Yay you RE Starbucks. NYC is hard. I used to let myself have one cup, once a week, as a splurge. And no lattes, etc, just a cup of drip. :)

Best,
Mary

[newnana]

holy cow!!! What a deal! I'm the same way.

[aliceinwonderland]

The skim toffee nut latte is what I'd get if I step in there. 3.XX for the smallest one, so you can understand my excitement :) :)

[newnana]

Forget the mascara for your roots, my mom just clued me in to something wonderful: a roux.

Go to wal-mart in the hair care aisle. There is a line of grey bottles with pink lids the size of a shampoo bottle. It's called Roux fanciful and goes for about $2.87 for 11 oz. It says 10 applications on it, but since I'm only using it for my roots it's lasted me over a year so far. You pick whatever shade matches the hair color you want your hair to be and put it in after you shampoo, before you style (or in my case don't style). It's amazing, cheap, easy, effective, and washes out. I highly recommend it.

On to the actual topic:
Scrimp: almost everything. I print and clip coupons from any imaginable source if I do any shopping at all. I only buy on sale. Clothes for DD and myself are typically garage sale or resale (although if I lose any weight that might change) unless it's the $6 target tees I've just discovered and am in love with for their lenght.


Splurge: We have the digital cable for DH's mega-tv. I'm trying to convince him to get DVR so that we can scrimp on time instead of wasting it watching commercials or me fighting to stay awake to watch the couple of shows we like. Oh, and my silver service. I have to have the ability to set a nice table with my good china and silver even though DH doesn't understand the purpose of it- but most of that was wedding gifts. The silver I'm still acquiring, but any time someone asks me what I want for Christmas or birthday it's a gift card to Silver Queen so I can put them together and order a place setting.

wow that was long!!!
Michelle

[bcky2]

scrimps: i used mostly cloth diapers but if i need sposies i get the cheapest ones. i buy alot of target brand clothes for the boys and most of that is stuff off of the clearance rack, we also use alot of hand me downs from my sisters boys. i get my hair cut only about 3 times a year and no longer get it colored(i am going to start doing it myself again) i do my own pedicures, eyebrows, and nails.

splurges: um, an ebay addict here. food, furniture for the house, fabric to sew with(this is something new), i have spent a TON on some high end cloth diapers, hand soaps, have i mentioned that i am a total ebay addict :P

[barbarhow]

Scrimps-I love my TJs shampoo and conditoner. I love to buy food on sale. Meat goes on sale-I buy tons of it and into the freezer it goes. I now use vinegar and baking soda to clean. (Thanks BBB Mamas). Outlet sale shopping. Am headed there today. I frequently buy ahead and get shirts, jeans, etc for Jack for 2.97-6.97. Won't spend more than that and always wait until the gap puts that final .97 on the end. Hand me downs. Anna looks prety cute in Jack's race car jammies. I would love her in pink ones but why waste the $?

Splurges-Makeup-only Bobbi Brown for me. I splurge on several really nice outfits every season. I buy quality and find that it will last forever. I do the same thing with shoes. Annas clothes? Yeah-I have spent some $$$ on her. Oh well. Knew it would happen once I saw that she was a little girl...
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
and Anna 5/12/05, my little Yankee fan!

[mudder17]

Scrimp: Well, this is for safety/health as well as $$, but I use baking soda and apple cider vinegar for my hair instead of shampoo/conditioner and I use baking soda and white vinegar and club soda for most of my cleaning solutions. I don't scrimp on the essential oils, but I can get them pretty cheaply through iherb.com. I also get my hair cut maybe once a year (I might splurge this year and get it cut a second or even third time now that I've found a good woman who will come over to your house and do it for $25), I don't dye or perm my hair, I don't wear make-up or use deodorant (I'm lucky that I don't really need it) and for the most part, I'm not a clothes horse. I do spend the money to get a few good and versatile outfits, but then it lasts me forever. This time, with my pregnancy, I have gotten a few extra outfits, but they're mostly things I can wear after pregnancy as well. I try to get secondhand when I can and go for sales. Brand names don't interest me. Obviously, I am not fashionable, but I just stick to what looks good on me and that is basic clothing. I don't carry purses (except now the one that came with my Lands End diaper backpack), and I wear only comfortable shoes (this summer it's two different birkis) so again, I try to save there. I also don't spend much on clothes for Kaya or DH.

Splurge: Food! Yes, I tend to pay more for the healthier, higher quality stuff. I've saved a bit this year by going in on a local organic farm co-op, but I also will spend a bit more there on things if they look good and they're better than what I can find at the stores. DH and I will tend to pay more for things in general if they also support local merchants. I'm now in a bigger cooking phase, so we're not eating out or doing take-out or delivery as much as we used to, but one of our hobbies before Kaya was no longer portable ;) was to visit the different nice restaurants or go to wine dinners. Although not me personally, DH will definitely pay $15 for a bottle of wine if it's very good. Of course, he'll also pay $10 for a bottle of wine if it's very good. He's always on the search for good wine and yes, if it's cheapter, that's great. He's not (generally) into the >$20 bottles of wine, though, which is good. ;) Kaya also has more shoes than she probably needs and that's partly because she has a huge obsession with shoes and I've sort of bought into that (since I don't care about shoes myself). Most of her shoes have been either given to her or purchased as part of a co-op, so I don't feel too bad. But she definitely has more shoes than she really needs. For things like appliances or computers or that sort of thing, we'll also spend more to get something of higher quality that will last longer. Yes, I will search out bargains and sales when it comes to those things, but in the end, we will spend more for quality.

Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 28 months...
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[pixiepower]

I am bad, I don't scrimp on anything anymore!! I used to buy store brands of things like toilet paper, garbage bags, paper towels. But, I just didn't like them. I always buy Clinique makeup, I always buy my Kiwi shampoo and conditioner, and I get my hair cut and colored professionally every 8 weeks. I used to have my SIL cut my hair for free and I never really was satisfied so I started going to a salon again that I absolutely love. As long as my bills are paid and I have extra money put in savings that doesn't get touched I pretty much do what I want. That doesn't mean I spend hundreds on designer clothes or anything, just getting my hair done and buying the makeup and skin care products I like and that work on me is important to me. My DH doesn't mind, so why not??

I do splurge on Starbucks 3 times a week usually, their green tea frappacino is just too good! And, I do scrimp on store brand pain relievers like Target brand acetaminophin, sleep aid, allergy pills, and vitamins. If I happen to find something on sale or clearance I will buy it if I like it enough. I just HATE searching through sale racks at places like Ross or TJ Maxx. I am not and never will be a bargain shopper. I can also very easily blow $200 on a purse and spend $10 on shoes. Just depends on what fits and what I like. I find if I buy quality stuff it lasts longer. At least with my own clothing and my kids clothes. I buy most of my jeans at Gap. They fit me well and last. I buy most of my kids clothing at Gap Kids, Abercrombie Kids, and Hollister(my DD) and find they last too.

I don't think I could stand my hair not being cut except for twice a year and I am starting to get grays here and there so color is a must. I used to color at home and I just never got the results I wanted. I absolutely LOVE my stylist and she is a miracle worker with hair color. So, I spend the money!

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Thanks for the tip I will check it out.

Susan

#1 Nick 11-18-04
#2 Kate 04-26-06

[Alys the Cat]

Let's see...I'm usually super-cheap when it comes to stuff for me. Clothes from Marshalls/Maxx and outlet stores (although I haven't shopped in ages!), Suave shampoo, mostly drugstore makeup, etc. I'm also a coupon queen and HATE to pay for shipping! But I just HAVE to have a pedicure each month! It feels like the only hour when I can really relax!

I definitely splurge on DS, especially childcare and BOOKS! :)

[pittsburghgirl]

Good thread.

I splurge on my haircuts and occasional color/highlight. The thought of going to another stylist gives me the shakes, I've been with my current stylist for more than 10 years. Also - shoes for DS, baby safety items. And most of the time - food. I cook every night and we like good food. DS and I also eat out for lunch quite a bit as we are always on the go.

Scrimp: clothes (for me & DS - we are big Target/Old Navy fans, with JC Penney as our "fancy" store :); shoes for me; most household stuff (I use a lot of generics and love baking soda and vinegar!). Cars - both of our cars are paid off, I drove my first car for 11 years.

Now DH, on the other hand, doesn't scrimp on anything - he buys nice clothes and shoes for himself because he needs to look really good at work.

I would also call our house a scrimp compared to the majority of our friends. We are the only ones who haven't "traded up" yet, and don't plan to (it's plenty big for the three of us, and any bigger means more to clean - I don't have a cleaning lady!)

Marilee
mommy to James
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040120/1/1/1/-5/.png

[babystuffbuff]

Hmmm, he might be receptive to that. I'll give it a try next time......but then what will *I* get Mom for her birthday??? :P

Thanks for the idea!

Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins, and thinking about TTC a munchkin of our own :)

[jeniferrlynne]

This has been so fun to read that I don't want to take the time to post, but..
SCRIMP: I scrimp by breastfeeding, but maybe that is really a splurge! We use the cheapest option in cloth diapers (prefolds/covers), I clean our house, I never pay retail for anyone's clothes(Target clearance, outlet, ebay, hand-me-downs and garage sales), I shop at our Wal-mart neighborhood Market for most groceries and try to use coupons if it applies. We never go to the movies. My inlaws take us out to eat nearly every Sunday after church so we never go ourselves. I get my hair done 2x a year, 1 of those with an annual Christmas gift certificate from my mom. I buy inexpensive toilet paper. I don't get mani's or pedi's but I really want a pedi! We got most of our baby stuff from our showers and had to pay just a little on our combi stroller.

SPLURGE: Cable internet, cell phones, DVR service( my husband's mom bought the DVR- but we splurged and bought the lifetime service.) I like certain brand name things such as: Bounce dryer sheets, Peter pan PB, oatnut bread, birdseye frozen veggies, Simply Orange OJ, pedigree dogfood, husband's deo, ziploc and maybe a few other random things .
I haven't given up my skincare routine I started when I was pregnant. I started using Murad because my skin went haywire and I am still getting it because I am afraid to mess-up a good thing.
Oh and our dogs (schnauzers) get regular haircuts which definitely cost more than my hair.
Our number one is expense is.....We drive all over the state to see family who live anywhere from 1 - 1.5 hours away.

[kijip]

I went a little NUTS decorating his room. While I found a lot of bargains, I did spend almost 1/3 of my monthly take home pay on his bedroom, once all the curtains, bedding, decorations, rug, toy storage, lamps and pictures were added to the cost of his furniture and mattress. The furniture was almost half the cost of the room. And I still have a few finishing touches to add. so i would call that a big fat splurge.

[jbowman]

Scrimp: I never buy gift bags: I keep the ones given to me and reuse them (and the tissue paper if it's not too mangled...shhh!)

Splurge: that's easy: jewelry, jewelry, jewelry! :)

[jennifer_r]

Scrimp:
Jewelry - I have only a few pieces and but they are "very good" but not necessarily expensive, like gold hoops (unfortunately, I can only wear gold, silver and platinum due to skin sensitivity - DH thinks it is a "convenient" allergy)
purses: I easily average less than 1 new purse a year HOWEVER when I do buy one, it's very good quality like Furla and Coach (and they really last forever)
shoes & sneakers (again good quality when I buy it but I have only a few pairs)
Stuff for the house: don't mean to scrimp there but it takes us forever to decide exactly how to furnish/decorate it - right now our living room is entirely empty!
Haircuts (just a few times a year)
Manicures and pedicures (only a few times in my lifetime for both combined)
makeup - barely wear any

Splurge: ANYTHING FOOOD RELATED - food that we buy, going out to eat (alot less often now that we have the two babies), cooking magazines and cookbooks, pots and pans (all-clad), and miscellaneous cooking gadgets, etc.
BEER - since I'm nursing, this applies more to DH than me; we buy mostly belgium ales now ($10 for a 4 pack). Still alot cheaper than wine tho.
Children's books - I buy way too many for DDs (I had the same problem with DS too!)
High quality toys (like wooden blocks)

ETA: no longer relevant, but . . . I scrimped on maternity clothes. Most of my clothes were either from Motherhood or from a consignment shop

Jennifer

Mom to:
Christopher 12/29/89
Adelaide 8/23/04
Bronwyn 11/9/05

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[AddiesMom]

Scrimp- DH travels away for work Mon-Thurs, so I bum dinner off my parents at least one night a week, sometimes twice! With DH traveling we have tons of frequent flier miles and hotel points, so get to see the world for free. This winter I am going to have to scrimp more, we just got our oil rates and it went up another $.50 a gallon!

Splurge- Red Sox 10 game season tickets, and going to see Red Sox at away games. DD has already been to 3 games including the away series in Atlanta. Home improvements (Creative Playthings swings, new front walkway, this weekend getting some shrubs and trees). Gymboree classes so I keep my sanity and have other adults to talk to.

[kozachka]

Guess it depends on how you define splurge. We never buy something we can't afford to pay cash for and I always shop around, especially for bigger ticket items but we like quality things and they do last longer. I am the kind of a person who'd rather have fewer really nice things than a lot of average quality ones. We also subscribed to Consumer Reports for years and I learned the concept total cost of ownership and cost per page/use. Over the years we learned to scrimp more but mostly it's for items we don't care about.

Scrimp: casual clothes & shoes, cars. We practiced part-time EC since DS was just over 2 months old was in underwear full-time during the day from around 15.5 months so saved a ton on diapers although it was not the reason why we ECed. Similarly, DS never had a taste of formula so saved a ton by BFing. Did not even buy or rent a pump. Maternity clothes. I purchased just 2 pairs of pants, one on eBay but they were Japanese Weekend brand, 1 polo shirt from Target on clearance for less than $5 and a workout top from ON.

Splurge: office clothes, house (currently leased :( while we live in a one-bedroom apt in Ukraine), restaurants for special occasions (we got much much better in that regards since having DS), electronics but we make them last. Jewelry for me and watches but it's been few years since the last splurge so not sure if that counts. Travel but we pay only fees and taxes for our airfare and stay at 4-5 star hotels at 3 star prices thank to internet deals I score so most of our travel budget gets spent on sightseeing and restaurants. As of recently we are spending quite a bit on help but considering how inexpensive it is where we currently live (e.g. $1/hr babysitting) I think it's worth it. Improves my life quality and relationship with DH dramatically. I get expensive haircuts but they last longer and I only need to get them maybe 4 times a year.

I refuse to consider organic groceries a splurge, sorry.

[starrynight]

skrimp-clothing all bought on sale/clearance or yard sales Groceries-coupons, sale and buy in bulk
movies-we rent or go to the library, sometimes buy on dvd we almost never go to the theater to see them
books-except for kids books I never buy any, library all the way and I buy kids books on sale or at yard sales

splurge-good linens and cookware expensive at first but the quality and the use that you get out of them are worth it. I've had sheets for years and years, same with certain kitchen items

laundry detergent, it's all or purex the no name grocery store brand is so crappy
carseats

[ChefGirl]

Scrimps:
1)My hair cut and highlights, once or twice a year. The last time I got it done was three months after my DD was born last summer. So, I'm due for another treatment;
2)Mani/Pedi, haven't had one in years;
3)Make-up, just got some EM and Bodyshop 3 for $15;
4)DS's haircuts $5 at Chinatown;
5)DS' pre-school clothes (clearance from Target, OldNavy, etc.)
6)Dry cleaning, DH and I both very casual at work; I only dry clean his golf short/shirts when there is a coupon from the cleaner; I also dry clean his nice dress shirts;


Splurge:
1)Food; I buy organic milk, fresh fruit/vegetables, meats from Wholefoods; eat out/take out more than we should;
2)House decorations; once every two years; we just got some nice drapes done for the house; we got the shutters about four years ago;
3)DS and DD nice clothes; I typically go through Gymboree's major sales; DD's entire wardrobe for this summer was from last year's line; I'm pre-buying it for next year now; DS' only has nice RL Polo shirts, got his some monogrammed ones with my $25 certificate with free shipping;
4)My clothes; only when there is a great sale at Gap; I do splurge on Lilly Pulitzer clothes once awhile though especially with matching outfit with DD; I rarely spend full price on anything on clothes though;
5)DH's golf accessories and golf outing; although he only goes golfing once every 4 months or so; he typically ask for clubs and accessories for his birthday/christmas;
6)My jewelry, only for special occuasions, birthday, birth of my son and daughter, anniversary, Christmas and Valentine's day oh yeah Mother's Day; I have a weakness for David Yurman that I splurged over X-mas which I told him it counts toward Christmas and Valentine's day.
7)Potterybarn kids accessories for the kids; even though I get them on sale as well

DH and I both work. We do try to stay within our budget. I try to make food to eat at home and prepare lunch for him to bring to work. But, it's hard when you work FT and chase after a couple of toddlers after work. But, we don't have a mortgage nor any car payments. Do I sound like I'm trying to justify my spending? :-)

[dules]

I'm just in awe that you paid off your mortgage already. How'd you do it? I'd LOVE to finish early...

Best,
Mary

[Melanie]

Splurge on clothing and shoes for teh children, skimp on them for me! Actually, pretty much anything for the children (schooling, wooden toys....) When buying *things* for Dh or I, though, I like to buy quality so it lasts. Even shoes.

[eapoosmama]

I will scrimp on how I shop for food and buy in balk and on sale.
But when I go out to eat I like & enjoy eating at linen dining rests., upscale and with fresh (non-Olivegarden/Redlobster) type foods (Like Morton's, Ruth's Chris). This does not happen very often.

I will buy clearance/superclearance cotton type lounge clothing/shorts/tees for work and home. But when I need an outfit/suit for a special occassion I buy a classic one, usually of fine fabrics/fully lined and quality shoes that will last for several years to come since it is not a dated item. So the few "good" cloths I have are very versitile and presentable in many situations.

I use all cloth napkins, linens, about 30% cloth tp, all mama cloth etc. But when I have a picnic at our home I buy paper plates and plastic wear utensils and dispose of them all. It only happens a couple times a year.

I will not buy a pc. of jewelry that is not a real stone/precious metal. I would rather not spend the money if I will not last.

[mommy111]

Hey, anything to keep those moms happy, I have a new-found appreciation for what they go through after having DD. You could do chocolates...

[jerseygirl07067]

Good skin care products! If my skin looks good, then I don't need to wear makeup and then I also look a lot better... and younger, LOL! :)

Getting my hair highlighted 2-3 times per year.

Marcy