I am extremely frugal and have been so all my life. I struggled financially for most of my adult life and grew up in poverty. I have noticed though that there are some things where “frugality be damned; I’m getting the good one!” is the rule. I’m just curious if this is just me or if others also have those special exceptions.
For example, I cannot buy cheap shoes. I’m not talking about $400 designer brands but I have difficult feet to fit and will buy the shoes I want even if it means rice and beans for dinner for the next three weeks. My husband is that way about his fishing and hunting equipment. I also cannot resist a trendy bougie yarn shop. I do look for yarn at thrift stores and yard sales but walking into a shop that has those beautiful, vibrant hand dyed yarns or needlework needles that are so smooth through the fabric or don’t bend from the heat of your hand.
What’s the one thing in your life where frugality doesn’t enter into the conversation?
byu/honorthecrones inFrugal
Posted by honorthecrones
47 Comments
Just for perspective, I know these are weaknesses and I generally avoid the nearness of temptation but for some reason, frugality doesn’t apply to these items.
Dental work.
We have a tradition in our family that we get a new set of boots and a new set of pillows every new year’s day to last the year. So we start the year off with good feet and a good sleep! We save for these items as I agree with you, having cheap shoes or lumpy foam pillows which flatten to nothing overnight is just miserable.
Being frugal doesn’t mean buying the cheapest. Buying quality is frugal.
1) paper towels. Don’t give me that Amazon basic s***
2) toilet paper. None of that 1/2 ply Dwight Shrute ****
3) peanut butter. I don’t need stuff that’s more segregated than Alabama pre integration.
4) dog food. The stuff that comes out of a dog after eating Ole Roy isn’t worth it.
[removed]
Luggage and purses. Cheap ones break down too fast and have to be replaced more often. I invested in some good quality luggage a few years ago and have never looked back. It gets used every other week if not more and is still holding up strong. I would have replaced the cheap versions a couple times at this point.
Toilet paper. My parents got the cheap stuff growing up, the kind that’s like tissue paper. It was so gross and thin, would fall apart at the slightest whisper of moisture. Now that I buy my own stuff, I always get the good toilet paper.
Buying a house, wearing good shoes and health insurance. There are certain areas where I am willing to spend more because it will impact me for the rest of my life. It may be better to spend another 50k-100k on a house and live in a much nicer/safer area than saving a little money and worry about theft. It is going to be better to have good shoes and health insurance so you can continue to work and not go into massive debt.
Shoes. Comfort and foot health are essential. I’m not hard on my shoes: a $140 pair of Birkenstocks will last for years and can be resoled.
Alternatively, kitchen equipment. I cook every day, sometimes three meals per day. I don’t have expensive fancy stuff, but I’ve avoided buying discount pans and knives in favor of durable options that I’ll have and use for decades: stainless steel and cast iron pans, sturdy full-tang knives, appliances with good reviews and functionality.
I try to be frugal at the grocery store but I definitely buy the higher quality item at the end of the day because you’ve only got one life to live and putting a bunch of highly-processed, nutrient-stripped food into your body because it’s cheaper isn’t the way I’m going to live it. That stuff can shorten your life anyway.
“Anything that goes between you and the ground”. Shoes, mattresses, car tires, etc. These are also things that buying quality turns out to be more frugal typically.
$800 on a set of new Michelin x-ice winter tires.
They pay for themselves every time i’m forced to drive in horrendous winter weather.
I am frugal everyday with everything.
Frugal DOESN’T mean cheap.
I am frugal in that I purchase good running shoes, on sale, after lots of research.
I am not cheap in that I purchase my running shoes from Walmart or thrift stores.
Coffee, now I’m not talking about Starbucks. I brew my coffee at home but I buy expensive beans and grind them in a high end grinder. Makes all the difference in the world. Also beer, I don’t drink often but when I do I want a high end craft beer with lots of hops!!
Shoes, qtips, toilet paper, cooking ware, tires for your car, synthetic motor oil, pet food.
The list is much longer but those are a few of things I’ll never be cheap about.
Bras.
Cling wrap must be the good brand. I will die on this hill.
The cheap ones tear off in a shitty way and just don’t stick. I had full-blown anger attacks because of shitty cling wrap when I packed picknick food. And I have not yet found a cheap one with the attributes I expect. Thankfully, I don’t use it often, but when I do, I want it to work properly.
Real estate. Have to live somewhere. Regret waiting to buy, trying to time the market, and saw prices skyrocketed. Maybe the worst financial mistake of my life. But I bought a home. There’s no frugal way about it, it’s expensive in my country.
Shoes, sheets, bed, paper towels and dish soap. Otherwise thrifted or refurbished all the way. I’ve got a couple pair of vintage Docs I wear for work I snagged on eBay. They’re the original made in England so I expect to wear them a good long time.
Condoms and sex toys.
My biggest thing is food-mine and for my three pets. I try to eat simply but I like good peanut butter, good olive oil, etc. To compensate, I’ve been wearing the same boring clothes for a long time, skin care is all from the drugstore, I take staycations if at all. My pets eat good quality food and I also give them homemade part of the time. That all adds up but I think of it as an investment. It’s worth it to me.
Sneakers. I’ll buy them on sale or seek out a good deal for sure but they will be name brand, attractive, and comfortable (to me). And if I need them and can’t find a sale I will still buy them (although this rarely happens).
Meat. I’m not buying steaks every day, but I buy the more expensive cuts of the meats so I don’t have to cut them up or debone them. I absolutely hate cutting up raw meat so I just do not do it.
I am frugal because I try to maximize what I get with the money I have. I don’t buy cheap (buy cheap buy twice). I prefer buy once, cry once. Most of the stuff I own lasts me YEARS and I’d rather wait to get something that is high quality, real high quality not just brand names, and lasts me for years.
Treat myself to a meal from a nice restaurant.
Isn’t that the point of being frugal? I save money on things I don’t care about so I can spend it on things I do care about.
I spend money on my health, especially the dentist. That’s one thing you can’t buy back once it’s gone
My cat. The only thing that matters at all is her quality of life, period.
Tires and car parts, tools for yard work and general maintenance, furniture and Jeans. Pretty much anything that gets long term daily use I never buy low quality always try to get the highest quality while balancing price.
My work. I will spent everything I have and be on becoming the best musician I can dream of being.
Coffee
Coffee
Brand new cars with warranties if you can afford it. I spent money on used car repairs that would average out to new car payments, on top of forcibly using sick days or being stuck asking people for rides to work.
The temperature inside my house is 67* all summer. In the south.
Not one thing but three: house, phone, and coffee.
My health and wellbeing.
The moisturiser I buy. It’s incredible but expensive. I look way younger than my age and have zero skin concerns, no lines or wrinkles and my skin is flawless. It’s all thanks to this moisturiser. I saw a dermatologist a long time ago who recommended it to me after I was having many debilitating skin issues and it changed my life. I sometimes think if there was a zombie apocalypse, one of my biggest issues would be never being able to get this moisturiser again and all my issues coming back. I’d just let the zombies bite me…
Duke’s Mayonnaise, light switches in cramped boxes, air and water hoses, banjo cam loc fittings.
So, I really think this is a personal choice. I think you make room for the things you won’t compromise upon. For instance, the TP discussion. Everyone has their reasons. Some things just become more important to you than others. For what it’s worth, I don’t go cheap on hotels, shoes or linens. But then again, I have the same boots I’ve worn since my freshman year of college in 1992 that have been resoled four times. They are JCrew and look like I took them off a Cossack but they are damn good boots.
Like many others, I don’t skimp on shoes, tires, my bed.
But to get to the nature of your question: CHEESE. I bought generic medium cheddar once and it tasted like waxy nothing. So sad. For everyday cheeses like cheddar and jack, at minimum I’m buying Tillamook. If we’re doing fancier cheese, hell yes I am buying Saint Angel or Delice de Bourgogne, P’tit Basque, Humboldt Fog, etc. If I’m gonna eat cheese, I’m gonna eat the good stuff. Crappy cheese is just a sad sad waste. (I may look for good deals at Trader Joe’s, Costco, and wait for sales. But not always.)
Salt, and seasoning in general.
Sure dollar store salt and pepper will work, but there are a lot of nicer styles/seasonings for generally not much more that add a lot to dishes.
Hockey helmets for me and my kids. I’m buying the best regardless of cost.
Books
Toilet paper, toothpaste and shampoo.
Coffee has been getting crazy expensive year over year but I can’t quit that shit.
I have a few. One example is work boots. I bought my current pair for $300 bucks at Red Wing 15months ago. Still going strong. And waterproof. Worth the money.
Running shoes. I buy new balance ones for 165 bucks every 5-6months. Zero injuries. Worth it.
Laundry soap.