You know when you go shopping with a friend (or by yourself at the grocery store) and you find something you REALLY REALLY want but know that it won’t fit in your budget. Then, blaming the budget that everyone else has it so much easier because they don’t have to control their spending and just get whatever they want. Wondering if it’s really worth it to stick to the budget this month and convincing yourself that you’ll “do better next month”.
I’ve been in that never-ending cycle. And sometimes you can’t come out of it. You give up completely because this budgeting thing just isn’t working out and you’d rather live your life than have to worry about money.
Did you know that it’s okay to spend a little extra money on things? You don’t have to feel bad indulging in something you want.
One thing that really helped me to embrace a budget was something I read on Ramit Sethi’s website. He said that you should indulge in the things you love and be super frugal on the things you don’t care about. Now, I don’t think you need to indulge a ton to the point where you’re STILL living paycheck to paycheck. But, spending a little extra in one area and cutting back in an area that you can isn’t a bad thing to do.
The point of a budget, obviously, is to get you out of debt, make a hefty retirement and live comfortably. Most people don’t like to “budget” because they can never stick to it. It’s like quitting something cold turkey. If you’re a sugar enthusiast and you all of a sudden stop eating all that chocolate, you’re going to break down and eat a whole cake yourself.
Ramit Sethi’s point was to make it so you don’t feel like you’re totally missing out on life by being on a budget. Figure out what things you HAVE to have. And the things you CAN live without, try to live without them.
Cable? You can definitely live without that bill (and still watch all your shows.) Eating out? It’s a lot easier than you thought to meal plan and you’re saving tons of money by staying home to eat. You get the idea. Indulge (moderately) in what you do care about and cut back where you don’t.
I love to follow this rule and there’s a lot of things that I’ve reconsidered since reading about it. That’s why I decided to give you guys the scoop on the things that I don’t have a problem indulging on and why I do it!
My Guilty Pleasures
Vacuums
When my husband and I got married we bought this cheap, crappy vacuum. (It was less than $50 bucks.) It had no suction, and I had to vacuum five times over just to pick up one little piece of lint. Then there was the sneezing. Every time I would turn that thing on I would be uncontrollably sneezing from all the dirt being blown into the air. Another problem? I’m a total neat freak and vacuum multiple times a week. That was NOT going to work for me.
When we finally decided to move into a bigger place I told my husband that the FIRST thing I would be getting is a vacuum. And sure enough, I did! But I didn’t get just any vacuum. I got THE vacuum that’s super popular right now … A Shark!
My sister-in-law was the one who was telling me about them so I decided to look for myself. (I NEVER buy anything without looking at millions of reviews online first.) And guess what? They had rave reviews! I was super impressed and seriously so excited when I finally got my hands on it. Another thing is that I’m super picky when I’m going to spend a big chunk of change. If I am not going to absolutely love it for years and years there is no way I feel good enough to get it. I had to list a few requirements like lightweight, anti-allergen (yay, no more sneezing!!), and I wanted a lift away so I could easily detach it when needed.
Behold, the Shark Lift-Away Deluxe! This is literally the exact vacuum, same color and everything that I bought (so yes, that’s an affiliate link just in case you’re as obsessive with vacuums as I am!) I basically only buy stuff on Target.com because that way I can go in the store and pick it up and hit the dollar section, win-win! And let me tell you, I used that bad boy once I had it in my hands. Honestly, I can’t even tell you how much better, and more suctiony, this vacuum is. I’m in love and have tried to vacuum with it every possible second I can. My husband thinks I’m a little crazy that I’m so excited over a vacuum, but it’s the cleaner things in life that bring me joy!
Anyways, enough about my vacuum. You know how I said above to indulge moderately? I scoured multiple sites for the best deal, waited until there was a sale going online and then pounced on the cheapest price. Coming in at a total of $158. Only $100 more than my last vacuum, and 10X better. I didn’t get the most expensive vacuum Shark made, but I did get a nicer one that would last me a lot longer. Loving how clean my floors are? Totally priceless.
Side note: Did I mention that it was even less than $158? Thanks to Ebates, all my Target purchases online get cash back. Even though I indulge in vacuums doesn’t mean I don’t try to get the best deal and do anything I can to get money back. Why wouldn’t you? If you want in on some of the cash back option check out Ebates for yourself. (affiliate)
Anyways, a vacuum is something that I really care about. I use it all the time, I can’t stand dirt being blown into the air and I want one that will last a long time without me having to buy a new vacuum every couple of years. Our cheap vacuum was already going out, so instead of replacing it with another cheap one, it’s worth it to buy a nicer one that will last.
Shoes
Let’s talk about shoes. People can spend up to half their day (if not longer) in shoes. And yet, no one has any problem buying cheap shoes. Maybe because they think they’ll just have to buy a new pair in a few months anyways so they keep going cheap. You know the saying, “You get what you pay for”? Yeah, that’s still totally true with shoes.
I’ve spent my fair share of money on cheap shoes. There was a big shoe store that I would continually go back to because they were cute and cheap. EVERY. SINGLE. PAIR. that I bought from there would fall apart. I kid you not.
I did buy a pair of tennis shoes at Wal-Mart for $15 bucks. Since they were cheap and they felt pretty comfortable I thought it would be fine. Well, they were fine for like a week. Then I had to start bandaging up my shoes because of all the blisters and not only that, but the insole in the shoe completely came apart and would bunch up as I was walking. It was a total nightmare. Since I walk in tennis shoes every day this is a necessity for me.
No, I’m not going to buy $500 shoes. But, when it comes to tennis shoes (or any shoes for that matter) I’m a lot more careful about my purchases. I don’t mind spending a little extra to make them last. I’m all about things lasting, and if I’m only going to be in shoes for less than a year then I don’t want them. And since I don’t buy new shoes very often, I can afford to spend a little more in that area.
Eating Healthy
Do you really want to eat healthy or would you rather just blame the price for not buying the strawberries? I see so many people complain about how expensive eating healthy is. Well you know what’s going to be even more expensive? All those hospital bills you’re going to have from eating junk, processed food all the time! Now, I’m not knocking processed food. My husband and I have frozen pizza AT LEAST once a week. But, I make sure to include my fair share of fruits, vegetables and all around natural food. None of us can live forever and I certainly don’t want to go into a ton of debt just because I was too cheap to buy strawberries.
Please do not let the price of eating healthy deter you from doing it. It’s not worth it in the long run. You may save a few bucks now but those few bucks will triple in health bills. You may even find that cutting down on all your junk, you still spend the same on groceries. I know you love snacking, but you really don’t need to get 5 bags of chips. I know your kids think they need 3 packages of Oreos and Scooby-Doo gummies, I promise they’ll live.
Natural Products
I don’t want to sound rude, but I used to make fun of people who were into all things natural. Until I started to get into all things natural and realized that hey, they aren’t so crazy! (at least I’m honest about it …)
My husband and I met and dated in high school. He can attest that I was CONSTANTLY sick. I always had at least a cold, if not something worse. Going to the doctor was just a normal trip for me. Since being married my husband is shocked that I have only been really sick once. I attribute all of that to the essential oils.
Before you click away because I mentioned oils, hear me out. I never let my mom use them on me in high school. I was still skeptical after I graduated but I was sick and tired of always being sick and tired. Now I use them almost daily and can seriously tell a difference. I don’t sell them or anything, so don’t worry I won’t sell you any oils. The impact that they’ve had on my life has been amazing and I couldn’t be happier. It could be all in my mind (that’s what a lot of people contribute the oils to … tricking your mind) but I’d rather pay a little bit to not have to go to the doctor instead of paying triple in bills.
I started getting into other natural products but haven’t all the way converted. Makeup is a really hard one for me because I like to stick to my cheap drugstore makeup. I have, however, switched to a natural, charcoal-based deodorant that I absolutely love. After learning about aluminum and deodorants being a possible cause of breast cancer I knew I needed to do whatever I could to prevent that from happening.
Not only does it not have aluminum in it, but it actually works BETTER than any other deodorant I’ve ever used. I pinky swear, I would never lie to you. And trust me, I’ve tried all the deodorants in the world (naturally sweaty person over here …) I don’t want to take this life for granted and would like to live it as long as I can. If that peace of mind costs 15 bucks for a jar of deodorant then I’ll try really hard not to cringe once I hit that buy button.
There you have it, the four things that I don’t mind indulging on. I don’t go completely crazy spending a butt load of money on each of those products. I keep it within my means and typically have recurring savings for them. But to me, those products are so worth it and are what makes my life a little easier and a lot more productive.
I’d love to know what are some of the things you don’t mind spending a little extra on below!
Kimberly says
Hi Mckenzy!
I just found your blog on Pinterest and I am already in love with it!! I am already using some of the great tips you have posted!
I wanted to let you know that I also am a huge fan of natural products. But you don’t necessarily have to pay a ton for them. A lot of products are super easy to make yourself if you are open to getting a little crafty in your spare time. If not, Check out Organic Skin Shop at http://www.organicskinshop.us. She is a great small business owner that used to be on Etsy and makes all of her products herself. And they work brilliantly! Also, Plant Therapy is my favorite essential oils company and you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for them like with the big box essential oil companies.
Hope my experiences have helped out!
Thanks for sharing your advice and I’ll keep checking back in for new posts!!
Mary says
I remember seeing Ramit Sethi’s book I Will Teach You To Be Rich and laughed. I thought it would be one of those get rich quick books full of silly information so I just had to pick it up to laugh at it. Boy was I wrong! I love his writing style.
One thing I won’t buy cheap is yarn. I crochet a lot so quality is important to me. I also won’t buy cheap shoes. I spent many years working on my feet and know the importance of quality!
McKenzy Potter says
Ramit Sethi’s writing is amazing and straight to the point, definitely useful information for anyone. I completely agree on the shoes, it can make a big difference when working on your feet all day! I love seeing what is most important and worth it to others. Thank you so much for sharing!