As a naturally frugal person, I suspect that most people would assume that we don’t spend a lot of money on anything. That we scrimp and save every penny for the longer term. And whilst that is true in some respects, some areas of life we barely spend anything at all, there are some categories that we never scrimp on, if we can help it.
1) Travel. I’ve mentioned this before, but we don’t scrimp on travel. We went on a luxury honeymoon, we spent three weeks last summer traveling, we’ve visited lots of places and we are very lucky to have done so. However, this is because we want to create memories and have experiences, so are quite happy to spend on this. Yes, we could forgo these trips and save more, but that’s not how we want to live. We’ve got nothing planned so far this year and I don’t know if we’ll get away, but the option is always there.
2) Good food. Yes, we eat on a budget and we are definitely hit and miss when it comes to our 5 a day, but we don’t scrimp on food. We eat luxury items on occasion, and try to splash out for special days, such as birthday meals. We eat well on our budget of approximately £35 a week, but we do our research before we go so we can get the best deals for our money.
3) Clothing. Now, I am working on having a more minimalist wardrobe (and I think my husband would say I’m failing miserably at this) but I still am more than happy to spend slightly more on better quality clothes. I have bought clothes from Primark, which were lovely, but didn’t last very long, especially when they’d been in the wash a couple of times. I try and buy pieces that will last longer and also won’t go out of fashion. Not that I follow fashion particularly, but I’m learning (slowly) what does and doesn’t suit me.
4) Giving. I am a massive believer of giving gifts at the various times throughout the year. I love spending time thinking of what I can purchase for people and seeing their reactions when they open their gifts. We generally don’t put a limit on what we spend for presents, though we definitely don’t go overboard when purchasing gifts. It does depend on the person we’re buying for as to how much we spend but this isn’t an area we scrimp on either.
5) Family time. Both me and my husband are very lucky to have supportive families who we are close to. Whenever possible, we like to spend time with them and to be in their company. I think that it’s so sad when people aren’t close to their family, or chose to, for whatever reason, not spend time with them. It does make me feel incredibly grateful for who we have. We also like to go out for meals and days out with our families, but they never seem to cost too much.
Some people might disagree, especially with the food and clothing aspects. But, it works for us and we’re happy with our spending habits for now, so we’re not going to change this any time soon!
Do you agree? What do you spend your money on? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
We definitely did the travel thing before we had our Little Miss. Maybe it’s something we’ll get back into in the next few years. My husband’s work wardrobe is probably where we don’t scrimp. Nice shirts and shoes go a long way to get you into the work mode.
It’s not often I’ll say this, but I agree with everything here. I think also the thing about giving good gifts is it enhances your relationships and feeds into the good memories and experiences but you mentioned.
I really like points 1, 2 and 5. Clothes I do not spend a lot on and my wife usually goes for cheaper things which I am grateful for. We definitely enjoy traveling and family is a huge part of our lives.
Good Post!
Thanks! Family is a huge part of our lives which we’re lucky to have 🙂
Nicola,
Great list here. I largely agree, especially when it comes to food. I’ve eaten very cheap food to save on money before, and I don’t regret it, but I do enjoy eating great food, as long as the budget remains within reason.
I think the only thing I’m not personally crazy about is clothing. I could get by with one decent outfit. Just doesn’t do much for me. I don’t have a lot of clothing and could probably even reduce what little I still have.
But it’s great that you’ve found your balance. 🙂
Cheers!
I admit I am so frugal. Despite being so, I still enjoy life like splurging on clothes, watches, and perfumes, having travels and enjoying gym membership. In March, I’ll be in Nevada to visit some relatives and friends. Sometimes, it is rewarding when we give ourselves some treats once in a while.
We all deserve treats, otherwise life would get pretty boring I reckon 🙂
After too many years of overindulging, I scrimp on all of the above except for family time! I do buy gifts but I stick to a budget these days. Up until I paid my debts off, I hadn’t bought new clothes for such a long time. Before Christmas I treated myself to some Primark clothes lol! I know what you mean – they definitely don’t last for long so I’m thinking scrimping perhaps wasn’t the best idea here!
I’d add anything to do with your health and essential home maintenance to that list – every time you try and do it on the cheap you will regret it (and pay for it!) further down the line.
That’s a very good point!
I agree on all points! We don’t vacation often, but when we do, we go all out. I also like to purchase high quality clothing that I can wear a lot and will last long. We buy organic and whole foods and we don’t scrimp on our health!