Scrimp n splurge

[Loverskitten]

What things do you scrimp on and on what do you splurge?

Scrimp- toilet paper, I was joking with a friend that I like my toilet paper "public restroom grade" and that it was "80 grit" lol. Funny cause my mom always bought the softest charmin stuff out there (in three colors to match each bathroom) now I get mine like 20 rock hard rolls for $4.

Splurge- I need my Gain apple mango tango laundry detergent and fabric softener! Need it like crack! Plus when my kitties sleep in the fresh laundry they smell sooo good.


(Just a fun thread to counteract the heavy ones in talk)

 

[Endless_Night]

What a great thread. And how funny, your scrimp is my splurge.

Splurge - Toilet paper. The ultra expensive, triple ply, soft-as-baby's-bottom kind. Visitors are always asking for the brand name. (Which is actually a little weird.)

Scrimp - Housework and home repair. I don't know why, but I just can't bring myself to pay for things I can do myself. Case in point, I just acid cleaned and renewed the grout on the downstairs tile. Two weeks on my hands and knees (not in a good way) whenever I had the time. Professional cost, $3500. My cost, $60. What can I say? It must be my Scottish heritage.

 

[desertslave]

Scrimp: Undies and socks. I'd rather have them wear out and come apart so I can buy new ones often than have them around and get bored. I have a thing about silly patterns and designs.

Splurge: High thread count, all-cotton sheets. If I could afford them, I'd buy linen instead.

 

[cfuhrer]

Scrimp- clothing. I wear clothes until they fall apart.

Splurge- durable goods (for lack of a better term). I would rather spend more on a slow cooker and have it last for decades than be cheap and have it wear out in a year or two. Same for tools, gardening supplies, animal supplies, etc.

I can live with cheaper grade disposable items because my long term plan is to not have to do so forever. This may sound familiar to some but: "Live like no one else now, so later you can LIVE like no one else."

 

[knot_sweet]

Scrimp - toiletries and laundry products... it's funny though cos it's not on purpose. It's just a lucky coincidence that the all natural, not tested on animals, grey water safe, owned and made right here, biodegradable made from plant product packaging toiletries are really really cheap.

Splurge - Tea. I love good tea. There's an amazing french earl grey from a cafe back home and a wonderful white jasmine from chinatown around the corner.

And perfume. It's only $25 but that's for 6ml, so yeah... But totally worth it and I only have to buy a bottle every four months because when it's pure perfume oil you only need the tiniest bit.

 

[Ropebunny]

Scrimp: Clothes. I struggle to buy anything not on clearance - it's got to be at least 50% off for me to look at it. I tend to look at the tag first, then the item if it's reduced enough! I also keep wear em till they wear out, and then I try and salvage the fabric to make into other stuff. I blame my stingy Dutch grandparents.

Splurge: Frozen treats. I need my expensive little tubs of fancy flavored ice cream/gelato/sorbet. I do feel bad that I don't share them with the rest of the household but hey, I think I deserve it (and they're perfectly happy with the ordinary stuff anyway)!

 

[ecstaticsub]

Scrimp- Cars. Both of our cars are 11 years old. We pay to have them maintained but I refuse to buy a car unless I can pay for it in full. I won't go into debt on a vehicle

Splurge- Vacations I don't go away often but when hubby and I go away together once a year for our anniversary we stay in the most awesome Bed and Breakfast in Maine. I can only afford 3 nights but it is so worth it for my mental health

 

[Ahlam]

scrimp: Clothing. Apart from undergarments, I've not purchased any new clothes for a decade. If I need something, I find it at a thrift shop. I don't care if it's in style because, if it isn't, I can just take it off. Naked is always in style.

splurge: Shoes. I do not own many, but they are very high quality. Especially my running shoes, which I replace every 4 months or so. It makes a big difference when you're busy kicking a lot of ass.

 

[Aurantica]

Scrimp: Food. I live in a very agricultural area so its pretty easy to buy cheap fresh fruits and veggies year-round.

Splurge: Music and shoes. Like Ahlam, I don't have many shoes that I wear regularly,but a mix of foot problems, dress codes and comfort issues mean the ones I have are very, very well worn.

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

Scrimp: Movie theaters. Tickets and concession stand prices are kinda rude these days. I don't mind waiting for 99% of films to hit my Netflix box.

Splurge: Audio. Good headphones are critical to my sanity.

 

[MissVianne]

I splurge on books, tea and hair products mostly. I think that's probably where I spend the most.

Scrimp: possibly on shoes and sometimes on eating out.

 

[BiBunny]

I skimp on everything 'cause I'm a broke-ass.

But I have a taste for somewhat overpriced flip-flops. I never wear real shoes, just flip-flops as long as I can and ballet flats when it's cold. So to keep my feet from going to hell in a handbasket, I like wearing non-cheapo flip-flops.

Normally, I get them as presents, but every now and then, I have been known to buy them for myself.

 

[sereneone4u]

Scrimp on household products such as paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, cable, phone, etc. Some clothes, like jeans, everyday undergarments, socks, work out clothes, etc.

Splurge on really good shampoo and conditioner, facial products, designer perfume, and jewelry, mani/pedis, etc.

 

[marieR19]

Omg my lists are going to be too long!!

Scrimp: toilet paper and paper towels, definitely. Store-brand 4-pack for 99cents. Books. while I have a longstanding book-obsessive, I haven't bought a book for more then $2 in years. Clothing, all types of clothing, most of which I get from thrift stores. Music? When I was younger I'd spend a fortune on cds, now I spend $10 on a pack of 25 blank cds and download songs for free online.

Splurge: Um..... My splurges are really random and strange. My latest was a $40 ice cream scoop. *cringe!* It's very high-quality and a brand-name that professional chefs use... But the real reason I bought it is because my friend has started working as a salesperson for the company and I wanted to be able to make her some money.

Fast food is also a splurge. Yes, fast food is cheaper then "real" restaurants, but it's always considered a splurge for me because I get foodstamps so I don't actually *pay* for grocery-store-type food.... So actually *paying* for a meal at a fast food place is a bit of a splurge.

 

[BonBon1976]

I scrimp on socks and make up (both of which I wear very little) but I splurge on bath stuff, lotions and towels.

In the kitchen I scrimp on sauces and processed stuff (condiments) and splurge on fresh foods as often as possible.

 

[Emmanuelle83]

I scrimp on travel so I can go more places. I splurge on fresh foods and eating out.

 

[Miles Long]

Scrimp: household products and grocery store staples. Generic brands? Don't mind if I do...

Splurge: Taxi cabs. Long distance travel is hard enough. Someone can take my ass to and from the airport. And in the city I'll happily grab a cab home if the weather is bad or I don't want to wait 30 minutes for the bus.

 

[unregistered]

 

[MeekMe]

Scrimps: house hold items and clothing.

Splurge: Beauty products

I love sheet masks (@_@)

 

[periastron23]

scrimps:clothing, I have suit I bought for $20 and have spent another $30 in thread just sewing it up. Just about to give up....

splurge: movies, good (local) food, and bedding, the higher the thread count the better...oh and good wine

 

[blulilacgrl]

Scrimp~ laundry detergent, some food staples and beauty aids. Most of the stuff I try and make myself because I hate grocery shopping. It's pretty amazing how many things are easily made from things in the pantry.

Splurge~ bedding (although I try to find on sale because I have very expensive tastes), toilet paper (the softer the better, I don't care how much it costs) and work boots for Hubby (more expensive but they last a lot longer so I think it evens out in the end).

Right now I am scrimping and pinching every little penny for my biggest splurge ever. I am taking a trip to the UK in a few short months. Eek!

 

[IrisAlthea]

What I'm taking away from this thread is that I don't scrimp on nearly enough things.

Splurge: Tea, coffee, shoes, bras, nail polish, skin care products, food.
I like wine, whisky and beer to be of good quality, but none of us drink much, so I don't know if that's splurge or scrimp?
Scrimp: Most clothes, laundry detergent, cleaning products. Car needs to be functional but not necessarily cool.

 

[Loverskitten]

I just find it fascinating that some of my splurges are other's scrimps.
But I'm easily amused, also champagne.

 

[Sebastian_Plz]

Scrimp- clothing. I wear clothes until they fall apart.

Splurge- durable goods (for lack of a better term). I would rather spend more on a slow cooker and have it last for decades than be cheap and have it wear out in a year or two. Same for tools, gardening supplies, animal supplies, etc.

I can live with cheaper grade disposable items because my long term plan is to not have to do so forever. This may sound familiar to some but: "Live like no one else now, so later you can LIVE like no one else."

lol, I'm the same with clothing, I abhor buying clothes.

SCRIMP - the aforementioned clothing

SPLURGE - any hardware or tools, I will always get the 'best' 'top end' or 'pro' models. Kinda like cfuhrer said, I would rather pay a high upfront cost for quality that will last for years and offer great useful features, than 'save' on a lower end model that bonks out after a few uses or only further reinforces why I should have spent more. Man was that a run-on sentence.....

 

[Sebastian_Plz]

Scrimp: Movie theaters. Tickets and concession stand prices are kinda rude these days. I don't mind waiting for 99% of films to hit my Netflix box.

Splurge: Audio. Good headphones are critical to my sanity.

OMG, seriously, I TOTALLY agree with all of that. Especially movie theatres. If you can, I highly recommend you check out mantinee showings during the week. Not sure if folks can swing it, but catching a 10/11am show on Tues-Thur there is NO ONE in there and tickets are like $7, totally worth it for movies that I want to see in a big-screen environment.

And thank you for the splurge on the Audio. Most folks don't realize how much they are missing when it comes to listening. A solid surround sound system or HD headphones...jebus, it will blow you away at how much detail one has been missing...really rounds out the whole experience esp if you watch a lot of things on laptops/tablets/etc