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kep
member
POLL: What do you pay $$$ for and what do you skimp on?
kep
member
My SIL and I were having this conversation recently. People are so different on what they will pay a lot of money for (or just simply pay for without thinking about it) and what they will try to save money on or skimp on. For example, some people will not set the thermostat above 70 degrees to save on their heating bill. Others (like me) will put it as high as I want b/c heat is something I am willing to pay for, and I will skimp in other areas (like food ... for me, at least). (Although, our electricity/heat is included with our association fee right now ... but at previous places I've lived I did not skimp on this). Or some people are more careful about their phone bill while others chat away and pay whatever ... Hope this makes sense.
I will pay for gas (don't shop around, really, much to my DH's dismay), heat, photos, gifts (especially for kids) ... I am sure there's more, but I have to think.
I hate to pay a lot of $$$ for dinner at a restaurant. (But I am not a food person.)
How about you?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: POLL: What do you pay $$$ for and what do you skimp on?
I don't shop around for gas either, and I move the thermostat all the time. I also grocery shop for whatever we want vs. what's on sale even though I will buy some cheaper things, like Apple Dapples (Kroger brand) vs. Apple Jacks cereal. I enjoy a nice meal out and am willing to pay $$$ for good food and great service. I pay too much money for my hair (cut and color).
I cannot remember the last time I bought an article of clothing for myself that wasn't on clearance. Same goes for my kids for the most part except I did just buy Tess 2 full priced outfits for the Spring from a trunk show.
I'm with you on the heat--I make the temp comfortable in our house.
I'm not a big food person, but DH is, so I skimp on lunches and breakfasts for me.
Splurges: hair, make-up products, wine, kids stuff, and eco-friendly/natural organic products (cleaning, food, etc)
Skimp on: travel (we never stay in super fancy hotels, unless we get a good deal), parking--hate to pay for this, toilet paper--I don't buy the super soft stuff:)
A lot - Handbags, hair style and products, maid, toilet paper, heat/AC, photography, makeup, cupcakes
A little - home improvement (not our house), clothes, shoes, automobiles
I will pay good money for:
I skimp on: linens, gas (buy cheapest I can find), some clothing, car (I bought cheap but got a lot of bang for my buck), cell phone.
I will totally pay for beauty products. I use expensive makeup, skin care products, and hair products. I will also pay for quality handbags and shoes. That being said though, I do my very best to only buy stuff on sale. We also splurge on food for our pets. After doing a lot of research about pet foods, I will never, ever feed my animals cheap food.
I tend to skimp on clothes. I shop at nice stores, but will only buy on sale and with coupons. We skimp on eating out - we eat at really nice restaurants a couple of times per year, but otherwise we eat out pretty cheap.We skimp on heat in the winter, but not because of money, but because my DH is super hot natured. Our heat stays at 65.
Hmmm.... I feel cheap almost all over except on food. I pay the extra money for organic and local if it is available. I don't want all the extra hormones and cancer causing pesticides in my body or my families. So my grocery bill is huge.
I keep the thermostat at 68 to save money. I try and cut coupons but I'm not good at this. I do get expensive clothes for the boys BUT I buy the year before on clearance. So they were a lot of Kingley, Charlie Rockets, Mini-Boden but I NEVER pay full price for any of it. I just want something different and cute and I figure since it has to make it through at least two boys I'd rather get high-quality stuff I like. I also sprinkle in a few of the cheap things on sale ...just got Ridge a sweater and pants on clearance at Target.
I don't shop for me that much anymore. If I do, it is on sale or at Target. What's the point when I roll on the ground and get covered in spit up ....even at work I get peed on.
I will spend the extra money on learning toys and books for the boys. I like to have a sale or coupon but know that is not always possible and I want them to have educational items as needed without having to wait. I also get a lot of memberships to places so they can have good experiences.
Oh, I don't skimp on charity. I'm a big believe in giving....even giving when it hurts.
Good topic!
We spent a lot of money on my car, but to us, it was justified: I used to commute 70 miles/day, and I wanted to be comfortable and feel safe. Now I have precious cargo, so I'm glad we did :-)
I pay more for food; I am picky about certain things (oils, vinegar, spices, coffee, milk, cheese, produce, etc).
DH spends a lot on clothes and shoes, but he has to look nice for his job, and he gets a lot of wear out of them. Plus, he only buys clothes like once a year, and shoes every 2 years or so.
We also both splurge on running shoes - I have had too many injuries and been running way too long not to be properly fitted and buy the right shoe.
I don't spend a lot on clothes for me. Almost always clearance, and unless its a special treat almost always from Old Navy, Loft, or Target.
hmmm we don't really care about brand of gas... QT and Racetrac are fine for us.
I don't get my hair colored anymore, just cut. Even that I think is expensive ($45), especially since I keep my hair short and it bascially just gets trimmed.
I buy clothes on sale for Caroline most of the time, unless it was already cheap, like target or Old Navy. Though I buy way too frequently so this probably doesn't count as saving money, lol
I guess we save money w/my phone since I don't have a data plan/iphone/blackberry, but I was going over my minutes a few months ago.
Great poll. I guess this made me realize that I pay good money for just about anything.
I pay good money for
- Make up/Skincare. Facial lotions to be exact. I've been known to drop a couple $$$ for it.
- Jeans. I heart designer jeans and I can tell the difference in fit and material.
- Travel. I travelled for work for sooo many years and I became a hotel snob. For 2 straight years, I was sleeping at hotels 5 out of 7 days. So that really made me so picky. I'd rather save up for a few quality vacations.
- Bed sheets. Very picky abt my sheets
Would not care to pay a lot for
- lunch food
- electronics (although i get good ones because of DH)
I used to splurge on: my clothes, make up, eating out, hair, mani/pedi, accesories, a maid and travel. Then I had a kid. And all that went out the window.
Now, I never get my hair done. Never get it colored. I get about 3 manicures a year and my last pedicure was 2 weeks before Evie was born. I did shop recently for clothes at Ann Taylor and it felt good to "splurge" on me, although that used to be my fall back, not my splurge. I buy most of my own clothes at Target these days.
Now I WILL spend on: some clothes and shoes for Evie. Not all of it. She outgrows it or ruins it. Diapers, Toys, furniture (its gotta last a long time), heating the house (much to DH's chagrin), toilet paper, groceries, and I can't remember what else. Apparently, we splurge on our gym membership, too. And and like someone else said, cat food.
I cut costs on: the store brand. I love the Publix brand. I do shop around for gas. I shop sales. I shop off season. I don't use A/C, only because I prefer the windows open. (I spend on energy in the winter and not in the summer, its evens out). Like maykat, we never splurge on a hotel. We use hotel rewards or we stay at a mid-range hotel. I love when DH's company is paying for the hotel.
One thing i do compulsively is shop through the American Airlines e-shopping mall to collect points. I can't remember the last time I paid for a plane ticket. I make sure my husband is signed up for every points program for his work travel and we use points.com to merge all our points into one place.
fun topic
I will pay $$$$ for my haircut and products, designer jeans, purses (not so much now...I just throw my wallet into the diaper bag but I did pay $$$ for a good diaper bag
quality kids clothes that will last and shoes, although I do like to get them on sale if I can. photography, and good bras!
I hate paying $2+ for a soft drink at a restaurant! I hate paying full price at places like The Gap, Old Navy, Gymboree...etc....when I know they will be on sale a couple weeks later. (maybe not gymbo...they take forever to go on sale
Also...after working summers at the Atlanta Mart...it is really hard to pay full price for gifts when you know the wholesale cost!
I'm pretty cheap all around...but I don't really not buy anything I want, i guess I just have cheap taste :-)
We keep our heat low, I can't stand the heat on would rather put on a blanket and a sweater (like I am right now) but I will blast the air too be cool.
I love nice sheets, but only buy them dirt cheap like target 600 thread count king set on sale for 19.99.
I don't spend a lot of money on any clothes not for me, kids or DH, but I buy a lot of clothes...so $2.00 tops/bottoms for the kids is great, but when you buy 10 outfits lol.
I don't spend money on makeup or hair products or face products, but I love to get a mani and pedi about 1-2 a month. My mom cuts and colors my hair herself and cuts the kids hair too.
I don't buy brand name anything, purses are the cheapest one at target or walmart or my $22 diaper bag.
I pay whatever for food, i mean i try to buy whatever is on sale or generic brands, but if I want spinach salad or steak and it's not on sale..i still buy it.
My DH is a travel snob and he feels that you should ONLY go 1st class...literally...so that has been very hard for me to get used too. I know it sounds like it's easy...but i could easily go on like 10 trips a year staying at motel 6 and driving and he would rather do 1-3 trips a year flying 1st class and staying at the 5 star hotel ordering room service. I never ordered room service til i met my DH.
Anyways...i've rambled enough.
We're cheapies!
We skimp on
-gas. Racetrac or Costco
-makeup- I buy drugstore brand for the most part unless Clinique has their free gift.
-hair cuts- I getmaybe 2 a year and spend $40 tops. DH gets them ever couple months, but spends only $15 each time.
-phones- We would both like an iphone, realistically. But I have a el cheapo samsung flip phone with not bells and whistles.
-food- I buy what's on sale and with coupons. We don't really eat out often anymore. We'll go to nice restaurants maybe 4 times a year.
-clothes- DH buys most of his clothes really cheap in Europe and I buy most of my clothes from Old Navy. And a lot of Abigail's clothes come from Target, Gymboree and Gap clearance rack. I never pay full price for her clothes.
We splurge on
-Movies...we LOVE movies and go often. We buy our tickets from Costco so we save a couple bucks, but we buy drinks and popcorn and sometimes candy.
-Travel. We travel a lot. Well, not now as much as we used to. But most of my travel has been when I've gone with DH while he was working so we don't ever have to pay for a hotel. We call those "Delta-paid vacations". But we usually spend money on a nicer restaurant when we're travelling. We have been on a couple vacations where we paid for a hotel. But we fly for free.
Abigail Taylor 09.18.2008
Let's see.. We pay good $$ for: makeup/skin products for me, haircuts, gifts for others, purses, designer jeans they really do fit better and last longer, clothes(DH has to dress nice for work and since I work from home I don't buy nearly as much as I used to) travel (we traveled all the time pre H and became hotel snobs), and iPhones.. i run the heat good in our house b/c H's room gets the coldest and I want to make sure she's warm. Quality clothes/shoes for Hailey b/c they last and I always buy them on sale or with gymbucks. Food - usually get whatever we want.I pay attention in the store to what's on sale. I want to get on the coupon train though.
We Skimp on
-gas - we go to the cheapest place closeby
-movies - we used to go to the movies all the time before H was born. we've been maybe 3 times in 2 years now. Netflix is our friend.
-eating out - we still eat out on the weekends, but not nearly at the level before H. We used to have one really nice meal out every weekend. Now it's more like special occasions. We also drink water everywhere (unless we get wine or alch drink on occasion) b/c it's crazy to me to pay $2 for a soft drink or tea.
-no maid - although that is gonna be changing
But even what we do spend $$ on, I always try to find ways to save whether it's sales, coupons, discount codes etc. Big supporter of finding the best price on things.
We definitely splurge on food/wine, as I am picky about my ingredients and cuts of meat, etc. I also like to enjoy nice dinners out, I often feel like it is not worth eating out if I am eating something I could easily make at home.
I will splurge on jeans and purses, these are two things that I use/wear everyday and can justify the expense. I also splurge on clothes for Ava, although I try to shop sales when I can. I do get my hair done although I have cut out getting my nails done. We also splurge on sports packages, and tickets to games when we can...we have the NFL HD package, College basketball, and some college football as well.
We skimp on home improvement stuff and try to cut costs by doing all landscaping, painting, repair work ourselves. Luckily DH is pretty handy. We also don't take very lavish vacations and while we try to do 1 nice vacation a year, we tend to keep it within a certain budget and drive vs. fly.
What I think is funny is my DH and I are really opposite on some of these things. He would still be wearing his clothes from High School if he could, he hates spending money on clothes/shoes, but always has to have the latest and greatest technology for his electronics and car. So, he will splurge on items such as remotes, car wash membership, special cables for our TV, etc. (Things I would never bother with!)
I guess we're pretty cheap....
We don't splurge on:
Car...I don't drive the most expensive car, but have want I want/need (options) and we don't have a car loan
Clothes...I usually shop the sales rack for me and the kids. I shop at AT Loft, JCrew, Gymboree and Ralph Lauren, but never pay full price. I also hit TJMaxx and Marshalls for items. Plenty of my clothes also come from Target and Old Navy
Haircare...I haven't had a haircut since Reid was 6 weeks old (he is now 17 months). I have decided its time to get a cut...but that's all I'll get.
Purses...I usually carry 1 bag a season and it usually comes from Target (I'm waayyy to rough on a purse to pay $$$$)
Travel...the only time we splurged on a hotel was our Honeymoon..other than that we stay in moderate priced hotel
We keep our thermostat on 68 in the winter
We don't live in a huge house, but its one we could easily afford on one salary
Food, we never eat out..I prefer to cook a nice meal at home
What we do splurge on...
Some of my makeup...I get my foundation and powder from Sephora. I tried drugstore and I prefer the nice brands on that.
Denim, I like my premium denim. I won't pay full price for it..I'll either get it from Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx or Rue La La...but I still pay a decent amount of $ on them
Football Season...we go every home UGA game and tailgate, before we had kids we went to every home and away game...its what we enjoy doing and we don't skimp on it
Our savings...we put quite a bit of money into our savings and retirement accounts
I pay $$$ for a lot. Food, both what I cook, and eating out, and wine. I like good purses, shoes and clothes, though I do try to buy on sale. Same for the boys clothes. I figure both of them will probably wear it so I don't buy cheap stuff. Hair products and getting my hair cut/highlighted....also pedicures. I hate getting cheap pedicures, so I pay more and get them less often. Oh and makeup and facial products.
We go cheap on gas, home improvement since DH can do pretty much everything in that dept., movies (I think we've been to 6 movies in 10 years together). We also don't pay for vacations when we can, we use points if possible. We also only take 1 trip a year and drive.
I'm all about value. I will pay more for something that is better made and/or will last me longer.
I pay a lot to get my hair cut and highlighted but only do that 4 times a year. I buy expensive makeup, but it lasts me forever because I don't wear a ton. DH and I will both pay a lot of money for clothes, but we probably buy fewer items so that we can spend more on the ones we do buy. We are both in love with designer jeans and I love Kate Spade and Coach bags but I'll get them at the outlets. We'll pay good money for cars, furntiure, electronics, appliances, etc. but always try to get a good deal.
We don't spend a ton of money on eating out. We also don't buy the most expensive wines, etc. I will buy Publix brand of just about anything as far as food goes but I don't even pay attention to prices for fresh food like fruits and vegetables because I'll pay whatever they cost. I buy Costco baby wipes but Huggies or Pampers for diapers. I don't spend tons of money on clothes for Brady yet because he outgrows them so quickly, but I will buy a few items that are more expensive if I love them. We do try to keep the thermostat around 68 in the winter.
DH does most of the home improvement items around the house but in general we feel that our time is valuable so we'll pay good money to get things done that would otherwise take a lot of time - house cleaning, landscaping, etc.
Mommy to Abigail Elizabeth (11/4/11) and Brady Jasper (7/2/09)
my blog
I am generally VERY cheap but I still like to get nice things. But for me, the thrill is not in the actual purchase, as much as getting a really good deal on it. I will watch an item for months before I will finally cave and buy it- and I miss out on a lot of items this way... but I also have a ton of great items in my house and no debt... so I just count my blessings :-) And reading through a lot of your replies, I am realizing that I used to splurge on some items on a more regular basis and I have really cut back a lot more than I thought. I mean, I still feel like a happy mommy = a happy family, so I will spend money for massages and pedicures and stuff... just not as often as I used to. I guess my biggest splurges are:
Gas- We have a Shell and a BP card that we pay off each month- I only fill up at one of these places.
Travel- We travel A LOT. And we get some amazing deals, but even so, it still costs a lot to go like we do.
Maid/Yard Guy- We work a long way from our house and the last thing we want to do on the weekends is clean/yard work. We both view these items as an investment in our family b/c it allows us to spend stress free time together.
Spa- I used to go a lot more often, but I still try to get in at least every other month or so.
And my biggest skimps are:
Clothes/Accessories for me- I am so cheap when it comes to buying stuff for me- half my closet came from Target.
Hair- I will spend $40-50 on haircut, but I will wait WAY too long in between. I've been known to go as long as 6 months.
Clearance Items- seriously, my definition of SALE is very different than most people. To me, it is not a real sale unless it is more than 40% off. And I will wait for it. But this also gets me in trouble some times when I find a deal on something that I don't really NEED but it's such a great price that I feel guilty for NOT buying it. So sometimes these items fall into the Splurge category too :-)
I need to save better! I definitely splurge on clothes, hair (I get it highlighted and cut every 8 weeks), makeup, and travel. I love to stay in nice hotels and travel to random places, usually international.
We save on heat, we keep our house cold, and we try to get the cheapest gas. I try to use coupons but am awful at it.
My worst splurge is purses, I have an unfortunate Louis Vuitton addiction that would be Chanel if I could afford it. Someday, I can dream
Great poll Karen!
What I will spend $$ on:
Vacations: We don't really take many trips so when we do I want to stay in a nice hotel. DH will take care of checking out prices for flights and cars but he knows that the hotel room better be nice!
Heat: Our house is usually around 71-72 degrees. Our house is more open and it takes more to keep it heated. Macy kicks her covers off and I want to make sure she is warm at night.
Going out to eat: Especially when we are eating with my family, we take care of the bill. I consider eating out as a treat for the hard work during the week/weekend. Lately though, we have been eating at places where kids eat free. Dh likes to eat the lunchs i pack for him so that saves money so we can eat out more.
Make-up: I buy mostly Clinique and some cover girl. I don't skimp of the facial cleansers either.
Skimp:
Gas-will shop around
clothes: I barely buy clothes for myself anymore. Most of the time, I buy for Macy now. Everywhere I go, I usually will have a coupon too. I am not a purse person so i just buy whatever i think is cute at Target and use it for a long time.
Grocery: We buy store brand a lot and use coupons. I also shop at Sams club and bulk buy certain items.
We don't go to the movies. have a maid or have multiple computers at home. DH takes his pants and certain shirts to the cleaners. And I iron a majority of the others to save money. Trust me, I do not have a clue how to iron but I do it to save money.
Spend:
We set the temperature at least on 70 but will turn it up to 72 if we are cold even when we are on vacation.
jewelery, I'm not a fan of costume pieces
highlights: but I only do this about 3 times per year
shoes: I have a super high arch and cheap shoes kill my feet (although I don't pay a ton for these either) DH's shoes cost more than mine
groceries: the way I see it, it saves money in the long run
toilet paper
sheets, I love Egyptian cotton
salon quality shampoo, why pay to get it colored if you aren't going to take care of it, good make-up
dog food
Save:
I'm a vegetarian so it rarely cost much for us to go out to dinner (plus I don't drink)
clothing, I shop sales
travel, we use points or stay with family
we have remodel our house ourselves
hair cuts because its normally super long so its really just a trim. I refuse to spend $65
+1 We save at least the equivalent of my salary each year.
Love reading these. I think I am cheaper than I even realized before! LOL! My SIL and I were talking about this last week ... and then also the purse thread made me realize that I am not used to spending a lot of money on a handbag. I was thinking $100 was a lot of money. You all are probably rolling your eyes at me. ;o)
We don't pay a lot of money for hair care. I get my hair cut twice a year, and DH bought some clippers a few years ago and cuts his own hair (I do the back).
When it comes to clothes, I hardly buy anything that isn't on sale--clearance is better. And with a coupon on top of that is even better. I do spend too much money on Kate's clothes--but it's because she has too much apparel. It is very, very rare for me to buy anything for her that is not deeply discounted. She wears nice things, but you'd be surprised at how little some of her wardrobe cost.
DH will pay a lot of money for a nice meal out and fine wine, but I just don't care about stuff like that. I'd rather eat at Cracker Barrel (sincerely). On the other hand, I will buy a case of Coke that is not on sale, and he will get on to me about that (while he just spent a lot more than that for one bottle of wine). LOL.
I also used to cringe at paying for a soft drink at a restaurant and used to ALWAYS order water. I will sometimes order a drink now and do love sweet tea at CFA.
I am like slw in that I will buy things I don't need because of the great deal. I am doing a lot better, though. Like Danielle, we also spend a lot on charity. Oh, and memberships/activities.
Also, we don't spend a lot on cars. We both drive older cars that are paid for--and we'll keep driving them until it's not safe or wise to do so.
Photo by Everything Nice Photography
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Photo by Everything Nice Photography
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Splurges: our home (we are considering downsizing; it's a little too big for the four of us); my hair (I get it cut, highlighted, colored every 5 weeks); skin care products; make-up; purses; blue jeans; grocery shopping.
Cheap: eating out; heating and air; clothes for all four of us; shoes; gas; travel.
haha! We keep our house on 66 in the winter. You'd freeze here!
Fun question!
I spend VERY little money on shoes, clothes, accessories for myself and DH. Even when I was working I didn't really put a lot of money into those things. I feel a little frumpy sometimes, but I'd rather spend $$ on other things, like going cool places with Sam, or taking vacations. When I do buy shoes, I buy ones that are comfortable ($), and Sam gets Stride Rite shoes, but only one pair at a time, and on sale. The majority of Sam's clothes are clearance (RBS) plus coupon from Gymboree.
I prefer not to spend money dining out, but we do splurge for special occasions. I normally bring lunch for us when we're out and about to avoid paying for food.
I spend a lot of money on my hair when I get it done, but that is usually just twice a year, so it ends up being cheap on a monthly basis.
We both drive '97 cars, and intend to do so until they're not safe anymore.
We often splurge on vacations. I was a consultant and traveled so much that I can't stand staying in not-nice hotels. But we usually use points for hotel stays/travel, or go on off-peak periods. I LOVE finding good vacation deals. Who am I kidding? I love finding deals! I get really annoyed with DH if he pays full price for anything.
We spend $$$$ on furniture and mattresses, since they are things that we want to last.
At Christmas/birthdays, I do splurge on toys for Sam that are wooden or eco-friendly.
For baby/kid-related stuff, I often buy the most expensive safety-related equipment, but I always shop(ped) consignment for optional things like jumperoo, etc.
Splurge: Nice dinners out (but I'll use coupons if we eat out for pizza or anytime I can), my haircuts ($50 every 7-8 weeks), vacations (but we try to use frequent flyer miles), yard guy (cutting the yard only), house cleaner once a year for spring cleaning, bicycle equipment, the horses.
Skimp:
I rarely get a mani/pedi; maybe once a year. Groceries (I coupon), cars (both paid off and over 100,000 miles), DH's haircuts, bring out lunches to work 14 out of 15 days. Gas. We tend to use things until they wear out.
In between:
Clothes & shoes for both of us (DH shops twice a year and spends about $200 each time. I shop throughout the year and try never to pay full price for anything. I wait for sales and use coupons or internet discounts). I love to thrift shop as well.
Home improvements, heat/AC
Southeastern Cycling
My Nest Bio and Cycling Advice
Splurge:
Purses: I love my Coach purses and I use them for a long time
Boat: Probably our biggest splurge but we love it and we saved up so that we bought it in cash
Cars: We have 3 since DH will not give up his beloved Corvette. They are all paid off though
Clothes: I used to buy cheap or on sale, but I never ended buy anything I really loved. I started buying what fits and styles I like without waiting for it to go on sale. That being said, I usually only end up shopping at Banana Republic, Loft, Gap, or American Eagle, so it's not like I'm really spending alot to begin with.
Groceries: I shop at Publix and Whole Foods, and we don't have time to chase down deals on food or cut coupons.
Gas: We buy QT since it is close, and I can't stand to wait in line at Costco for gas - wasted more gas waiting than money I saved
Skimp:
Eating out: I have alot of food allergies so eating out tends to be too much of a pain. If we go out to eat we do eat a fine dining establishment. We never eat at McD's or Burger King which is great b/c LL can't stand the food and never asks for it.
Jeans: American Eagle jeans fit me best out of all the brands out there and they last a long time.
Costco membership: Used to have but realized that I didn't need to pay $50/year to buy toliet paper and paper towel in bulk. Plus, I spent like 10 minutes in line everytime. And I couldn't go half the time b/c the parking lot would be full or they would be closed since they have such limited hours.
this is a great pool kep!!
Our skimping/splurging has changed recently with DH getting laid off and Elliot's arrival.
Splurge - HEAT. We keep the thermostat at 74 in the winter. Dh and I are both cold all the time.
Well designed things. (furniture, baby products) I am more likely to buy something if I like the design regardless of the price.
Double duty things ( we live in a small condo so if it has more than one function I am all for it.)
gas - it is just easier to to to the next block to get gas
groceries - love to grocery shop
technology - mac computers, cameras, etc
Location - We chose to buy a small condo in a location we liked instead of a huge house in the burbs. (However we i guess kind of skimp here because we wanted it to be affordable on one income)
makeup- love bare minerals
Skimp - cars ( i talked Dh into selling our new car when he got laid off and we share my 2001 Mazda) I walk to work so it is easy
clothes - i worked at banana republic and was so used to the great GAP inc. discount that I just can't pay full price.
hair - until 2 years ago I paid $135-$185 ever 5-6 weeks for cut and color. I felt like I was a slave to it so I gave it up. I also gave up my super expensive shampoo because my hair changed when I was pregnant.
eating out
alcohol
vacations - we would like to travel more but spend most of that time and budget visiting our families