For some irrational reason, I'm always interested in [other] people's spending habits. Clearly, we all prioritize things/items/purchases differently, and that is to be expected. Anywho, I thought it might be fun to liven this place up a bit by throwing out a little non-clicky poll on the subject.
1. Name at least TWO types of purchases (money spending habits) by which you consider yourself a penny-pincher.
2. Name at least TWO types of purchases (money spending habits) by which you consider yourself a spendthrift.
Re: POLL: Penny-Pincher vs. Spendthrift
I'm sure I can think of more, but off the top of my head...
1. Name at least TWO types of purchases (money spending habits) by which you consider yourself a penny-pincher: vehicles, baby gear, household furniture, [most] clothing
2. Name at least TWO types of purchases (money spending habits) by which you consider yourself a spendthrift: photos, shoes, classes/activities for the boys, food
Pinch
1. Clothes
2. Shoes
3. Purses
Spend
1. Alcohol
2. Food
3. Vacations
Penny-pinch:
1. Clothes/shoes
2. Food (when it comes to going out to eat, etc. recently we decided not to go out to eat anymore... unless a special occassion. We realized how much we were spending on going to restaurants when we can eat the same food at home for so much less)
Spendthrift:
1. Baby gear- I am a sucker.
2. Activities for DS
3. Vacations
Pinch
I'm w/ Jenna - clothes, shoes, and purses - I (generally) won't buy if not on sale or w/ coupon
Spend
grocery shopping- we buy a lot of organic and don't use a lot of coupons. owever, I do get twitchy buying items like soft drinks when they're not on sale.
lunch - I don't pack my lunch often
Pinch
1. all clothes
2. all shoes
3. cars
4. electronics
5. cable/internet
Spend
1. hmmmmm. I think I might just be cheap, I can't think of anything that I am willing to pay full price for without looking for a sale price etc.
ETA: I just read Miller's post and remembered.....I don't search for bargains on alcohol
Pincher
Clothes (we rarely buy clothing, shoes, etc....)
Large purchases (ie, over $200) we research to no end and make sure we get the 'best' deal
Spender
Activities for B (memberships, classes, etc...)
Eating out. We really need to do more pinching here, especially because my waistline needs it.
Seasonal switch...
I do quite well with my grocery bill during the summer and down time during the school year. However, when I'm too busy, I spend what I consider to be too much at the grocery store. Couponing, reading the blogs, and keeping track of the "best" deal takes a lot of time that I don't have when I'm in the throws of the school year. So I would call myself moody in this category.
I like (and completely agree with) your level of clarity, Meg!
It's not so much that I spend a ton on one pair of shoes, as much as I tend to buy too many shoes (for myself, the boys, even DH). I have a problem.
You hit the nail on the head regarding organic + soda + not packing lunch often enough. We don't eat dinner out, much, anymore.
Cool poll! (and I have never heard the term "spend thrift" before!
Pinch: Clothes, "big ticket" baby items, I always buy second hand, sunglasses.
Spend: Healthy Food, husbands dress clothes for work. (The non iron shirts are a life saver and I found that cheap polos shrink and lose color so quickly) vacations, personalized gifts that I think someone will really like.
Pinch: everything
Splurge: Vacations/travel
Pinch:
1. Clothes
2. Food (I use alot of coupons)
Spend:
1. Shoes/Purses
2. Alcohol - I am an equal-opportunity, no expenses barred drinker
3. Target, if you can count a store as a type of purchase/place where you spend alot of money
Pinch:
Cars
Travel (we generally only go on trips to visit family)
TV/Cable
Spendthrift:
Gifts
Birthday Parties
Dining out
I can't decide what to put for clothes/shoes. I only buy stuff that is on sale/clearance and usually get really good deals, but the amount of stuff that I buy might put me in the spendthrift category.
Pinch-
1. clothes
2. electronics
3. cars
Spend-
1. trips
2. purses (I am really bad at this but I am sure it will change now that baby is on his way)
3. eatting out WAY to much.
4. Alcohol too I guess never thought of that one but I guess I do spend a lil more then I should on that sometimes..lol
Pinch: clothes and shoes are bought deeply discounted, consignment for most of the kid's clothes, no cable television + redbox or hulu movies only, casual dining usually happens only with a coupon, don't buy many prepared convenience foods, makeup and skincare bought discounted on ebay.
Splurge: satellite radio, cut and highlight every couple months, nights out with friends (wine!)
Pinch: everything
Spend: Coffee and certain organic grocery items
Savey:
Clothes
Shoes
Activities for me and husband C
Random "things" - I'm not one to go out and shop as an activity
House clutter/decor
Casual eating out, lunches for work
Spendy:
Food - both for home cooking and going out - if we're having a date night it's going to be somewhere good
Classes/memberships for things we do as a family,
Daycare/school - we could find cheaper, but you get what you pay for
Chocolate
Ice Cream - Ben & Jerry's or nothing at all
TV - we pay for TV because I would go crazy without live sports
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Also--DH used to work for Insight (the NKY cable provider) and so we had EVERYTHING for totally free. A month ago, he started a new job and can I jsut say HOLY MOLY to cable prices!! Obviously working for the company, he knew how much cable costs, but knowing it and actually pay for it are two different things. That was a major adjustment for us, and needless to say we've scaled way back to basic cable (we kept our one DVR since it has TS1, 2 and 3 saved on it as well as some other movies we and the girls like), phone and internet, which I guess you could say we are putting in the "spend" category since we don't technically "need" high speed and a DVR.
1. Penny pinching: groceries, clothing, home furnishings, and I cut DH's hair
2. Spendy: my haircut and color, our cars, travel
Thrift: clothes, formula/diapers, cars, baby gear
Spend: childcare, kids activities
I can't really think of anything else that we really splurge on.
Katie: 1/16/08 2lbs. 15oz.
Abby & Emily: 12/31/10 6lbs. 2oz. & 5lbs. 7oz.
Pinch:
Food, clothing, utilities, entertainment for the adults, furniture and home decor.
Spend:
Cleaning service (God's gift to mothers), travel, toys for DD.
Thrifty:
- Anything we wear
- Television (Netflix and Hulu streaming only)
- Groceries (I like to buy quality stuff but I usually spend a ton of time couponing)
Spendy:
- We're house broke, instead of splurging on massive amounts of clothing we spend a lot on decorating our house. It makes me happy
- Birthdays
- Appliances
Thrifty: I buy 90% of our clothes second hand and if not 2nd hand its greatly discounted or with a coupon, we pash cash for our vehicles so that obviously puts us at a lower budget for that stuff, no cable, groceries (I only buy off brand and use coupons when possible and ALWAYS strictly follow a list), cell phones (DH has a company phone and I have a crappy phone that does nothing but I am on my parents family plan so I only have to pay $20 month), free activities for DS, etc. We are pretty thrifty because we have to be
Spendy: drinking haha (DH is a big bourbon drinker and since he drinks it straight he is picky), eating out (do this more than we should), we have tivo and netflix which is a splurge I wouldn't give up when we got rid of cable
Pincher:
Clothes, shoes, furniture, generic groceries, vacations
Spendthrift:
Organic milk for LO, alcohol for us, fresh produce, strollers for LO (we have WAY too many, although none are super-great).
1. Name at least TWO types of purchases (money spending habits) by which you consider yourself a penny-pincher.
Groceries
Clothes
Decorating for the house
Home improvement projects
2. Name at least TWO types of purchases (money spending habits) by which you consider yourself a spendthrift.
Eating out which we're working on cutting back on
Tickets (movie, theater, concert, etc)- I'm terrified of heights and refuse to sit up high anywhere so we sometimes end up paying more than the tickets cost to get better seats (like 333Seat or Stubhub), but we don't splurge on a whole lot, so it's all good!