Author Topic: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?  (Read 24374 times)

2Birds1Stone

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #50 on: February 21, 2018, 11:08:56 AM »
I buy good coffee, which I define by not anything sold at the grocery store or starbucks

I mostly buy organic, grass fed, etc meat/eggs. Surprisingly since making this switch, I find myself eating smaller portions, so it hasn't really caused my food costs to change.

I buy and own a lot of nice gear for mountain biking, skiing, hiking camping. My life revolves around being outdoors, so it's worth it.

Startbucks coffee beans are pretty good! We get them often and french press at home.

scissorbill

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #51 on: February 21, 2018, 12:16:39 PM »
We have two big dogs.  We do our own grooming and feed them Kirkland food to keep costs down but they are a serious hit to the budget every month.  I wouldn't want to live without a dog though.

Roadrunner53

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #52 on: February 21, 2018, 12:36:14 PM »
No sure about the quality of Kirkland dog food. It is probably very good because Costco seems to have quality products. I would check out other dog foods to compare. Some pet foods are crap and if it costs a few dollars for a better quality dog food it might help your dogs live a longer healthier life. Maybe Kirkland is the best for all I know! I have two dogs and one is a tubby Pomeranian and has to be on Hills weight management dog food that is prescription. The other one is a skinny 15 lb Poodle and now has kidney problems. He is 14 years old and this just developed. We have to buy him prescription kidney dog food too. Talk about costing a fortune. But they are our babies and love them dearly. Anything for them. The Poodle has been 15 lbs his whole life and never gains any weight. He loses a few ounces but pretty much stays the same. The Pom is a piglette, a vacuum cleaner and doesn't have an off button when it comes to food. He did lose weight with the weight loss dog food but no sense taking him off as he will just gain weight on something else. Food is his God but sometimes the Poodle could care less.

big_slacker

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #53 on: February 21, 2018, 04:47:19 PM »
Expensive mountain bikes. But I ride the shit out of 'em at least. :D

Also, a $6 22oz craft beer a couple times a week. I love beer but I prefer really good beer only a couple of times a week vs. cheap beer more often.

Cpa Cat

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #54 on: February 21, 2018, 05:02:42 PM »
2) Out of season produce.  Fresh raspberries year round?  YES!

I'm building a custom home. But I draw the line at out of season produce. For shame, sir, for shame!

DreamFIRE

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #55 on: March 08, 2018, 05:21:30 PM »
WHAT?!  50 cent cell plan?  Do tell!

Tello pay as you go.  Paid $5 almost a year ago, got a free $10 credit, and I hardly ever talk on the phone and rarely text.  I use it more for other things but have wifi at home and work, so I use very little mobile data.  That 50 cent monthly average is actually getting lower with each passing month.  I communicate mostly by email, in person, or from my work phone.

How do you find Tello?

After PTel died, I went to Ting but my use case is similar to yours and the bill was too much at ~$15.

Then, I went to H20 wireless but the service sucked. At one time, I had no reception for 5 days. No one there answers the phone (service). And using the chat service keeps you waiting forever then cuts out when you're next in line.

I'm currently with T Mobile and their $3/month Tmobile pay as you go. It's fine, but paying $0.50/month would be better (if Tello is more like PTel and less like H20 Wireless).

Edit: The prices of the packages look good too. My wife uses far more texts than me, but they have (No 4G data) + (100 minutes) + (unlimited texts) for $5. That's about ~ $10 less than she pays with Ting for similar total usage (she doesn't really talk but texts a fair amount). It also says you get unlimited 2G data after 4G data runs out...not sure if that means you get unlimited 2G even if you pick 0 MB 4G (we don't use data anyway, but having even slow access in emergencies could be a benefit).
I have no complaints about Tello.  Since I'm such as low usage user, the PAYG option is great.  About 3 years ago, I was on Sprint proper for years edging up to about $50/mo (what a waste), then I was with RingPlus before they had to shut down.  And Tello is another Sprint MVNO - but no roaming on Verizon towers, but for most places I go combined with such little usage requirements, the coverage is certainly good enough for me.

I only had to deal with support during signup, and they responded by email within a day or two.  I haven't had any reason to contact them since.

With the Tello PAYG, you just have to make sure you show some usage at least once every 3 months (it used to be 6 months) to keep your existing balance rolling over and to keep your account active, and your balance can last a long time if you don't use it much.  I keep updates and most apps disabled for background mobile data and avoid using data based apps unless I'm on wifi.

You have to get a plan with a data bucket to get the unlimited 2g.  I had a family member get one of those low cost plans.  You can also add a PAYG balance on top of a plan.

Here's the official Tello thread over at the old R+ forum that was started when I first registered with Tello.

https://social.ringplus.net/discussion/11778/official-tello-mobile-thread

If I had felt my usage warranted a plan with buckets of minutes, texts, and data, I might have gone with Twigby, which has roaming on Verizon towers.  Tello actually lowered their plan prices a few months ago and also have a 30% off 3 months deal right now for new accounts.

That's awesome info! Thanks DreamFIRE. I think that this will lower the cost for both my wife and I (probably saving $12-15 / month).

And we all know that Millionaires are made $10 at a time.
The $5 plan and Paygo prices haven't changed, but I just found out they lowered their prices a couple days ago for many plans.  For plans with 1 GB of data, the monthly fee dropped $5.  I'm sticking with my ultra low cost Tello Paygo.

http://blog.tello.com/offers/announcing_new_unbeatable_prices_for_tello_mobile/

TheWifeHalf

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #56 on: March 08, 2018, 05:53:14 PM »
The main thing we splurge on  is remodeling our house, trying to keep its 1915  originality intact.

And our Amish furniture. In our defense, the quality of stuff sold in a lot of places doesn't  compare to the Amish furniture.

Krolik

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #57 on: March 09, 2018, 09:11:37 AM »
House remodel here as well. It is DYI but still costs a lot of $$$
Oh ...and I bought Roomba recently. Worth every penny :-)

FamilyGuy

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #58 on: March 09, 2018, 10:03:24 AM »
I get into a short season of splurging mostly buying clothes and shopping things in amazon. This would last anywhere between 2 weeks to 4 weeks. I don't spend ridiculously though, it could be $150 max. And this season comes twice or thrice a year :(

Fomerly known as something

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #59 on: March 10, 2018, 11:26:22 AM »
Kindle ebooks vs. always going to the library.

Buying what I want from the store this week vs what is on sale.

Travel.

Eating out 1-4 times a week between lunch and dinner.

Wine.

My cats, especially the one that needs medication and more expensive food (which means all of them get more expensive food).

Cleaning service for the house.

Fishindude

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #60 on: March 10, 2018, 01:07:02 PM »
We eat out usually a couple times per week to the tune of about $65 - $125 for the two of us.
I always drive a pretty new full size, 4wd, four door, expensive pickup that isn't the most fuel efficient, etc. but I like the way it rides and I can haul whatever I want.
Probably blow at least $15K annually on hunting and fishing trips and all of the associated costs.

Cali

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #61 on: March 10, 2018, 02:05:04 PM »
I love to travel although I'm pretty frugal about it. My bff and I were in London for 8 days last year and spent less than $1000 total each for the entire trip, everything included (Flights were free, thanks to points).

Rosy

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #62 on: March 10, 2018, 02:27:17 PM »
Travel - one big trip every two years. $5K to $10K
Our combined budget is 10% luxury, 50% savings/investments and 40% frugal living.

Arbitrage

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #63 on: March 10, 2018, 04:20:15 PM »
I have a gardener.  I banged my head against my small plot of land for about 4 years; gave up last summer and am loving the free time it's affording me.  It's not the mowing or hedge trimming - don't mind that so much - it's everything else.  Paying $100/month, which is perhaps $70/month more than it was costing me to do it myself.  Translates to about 8 hours saved per month (less when I was lazy), but beyond that it's the elimination of annoyance/stress of not working on it when I always knew there was more I could/should be doing for upkeep. 

There are more things I could list, but that's probably the worst cardinal sin. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #64 on: March 10, 2018, 04:28:33 PM »
I spend a lot of money on groceries and don't plan on reigning in. Lately I have been buying frozen food from a food service company, I buy stuff from Amazon, Peapod, Walmart, grocery store. I have a mini grocery store in my basement! I even buy this great hot sausage from a place in Rhode Island and have it shipped to me. My feeling is that YES I spend a lot but I don't eat out. Yes, there is a handful of times per year or less but I enjoy eating at home and eating gourmet! When I go out to eat, I am always disappointed in what I get. I am spoiled with my food at home! I am not fussy either! I will eat anything...except spiders or crickets.

living small

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #65 on: March 10, 2018, 05:15:30 PM »
before I get a face punch...

I work in a, well, cosmetically driven sector of my industry.

my non mustacian purchase is Botox because, until I am FI- I have to look the part to make my living! About $1k/ year.

imadandylion

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #66 on: March 10, 2018, 07:32:14 PM »
Kindle ebooks vs. always going to the library.

My cats, especially the one that needs medication and more expensive food (which means all of them get more expensive food).

Did you know about Overdrive/Libby (or similar services?) A lot of libraries link to this service you can access with your library card number and you get ebooks and audiobooks for free, of course (and can send them to your Kindle or Kindle app).  Since I have moved a lot, I have managed to also collect a bunch of library cards, so sometimes if I don't find an audiobook or ebook from one library, then I try the other, and generally have managed to find a great deal of things on my to-read list. But I totally understand just wanting to outright buy something because it can be convenient if a book is on hold for a long time, or if it's just not available at any library.  Not the worst habit to have!

I also get a little spendy on cat food/litter. Personally, I believe their health care costs can be more expensive when you don't take care of them nutrition-wise.

Clothes is something I spend a lot less on than I did before, but I still buy some here and there. I try to thrift, but if you have a certain style in mind, it can be hard to find what you need or want in good condition, much less your size. I try to stick to consignment/second-hand shops like Thredup and use coupon codes, while still not going crazy and being very picky.  Also sometimes do get what can be considered an expensive haircut (70-ish bucks) and would like to eventually get my hair processed/dyed to a certain style.  Good haircuts can make one feel and look good, so I think they're important. I also don't feel like I can go cheaper because cheaper hair cuts usually look bad, in my experience. I've tried. It's not worth it.

Penn42

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #67 on: March 10, 2018, 07:52:12 PM »
100 dollars a month to do whatever we want with.  Today kinda sucked cuz the gf wanted to do a spur of the moment expensive activity that turned out to not be very fun, take all day, and burn through most of March's cash.  She was wanting to go to a restaurant we really like this month, but that's waiting till April now.

I don't mind that the money is gone; I mind the opportunity to spend it on more enjoyable purchases is gone.

Gone_Hiking

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #68 on: March 10, 2018, 08:58:20 PM »
I second (third?) quality coffee.  We buy our from a local roaster.

Spending for a good cause.  Something like buying plants for backyard landscaping at a nonprofit nursery that employs people with mental disabilities. 

Brooks Brothers shirts.  On sale, but still...

Anon in Alaska

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #69 on: March 10, 2018, 11:19:55 PM »
2) Out of season produce.  Fresh raspberries year round?  YES!

I'm building a custom home. But I draw the line at out of season produce. For shame, sir, for shame!

Move to Alaska. Then your produce will be so expensive year round that you'll barely notice the small percentage it increases when it is out of season.

Roadrunner53

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #70 on: March 11, 2018, 06:17:07 AM »
When I find a penny I always say 99 more and I will have a dollar! I save all my bottle return money in a jug and count it all up every 3 years or so. All lose change goes into it and my Costco rewards bucks. Really adds up!

Freedomin5

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #71 on: March 11, 2018, 06:56:04 AM »
I splurge on groceries. We buy “certified clean” produce that costs three times the produce at the local wet market (think, $3 for three carrots). Cheese ($5 for 200g). Certified clean eggs ($5 for a dozen). Just not really willing to risk our health to save a few bucks in China. We tried eating wet market groceries for a period of 2-3 weeks because it was a super busy time period and the wet market was literally right outside our compound. After three weeks, we all started to experience stomach issues. As soon as we switched back to the certified clean food, the stomach issues went away.

Linea_Norway

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #72 on: March 11, 2018, 07:00:05 AM »
Yesterday we ordered some new lights for our house for a price of 750 USD, which is a splurge. These are LED light from Philips that can be smartly dimmed and programmed and can give an endless ampunt of colours. As this is our first light of this type, we needed to buy a programmable box.

When we bought our house 2,5 years ago, we couldn't find a nice lamp for the dining table and ended up buying a cheap Ikea lamp. The idea was to ever buy a nicer lamp if we found one. That is what we did now. And as our living room is a bit too dark, we also bought two extra lamps (on sale) and some smarts light bulbs that we can put in our existing lamps.

We also think this investement might add a value to our house when we will ever sell it. And we will enjoy it in the mean time.

Freedomin5

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #73 on: March 11, 2018, 07:35:07 AM »
I thought of another one. We bought a cottage. $200k gone. Pretty much no hope of it ever appreciating in value. And we pay someone else for maintenance and upkeep, I guess kind of like an annual HOA fee. And the cottage is a 15 hour flight away, so we use it for only 2-3 weeks a year. Luckily, it’s near our extended families, so they plan to use it during the rest of the year.

From a Mustachian perspective, it makes absolutely no sense. From a joy perspective? Makes total sense. We’ve been Mustachian-ly renting cottages for the past 20-25 years and have decided it’s just not the same as having your own family cottage. Not all cottages, lakes, and beaches are created equal. That’s why we jumped at the opportunity when we came across a lakeside, water view cottage on the perfect lake beside the perfect beach in a gorgeous forest.

Linea_Norway

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #74 on: March 11, 2018, 01:44:09 PM »
I thought of another one. We bought a cottage. $200k gone. Pretty much no hope of it ever appreciating in value. And we pay someone else for maintenance and upkeep, I guess kind of like an annual HOA fee. And the cottage is a 15 hour flight away, so we use it for only 2-3 weeks a year. Luckily, it’s near our extended families, so they plan to use it during the rest of the year.

From a Mustachian perspective, it makes absolutely no sense. From a joy perspective? Makes total sense. We’ve been Mustachian-ly renting cottages for the past 20-25 years and have decided it’s just not the same as having your own family cottage. Not all cottages, lakes, and beaches are created equal. That’s why we jumped at the opportunity when we came across a lakeside, water view cottage on the perfect lake beside the perfect beach in a gorgeous forest.

We also own a small cabin, 5,5 hours driving away. We use it 30-40 das a year. It is in a place with a nice view and lots of outdoor terrain of different sorts. We love being there. The investment sucks, ut has even sunk in value. But it will still keep some value and we can always sell it if we need extra stash in retirement. We also tend to use it as a base during a year of much travelling.

living small

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #75 on: March 11, 2018, 02:10:54 PM »
Malkynn- I am right there with you! I have RBF (resting bitch face). People tell me I look less tired when I stay regular with Botox. And I tend to need more than most people, lol

Imma

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #76 on: March 11, 2018, 02:36:55 PM »
I bought a brand new bike this year. I try to avoid buying new things, but if I have to buy new, I tend to go for the most optimal item so it lasts as long as possible, instead of buying something cheaper that is suboptimal and will eventually need to be replaced. I try to buy something that I can keep until it wears out completely. Until I find that item, I have no problems with making do with cheap / free stuff. It took me about 6 years of living independently before my home was furnished completely to my taste.

I only own a few pairs of shoes, but I only buy good quality shoes. I buy good quality coats too, and I have my winter coat dry cleaned at the end of every winter.

I love cooking and my partner is away for work quite often. To make cooking and eating alone a little less boring, I sometimes buy food that is a little more fancy than I would normally buy.

I love to embroider and I use hand dyed threads most of the time.

I go to concerts and festivals a few times a year, although I try to get into them for free or with cheap tickets. I don't drink, so other than tickets those nights are not expensive.

nara

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #77 on: March 11, 2018, 06:16:04 PM »
We splurge on our vacations. Although we travel hack our flights/hotels we don't limit our spending on things that we usually restrict such as eating out daily and entertainment.

We also have a bi-monthly cleaning service. But being that we are self-employed we actually consider this a good business decision since we make more money working than we do cleaning.

We also have a lot of pets.


Linea_Norway

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #78 on: March 12, 2018, 02:04:20 AM »
We splurge on our vacations. Although we travel hack our flights/hotels we don't limit our spending on things that we usually restrict such as eating out daily and entertainment.

We also eat out on our yearly week to the south. But we limit it to dinner, and eat only a main dish with sometimes a starter/desert divided by two. But we do eat at our favorite restaurant.

We have the impression that we would gain so much weight, eating out for all meals and having 3 course meals for dinner. So for lunch we just buy something and eat it on the beach or on our balcony.

FreshPrincess

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #79 on: March 12, 2018, 06:01:30 AM »
-Amazon Prime
-$60/mo for my dance fitness class. It fills my soul cup and I'd cut other places before I'd ever consider cutting this.
-Pet insurance.  This is actually a necessity, in my opinion. But I know it's mostly viewed as a luxury.  It's easier to budget for a monthly payment than it is a surprise vet bill.  And I'd remortgage the house to save my pets.
-Quality groceries.  Someone said it above; all the money in the world is worth nothing without your health.
-Electronic cigarette stuff.  This is all my husband.
-Wine.  Sorry not sorry.
-Our house.  I suppose some people would see it as a waste.  We have 2 acres, a stream, a swimming pool... and I'm never ever moving.  Ever.

LMBB

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #80 on: March 16, 2018, 12:05:37 AM »
Glad to see I'm not the only one with a travel problem!

This year our (personal) travel includes:
- January: Husband spent 5 days visiting a friend in LA
- February: I went on a solo trip to Bahamas (6 days)
- April: I'm taking daughters (6+9 yo) to Carlsbad for spring break (5 days)
- April: Added a few personal days to a work trip to Madrid, Spain (8 days)
- June: Wedding in Punta Cana (5 days)
- July: Family vacation TBD
- October: Wedding in NY (5-7 days)

I always try to take advantage of airline miles, credit card sign-on bonuses, more frugal accommodation options like Airbnb, and cooking meals in the rental kitchen rather than eating out. But it's still a splurge, for sure.

runbikerun

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #81 on: March 16, 2018, 03:10:37 AM »
Travel for me too. I budget about 1,500 a year for holidays. Usually it works out as cheap flights and more expensive costs while there (going elsewhere in Europe) or expensive flights and low costs while there (southeast Asia being a pretty good example). We're off to the US this year, but staying with a friend, which should mitigate the double whammy of costs.

Junk food is a big one for me, although declining fast since I started prepping a week of lunches at a time.

The big one, though, is the three thousand euro I intend to spend on a super-fancy new time trial bike this time next year so I can ride very slightly faster on the bike leg of the races I do. It's going to be a ludicrous expenditure, since I'll ride it in anger perhaps half a dozen times a year and gain perhaps a few second a kilometre, but it's become pretty clear that I'm not going to trouble the podium anywhere without a TT bike.

Indexer

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #82 on: March 16, 2018, 04:30:10 AM »
Wow, I feel like a spendy pants compared to some things on here. I thought Republic Wireless was cheap, I didn't realize there were sub $5 plans out there. I do text a bit so I'll stick with Republic.


My splurges.
1. Concerts. I've averaged around $600/yr on live music. That is normally made up of 1 music festival($200-300) &/or seeing a band I love in concert($100), and then many cheaper shows($15-25). This year two of my favorite bands are coming to town, and then each is also going to a nearby city at a later date. Yes, I'm seeing each one twice, no that doesn't make sense, but it's worth it and I'm doing that instead of going to a festival.

2. Coffee. I make my own, and my equipment is cheap(Aeropress) so probably $20/month.

3. Video games. I might buy 2 a year, so probably $100-120/yr.

4. I eat out more than I should. I'm trying to get better about this.

jlcnuke

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #83 on: March 16, 2018, 06:11:34 AM »
In many, many ways...

1. Retirement home, that I don't live in yet (letting my parents use it for their retirement until they pass to help them out).
2. Paying for lawn care for that retirement home (and honestly, I'll probably pay someone to take care of the lawn for the rest of my life because I hate mowing/weeding/edging etc).
3. Vacations - This year so far booked includes/included January trip to Playa Del Carmen, May-June trip for a week's diving in Cozumel, going to do a ~$3k liveaboard dive trip in November or December in the Caribbean, and still plan to book at least 1 more week out of the country when I figure out where I want to go for Labor Day week).
4. I have my dog and I'll never get rid of her.
5. Saving up right now to buy a boat in ~5 years or so. I started early since the boats I'm looking at cost between $60-160k (depending on how old of a boat I decide to get when the time to buy comes around).
6. I'm sure there's more, but those are the big ones I can think of right now.

Still saving ~40-50% of my income each year, so I don't mind the expenses for these things that make me happy.

Rosy

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #84 on: March 16, 2018, 06:39:11 AM »
When I find a penny I always say 99 more and I will have a dollar! I save all my bottle return money in a jug and count it all up every 3 years or so. All lose change goes into it and my Costco rewards bucks. Really adds up!

@Roadrunner53 - couldn't resist asking ...
Where is the splurge in that?:) - Spill the pennies - how much does it add up to after every 3 years or so and what do you splurge it on:)?
« Last Edit: March 16, 2018, 06:42:47 AM by Rosy »

Roadrunner53

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #85 on: March 16, 2018, 07:22:14 AM »
First we had a 5 gallon glass water jug we save money in for about 7 years. We threw in cash, lottery winnings like $5, 10, 20. Sometimes we broke a $100 bill and threw in the $50 left. We saved coin, pocket change. We threw in $100 bills now and then. After about 7 years we counted it up and we had $5,000. I lugged all the wrapped change to the bank and it was heavy. Decided that jug was a pain with the narrow neck so found a gallon jug to use. I have thrown in my last years Citi Visa rewards of $440 into the jug and this year have to cash the new Visa rewards of $581 and it will go in the jug. So right there is $1,000-$2,000 without thinking about it. Not sure what the splurge will be yet. I still have the $5,000 and now this stache. What would you do with around $6-7,000?


2microsNH

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #86 on: March 16, 2018, 12:48:26 PM »
I just bought a brand-new gravel bike (Salsa Vaya in swanky Chevy orange). This was a huge splurge for me, but I decided it was worth the investment because I ride frequently and year-round, and my old (2002) gravel bike was causing severe neck and shoulder pain.

I also spend a lot on cross-country skis, chocolate, concert tickets, and my cat (also Chevy orange).

(I like this thread because now I feel less guilty.)

« Last Edit: March 16, 2018, 01:01:47 PM by 2microsNH »

Bendigirl

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #87 on: March 16, 2018, 04:30:54 PM »
Retired now (and loving it) so all those years of scrimping and saving are now paying personal dividends.  We still live frugally except for one thing....TRAVEL!
Vietnam last year, México for three weeks this winter.  This fall is a train trip across Canada with a few weeks exploring the Maritime provinces.  Then we head to India and Nepal.  So excited.  Tiger safari, camel fair, Mt Everest....and so much more.
The biggest splurge....first class seats for the India trip!  Told hubby we need to try it once...

Serendip

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #88 on: March 16, 2018, 04:58:10 PM »
Retired now (and loving it) so all those years of scrimping and saving are now paying personal dividends.  We still live frugally except for one thing....TRAVEL!
Vietnam last year, México for three weeks this winter.  This fall is a train trip across Canada with a few weeks exploring the Maritime provinces.  Then we head to India and Nepal.  So excited.  Tiger safari, camel fair, Mt Everest....and so much more.
The biggest splurge....first class seats for the India trip!  Told hubby we need to try it once...

Wow..enjoy @Bendigirl, sound like an amazing time!
We hiked to Everest Base Camp two years ago and the mountains surrounding the whole region are beyond beautiful!

I am trying to pull back from my travel spending since that has been an achilles heel for me, but I just received two weeks off in May so it's either a hiking/camping trip locally or Iceland :)

BTDretire

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #89 on: March 17, 2018, 01:52:34 PM »
Planters Cashews, although this coming to and end.
Stocked up when Sam's had them on sale, but they
have dropped Planters brand and went with their own
Members Mark Brand, they are not the same. :-(

Tass

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #90 on: March 17, 2018, 03:55:18 PM »
I fly 1000 miles every two months - about $250, or $125/month - to continue dating somebody far away.

Anon in Alaska

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #91 on: April 04, 2018, 05:29:41 AM »
I spend $10/month on restaurant food. I spend $0 to $25/month on books (an average of about $12.50). I spend $10/week at my favorite local "comic" shop (mostly role-playing games board games, and card games (no CCG's) but including the occasional graphic novel or comic). I go on vacation every three years, usually spending about $1,500, so that's about $10/week too. Once a year, on Black Friday, I spend $120 on DVD's (bandwidth is expensive here in Alaska so DVD's are cheaper), so that's another $10/month.

On Sundays I stay home, turn on the heat and warm up from 58 degrees to about 63 degrees. This takes about $2.50 worth of electricity a week in the winter (half the year). I heat my bathroom up to 63 or even 64 degrees all the time. This probably costs me $3/week in winter (half the year) and about $1.50/week the rest of the year. When I'm sick, I go home from work early, and that probably costs me $750 a year in lost wages.

Carrie

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #92 on: April 04, 2018, 06:35:14 AM »
We've splurged on our rescue dog. She's going through intense heartworm treatments right now. I haven't added up the costs to date, but I think it's around $1k.  But, she's the best dog ever, and we've given her a loving home with a family who adore her.

I spent about $900 on yard improvements this spring.

Just Joe

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #93 on: April 04, 2018, 07:35:09 AM »
We've discussed clown cars but can a person own a clown bike?

I started out with a new $350 mtn bike a decade ago. Loved riding it but it is so hilly around here which limits my motivation to ride. Wanted to commute to work and be presentable so...

E-Bike kit. $650. Big battery for $450.

And a battery charger upgrade. And smooth tires when the old knobby tires wore out. And a rear-rack. And panniers. And windbreaker jacket. Helmet. Clip on mirror. Open finger gloves. Warm bicycle gloves. Blinky lights. A better seat post. Better seat. Front sprocket upgrade. Deraileur, rear gear cassette, new chain, cables and brake pads.

I'm into this thing for $1800 now I'd estimate. And I love riding it. Help on the hills, fun on the flat roads.

I want to tour canal and rail to trail bike paths all over the country. And build one for DW too so she can keep up.

Splurge on a week to week basis? A restaurant trip or grocery store trip where we don't mind the nickels and dimes. And "Hulu Live".

PiobStache

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #94 on: April 05, 2018, 02:39:35 PM »
Wine.  We share a bottle nightly over dinner and life is too short to drink bad wine.

Travel.  Two weeks in Hawaii coming up.

Home.  It's really a joy to live there, and now that it's how we want it, daily access to quality of life is free.

Eating out.  We might go three weeks without eating out but when we do it's easy to drop $300 or more (see #1)

Missy B

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #95 on: April 05, 2018, 04:05:13 PM »
I have a terrible hot-chocolate habit. There is a high-end chocolate place is close to my office, and all was well until one day my hairdresser was a little bit late for our appointment, and I decided to see if this hot-chocolate could possibly be worth $6. (I can see the face-punches coming...)
It was so good... that I actually get them twice a day sometimes. (Hangs head in shame) I am sort-of cutting back right now.
I also splurge on:
double-smoked cheddar, maple smoked salmon chunks, and raspberries from Costco.
And... Fluevogs.

Roadrunner53

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #96 on: April 05, 2018, 04:17:16 PM »
WHOAH! $12 a day for hot chocolate! I am not very frugal but this is over the top! Yes, I am face punching you hard! Find a recipe and make it yourself. Invest in a thermos. Yes, old school but they keep beverages hot! I am the pig that buys 3 lb lobsters when they are on sale during the summer but this blows my mind! LOL!

EXLIer

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #97 on: April 05, 2018, 07:31:27 PM »
I'm addicted to Europe.  I go about every 6 weeks.

Stachless

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #98 on: April 05, 2018, 07:43:40 PM »
I'm addicted to Europe.  I go about every 6 weeks.

This would be a much sicker addiction if you were referring to the band!

HBFIRE

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Re: NonMustachian Confessions....How do you splurge?
« Reply #99 on: April 05, 2018, 10:23:45 PM »
Bridge player/enthusiast here.  I play quite a few tournaments every year, which involves lots of travel and hotels.  Costly.  But it's my passion/hobby.  Occasionally I'm hired to play and/or my travel/food expenses are covered by the client, which at least subsidizes some of my costs.  I'm close to FI and own my own business/work form my laptop so I have the flexibility to do this.  Bridge is a scary addictive hobby, and tends to be extremely popular in the retired affluent crowd.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2018, 10:27:26 PM by dustinst22 »