Balancing Small Luxuries - Bathroom Set $30

[OrangeSnapDragon]

This may sound silly but I am panicking a bit about potentially spending $30 on a soap dispenser and toothbrush holder combo.  It feels like an insane luxury. 

Currently I use the little plastic soap dispenser and fill it up with a bulk soap and my toothbrush holder has been a metal container that originally held tea that I got as a gift. The container is starting to rust.

I've kept my eye out at the 2nd hand store but haven't found anything in a few months. 

It would bring me daily joy to have something that is functional, beautiful, and should last a long time.   

We are on par to have a 75% savings rate this year so we certainly aren't slacking.

Looking to see how others balance this type of purchase

[brooklynmoney]

Sometimes it can help if you think why you would tell a friend who came to you won’t this situation and asked for your advice. I imagine you would say congtats on your impressive savings rate. It seems like this is something you really want so I think you should go for it.

[nereo]

If you can afford it and it truly brings you joy, I don’t understand why you would stress. 

But... isn’t there some solution between spending $30 on a new mass produced trinket and continuing to use a rusting cup?  5 minutes on Pinterest and I can normally find something repurposed that’s beautiful and fits my style and usually costs me nothing at all.

[LearnTo]

If it makes you feel any better, I once looked at a wedding registry where the most affordable bathroom item was a wastebasket for over $100.

[pdxmonkey]

This may sound silly but I am panicking a bit about potentially spending $30 on a soap dispenser and toothbrush holder combo.  It feels like an insane luxury. 

Currently I use the little plastic soap dispenser and fill it up with a bulk soap and my toothbrush holder has been a metal container that originally held tea that I got as a gift. The container is starting to rust.

I've kept my eye out at the 2nd hand store but haven't found anything in a few months. 

It would bring me daily joy to have something that is functional, beautiful, and should last a long time.   

We are on par to have a 75% savings rate this year so we certainly aren't slacking.

Looking to see how others balance this type of purchase

Buy an expensive electronic toothbrush. Ditch the metal tin. Keep the plastic soap dispenser. Keep the toothbrush on it's charging stand. No $30 container needed. Upside cleaner teeth. Downside. You spent more than $30 probably.

[Khaetra]

If it's something that you really want (and use every day, which you probably will) I would go for it, but I would first look for alternatives that may be cheaper.  While I hesitate to mention Walmart, they do have some cute stuff in their bath section (including those items) for much less than $30.  Also give Bed Bath And Beyond a look (helpful tip: if you can grab a 20% off one item coupon and a $5 off one they stack).

[Freedomin5]

Yes, I live a pretty luxurious (in my eyes) life. In that sense I’m probably not as frugal as some others on this forum. What works for me is to set a savings goal, and then to spend the excess. If I have enough in my excess to buy a $30 toothbrush holder, and that’s the one that makes me happy, then I go ahead and buy it, but it might mean that I cut back on Christmas specialty drinks from Starbucks for the month. I don’t feel guilty for having a bit of a slush fund/fun money.

[dcheesi]

Got any leftover novelty mugs? Preferably ceramic. Should work just as well as a metal cup for holding toothbrushes, etc.

But yeah, I wouldn't sweat $30 in your situation. Just be wary of the Diderot effect.

[Dicey]

Registered since 2014 and only 18 posts? I think just maybe we're being punked, folks.

[wageslave23]

Registered since 2014 and only 18 posts? I think just maybe we're being punked, folks.

So are you suggesting that they registered just so that 4 years and 17 posts later they could punk you? Lol

[wageslave23]

I find myself worrying about small purchases sometimes and then I realize it's time for a reset.  If you are a manager at a company and you told your boss that you spent the last hour deliberating over a $30 purchase for the company they would probably consider firing you or at least question your time management skills.  Make sure you value your own and mental energy as well.  I was just shopping for shoes and found some I like for $40 but remembered that I had a coupon at home for 20% off.  I was about to put the shoes back and come back the next day when I realized my time is worth a lot more than 8$.  So go ahead and buy the toothbrush holder, you've already spent too much life energy thinking about this.  My general rule is at least $30 in savings to justify shopping around or thinking about a purchase for an hour.  Figure out what your threshold is.

[Cranky]

My time is worth $0 unless someone offers me money for it, and I'm willing to go to work for it. Saving $20 on shoes seems like a pretty decent wage - to me.

So there are a lot of ways to answer this question. If a better toothbrush holder is something that you really value, shop around for it and then do it. Nice house stuff is a priority to me, but as someone said, the discount stores are full of that stuff. It can be pretty cheap.

[Dicey]

Registered since 2014 and only 18 posts? I think just maybe we're being punked, folks.

So are you suggesting that they registered just so that 4 years and 17 posts later they could punk you? Lol

Lol indeed, @wageslave23. If someone has been here for 4+ years, has 17 posts, a 75% savings rate and has little to contribute but a dilemma over a trivial $30 purchase - something doesn't add up. Note that I said "we're" being punked, not I'm being plunked. A healthy level of skepticism is a valuable mustachian trait.

[Icecreamarsenal]

Oof, the forum police have arrived.

Does it have to be a combo?  Why not just keep the dispenser and use a mug or glass from your kitchen to hold your toothbrush?

[OrangeSnapDragon]

Got any leftover novelty mugs? Preferably ceramic. Should work just as well as a metal cup for holding toothbrushes, etc.

But yeah, I wouldn't sweat $30 in your situation. Just be wary of the Diderot effect.

I never knew about the Diderot effect but have certainly experienced it! Excellent point and one that I will watch out for.

[OrangeSnapDragon]

Registered since 2014 and only 18 posts? I think just maybe we're being punked, folks.

So are you suggesting that they registered just so that 4 years and 17 posts later they could punk you? Lol

Lol indeed, @wageslave23. If someone has been here for 4+ years, has 17 posts, a 75% savings rate and has little to contribute but a dilemma over a trivial $30 purchase - something doesn't add up. Note that I said "we're" being punked, not I'm being plunked. A healthy level of skepticism is a valuable mustachian trait.

Just wow... What exactly would be the purpose of this 'punk'?

And my contribution over a 'trivial $30 purchase'...maybe someone should review 'A millionaire is made $10 at a time'.

I have precisely one person in my life who would understand why I would even hesitate over a $30 purchase so I came to a community of like minded people. 

[nereo]

Just wow... What exactly would be the purpose of this 'punk'?

And my contribution over a 'trivial $30 purchase'...maybe someone should review 'A millionaire is made $10 at a time'.

I have precisely one person in my life who would understand why I would even hesitate over a $30 purchase so I came to a community of like minded people.

I'm glad you came back to the thread OneSnapDragon.  Typically there's less of a lag between when an OP posts a question and comes back to the thread.  As for why some people decide to 'punk' forums - certain individuals get off on tossing out questions like this and then watching silently for the response.  Seems like a giant waist of time to me, but it happens to often that one always has to question whether a question was sincere, and when it's asked by someone with a low post count that doesn't come back to the conversation for ~2 days it is one potential red flag, and one of several from your questions.

yes, I have red the post a millionaire is made $10 at a time (along with almost all of the others).  That's why I asked why this is an 'all or nothing' purchase.  You clearly don't like what you have, but there are so many other options out there which would cost $5 or less; what is it about this $30 item that you like so much? Why would something that has no sentimental value bring you 'joy' (I'm assuming you are borrowing that term from Kondo?)

This is a thread who's OP raises so many additional questions.

[Bucksandreds]

Registered since 2014 and only 18 posts? I think just maybe we're being punked, folks.

So are you suggesting that they registered just so that 4 years and 17 posts later they could punk you? Lol

Lol indeed, @wageslave23. If someone has been here for 4+ years, has 17 posts, a 75% savings rate and has little to contribute but a dilemma over a trivial $30 purchase - something doesn't add up. Note that I said "we're" being punked, not I'm being plunked. A healthy level of skepticism is a valuable mustachian trait.

Just wow... What exactly would be the purpose of this 'punk'?

And my contribution over a 'trivial $30 purchase'...maybe someone should review 'A millionaire is made $10 at a time'.

I have precisely one person in my life who would understand why I would even hesitate over a $30 purchase so I came to a community of like minded people.

You’re not punking and you’re not crazy. I’d suggest to anyone to set a budget for frivolous expenses and go wild with that money. It would 100% prevent this dilemma.

[I'm a red panda]

I just spent about 8 hours over 2 weeks and maybe 40 emails to my husband to determine the new bathroom trashcan to get that would keep my dog out of it.

In the end, I shouldn't have. The stress of the decision was not worth the $30 I spent ($10 more than the cheaper option).

If you will buy this set, then have it for a decade or more, just buy it.  If you are apt to want to replace it in a year, find a coffee mug and put your toothbrush is in it.

(My toothbrush is in a dollar store tray.)

[Dragonswan]

OP, I completely empathize with you.  Fairly regularly I'll be in a store deciding which of two $5 items I'm going to buy and get analysis paralysis until I remind myself that I am not poor and I should buy both and get on with spending my time enjoying them.

[OrangeSnapDragon]

Thank you for all the input and suggestions, it absolutely helped me put this in perspective along with other purchases like it.

This forum has been overall a wonderful place to be around like minded people.

I will be very much enjoying my little purchase for many years to come and continue be very conscious of the Diderot effect.

Happy Holidays!

[nereo]

You’re not punking and you’re not crazy. I’d suggest to anyone to set a budget for frivolous expenses and go wild with that money. It would 100% prevent this dilemma.

The problem I have with this sort of approach is that it explicitly condones frivolous spending as ok, so long as it was pre-budgeted for. IMO that goes against the ultimate goal of spending money wisely and towards one's goals. In essence it's condoning some bad behavior.  In one of MMM's earlier posts he addressed the whole "fun money' category as beginner financial stuff, which doesn't sound like our OP (very high savings rate, already recognizes frivolous purchases for what they are - unnecessary)/
YMMV

[wbarnett]

\
Does it have to be a combo?  Why not just keep the dispenser and use a mug or glass from your kitchen to hold your toothbrush?

+1 for the coffee mug. I use a mason jar to hold the old toothbrush. These are cheap new, and even cheaper at a secondhand store.

[Livingthedream55]

I'd say someone with a 75% savings rate should enjoy this splurge with no guilt.

There are threads here with people extolling the benefits of $500 sheet sets - to each his or her own!

[GuitarStv]

What, you're too fancy for a cup and a refillable reused hand soap bottle?  Glue some macaroni on it if you want it to look more artistic . . .

[CNM]

I actually use what GuitarStv suggests - a cup (just a plain old drinking cup!) to hold the toothpaste and toothbrush and then I refill a soap and a lotion dispenser that I got as a gift set once.  Someone else mentioned TJ Maxx or Marshalls - that's a good place to get these gift sets very inexpensively.

[kei te pai]

I think this is a really interesting question the OP raises. And not because I care about the bathroom decor. Our lives are made up of thousands of small decisions and small purchases. We have the immense luxury of choices.
For pretty much everyone here there is no question of making survival choices around consumption.
But the norms of our western lifestyle are rapidly destroying the world we live in.
And our mustachian viewpoint leads us to question the acquiring of material goods.
Furthermore most of us require a level of aesthetic pleasure from the possessions we do own.
So, exactly as the OP asks, where is the balance?

For me, I would repurpose a favourite cup for the toothbrush, or look out on a regular thrift shop rummage for something I like. And use bar soap.

[Bucksandreds]

You’re not punking and you’re not crazy. I’d suggest to anyone to set a budget for frivolous expenses and go wild with that money. It would 100% prevent this dilemma.

The problem I have with this sort of approach is that it explicitly condones frivolous spending as ok, so long as it was pre-budgeted for. IMO that goes against the ultimate goal of spending money wisely and towards one's goals. In essence it's condoning some bad behavior.  In one of MMM's earlier posts he addressed the whole "fun money' category as beginner financial stuff, which doesn't sound like our OP (very high savings rate, already recognizes frivolous purchases for what they are - unnecessary)/
YMMV

If you can’t have a tiny fun budget to splurge then not sure that the stress of life is worth it. Even a few hundred $ per year can make a giant difference in stress level. If you’re saving $5000 per month and ‘stupidly wasting’ $20-$30 per month then im afraid that you’re missing the forrest for the trees.

[pdxmonkey]

I think this is a really interesting question the OP raises. And not because I care about the bathroom decor. Our lives are made up of thousands of small decisions and small purchases. We have the immense luxury of choices.
For pretty much everyone here there is no question of making survival choices around consumption.
But the norms of our western lifestyle are rapidly destroying the world we live in.
And our mustachian viewpoint leads us to question the acquiring of material goods.
Furthermore most of us require a level of aesthetic pleasure from the possessions we do own.
So, exactly as the OP asks, where is the balance?

For me, I would repurpose a favourite cup for the toothbrush, or look out on a regular thrift shop rummage for something I like. And use bar soap.

I keep my bar soap in one of these https://www.amazon.com/Nambè-567-Nambé-Butterfly-7-Inch/dp/B0000CGCM1 don't worry I got it at Goodwill.

Luckily I don't suffer from the Diderot affect and I just keep refilling a cheap soft soap dispenser for liquid soap that sits next to it... Although I did remove the sticker as I like the clear colored dispenser better than the Chesapeake looking sea art that was on the sticker.

[Dicey]

I think this is a really interesting question the OP raises. And not because I care about the bathroom decor. Our lives are made up of thousands of small decisions and small purchases. We have the immense luxury of choices.
For pretty much everyone here there is no question of making survival choices around consumption.
But the norms of our western lifestyle are rapidly destroying the world we live in.
And our mustachian viewpoint leads us to question the acquiring of material goods.
Furthermore most of us require a level of aesthetic pleasure from the possessions we do own.
So, exactly as the OP asks, where is the balance?

For me, I would repurpose a favourite cup for the toothbrush, or look out on a regular thrift shop rummage for something I like. And use bar soap.

I keep my bar soap in one of these https://www.amazon.com/Nambè-567-Nambé-Butterfly-7-Inch/dp/B0000CGCM1 don't worry I got it at Goodwill.

Luckily I don't suffer from the Diderot affect and I just keep refilling a cheap soft soap dispenser for liquid soap that sits next to it... Although I did remove the sticker as I like the clear colored dispenser better than the Chesapeake looking sea art that was on the sticker.

The link doesn't work, but Google images does. Nice score!

[OrangeSnapDragon]

What, you're too fancy for a cup and a refillable reused hand soap bottle?  Glue some macaroni on it if you want it to look more artistic . . .

Love this!  As our house has been 'under construction' for 6 years with us living in it I have grown accustom to many things such as a partially studded wall in our living room (only 9 months so far), holes in the walls in our living room and hallway (6 yrs),  our room which was painted bright yellow which has faded to smokers teeth yellow, and many many other fun items. 

I can't tell you why my brain latched onto this and has a high tolerance for other glaringly worse items but such is life!

[OrangeSnapDragon]

So, exactly as the OP asks, where is the balance?

Indeed!  That is the bigger question I was interested in exploring, maybe someone should start a new thread on this.

[OrangeSnapDragon]

If you can’t have a tiny fun budget to splurge then not sure that the stress of life is worth it. Even a few hundred $ per year can make a giant difference in stress level. If you’re saving $5000 per month and ‘stupidly wasting’ $20-$30 per month then im afraid that you’re missing the forrest for the trees.
[/quote]

That was along the lines of what I was originally thinking but then I wondered if that was an excuse, as our brains can be master manipulators.

The balance factor though... it can be so hard to come by :)

[A440]

For me, the $30 isn't a big a deal as the environmental impacts of buying stuff.   Could you find something used or repurposed or etc.?

[elaine amj]

I spend on things I really value. And put up with the ancient plastic cup in the bathroom. My mom recently moved in with me. And she values nicer looking things a bit more. So I splurged and bought six $4 plastic bins from the dollar store for my kitchen that look a whole lot better (and is a whole lot more functional!). I still cried a bit inside when I paid at the cashier lol. On the other hand, my mother scored a set of a dozen pretty glass mugs from a thrift store for $5 that is designed perfectly for water, tea and coffee. I was planning to spend $10-20 for a set from somewhere as my previous yard sale mug set had dwindled to almost nothing and I was left serving tea from foam cups!

Anyway, long story to say that I get your dilemma. I do feel it is important to do a wee bit of agonizing even over small financial decisions. My overall household spend rose fairly significantly when I stopped agonizing at the dollar store. It was easy to get into the mentality of "it's only a dollar or two so why not get it in case I need it" which then became "oh lunch here is $10? That's ok" (when before lunch out was not in the consideration unless it was $5 or less). I do get into a bit of an analysis paralysis over a few bucks though. Which isn't always a bad thing as I often just give up and don't buy anything haha!

If you really, really love the $30 bathroom set, get it. Otherwise, consider keeping your eyes out at thrift stores or the like or hinting for Christmas presents :) Or get creative on Pinterest.

[BussoV6]

This may sound silly but I am panicking a bit about potentially spending $30 on a soap dispenser and toothbrush holder combo.  It feels like an insane luxury. 

Currently I use the little plastic soap dispenser and fill it up with a bulk soap and my toothbrush holder has been a metal container that originally held tea that I got as a gift. The container is starting to rust.

I've kept my eye out at the 2nd hand store but haven't found anything in a few months. 

It would bring me daily joy to have something that is functional, beautiful, and should last a long time.   

We are on par to have a 75% savings rate this year so we certainly aren't slacking.

Looking to see how others balance this type of purchase

Buy an expensive electronic toothbrush. Ditch the metal tin. Keep the plastic soap dispenser. Keep the toothbrush on it's charging stand. No $30 container needed. Upside cleaner teeth. Downside. You spent more than $30 probably.

+1. Your future teeth will thank you for it.

[sparkytheop]

If you can’t have a tiny fun budget to splurge then not sure that the stress of life is worth it. Even a few hundred $ per year can make a giant difference in stress level. If you’re saving $5000 per month and ‘stupidly wasting’ $20-$30 per month then im afraid that you’re missing the forrest for the trees.

That was along the lines of what I was originally thinking but then I wondered if that was an excuse, as our brains can be master manipulators.

The balance factor though... it can be so hard to come by :)

Definitely about balance.  I have a large savings rate (some big goals).  But, I have a specific "quilting/knitting/crochet" line in my budget--because I enjoy them as hobbies and love to be productive and create stuff (I no longer get to work with tools at work, but I do often get to work on one of these hobbies at work, so I feel my hours of downtime at work are productive).  I also have a "fun money" line.  If I buy a household item I need, it comes out of the household budget.  If I buy a household item simply because I want it and think it's "fun/cute", it comes out of the fun money budget.

[Bucksandreds]

If you can’t have a tiny fun budget to splurge then not sure that the stress of life is worth it. Even a few hundred $ per year can make a giant difference in stress level. If you’re saving $5000 per month and ‘stupidly wasting’ $20-$30 per month then im afraid that you’re missing the forrest for the trees.

That was along the lines of what I was originally thinking but then I wondered if that was an excuse, as our brains can be master manipulators.

The balance factor though... it can be so hard to come by :)

Definitely about balance.  I have a large savings rate (some big goals).  But, I have a specific "quilting/knitting/crochet" line in my budget--because I enjoy them as hobbies and love to be productive and create stuff (I no longer get to work with tools at work, but I do often get to work on one of these hobbies at work, so I feel my hours of downtime at work are productive).  I also have a "fun money" line.  If I buy a household item I need, it comes out of the household budget.  If I buy a household item simply because I want it and think it's "fun/cute", it comes out of the fun money budget.

My net worth (minus stock returns) goes up $5000-$6000 per month and I probably blow $100- $200 even per month on things ranging from unneeded meals out to soccer gear to alcohol to other similar things. I'm literally setting myself back 3% or so of the max I could be saving and couldn't care less. What's that mean? A month or two of extra full time work? Not sure I want to live a life with no little luxuries. Balance is the key to life.

[elaine amj]

My net worth (minus stock returns) goes up $5000-$6000 per month and I probably blow $100- $200 even per month on things ranging from unneeded meals out to soccer gear to alcohol to other similar things. I'm literally setting myself back 3% or so of the max I could be saving and couldn't care less. What's that mean? A month or two of extra full time work? Not sure I want to live a life with no little luxuries. Balance is the key to life.

I guess where my thinking differs is the more little luxuries I can trim out of my life as unnecessary, the faster I can FIRE. In your case, $200/mo is $2400/yr. That means I have  to add an extra $60k to my FIRE number to afford those little luxuries. For my family that would be close to 2 extra years of work. In your case, it would 12 extra months of work so different valuation (although if we had been high income folks, my choice would be accelerate to FIRE in way fewer years!).

From a "Your Money or Your life" perspective, I like to be able to decide if those luxuries are worth the extra work. If it's mindless luxuries I don't fully savor or enjoy, I'd prefer to cut 2 years of my timeline. I do have a few luxuries I value built into my FIRE budget. But I do like the concept of always, always questioning my luxuries and determining whether it really adds value to my life.

Also, lifestyle inflation is an insidious beast. We used to live very comfortable lives for our family of 4 on something like $30-40k/yr. Now it takes $60k/yr for us to feel comfortable.

[Bucksandreds]

My net worth (minus stock returns) goes up $5000-$6000 per month and I probably blow $100- $200 even per month on things ranging from unneeded meals out to soccer gear to alcohol to other similar things. I'm literally setting myself back 3% or so of the max I could be saving and couldn't care less. What's that mean? A month or two of extra full time work? Not sure I want to live a life with no little luxuries. Balance is the key to life.

I guess where my thinking differs is the more little luxuries I can trim out of my life as unnecessary, the faster I can FIRE. In your case, $200/mo is $2400/yr. That means I have  to add an extra $60k to my FIRE number to afford those little luxuries. For my family that would be close to 2 extra years of work. In your case, it would 12 extra months of work so different valuation (although if we had been high income folks, my choice would be accelerate to FIRE in way fewer years!).

From a "Your Money or Your life" perspective, I like to be able to decide if those luxuries are worth the extra work. If it's mindless luxuries I don't fully savor or enjoy, I'd prefer to cut 2 years of my timeline. I do have a few luxuries I value built into my FIRE budget. But I do like the concept of always, always questioning my luxuries and determining whether it really adds value to my life.

Also, lifestyle inflation is an insidious beast. We used to live very comfortable lives for our family of 4 on something like $30-40k/yr. Now it takes $60k/yr for us to feel comfortable.

You're totally right in that it's just a choice about what you value. To me playing soccer on Sundays with proper equipment and "taking the edge off" after a day of work as well as a $30 family dinner out a few times per month are totally worth working an extra year. I'm also not attempting full FIRE. Ill be downshifting to 2 days a week in my early to mid forties and probably do that for 15-20 years.  I'm a dentist and a couple days a week of that hopefully gives me all of the benefits of improving people's health and a decent paycheck without the stress/fatigue of the full time rat race.  I completely agree with you though, that these decisions are entirely dependent on the person and situation. Cheers.