What I Do & Don't Pay For

Where does your money go? I loved Kimi's recent post about what she does & doesn't spend her money on; I always think it's interesting to see what other people invest in & where they choose to scrimp. I thought you might enjoy the same look into my life, so here you go!

What I Pay For

Going Out to Eat 

I'm not a great cook, & I don't like to cook - but more than that, I just really like food made by someone else. I go out to eat with some frequency (probably too high a frequency) because, well, I just enjoy it. I try to keep it healthy (or I try to try, at least), but I don't foresee a time when this won't be high on my list of things worth paying for.

Massages

I certainly don't get massages often - maybe once a quarter - but when I do, I never regret a penny of it. I had back surgery when I was 12 years old, & I still suffer from chronic pain & have some nerve damage around my spine. To be honest, even professional, deep-tissue massages don't exactly hit the spot (see again: nerve damage), but they're still worth it.

House Cleanings

Mike & I decided to hire a house cleaning company to come spruce up our place every few months. I don't want to throw him under the bus or anything, but he's notttt exactly the neatest or cleanest person, & I'm not a neat-freak, but I do like a certain level of organization - & am not a great cleaner myself. This seems like a worthwhile investment not for our marriage.

Coffee Shop Lattes 

Yes, I have a coffeemaker, & yes, that means I could easily make coffee at home. But do I? Never. For starters, I really like my lattes, & I can't make those at home. But more importantly, going out for coffee is often my only daily interaction with people who aren't my husband. Because I work from home, I don't have a lot of daytime opportunities to engage with other humans, except online. My latte budget is really more like a "keeping me from going crazy from loneliness" budget.

Having My Hair Colored

I am going significantly grey, but not in a cool or attractive way, which means I'm not yet ready to embrace it & allow it to happen. I love having my hair professionally colored, ensuring that it actually looks complex & dynamic & shiny & pretty, instead of whatever I'm able to do for myself from a box.

What I Don't Pay For

High-End Brands

This applies to most products, including clothes, shoes, hair, & makeup. While I'll splurge very occasionally on something brand-name, most of my clothes & shoes come from Target & Old Navy... & come to think of it, nearly all of my makeup comes from Target, too. I'm not particularly brand loyal, for the most part, so aside form my iPhone, there's nothing expensive I feel I can't do without.

Manicures, Pedicures, Facials, etc. 

I can count on one un-manicured hand how many times I've had my nails done in the last decade. I don't actually really like having my nails painted; I feel like my hands are suffocating. I like it slightly more now that I've discovered gel polish (which I had done for my wedding), but it's still not something I'm willing to pay for on any sort of regular basis. I've never had a facial & have only gotten pedicures when someone else has purchased it for me as a gift.

The Latest Technology

I kept my last iPhone until it straight-up died after two & a half years of use. While I'd love to have an iPhone X, I just can't see paying $1,000 for something I know is going to be made obsolete within the next year or so.

Having My Hair Colored

Wait, what? Didn't I just say...? Yep, this is one of those things that I waffle on. I love getting my hair done - & of course, it looks so much better when I have it done professionally. Often, though, I just can't bear to shell out for it, so I do it myself, out of a box. I even have a go-to box color.

I'm sure I'm missing some things, but these are the first ones that come to mind. So tell me: What goes on your spend/skip lists?