What are your biggest splurges?

[HarperLeigh]

I'm looking at retirement right now and trying to decide if I actually want to retire. I'm used to an active life and get 6 weeks annual plus 17 sick days a year, plus 14-15 paid holidays, so even though we have crunch times a couple times a year where I work many hours over a couple week period, I have a lot of time off.

We'll see what the next year brings. I can go now, but I think I'll do another year and a half, with 2019 as my retirement goal.

In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy life. I guess I don't see waiting for retirement as the time to start living one's life.

DH is eligible to retire at 53 due to his company benefits (age plus years of employment), but he has said that after he officially retires, he'll probably do something HE wants to do part time.

 

[DisneyMommyx3]

Our biggest splurge is also our Disney trips. We did recently buy the Lego Disney castle and I bought myself a Disney Sketch Dooney and Bourke. Other than that, we try to stay pretty budgeted.

 

[MomToOne]

Hmmm, how do you figure that top of the line electronics last longer? I always go solid-but-mid-range, figuring that the "bells and whistles" are just more to break.

Ooops - just saw this as the thread came alive again, and I'm in and out only sporadically these days.

But higher levels of memory, faster chips and better graphics usually means the device can keep up with newer/updated apps that use more and more resources (as they inevitably do over time). For that reason, the higher spec'ed items last me longer. The latest versions also get operating system updates longer - this is a key factor for phones/tablets for me. But I work in tech, and like to push my devices to their limits and need (ok, want) to be able to keep up in conversations about the latest OS changes This may not be true for everyone.

 

[richmond282]

I don't know that it's a "splurge" per se, but when we travel I am extremely picky about my hotel choice. There are just certain amenities I won't do without. Now we don't stay at 5 star hotels or anything, but no $49/night hotel either.

As I get older, I spend more on shoes (my old bones can't handle those cheap ones anymore) and occassionally a nice Coach bag (but still on sale ) My DH is obsessed with Under Armour clothing so I guess that's his splurge. my DD13 doesn't really have expensive tastes, but we are still paying for her braces but that's not necessarily a splurge I guess.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I am insane about concerts - and good seats.
I am flying to see Eric Clapton in NY tomorrow.

But this year have seen
U2
Metallical
Coldplay
Lollapalooza
Billy Joel
Green Day
Tom Petty
Foo Fighters
Lady Gaga
Queen
Paul Mccartney
Depeche Mode
Violent Femmes
Old Crow Medicine Show
Blondie
Garbage
Rob Zombie
Steve Miller
Alarm
Echo and the Bunnymen
Michelle Shocked

Next week is Riot Fest (New Order, Nine Inch Nails, Gogol Bordello, X, Queens of the Stone Age and others)
Psychedelic Furs are coming up and another Violent Femmes show.

Add in some Bears, Blackhawks, Hamilton and other musicals.
So yeah, my entertainment budget monthly is usually more than my mortgage.
Shhhhh - do not tell my husband! He would probably keel over.

 

[hsmamato2]

Oh,Also of late we eat out quite a bit..... It just seems to happen a lot in summer. That's a splurge, and very different from when the kids were younger. (Going out for Thai tonight,worth every penny)

....And..... I just now thought of another splurge..... Really,really good shoes. For my fam,but mostly me. I NEED a specific type of shoe to be comfortable, so I spend $ to get that brand. I have about a million pairs of shoes I shouldn't have, but I need to wear birkenstocks for the support. I just bought new sandals this summer,and I'm about to purchase fall/winter shoes. (Yes I have my Jambus,etc too, but they just don't provide enough foot help to be what I need right now)
.....And..... I horrified my DH the other day by purchasing my LL Bean wool fleece lined slippers. Nothing else will do,and without that warmth around the house, I just can't even. (my last pair got chewed by a dog) I even got the less expensive option and they were on sale, he was still horrified at $50 slippers.

 

[Alexle2007]

....And..... I just now thought of another splurge..... Really,really good shoes. For my fam,but mostly me. I NEED a specific type of shoe to be comfortable, so I spend $ to get that brand. I have about a million pairs of shoes I shouldn't have, but I need to wear birkenstocks for the support. I just bought new sandals this summer,and I'm about to purchase fall/winter shoes. (Yes I have my Jambus,etc too, but they just don't provide enough foot help to be what I need right now)
.....And..... I horrified my DH the other day by purchasing my LL Bean wool fleece lined slippers. Nothing else will do,and without that warmth around the house, I just can't even. (my last pair got chewed by a dog) I even got the less expensive option and they were on sale, he was still horrified at $50 slippers.

And here my DH was complaining about a $75 LL Bean coat that I purchased for DS using a credit card he gave me for Christmas. It is nice and lightweight and good down to 25 degrees. Perfect for DS since he hates wearing a coat especially a bulky one.

 

[leebee]

All three of those dinners in one week would be way more of a calorie-splurge for me than money, not to mention that my reflux would be off the charts. You must have a cast-iron constitution and extremely fast metabolism!

And 6 beers (or other alcohol) is about how many I drank last year...

Well, we don't usually go out all three nights every week, but usually one night a week (although twice a week can happen). Sometimes it's just faster/easier when DH gets home at 7pm, or it's been a long day, nothing's defrosted, and nobody wants to clean the kitchen. I have no metabolism to speak of; in fact, I had bariatric surgery last fall. That burger is without bun (substitute steamed broccoli for the fries), and gives me a dinner and two lunches. The pizzas are 12" and we'll eat half to 3/4 of one of them for supper- the rest provides lunch for DH for the week. And on wing night, I either order 5 and take 2 home, or order 10 and have the leftovers for lunch for another 2 or 3 days. Fortunately, nobody has reflux!! (OH, and although DH drinks a pint, I'll drink about 1/4 of mine, if that much, or get a taster. We really aren't alcoholics!)

 

[ronandannette]

Well, we don't actually go out all three nights every week, but usually one night a week. Sometimes it's just faster/easier when DH gets home at 7pm, or it's been a long day, nothing's defrosted, and nobody wants to clean the kitchen. I have no metabolism to speak of; in fact, I had bariatric surgery last fall. That burger is without bun (substitute steamed broccoli for the fries), and gives me a dinner and two lunches. The pizzas are 12" and we'll eat half to 3/4 of one of them for supper- the rest provides lunch for DH for the week. And on wing night, I either order 5 and take 2 home, or order 10 and have the leftovers for lunch for another 2 or 3 days. Fortunately, nobody has reflux!! (OH, and although DH drinks a pint, I'll drink about 1/4 of mine, if that much, or get a taster. We really aren't alcoholics!)

I don't think a drink or two in one sitting pegs anybody as an alcoholic. And my post was never intended to make you feel like you needed to defend your practises.

 

[leebee]

I don't think a drink or two in one sitting pegs anybody as an alcoholic. And my post was never intended to make you feel like you needed to defend your practises.

Oh no, I know... but when I read it, I realized it does sound excessive! We really aren't crap-monsters all the time- I just wanted to explain!

 

[bigeyedfish]

Vacations! DH and I just got home from Norway.

A more regular splurge is Caribou Coffee a few times per week. I just love coffee shop coffee!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

One of the BEST things we ever did was choose a fixer upper in a great neighborhood. We can make home improvements while still indulging.

Our main splurges are;

Travel
Eating out
Things like pedicures and masssges

 

[MKCP5]

this post really has me thinking. For years there were no splurges. I was home with the kids and working part time and DH is a teacher (no explanation necessary! lol) Now the kids are grown, we help with college and they work their way through, we have more work and so more $ What has changed?

cable. never used to get cable. starting to resent the $ though and may cancel
hair. I get my hair colored professionally
travel. I'm still super frugal about how we do it, but we and often just I, travel much more than we ever used to.
little things. I bought mums to decorate the front porch last week. that would have been a big splurge in times past. buying a cup of chai while i'm out occasionally stil feels like I am spoiling myself rotten.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We spend way too much on cable, but I love DVR. - I rarely watch shows when they're actually on, so that ups the value per dollar for me.

Disney trips! - I expect there's no explanation needed for this one.

Lately, eating out. - As someone upthread mentioned, I'm bored with the same old things, but it's really hard to find new ones that are on my DHs diet while also satisfying my picky DS.

 

[pigletto]

Travel. That's been many Disney/Universal trips and a lot of cruises , cottage country and a few major cities until this point. Now that the kids are older and we are getting sick of the same old trip, it's time to venture out. Next summer will be a three week road trip to the Canadian Rockies and back through the United States with a stop in Yellowstone. We will mostly be camping, but had to purchase everything from scratch as we haven't been camping since we were kids. We are going to do quite a few weekend trips before the big one to get ready. On the bucket list after that are a trip to several parts of Europe (maybe cruising), and an Alaskan cruise. So travel will always be the big splurge. I can look for sales and deals and be frugal just about everywhere else, but I refuse to stay put and not see the world.

 

[klacey1]

Wish we could, but that's a little bit too much of a splurge! I've had my Seahawks tix since I was in diapers. I actually have charter seats, but I sell them and use the money to buy our nosebleed seats for both the Seahawks and the Mariners. We can't make all the Mariners games, especially the day games, so I sell those through our broker and then use that money to either buy Sounders tickets or save it up for Broadway tickets when we hit up New York every few years. Still hoping I'll be saving for Sonics tickets again soon and we really try to make it to as many Reign games as we can too.

Seattle sports give me life. And a lot of heartache, usually.

Go Hawks!!!!

I splurge on hotels. I just can't stay just anywhere anymore. Lots of business travel has gotten me way too used to finer hotels!

 

[MrsPete]

Ooops - just saw this as the thread came alive again, and I'm in and out only sporadically these days.

But higher levels of memory, faster chips and better graphics usually means the device can keep up with newer/updated apps that use more and more resources (as they inevitably do over time). For that reason, the higher spec'ed items last me longer. The latest versions also get operating system updates longer - this is a key factor for phones/tablets for me. But I work in tech, and like to push my devices to their limits and need (ok, want) to be able to keep up in conversations about the latest OS changes This may not be true for everyone.

Ah, you mean you don't grow tired of the item /don't feel the need to replace it as quickly.
I thought you were saying newer items had a longer lifespan; I'd say that's false.