I'm boring and scared of spending money

[Gailete]

People use to save and have a hobby or a vice they would splurge on ... I think that's fine especially for someone like you who has your house in order.

The problem nowadays is people have too many "hobbies" and "vices" .. it's not just one thing anymore. Everyone is a "foodie" spending $50 twice every weekend, everyone wants a PS4 and XBOX, so everyone is a gamer spending $50 a game every week. everyone's into cars, it's not just for car enthusiasts anymore. Everyone with a little big of disposable income wants to join a country club. If we all just had the one thing that we' splurge on, we'd probably be fine.

When I was spending recklessly , I was a techie with a new expensive Android phone every year, I was a foodie, I would dry clean all my work clothes.

O and the latest trend is , everyone wants to be a world traveler.

Not me!

We at times, every few years, will splurge and go to Red Lobster to celebrate momentuous occasions. Like selling a house our in laws 50th anniversary. Those sorts of things. Hubby and I have gone there a few times on our own and have found that just getting that cocoanut shrimp appetizer, salad and those freebie, keep the coming biscuit, if enough for us.

My one or is it two things that I find hard to resist is books and sewing stuff. The sewing stuff I can deduct from my taxes at times because my business is selling sewing patterns and crafts supplies. I love to read and get my books at thrift stores. Picked up a fairly current (saw it on the shelf at B&N within the past year) sewing book at the thrift store for I think it was a dollar. In like new condition! Why spend almost $30.

We don't have a lot of free money so I have to get my splurges on the cheap.

[Gailete]

I don't personally have any desire to do that. I find that after a couple of weeks away, I'm usually ready to head home. That said, I do dream about doing a circumnavigation cruise some day. Those run about 150 days more or less. The itinerary gets tweaked every year. I've always said that would be my retirement gift to myself.

I would love to do that, but way above my pay grade. I did get to take one cruise using a sign on bonus from a job. The Gulf War broke out during the cruise. I didn't pay for any excursions (the bonus was used up just paying for the cruise itself), but did end up visiting some places that were fabric related and so most of my 'souvenirs' were fabric related. I do tend to travel with a one track mind. I would be happy traveling to all the quilt shops in the US just for the ideas. But that is no longer on the bucket list as I get too tired going into the city near us, ~20-25 miles one way!

[Smallsteps]

read through this thread again... I too get bored and we talk about a small splurge of some sort and then I scale it down until we don't end up doing much of anything. I think this feeling loses a lot of people in the savings or digging out of debt game.
I for one planned on splurging and bringing doughnuts to work today for everyone as it was a co-workers last day and the end of out summer hours program that gets us out early on Fridays but when I did the math of how many dozens I might need I started looking at sale cookies.
I realized that watching every dime has made me talk myself out of so many super small things like this. of course I realized this after I had already left the store empty handed since I felt cookies were not the same as arriving with doughnuts in the morning.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Let's see so I just bought tickets to the polar express train ride for us and the kiddos. $200 for 90 minute train ride we've never done and we're going with friends. Second I just decided last night for DH's 40th birthday we are doing 2 things. One we are going away for the first time overnight from the kids (7 and 5) and we are going snowboarding like his 30th birthday. This weekend will probably be $1500. Further on his actual birthday we are going out to dinner at a sushi place omakase and I'm going to guess $300+ without the kids so $400 with the sitter.

Third I'm bought my DK1 a moana wig and yes she has short dark hair but I thought it'd be hilarious to let her have the crazy hair and it was $10 and she loves it. I also didn't wait for last minute on halloween costumes (both laziness and cheapness) and instead was proactive and asked the kids what they wanted not based on what was in the store.

Fourth I booked our hotel at Disneyland later this month and I paid $200 more for a hotel that is walking distance to the entrance instead of saving the money and having one 1 mile instead of 0.2 miles. I don't know what the difference is worth but in name of spending I felt like I might as well go for it. I also am investigating the disneyland mickey halloween party. If it's worth buying tickets off a reseller. But I suspect I won't because it might be too late for the kids.

These are all frugal things that I might not have done before. Well the 40th birthday trip I would no matter what, but I still hedge on the omakase and the polar express I've always though it expensive. And buying a wig to complete a crazy halloween outfit still seems weird. But every one of these stupid things brings a grin to my face.

As far as home renovations go well let's just say I'm still weighing my $7 tile versus cheaper. I am going to measure today the shower and see what the price difference is. It's a stall so I'm going to guess less than $500.

Further as I write this I am sitting in a laundromat because my laundry is out of commission. DH suggested I send out our laundry and I found out it will be $1.25/lb and today I had 24 lbs = $30. I just spent $7.50 washing and $4 drying. I am debating doing it. I think still washing it myself is worth it.

Smallsteps I hope you get your doughnuts

[msomnipotent]

We did the Polar Express thing last year for Thanksgiving. The kids LOVED it. Even my niece (who everyone calls The Grouch) was singing and dancing in the aisles. Your kids are the perfect age for it! Have fun!

I bought my daughter a cosplay Super Girl costume this year. Just the outfit alone was $110 and I still have to find boots. Every kid should have a totally boss, kick ass Halloween costume at least once in their lives, and I have kind of been phoning it in most years. She was literally glowing when she tried it on. I think that is money well spent. Your kids aren't too young to splurge a little. I was 4 or 5 when I dressed as Evel Knievel and I still remember it. If you wind up regretting spending money on their costumes, you can sell them after Halloween. I haven't had a problem selling them because people are always looking for dress up clothes for their kids. I also cashed in $200 in credit card points to go towards pet supplies and Christmas gifts, so I consider it a wash.

Have a great time celebrating your husband's birthday. Don't forget to celebrate your own!

[Tabs]

Recently, I met up with a couple of my buddies from all the way back in high school, and among the many things I noticed, I realized how incredibly boring I was. The conversation sometimes meandered to stuff that I had done more than 15 years ago, because otherwise, I haven't been doing all that much.

Granted, there were still a few notable things that I have done, and they were frankly not financially responsible... and they were also smeared with regret as well.

So. I think it's better to be boring, because I never regret being boring, because I know I can always fix that. However, the fix is usually very regrettable, and most of the time, it's money I can't get back.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I am pretty excited about these items. Tabs I would say living in your car very interesting. Really quite interesting.

[Tabs]

Ah, glad you enjoyed my latest misadventure. Crazy as it may seem, that really was an attempt to save money. It also took a back seat when I developed that health issue that I still haven't quite figured out what the cause of it was.... It kept flaring up again when I ran a lot of AC in the car I think. In any case, now that the weather is finally cooling off again, I am going to give it another try and see how it goes. I think part of my problem is that the vehicle is just entirely too small to even live comfortably in. But again, we'll see how it goes.

[rob62521]

I think we all get to a point where we think we are boring or life is boring. But, far better than to have all kinds of grief by not being able to pay one's bills. DH and I are probably quite boring...we have enough to enjoy life and we do. We really like these one day bus trips that get us out of our rut, but we are home and can sleep in our boring, but comfortable bed at night. I think sometimes we take things for granted and then it becomes boring.

[Gailete]

I look at our life and would say it is boring, but when I talk to some people they are rather surprised at what I get up to. When I first started selling on line and told my mom as well as others they are astounded that I could turn a 10 cents purchase into $100! To me, I am trying to keep the bills paid and food on the table, yet most of my friends act like it is the most exotic way to earn money in the world!

I guess for me if I do get company, I don't think they look on me as boring. I was fortunate also in having a lot of experiences when younger that although I would have like to be able to travel at this point in my life, I've already done a lot of that. Just missed getting to go to Australia.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I just had a small lust of a new to me car. I really need to sit and ponder.

[donrkwalston]

As everyone saying that buying stuff does not bring you happiness. I realized that a long time ago and find other ways to enjoy it.

Just go for today without thinking much about past or future.