Having fun and a nice home while still keeping within a sensible budget is all about knowing how to balance when to splurge and when to scrimp. The first step is to put price tags into perspective. What is the real value of the item? One trick to avoiding overspending is to think about the price of the thing in terms of how many hours you would have to work to have that much money. The smartest way is to compare it to your take home pay. For example, if you make $20 per hour, you probably only wind up with $15 per hour after the tax man takes his cut. If you see a blouse you like for $30, before you buy, ask yourself, “would I be willing to work for two hours in exchange for that blouse?”
The second step is to think about whether this is an investment or not. If the item is something you will use again and again in your home for years to come or you need it to be healthy, buy the good stuff. It’s an investment. If it’s just for a bit of fun, be thrifty.
Here are some ways to balance spending and scrimping in your day-to-day life.
Having Fun
Having fun should almost always be free or cheap! There are so many great activities to do that naturally have no cost, like playing games, visiting parks, and hanging out with loved ones. Take advantage of free and discount museum days. Ask at your local library for discount passes to local cultural attractions. Make ordinary activities, like walks around the neighborhood or car trips, more fun by adding scavenger hunts or sing-alongs.
Splurge on once-in-a-lifetime experiences, or those that only come around rarely, like seeing your favorite band in concert, attending a wonderful theater performance, or traveling somewhere new.
Growing Your Garden
Save money on the plants themselves. Starting your garden from seeds is inexpensive and simple, but can save you hundreds of dollars at the nursery. When you grow fruits and vegetables, you save double because you are also getting free food. If you can’t grow your own seedlings, look into plants you can buy as roots or bulbs, since they give you a lot of bang for your buck and will return better and better, year after year.
Do spend some cash on decent gardening tools. No one wants to spend half their gardening time running to the hardware store, replacing broken spades and rakes.
In Your Closet
For your fun day to day wear, hit up a thrift shop. There is no need to get rack up credit card bills for pieces you can get for a song. You’d be surprised at the wide range of great quality items you can find for only a few dollars.
Don’t scrimp on shoes, though. Treating your feet well is a way to make sure your whole body stays healthy and feeling good.
Your Beauty Routine
For the most part, shampoo is shampoo. Even dermatologists tend to recommend some basic brands you can find at Walmart. The same goes for conditioner, face wash, and moisturizers.
Where you should not be cutting corners is in perfume. Cheap cologne never smells good. Fortunately, it’s not hard to find discount popular perfumes. So, you can have your cake and eat it too, fragrance-wise!
On Your Shelves
It’s fun to freshen up your household décor every once in a while. However, there is no need to spend a ton of your hard-earned cash on adding cute touches and splashes of color. Again, start at your local thrift store for a whole assortment of great decorative items for a fast and frugal home makeover.
You might not want to spend much on the knick-knacks on your shelves, but you should open your wallet for quality shelves to put those tchotchkes on! Good furniture is really an investment that can last you a lifetime. Spend as much as you can afford on the best quality furniture you can. It will pay off in the long run.
The Bottom Dollar
The rule of thumb is this. If it’s going to stay in your life for decades, it’s for your health, or the cheap version is just awful, then splurge. If it’s just for fun, it’s trendy, or the inexpensive version is just as good, be thrifty!
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