Why you Shouldn’t feel Guilty for Spending Money (on These Things)

As a frugal living blog I spend a lot of time talking about how to save money, and what to NOT spend money on.

However, there are times it is better to spend a little more money for quality, rather than buying the cheapest option.

I understand the conflict that can bring within your heart. If you are on an extremely tight budget you can feel a sense of guilt for spending a little more money on an item instead of buying the cheapest option.

But sometimes the cheapest choice isn’t the best choice. And sometimes I’ve had to learn this the hard way.

Now, sometimes your budget is so tight the cheapest option is the only option for you. I get it. I’ve been there. You have to work with what you have and for a time it’s completely okay to buy the cheapest even if you know that paying a little more money for something will give you better quality. Sometimes we just can’t afford better quality.

But, if there is a little more room in your budget, it may be time to spend a little more on some things. That doesn’t mean you aren’t frugal anymore. Being frugal doesn’t necessarily mean buying the cheapest, what it means is being wise with your money. Sometimes being wise with your money means investing a little more into what you are buying.

Now, that being said, I think we need to be honest with ourselves on what we actually need and what we don’t in the way of quality. For example, while you want to invest in a good quality vehicle that will last, you don’t necessarily need a vehicle with all the bells and whistles if that is more money.

Today I want to talk to you about some areas in your life that are worth investing in if the budget allows.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL GUILTY FOR SPENDING MONEY ON THESE THINGS

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Health supplements

I used to say I didn’t need supplements. However, the older I get the more I realize my body is lacking in certain nutrients and it’s really hard to make sure we get all we need from the foods we eat. Therefore, I need to take some supplements. I also don’t want to get the cheapest I can find because they can have fillers in it.

Personally, one of my favorite supplements is collagen. Collagen is a powerhouse in my opinion. I started taking it for gut health, but soon discovered that it did wonders for my skin! My skin has cleared up completely since taking collagen. No more teenage acne for this 36 year old. 🙂

I also purchase elderberries to make elderberry syrup. Elderberries are not cheap, but they are great for building up your immune system. I buy the berries so I can make my own syrup instead of buying the very costly stuff at the health store, but the berries are still expensive. However, I believe it’s important to take care of ourselves when we can.

Cookware

Over a year ago I was cooking dinner only to find pieces of our pot in our food! The coating had been peeling off. This did not sit well with me.

After that we invested in some cast iron. I will no longer buy cheaper pots and pans. I want to be sure what we are cooking food in is safe.

The good news is, sometimes you can score good quality pots and pans at thrift stores or yard sales, so keep your eye out!

 

Higher quality food items

This one is still fairly new for me. I’ve been known to pick the cheapest off the shelf. And for many things that is okay. I am still going to pick the store brand jar of olives, or the fruit and vegetables that are on sale.

However, as I’ve gotten more into this health journey I discovered that some of the things I was eating was causing me issues for my autoimmune disease I struggle with (colitis.) One of them is white flour. So now I’m spending extra money to buy things like sprouted spelt and einkorn flour. Einkorn is especially not a cheap flour.

However, if I was to buy an organic, non-gmo loaf of bread at the store I would pay more. Yes, I’m paying more than if I bought the cheapest loaf of bread on the rack, but that’s not what I’m going for at this point.  Unfortunately, my gut health has suffered for doing just that for too many years.

I’m working harder to buy items that are non-gmo. I am not in a place where I can buy everything organic, but I can buy at least some things that are better for me. And so, I’m investing a little more money in higher quality food items.

 

Appliances

We learned our lesson the hard way about spending money on appliances. One year our fridge that came with our house, which was very old, died. In an effort to replace it on the cheap, we bought a second hand fridge from an appliance store. It came with a six month warranty. In month 7 it died.

After that we decided we would buy a new fridge. It didn’t have to have all the bells and whistles. Actually, we picked the simplest model. However, we also steered away from brands that had a reputation for not lasting, even if it was cheaper.

Now, the only exception to this rule is if I knew who I was buying the second hand appliance from because then I can get a better idea of what kind of condition the appliance is in, as opposed to feeling like we are taking a huge chance from someone we don’t know.

 

Travelling

I think travelling is something that can build amazing memories for you and your family. We have always had a small income, and yet we’ve always made a point to travel. Sometimes the trips aren’t very far or very long, and sometimes a year or two goes by before we can go on a trip (especially with a homestead now) but travelling is worth the money.

That being said, I do think it is wise to save up for the trip and to not go into debt. This might mean you can’t go to your number one choice, but you can still have a nice trip.

Our family is currently planning a trip for the spring as it has been over a year since we’ve gone anywhere. Initially we were planning a big, far trip to somewhere we’ve never been. However, just this month alone we’ve had some huge unexpected expenses with things breaking (doesn’t it always happen at once?) so we’ve had to rethink our trip.

Our original trip of driving 24 hours to get there has now changed to a location 4 hours away. Are we disappointed? A little. But our kids are excited no matter where we go, we will have fun building memories, we still get to take a trip, and we won’t have travel debt.

So, don’t feel guilty for paying for a trip – but be sure to pay up front for it.

 

Essential oils

People are sometimes surprised I would purchase good quality essential oils if I claim to be frugal. Here’s the thing. Over the years I’ve developed some health issues, and it caused me to start looking more carefully at what I put on my body and in my body. I began to realize that if I wanted to feel my best I needed to start looking at the ingredients in my products like candles, vapor rub, etc.

I reach for essential oils for a variety of uses. Head tension? I use peppermint. Congestion? Pull out the eucalyptus. Struggling to sleep? Out comes the lavender.

The truth is, I’ve just replaced previous products with a more natural option. So either way I was spending money, the difference now is that I’m picking an option I can feel good about.  Check out which ones I use and love here.

Toilet Paper

I don’t think this one needs a whole lot of explanation, but I’ll just say that if you’ve ever bought the cheap stuff you probably know it doesn’t really save you money because you need to use more of it anyways. It’s usually way too thin!

I try to buy the huge packs of toilet paper when it’s on sale and that’s how I save money on the stuff while still enjoying the higher end quality TP.

Don’t feel guilty, buy the good stuff for your bathroom. 😉

 

Farm animals

Okay, this is kind of a joke, but who doesn’t need more furry love in their life? Enough said.

(also, I hope my husband is reading this, because, you know, Christmas is coming…)

DON’T FEEL GUILTY, BUT BE WISE WITH YOUR FINANCES

Now, while I am saying don’t feel guilty about spending your money on these things, you want to be wise too. You need to HAVE that money to spend. You don’t want to go into debt if you don’t have to.

Basically, what frugality comes down to is cutting costs in one area so you can afford another area that is more important to you, while still living within your means.

Also, don’t feel like you are failing if you can’t invest more money into certain areas of your life.  Sometimes all you can do is buy the cheapest available because money is so tight.  Hopefully that will just be a season in your life and it will get easier.

We work with what we have and we do the best we can.  That’s all we can do.