How do you justify what you spend your money on?

[JackFord]

I have recently become more guarded with my spending. I recently went to Costco and while I was there I purchased a crate of energy drink for something like 19p per can, the local shop I buy them from sells them for 50p each. This got me thinking, the shop makes loads of profit (I know they have overheads) from me, do they really deserve my money.

Took my girlfriend out for a meal and she asked for a milkshake, when it arrived it was just powder and milk and for 10p ingredients cost £2.75

My girlfriend thinks I am becoming 'tight' but I find it harder to justify 'luxary/not essential' purchases anymore.

What are your spending habbits like, how do you justify what you spend your money on? I know it is supply and demand but just looking for other peoples opinions.

 

[GasDad]

My girlfriend thinks I am becoming 'tight' but I find it harder to justify 'luxary/not essential' purchases anymore.

Have to ask - what are you still doing on the internet then ?

PS I agree with your girlfriend.

 

[nvingo]

I used to think "well the wife spends £20+ a week on fags, so I'm entitled to save £20 each week towards some AV or computer gear".
But of course she also had clothes, perfume, jewellery, takeaways etc. too.

But whatever I buy, I have to find the lowest price for.

 

[jp_bl_68]

I've always been careful with my money but I never really feel the need to justify my spending.

Do you have to be part of an organisation in order to buy from Costco or can anyone shop there?

 

[JackFord]

Have to ask - what are you still doing on the internet then ?

PS I agree with your girlfriend.

Well I am at here house at the moment plus still live at home so parents pay all bills. Could be because I am a student, don't earn alot of money so need to stretch it as far as possible.

 

[JackFord]

I've always been careful with my money but I never really feel the need to justify my spending.

Do you have to be part of an organisation in order to buy from Costco or can anyone shop there?

Have to have a business or be related to one, father is a teacher so has a membership through work.

 

[rockmonkey1973]

Have to ask - what are you still doing on the internet then ?

In this day and age i would call the internet more essential than a tv but hey ho each to there own.

I dont think it is tight at all. For example i used to spend loads of money on hot choclates from cafes that would charge about £2-3 just for a cup. I would buy one or two or day and before i knew it 20-30 quid a week was being spent on nothing.

I can buy a whole jar of green and blacks for that price and get a good 20-30 cups so I have long since stopped paying for cafes overheads and it has nothing to do with the economic climate.

I wouldnt call myself tight as i buy what i want usually (if i can afford it) and treat myself to a couple of good takeaways a week or a few meals with friends. I guess i just grew up and now prefer to spend my hard earned cash on stuff i deem value for money.

It is definately all relative though. My currys cost a tenner at the most and yet some people would be ashamed to leave that sort of small change as a tip.

 

[richard_t]

My view is if I want something and I can afford it then why shouldn't I have it?

One thing I completely can't understand is the love of money that many people seem to have. It's absolutely worthless in it's self.

Saving up when you've got your mind set on buying something further down the line is one thing, but I know several people who do that for no reason other than to take great pleasure from knowing they've got a particular amount in the bank. Seems a bit daft to me but I guess it takes all sorts.

There's one thing for sure. You definitely can't take it with you so enjoy what you can while you can.

 

[rockmonkey1973]

Oh and one other thing. I have always preferred to spend my money doing stuff than on stuff itself.

 

[setjellyfish]

I'm a tight wad too and frankly I don't care.

 

[7ofnine]

I guess i just grew up and now prefer to spend my hard earned cash on stuff i deem value for money.

That's the key thing for me. I'm finding more and more these days that the things we buy aren't good quality. Either they don't work as advertised, or they break down after an unacceptably short time. Can you believe my Brother bought TWO Xbox 360s, because he expected one to fail, and didn't want to be without a console while it was being fixed.
People seem to accept inferior quality these days. I've almost given up buying expensive electronic goods as I'm fed up with things failing.

 

[johnny-17]

My view is if I want something and I can afford it then why shouldn't I have it?

One thing I completely can't understand is the love of money that many people seem to have. It's absolutely worthless in it's self.

Saving up when you've got your mind set on buying something further down the line is one thing, but I know several people who do that for no reason other than to take great pleasure from knowing they've got a particular amount in the bank. Seems a bit daft to me but I guess it takes all sorts.

There's one thing for sure. You definitely can't take it with you so enjoy what you can while you can.

Well said, that man.

I don't need to justify my spending. Started to feel this way pretty much after I started working I guess.

Throughout my adult life i've often noticed that what I spend my money on is always a problem for someone else, with - "well I wouldn't have bought that" and I would have bought this instead" sort of thing.
We all try to give advice now and then but when it comes to spending or saving then it becomes tricky and advice can sometimes sound like criticism instead.

Where do you think the '2 for a fiver' meals came from ?
They cropped up during the last recession and we couldn't get enough of them until things got better and we all realised that the overall quality was pretty crap and we simply got what we paid for.
And when things eventually did get better we started paying £10 for two meals and so on. We worried less about cost again and luxuries became second nature to some.

Couldn't agree more btw with the "you can't take it with you" bit.

PS How much would the OP charge his customers for a milkshake if he ran a cafe ? 11P perhaps
If we fundamentally object to other folk making a profit from us for the little things in life then we really are in the brown stuff

 

[johnny-17]

That's the key thing for me. I'm finding more and more these days that the things we buy aren't good quality. Either they don't work as advertised, or they break down after an unacceptably short time. Can you believe my Brother bought TWO Xbox 360s, because he expected one to fail, and didn't want to be without a console while it was being fixed.
People seem to accept inferior quality these days. I've almost given up buying expensive electronic goods as I'm fed up with things failing.

We simply won't pay for stuff anymore so we end up with poorer quality.
Nearly everyone I know moans about price all the time, which just ends up with suppliers cutting corners to keep us happy.

Trouble is we end up with cheap prices and cheap quality too.

It's all happened very slowly mind you but we can't stop the rot until we can get it out of our heads that it's not a big deal if companies make a profit from us (even it appear obscene to us.)
Some good R&D come with profit

 

[Dwarf Mash]

My view to the delight of the wife is... there are no pockets in shrouds and you can not take it with you. As long as I can pay the mortgage on a nice house, which we both love, and the bills for other essentials. Money can come and go it's an inmaterial thing in my life in the respect of if I can not afford things i will not kill myself too get it, I have certain things which if the crunch came we can do without, however if I/we can afford it then why not. Yes we have debts but nothing beyond our capabilties. Each to their own but who knows what tomorrow brings Live life to the full

 

[KelvinS1965]

I try not to overspend on unnecessary items (and do lots of DIY too), so that I've got it to spare for 'treats' like things I can't make myself like projectors, amps, etc. I'm not a believer in spending a lot of money on computers as they get outdated so quickly, like this new laptop: It was a barga

 

[KelvinS1965]

I'm not a believer in spending a lot of money on computers as they get outdated so quickly, like this new laptop: It was a barga

Or maybe not as it keeps dropping out.

 

[addyb]

Ill spend money on anything i want providing i can afford it. Im a gadget freak so im happy to blow hundreds of pounds on stuff.

I like to have something to show for my money. Ive never been a saver. Sure ill save for xmas, holidays etc but im not one of these that will ever have hundreds/thousands of pounds in the bank untouched.