Sometimes, I think of frugal people as sort of super heroes. True, we weren’t born on distant worlds or bitten by radioactive spiders, but we’re more impervious to the lure of consumerism. Advertising tends to bounce off us like so many bullets. And these powers make us financially stronger, better able to ward off blows from life expenses, whether unexpected or unnecessary.
But all superheroes have a vulnerability. Perhaps the best known is Superman’s: kryptonite.
Simple proximity to green kryptonite can kill Superman. The blue variety takes away his powers, making him just like the rest of us.
Similarly, we all have some trigger — most of us have a few — that take us down a frugal peg or two. Whether it’s a love of something utterly unnecessary or the expense of health conditions, frugal kryptonite makes it harder (if not impossible) to avoid spending.
Yesterday, I talked about the money we spend treating Tim’s eczema. It’s not something that insurance will ever cover, so it will always be a big additional expense.
Of course, with my depression and fatigue, we’ll probably always eat more convenience food than is healthy — for us or our budget. That’s a pretty big ongoing expense.
But not all budget pitfalls come from our medical conditions. We’re both pretty vulnerable to wardrobe-lust. I always have to remind myself that I don’t go out enough to need lots of cute shoes or dressy duds. Given the cost of cosmetics, I generally try not to linger too long in places like Ulta, lest our budget suffer for it.
For us, those are the biggies. What about you?
Sarah says
Food and wine, ugh. And electricity (heating/cooling – I hate being hot or cold!) I can occasionally get myself in trouble with clothing, shoes, or cosmetics, but it's been a LOT better lately with the 1 in, 1 out rule.
Deedee says
We moved into a new home in a new city two years ago, and we didn't bring much of our old stuff along. So I kind of got in the habit of shopping for the home. Which was fine. Until I didn't NEED anything but I just couldn't resist this cute little picture for the bathroom, or that beautiful vase for the living room, or those adorable throw pillows for the bed….you get the idea! Now I just stay away from BB&B and Pier One and all those department stores so that I won't be tempted. I came to the realization that this was a problem when doing a big declutter at the beginning of this year and seeing how much of this (not very old) stuff I wasn't using, liking or needing. So home decor items seem to be my kryptonite!
Jersey Mom says
Definitely food & travel/activities/recreation. I really do enjoy eating food that I cannot make myself – Ethiopian food, Korean food, Japanese food, etc. Some people claim that they can make whatever they want to eat at home but I really do not understand how they can follow a recipe to make complicated ethnic cuisine that requires years of experiences and special equipments.
paranoidasteroid says
Oh, it's clothes. I can handle not eating out. I wouldn't mind living in a cardboard box that used other cardboard boxes for furniture. But put me in an Anthropologie, and I will not be able to stop myself from buying at least one thing!
Stella says
Yup–clothes horse here, too! Almost never eat out, don't take expensive vacations and my car's a beater–but I've owned enough clothing to outfit a small third world nation. Ouch!
Kay says
"Stuff" is a way to detach from my life and myself, so I have accumulated lots of it over the years. Art work, clothes, kitchen gadgets, art supplies, tools…ugh! Now I'm trying to sell most of it because I just don't want to be bothered cleaning/caring for it, housing it, and hauling it around any more! :^)
Mary says
Makeup, particularly lotions and creams for my face and eyes. And fabric…. it really is an addiction! I also love to travel, but having 2 little kids has put a halt on that for now. What helped me was when I finally started tracking every penny; when I saw how much I was spending, it blew me away. I put myself on a budget and so far it’s really working.
Funny about Money says
The house. I spend way, WAY too much on the house and the garden.
Christina says
I just don't spend. I guess I am in the minority, but I am not someone who can just splurge here and there, so it works for us that we don't splurge at all. I more enjoy watching our savings and investments grow, and finding ways to enjoy ourselves without spending money.
Abigail says
Christina,
You are definitely in the minority — but that's a good thing, so long as you don't feel deprived.
Personally, I go through cycles of enjoying the fact that I'm not spending, and then cycles where I seem to not get enough. Luckily, my inherent miserliness tempers the last part of the cycle, but it's pretty confusing, at times.
Stacie says
I know this is a little off topic….but, Philosophy is based in Phoenix. Have you considered contacting the company and telling them that their products are particularly useful for eczema? They may be willing to sell you products at a reduced fee or put you on their "try me" list for new products. Also, have you signed up for their website? They are always running specials.
Now – on topic….I can't resist bath products. I have oodles of them and everytime I see a new one or smell a new scent (such as Philosophy's bath gels), I have to have it! Definitely a weakness!
Abigail says
Stacie,
Actually, I did not realize they were based here. I will have to check into a sucking-up letter — albeit well-deserved sucking up — to see what I can do.
That said, I do keep an eye on their website. But between other specials and cash back, it tends to be a better deal (thus far, anyway) to pounce on specials through other sites.
Buferino says
For me it’s eating out. I don’t do it often but though I love to cook, I don’t have the background in the ethnic cuisine that I love. I would gladly eat at side-of-the-road or street vendors’ stands or noodle houses or dumpling shacks… but we don’t have an of those cheap eats where I live, so it’s a restaurant, with restaurant prices. I’m down to once every three months, but I still crave the weekly Thai lunch or bi-weekly sushi blowout that I used to have.
Betsy says
For me, it's my fake nails and hair color. I just got laid off (3 weeks) and I've gotten a nice haircut at a beauty school, but I am not sure what I will do about color…I tell my friends I'll eat gruel and keep good hair color!
Abigail says
Now that I'm a redhead, I totally get it. I'm realizing (with a sinking feeling) that I'm going to have to get my roots touched up in a month or so and it won't be cheap. Yargh.
Funny you should mention beauty school, i recently had quite the experience at one. If you haven't already, go read and enjoy the surreality of the process.
Sharon V says
For me, it is magazines, for my boyfriend, it is fast food, especially when he's in a rush, on his way to work.
I keep my mania under control by giving us both $20 per week to spend however we like, but my bf continually uses his debit instead, which annoys me.
frugal zeitgeist says
Friggin' Crate and Barrel. Sigh.
Rochelle says
Dining out. It's in my budget to go to lunch during my workday – I can't stand eating in the noisy, sterile cafeteria at work. I hardly ever dine out in the evening because my husband likes to eat at home. I figure it's even-steven because I prepare meals from scratch almost every evening.
Sara says
Shoes. I found a website that sells designer shoes for a steep discount. After I spent about $250 total on shoes in two nights, I looked at my purchase histories and discovered that one purchase was made at 10:58 pm and the next day’s was made at 11:02 pm. Now I just make sure I’m off the computer by 10:30.
The worst part is that I already own approximately 25 pairs of shoes, most of which are heels that I don’t wear because I walk a lot (taking the bus, etc.). Fortunately all the shoes I bought those two nights are flat (which was on purpose). And as a corollary… I already decluttered my shoes. The ~25 that are still around are the ones I lovelovelove and will wear when the opportunity presents itself.
Lindsey says
Got a few: books….I can read, read, read. Most of the time I utilize the library and used book shop, but occasionally a new release comes out and I cannot fight the urge to get it. (especially when it is a part of a series I've been reading for years…call me weak, but I can't wait a year for the used shops to start getting copies in!)
Good food. I cook alot. Love to cook. But I like GOOD food. Like baked brie and fresh seafood and things that aren't exactly frugal to buy.
eemusings says
Food! Whether it's dining out or buying the good stuff at the supermarket….
I would also travel, if we were at the stage where we could afford to go away regularly.
robyn says
Books. And clothes, but I'm getting better with that. When I went thru all the clothes I don't like or don't fit and realized that I am getting rid of more than some peoples entire wardrobes…