Why Splurging is Okay: My Guilty Vice

While I know this is a frugal living blog and I tend to promote thriftiness and frugality, I do believe in splurging on occasion. Most of the time I guilt myself out of buying anything for me, especially if it costs more than a few dollars. But every once in awhile, I find something I really, really want and just have to have it, even if it's not within my typical $5 budget.

More than likely you work hard. And even if you don't have a job, you most likely still work hard to keep your house, take care of your family and look after yourself. All work and no play is never any fun. So, it's important to treat yourself every now and then. No, that doesn't mean drop $30k on a new car on a whim or sneak on the JC Penney website at 2am to indulge in a multi-hundred dollar shopping spree when your closet is already bulging at the seams. But please, especially around this holidays, make sure to devote some time and consideration to yourself. And this may mean you pick up that $20 scarf you've been eye at Kohl's, or indulge in a luxurious mani-pedi even though your feetsies will be holed up in boots for the next few months.

I haven't mentioned it more than once or twice on CMM, but I'm a collector of Pyrex. You know, those "old lady dishes" as my husband calls them. I'm particularly fond a few specific patterns but will pick up any that I come across if it's a really good price. My holy grail of pieces was in a red and orange bird and flower pattern called Friendship. I'd only ever seen one piece of it "in the wild" as Pyrex collectors say, and the one I came across was badly DWD (dish washer damaged). So after a year of collecting, I put my most desirable piece on the back burner and moved on with my collection.

A few weeks ago, I wandered into a local consignment store and found.... my holy grail.... in really, really great, no AMAZING condition!  But it was a whopping $20.90 plus tax. Way out of my $5 price range. I texted my husband and my sister and called my mom. But despite all of their encouraging words to purchase the piece, I left it there. I couldn't overcome my sense of guilt in spending more than $20 on myself.

Fast forward two weeks later, and I realized just how badly I wanted that dish. I sent my mom back to the store since she works a few blocks away. Lo and behold, the piece was still there!  $23.XX later and I'm the proud owner of the most beautiful piece of Pyrex I've ever laid my eyes (and hands) on.

And my happiness is worth the $23 I spent. :-)

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts