Thursday, November 20, 2008

What do you splurge on?

So I just got what I think is a great idea for a post from Off the Beaten Path. Mrs. Guru was asking for help picking a new shampoo since Pantene seems to leave her hair tangled lately. I suggested that she use salon shampoo since it treats your hair very differently than grocery store shampoo. My stylist told me last time that it just coats your hair and makes it seem healthy rather than making it healthy, I trust her since she travels to New York for classes every year.
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Back to my post though!
I was thinking about what things we HAVE to have the expensive brand of and what things we buy that are the store brand?
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Here are a few things I will splurge on

I learned not so long ago that candy corn that is store brand is terrible.
Hair products
Jeans, I love designer ones but find them on sale. They are still $60+ so that is a splurge
Food for following Weight Watchers. The diet foods may cost a little more but are so much lower in points. I don't but the food sold at meetings though, way to expensive.
WW meetings! They help out so much more than you would think.
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Here are things that I will get the store brand of

I have been watching 3 little kids right now while real estate is slow and I have gained an infinite amount of knowledge from her on almost every topic in life! She can afford the finer things in life them so when she buys the store brand I take note.
I have noticed she buys the Costco powder dish washing soap and powder laundry detergent. Seriously we used them for years and they were more than adequate but now that there is a fancier version out we have to have it. We just picked up both of these items and got twice as much for half the price, a score in my book!

Uggs, I bought the tan ones for almost $200 having to have the real thing and had a hard time wearing them when I wanted to most without the fear of ruining them... when it was snowy and slushy in Colorado so I picked up a much cheaper chocolate brown pair last year from Costco! I am wearing my tan ones now though because it is FREEZING here today.
Underwear, TJ Max is amazing for cheap cute undies and who can forget the Victoria Secret sale, if you go the last few days of the sale every pair is 2.99 even if it was $10 in the sale bin.
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I want to hear what you splurge and save on!

11 comments:

Olde Town Style Guide said...

What a great tip about the detergent!! I need to add that to my Costco list!!

Hmm as for what I save on...honestly...I get a lot of our cleaning supplies at the dollar store!

Slurge...unfortunatly I splurge on a lot more than I save on (cringe!) I love my uggs..they were my most recent slurge. I also love my coach purses! They are just so sturdy!

LyndsAU said...

I am really not much of a splurger, but I am with you on the food for WW. It does all add up and it gets expensive. I think sometimes how CHEAP I could eat if I didn't eat healthy-but it pays :)
I also splurge on jackets and coats. I love them and if it's nice and I can afford it I buy :)

Unknown said...

I splurge on hair products too! I use Pureology. Is it riduculous to spend $30 on shampoo? Yes, but I do it anyway because it makes my hair look/feel so much better. :) I also buy name brand toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, etc.

I save on things like trash bags. Walmart brand is much cheaper, and we've never had one split.

Stephanie said...

I never buy generic: toilet paper, paper towels, ketchup, and purses.

Other than that is all fair game. Actually, my favorite shampoo is Suave...the 99 cent kind.

Lindsey said...

Thanks for the tip on detergent, I am so buying Costco's next time!

I like to save on clothes, cleaning supplies, make up...well I like a good bargain on anything. I will splurge on name brand cereal and good wine though!

Gwen said...

How fun!!!

Splurges
Cleaning Supplies because I am super picky.
Dog & Cat Food because they deserve good food too.
Most gorcery items ~ every once in a while I buy store brand but it's very rare.
Dog grooming especially in the winter when I can't give him a bath outside by myself.

Saves
Socks ~ I really can't justify spending top dollar on my socks.
My daughters clothes since she outgrows them in a month or so. (she'll get a couple designer outfits a season but that's it).

Both for me has to be handbags. I will buy a cute bag on sale or I will spend a large chunk on one too. I love my all leather Coach tote but I also love my $15 New York & Company find. :)

d.a.r. said...

I never ever guy generic: toilet paper, ziplock bags (the store brand make food taste like plastic, ick!), bras, work clothes (like suits, skirts,and dress pants), most foods or diet coke.

Anything else I will try to find store brand equivalents, or cheaper alternatives. I am not too proud to admit that I picked up a SUPER cute pair of jeans at Target the other day! They will probably fall apart after 10 washes, but for $19 I can live with that. All of my work clothes come from Banana Republic or Ann Taylor. So, nothing too expensive, but not Target :)

I just hate hate hate store brand food. 99% of the time I can taste the difference!!

Randall @ Happy For This Moment said...

I'm more of a "saver" by buying generic products most of the time (Target's products - baggies, paper towels, canned veggies, etc.) are great.

But I will spend money on Lean Cuisines (not the store brand!), my foundation and a few other items from Merle Norman (mixed in with my drugstore makeup), my highlighting/haircuts, Diet Coke and my Coach bags (you can't fake it!).

Mojito Maven said...

I splurge on hair care (hello swimming), purses, and jeans! I also spurge on food and eating out! We love it!!

Basically everything else we buy generic at Costco!

The Djulus Family said...

I love to splurge on Kerastase hair care products. The mask is AMAZING!!! I am a shopper at heart so I think my hubby would say I splurge more than I should but hey... you only live once right!??!
:) However, I am learning to be a bit more frugal and I love Target!

LuLu said...

Splurge: 1)Jeans...I can't help it, designer jeans fit and look better. Well worth the extra $$$. 2)Makeup...I figure if its going on my face I better get the good stuff...but surprisingly I don't spend much on the face care products:( 3)Body Wash-although its not extremely expensive, I use Bath and Body Works. 4) Dishwashing and Laundry detergeant-I get name brand on these things...Cascade and Tide...I haven't had good luck with cheaper brands on these. Things I skimp on: 1)most of the groceries I buy are store brand...with a few exceptions: mayo, ketchup, salad dressing, Diet Coke, 2)clothes for work...I teach 4th grade so I'm constantly on the floor, using glue and markers, etc so I don't like to spend a lot of money on the clothes I wear to work...Old Navy always has a good deal. 3)gas-I go to the place with the cheapest...usually WalMart.