Suggestions on How to Spend More Money

[TromboneAl]

Some of us have found that we haven't been spending nearly as much as FIRECalc says we should. So here's a thread for suggestions on how to spend more money without wasting money. That is, suggestions on what to spend it on.

Should you buy a high-end laptop, or will you find that the extra cost is not justified? If you buy an iPod touch, will you really use it? A weekend reading books at a cozy inn might be nice, but your reading light and fireplace at home is pretty ideal. Is a trip to Hawaii worth the airport hassles and cramped flight? Should you upgrade to first class?

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

 

[REWahoo]

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

See my avatar.

 

[RonBoyd]

See my avatar.

See mine.

 

[audreyh1]

Some of us have found that we haven't been spending nearly as much as FIRECalc says we should. So here's a thread for suggestions on how to spend more money without wasting money. That is, suggestions on what to spend it on.

Should you buy a high-end laptop, or will you find that the extra cost is not justified? If you buy an iPod touch, will you really use it? A weekend reading books at a cozy inn might be nice, but your reading light and fireplace at home is pretty ideal. Is a trip to Hawaii worth the airport hassles and cramped flight? Should you upgrade to first class??

Al, if you are asking those kinds of questions, you have been LBYMing too long!!!! Be careful what you consider "waste".....

Ah, yes, the fine art of LAYM - living AT your means......

Up until now, we haven't yet either! We've let "savings" accumulate. But that's because we are still fairly young and want to have plenty of a war chest for future financial stress - like long-term care needs, or a family member really needing financial help.

But it's easy this year - we are building a house, and furnishing it. That will use up a few years of saved $$$ so far.

Once we get past that, if we are still running below budget, I expect we will:

Travel more (particularly overseas) - we really enjoy that. Upgrade travel experiences as we can afford.
Gift more to charity.
Gift more to family.
Occasionally upgrade a favorite toy or buy a new one. (but not too much of this as I don't care to accumulate "stuff".)

The main point is to enjoy your retired life. So "invest" the extra $$ in that!!!!!

Audrey

 

[MasterBlaster]

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

You should spend your money on taxes, porn and call girls.

And the rest of it just blow on frivolous stuff.

 

[Onward]

Aside from travel, all my favorite purchases have ticker symbols.

 

[Moemg]

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

The best thing I have ever spent money on is family vacations . Once a year we vacation with my daughter ,SIL and grandson and I pick up the check for the whole trip . Next year we are all going to Disney World & maybe a Disney cruise also . To see the wonder in my grandson's eyes will be worth whatever it costs .

 

[Delawaredave5]

See my avatar.

See my avatar....

If I'm going to "spend more money" there's 2 general categories:

1. Materialistic stuff
2. Experiences

#2 wins, hands down.

 

[ziggy29]

I guess one who is in this situation needs to be careful that they don't start spending just because they can, but because it will enhance their joys of living.

 

[Bimmerbill]

No one says you have to spend money. If you are happy and content, why change?

 

[Leonidas]

You should spend your money on taxes, porn and call girls.

No way. I retired to get away from all that!

 

[kumquat]

Relive your youth: sex, drugs and rock'n'roll

 

[bbbamI]

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

giving money to my parents
motorcycle for DH
Tempur-Pedic mattress
fancy side by side refrigerator
big screen tv
landscaping for the backyard....my personal oasis

I've enjoyed my trips in the past but am not so much into traveling anymore.

Oh...and see my avatar...

 

[freebird5825]

...What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

Mediterranean cruise Summer 09
Sealy CA King size 3" pillowtop mattress from Santa in 2009 to replace my waterbed, after 4 years of nagging by some man I know
Beachfront condo on Gulf Coast in January
Airline tix (today!) to Orlando for upcoming April trip
5 "girly" summer dresses (on sale of course)
48 shares of CELG at $44 per share
Any and all gas money to get out of the house now that Spring has sprung

 

[LOL!]

We were just informed that our kids will get absolutely no financial aid for college. That's $50K+ per year new spending. Would you like to help?

 

[eridanus]

Add on to the house. With the cost overruns, and fixing the shoddy construction, you'll spend a lot of money in no time.

 

[ziggy29]

We were just informed that our kids will get absolutely no financial aid for college. That's $50K+ per year new spending. Would you like to help?

Welcome to the middle class: too poor to afford the tuition and too rich to get help...

 

[CuppaJoe]

....
Should you buy a high-end laptop, or will you find that the extra cost is not justified? If you buy an iPod touch, will you really use it? A weekend reading books at a cozy inn might be nice, but your reading light and fireplace at home is pretty ideal. Is a trip to Hawaii worth the airport hassles and cramped flight? Should you upgrade to first class?

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

BTDT, emphatically no to the first question, the better quality laptop is well worth it, and yes, yes, yes to the second; the iPod touch is, well, I’ll try to avoid spamming for Apple and its relationship with Amazon/Audible: the apps. are amazing, you can store things for later when you might be offline and don’t need to have the monthly charges connected with the iPhone; the free app for finding free wireless works sometimes, I may spend four or five bucks on the more powerful wireless finder. psst, buy through Amazon; oops, that might negate the purpose of spending more. And as some of us have said before, buy the full monty Vitamix.

I, too, hate the poor lighting in hotels/motels; the little lights that attach to the Kindle are okay but I also want a brighter room. BTDT also, bought some good lamps for home. I just bought the audio version of Haruki Murakami’s “What I talk About When I Talk About Running” for iPod on sale for $4.95, makes me want to get on the next plane for Hawaii, but I don’t think I could do First Class, it would be culture shock.

I used last year’s excess to fund January and February expenses. If I don’t change my ways, I will be four months ahead next year. One obvious solution for me is to pop for taxicabs more often. I’ve probably done that only a couple of times in the last five years. I really shouldn’t continue fighting my way off the bus while carrying two bags of groceries and bullying high school kids who enjoy sitting on the exit steps; doing that cuts into my Zen attitude. Also, I could opt for lots of fun stuff involving day trips; I hated to spend $6.20 on fare to Oakland the other day, there is a lot of there there, I need to give myself permission to go back and shop at the bookstores, hop on the ferryboats, etc. Cheap habits are hard to break.

 

[donheff]

Get that big TV Al - that's a start. Maybe you should buy a nice suit and a leather briefcase and stop by some expensive restaurants at lunch This is the first year DW is essentially retired and we are spending quite a bit less than I had budgeted (so far). My intent is to put the extra in a "mad money" fund that we can tap for extravagances or hard times

 

[audreyh1]

The best thing I have ever spent money on is family vacations . Once a year we vacation with my daughter ,SIL and grandson and I pick up the check for the whole trip . Next year we are all going to Disney World & maybe a Disney cruise also . To see the wonder in my grandson's eyes will be worth whatever it costs .

Yeah - I've been thinking of that too. Taking family members on a nice vacation somewhere.

Audrey

 

[audreyh1]

No way. I retired to get away from all that!

Good one!

Audrey

 

[audreyh1]

Maybe Al could upgrade his sex toys!

Or buy a fancy new cabinet for hiding them when his new housecleaner comes over.

Audrey

 

[Moemg]

Maybe Al could upgrade his sex toys!

Or buy a fancy new cabinet for hiding them when his new housecleaner comes over.

Audrey

Al's sex toys probably consist of a rope and some old feathers ! An upgrade would be something with a battery !

 

[ziggy29]

No one says you have to spend money. If you are happy and content, why change?

If you're happy, agreed. Part of the Cheapskate Manifesto goes something like this: "Every extra dollar you don't need to spend is like another dollar earned with a 0% tax rate."

 

[Khan]

Some of us have found that we haven't been spending nearly as much as FIRECalc says we should. So here's a thread for suggestions on how to spend more money without wasting money. That is, suggestions on what to spend it on.

Should you buy a high-end laptop, or will you find that the extra cost is not justified? If you buy an iPod touch, will you really use it? A weekend reading books at a cozy inn might be nice, but your reading light and fireplace at home is pretty ideal. Is a trip to Hawaii worth the airport hassles and cramped flight? Should you upgrade to first class?

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth the expense?

I really need to access my retirement accounts before I am forced to.

I have been telling myself to buy clothes for a long time.

I spent less in 2009 than in 2008, and am so far spending less in 2010.

I do enjoy giving away money to causes and software developers and local charities and individuals ("broken birds" --Travis McGee).