Make sure you check out confessions 1, 2 and 3 as well.
Confession #4: I pay full price for things.
I know, I know. As a personal finance blogger carrying debt, I shouldn’t be paying full price for anything. It goes against everything that I should be saying. Unfortunately, there are just some things that I like way too much to give up and they are never, ever on sale. Which really is a shame.
I bet you’re wondering what it is I pay full price for. Here the dirty list (please don’t judge me too harshly, though I am expecting a moderate amount of judgment. Because that’s what I’d do):
- Nail polish. I love nail polish. Particularly Essie and OPI brands. I have an overwhelming amount of bottles because I can’t resist buying them (why? Because I am a sucker for the names of nail polish. In fact, that’s typically how I pick what color I am going to buy. Best name wins). I like these brands because they are less harsh on my nails, they last a bit longer and the colors are just so pretty. Sadly, these brands are never, ever on sale. Oh, yeah. I also have the world’s most amazing top coat that I didn’t buy on sale either.
- Shampoo. Call me vain but I really like my hair. It’s probably my favorite feature. So I treat is accordingly. I tend to use more expensive brands of shampoo and conditioner in order to take better care of my hair. I don’t mind paying full price for two reasons: 1) I tend to use a smaller amount which makes the product last longer and 2) I like when my hair smells good. You can channel Carly Simon now.
- Make-up. I buy MAC make-up. I love it, it lasts a long time and it doesn’t make my skin break out. ‘Nuff said.
- Food. Though I do shop generics and sometimes remember to use coupons, I will pay full price for food, particularly fruits, vegetables, a specific type of bread (Nature’s Valley. Best. Bread. Ever.), Greek yogurt, cheese and organic milk. I will sometimes pay full price for the vegetarian products like Boca, Lightlife and Morningstar Farms but that’s a rare occurrence. I’ve decided that since I do save in other areas of the supermarket, it’s OK to splurge and pay full price in other areas. As long as I’m sticking to my menu plan and my budget, I think it’s acceptable.
- Music. This includes everything from songs on iTunes to concert tickets to the radio in my office. Music is a crucial part of my life and, much like Princess Vespa and her industrial strength hair dryer, I can’t live without it. I can relate certain songs to every part of my life and it also provides a nice backdrop to my day. A good song on the radio will make me stop working for a few minutes and clear my head. As a result, I will pay full price for this enjoyment. On a frugal music note, I still use the free Pandora service; I’m not ready to pay for that yet.
This is not to say that I pay full price for everything. All of my Apple products are refurbished. The clearance section at DSW is my favorite. I use coupons and sales for clothes. I use coupons and matinee prices for the movies. I use my government employee discount rate for hotels. I use eBay for toys, winter coats and assorted random items. The library is my favorite place for books. I can go on about the places I save money or don’t pay full price but I’m afraid that would get boring.
I’ve rationalized in my head that paying full price for some things is acceptable because I include it in my budget, I’m not going into debt to do it and honestly, sometimes it just feels good to buy what I want without fretting about the price.
Is there anything you pay full price for?
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[…] I pay for products that make my life easier Posted on August 20, 2012 by Jana I once confessed that I pay full price for things. And, yes, even with leaving my full-time job, I still do that, although on a much smaller scale […]
I just bought Wen shampoo (don't even ask how much it costs). The amount I spend on that is usually what I spend on shampoo for 2-3 years. I heard good things about it and I have trouble keeping my hair nice with the regular shampoos. So I went ahead and got it. Now I want to know whether people can see any difference, my husband says it is "softer" but I need more than that 🙂 I just don't know who to ask… Other than that, we always pay full price is toilet paper and most of our groceries. We like one particular brand of toilet paper and not going to practice frugality on that. Groceries, I buy most of my stuff from farmers market, so no way of saving there with coupons.
High fives to a fellow OPI fan! I know they're coming out with a new Muppets line and I'm sort-of-kind-of-no-really obsessed with it, AHHH..glitter! I recently bought 2 China Glaze & 1 OPI color…For Audrey, a Tiffany blue CG polish, a white pearl color and OPI came out with their I think Miss America (or whatever) line and it had "This is My Year" (wearing it now) it's a gorgeous purple with gold foil! I try to get a deal online by buying it on Amazon but it's still not cheap!
One thing I will pay full price for is clothes from Target. I *know* they always mark things down by a few bucks (especially the shoes) after the first week or two but I have had several instances where I tried to play the waiting game and lost out because they ran out of my size!
I also seem to spend a lot on food because I like to eat lots of fruits, nuts and fresh meat for my meals. I'm sure I could save money by getting all frozen all the time but there's nothing like fresh salmon!
@Shannyn–STFU!!! They are making a Muppets line? As a lifelong Muppets fan, I will be buying some of those. Who am I kidding? I'll probably buy all of them!
@Suba–I like to know the difference in my hair, even if no one else does. And I totally understand what you mean about toilet paper. We do the same!
I tried so hard to come up with ONE thing I pay full price for and I couldn't. I want to desperately. I used to. You know before the kids and before the debt. I loved to do new things with my hair that required the assistance of a highly skilled professional and their products. Now I get heart palpitations buying $3.00 gel without a coupon! Oh- GOOD makeup how I miss thee. YES, you do get what you pay for! I did however get a bunch of FREE samples from Sephora because they didn't have my free birthday gift in stock so the sales rep hooked my up with concealer, mascara, lip gloss, eye makeup remover. It will last forever because I only wear make-up maybe 5 times a month! EVERYTHING we buy is planned and researched and done with a coupon if possible. Even our we have no business buying "this" purchases are not bought at full price! I'm not a coupon grocery shopper. If I have it I use it but instead I meal plan like a mad lady and buy according to the sales and stretch those meals out. Even when I am registering for a race I look up a coupon code first and normally get $10 off. My running shoes I buy last years make on sale with a coupon! I plan one day on splurging on myself, really I do but the reality is I probably will never pay full price for anything. Very eye opening question!