Show & Tell Tuesday – Save or Splurge

It’s been awhile since I’ve joined Andrea for Show and Tell Tuesday!  Today is the first prompt for the 2017 Show and Tell series and it’s all about sharing how your family saves money along with what you feel is worth the splurge.
Save or Splurge

Where I save…

We invested in a good coffee pot and make our own coffee every day.  Even coffee at a gas station can cost you almost $40 a month if you have a daily habit.  Keith and I are both coffee drinkers so this was a big savings for us.  Thankfully I’m a black coffee drinker so Starbucks was not my fave anyway. 

Creating a meal plan and cooking at home instead of eating out is another area we really try to save. Dining out with the kids as their appetites grow can really add up.   With Keith working out of town, running home for lunch is not an option so when you add daily dining out for lunches for the two of us it really can become out of control.  We try to make enough for dinner to allow us leftovers to pack for lunch each day.

Hitting Sam’s Club once every two months is also a way we save.  While not all prices are better, I do find the meat, vegetables and fruit more reasonable.  The meat is definitely in much larger portions but I immediately separate and wrap in freezer paper to store in the deep freeze.  Other items I’ve found to be cost effective are coffee, snack items in bulk such as goldfish, pretzels and crackers, nuts, chocolate chips and cheese.  The kids love when I make homemade trail mix and it is much cheaper than the store bought.  We make it a family affair to sort the items into snack size bags perfect for the kids lunches.  Having a stocked freezer and pantry definitely limits the number of times I’m wandering the aisles of the grocery store possibly grabbing items I really do not need.  

This past year I purchased this steamer and while it was a splurge, it has saved me so much in dry cleaning fees.  I despise ironing and was sending items to the dry cleaner that were not necessarily dry clean only but I didn’t want to iron.  The steamer is quick and removes wrinkles so well on lightweight fabrics.

It has become so easy to download books to read and one area I would really love to save is by reserving library books instead.  Is it sad that I really do not even know where to start with this one and am a tad bit lazy?  

Where I splurge…

Date nights are always a splurge!  One thing Keith and I really love is food so while we do try to dine in during the week and for lunch, when we head out on a date it is typically to grab a drink and some yummy food somewhere kid free.  I consider it more of an investment!  
Family photos!  Having family photos taken at least every other year is something I’ve definitely chosen to splurge on.  I’ve tried taking the pictures myself and having a professional always insures I am part of the family photos and that I will have actually love the results.   
Toilet paper!  Let’s just say one time during my coupon days I purchased a cheaper brand of toilet paper and will never forget receiving a text from Riley that read I hope you got this toilet paper for free because it is awful.  So funny, but I would agree.  When it comes to the tushy we want our toilet paper cushy.  I will pay for Charmin Ultra every time.  

Definitely have splurged on having a regular housecleaner.  Working outside of the home and chasing the kids from one activity to another really left me at wits end so many times.  I just could not keep up with the house and hated spending my entire weekend catching up instead of having fun with my family.  Two years ago we were finally in a spot where this became an option again and it is such a huge blessing.
I’m sure you have heard the saying “price per wear ” and there is definitely some truth to that. I will definitely splurge on good shoes, a great pair of nice fitting jeans and nicer pieces I purchase for the office.  These items are not typically trendy and will carry me through years of wear if I take good care of them.

One of my biggest splurges is on my dog, Dutch.  When he was a puppy I hated leaving him alone for extended periods of time and worried about him like crazy. I found a local vet clinic which also operates both daycare and playcare for dogs. Even though he is fine staying alone during the day outside of his crate now, I still splurge and take him once or twice a week to doggy daycare.  He loves it and I love knowing he’s getting some exercise and socialization.  

So, where do you find the biggest savings in your household and how do you balance that with the items you feel are worth the splurge?