Where Do You Splurge?

[claire_58]

The conversations on this week's Frugal Friday started some interesting reflections for me. Am I really as frugal as I think I am? Are there places where I will spend and will continue to spend until the product or service becomes unavailable to me? Where are the boundaries of what is "worth it" and what is just habit left-over from a lifetime of not thinking about those expenses? Do other values take precedence over thrift? Are there places where being extra-thrifty can make up for a few indulgences?

The two conversations were Deringolade's comment about using margarine for baking "Blackest of All Black Heresies" https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/303365.html?thread=52158469#cmt52158469 and the other was the conversation about dropping the smart phone or out of the cell phone system altogether. "Alternatives to Cell Phone Culture" from Dylan https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/303365.html?thread=52168197#cmt52168197

Both conversations caught my attention because neither are things I'm willing to consider in my own life. I chuckled at Deringolade's title because for me, as a life long granola-head, switching to margarine is indeed "heresy." In this case I value my health over my money. I'd rather skip the cookies altogether than use margarine in baking. There may still be debate about which is healthier but I made up my mind long ago. Butter is a natural product and margarine is high tech manufacturing process that damages the fat and leaves lots of chemical residues I don't want in my food.

I have adopted other thrifty strategies to reduce my need for butter. First, I don't bake very often, mainly because eating too much sugar is very bad for me and if I bake cookies I will eat them. I try to keep the baked goods for special occasions: Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays. Second, I'm extra-frugal about saving any animal fats from the meat we eat. I pour it off into jars and store it in the freezer until I need it. Almost all my cooking is done with animal fats that would otherwise be wasted. I do still use a bit of butter for sauces and veggies and even more rarely I use a bit of coconut oil. Deringolade's post has made me want to try "Maple Bacon Oatmeal" cookies with bacon fat but otherwise I will still be using butter when I'm baking.

The second conversation, about ditching your cell phone, also caught my attention, because it's another one I'm not willing to consider right now but have thought about many times in the last several years. Until recently I always got hand-me-down cell phones from relatives who were up grading. The last two were refurbished phones I bought from a company that specializes in repair and resale of personal electronics. Both were very affordable older models. I trashed the first one pretty quickly. I can't remember how but it was definitely phone abuse not faulty equipment. The second has lasted for a long time and I will probably buy another one from the same company when it dies if I can.

I don't use a phone as a hand held computer. I refuse to download apps most of the time it's just an expensive pocket watch. So I have to ask myself why I keep it. I could probably get along without it. I like the map function. I've never been very good about finding my way around. I know there are work arounds. I used to look up the route on the computer and make notes of the important cross roads etc. I could go back to doing that but I've also found that having maps available to me while I'm out has saved me lots of distress. Approaching strangers and asking for directions seems to have gone from a fairly normal thing to do to an unwarranted imposition.  As others have mentioned being able stay in contact with home when I'm out is certainly a plus. About the only other things I do are take pictures and use the timer/alarm/stopwatch functions.

So the question remains. No answer yet but we'll see.

Comments

[randomactsofkarmasc]

I have a cell phone instead of a landline. I like having a phone with me when I travel, in case of an emergency. And being able to photo-document is a plus. (And I do use the maps.) However, I use an 'off-brand' cellular provider and pay for the minimum amount of data a month, so my monthly bill is only $15. That is cheaper than my landline was. (And we eventually got a cell phone for my husband, so now we pay $30 for cellular service, which is still cheaper than our landline was years ago.)

We do splurge on a VPN for our computers and phones (one subscription covers five devices), so we are less concerned about being tracked.

And yes to butter!

[k_a_nitz]

I'm a bit confused - why would you want to reduce your butter use? It's incredibly healthy. Or do you not get butter from grass-fed cows where you are?

[claire_58]

Grass fed dairy products are rare and expensive here.

But to be clear the conversation I was responding to was about being fugal and reducing costs. I just wanted to interject a bit of nuance. We all make decisions on how we spend our money and we all have values other than just the price of things.

Also to be quite honest I'm not specifically trying to reduce my butter consumption. I save my animal fats and use them for cooking because 1) we buy the best quality meat we can from local producers which means the fats are good food and 2) I hate to waste anything. I was raised by depression era parents who trained us to be thrifty and I've always valued real food. Even when I was a single parent I always spent the extra to get clean organic food. That has meant that I'm habitually as frugal as I can be with the food that I buy.

[(Anonymous)]

A landline would cost us upwards of $40/mo, whereas the two cell phones (mine and husband's) cost us less than $20/mo through US mobile. So right now at least, it's not even up for consideration, because it'd cost more to have a landline.

If the math changes on that, though...

There are a lot of things we do to cut costs, but we all have things we're not willing (yet) to compromise on. Some of those things for me are toiletries (chemical garbage is cheaper, but I won't do it), and food. We could eat cheaper, and we already don't buy any but the cheapest cuts of meat, but... I have three growing boys, and I'm not going to short them on real animal protein during their growing years. I grew up in a vegetarian household, that lifestyle would be cheaper in groceries, but... no. I'll cut other things to keep affording meat. Another thing I spend real money on, that I don't have to, is swim lessons. We live in a place where water is *everywhere*, boats and pools are ubiquitous, and I would never sleep again if I sent my kids out into the world as anything other than very competent swimmers. It's not negotiable.

splurging

[michele7]

Claire, I agree with you on both points. I'd rather use butter and eat less. I remember a letter to Dear Abby or Ann, (can't remember which) where the letter writer complained about friends who raved about baked items, asked for the recipe and then complained that the recipe was no good. When asked they switched out the butter for margarine and the sugar for some sugar substitute. No wonder they thought the recipe was bad. As for cell phones, a land line would be more expensive for us. I'm like you and use my phone for navigation sometimes.

My splurges are Japanese food items. I was married to a Japanese man and living in Japan for over a decade. So, expensive short grain rice, miso and other Asian items end up in my grocery cart. I justify buying those items by not spending money on myself. No make up, hair cuts and fancy clothing.

Re: splurging

[claire_58]

Yes, my indulgences are all food and I'm with you 100% on the no make-up or haircuts. I do like clothes but I mostly either buy second hand or make my own. Lately I've even been getting my fabric at the charity shops.