<p>High quality chicken. I will not buy Zacky or Foster Farms. Toilet paper, my favorite coffee, professional hair coloring, organic milk.</p>
<p>Running shoes/clothes. Food for my pets. Skincare and cosmetics (I don’t do the really pricey lines, but DO like Clinique, Origins, Nars etc.) Haircut/color. Phones/electronics.</p>
<p>Actually, I don’t skimp on a lot. I guess H and I prefer not to spend a lot of money eating out. We like to eat out, but we don’t like really expensive places.</p>
<p>We LOVE fast internet connection DSL. We also splurge on Viva paper towels and Kleenix (bought on sale whenever possible). H also loves Via individual packets of coffee by Starbucks–convenient & cheap enough for him to enjoy regularly (at Costco, it’s only about $.75/cup). We also splurge on ALL laundry detergent, unscented. We also buy Lubiderm moisturizer for D (fairly reasonable at Costco).</p>
<p>Oh yes, comfortable quality shoes and socks. The brand is not as important as the fit & comfort. I like Thorlo socks but have various brands of shoes.</p>
<p>Will splurge to have flights that leave and arrive at my preferred destinations at the times we want with no stops or perhaps one stop. Will NOT take red-eye flights unless ABSOLUTELY necessary (can’t remember the last one I flew). Much prefer to have a stopover in CA & continue & it’s usually cheaper that way anyway.</p>
<p>Toilet paper and kleenex for sure, but anything else just shreds my skin so there isn’t much choice. Nail polish is the only thing I can think of that I do just because-- I’m too lazy to paint my nails more than twice a month so it needs to last that long. </p>
<p>I think that’s it. When I was growing up my mom refused to buy generic anything, and for the most part I went in the other direction.</p>
<p>TP is such a funny thing. H won’t use anything but Scott - I could care less. He will also only use Bounty paper towels and since he’s the cook, I indulge him.</p>
<p>Reading this thread makes me realize that I skimp on EVERYTHING… I haven’t had a manicure in 4 years, H cuts and colors my hair from a box, I wear shoes from Payless and clothing from the thrift shop or K-mart, I have the basic cellphone with no internet, my new car is a 1997 model. My only splurge is Dunkin Donuts coffee (I detest Starbucks, can’t even walk in there because the smell makes me ill) and that’s maybe once a week.</p>
<p>Wow, I am pathetic.</p>
<p>For me, socks with cashmere in them or all cashmere is even better LOL and really good skin care creams. For the “boys” hmmm that’s a tough one.</p>
<p>Joan52, you are not pathetic! You are one of us!</p>
<p>I have had one manicure in my entire life… my wedding day. I very, very rarely wear any make-up (and it’s not that I don’t need it, I surely do, I just never learned how to use it correctly – rebelling against my mother’s obsession with looks, see parents breaking your heart thread). I do pay for expensive hair coloring, however.</p>
<p>I thought I was a little loony about the toilet paper; I am glad I am not!</p>
<p>Kleenex. I hate cheap tissue; it just doesn’t work!! </p>
<p>Hair cut and color. </p>
<p>Ground beef – must be 93% lean. </p>
<p>Medical care. </p>
<p>I won’t buy cheap (as in, not well-made) shoes. They hurt my feet. I second whoever said Thorlo socks. Fantastic. </p>
<p>Education for my children.</p>
<p>Perhaps this thread should be, “What will you skimp on?”</p>
<p>My daughter (Me and every father in America).</p>
<p>What WILL I skimp on??? Clothes. I get fabulous gently worn used clothes at consignment stores and Goodwill. I can’t imagine paying full price for Talbots slacks when I can get them for $8 or less.</p>
<p>Guitaristmom -</p>
<p>On my wedding day, I completely forgot to wear make-up or get a manicure. I also forgot to order flowers because in general I consider them a waste of money…</p>
<p>I still feel pathetic.</p>
<p>True, I won’t compromise on good medical care–will pay whatever it takes to get quality medical care in terms of cost, travel and waiting (some of the best do require you to wait a considerable amount of time and sometimes even travel a considerable distance). I am quite sure receiving quality medical care has been responsible for me & my family being as healthy as we are today.</p>
<p>Won’t skimp on chocolate. It has got to be a quality brand name. Also will not buy farm raised fish.</p>
<p>Paper products? Cheap paper towels are lousy. However with TP-cheaper like Scott are a buy. Otherwise the roll is running out almost every day it seems.</p>
<p>We pay well for organic milk and meat, wool socks, good shoes and I would never give up my trainer. ($60/hr)</p>
<p>DH has a strange preference with clothing. He buys cheap Wrangler jeans at Target for work (baggy, bleh), but pays $90+ for Arborwear hiking pants that he wears for various camping and outdoors expeditions.</p>
<p>Oh, I have always found Northern to be more satisfactory than Charmin and will pay full price if necessary.</p>
<p>Joan,
I did get a manicure the day before my wedding and had to take it all off because I couldn’t even keep from having it smudged an entire 24 hours, so had my wedding & pretty much my entire life with naked nails. I don’t feel pathetic nonetheless. A family friend insisted on doing my wedding makeup or I am not sure I would have had any. Another family friend insisted on providing and arranging flowers for our wedding and reception. My office cringed because my theme evolved to be rainbow colors since I had the bridesmaids in light blue, salmon silk roses for centerpieces, red tablecloths and light blue centerpieces. For my wedding, I generally had whomever felt the most strongly about the thing and wanted to take charge do so. It worked out quite well. </p>
<p>I don’t feel you have any reason to feel pathetic.</p>
<p>My biggest splurge is makeup foundation. I will only use Estee Lauder Double Wear. The rest of my makeup is Wal-Mart cheap, but I love, love, love the Double Wear foundation. I also prefer Northern or Cottonelle over Charmin, but my mom will only buy Scott. I love Bounty paper towels and Heinz products. I seldom ever (almost never) buy clothes or shoes for myself and am super frugal in most areas. I agree with the poster who hates Starbucks coffee. We have been using it at our office and it doesn’t smell good at all. When you first open the bag, it smells like catfood. ugh.</p>
<p>High quality sunscreen, Clinique, after bouts with skin cancer. Which has morphed into using their other products as well. CSA membership. Quality family bikes. </p>
<p>Chiropractic care, quality shoes for my ever suffering feet, Smart Wool socks. Plane tickets to see overseas kids. Scott toilet tissue only, as I dislike changing the roll often. </p>
<p>I buy many books, clothing,and household items used and at garage sales, to support my indulgences and drive a 12 year old car.</p>
<p>very high thread count sheets - heaven!</p>
<p>real butter</p>
<p>real maple syrup</p>
<p>half and half for coffee</p>
<p>good coffee</p>