What little things do you spend a lot of money on?

[LockdownLemon]

For me it is walking socks. We do a lot of walking/hiking and bad socks can cause all sorts of problems. So I spend silly money on decent socks - £25 a pair. But I think they are worth every penny. I've spent years testing out different brands and finally found my dream sock.

3X Flowers - 1 for the Living Room, 1 for the Dining Table and 1 for the Window Seal in My Room

Yankee Candles for the Living Room and Bathroom

Pink Gin

Magazines - I don't usually read them but the look good as decor1

Goose Creek wax melts.
Decent olive oil.
Pepsi rather than store-brand coke.
Sweaters. I have really sensitive skin and cheap ones make me itch.

Cheese. I blew £30 in the cheesemonger this month. God it was worth it!
Bread
Perfume - Chanel or Penhaligon. Worth it and lasts forever as long as I keep in in a dark cupboard. I’m 1/4 way through a bottle I bought 2 years ago.

diptyque candles
Take away coffees
Lipstick (my favourite lipsticks are tom ford and charlotte tilbury)
Flowers
Anything cashmere
Every time i walk past The White Company, I just have to buy something :(

Good thread, I’ve enjoyed reading it and getting ideas for lots of lovely things I don’t really need but now want

I spend a lot on food. I cook most stuff we eat from scratch and like to have good ingredients. Our weekly farmers market veg box costs an eye-watering amount but the quality is high and I cook round it, so no waste and our diet has never been better

I like candles and buy a mixture of cheap and expensive but there is no doubt the expensive are massively better. Yes, probably get a sooty ceiling from them but I’m not bothered

We have all the available tv subscriptions because, well, why not right now? Not like we’re spending money on going to the cinema or theatre

Used to spend a lot of money on flights as my family is scattered across three continents but no travel since February

Coffee pods are another big expense but I rarely have a coffee out any more so overall saving money (that’s what I tell myself)

I live in a city but have a car and have to pay monthly for parking but I think it’s well worth it as it’s enabled us to get out of the city easily and safely during the pandemic, though that has just been a bonus as obviously didn’t anticipate lockdown when I bought the car.

Freshly made sushi for me and the kids.

My other half is a total tea snob, he only drinks Darjeeling and prefers single estate first flush. It makes him easy to buy for though as he is always looking for new brands,strainers, mugs , teapots etc.

I love Godiva chocolates. Bungay butter is delicious and I love trying new crackers and cheeses. I probably spend £100 a month on cheese , crackers and butter.

Gosh lots.
Cat and dog food - Carni for cats and wolf of Wilderness or fresh meat for the dogs

And for us
Raw (unpasteurised) butter
Organic vegetables from the farmers market (twice as expensive as the supermarket, but worth it!)
Organic cashews from the bulk aisle. These often taste fresher than the packaged ones
Organic coffee from small roasters (apparently a lot of pesticide is used in coffee production?)
Sunflower seed and flax seed sourdough organic bread from a local baker close by. The bread is often warm when we buy it, it is that fresh
Locally made jams with loads of flavour
And now we have started buying really good wine since we drink so little. One bottle can last us two weeks, so it is fine if it costs equivalent to four bottles of ordinary wine.

Craft stuff, for great ideas i never get round to doing.

Oh, and British grown lentils and quinoa from Hodmedod’s.

Our shopping bills have stayed the same or gone down since we started buying local and artisanal. We now cook from scratch and we find that buying expensive ingredients and cooking ourselves is still cheaper than ordinary prepped ready-to-eat meals.

It takes a bit of time to prep and cook, granted. But it is fun to do and makes me feel a bit like a celeb cook using really nice ingredients that have been grown/prepared with care. And they usually taste phenomenal so my ‘cooking’ skills don’t need to be all that

Trainers for work, get worn for 12 hours a day on my feet so I have to get decent ones ... doesn't mean I don't grit my teeth over it every time I hand over my debit card

House plants ... I have three more arriving soon, my boyfriend doesn't know yet ;)

I think expensive candles are worth it. And reed diffusers. Can’t beat Jo Malone.

[quote Oldraver]@Whitney168

I didnt realise they did hot as well as sweet...until I accidentely bought the hot one[/quote]
It does need care LOL.

@LockdownLemon

Have you looked at Smartwool ones ? We love them as well.

@AllGongNoDinner @Makegoodchoices

I stalk the lidl website for their Spanish week. They sell jars of chickpeas for about 80p and they are excellent.

Chocolate biscuits just for me.

Those chocolate leibniz ones. Dark chocolate.
Kept in the fridge.

I sometimes share if im feeling kind but mostly not!

dark chocolate coated cherries
proper cognac cherry bonbons (handmade from one specific small company)

Balsamic vinegar - I order online as not at Ocado

Tea leaves (last batch was £90 a lb )
Chocolate and cocoa powder

fabric. I'm a fabric addict.

Why on earth would you buy magazines just for show and then not even read them?

That’s insane and so wasteful, just buy for a foodbank instead.

@TheSunIsStillShining would you mind sharing where you get them from? I’d love to order some for Christmas!

Diptique are worth it due to the length they last and the fragrance concentration and quality. Ive had so many disappointing candles over the years that smoked like a chimney and smelled of nothing.

Lingerie