When did you go way over budget but not regret it

[JaceLancs]

Have there been occasions when you have spent much more than you should but looking back are glad that you did?
In the 90s I was a struggling lone parent on benefits and splashed out on a small fibre optic Xmas tree - they were quite new back then
My small DC were enthralled with it - it’s still going strong nearly 30 years later and still gives us pleasure

Money is for the living - so said a friend with breast cancer.
Very true IMO

( apologies if anyone is upset by this).

Mine is a bit pathetic as it’s not a mega spend but my Dr Marten Chelsea Boots. They are so hard wearing and comfortable, and look good with pretty much anything. They were worth every penny despite being about £100 more than I would usually be comfortable spending on shoes.

Mines magic the gathering game, my justification is I don't spend it on eg PS4 games, I usually buy most of the cards second hand as better value and I get the specific cards I need for deck ideas rather than spending x on random packets hoping I get x cards, the main person I play the game with pritty much just likes to win so it means I can pritty much try any deck I want to, plus I don't drink, or smoke, so it's one of my main hobby.

I bought a £100 lamp (I may or may not have bought it online, after half a bottle of wine).

It is IMMENSE and I love it. No buyers' regret here.

@loubieloo4 your two 'spends' are exactly what money should be for. Hope you and dh manage to fit in a few more, you both sound awesome.

I love your fibre optic tree purchase too op, I bet your kids loved it at the time and all this while later!

I have really struggled to think of something because I have been quite bad with money and am currently on a debt management plan, so everything I've bought I shouldn't have and I have been selling off lots of it in the last year (including the house and car as well as half my wardrobe) so it all feels like an enormous waste of money. I feel ashamed really.

However, I bought a little vintage platinum diamond daisy ring as a nod to the miscarriages I had and the children I have - a diamond for each one, gathering round the equally sized diamond in the middle. I have always felt I just needed to crack on and struggled to cry or feel sad but this ring makes me feel like I did something to mark those little brief lives and acknowledge them as my children.

Honeymoon -- booked an expensive hotel room/view for first night,
and planned to move to a cheaper room for the rest of the week.
But it was too nice, so we decided to stay in the lovely room for the duration.

Glad we didn't change.

@loubieloo4

On my food shop this Christmas. I had a sod it moment with all that's going on and have spent about £180 just for the 5 of us.

A mattress! Went into the shop with a budget of £700ish....left with a mattress double that price.

But it feels like sleeping on a friendly bear that’s giving you a hug - worth it.

Took dd to Lapland last year - never spent that much on a 3 night trip but sooo glad l did!

Christmas this year, I have bought lovely presents for my daughters and my best friend, have managed to spread the cost interest free over a few months using my paypal credit and clear pay, klarna etc, which I have already started making repayments on. After a shit year, we deserve it.

For my 30th I bought myself a beautiful 5 year old sports car that was £3K over my budget but way below book value due to needing a clutch.
Managed to nurse another 2 years out of it before actually changing the clutch and now over 16 years on its the most reliable car I've ever had and as the mice have now eaten the dogs old Passat, its my only transport. Have to fold the dog up to get him in tough.

@loubieloo4. Sending you and your husband so much love x

Our last 'hoorah' holiday to Canada before trying to conceive. We spent 10 days in Banff and stayed at a log cabin, walked on the Bow River and through Johnston Canyon, ate in a restaurant at the top of a mountain, went dogsledding and snowboarding.

Every minute of that holiday was just magical and was basically straight out of a film. DH and I have both agreed that when our DD is old enough, we will take her back there.

I got quite the bargain with that holiday due to pouncing on deals when I found them, but it was still around 5k all in.

Just thinking back to that makes me smile. Genuinely the best experience of my life.

£8,000 all in for a week at animal kingdom lodge in Disney world - we booked to go back this year but obviously haven’t managed it. It’s become super expensive as we want to go again and again!

Probably our honeymoon. More than half our budget went on flights because we flew business class and once we were there we just did whatever we fancied without thinking about the cost so we stayed in posher places, went on wine tours and whale watching trips, had dinners out, bought loads of stuff to bring home, etc. I'm not planning to repeat a honeymoon so it was absolutely worth every penny.

The only other time I've dropped a huge amount of money was when my Pops died and I needed to get back to Australia. I just bought the first ticket I could get and didn't care about the cost, it was just very important to be with my Nonna and the rest of the family. It was eye-wateringly expensive but, again, worth the cost.

Sorry to hear about your husband @loubieloo4, those both sound like very important costs and worth it.

My horse . Wanted more than I had ( truth be told I wasn’t even looking to buy another , but I felt so sorry for him that I begged and borrowed £3500 to get him ) but , as it turned out , he had an unknown past as an advanced dressage horse , and I took him eventing . He was amazing , and apart from his actual worth , which was several times what I paid , he taught me so so much, and gave me opportunities I would never otherwise have had . No regrets at all.

All the normal priced tickets for my local Hugh Jackman concert sold out so I had to spend €240 on a premium seat or not go. I ended up in the second row and it was incredible.

Hiring a chauffeur driven Bentley to take DM and DF to the golden anniversary lunch we had arranged for them. It was their last wedding anniversary.

Have to fold the dog up to get him in tough. Has he got long legs?

My estate car. I spent £5000 more than I’d intended, but, three years on, I still think of it as “my new car” and I get huge pleasure from driving it.

@sueelleker

Its like trying to feed a bean bag through a letterbox sometimes. I get one of his legs in and another pops out before I can get the door shut.
Some day when there is somewhere to go again I'll treat him to another estate car and try to keep this one as a future classic.

My Chanel double flap handbag, I’ve wanted one since I was 18 and a small legacy from my beloved Grandmother helped me buy one, it was £3600 and i think of her every time I wear it and know she would approve ( it’s actually worth around £5000 now so a good investment)

My dogs, both relatively expensive as pedigree and from a respected breeder, they both gave and give me unmeasurable pleasure and love.

4 cycles of IVF (re mortgaged the house) ... £35k - 3 beautiful dc 😊