Is there something you want but just can’t bear to buy?

[Opal93]

I’ve posted before about how I am a self confessed shopping addict. I’ve put myself on a semi ban, and I’m allowed to buy necessities for myself or replace makeup items that have ran out but I am not to buy things just because I want them. I have saved almost £1000 in a month, which is frightening! The big “f**k it” purchases (maybe £300) combined with impulsively buying makeup, a new top here and there, chocolate, extra luxuries in grocery shop REALLY mounted up. So last night (I had been drinking) I ALMOST fell into the trap and bought myself a very expensive pair of trainers. I didn’t give in and I still haven’t. The guilt of spoiling how well I’ve done and how much I’ve saved would stop me even enjoying them. I’ll just stick to admiring them from afar. Are there any items you lust after, and technically could afford, but just can’t justify buying?

Perfume,I bloody love the stuff but I have about 9 different bottles on the go at the moment so I've not allowed myself to buy anymore for the last few months(I already have a few hundred pounds worth)that and expensive lipstick.

@Fastforwardtospring

Le Creuset large cast iron casserole, actually I might have bought one but can’t decide on the colour!

I have one that I cannot use because A. It's far too heavy B. The slow cooker is just so much easier

@LovelyIssues

To see a dermatologist. My skin is holding me back from so much. Not even something I could afford though one day hopefully....

I don’t know what your skin issues are but have you heard of Dermatica or Skin&Me? They are online dermatologists essentially. You sign up and pay around £20 a month for your monthly prescription. You send them photos of your skin and complete a questionnaire and they will prescribe what they think will help. I haven’t used either of them but I’ve seen some great results.

Failing that have a look at Caroline Hirons website. She has lots of information that might help. Her cheat sheets are great. There is also a Facebook group with some very knowledgeable helpful people.

There are also some very knowledgeable helpful people on the skincare threads on here in Style and Beauty.

notjaneausten
Also curious why you regret the ipad? I was lucky and got the pro from an ex so it didn’t cost me anything. But it’s the one thing I would absolutely replace if it broke. I use it for literally everything. Like a pp mentioned, I have a pen and do art on it. Use it for all my browsing/shopping/emails etc. Have the kindle, Netflix apps on it etc (especially useful when I go on holiday).

That being said, he did get me a mini before the pro and that is now obsolete! Won’t update anymore. Crap storage. I gave it to my DD to use as a kindle as it’s no good for anything else.

To the pp’s who mentioned vispring mattresses, I got a mid range one and it really is worth the money. So comfortable. The one drawback is it’s so heavy don’t even think about trying to flip it by yourself! But after years of sleeping on crap mattresses, I love it. We spend so much of our lives sleeping it’s worth the investment.

You can get a decent reconditioned one. I got DS a drawing pad for about £60. It was actually decent!

New sofas. I have the £, but the car round ruin them in seconds.

*the cat would ruin them

Groovergirl, I succumbed to the hype, having resisted for years. I think it is greatly overpriced for what it is.

If there's anything I really want then I just buy it for myself tbh.

For ages I wanted a Mulberry handbag...

Got a (very good) copy in Turkey on holiday one year and decided I was glad I hadn’t spent £1k+ on it as I didn’t like it after all!!!! 😳🙄😂🧐🤣

Ok so I can’t actually afford this, but my gosh I want it
www.amazon.co.uk/JALAL-Portable-Trapeze-Inversion-Equipment/dp/B08X22DC46?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

@missbunnyrabbit

I deck my entire house out with Oak Furnitureland stuff. Love it but way too expensive.

@missbunnyrabbit

Its so worth it. I took the opportunity to replace my knackered bed when I last moved house and got one very similar to this in their sale for £370. Would get a dining table, bookcases and TV stand from there too if I could justify it!

@viques I liked your story! I too would have been v cross.

@therocinante

There's a perfume I love (Penhaligon's Juniper Sling) that I just can't justify buying. I don't need it, it's not an essential at all... but whenever I get an invoice paid and it's a big one, I go to the website and look at it for a bit before closing the tab!

I have a bit of a Penhaligon's problem and currently own four bottles (Blenheim Bouquet, Savoy Steam, Quercus and The Ingenue Cousin Flora).

My excuse is that, even working from home, I wear scent every day and it really does positively affect my mood.

However, this means that Penhaligon's now have me marked as an absolute soft touch and keep sending me secret sale offers etc, which perpetuates the cycle...

@EmeraldShamrock

Eyebrows I'd love nice eye-brows micro blading they're €280 plus €100 top up it is something I can't justify. I'm a spender too but trying to change my habits.

Do it. It's a lot but totally worth it and it's something you benefit from all day, every day. Having clear, well defined brows is so flattering and apart from the first two weeks of aftercare requires zero effort.

Mine was the ipad pro and apple pencil but I caved and bought it a couple of weeks ago as I do need it for work purposes and have absolutely no regrets, it's amazing!

@bridgetreilly

This

that is gorgeous!

i try to remember a lot of the time it's the clever marketing. i think sometimes, if i buy that, my life will be so different! it's also nice to treat yourself too right enough. i'm trying to pay off a credit card i've moved about for years, earning a bit more now so i'm determined to pay it off by the end of the year. i started following a budget back in November, and it's really helped. i give myself some money each month to spend on myself. it makes me think twice about spending but also means i have money allocated so if i do want to spend it on books, shampoo, coffee machine(!) it's fine!!

I am rubbish at spending money on myself even though I earn lots. It's not helped by my husband acting aghast when I have occasionally spent a large sum of money on myself which intensifies the feeling that spending money on myself is selfish and profligate. Two occasions that spring to mind were dental implants and laser eye surgery, both thousands but worth every penny.

I am naturally frugal/a saver and husband is a fritterer. I've tried pointing out that he would have thousands too if he didn't constantly leak money away on cigarettes and being generous with rounds of drinks but he doesn't see it like that.

We are still renovating our house and I'm paying for most of that. TBF I am the main earner by quite a margin. I would really love to have botox in my forehead and one of those non surgical thread lifts but I know there will be lots of comments about "well if you've got all that money sitting there we can do the patio" and I will agree because that's for the whole family not just me!

Well I’ve just purchased the Vita liberata beauty blur skin tone optimizer thanks to a PP on here.
I need something instead of foundation in the warmer months.

@honeylulu I really don’t think dental implants and laser eye surgery are proper splurges on yourself. No one chooses to have poor eyesight/teeth that need work. As the main earner you should be able to treat yourself a little too and if your husband wants to use his treat money for extra work on the house then so be it. Got no experience in botox but one session is hundreds rather than thousands.

Mine splurge would be a horse. I’ve always thought if I could buy one and keep it part DIY then I’d get one as soon as possible. But I work long hours so I wouldn’t be around enough to care for it or ride as much as I want. Plus the cost is astronomical since lockdown. Maybe one day.

Just had my Fairfax and Favor handbag delivered after reading about it on this thread. It is gorgeous and much cheaper than a Mulberry, as PPs said!

@Nightbear

This It’s over £500+ for a 50ml jar of night cream. I treated myself to a beauty advent calendar a couple of years ago and it had a small jar of it in. It doesn’t do anything miraculous or make you look 10 years younger. My skin really loves it. It’s a good night cream. A £500+ good night cream. Every so often I look for it online, think about buying it and then sanity returns. I couldn’t fall for one of the (more) reasonably priced products could I? Even if I won millions on the lottery I think I would still struggle to spend that on what’s basically a nice, soothing moisturiser.

I’m always aghast that people spend money on night cream when the solution to all your woes is Botox. Botox and a simple brand like “the ordinary” that does retinol serums would come in way under £500 and actually give results!

I’m trying to teach myself to look at things in a cost per wear/use basis. Stop spending hundreds on a dress I’ll wear twice while scrimping on the basics. I think psychologically it’s because “occasion” wear seems special so we don’t blink so much at high prices. But wouldn’t it be better to spend hundreds on a blazer or jacket that I’ll wear every second or third day throughout autumn and winter and into spring?

Same goes for things like sharp knives or buying oxo kitchen storage - these things I will encounter multiple times a day - much better to spend £50 on that than the same on a Deliveroo meal that’s gone in 15 mins!

Nike Air Jordan’s in the retro colours.
So much money and not at all an ethics clothing choice. I wouldn’t even be able to wear them all the time.

I might get some preloved ones as a compromise....