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Original poster

Frivolous things you used to spend money on?

403 replies

Lemon221 · 03/04/2022 19:24

What did you used to spend your money on that your now seems completely extravagant and frivolous? I’ll go first, jo malone candles ridiculous how much I spent on wax!

OP posts:
Mellowyellow222 · 03/04/2022 22:45

@SleeplessWB

This thread has made me realise why I am so good at saving money... I don't buy any of this stuff 😂
Well aren’t you great 😂😂😂
BoredZelda · 03/04/2022 22:47

Not a regular thing but the amount my mum and I spent on sitting having coffee when we visited Paris was eye watering!

BoredZelda · 03/04/2022 22:48

This thread has made me realise why I am so good at saving money... I don't buy any of this stuff

I, on the other hand have discovered much of what I spend money on is frivolous, apparently.

Crikeyalmighty · 03/04/2022 22:56

I’m not giving up M&S food and knickers or Toni & Guy hilights unless I really really have to— at 60 and without kids at home, bloody hell you need some pleasures.

Crikeyalmighty · 03/04/2022 22:58

@BoredZelda. You should be like us -living in copenhagen— we are moving back to Windsor in May and the advantage of 18 months in Denmark is UK looks very cheap - even the utilities— I kid you not!! Coffee out here is £5.50

OfstedOffred · 03/04/2022 23:01

Shoes!
When I was working in town pre kids I had something like 25 pairs of nice shoes. Court shoes in about 6 colours, boots, wedges, sandals. Somehow this seemed like a necessary/justifiable expense Blush.

Now I live in toms. Machine washable, daaaaaahling!

Discountclaimed · 03/04/2022 23:04

I was busting for a wee the other day so went into Starbucks. As I don’t go in often, I thought I would treat myself and got a drink with cream on top. £4.15 for a medium!
That’s a packet of rice, a kilo of vegetables, 4 pints of milk and a box of chicken for the price of a drink. I had my wee , drank my drink and an hour later needed the loo again.

Germolenequeen · 03/04/2022 23:05

Designer handbags - I have a wardrobe full and barely use any of them these days 😕

AlaskaFound · 03/04/2022 23:06

@Crikeyalmighty

I’m not giving up M&S food and knickers or Toni & Guy hilights unless I really really have to— at 60 and without kids at home, bloody hell you need some pleasures.
I agree, I still spend frivolously, just not on the things I listed! I love M&S food too.
LuckySantangelo35 · 03/04/2022 23:06

Bit surprised at so many saying they no longer spend any money on makeup…why?

Cherrysoup · 03/04/2022 23:06

Taxis, when I was a broke student. Bonkers.

Cigarettes. How did I ever afford them?

Owning a horse, seriously expensive.

Etinoxaurus · 03/04/2022 23:07

@littlefirecar

This post is so depressing :( Yes most of these things aren't necessary but we enjoyed them. How has it come to be that everything not soley essential is now frivolous? Sad
Even more depressing is that I do hardly any of the treats mentioned. Cut my own hair, haven’t bought a magazine in 30 years, no nails ~although my £20 pedicure every 6 weeks will be the last thing to go~. Candles from Primark, clothes from eBay, no alcohol for over 10 years, no taxis, coffee out only if expensed, and yet I still spend so much money I need to face up and properly look at where it’s going 😬🤯
Belkell · 03/04/2022 23:07

I used to compete in an stupidly expensive sport, and go all over the UK to do so. I’d have bought a house years ago and had a better pension had I not been involved in that sport…

Was it money wasted? No, I don’t think so. I enjoyed it, was good at it and made a lot of friends. I’ve spent a lot of cash on other sports and hobbies since. Don’t regret those either, even tho I’ll never be as good as I was at my main sport. And I’ll never be as good as I used to be at that again either. But I’ve made my peace with that.

Im actually jealous of the posters who did stuff like pop to Paris for lunch, or New York for dinner. That sounds like a pretty awesome bucket list thing.

I’ve watched too many people in my life scrimp and save, to then die wealthy, never having had chance to kick back and enjoy what they earned. I’m all for spending it on stuff that makes you happy. Can’t take it with you.

Wnkingawalrus · 03/04/2022 23:11

@Womblesmurf

Designer jeans. I used to spend £80-£100 on a pair, and that was often outlet prices. What an idiot 🙄
Brand Alley is your friend. I just got a pair of 7forallmankind for £60.
GettinPiggyWithIt · 03/04/2022 23:13

Cocaine fags and booze
🙄

DockOTheBay · 03/04/2022 23:14

I can't really think of anything. I guess I've always been frugal and a bit boring. We used to get takeaways far more often when we were students and first moved out, but even then it was less than once a week and usually a cheap one or special offer, or we would share

SleeplessWB · 03/04/2022 23:19

It wasn't a brag, just a realisation that I don't... Probably I am a bit boring!

CatNeedsFed · 03/04/2022 23:21

Expensive moisturisers/facial washes when I have no particular skincare issues . It just gets washed down the sink - what was I thinking?! Aldi brand for me now!

I also used to use an expensive city centre hairdresser and paid over twice as much as I do in the local one that's just at the end of my street and who do just as good a job.

NeedAHoliday2021 · 03/04/2022 23:22

Hair colouring. I do it myself now. I still buy too many coffees at work… which is insane because I like black coffee.

WhiteJellycat · 03/04/2022 23:27

Covid has ended all of my drinks and meals out. Even if I wanted to go out my friends have turned into hermits since covid.

I dont regret any money spent on booze in the past. It's all good memories.

I do regret spending so much on shoes and clothes. Mind you I had places to wear them at the time. I'm definitely trying really hard to wear things to rags this year. I want to get to one pair of boots, one pair of trainers and one pair of converse. All of my converse was from NYC so if cut back maybe I can justify going back for the new pair 😍

I think what I regret is filling my life and home with excess stuff and I want to only really buy what I need going forward.

I also totally relate to buying stuff for the kids for my own pleasure. The kids didnt need Boden clothes but it made me happy. Most was second hand and then handed down anyway.

Backtomyoldname · 03/04/2022 23:28

Magazines, lego minifigures, bar of chocolate on way home.

All stopped now.

BoredZelda · 03/04/2022 23:29

@Crikeyalmighty, my best friend lives in Malmo, we went to Copenhagen for a cheaper day out. 😂

TheBigDilemma · 03/04/2022 23:31

I used to get a Lego set for my son every Friday.

I used to have a haircut, colour, highlights and lowlights every 6 weeks.

I refused to use any face products that were not Estée Lauder or Clinique.

Neverreturntoathread · 03/04/2022 23:36

Pret lunches. I spent about £10 there a day for years. I wish I could have all that money back!!

And I did put a lot of weight on 😬

BlueBlue72 · 03/04/2022 23:38

Taxis, takeaways, prosecco and cigarettes.

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