That Extravagant Thing You Do

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
User avatar
Topic Author
cinghiale
Posts: 1365
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:37 pm
Location: A latare Mare Nostrum

That Extravagant Thing You Do

Post by cinghiale »

Bump.

Since Boglenaut's "That Frugal Thing You Do" has been revived of late, I thought that our expressions and practices of frugality should be balanced with our enjoyment of life's extravagances (however you care to define them).
The question is:
So, what keeps you in balance between frugality and the core enjoyment of life? What's worth the nickel?
****************

From April of 2009:

There's a good thread underway on "That Frugal Thing You Do." In this forum, that is like throwing high-arching slow pitches during batting practice. By nature, this group is going to be thrifty, do budgeting well, and think through the long-term effects of short-term pleasures (such as that $3.50 latte each morning).

I want to turn the question around. After 15 years of budgeting, attention to detail, and "the big picture," our lifestyle is one of thrift (homemade lunches to work, used cars, an organic garden) *and* some well-thought out luxuries and splurges.

So, what is worth the full ticket? What trumps the budget and the quest to save? For us, it is unflitered, cold pressed olive oil (I don't care how much it costs!!!), premium dog food for our dogs (one of whom is a Hurricane Katrina rescue), an annual trip to Italy (though we live very basically once we are there), donations to church and charities, and house cleaning twice a month. Its an odd assortment, but it reflects "living in line with our values."

So, what keeps you in balance between frugality and the core enjoyment of life? What's worth the nickel?

-- Cinghiale
Last edited by cinghiale on Mon May 23, 2011 8:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Taylor Larimore
Posts: 32842
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:09 pm
Location: Miami FL

Extravagances

Post by Taylor Larimore »

That Extravagant Thing You Do


Two round-the-world cruises with Holland America.
"Simplicity is the master key to financial success." -- Jack Bogle
MurrayPhillip
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:51 pm

Post by MurrayPhillip »

Lexus LS460
User avatar
curly lambeau
Posts: 669
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:42 am

Re: That Extravagant Thing You Do

Post by curly lambeau »

cinghiale wrote:For us, it is unflitered, cold pressed olive oil (I don't care how much it costs!!!)
I'm with you on this one. Similarly, Plugra butter and high quality beer.

These things aren't absolutely expensive but they are expensive relative to the competition, so I suppose they are extravagant.

We also eat out frequently and have gone abroad the last two years.
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52216
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Post by nisiprius »

A new iPod Touch, even though my year-2000-vintage iPod Mini is still working perfectly well (on its third battery). Apple really did a nice job on the iPod Touch.

70%-cacao-or-more chocolate.

A $200 Technivorm coffee maker.

A used copy of the SBBI 2005 Yearbook. (In a year or so I believe I'll treat myself to a newer edition).

Shirts from The Territory Ahead.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
User avatar
DRiP Guy
Posts: 2241
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:54 pm

Post by DRiP Guy »

Keeping three cars around for just one person.

I like cars.
gkaplan
Posts: 7034
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:34 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

Post by gkaplan »

We had a similar thread several weeks ago. In that thread, I mentioned that I like buying books rather than renting them from my local library.
Gordon
Allan
Posts: 966
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:15 pm
Location: Houston

Post by Allan »

90 minute massages at first-class spas.
User avatar
House Blend
Posts: 4878
Joined: Fri May 04, 2007 1:02 pm

Post by House Blend »

Cars and computers. But unlike Drip Guy, I'm car-monogamous.
User avatar
Downeastah
Posts: 399
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 9:39 am

Post by Downeastah »

<---------------------------------------- :twisted: :twisted:
"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." George S. Patton, Jr. | | "A man does good business, when he rids himself of a turd." King Edward I of England
User avatar
catdude
Posts: 1963
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:11 pm
Location: Oregon

Post by catdude »

Apple Computer products. Apple makes elegant stuff -- I have an iPod touch and a Mac mini, both very elegant products.

johnny
You can't buy love; but you CAN rent it. 8)
User avatar
Random Musings
Posts: 6771
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:24 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Post by Random Musings »

Travel......

Two nice vacations each year and smaller ones sprinkled throughout.

You only have one time on this good Earth, might as well check it out.

RM
User avatar
retiredjg
Posts: 54082
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:56 am

Post by retiredjg »

A pedicure.
User avatar
Steelersfan
Posts: 4129
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:47 pm

Post by Steelersfan »

Annual 15 day vacations to Europe.
User avatar
White Coat Investor
Posts: 17413
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:11 pm
Location: Greatest Snow On Earth

Post by White Coat Investor »

We're in the market for jet skis.
1) Invest you must 2) Time is your friend 3) Impulse is your enemy | 4) Basic arithmetic works 5) Stick to simplicity 6) Stay the course
DSInvestor
Posts: 11647
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:42 am

Post by DSInvestor »

I chose to reduce my workload.
tim1999
Posts: 4205
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:16 am

Post by tim1999 »

deleted
Last edited by tim1999 on Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
prh2s
Posts: 209
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:40 am
Location: Virginia

Post by prh2s »

A job that pays half what I'd earn as an attorney, but that in every other respect is immeasurably more satisfying.

This one luxury precludes most others. It's worth it.

Patrick
User avatar
topper1296
Posts: 836
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:50 pm
Location: Nashville TN

Post by topper1296 »

Acura TL
User avatar
auntie
Posts: 347
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:49 am

Post by auntie »

I have a lovely black pony.

I rent a pasture for her.
I pay someone to feed her and care for her.
I pay someone to ride her twice a week.

I figure I pay $40 or $50 an hour every time I ride.
PVJena
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:41 am

Re: That Extravagant Thing You Do

Post by PVJena »

cinghiale wrote: and house cleaning twice a month.
-- Cinghiale
Hi Cinghiale, what do you mean by house-cleaning being extravagant? Just curious.

thanks

PVJ
User avatar
SecretAsianMan
Posts: 656
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:46 am

Post by SecretAsianMan »

Travel...

Just went to New Zealand last month for two weeks for Spring Break. That was definitely an extravagant trip for a couple of grad students. Can't wait for our 6-week adventure in South America this fall...

SAM
User avatar
Topic Author
cinghiale
Posts: 1365
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:37 pm
Location: A latare Mare Nostrum

Post by cinghiale »

Hi Cinghiale, what do you mean by house-cleaning being extravagant? Just curious.
Every two weeks we have a cleaning service clean the house. Floors get cleaned, carpets get vacuumed, linens get changed. We are perfectly capable of doing those things, but find housekeeping rather pointless. So, for us, it is a luxury to have it done. It redefines our time at home, and allows us to concentrate on cooking, conversing, and wine bibbing instead of doing cleaning chores.

-- Cinghiale
User avatar
DaveH
Posts: 677
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 10:35 am
Location: Los Angeles, Bangkok, Louisiana, New York City

Post by DaveH »

We are building a house on a remote island in Thailand this summer, in the exact place that the Tsunami wiped out every building in the area in 2004.

Not a good investment, but here we go! This time it's gonna be on 4 meter concrete pillars :)
The fewer our wants, the nearer we resemble the gods. — Socrates
User avatar
soaring
Posts: 1441
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 8:09 am
Location: North Central Florida

Post by soaring »

golf course dues equal to 15% of our annual expenditures.

gene
Desiderata
User avatar
Christine_NM
Posts: 2796
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:13 am
Location: New Mexico

Post by Christine_NM »

I retired early, 5 years before my full retirement age. It feels good. :D
Last edited by Christine_NM on Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Boglenaut
Posts: 3509
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:41 pm

Re: That Extravagant Thing You Do

Post by Boglenaut »

cinghiale wrote:There's a good thread underway on "That Frugal Thing You Do." In this forum, that is like throwing high-arching slow pitches during batting practice. By nature, this group is going to be thrifty, do budgeting well, and think through the long-term effects of short-term pleasures (such as that $3.50 latte each morning).
Ah, you beat me to it! I was going to let the original thread mature a few days and start exactly this thread!

So, good show!

Here it goes. My main one is my fast food budget. I do use coupons like crazy, but could easily save $3K a year if I just ate at home. It's just the one thing I never cut back on because of cost. Sometimes I cut back because it is hard to get healthy fast food, but not because of cost.


Here is the link to the original thread in case someone wants to show both sides of their personality:

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 1240691370
heyyou
Posts: 4461
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:58 pm

Post by heyyou »

We buy any fruit we want when we are at the farmer's market in Hilo, Hawaii. Air travel is necessary to get there.

At home, we have an unlimited budget for fresh strawberries and cold yogurt from the grocery section of WalMart.

We are retired and I pay for bi-weekly housecleaning on our small retirement-sized home. My wife says that is a good investment.
User avatar
preserve
Posts: 560
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:13 pm

Post by preserve »

DSInvestor wrote:I chose to reduce my workload.
I second that.

It goes two fold. Reduce work load to use my golf club membership.

I'm in my 20's and assume I will be working forever. Might as well stay healthy in mind and body. I see way too many 30, 40, 50, yearolds burned out.
User avatar
DaveH
Posts: 677
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 10:35 am
Location: Los Angeles, Bangkok, Louisiana, New York City

Post by DaveH »

preserve wrote:
DSInvestor wrote:I chose to reduce my workload.
I second that.
Sounds great. How do you do it? Most of the consulting jobs I do are 40 hour weeks, but they are temporary. My down time is 100% between projects, which is great. But I'd rather just do a steady 20 hour week, even for half pay.
The fewer our wants, the nearer we resemble the gods. — Socrates
User avatar
Petrocelli
Posts: 2966
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:29 pm
Location: Fenway Park, between 2nd and 3rd base

Post by Petrocelli »

2 week trip to Italy this summer.
Mercedes C300.
Country club membership.
$2000 in golf clubs.
$89 watch.
Petrocelli (not the real Rico, but just a fan)
Sam I Am
Posts: 2062
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:58 pm

Post by Sam I Am »

Message deleted.
Last edited by Sam I Am on Sat Oct 05, 2013 3:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
jeff mc
Posts: 2735
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:42 pm
Location: minnesota
Contact:

Post by jeff mc »

good beer, regardless of cost. spent $120 for 12 choice beers for a superbowl beer tasting party. and then it's
Image, etc. in the offseason. i drink lots of good beer. a guilty pleasure. life's too short to drink a domestic pilsner.

new toyota vehicles.

a new top end (or at least upper middle end) PC about every 3 yrs.

good work shoes (rockports) annually
Image

house in a secluded, woodsy area. pitch a tent w/ the boy and camp out / bonfire like last night (perfect save for the the rain and 42 F weather and air bed that has a slow leak in it).

but, really, for most things, i'm much more comfortable in the frugal thread than this thread.
User avatar
wshang
Posts: 1239
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:40 am

Post by wshang »

take my family every year to a Carribean all inclusive: Club Med, Palace Resort or something on par
User avatar
Petrocelli
Posts: 2966
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:29 pm
Location: Fenway Park, between 2nd and 3rd base

Post by Petrocelli »

Just got back from dinner. For two of us, it was $220.
Petrocelli (not the real Rico, but just a fan)
User avatar
Bounca
Posts: 896
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:48 am

Post by Bounca »

Model rockets with expensive $20 a pop engines. An expensive 10 seconds of thrust and impulse.

Heres a $40 rocket of mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTH-p_7weX0

I'm working on my Level 1 NAR certification then I can spend even more money. :roll:
SteveB3005
Posts: 1425
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:29 pm

Post by SteveB3005 »

Season tickets to the Colorado Rockies and Denver University hockey.
aerofreaky11
Posts: 195
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 5:49 am

Trips

Post by aerofreaky11 »

I have flown to Central America twice, South America once, and Europe once--all for pleasure in the past 12 months. I have a trip for Memorial day weekend to South America planned and one to Brazil in August. long weekends in South America...kind of nuts. However, a night in NYC can cost you a lot!
User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 26353
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:29 am
Location: Illinois

Post by ruralavalon »

Vacations in Hawaii every other year.

<----This is the view :) .
Ron
Posts: 6972
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area

Post by Ron »

My wife's "passion" (no, not me :lol: )....

Travel (two trips a year, one foreign, one domestic).

Finishing up final arrangements for our trip "down under" in June.

Tab so far is north of $15k (and the year is not even half over)...

- Ron
User avatar
Tall Grass
Posts: 1205
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:11 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by Tall Grass »

Good quality model airplane engines, the best quality hand tools, and premium albacore tuna... 8)

Image
"A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart." - Jonathan Swift
User avatar
retiredjg
Posts: 54082
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:56 am

Post by retiredjg »

Tall Grass wrote:...and premium albacore tuna... 8)
Such an odd answer. But I understand it for sure! Could it be:

http://www.vitalchoice.com/index.cfm ?
User avatar
Adrian Nenu
Posts: 5228
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:27 pm

Post by Adrian Nenu »

Bottled water and sporting goods. But it sure beats soda and outdoor hobbies are healthy.

Adrian
anenu@tampabay.rr.com
Puakinekine
Posts: 856
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:18 pm

Post by Puakinekine »

heyyou wrote:We buy any fruit we want when we are at the farmer's market in Hilo, Hawaii. Air travel is necessary to get there.

At home, we have an unlimited budget for fresh strawberries and cold yogurt from the grocery section of WalMart.

We are retired and I pay for bi-weekly housecleaning on our small retirement-sized home. My wife says that is a good investment.
Enjoyed the shout out for my local farmer's market. But surely you must have a farmer's market closer to home :) Next time you are there try the breads from the folks in the center/Banyan drive side on Wednesdays and center/Hamakua side on Saturdays. The cranberry nut bread and cinnamon bread are superb. The sandwich breads make excellent toast.

We also have a cleaner, but once a week, and someone who mows the lawn twice a month. As I wrote on a thread a while back, these would be the last two luxuries I would give up. The growth rates here are incredible for grass, mildew, insect droppings and volcanic ash/dust. I also have a large amount of loyalty to the people who have been doing this for us for close to twenty years. In a small town on a small but Big Island, you can see the effects of the loss of even one client for people with small businesses. People were just making it here before the recession. Now I don't really understand how they are doing it. Although gas prices have dropped, and electricity by a small amount, our food prices have not gone down and are still increasing.
User avatar
White Coat Investor
Posts: 17413
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:11 pm
Location: Greatest Snow On Earth

Post by White Coat Investor »

Petrocelli wrote: $89 watch.
WTH?
1) Invest you must 2) Time is your friend 3) Impulse is your enemy | 4) Basic arithmetic works 5) Stick to simplicity 6) Stay the course
chaz
Posts: 13604
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:44 pm

Post by chaz »

EmergDoc wrote:
Petrocelli wrote: $89 watch.
WTH?
Petro could have upgraded the watch for what he spent for dinner.
Chaz | | “Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." Woody Allen | | http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
User avatar
VictoriaF
Posts: 20122
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:27 am
Location: Black Swan Lake

Post by VictoriaF »

Organic food.
User avatar
retiredjg
Posts: 54082
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:56 am

Post by retiredjg »

VictoriaF wrote:Organic food.
Just good sense, not extravagance, in my book.
User avatar
Tall Grass
Posts: 1205
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:11 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by Tall Grass »

...and I do splurge on a nice piece of art pottery on occasion (Rookwood or Van Briggle), or an original signed art print by my favorite artist Birger Sandzen (I can't afford his oil paintings).

Image

Image
"A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart." - Jonathan Swift
User avatar
Pres
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:25 pm
Location: Eurozone

Post by Pres »

Best healthcare available.
Healthy food.
Books, books, lots of books.
Larger apartment, to accomodate for the shoe & clothes hoarding of girlfriend. She buys them used but pretends not to understand that renting space to store them costs money. ;-)
Last edited by Pres on Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:01 am, edited 3 times in total.
Post Reply