Week 25: Investing

I like to spend money.

Like, a lot.

And my manner of shopping has always been to buy a lot of cheap stuff (and replace it with more cheap stuff in the future).

This year of my life, I've been much more conscious of my spending. And, I've been trying hard to not buy as much junk, but to instead think of purchases in terms of their investment value- how long will this last, will I LOVE it for a long time and how often will I use it? And, if I'm not buying lots of junk- I will (and have) save money to make bigger splurges on non-junk.

It's certainly been a learning experience as I think about spending more money on items than I historically have. Part of me definitely still cringes when I think about how much further (though, more than likely, not long-lasting) I could take that money. But, I'm trying to look at the big picture.

Case in point: This week I bought a Chi Flat Iron. I've wanted one of these for a long while, but got by with what I had as I have been letting my hair grow out. This weekend, I decided it was time to make this investment. My hair is getting long and weirdly kinky and it takes a while to do anything with each morning (and it is HARD to get my hair kink-free!). I've done lots of research on these irons and know just how much I can do with them (both straightening AND curling!) and believe that this will be a purchase I'm happy I made for a long time to come. (And it will speed up my morning routine!) Even though I scored a GREAT deal on my iron, part of me is still in disbelief that I spent that much money on a flat iron (or earlier this week, on nail polish). But, I know this is for my best just like the camelbak water bottle I bought last year and the North Face jacket I got over the winter. Both- really expensive. Both- used nearly every day (except in the summer for the jacket). Here's to being financially responsible and buying smart things!