Do you guys ever regret spending money on certain things?

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Burninator

1. I am dumb

2. The prospect of affording a place is looking bleaker and bleaker every day, not much motivate to save up for a place when it doesn't look like I can afford any time in the near/distant future.

1. You're not dumb, you're male. The difference is small, but it's there.

2. Blowing $2000 won't help, but on the bright side, if you end up homeless and are forced to live in your car, you'll have shiny wheels!

I'm totally teasing. You realize that, right? If shiny wheels make you feel good, buy them! That's why I buy shoes! (Speaking of, I'm having a craving. I need new black sandals....)

This is the reason I spend all my money on stupid stuff. Why save to buy a house when by the time I can afford one, the market will collapse and I'll get one for really cheap, I hope!

[GoinAllTheWay]

I tend to shoot from the hip far to often when it comes to my hobbies. I LOVE buying computer equipment, blew $100 on a mouse but the one it was replacing wasn't working property but the new one is wireless and occasionaly produces a delayed response, not good for a FPS type game and makes me a tad unhappy about the price.

Other than that, I find myself clamping down on my spending. Future Shop had an AWESOME sale on big screens with very reasonable payment plans and Real Canadian Superstore has some very impressive BBQ's on sale atm for a VERY good price (if anyone is in the market for one, I would strongly suggest checking them out) and I managed to walk away from both even though I really want a new TV and BBQ.

My spending has improved but I really need to work on putting money away.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by FireFly

I'm totally teasing. You realize that, right? If shiny wheels make you feel good, buy them! That's why I buy shoes! (Speaking of, I'm having a craving. I need new black sandals....)

In man world that's "want" not "need"

[ken0042]

Geez, after reading this thread you guys are making me regret not blowing $600 on a framed Winnipeg Jets jersey last week. It took all of my will power to walk out of the store, and I had been patting myself on the back for my restraint.

(And I had been debating wiring the money to my brother in law to go pick it up for me. )

[Tron_fdc]

My company just bought Oiler season tickets......top that!

[the_only_turek_fan]

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

I used to regret my expenses a lot more when I was younger, but not so much now a days.

You live at home still right Sunil? Getting out on your own forces you to budget, and you'll probably find you'll end up spending a lot less on pointless, useless crap! Unless you get married or get a gf who loves to have the latest LV/Coach bags or Gucci/Chanel sunglasses.

Yes, I still live at home.

Originally Posted by fotze

Force yourself to save with automatic withdrawls. It will alleviate spending guilt. You have to spend some money once in a while because you will feel an equal but opposite emotion of "not living your life" if you don't.

I have 22% of my paycheck plopped into savings before I even see it and I don't miss it. I actually feel small pangs of guilt that I am not using that money to its fullest. Having a kid really changes that Sunil, so spend it now, because you will feel REALLY guilty later.

I put about 55% away into an investment account on the first day of every month. I also put $500+/month into RRSP's. It is just the rest of the money that I worry about. I am a major hypocrite. I believe in spening some of the money that I earn and not just saving it all, but I really don't have anything to spend my money on, and when I spend it on food and beer I feel guilty.

[Sylvanfan]

I suggest you put whatever savings you have into an offshore account....I used to be that way, than I met my wife....now I'm so flat ass broke it's kind of funny. I mean who doens't like making descisions like should we skip the mortgage payment or the vehichle payment this month...or how about the line of credit, or our brick card, or one of the other credit cards we have. One day that big inheritance from my inlaws will come my way, until then I'm hanging on!!

[BlackEleven]

Originally Posted by SaskaBushFire

I absolutely hate going to a restaurant and ordering a $10-$15 meal and regreting it. 1. because it didn't fill me up and 2. because it didn't taste good.

I'm with you there. I always used to do this. And it used to piss me off when I'd see my bank account shrinking due to nothing other than laziness. I don't mind spending the money, it was just the principle of getting nothing for it, so I completely quit eating those I'm-too-lazy-to-make-food meals. Instead I take my girlfriend out to one fancy dinner per month. So instead of spending say $20-30/week out of laziness I spend about $100 once a month on a really nice meal at a nice place.

In the end the effect on the bank account is the same, but this way my girlfriend and I get something to look forward to instead of just draining money for no good reason.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by fotze

Your company is Massengill?

No, but this way I can wear my Flames jersey to their STH meetings.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

I put about 55% away into an investment account on the first day of every month. I also put $500+/month into RRSP's.

You are doing fine. You people in Calgary don't realize what kind of life you could have, especially if you are willing and able to stay at home until you are 25 or 26 and just stuff money away. The wages out there are out of this world when compared to living in London, On. The 3 bedroom townhouses I used to live in in North Central Calgary now run for $258,000. My four bedroom, 2000 sq. foot house, landscaped to the tits, cost $192,000 here in London.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Meh, with the small stuff, I don't really regret. I only regret spending on large purchases that cost thousands. Let's say if I bought a new 42' LCD TV and found out a day later that the price was dropped by a few hundred, then I would regret.

The way I see it...

I put away money for my savings and investments, budget my expenses, and the rest I can blow on whatever I want. When I reach the retirement age, my investments would have made me more than enough to live.

If you have a backup plan, you won't really regret with the money you spend. I know exactly what to expect come retirement age, so I don't regret buying lunch for myself every day, or spending $100 at the bar. This is suppose to be my play money.

[Flashpoint]

Oblivion.

How many hours wasted...

[flip]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Hookers and blow.

(that's the first time I've been quick enough in a thread to post that. yay me!)

damn i opened this thread just to see if i could post that.

for me its lunch at subway when i could just bring lunch.

that and comic books. must have a $5000 collection by now. maybe more. not so much that i just regret it that they are so damned expensive and i can't stop buying them.

on the other hand i have never spent better money than on my oakleys. had them since the day they came out too.

juliets with ruby (real ruby coating) lenses just like the ones cyclops wore in the first xmen movie (they changed them to the penny model for the next two). bullet proof and made out of titanium alloy, virtually indestructible. doesn't get any better than that for $700.

http://www.kounopt.com/oakley/juliet-x_metal_rubyl.jpg

[Eastern Girl]

When I was in university, I was living paycheck to paycheck, always budgeting and the like. I never bought clothing or shoes or anything else that wasn't completely necessary. For the last couple years of uni, I had only one pair of shoes, these sneakers that I had had for about seven years. They were full of holes and everything. It was quite bad, but I couldn't afford to replace them. All my cash went to school, rent and utilities.

Once I graduated and got my first real job, I went a little crazy. I got a whole new wardrobe. I bought new shoes and jewelry, movies, ate out a lot with my friends, basically bought all the stuff that I had been wanting for all my time in university. I regret it because I went a little nuts and got a rather large credit card bill, but I think I have managed to level off the spending now. I just wish I had maybe paced myself a little bit.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Going on dates can end up costing me alot of money. They range from the cheap ($50 or so) to downright insane ($330 last Friday). I don't really regret that. What I do regret is buying shots for girls at the bar, and then seeing them run to their boyfriends. Thank god, that hasn't happened in years. Makes me seem like a punk. Lol

Wow, big spender.

The majority of my dates are <$50, and I think I might have gone on a $200 date a few years ago (2nd "annerversery" date).

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

When I was in university, I was living paycheck to paycheck, always budgeting and the like. I never bought clothing or shoes or anything else that wasn't completely necessary. For the last couple years of uni, I had only one pair of shoes, these sneakers that I had had for about seven years. They were full of holes and everything. It was quite bad, but I couldn't afford to replace them. All my cash went to school, rent and utilities.

This sounds like my experience almost to a T. I remember going to the Safeway, looking in the doors, and going, "Well, I have $35 for the week" ... having to put stuff back because I didn't have the money. I decided after I graduated that I would never, ever count how much my groceries were costing again. I could probably budget better there, but hey ....

We have been spending a bit of money on vacations this summer but we are about to be parents so we, I guess, are trying to get some last ones in before the Mom and Dad thing happens to us ...

And I'm looking for a good deal on an HDTV lately even though I don't really need it ... but more in the $800 range than the $3000 range.

[metallicat]

Oh here we go.

My 100+ DVDs. There are probably only 10% of those that I watch numerous times.

My 100+ CDs. Especially with the iPod, all they do is collect dust.

Gaming systems. I rarely play them, and end up selling them to a friend for next to nothing. My 360 just sits there.

900 dollar widescreen PC monitor a few years ago. POS.

Two things I don't regret buying though, are my HDTV and my new car. Those two have been worth it.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Lunches and premium coffees. I'd much rather had a large double-double from Tims, but they're so damn hard to find here in Van and Starbucks is on every corner.

And I amost never regret buying clothes because I always use them and am pretty good at finding sales.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Frappicinos, I mean I like them but then I finish one and I just don't know why I spent $5 on a milkshake. Same thing with bottled water - I really just need to carry a Nalgene bottle whereever I go, plus you can't break those things.

In my younger years I really wanted those shoes with the big rubberish bottoms that marked up floors and I was able to save up for long enough to purchase a pair and I think I wore then twice, they just looked completely moronic.

Past that I have a bad habit of buying things for other people when at the end of the day no one really remembers any of it... that is a bit of a piss off.

Although what I do to avoid big purchases is I won't carry my Visa with me and I set up an insanely low limit on my debit card - so I won't be able to purchase much on the spur of the moment. That way I get to go home and realize that it really isn't worth it, or I get it depending on which way my mood swings. It goes a long way to avoiding some of the stupid purchases.

[Phaneuf]

A 50$ Ferrari shirt from Italy, when I came back to Canada a week later I saw
the exact same one for 25$ at Costco.