When I say cheap, I mean: Won’t go a movie theatre, won’t spend more than $20 on a shirt, will eat 5-day old leftovers to avoid spending money…CHEAP.

I make my boyfriend use my Target card even when it only saves 3 cents because I am a strong believer that every cent is a cent closer to retirement! There is no high like saving money or getting a good discount.

However, I do think there are a few things that are worth spending money on:

Getting your hair highlighted:

I’m a natural blonde (I swear), but my blonde has gotten a tad…dimmer in my 20s. I cringe every single time I hand over ~$200 to freshen it up, but highlights make me feel pretty and confident for a long time. I only get my highlights done about every 6 months, so mathematically it’s like I’m spending ~$1/day for my blonde. Well worth it, in my opinion!

Daily contacts:

I wear contacts every second of every day that I am not asleep. I choose daily contacts instead of monthly ones because I can just peel them out of my eyeballs and and toss them on my nightstand after I’ve already climbed into bed. Dailies are 100% worth the investment of not having to take the time to clean and store contacts in cases every night.

Toilet paper:

Only, and I mean ONLY, Charmin Ultra Soft is allowed to touch this tushy. I am a brand name stickler when it comes to toilet paper, which I realize seems absurd considering toilet paper’s purpose. I truly believe that high-quality toilet paper lasts longer and is more cost-efficient. Als,o it just makes me feel good.

Shoes:

I have a shoe size that doesn’t technically exist (10.5). Since it’s rare to find shoes that fit me, I have to be lenient on price (up to ~$100), or chose to walk around barefoot. If I find a useful pair of shoes that fits, I buy it. Sometimes in multiple colors!

Sunglasses:

My eyes are super sensitive to light, and I have to wear sunglasses even when it’s cloudy. I’m willing to spend the money on high-quality UV polarized sunglasses to protect my eyes! My current sunglass of choice is these Ray-Bans (polarized for extra protection). I’m on my 3rd pair in about 9 years, so I only lose them every 3 years or so. Not bad!

Brand name cookies/candy:

These are my weakness. I will only buy actual Oreos, Chips Ahoy, m&ms, etc. Off-brand candies/cookies just don’t hit the same way, ya feel? I will splurge both financially and physically on these snacks – but I always look to see which brand is on sale first!

Experiences:

My dad has always taught me that the one thing that’s worth spending on is experiences. If you are embarking on a once in a lifetime experience or considering an experience that will grant you a lifelong memory, it might be worth the money.

Things that fall into this category include: visiting faraway friends, going on a (reasonable) vacation somewhere new, or attending a beloved artist’s concert (I will always splurge for Taylor Swift). There are limits to this, though – I won’t spend money on front row concert tickets or repeatedly going to Hawaii. But I do think spending money on a memorable experience about once a year is absolutely worth it.