Save or Splurge

As a recent grad, your probably are pinching pennies wherever you can, I know I am! Lately, I've been realizing that buying cheap is not always best thing to do in all situations. Here's a list of a few things that I find are worth splurging on and a few that aren't.

Splurge

Healthy Food: It sucks that organic and healthier food choices are priced so much higher than mac&cheese and sugary cereal, but healthy food is something I would recommend spending the money for, at least in moderation. Your body needs good food to fuel you throughout the work day.

Car Maintenance: Get your oil changed, tires rotated, and brakes inspected regularly. Putting off simple car maintenance because of cost can lead to worse (more expensive) problems down the road for your vehicle. You can often find coupons for general maintenance on garage websites.

A Good Mattress: One of the key ingredients to every productive day is a good nights sleep. Take it from a girl who slept on an aero-bed (type of air mattress) for a year and a half...until it started deflating.. Invest in a comfortable mattress.

Your Health- Is your tooth killing you? Have you been coughing for two months? See a doctor so your sickness doesn't progress to something much worse. An emergency room visit is going to cost you way more than a a visit to your doctor.

Save

Apartment Furniture/ Decor- I love browsing design blogs and daydreaming about my perfect post grad apartment as much as the next girl, but furniture is expensive. Thrift stores, craigslist, garage sale pieces, and furniture warehouse sales are an excellent way to avoid spending your paychecks on new overpriced pieces.


Clothing- I hope I don't offend any fashionistas out there, but I really don't believe that clothing is an investment. It's awesome to have nice clothes that you can wear multiple times in many different ways. Spending a little more money on a black dress you will wear a few times every week is definitely worth it. That being said, dropping 1,000 dollars or more on "the perfect purse" at this point in our lives should probably never be factored into your monthly expenses (unless you've saved up the money or have the means to do so).


Alcohol/ Dining Out- You may have wised up to this one in college, but drinking can be expensive. The same goes for eating out. A 6 dollar cocktail here and 15 dollar dinner there might seem like nothing, but they add up fast. Setting a monthly budget for these types of expenses is a good way to stay on track.


Cable- Cable prices are outrageous and with most networks providing their shows online, they are quickly becoming unnecessary. Hulu, Netflix (their nasty little rate hike is still cheaper than cable), and Itunes are a great options for watching the shows you love.


I'm thinking Save or Splurge might be an interested piece to do weekly. What do you all consider worthwhile investments at this point in your post grad career?