What's your spending kryptonite?

[Pants]

Couple of other threads got me thinking about the things that I seem to over-spend on, regardless of how I try to cut back. I seem powerless to stop myself! For example, I always overspend when we go out to dinner. Something about being out just makes me go "Well, scr*w it, let's order another bottle of wine!"
Does anyone else have that weak spot they just cannot get rid of?

[chicg]

This isn't much of a problem anymore but it really used to be, everything was my kryptonite!

I don't shop at Whole Foods anymore, I just get too enamoured by all the gorgeous products and end up buying too much that I don't need (not to mention their prices are high in general). My solution is the farmer's markets, I can get the local/fresh/organic items I need without all the extra temptation and I'm supporting a lifestyle I believe in. Even an indulgent trip to the market is less then WF. Same with Trader Joes and Target, they're affordable I buy too much I don't need and my best solution has just been to stay out. I spend less if I pay $1 more for the same toilet paper at a store that I'm not tempted to spend $50 on random stuff that catches my eye.

Thank goodness I'm not a big wine fan, many people I know have a big budget leak there. If wine is your sore spot, why not stick to BYOB places and bring your own for half the price? Or search restaurants for half off bottle nights? There are usually solutions, you just have to find the ones that make sense and don't leave you feeling deprived. Never going to eat isn't realistic to sustain if that's your fun but 1/2 off bottle nights gives you the exact same experience.

[pauletteg]

Books are my kryptonite. Bookstores are going under where I live, there's a twice annual library system book sale, and the book budget goes kablooey -- "ooh what a rare book at a good deal! I must buy!" Funny how a dozen "rare books" find their way into my bag EVERY book sale or liquidation extravaganza.

[sunflower64]

It used to be shoes ...

Now, I would have to say Home Goods, Marshalls, TJ Maxx - need to check out their decorative items for home.

[Sam_2.0]

Stuff for baby girl. And going out to eat. By the time we both end up getting home, I just don't want to cook, so we run & grab something. You would think by now I would learn to have some quick things on-hand, but nope!

[blackcard]

Stll shoes

[zibazinski]

My DD, sigh. I have to avoid her to keep from spending on her!!!

[mizbear]

This will sound silly, but necessities like TP, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. I think it goes back to living with my father when my parents were still married- if it wasn't about him- it wasn't about.

[dancinmama]

I seriously can't think of anything. When I was younger, I would say it would have been clothes. Not like designer clothes, but just having a wide variety of things to wear as I did not have a lot of clothes growing up, but I got over that a long time ago.

[Deleted]

tickets to concerts/plays/musicals

[motherto2]

Hi all! I'm new to WIR but I post on smart spending and YM. I tried WIR when it was at the msn boards, but I was overwhelmed and ended up not posting. I thought I'd try again. My kryptonite is my DIY projects around the house. I just enjoy doing stuff like painting, gardening, staining, etc. and so I tend to find little (and sometimes big) projects to tinker with. Another one used to be waiting at Walmart for a prescription to be filled. Since we live so far away, it's just not possible to leave it and come back. and when it's 100 degrees out, I'm not going to sit in the car and wait. We just had a CVS built in our county so now I have things switched and on automatic refill. Much cheaper!!!

[boosmom]

The kids. I have about $300 sitting in an online shopping cart for stuff for them. I have to just stay away and not browse.

[Honeylioness]

Oh lordy ... I used to have many more but weaned myself off a lot of them ... however in the spirit of full disclosure ...


* Fabric: I am a quilter and just LOVE fabric. I love looking at it, touching it, using it ... a fabric store is very dangerous place for me. Especially if they have a Clearance section

* Beads: I embellish my sewing and have developed a serious bead addiction. And not the little bag of plastic beads at Michaels - nope hand blown beads from Japan, and real pearl, or semi-precious stones, or specially cast metals ....

* Garage/Tag/Yard Sales: While eat item alone is not expensive it can add up quicker that one would imagine.

[Apple]

Lol at the fabric. My mom has the same "thing" when it comes to fabric, she always working on something a dozen projects(right now she's knitting a few winter hats for me, she made one for DS but he didn't wear it so I stole it from him, it's super warm, especially on the days when I work outside all day). So she got a job at a fabric store late in life to help save money on her addiction (she knows when everything is on sale, where the good coupons are, and she gets her discount)
I've been close to "no-spend" except on the new house for a while so right now it's mostly old "junk" I find myself wanting more than usual since I'll be using it in the new house in all kinds of creative ways.

[dragon2008]

Books are my spending downfall. I had several months in a row in 2009 when I didn't buy any, but then I got a Kindle (because of work - I travel a lot for my job - yeah, right!) and now I'm back budgeting for books (and exceeding my budget, every now and again)!

Also, my tea addiction is getting out of hand.

Seriously though, books and tea - what a natural combination!

[upstatemom]

I have so many but the big one is shoes and decorative items. Like Chicg, I find the solution to just not shop in stores that tempt me. Another great solution is to take DH and sons shopping with me. When they are with me, I never have time to brouse for "me items". I will admit that they usually find things they "need" but the boys are also look for sale items!!

[Deleted]

Shoes, jeans, food, books, coffee, tea, wine, microbrews..oh the list goes on and on. I am working hard to keep my spending in check, but every once in awhile I go ape nuts and go on a binge.

[chiver78]

Mar 4, 2011 16:37:54 GMT -5 blackcard said:

Stll shoes

ditto. yesterday, I bought a work pair, and a fun pair for $85 at the Nine West outlet. NW is very good quality, so I know they will last me a long time, but I spent some time in the store trying to talk myself out of it. my friends talked me back into it because I had used all but about $200 of my bonus to pay down debt. this was my little reward for it, I guess.

I'll post a pic of the fun pair later, they are really cute!

ETA: ok, apparently I fail at pasting a pic from shutterfly. any help would be appreciated, I'll edit to paste the pic into the post. thanks!

click here to see my new fun shoes! I'm thinking crisp white shirt and either black pants or a black pencil skirt to go with 'em.

[gailbon]

Coffee!
We love good, quality coffee. We are total bargain shoppers for everything else, and careful to shop only for necessities, but good coffee is our downfall. The kind that we like is by mail-order only. 100% peaberry Kona coffee from a farm in Hawaii. It costs a fortune, so we limit ourselves to brewing it only on weekends and holidays.

[Deleted]

LOVE the shoes Chiver!!!!!

[sunshinegal1981]

Yes!! Cute shoes!! Very colourful for spring/summer!

[bobbysgirl]

absolutely! CHIVER Nice shoes

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

* bird seed

* good cheese

* garden "decor"

* cat-related supplies

* used books

[patchwork150]

clothes/stuff for my 3 year old neice (i don't have kids...yet)

[bubbleepink]

Last year at this time it was children's books, now it is dog toys and treats.

[Agatha]

At this time of the year? Plants! More so this year than any other. Vegetable plants, new herbs, wildflower seed for the back, wisteria, azaleas, jasmine, snapdragons, fuchsia, swamp lilies. Ye gads! But the yard is starting to look like I want it to. The only thing I can't find in local nurseries is sweet banana shrub. I've found it online and will have to order it. But I keep telling myself I don't need it till my next door neighbors get their fence done. I want to plant them there so I can share the fragrance!

Bookstores. . .I can always find something.

Bead Shows. . .I've learned to take a limited amount of cash with me.

Eating out. . .I'm an excellent cook and a bit of a "foodie" but the temptation to be waited on is hard to resist.

Just realized. . .this list is in order!

[998fbird]

I would have to say clothes/jewelery/shoes. Like Dancinmama I didn't have alot of clothes growing up and like to have a large selection. As a rule I don't go shopping for recreation but occasionally I get carried away and surf the web and then I fall off the wagon and buy things LOL! I do try not to buy anything for full price.

[Deleted]

Chiver those shoes are awesome!!!! I want!

Stuff for my dog and travelling are the two that are killing me right now. I have even subdued my shoe and clothing addiction for the dog and travelling!

[mizbear]

chiver- the shoes are sooo cute.

I know I said necessities earlier, but if you had asked me 10 years ago- I probably would have said shoes and accesories and eating out. At one point I owned 50 + pairs of shoes. I get that from my fashion savvy grandmother.

[jeep108]

Pedicures.