Money is such a funny thing, isn’t it?

There are things I will happily pay more for without blinking, and other things people rave about that make me think, Wait… we’re spending HOW much on this?

Obviously this is completely subjective. Spend your money however makes you happy! But I thought it would be fun to share five things I personally don’t think are worth the money and five things I absolutely do.

I asked David for his answers, too, because he’s sitting here with me and it’s a fun topic 🙂

5 Things I Don’t Think Are Worth the Money

1. Eating Out

Don’t get me wrong, I love a night off from cooking at our favorite Mexican spot or a nice date night every now and then.

But generally? Restaurant prices have gotten so high that I often leave thinking the food wasn’t good enough to justify the bill. Especially when I know we could make something really delicious at home for a fraction of the price.

2. Hydrafacials

I enjoy the heck out of these. They feel luxurious, my skin looks nice afterward, and I’d never turn one down.

But at 40+, I just don’t feel like they make enough of a lasting difference in my skin to justify doing them regularly. Relaxing? Yes. Life-changing? No.

3. Expensive Blankets

Maybe I simply haven’t experienced the right expensive blanket?

But my girls’ favorite cozy blankets are ones I picked up at Hobby Lobby, and they are perfectly soft, warm, and fought over regularly. And they have chickens on them. I’m not sure what more I need from a blanket.

4. Designer Bags

I just cannot wrap my mind around spending hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars on a purse. Is the quality truly that much better? Is it mostly the name? A status symbol?

No judgment if designer bags are your thing, but this is one category where I truly don’t understand the hype.

5. Overly Expensive Cookware

I love beautiful cookware as much as the next person, and have splurged on several, but I don’t think you need a kitchen full of pricey pots and pans to make really good food.

Learn how to cook properly with a cast iron skillet and you can make just about anything.

David’s additions: Updating cars more often than necessary, kids’ club sports, and expensive gas yard equipment when a good battery-operated version will do the job.

Hailey’s additions because she just woke up and joined us: poker (gambling of any sort), seeing Conch Shell island (lol, apparently this small “island” off of Anegada was a disappointment), Dumplings or squishies, baseball card collections

I warned David he was going to rage bait people with the club sports addition…😅

5 Things I DO Think Are Worth the Money

1. Direct Flights

Always.

Fewer opportunities for delays, missed connections, lost luggage, and travel-weary kids. David does not always agree with me on this one, but I will happily pay a reasonable premium for a direct flight.

2. A House Cleaner

We have someone come every other week and those are genuinely two of my favorite days of the month.

Do I spend a solid hour or two cleaning before they come? Absolutely. 😉 But really it’s more like picking up and organizing everything and they handle the actual cleaning part and it truly makes my mental load feel lighter.

3. Grocery Delivery

This saves me time, gas, and (probably most importantly) impulse purchases.

I still love wandering through a grocery store when I have the time, but during busy seasons of life, grocery delivery has proven itself worth every penny to me.

4. Microneedling

Unlike the Hydrafacial, this is one skincare expense where I actually feel like I’ve seen results.

At 40+, I believe it has noticeably helped the texture and overall appearance of my skin, so this is something I’m willing to spend money on.

5. Travel and Experiences

This is one area where I rarely regret spending the money.

Trips, concerts, escape rooms, ropes courses. Those are the things we end up talking about for years afterward.

I don’t think every experience has to be extravagant (some of our favorite memories are incredibly simple), but I’m generally much happier spending money on something we’ll do and remember than on more stuff. Give me the trip every time.

*I believe in paying for quality food is worth the money, too, but I feel like this one was obvious so I tried to branch out.

David’s additions: Better-quality clothes, the Frame TV, and anything that improves your health, a good mattress, and a truck for utility purposes

Hailey’s additions because she just woke up and joined us: a good bed, pets, a home library (books), having a piano, a good Christmas tree, a nice swing, holiday decorations

OK, I’m also throwing quality candles onto my list, as we are sitting here discussing things this morning. 🙂

So now I’m curious: What’s something you will happily spend extra money on… and what’s one thing everyone else seems to think is worth it that you just… don’t?

OK, I’ve now edited this about 20 times because this has become such a fun morning conversation with my bro in law, David, Hailey, and me (Kaitlyn is still sleeping) so I highly recommend bringing this up for a dinner conversation! 🙂