What Not to Scrimp On
I’m cheap and proud of it, even when my friends tease me about it. Though, there are some things that even I have learned are not worth scrimping on. Here are four of them:
Therapy: I have several friends who know they need therapy and even say the want it, but they claim they can’t afford it. Having gone to several therapists myself over the years, I know that it can strain a budget. However, I believe that for those of us who need it, we can’t afford not to. Even if you need to eat out two fewer times per month or spread your sessions out to once every quarter, find a way to get in front of a talented therapist. It can improve your life to the point that your entire outlook and career possibilities will greatly improve.
Feminine Hygiene Products: *Spoiler Alert: No, this will not spoil the ending of the new movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, but it may spoil your lunch.
While hiking in Tennessee, I had a terrible experience with an off-off-brand feminine hygiene product (aka. maxi-pad). I have always bought generic, but I think this time, I must have purchased a sub-generic brand – it didn’t even have wings! And after several miles on the trail, I desperately needed to deal with – you guessed it – a Feminine Equipment Maintenance Emergency (FEME). Back at the car, there was no bathroom in sight. While my husband studied the National Forest sign at the trail head, I tried to remove the pad. I noticed immediately the absence of the usually satisfying riiiip sound. Instead, to my horror, the pad crumbled into several gory pieces which spilled out into the front seat of my car. Interestingly, my cussing didn’t help at all so, I quickly switched to Plan B and spent the next twenty minutes trying to contain the disaster and then return to the sunny “We’re on vacation!” frame of mind.
For any men that are still reading and haven’t obstructed your view by vomiting on your monitor, do you understand why sometimes, we women are just wee bit ornery? It’s not your fault and we shouldn’t take it out on you. But sometimes we just get annoyed at our high maintenance bodies.
Shoes: Years ago a friend introduced me to the cost per wear philosophy. Now, when I shop for comfortable black leather shoes that I will wear at least three times per week, I spend more than I normally would on shoes. When I calculate the cost per wear, the price of the shoes seems pretty reasonable. And the comfort of my feet affects my energy level, so it’s worth the extra money I spend on a quality pair of shoes.
Condoms: Do I really need to add anything here? Okay, I’ll state the obvious. No amount of money that you will save on cheap condoms could compare to the amount you will spend on a child. And, while we are on the subject of condoms, here’s an interesting tidbit that has nothing to do with scrimping. Years ago when I worked at a sexually transmitted disease clinic, I actually went to a conference session called “The Joy of Latex, but that’s not the best part. The middle-aged sex education instructor actually stretched a condom over her entire head to demonstrate to us how to respond to patients who said, “I don’t use condoms because they don’t fit me.”
Where was I? Oh yes, what not to scrimp on. As frugal as I am, even I have standards and so should you. Decide what is worth spending a little extra on and don’t feel guilty about it as long as it doesn’t interfere with any of your basic necessities.
Image courtesy of frogmuseum2
Feminine Hygiene products: have you thought about using cloth menstrual napkins? Once you get over the squick factor, they’re easy to use, soft, and save a ton of money. I keep a few disposables in my work desk and purse for emergencies, but otherwise, I really enjoy the savings from washable pads.