All Of My Purchases That Were & Weren’t Worth It In April
After reading Holly’s piece on her saddest wastes of money for 2017 thus far, it got me thinking about where I am currently spending my own money, and whether I’m happy about these choices. As a financial shit show, I had an inkling that going through my bank statements and receipts with a fine tooth comb would ~enlighten~ me into understanding my own spending habits better, and therefore improve them with that awareness.
I assumed there would be a lot of wasteful spending (which, believe me, there was), but I was also pretty stoked to find that there were some purchases that weren’t totally stupid, and did improve my everyday life, even if in some tiny way. This showed me that I didn’t need to spend a lot to feel happier — but I did have to spend quite a bit to feel far more disappointed and empty, as the final tallies will show. (Funny how that works, huh?)
And so, without further ado, here are my picks for this month for shit I regret spending money on and shit I’m happy I did.
Shit I Regret Spending Money On This Month
CBS All-Access Trial That Turned Into Subscription I Forgot To Cancel ($5.99/Month for 3 months = $17.97)
Now, I realize this one isn’t specific to April, but it was this month when I finally remembered the damn trial I signed up for in February so I could watch Beyonce perform at the Grammys. While it was truly glorious watching a pregnant and beautiful Beyonce slay that performance, I didn’t use the streaming service once after that evening. Not. Even. One. Time. Such a waste of almost $20.00.
Using Sephora’s 15% VIB Coupon Even Though I Didn’t Really “Need” Anything ($59.47)
I love makeup. I find it to be an incredibly expressive art form that you get to put on your face. It’s wonderful. However, it can become an incredibly expensive hobby, especially when you find yourself at VIB status at Sephora (oops). And, at the beginning of April, I received an email with a 15% off coupon for an entire purchase at Sephora as a thank you for being a VIB member. While I didn’t necessarily need anything this month, getting the coupon made me feel like I had to do something *~fun~* with it. I ended up buying an eye cream and translucent powder, not-so-fun purchases for a not-so-fun $59.47. Shit adds up quickly, as these two tiny purchases show.
Un-split Uber/Lyft Rides ($33.62)
This one was painful to calculate, realizing this could have been literally cut by over half if I had just split the damn rides. The great thing about ride-share programs is that you can get a safe and convenient ride you can share with your friends.
Total Wasted: $111.06
Shit I’m Glad I Spent Money On
Coffee Break With New Coworker ($3.25)
I’m trying to reduce my coffee intake for several reasons, but one huge factor is to save money. There’s a fantastic local coffee shop right down the street from the digital agency where I work, and $3.25 a day adds up to quite a bit. However, a new project manager joined our team and asked me to get coffee one day. While I had definitely already exceeded by coffee limit for the day, I said yes anyway. It was a great way to bond with a new colleague, and get a quick walk and break for the office. This particular coffee run I do not regret one bit.
Garnier Micellar Water
As I’ve already stated above, I fucking love makeup. However, I’m terrible at taking it off each evening. I think it’s just a pain in the ass and I’m lazy. This, of course, is not so great for my skin. In an effort to be better about taking off my makeup before I go to bed, I purchased this cleanser. It doesn’t require rinsing and removes all my makeup in just a few swipes.
Lunch pail ($11.65)
I’m trying to become more diligent about bringing my lunch to work as opposed eating out. It’s healthier and, most importantly, far more cost-effective. I used to bring my lunch in these dingy plastic bags you get from the supermarket, but finally decided to invest in a cute, little lunch pail. I felt it would encourage me to bring my lunch more, and I’m happy to report it absolutely has. And, way better for the environment. A win, win!
Total Spent: $22.31
Molly is an assistant digital strategist by day and a writer by night. She drinks way too much coffee, and can be found on Twitter here.
Image via Unsplash
