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By the author of the FREE online course Growing Self-Sufficiency: The Whole Picture
These days, it can be especially hard to allow for a little splurge in the budget. With inflation spiraling out of control, it’s easy to say “no” to almost everything. However, in my own experience, that can lead to a kind of budget fatigue, where the relentless pressure of going without more and more leads to an exhaustion of self-denial.
For much of my life, I have walked this thin line. I have gone without meals, carefully weighed in the grocery aisle whether this was a week I could afford a box of crackers, and looked at countless concert tickets online, only to close the tab once I saw the price. All I have to do is look at our national news these days to see stories of how many folks are making similar choices on this very day, trying to keep a roof over their heads.
In the midst of this genuine difficulty, I thought it might be interesting to tell a story about the impact of a small splurge I made a while ago and whether it was worth it in the end.
My Matching Bins
Now, I’m not going to go and get all Marie Kondo on you. Everything in my eco-cabin does not have to bring me joy to stay here. (I mean, really? Do my nail clippers need to bring me joy? Come on!) However, when I had a bit of extra money last fall, I decided to splurge on nine matching bins. I think there is a bit of human nature in the desire to have things that look nice and match. I’m not going to say it’s rational!
For most of my life, I have made do with things that are available through the local thrift shops. This means that most of the time, they most certainly do NOT match. When I had a little bit of extra money, I looked around and thought about what might make the highest impact in my one-room cabin for the lowest amount of money. I set my limit at just under $150. So, no, I wasn’t going to blow the bank with a giant splurge. I set a small limit to see what kind of impact I could make with that amount.
Choosing Natural Materials
As I do consider myself a bit of an environmentalist, I decided that whatever bins I chose to buy should be made out of natural materials. For example, wherever possible, I like to have solid wood items in my little home. My cupboards are solid golden oak (well, at least the front doors!) and are reclaimed from a Habitat for Humanity Restore. I bought a solid oak armoire for a great price from a distant cousin’s wife. Even my little TV tables are solid wood “projects” bought broken from thrift shops. So, once I made that decision, I started to look around at what was available.
Doing My Homework
Given how careful I am with my budget, I would never make a purchase of this size without doing my homework. I generally prefer to buy local, so my first stop was to see what was available in any stores in nearby towns and cities. I also looked at our local thrift shops, hoping that something that fit my criteria would be available there.
After what some might consider an excessive amount of research and thought, I grudgingly realized that the best price, by far, was to be had with a high-volume big box store. As I rarely spend in places like this, I was able to rationalize my need for a low price and make peace with the purchase. Plus, they suddenly went on sale (did the algorithm sense my lack of loyalty?).
It was done! I had ordered my nine matching baskets made of Water Hyacinth, a material that the seller claimed was harvested sustainably to maintain the waterways.
Supporting Another Purpose
Now, I would never have bought matching items like this that I can clearly live without unless they were supporting another purpose. In this case, I had realized that I had overstuffed my little eco-cabin with too many things. I justified this due to my fears of the looming apocalypse…what if I need this? And what about that? And wouldn’t this be great for trading? etc. etc. etc. Now that the reality of what it was actually like to live in such a cluttered space was upon me, I was going to downsize, apocalypse, or no looming apocalypse!
An Embarrassing Surprise!
Once I had ordered my special matching bins and baskets, I happened to be in a local housewares store. By chance, I wandered down a furniture aisle to go somewhere else. I was shocked to see multiple versions of modular shelving units…all with the same style baskets I had just ordered. I had to face the reality that what I had ordered might be…ulp…trendy. Yikes! It was probably too late to change the order by now. I checked the basket aisle to confirm my suspicions and, indeed, saw various versions of them, as well. Oh dear. I wasn’t used to being trendy. Sigh.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Now, I think all of you Frugalites out there know me well enough to know that I’m truly not the trendy type, and I don’t do things based on what other folks think. However, I did find it interesting that every single person who has visited me since I installed these baskets has offered glowing compliments on how nice they look. Even people who are very like me (i.e., homesteaders not into as mainstream stuff) have commented on them. That part has really surprised me. The nine matching baskets have attracted more positive attention than I ever dreamt they would.
My Final Conclusion
In the end, it was my money, and it only matters what I think. Although the $150 would feel good in my emergency fund, and the eco-cabin does need some pretty important work done, I can report that I am still pleased with my purchase of the nine matching baskets. I really am!
The baskets provide a worthy downsizing goal: everything must fit in the bookshelf, armoire, or those baskets or BEGONE! They provide a large area of space that is covered, and therefore, everything immediately looks tidier. Even though they didn’t all fit in my bookcase as I had hoped (some had to be moved to the top of the armoire), they still look great, as they all match. This has been a good lesson for me, who usually poo-poos such purchases. Having some (matching) things like this can genuinely enhance a living environment.
A Tisket, A Tasket, I Bought Some Matching Baskets!
Many people wouldn’t think twice about a purchase like this, but it was a big deal to me. Could you see yourself splurging on something like the matching baskets described here? Do you have your own Frugalite splurges you can share with us? Was it worth it in the end for you? Please tell us in the comments below.
About Colette
Colette is passionate about sharing her knowledge of thrifty living and self-sufficiency. She has developed her skills in self-reliance living in the suburbs, the city, and more recently, on her own Half-Acre Homestead. Colette lived five years completely off-grid and without running water in an eight by 24 foot tiny home while designing and building her own 18 by 24-foot eco-cabin. Her website, Half Acre Homestead is attracting followers from around the world who want to become more self-sufficient. Colette invites you to stop by the Homestead and check out all of the great resources including the practical How To Guides, A Tiny Home Resource Center and her organic gardening stories on her blog. She shares her wholistic model (body/mind/spirit) for achieving self-sufficiency in her Free Course, “Growing Self-Sufficiency: The Whole Picture.” Stop by the Homestead today to register free of charge!
10 thoughts on “How a Well-Planned Splurge can Make All the Difference”
A number of years ago my husband and I lived in a house that, while not very large, was laid out in such a way that it was possible to entertain fairly large groups of people. As a result we entertained club groups, church groups, and friends from work. I had a rather ugly punch bowl from a thrift shop. I dreamed of buying a punch bowl that was beautiful and matched some lovely thrift shop glassware I had. I started saving to be able to buy one. I kept seeing one at glass shows that was still three times what I could pay despite my saving. Then I was admiring one at a show when the owner asked me if I was interested. I explained that I loved it but could not afford it. The owner stated that they were clearing out pieces that had been on hand for a long time and offered it to me for slightly less than I had saved! I tremendously enjoyed every event we used it for and enjoyed every complement on it.
Hi Mary, What a wonderful story! How Frugalite of you to save ahead and shop so well. Lots of great lessons for the community in this lovely story. Much appreciated!
Hello Colette, I enjoyed your article. I was hoping for a picture. I really like reading about your cabin. If I was 26 instead of 76 I would be interested in building something like that. It sounds like such a wonderful and challenging thing to do. I admire your approach to life.
Hope your garden is doing well. I think I will have to wait until next spring to have a garden after I get past this cancer thing. But I really enjoy reading about yours.
Best wishes,
Trish Price
Hi Trish, You are so kind! I will send you off a photo of the set up today. I always appreciate your thoughtfulness and your kind words. Thinking of you and wishing you well during this challenging time. You are in my daily prayers, including this very morning! Kind regards, Colette
I love this 🙂 For one, I think basketry is really neat and also a great way to create sustainably sourced containers and bins. It looks nice, and can even be learned by the average person with fairly minimal tools. Is it any wonder why baskets are one of humanity’s oldest container types? I used to have no baskets – now I have three and may eventually accumulate more. This was a perfect sort of splurge.
Next, I have to say you made me laugh when you recoiled at the idea of being trendy. I don’t like finding out I’m accidentally trendy either! If that ever happens I usually comfort myself by thinking that occasionally trends actually have valid reasons. Enjoy your new storage bins!
Hi Redbranch, Your message made me laugh, too! I’m not surprised to hear that you have similar thoughts on being trendy (EEKS!). I appreciate your rationale that some trends have valid reasons, and that will continue to comfort me! Wishing you a great summer with lots of delicious cold brewed coffee!!!!
I’m trying not to be jealous of your baskets. 😉 Years ago, I longed for a set of shelves at Hobby Lobby that had baskets shaped like drawers in the cubbies . There were times when I could’ve afforded them, but decided that it wasn’t a good investment for me because they would’ve stayed new looking for about 2 days until our cats realized they had a new scratching post.
Fast forward to this week. I’ve been trying to streamline down my crafting supplies and only keeping out what I use the most. When I told my son I needed a cart to sit at the end of the sofa, he brought one in from outside. Our grandson had stopped at the last day of a garage sale a few weeks ago and got a ton of stuff absolutely free. The people were moving and had to dispose of everything that hadn’t sold. Anyway, one of the items was a 3 tiered rolling cart that fit perfectly. It’s just small enough for me to have to resist the urge to keep bringing in more and yet big enough for a fabric tier, paint/marker/colored pencil tier and one for general supplies. I considered it a gift from God. He knew what I needed before I did.
Hi Carla, Your story is such a great example of synchronicity, a beautiful gift from God. Your cart seems to be taking a similar role to my baskets, creating a smaller space to store things so that they don’t get out of hand. I love the idea that it is on wheels and that you can easily move it around. However, my favourite part of the story is that it involved you, your son and your grandson! Thanks for sharing this wonderful story of how a small cart rolled into your life at the perfect moment. Wishing you the best!
Thanks for your kind (as always) words. I enjoyed the story of your baskets and I imagine that they are lovely.
Hi Carla, You know what is interesting is that I was a bit nervous about the reception of this article. I wondered if I would receive feedback like, “You shouldn’t have bought those baskets! What about your emergency fund???” It has been great to receive such thoughtful feedback. Now when I look at my baskets, I will have an extra reason to smile! Thanks, Carla!