Comments on: Being frugal when temptation strikes (is really hard)

By: TGIF link round up: Labor Day Weekend Edition! | Frugal Living Tips & Money Saving Ideas | Living Well on Less

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:21:40 +0000

[...] the birthday lunch was featured in the Festival of Frugality hosted by FIRE Finance, and my post on being frugal when temptation strikes was featured in the Money Hacks Carnival. I hope you’ll head over and check them out if you [...]

By: Saying “yes” to an extravagant purchase for a great price « Living Well on Less

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:45:18 +0000

[...] for a great price Posted on October 25, 2008 by Karen In August, Tony and I spotted a deal on cookware that was almost too good to be true. Originally priced at $200, the set was 50% off. We’d [...]

By: Why every couple needs a prenuptial agreement « Living Well on Less

Why every couple needs a prenuptial agreement « Living Well on Less — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:29:48 +0000

[...] our future. We frequently remind each other of our goals during moments of financial weakness (i.e. the clearance cookware that nearly blew our budget last month). These shared goals have strengthened our [...]

By: friday roundup #7 | we like money

friday roundup #7 | we like money — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:05:59 +0000

[...] from Living Well On Less wrote about an honest look at temptation while still trying to be frugal. I admire her and her hubby for backing down from that temptation…I’m not sure I [...]

By: chris

chris — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:46:32 +0000

don’t do it.cookware lasts forever.
All my pots and pans are someone else’s cast offs.
I haven’t bought a pan in 23 years from a retail outlet.
Put your $100 in the bank and forget it.
When you have an emergency and need it,you will be glad you didn’t buy yet another pan just to fill up your kitchen

By: tiffanie

tiffanie — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:33:30 +0000

i think that you need to sleep on it. if, after a few days, you still feel that it’s a purchase that will be worthwhile (and it sounds like it would be), then maybe it isn’t such a bad idea? i would hate to pay more down the road when you can get it now for such a good price. but that’s just me :)

By: Kasey

Kasey — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:03:32 +0000

Wow girl, you almost talked ME into buying the cookware with your rationalizations (and I don’t like to cook!)! I have to agree wholeheartedly with the other two comments though, the best things to do are 1) Walk away and sleep on it and 2) Shop around to see if that’s really the best deal.

I’m very proud of you for walking away! I’m terrible about stuff like that so I’m not sure if I could have done it. Another bit of advice that I have for you if you’re still craving a little reward for your effort is to maybe take $5 and buy something else you’ve been wanting- if you’re a chef at heart, then maybe a fun little kitchen gadget. Sometimes you can just enjoy one bite without eating the whole cake, and then your appetite is satiated without the stomachache afterward. ;-)

I’m going to be doing a post on a similar subject in the near future (how we almost plunked down $12,000- yikes!), so check back on my blog for that story soon! I think that sharing personal stories is one of the best ways to learn from one another!

By: moneyloveandchange

moneyloveandchange — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:43:26 +0000

I agree with Kacie – think about it for a couple more days. If you’ve been wanting it for over a year, and it is a great deal, and you have the money, I would consider it.

In the meantime, I would check online to see if you can find the same cookware for a comparable price. If you see it for anything close to the deal at Target, I might be more inclined to wait. Then you can save the money for that specific item and use your current money to pay down debt.

By: Kacie

Kacie — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:27:34 +0000

Oh man, Target can really get me too. We were there today and spent a lot more than we expected to ($60!).

I stand by all of our purchases, though.

$10 was for batteries for our flashlight and smoke detector, $16 was for “sensible” flat shoes I could wear instead of teetering around on high heels when I dress up (church and a birthday party coming up), $15ish for car wash supplies (mitt, wax, and rainx, and we have plenty to use again later),

Some underthings for me (can’t help it–I’m a growing preggo!) and the most necessary thing: A bag of dark chocolate. Heh.

Those little purchases really add up, and I was kinda bummed at the $60 total.

But, whaddya do?

Regarding your Target experience today, I think it’s a tough call. Like you said, you got along just fine without the cookware so far, even though you hope to replace it soon. It is a fantastic price, and maybe it’ll go on sale again in the future.

Give it a few more days to think about, and if you still want it, I’d say go pick it up if it won’t break your budget (and if you won’t feel terribly guilty about it).

But if by Wednesday or so you still would rather see that $100 go into savings or toward debt reduction, then that’s where it should go.