Today, I am going to talk about money. I’ve written a lot about money in the last few months because I love reading personal finance blogs and find them really helpful. With that said, I would like to preface that this post is written for authenticity, not for bragging purposes.
With that said, I’ve written a lot about saving money because I am a saver, not a spender. I put a lot of thought into what I spend my money on (to the point where it causes a lot of unnecessary stress), so these “splurges” aren’t money spent mindlessly. These are things that aren’t in my regular budget, but I pay for on occasion.
The definition of ‘splurge’ is “to indulge oneself in some luxury or pleasure, especially a costly one.” This is different for each person. Some people like to spend their money on high-end makeup or clothes. I myself don’t prioritize those things, but a lot of people do. Everyone is different. I just wanted to share the three things I splurge money on.
Related – 13 Things I DON’T Do To Save Money In College
//Travel
This is definitely the number one thing on my splurge list. I’m in Canada right now and I’m sure I’m enjoying every minute of it (This post is prewritten). There is a quote that says traveling is the only money you spend that makes you richer, and I wholeheartedly agree.
If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve traveled a lot in the last few months. I went to YALL Fest (a book festival in Charleston), and Disney World in the month of November and spend the end of December and beginning of January in Bangladesh.
These trips did cost money, but I don’t regret spending a single cent because I know that the money did more for me on those trips than it would’ve sitting in my bank account. One of the reasons I was saving so much of my money in the first place was in hopes of having opportunities to travel. I would, of course, never travel at the expense of my financial security, but because I have the ability to travel, I am willing to splurge a little to do so.
//Theatre Tickets
I love Broadway shows. I’ve been obsessed since I watched my first show, Aladdin, in New York back in 2014. Before I started college, I found out that a lot of Broadway shows go on tours across the country. Atlanta is a big city, so we get a lot of Broadway shows tours here.
I decided to take full advantage of that. (In fact, it’s on my college bucket list). In the last year, I’ve watched An American In Paris, Finding Neverland, The Lion King, and Rent.
As you can probably guess, live Broadway show tickets can get quite pricey. I’ve found ways to get around that. For one, I use third party ticket selling websites like Seat Geek. I also don’t mind sitting in “bad” seats. The Fox Theatre, where most of these shows take place, is quite large, but you can still see the stage from all the seats. I’m willing to pay less money for a farther seat because I know that I’ll still be able to enjoy the show. I’ve also figured out how to get the good seats at cheaper prices, which helps me save a lot of money.
There is certainly a cap in terms of how much I spend on these shows. Hamilton is coming to Atlanta in May, but I’m definitely not going to watch it because the cheapest show tickets are around $500. That’s more expensive than my round trip ticket to Toronto.
The most I’m willing to spend on a ticket is $50 depending on the show because I’m a college student and want to save my money. I’ve never spent over $40 on a show. I almost didn’t watch The Lion King, but I found a last-minute deal that was within my budget.
This may seem like an expensive splurge for some people, but it’s worth it for me. I enjoy the experience of going to Broadway shows and am willing to spend my money on it. This isn’t something I do regularly because shows tour at different times and sometimes, I’m not willing to fork over the cash to go to them. I wasn’t nearly as financially stable in my Freshman year as I am now, so I skipped out on a lot of touring shows I wanted to watch, like The Phantom of the Opera or The Book of Mormon.
It’s all a balancing act.
Related – My Broadway Show Bucket List
//Books
This seems like a weird splurge item, so let me explain. I used to buy books a lot in middle school. I love reading and re-reading books, so I would end up getting a lot of Barnes & Noble gift cards for my birthday. I would also spend my own money on them.
Books can be pretty pricey if you buy an abundance of them, so I don’t keep this category in my budget at all because I would end up spending more money on books than necessary.
I would never spend more than $15 on a book, so these are not big purchases, but I put a lot of thought into what books I’m willing to buy. Here are the three reasons I would buy a book:
- There are no copies at the library – If I really want to read a book that isn’t at the public library, I will either borrow it from a friend (if they have it) or buy my own copy. Most of the time, I won’t end up buying the book. This is a book that I really want to read, but I doubt my library will stock it when it comes out this month. I’ve decided not to buy the book, but I did consider it.
- It’s the sequel to a series that I NEED to read the day it comes out – This is the main reason I buy books. I’m trying to save as much money as I can in college, so I won’t buy books for insufficient reasons. If I have to read it to find out what happens next, I will buy it because the money is worth avoiding the emotional turmoil. (I went to the Wal-Mart near my house to get the second book of An Ember In The Ashes immediately after finishing it because it was vital to know what happened next. I couldn’t wait for an Amazon shipment because I had to read it ASAP).
- I want to add it to my collection and will reread it frequently – I don’t see the point of having a book collection if you’re not going to re-read them. I’m not going to spend a bunch of money to use books for decoration. If I’m going to buy books, I’m going to re-read them. In my Freshman year of college, I bought the entire Sammy Keyes series. All 18 books of them. I checked eBay to find cheap copies and put together the whole series. This was 100% a worthy investment because I reread those books all the time and they bring me a lot of joy.
Once again, it’s a balancing act. I don’t buy books very often but whenever I do, I put a lot of thoughts into it because that money could be better served in my savings account. I really have to want the book before I’m willing to splurge on it.
So those are the three things I splurge on in college. Keep in mind that I do a lot to save money, so I’m able to pay for these things without going into debt or living paycheck to paycheck. I’m not making a sh*t ton of money, but I save most of the money I make, making these splurges possible.
Once again, this post was written for authenticity, not for bragging purposes. I hope you’ve enjoyed because I love reading about what people spend their money on.
Other Money Related Posts
- 6 Money Habits Worth Starting In College
- How Much Money I Spend In A Week (As A College Student)
- How To Budget In College When You Live At Home
- 13 Things I DON’T Do To Save Money In College
What do you splurge money on in college? What experience or asset are you saving money for?