SMART ways people "waste" money

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I'm taking a chance starting a thread like this because, off hand, I don't even have any example to give.

But I was thinking there must be situations where you have first thought you were spending more or differently than you should have, but in the end it turned out not to be a waste at all, but a good thing.

Has this happened to you?

[bjl584]

I once bought a used sport car on an impulse just because I wanted it. After about a year I ended up selling it for $2000 more than i paid for it. so, what started as a regret ended up being a good decision.

[disneysteve]

I debated getting an iPhone for some time because of the cost and finally decided to spend the money. Less than 2 months after I got it, I was invited to be on a research panel that had an exclusively iPhone based platform. I started earning $150/month that I could not have done if not for having the iPhone. So what was a $30/month expense turned into a $120/month profit ever since then (2 years ago).

[Nightfly]

Not staying on top of their cell phone or cable/internet bills. They assume that there isn't competiton in their area, so they just accept the pricing structure that shows up on the company website or literature. With prepaid cell plans and web-based TV programs, there are always alternatives - even if you live in an area that doesn't have competing phone and/or cable providers.

[GREENBACK]

I paid 3k for a new woodstove last fall. It's an upgrade from my previous model in size and efficiency. I thought about repairing the old model (10 yrs. old) but decided to go new. Had some reservations at first but am really glad I went with the new upgrade. The big waste of money would have been trying to squeeze more years out of my old one. I paid more now but will pay less in the long run.

[glycemic]

Electronics. I buy a lot. A boss/friend gave me advice 10 years ago on spending slightly more to get what I really want -- and I rarely regret it. 12 months later if you wish you had a more robust setup after opting for the barebones model you're stuck and have to double down and buy all over again. Spending a little more to get quality usually pays for itself in the long run.

[edg126]

Public storage. I moved back into my parents house while house hunting. I thought it would be maybe 6 months, but we still haven't found the house we want. The replacement value of the goods in there are now less than what I paid to store it. ugh.

[Kelli-Saving Money]

Not wasting coupons

I used a coupon clipping service to buy coupons but then I got sick and was not able to use them only to give them to a family member really in need of saving money. It turned out they did not go to waste anyways and were used by people who needed them more.

[EEinNJ]

I always advocate for not deferring repairs or replacement of systems in your house, especially if you have plans to move in an intermediate time frame. For example, I replaced my heating system (original to the house and about 30 years old) even though it was not broken. My thinking is, buy it for yourself and get the benefit, rather than having to buy it for the next owner in say, 3-5 years.

[BMEPhDinCO]

Bed sheets - cost more upfront but have lasted tons longer

"summer comforter" - cost a bit, but now use it as a guest blanket when I don't need it

iphone/smartphone - savings from online coupons, gas prices, keeping track of expenses, replacing landline needs, etc means it's not as costly as it appeared

*some* gardening - for example, we don't eat much cilantro so it goes to waste, but now the pack of seeds is so little that even if we don't eat much of it, it's still cheaper than buying from the store.

[tinktink]

I buy fast food all the time. Everyday every week. Even though I have food cooked at home its an expense that I could be without , but It tastes so good!