|
|
|
|
| The Basics | 10 little luxuries worth every penny
|
Sure, I'm all for saving money and cutting costs. But sometimes a little luxury can make all the difference. Here are the splurges I really love.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
With most things in life, you get what you pay for. But occasionally, a purchase gives you more than you expect.
Your world gets easier or simpler or more fun. Your purchase enhances your life, rather than adding more stress and clutter. Instead of bemoaning how much it cost, you find yourself thinking, Id pay more for that. Its worth it.
These 10 little luxuries are my own, subjective list of splurges that are worth every cent.
Not all of these suggestions will fit every budget; some are definitely aimed at those who have more money than time.
So if youre trying to save money or pay off debt, your best course might be to opt for one of the cheaper splurges. Keep the others in mind for when your fortunes improve.
On to the list:
1. TiVo and other DVRs. If you dont have a digital video recorder, you probably think that those of us who do are a little weird, since we tend to be, well, evangelical. We brag about how long it has been since we sat through a commercial, or how great it is to record a whole seasons worth of How Clean Is Your House? episodes in less than a minute. If were not convinced you get the huge difference a DVR has made in our life, we might wind up chasing you down the hall calling out, But you can't pause live TV!
Seriously, a DVR puts you in charge of the boob tube, instead of vice versa. Its much easier to program and use than a VCR. And the cost isnt prohibitive. You can buy a DVR for $100 or less, and the monthly cost is around $10 if youre on cable and $5 if you have satellite TV. Once you take the plunge, youll wonder how you lived without it.
Don't stand in line
2. Home delivery (of just about anything). Think about the places where youre most likely to stand in line, and theres probably a home delivery alternative:- Prescriptions. Check with the independent pharmacies in your area. The prices will probably be competitive with the big chains, and many will bring your drugs right to your door for a small fee. You also might check with your health insurer to see if it recommends a mail-order prescription drug service.
- Dry cleaning. Chances are theres a dry cleaner in your area that will deliver for a pittance, if not free, and pickup service is often available as well.
- Groceries. You can lug the milk, kitty litter and Tide into your cart, into your car and then into your house -- or you can have some strapping driver do it for you, with a smile. The fee is typically around $10, although Albertsons has a $5 service where an employee collects your groceries and you just pick them up at the store. If grocery delivery isnt available in your area, keep looking for it: Albertsons and Safeway are both expanding the service in many markets.
- Stamps and package mailing. You may know that you can order stamps online from the U.S. Postal Service site and have them delivered to your home. Did you know that you can arrange for your mail carrier to pick up packages as well? On-demand pickup costs $12.50, or you can just have the packages collected during the next days regular mail run, as long as you schedule the pick-up in advance. The packages need to be ready for mailing, but you can print out shipping labels -- complete with postage -- using the USPS online tools. (If you ship a lot of packages, consider buying a digital postal scale from the site for $40.)
- Office, school and art supplies. The big office supply chains have online sites that allow you to shop at your leisure, delivering the supplies directly to your door. Many offer free shipping for orders of $50 or more. Your local stationery store also may offer free delivery. Call and ask.
3. Mail-order DVD rentals. Heres another home entertainment option that makes people rave -- in a good way. You sign up with a service (Netflix, Blockbuster, Wal-Mart or, someday soon, Amazon.com), then list the DVDs you want to rent. Your choices are mailed to you, usually three at a time. Each time you finish one, you send it back in a postage-paid envelope, and the service sends you another from your list. No late fees, no waiting in line, and all the entertainment you could want for less than the price of two movie tickets -- or one really overdue rental from a brick-and-mortar store.
You get the idea. Any time you find yourself stewing in a line somewhere, think about alternatives to getting what you need without the legwork. You may pay a few bucks in delivery charges, but youll save gas, time and stress.
Leave it to the professionals
4. A tax pro. If your tax situation nearly fits onto a 1040EZ, then by all means, continue to do your own taxes. But if your situation is even slightly complicated -- you have a business, say, or stock options, or real estate, or other investments -- it makes more sense to hire a professional than to try to turn yourself into one.
The tax code is simply too complex and ever changing to be mastered by us mere mortals. Yes, there is great software available to help, but many situations require judgment calls that are beyond the softwares scope. Besides, once you have a tax pro, you have someone to turn to for advice and ideas on better organizing your finances.
The cost will vary by the complexity of your return and who prepares it. Storefront operations and national chains may charge less, but for a solid, ongoing relationship, consider hiring an enrolled agent or (for really complex situations) a CPA.
5. A nail pro. Men, if youve never treated yourself to a manicure, youre overdue. You dont have to be a metrosexual to enjoy the pampering, and in many places you can get a trim, buff and hand massage for less than $20. Pedicures are pretty nice, too.
6. Maid service. The title of Kathy Fitzgerald Shermans book says it all: A Housekeeper Is Cheaper Than a Divorce: Why You Can Afford to Hire Help and How to Get It.
Sherman contends that hiring help not only reduces disputes over who does what around the house, but also serves as an effective time management tool. People who hire housekeepers can use those recovered hours to spend with their kids, on their business or simply on themselves.
Once you have help, youll wonder how you did without it. One of my friends, a single mom on a pretty tight budget, declares she would let the local utility shut off her electricity before shed do without her four-hour-a-week maid. (For more on the personal economics of hiring household help, read "Why it pays to hire help at home.")
7. Valet parking. Living in Los Angeles has convinced me that valets arent a ridiculous luxury. Yes, we go a little overboard; even the health clubs here have valets. Heaven forbid you should walk a few extra feet before getting on the treadmill.
But sometimes valet is just the ticket -- like when youre running late, or your spouse is wearing particularly high heels, or youre competing with 20 other people for that last parking spot at the mall during the Christmas rush. If somebody will stash your car for a few bucks, allowing you to sweep casually into the establishment without sweating or injuring an ankle, by all means take advantage.
Getting away with ease
8. Shipping luggage. On a recent trip to Seattle, our family stood in three separate lines: one to check in, one to check our luggage in and a third for security. You can just imagine how tolerant our toddler was with all the waiting. The only blessing was that all these lines were inside; at many overtaxed airports, like LAX, some of the lines trail outside onto sidewalks.
Contrast that to my most recent luggage-free flight: I printed out my boarding pass at home, went directly to security and (after a stop for a soft drink) made my leisurely way onto the plane.
If you cant squeeze everything you need into a carry-on -- and what family with small children can? -- consider shipping your luggage separately. Its not cheap, since door-to-door service for a 40-pound bag will cost you about $100 with Luggagefree.com ($2 per pound plus a $20 pick-up fee) and about $140 with a shipping service like DHL. But in these high-security days, it could be an investment in your sanity.
9. Dinners out. People tend to really overspend in this category, which is why money experts recommend big cuts in your restaurant budget when youre trying to save money.
But it can be nice occasionally to let someone else worry about cooking and cleaning up. Several posters on the Your Money message board said they made room in their budgets for a bite out once in a while.
For me this is a must, one poster wrote. There is nothing worth more than just going to a restaurant, sitting down to a nice meal that I did not have to make, and just sitting there enjoying it with my hubby. . . . It is our time, our quality time.
10. Mini-vacations. Speaking of quality time, a number of Your Money posters also voted for weekend getaways as a great way to reconnect with your family, your spouse or yourself -- and they dont have to cost a fortune.
An inexpensive motel room with a microwave can keep your lodging and food costs down. Camping is another option, and some folks even manage international getaways on a shoestring.
One poster who lives in New York recently took a cheap weekend vacation to Italy.
Airfare was a joke. Less than $200, the poster wrote. The poster stayed at a bed and breakfast in Rome for $80 a night, and enjoyed the ancient citys sights for a few leisurely days.
Vacations are essential, the poster added, and they don't have to break the bank.
Liz Pulliam Weston's column appears every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money. She also answers reader questions in the Your Money message board.
|
|
|
|
