Another one here for the weekly cleaners - $90. Husband and I even had a weekly cleaner when we were both unemployed, though that was in Europe where services are cheaper. I would give up many things, e.g. car and eating out, before the cleaning service.

I love coming home to a pristine home once a week. Makes me feel in control! I don't mind tidying but I absolutely hate cleaning - always takes so much longer than I anticipate and it builds resentment in my marriage because my husband has a higher dirt tolerance than I do. So is it still a splurge if it saves money on therapy and marital counseling??

Trip by myself to Hedonism

Apartment in Manhattan

12 Summer house in Hamptons

Mansion in Potomac

My BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, Jeep, Denali

My beachhouse

My front row sideline NFL PSLs

My three trips to Beaches Turks and Caicos

Some of our travel. I never traveled as a kid and taking my child on spring break trips feels like an outrageous splurge, but we've had some wonderful times. All in US, and not super expensive like some of the trips I hear about, but definitely beyond what I knew growing up.

Anonymous wrote:Good food. I love fresh berries, so I buy them all year. Real maple syrup. Real cheese from the cheese shop. We only use 15yr + balsamic from Zingerman’s. Honey and eggs from local farms. I buy jam from Sqirl. I get bread fresh at a bakery. I buy birthday cakes from a real bakery, not Safeway, even for a bunch of 3yr olds. We use Kerrygold butter and Maldon salt. I make my kids cookies with Droste cocoa and valharona chocolate.

I’d rather eat a little of something amazing than a bit of something blah.

Why buy birthday cakes anywhere rather than making them yourself?

Anonymous wrote:Private schools for both kids
$10-12k worth vacations every year
Weekly in home massages
Perrier
Kombucha - we spend $250 every month and can’t stop. Tried making at home twice and didn’t work.
Dirty dozen produce bought organic
Lawn work
Lawn treatments
Routine house maintenance
My high end suv
DH’s Tesla
Bi weekly cleaning service
Monthly meal at true food kitchen - lol for the quantity this really hurts at $100 for 4 people no booze. And we eat out twice a week.

Home schooling for many years so no income over 10 yrs. Will have only worked 15 yrs when I retire since so many years spent on expensive education. We don’t make much but both kids will go to in state public and will do a combo of aid and loans. We lived frugally till house was paid off.

I think you should be focusing on the college issue - even more so than spending on private school now. You say you are counting on public - just be aware that getting into instate or OOS state public universities has become extremely competitive. Yes, your children can go to community college and then try for a transfer, but please looks at the stats now for what it takes to get into instate MD, CA and VA public schools. You might be surprised. you also say you don't make much but FAFSA and the state universities might think otherwise so federal loan availability might be more limited than you think. We received no merit aid for our 3 kids other than the minimum FAFSA loan of $5500. You say you will do a "combo of aid and loans" but you should start calculating now what you realistically might be offered Check out the school's financial aid calculators and look at the FAFSA facts. Financial aid goes to the most needy. We received none. Your access to federal student loans may also be limited which means you will be trying to obtain bank loans at higher rates of interest and putting up collateral. Finally, merit money is offered only where it makes sense. The state universities have few merit programs and many are directed at URM, low-income, international and first-generation students. The only two merit scholarships my DC were offered ($26,000) came from small LACS you've never heard of who wanted his ACT score - instate public was still cheaper than the LAC. We were fortunate to get all three into in-state universities but the statistics for getting are rapidly changing because families look at the $65K to $85K of SLACs and say "no way" and apply state. Finally, homeschooled children sometimes have difficulty getting into college (there was a thread on that topic by a family that did not prepare in "College" about six months ago). Good luck.

Verizon FIOS

Vacation home in the mountains = so many great memories with the children built up over more than a decade. Also, I keep the pool warm because it helps early arthritis.

New Dyson vacuum. Best purchase EVER!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tutors and prep classes for 3 kids who went to MCPS magnet schools and are in STEM fields now. Allowed us to not pay for private schools and live in a beautiful house that was very affordable in a fantastic area with not-so great public schools.

Lots of non-magnet kids in STEM fields. Unless they got serious scholarship money to a top university and are now rising stars in their fields, you’re not seeing a return on that investment.

What are you babbling about? There are many more unfilled job opportunities in STEM fields than non-STEM fields. A few tutors is a small price to pay.

This.

Magnet programs are rigorous and are well worth the effort to get in. You also get a better education than private schools (in our experience) without the price tag.

We saved money on private schools, kids got thousands of dollars in merit scholarships, and they were able to get admitted to rigorous and high paying STEM fields in college and able to handle it. They have well paying jobs and their lifetime earning potential is pretty good. All at the initial investment in K-12 education per child of > $3K. The monetary ROI is phenomenal, I cannot even begin to calculate how this education it will benefit their own families for years to come.

There is no bigger wealth than education.

Anonymous wrote:A lot super messy people in this thread

maybe we just have better things to do with our time than scrub and the means to make that choice.

Good food. I love fresh berries, so I buy them all year. Real maple syrup. Real cheese from the cheese shop. We only use 15yr + balsamic from Zingerman’s. Honey and eggs from local farms. I buy jam from Sqirl. I get bread fresh at a bakery. I buy birthday cakes from a real bakery, not Safeway, even for a bunch of 3yr olds. We use Kerrygold butter and Maldon salt. I make my kids cookies with Droste cocoa and valharona chocolate.

I’d rather eat a little of something amazing than a bit of something blah.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tutors and prep classes for 3 kids who went to MCPS magnet schools and are in STEM fields now. Allowed us to not pay for private schools and live in a beautiful house that was very affordable in a fantastic area with not-so great public schools.

Lots of non-magnet kids in STEM fields. Unless they got serious scholarship money to a top university and are now rising stars in their fields, you’re not seeing a return on that investment.

What are you babbling about? There are many more unfilled job opportunities in STEM fields than non-STEM fields. A few tutors is a small price to pay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I came here to say I use the most expensive toilet paper as an everyday spurge, but after reading about safaris etc.. I guess I'm one of the poors. My tp makes me feel rich though.

Yet this splurge TP interests me more than a safari. Pls share the details.

I also buy good tp and soap. I grew up poor using the rough one-ply and a harsh soap called ironically enough Lux.

Anonymous wrote:Tutors and prep classes for 3 kids who went to MCPS magnet schools and are in STEM fields now. Allowed us to not pay for private schools and live in a beautiful house that was very affordable in a fantastic area with not-so great public schools.

Lots of non-magnet kids in STEM fields. Unless they got serious scholarship money to a top university and are now rising stars in their fields, you’re not seeing a return on that investment.

A lot super messy people in this thread