What I'm Glad I Splurged on...coming from a bargain hunter.
The majority of the time, I’m all about getting the best deal. I hate paying full price for home decor items. And I’m usually willing to sacrifice getting exactly what I want for getting something similar that’s a much better deal. I often see something I love and then think, “How can I make this myself?” or google “Hacks for….(fill in the blank)” or try to find something similar at my local thrift store or TJ Maxx. There are, however, a few purchases we’ve made for our home that were costly but I don’t regret one bit. In fact I’m glad we splurged on these things instead of looking for a cheaper route….
Here’s what comes to mind:
#1 Our kitchen sink.
I can’t say enough how much I LOVE our sink. I wanted a white cast iron apron sink that was deep and had one big bowl with no divider in the middle. Kohler made ones that I loved but it was close to $1,000. I scowered the internet for a different sink, but couldn’t find anything significantly less that matched what I really wanted. Home Depot had sinks for $200 but I just couldn’t get excited about them. Our budget was tight but we had already invested a lot into our kitchen remodel and I didn’t want to get something that I’d want to replace in a year. So we bought the Kohler sink. It’s probably the most we’ve ever spent on ONE item in our home outside of our sofa (which is next on the list;). I felt guilty buying it and hoped I wouldn’t regret shelling out that much cash for a glorified dirty dish holder. Well let me tell me…it’s been 2.5 years and I love that sink as much as I did the day we got it! I’ve bathed my baby in it, washed clothes in it, and cleaned a million dirty dishes in it. It’s something that we use EVERY day. I love that it’s big and gives me room to put all my larger pots and cutting boards. I love that it has no divider and is completely open (perfect for bathing babies). I love that it’s an apron sink and when water splashes it just runs down the front of the sink and not on my cabinets. Because it’s something that gets used so frequently and in so many ways, I’m so glad I got what I really wanted. It was worth every penny.
#2 Our sofa.
When we were living in Southern California and I was working for an interior design shop, we got wholesale pricing on the custom furniture line that we sold- Lee Industries. We were trying to make ends meet, and paying over $2,000 per month for our small one-bedroom apartment right on the beach. But, through my job I learned about the value of good quality furniture- especially upholstery. Lee Industries is one of the only companies left that eight-way hand ties their springs together and hand sews all pieces custom to your specifications. After saving for months, we ended up shelling out over $1,500 for our sofa BUT we got a great quality piece that has served us well for close to 5 years (and will for years to come). I chose all the fabric myself, which I also loved because I know that it’s all free from flame retardants and other chemicals that a lot of upholstery is sprayed with. All the coverlets zip off and can be washed. The cushions are high quality and have remained plush after years of sitting on them (and guests crashing on the couch). It was a lot of money for us, but I’m so glad we spent it on something that we use and love everyday- our sofa.
#3 Sheets.
This is not something I would have said a couple years ago. I never knew the power of good sheets until Taylor bought me a Brooklinen sheet set for Mother’s Day a couple years ago. I remember thinking he was a little crazy for dropping that kind of money on sheets when you can pick up perfectly good ones from Target for $19.99. Well, I stand corrected. We spend almost half our lives sleeping so why not make it the best experience possible? We LOVE our Brooklinen sheets. You can actually spend thousands of dollars on sheets (how nuts is that?) but the ones that we have were a little over $100, which is still a total splurge to me! But worth every penny!
#4 our Built ins(Anything in our house that has helped us with storage and organization).
Everyone struggles with something right? Well in our house its storage. We live in 890 sq. feet, which is small to begin with, but considering our closets are about the size of a microwave and we have no pantry, coat closet, or garage we’ve really struggled with storage in our little farmhouse. Adding built ins in our living room has been a life changer. We went from having no storage in our living room to have space for books, games, toys, our tv and even some decor. Since we added our built-ins there are so many things that have a home now that just didn’t before. Anytime there’s something that you invest in ONCE and it continues to serve you again and again is usually worth the money. We’ve also invested in other good storage vessels like baskets, bins for under the bed, containers for our drawers, etc… All of that has been totally worth it! It helps us keep our life organized and that is money well spent.
#5 Artwork that I truly love.
I have few pieces of artwork in our home that I really love. A couple years ago for Christmas, instead of exchanging gifts, Taylor and I decided to get a small painting from an artist based out Laguna Beach (where we used to live) that we both really loved and appreciated. It was expensive for us at the time (we paid around $250 for a small piece) but it was something really special that we both treasure and reminds us of that time in our lives.
I’m also a shamless Sugarboo Designs fan (if you’re not familiar with them, check them out) and just LOVE their artwork. I’ve dropped a pretty penny on a couple of their pieces as well, but I look at them everyday and just love them. #noregrets
I have a hard time buying art from Hobby Lobby or Target because I really love having unique pieces that are special to our home hanging on the walls. It’s funny because most of the art in my home is either something I splurged on and just love OR something I got secondhand that it completely unique (which I also love).
#6 Good family Photos and photobooks.
I am so fortunate because my best friend in the whole world also happens to be an amazing photographer, She has provided our family with beautiful photos at a price that I never could have otherwise afforded. However, our family photos are something that I could never put a price on. They mean so much to me, The memories captured in these photos take me back to times that I can’t re-live but I treasure so much through our photos. Investing in family pictures is ALWAYS worth it! (Look her up you guys! @AGirlNamedLeney
We’re also splurged getting photos printed. I love Chatbook and try to make a new book every couple months of printed photos. I’ve just discovered over the years, that I rarely go back and look at pictures on my phone but I LOVE looking at the photo books we’ve had made (Hank loves it too!). I never hesitate to get pictures printed, because it’s just always worth the money.