Comments on: Musings On Spending $3 On A Candy Bar

By: WilliamB

WilliamB — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:44:51 +0000

Hi. I’m WilliamB and I’m a chocoholic.

As a chocoholic, I’ve tried a lot of different chocolates and chocolate bars (dark, always dark). Chocolove makes a superb product. Since the only excuse for chocolate is it tastes good, I go for the good stuff. Interestingly, I noticed that the better the chocolate, the less I eat of it. I don’t know if it balances out financially but it’s certainly better for my health.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:15:07 +0000

Exactly! These small moments are the really important ones.

I like how you stressed the emotional and logical parts of this story. If you had been driven by negative emotion and made your family unhappy while sharing it, this would be a whole ‘nother story/memory. For example, being upset if someone chewed it instead of savoring, taking big pieces, etc.

Realizing that it is OK to spend a high amount like $3 for a little bit of chocolate also appeased the logical side. You are aware of things enough to realize that you are not making a habit of this…which, as you highlighted, reduces your enjoyment factor, not increases it.

By: Seasongs

Seasongs — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:53:04 +0000

My husband is a wonderful person. He is optimistic and kind, yet knows the value of debt-free living. Balance is the key. When we consider spending money on something “extra” (anything from a chocolate bar, a ridiculously cheap cruise, or a meal out), and I say “We can’t afford to do this” he will consider everything and then often say, “We can’t afford NOT to.” And he’s right. My fondest memories are of walking a teak deck at sea; not adding $500 more to our savings account.

By: Sabrina's Money Matters

Sabrina's Money Matters — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:12:13 +0000

I love those moments, I read your article on the Nintendo Wii, and having never been a gamer previously, even I have to say that the Wii is awesome for creating family fun.

The time spent doing happy dances and getting pep talks are all worth it for the memories.

By: jana

jana — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 01:11:22 +0000

good post, i agree that sometimes an “expensive” little thing can be really worth it – when you savour it, of course.

what i do these days is that i am pretty much frugal “normally” and then – when travelling or something – go and enjoy things like this (so i went abroad this month where i bought some costume jwelery (which i have spent about 6 pounds sterling on) knowing it will be a “souvenirů and every time i wear that pendant i will know it is “a pendat from the nice place i have visited). (also had a latte at starbucks several times, and enjoyed every sip of it!)

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:40:52 +0000

budgeting is so you can spend money. i’m beginning to think people believe that saving and budgeting means you can’t spend. there’s no frivolty in spending money when you have it. of course, there are always opportunity costs. sometimes you have to just eat a $3 candy bar.

By: FamilyFinanceBlog

FamilyFinanceBlog — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:36:42 +0000

Thanks for sharing a special family moment. It really is impossible to put a price on those moments, and you never know when they are going to happen. But I think overall, you really got your $3 worth! My wife is working on teaching me about that – making sure we splurge on little things occasionally to see what happens.

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:55:53 +0000

This morning I bought some chocolate from the company vending machine, which is not something I normally do (twice in four years, I think). But there was an amusement factor in it, and it was relatively cheap amusement.

By: Pam

Pam — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:12:31 +0000

What is frugality all about? I think it is turning off lights, setting the thermostat a little lower (or higher as the case may be), cooking your own food instead of eating out all the time and using the money you save to build personal wealth.

If you can’t enjoy an indulgence, then I consider that being a cheapskate, rather than frugal.

By: sfordinarygirl

sfordinarygirl — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:31:00 +0000

I have that same battle internally with whether to splurge or not on ice cream. or pastries. I was in a different neighborhood this month and came across a specialty ice cream store – it was a constant battle in my head whether or not to buy a scoop. It’s local and made organically with the most unique flavors – salted caramel. So I went ahead and got myself a scoop. It was more than worth the $3 for a large scoop of fresh ice cream.

By: Brip Blap

Brip Blap — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:53:14 +0000

I think you’re exactly right in this post and exactly wrong. You could probably have had the same experience with a $1 candy bar, or a homemade cookie, right? But at the same time, if the moment seizes you, go with it. If it isn’t a pattern, you can forgive yourself. Life is made of plenty of precious moments when you have a toddler, and I don’t think you’ll regret that $3, ever.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:57:20 +0000

It’s true. When I buy chocolate bars (I just balk at saying candy bar; it’s a purely American term and my fellow Canadians would make fun of me, and it makes me think of KitKats and other inferior forms of chocolate byproducts) – it’s usually $2.50 to $4.00. Several reasons. 1, I am a chocolate snob and can’t abide lesser forms of chocolate (and mostly can’t eat it anyway, being dairy-free and all) so it’s only good quality dark chocolate for this girl! and 2, I try to buy fair-trade wherever it’s possible. I don’t mind forking out a bit extra so that the Guatemalan lady from whom it originated can feed her kids a bit better.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:58:51 +0000

I think it’s important to have a category set aside in the budget for expenses such as these, so you don’t feel guilty for any one small purchase. That way, you get to enjoy the experiences at the same time as being financially responsible.

By: kim

kim — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:58:18 +0000

I love this post! Being frugal isn’t about self denial, its about making deliberate decisions with money. Earlier this year I took my family on a wonderful vacation to Disney World. We are already planning our next vacation. Travel is not sensible or frugal. We have structured our lives so that we can afford the luxeries that are important to us: 1) saving 15% of my husbands income for retirement, 2) me staying home with our three children, and 3) travel. In exchange for these luxuries, we live in a small inexpensive home, drive inexpensive used cars, buy clothing at thrift sores and make most of our meals from scratch. I have lots of family members with big homes and designer homes that spend money like sprinklers – a lots of small streams going everywhere. They are all shake their heads when we travel. I know they think we can’t afford it based on our standard of living. I love to shock them by telling them that we pay cash for our trips!

By: Farley

Farley — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:49:56 +0000

How do you stop it from becoming routine? That is what I struggle with. If an activity is fun we tend to do it more, and more then at some point it is no longer special. I just don’t seem to be able to find the magic point it crosses the line.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:33:28 +0000

This is an awesome post and really hits the nail on the head! The little splurge is special because it really is a splurge — not just a daily routine waste of money. You put it all very well!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:01:33 +0000

I also have trouble going back and forth between wanting to spend money and wanting to save it. I hear things like “a dollar saved is two dollars earned” from “The Wealthy Barber”, and so I should save my money. But I also like to stop and get ice cream or go out to eat every once in a while…and many times the money I spend is spent along with friends or family, so I am building memories, too. I guess it is just that as long as you only try “splurge” on an ice cream sundae or a fancy dinner or concert or something every once in a while, it’s a little bit more okay to do.

By: Cat's Staff

Cat's Staff — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:50:39 +0000

I just found a deal on ramen noodles for 10 for a dollar….$3 would buy a months worth of dinners. But it was probably still worth it.

By: sunny

sunny — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:35:21 +0000

I think this is why it is good to have some blow money in the budget. It makes it possible to enjoy these simple pleasures, without breaking the budget. The balance is in planning for the splurge.

By: Conner Downey

Conner Downey — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:58:58 +0000

I would have made a comment say you other think things and make things boring in life, but then I finished the post. I was thinking about how I buy a slurpee once a week, and that’s 1.75, but I like it too much to do the math and make me feel guilty.

I think that seeing how much stuff adds up in the future puts too much stress on me just enjoying things, so I won’t be doing that.