Sometimes it's okay to spend money

I know I talk a lot about saving money, but I just wanted to let you know that it's okay to spend money sometimes too. I see it like this: if you can save money on things that don't really matter (laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, a can of green beans), you can spend that money that you would have spent on a more expensive item on something more important (lunch with friends, date with the husband, family outing).

For example, I never buy name brand food items. I always buy generic. I save a ton, especially since I shop at Aldi's. The one food item that I do splurge on is Schwann's unbreaded chicken breasts. It costs me $17-$20 a box (lasts me every 2 weeks). It's the most amazing chicken. I've tried frozen chicken breasts at an array of grocery stores and they all are gross! They're huge, gritty tasting, and have a lot of fat on them. Schwann's chicken breasts are the right size, no fat, and when cooked properly melts in your mouth. I didn't mean for this to turn into a yay for Schwann's post, I'll be honest I think 99% of their items are overpriced and you're paying for convience instead of quality but seriously the chicken is AWESOME!

Okay, enough about Schwann's. Why do I cook at home; breakfast, lunch, and dinner? To save money of course! It's so expensive to eat out, and cooking at home is healthier. I'm not saying that you should never ever go out to eat. I just like saving all kinds of money by eating at home, so then when an occasion should arise that I need to go out to eat (i.e. eating at an awesome restaurant with a group of girl friends on their outside terrace), it becomes special and enjoyable and I don't fill bad handing over $30 for a 3 hour lunch.

Sometimes it's important to spend a few cents or a few dollars more for certain items. Sometimes generic just doesn't cut it. Although I strongly believe all generic food tastes just as good as the name brand food. I think it's just in the way you cook it. Here are a few things I think you shouldn't skimp on...

Crayons/Markers. Seriously, Crayola is the best! They are the best quality and they don't break/dry up as quickly as the generic. Spend the extra 10cents and pick up Crayola over generic. It'll end up being the better deal in the long run.

Sneakers. There are all kinds of brand of sneakers out there. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Don't buy them for looks, buy them for performance. Nathan (who does a butt load of running daily) suggests Reebok Zigtech (It's his new running shoe for the moment) he also likes New Balance and Aisc. I do a lot of walking and cardio and I really like my aiscs. They're light, good support, and look good. I got them on sale for around $70.

Trash bags. I used to buy the cheapest ones I could find, then wonder why my trash was smelly. Then the straps would always break or something would poke threw and leak. I haven't had that problem with my Glad ForceFlex.

Jewelry. Cheap jewelry turns your skin green or can cause irritation. It usually breaks quickly or tarnishes. I'm not saying everyone needs to run out and buy only diamonds. Just look for good quality jewelry.

Clothing. I'm not talking about kid's clothing because we all know that they will stain it and grow out of it within months (you should always buy kids clothing at consignment shops, good will, on sale). I'm talking about women's clothing. We should all have a few articles of clothing that is good quality (meaning we're going to pay more) that will last us years. I think a good pair of jeans is critical! You can dress jeans up or they can be casual. I'm pretty tall and I find if I buy a less expensive pair of jeans, they shrink up on me. Again, look for quality. A jacket (denim, khaki, dressy, whatever you like) can be used for all seasons and again can be casual or dressy. A white shirt. Something about a crisp white shirt (collar and buttons) just makes you look pulled together. A pair of khaki pants. They look dressy than jeans so you can wear them to church or work functions. Black dress slacks or black skirt. All these things are basics and can be paired up with a less expensive shirt. I think it's important to have good quality basic items in your wardrobe to be prepared for any occasion.

Alright my ADD is starting to kick in so I can't write anymore. Let me know what you think it's okay to spend a few extra dollars on.