We get this question a ton, and although it’s completely one of those varies-by-every-scenario things (we might splurge on one mirror because we love it and can’t find anything like it for less, but then save on another mirror because we fall in love with it for $5 at a yard sale), we thought we could attempt to answer it as simply as we could. With a junkload of words and bullets and lists. You know how we do.
Of course the words “splurge” and “save” can have wildly different definitions according to the individual. For example, one person might consider a splurge to be hiring out some custom built-ins to the tune of $5,000 or embarking on a 50K kitchen renovation while we might consider a splurge to be buying hardwoods for our entire upstairs while laying them ourselves to save money, or creating $360 built-ins with retrofitted wooden drawer bases instead of getting a $50 thrift store dresser and calling it a day.
On the flip side, someone might think that saving means using only what you have or buying only secondhand items while we might consider a wider range of big-box offerings to be in the save category, so it really is one of those open-to-interpretation subjects. But without further ado, please allow me to get listy…
So far in our new house, we’ve splurged on:
- Hardwood floors throughout the second floor
- Upgraded slate-like roof
- A pretty extensive sunroom renovation
- Hiring a professional to level the yard for us
- Upgraded doorknobs instead of spray painting the old pitted gold ones
- Adding two Nest thermostats (we have two heating/cooling systems, one on each floor)
- Choosing upgraded furnishings (like a Restoration Hardware table, a West Elm dresser, two $300 dressers-turned-built-ins for the nursery, etc)
- Hanging extra thick crown molding (which we still want to add to the guest room and the upstairs hallway after doing it in Clara’s room and the nursery)
- Buying upgraded light fixtures (in the kitchen and the foyer so far)
- Adding a Dash & Albert runner to the stairs
- Planting a few large privacy trees in the backyard
- Choosing upgraded laundry appliances with a few new features we thought we’d use/enjoy
Of course a few of these things fall on some sort of blurry line between saving and splurging. For example, we got our Restoration Hardware table for 70% off, so some people might put that in the “save column” along with the West Elm dresser that we bought using money we got from craigslisting other items instead of digging into our savings at all. Some projects also seem sort of hybrid, like the stair runner update (we splurged for a Dash & Albert runner, but installed it ourselves to save cash – and we hired someone to level our yard, but then we seeded all the grass ourselves, again to save in that arena). So it’s not all so cut and dry. And the same is true for the save list.
So far we’ve saved on:
- Painting countless walls, ceilings, and trim/baseboard/molding ourselves (in general everything on this list involves remedying simple cosmetic issues with sweat equity)
- Refreshing the grout in our foyer (best $12 I ever spent)
- Rejuvenating the existing wood floors downstairs (another huge bang for hardly any bucks)
- Finding four $15 kitchen chairs at a thrift store
- Painting our existing six-panel interior doors instead of replacing them
- Removing all the wallpaper in five rooms ourselves (this was free, but it sure wasn’t easy)
- Stripping and then resealing & staining our deck
- Phase one updates in the bedroom sink nook (like removing the old carpeting, stenciling the floor, getting a larger mirror, updating the existing vanity, etc)
- Phase one updates in the kitchen (like painting and staining the existing cabinets, hanging inexpensive Ikea shelves, moving the cabinet over the fridge forward, switching out the heavy over-the-stove microwave for a cheap craigslist vent hood, etc)
- Phase one updates in the downstairs powder room (like painting the existing vanity and hanging a new mirror, adding some art and a new thrift store light, etc)
- Closet and organizational updates that we could do ourselves with some time/effort but not too much money (like the toy closet, our in-progress pantry, etc)
- Playful kid room updates (like Clara’s raindrop wall & bright pink closet door, her lit canopy, and her wall o’ fun)
Some things helped us splurge in other areas, like a home warranty that made our new furnace free – or our upgraded roof, which we got with money that we got back at closing. In general our saving or splurging method can roughly be summarized as our way of playing the long game in certain areas, while opting just to make some affordable in-the-meantime updates to rooms that were formerly extremely frown-inducing that we knew we could improve for a small amount of loot and elbow grease instead of living with them for years as-is. Like our bathroom, which we eventually plan to expand into a separate sink-nook area, to create one big space in a few years after we have enough cash saved up for a full renovation.
It would probably make for more blog fodder if we went room to room doing Phase One and then redid each space with a Phase Two makeover, but we’re trying to invest time and money into more permanent solutions from the get-go in as many spaces as we can afford to do so, since we plan to be here long-term. So while we love easy & inexpensive Phase 1 updates for areas that are extra pricey to renovate (like kitchens and bathrooms, especially when we’re not sure what we want to do with their layouts just yet), if we know what we want and have the money on hand for a space like a nursery that we hope will grow into accommodating a much older child (or like our recently renovated sunroom) it’s exciting to work towards that end-vision from the start. Psst – Here’s a post with a bunch of info about how we approach Phase 1 changes so they’re not a waste of money and time.
And just because I like lists a little too much, I thought I’d pepper in a few possible future splurges and saves that are on our minds.
Possible future splurges:
- New kitchen appliances (we’d also like to upgrade to a gas stove down the line)
- Adding a gas insert to the living room fireplace
- More exterior updates like privacy plantings
- More upgraded furnishings, light fixtures, and window treatments as we go
- Eventual bathroom and kitchen renovations, full of thoughtful choices that we hope to love long-term
- Adding cabinetry/built-ins to spaces like our office, the closet niche in our upstairs hallway, etc
- Converting our kitchen windows into french doors that lead out to our deck
- Eventually finishing off the unfinished storage room to make a bunk-room/media room for older kiddos
Possible future saves:
- Doing as much wall removal ourselves as we can (both the bathroom wall and the kitchen wall we want to take down aren’t load bearing)
- Doing other major projects like installing heated tile ourselves
- Creating custom cabinetry in spaces like our office and upstairs hallway niche
- Tackling a bunch of transplanting, mulching, and landscaping projects that we can DIY
- Other cosmetic updates like painting the rest of the house’s trim/walls/ceilings
- Making more energy efficient updates to save us money as we go (more LEDs, adding insulation, etc)
- Reusing our old kitchen cabinets in the garage to create free storage and a workshop space
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the things we’d like to do (you can check out one of those here), but we hope it sort of shows the balance going on in our minds. In other words, although we plan to be in this house for decades, we’re not splurging on everything. There are still a bunch of ways to make affordable choices that we’ll hopefully be really happy with for the long run. But when it comes to things that we might regret (or might have to buy twice if we’re not happy with the first purchase), we’re trying to relegate those to extremely small, low-risk things (like a $30 faucet or range hood that we can later craigslist for the same amount that we bought it for).
If you’re stuck wondering if you should splurge or save on something, asking yourself these four questions might help:
#1. How long will you live with it? We try to make what we spend relate to how long we’ll live with something. So for example, if we’re choosing something like hardwoods or tile, we’re a lot more likely to spend over a thousand dollars for that material. Meanwhile if we’re planning to renovate a bathroom or kitchen in a few years after we have more money saved up, we’d never sink 1K into that interim update, and we’re much more likely to save with simple inexpensive updates like paint, wallpaper removal, and a few new accessories. On the flip side, our sunroom update wasn’t interim – we were spending money in there and making big changes that we hope to enjoy for decades (tiling, lofting the ceiling, adding tongue and groove planks overhead, getting two fans installed to cool it more efficiently), so for the sake of that room we wanted to do it once and do it right. Same for the roof, and with our hardwoods, for example.
#2. How much will it affect my day and how I live? This is an example of how you might want to upgrade to a deep soaker tub if you’re a bath person but skip that splurge if you’re not. For us getting a Nest was a big indulgence, because we love the energy-saving aspect of it (which truly does save us money) but most of all we love that we can turn it up or down from bed on our phones if we’re hot or cold. It feels luxurious to us, and we use those extra features like auto-away and phone-adjustment very regularly. So it feels like a worthy splurge.
#3. How much wear will this take? If it will take a lot, a splurge, or at least a very well researched buy is important. You wouldn’t want a cheap rickety table in your kitchen if you have a busy family who eats three meals a day there, so you’d probably want to save for something more solid, reliable, and well constructed. Other examples of a splurge for something that gets a lot of daily wear might be a good toilet (we hear people rave about how their Toto changed their life) or an awesome oven if you bake every day. There can definitely be exceptions to this rule though. For example, we have loved our Karlstad sofa, and was a great deal (a lot cheaper than many of the splurge sofas that we compared it to). Doing research, like reading about others who had it, sitting on it multiple times, and picking their most durable cover, definitely helped to make it a purchase that had the best chance of sticking around.
#4. Does a certain visual effect rest heavily on this choice? Say you have an inspiration image of the dream bedroom you’ve always wanted and two things that define that room are full gorgeous curtain panels and thick chunky curtain rods. In this case you could save on wall paint and inexpensive accessories like pillows and decorative objects but if you cheap out and get thin curtain rods and wimpy looking curtains you’ll probably never be happy with your “take” on the space. So in the case of coveting a room with very specific features, like an amazing rough-hewn coffee table, I would save on other less specific items in the room, and splurge on whatever makes (or could break) that space.
So there you have it. One big splurge vs. save brain-dump on a Wednesday morning. Have you guys noticed any pattern when it comes to what you save up for and where you try to cut corners in the name of DIY? Have you splurged and saved on the same item (bought one pricey dresser after finding a steal of a deal on craigslist for another room?). That can make for a nice balance, so we like to keep an open mind whenever we can.
Debbie C says
Love this post, thanks for those last four tips/questions!
YoungHouseLove says
Of course Debbie, glad you liked it!
xo
s
Melissa@TheChicDream says
I have had a hard time adjusting to the idea that I need to make inexpensive updates while I save up for a major redo down the road. I get my mind set on how I really want it to be and I feel like I am settling. I finally had to acknowledge that if I don’t make it look nice for now, then I’m going to be living with something that I think is hideous for too long. You guys have really helped me realize that’s ok to update a house in stages and I am so glad I’ve started. I am already enjoying the results!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad Melissa! All the best with everything!
xo
s
Rachel says
A random question perhaps – but how have your “rejuvenated” floors held up? Our hardwoods are in pretty pitiful shape, but we don’t want to replace or completely refinish them as we only plan to live in our current house for a few years. The reviews are so mixed for Rejuvenate – I’d love to hear how yours are doing!
YoungHouseLove says
Ours are still looking awesome and it has been 8 months!
xo
s
Annette says
We’re in the process of slowly upgrading our college/shared apartment cheap household items.
Best buys over the last years: All of them practical, none of them just pretty. And all of them make for easier/better living.
1. Everything bed-related! In order of appearance:
– new pillows (not so splurgy but a definite improvement to the old clumpy ones
– One huge duvet for both of us instead of 2 separate smaller, standard-sized duvets.
– Definite splurge: A new high-quality mattress for an insane amount of money. But our sleep is so.much.better now.
– Nice, but not too much of a splurge: A new bed to go with the slightly wider mattress – bought from ikea for a reasonable price. After a dely in delivery and sleeping with the mattress on the floor for 3 weeks I really was able to appreciate it, though,
2. Our new washer/dryer 2-in-1-machine. We didn’t have room for a dryer, drying the washing on a stand in the living room made for a high risk of mold, our washer was a 20-year-old hand-me-down that had the clothing smelly even after washing… I have no Idea why we didn’t upgrade earlier. I’m so happy about this machine and it wasn’t THAAAAT expensive after all. Not compared to the new ease in doing the laundry.
3. An IKEA VÄRDE base cabinet – http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/14631607/ – gives so much more storage but most of all so much more workspace in our crappy kitchen.
Things we currently make to with:
1. Our crappy Kitchen – it’s hand-me-down, it doesn’t really fit the room, the appliances are old but while they still work, there’s no real point in getting a built in kitchen-unit while living in a rental apartment. We’ll splurge on that when we go and buy our own apartment some day.
2. Our cheap and too-few chairs. Having guests over is a bit tricky but it works for now. Still looking out for our perfect chairs, we don’t want to rush it and end up with a compromise no one likes.
YoungHouseLove says
Love the lists guys! Thanks so much for sharing!
xo
s
Rachel says
My default is to save on most things, and my husband’s is to splurge, especially when it’s something he thinks I will like. For example, we had to replace our stove. I was fine with a basic coil-top white stove (needed white to match appliances), and he insisted that we at least needed a smooth top. Then, when it came to actually buying one, he even got a convection oven which is something we definitely didn’t need. I love that he likes to spoil me, but sometimes I wish he wouldn’t, especially because somehow he’s also the one who worries most about money!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, it’s sweet that he likes to spoil you.
xo
s
Lisa E says
It is sweet that he likes too spoil you. Often they’re more practical, sometimes to a fault! :)
Allison says
Every time you post a picture of your foyer I salivate (TMI?). I just love it so much, it’s so bright and beautiful! That light fixture makes all the difference in the room and if that were in my house I’d be sad that I couldn’t spend more time sitting in that room.
Is this totally weird that I’m obsessed with your foyer?
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet! Come sit in our foyer anytime ;)
xo
s
Ros says
We splurge based on presumed use, basically. Is this something we use multiple times a day/week? Is this something we’ll notice every time if we DON’T do it? Is this something that doesn’t cost a huge amount but feels really luxurious? Real-life examples of that: our fridge is one of those freezer-on-the-bottom models, and I LOVE it – it was about 200$ more than the alternative. We’re currently putting together house plans for the house we’re building next year, and we’ve included a fireplace, heated floors in the bathroom, and a large 2-person walk-in shower and a large tub, because those are things that make us both feel like we’re living the life. Also, seriously: heated tile floors is something we’d notice NOT having every time we get out of the shower in cold weather, and we live in Quebec (enough said!). It’s worth the splurge!
YoungHouseLove says
I love that! Feeling like you’re living the life = awesome.
xo
s
Dianne says
Another random question. When looking at your Colour boxes from LL, I would love to know your color. It isn’t too red, too dark — but warm and lovely. Would you kindly share?
Thank you for sharing the information in today’s post. Great description of your resource allocations — all personal choice, but so appreciate you sharing yours.
How’s Burger – haven’t seen him in a while?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Dianne! Burger’s great (he seems to sleep all the time when it’s winter but occasionally comes out to bark and eat, haha). As for the hardwood color, here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2013/05/would-wood-we-do/
xo
s
Ava says
I’m very jealous of the 71 degrees on the thermostat! Due to the propane/gas shortage in the midwest we have had ours at 55-60 the last few weeks. But, prices are going down so the end is in sight!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Hope you guys are toasty warm soon!
xo
s
Joy G says
We are slooooowly updating/renovating our home (we’ve been here almost a year now) and have used lots of the same processes for deciding splurge or save.
My favorite splurge so far has been the Pittsburgh Paints “Grand Distinction Paint & Primer in 1” paint from Menards. We were skeptical, but one of the paint department employees convinced us to try it and we will never go back–it has saved us money on primer and countless hours!
We also have a bathroom in our house that is bare-bones (no drywall, no toilet, etc) and we haven’t even touched it because we know when we do it we don’t want a “phase 1” and “phase 2”–we want to live with it for a long time. Thankfully it’s the bathroom up by the kids’ room and we don’t have any kids that can go by themselves yet, so we’ve got some time to save up before diving into that project.
On the flip side, we saved on curtains by having my MIL rework some that we got for free and saved on our laminate flooring by buying on sale with our tax refund last year.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that! Oh man, we remember the days of tax refunds and they’re awesome (since being freelancers we always owe a little instead, which is not nearly as much fun!).
xo
s
Dana Leigh says
I bought my first house four years ago and I would love to do renovations to the typical areas – kitchen and bathrooms. But One thing I struggle with (other than being a huge penny pincher)is worrying about if I will get that money back that I “invested” when I sell the place (especially because I don’t have a second income from a significant other). I have the money saved but just can’t make the move, LOL. Do you guys think about that and does it effect your decisions on what you ultimately do to the house?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s definitely smart to think about resale and try not to over-improve a house for the neighborhood if you’re not planning to be there for a long time. I would recommend chatting with a realtor to see what updates they’re recommending that people do (sometimes they tell people “to sell faster or for top dollar, it pays to change out laminate counters” so then you can use that info to make updates that make you love the house more in the meantime, and can be recouped when it comes to resale :)
xo
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Linda says
To a point, I don’t think you can count ever on fully recouping what you spend on, let’s say, counter tops, dollar for dollar.
However, you do have to figure what not remodeling would cost as well, in perhaps potential buyers walking right by a place due to laminate counters in an area where granite is now considered ‘standard’.
I agree with Sherry to consult with a realtor to find out what would be considered ‘over improving’ – but also figure out what makes your home more enjoyable to you as well. Maybe not a dollar amount, but living with stuff you love is a wonderful benefit.
YoungHouseLove says
Great point Linda!
xo
s
Nora says
My big splurge will be redoing the cabinets and drawer fronts in my kitchen…some are warped or badly damaged so I don’t think painting them will do. Have you ever looked into this or done it? Cheaper than replacing it all but then they have to paint the exposed parts of the boxes and panels etc. Hmm. Would love some advice.
YoungHouseLove says
Has anyone looked into this or had this done? We priced out new doors in our last kitchen instead of just painting the ones we had but it was a lot of money (nearly as much as an entirely new Ikea kitchen). Would love if there are better options these days though, since that was a few years ago!
xo
s
Wrenaria says
I’m still renting at this point, so I don’t splurge on anything that isn’t transferable or that I’m not 100% sure I’d still love even in a completely different space.
I splurged on a proper bed frame (west elm mid-century) because I knew it was “the one” and is classic enough that the room could completely change styles around it and it’d still be lovely. I also splurged on a living room chair (west elm) after our ancient thrift store one literally was falling apart (I hated that chair, haha) because a comfortable chair can work in various spaces. I’ve splurged on a few lamps that were too pretty to miss out on (anthropologie). I did wait for sales or coupons for all of them though! I try to be a responsible splurger, haha.
Instead of buying a couch that fits this temporary space, I saved by getting a new cover for the existing futon that my man bought back in college (will be soooo exciting to replace that someday). I painted a thrifted dresser that had great lines instead of buying new. We make hand-me-downs work and I hunt down great thrifted pieces or discounted treasures from Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Overstock/Tuesday Morning. Frame inexpensive prints or paint my own art. Etc.
I’m all for over time upgrades that don’t break the bank. Always looking for sale. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Love hearing from you guys on this subject! It’s fun to see how we all cut corners in some ways and go all out in others.
xo
s
Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says
I love hearing what other people’s priorities and comfort-levels are with house spending. I’m a renter but the one thing I have splurged on is my firm memory foam mattress. I thank myself for it every night! Haha. So worth the $900 and MORE.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh, sounds nice!
xo
s
Isabel says
Every day hubbie and I realize there’s so much we can do ourselves, that we have been able to keep costs down and splurge on things we really want for the long haul, i.e., a new sofa, new bedroom furniture, a small lawn tractor and specific decor items, like a nice rug. MInd you, in the last year or so I have pretty much forgone clothes shopping, crafts shopping and pretty much any other shopping that isn’t related to the house, so it balances out. Working out of the house still means we spend a lot on transportation – my husband pretty much drives for a living – and food, but we try to keep those costs down in favor of what we really like. It’s all a balancing act in the end though and definitely all relative!
Laurie says
It’s hard to splurge sometimes because the unknown big costs can be scary. Looming on the horizon like that. But if I try to be logical, just as you have laid out here, then I can generally see where the money is well spent. Then it doesn’t seem like a splurge.
Plus, if you can do something to offset the cost, like install it yourself or recycle other pieces of furniture to offset the cost of an expensive piece, it feels like it evens out in the end.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart way to think about it!
xo
s
Teresa @ wherelovemeetslife says
I realy appreciate that you guys are not planning all of your upgrades and projects by blog fodder. Just the normal stuff you do is blog fodder enough. It also makes the work you guys do more realistic and “doable” for the rest of us.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Teresa!
xo
s
KimberJ says
We splurge on art and save on everything else :)
kathy says
what home warranty company do you use? i have had one in the past but heard so many horror stories we don’t currently have one.
YoungHouseLove says
Ours was called Old Republic. They’re regional I think though, so I’d check if they do your area.
xo
s
Jessi Haag says
Hi Sherry!
I have a question about your sofa. I know you guys love it and have had it for a while now. We’re thinking about getting a new sofa and going from a light-colored one, to dark. We have a dog (two actually), too, but no children. What are your thoughts on dark vs. light?
YoungHouseLove says
We have really liked having the dark sivik gray cover since it’s thick, like denim. Burger’s claws can pull certain fabrics but it’s woven nice and tightly, and it’s washable, and the dark color hides stains.
xo
s
Nikki K. says
I bought the Novogratz table (with drawers) from CB2. I did wait until it went on sale and used a code for free delivery… But I definitely still consider it a splurge!! But then I bought 6 dining room chairs on craigslist/garage sales ( all with upholstered seats, all different but for less than $25) to spray paint/reupholster the same color the second it’s Spring! The problem is picking the color!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome! Love the balance.
xo
s
Sara says
I always love your budget posts! It’s just good to hear ideas of what other people are doing. And it’s also good to keep it all in perspective! Sometimes saving isn’t saving if you have to pay more often. You guys seem to have a great balance!
:)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sara!
xo
s
Amy A says
I’d love to see a post on the benefits of using “fancy” name brand paint (like Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams). That always seems like such a splurge to me. I usually go with Olympic (no-VOC kind) from Lowes, but I wonder if the pricier paint is worth it?
YoungHouseLove says
That would be a fun post! We just heard for years (literally, years) “if you try Benjamin Moore paint you’ll never go back to the thinner cheaper stuff” and we tried it about 3 years ago and it was awesome. Generally speaking it saves time (better coverage, less dripping/splattering) and is really scrubbable (a magic eraser won’t wipe it off like some thinner/cheaper brands). So it feels like a good durable-for-the-long-run choice if you plan on living with that color for a while (it might break down to 1 cent more a day for the life of the room, for example). Admittedly we might be biased now because we’ve curated paint collections with Ben Moore, but well before they knew who the heck we were, we tried their paint, loved it, and have been using it ever since!
xo
s
Samantha says
Hi Guys
Love the things that you do. Only came by this little blog at the beginning of the year through another website (though I can’t remember which one!) Both of you are a hoot! Always read your latest post before I go to bed each night (time difference between you guys & me down here in Oz). I wish I could do more of your projects but sadly I’m a renter & think I will be for the rest of my life (unless by some miracle I win lotto! Lol!).
With the talk on gas stoves, I don’t know how things are in the States but in Australia you can buy a gas stove top with an electric oven, something that a lot of people do. I LOVE cooking with gas on the stove top & would NEVER go back to electric, more control but prefer the oven to be electric. Don’t think that I would ever use a gas one. If you want a lower heat whilst using a gas stove top I believe you can get a mat of sort that you place over the top of the element to reduce the temperature further.
Can’t wait to see what you do next
Xxxx
YoungHouseLove says
Really interesting!
xo
s
KathyG says
Yes I splurged on a GE monogram dual fuel range/oven and I just love it.
Rachel K says
If there’s anything I’ve learned the hard way, it’s that I find it’s better to invest the money in ‘splurge’ items sooner rather than later (if it makes financial sense) especially when it comes to home upgrades so that you can actually enjoy them for a longer period of time.
If our next home needs a new kitchen or a bathroom renovation, I’d be much more willing to put the money into that immediately instead of waiting until we’re about to sell and being forced to upgrade meanwhile not being the ones who get to enjoy the new features.
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart to think about! It can be rough to sell while saying “I didn’t even get to enjoy xyz!”
xo
s
Lisa E says
So glad to hear of everybody’s frugal ways. When I’ve watched Property Brothers or House Hunters I wonder what these couples do for a living that they can spend like they do and won’t settle for anything less than granite, etc. Crazy town! Anyway, we balance it out as well. In the master bdrm, we splurged on a good mattress (actually I don’t consider that a splurge but a necessity, truly), but made the headboard. The dressers and night stand were bought used by the hubby BL (before Lisa) :). In the spare bdrm it was my old bed, again with a good mattress, but I got a great deal on the headboard. The rocking chair and blanket chest were free from relatives and the nightstand was used, bought off of CL. In the office most items were once new, but it’s hodgepodge and needs re-decorating. The dining room set was bought used by the hubby, once again BL. The kitchen set was used from CL. The living room biggest and latest splurge with two new recliners and couch. My husband insisted on buying American so we bought local and it was a bit more but it’s top quality and I’m especially in love with our couch. However, the corner hutches (don’t fit in DR) were his Mom’s, the antique buffet was an amazing $85 find on CL, the media stand was a road side find (read=free!)dresser, we built the one console table, the other was bought new but is now a few years old and lastly the coffee table was $15 a Goodwill which I re-did. Would love to update the tile in both of the bathrooms and foyer, but they are in perfect shape and so I will wait as I have a mortgage I’m trying to pay off (on a rental). We replaced the bathroom faucets and would also love to replace the counter tops and reno the kitchen. All in time. Mortgage first and then they will come.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that! Sounds like you have some awesome finds, Lisa!
xo
s
Betsy says
My Toto toilet has changed my life. If you decide to buy one, but it online. I saved $125 buying mine online. Free shipping included. In the 3 years I have had my Toto, it has not once clogged. My old Champion toilet clogged just looking at 3 sheets of toilet paper. Drove me crazy. It is the only toilet in my house, so it get’s lots of use! I’m not even sure where my plunger disappeared to in all this time. Plus, it is a comfort height toilet. With a really bad back, this is a lifesaver. I just had a plumber out last week to replace some bathroom fixtures, and he raved about his Toto toilets. Asked if mine was as great. In his 15 years working as a plumber, he has yet to fix a Toto toilet. That speaks volumes to me. Of course I just hexed myself by saying this.
Thanks for all of the tips!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah! That’s amazing!
xo
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Hillary L. says
Always a constant struggle for those of us on a budget. Two additional considerations I usually take into account in the splurge versus save: 1. Is it within my skillset to do? 2. Is it handmade/supporting a local artisan or craftsman?
I am more artsy than handy, so I tend to DIY all art related projects, but lean toward outsourcing for projects that require some sawdust. If I need to purchase something, I am usually happier to spend more if it going to a local artisan or craftsman. It is handmade, often more durable, and I know my dollars are going right back into my community. But sometimes it all boils down to the Benjamins.
YoungHouseLove says
Great things to consider! Thanks for sharing all the tips and thoughts today guys!
xo
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Jessica says
Just have to say thanks for the heads up on rejuvenate for wood floors. Definitely has made a huge difference in our new (old) house. Although at $20 a bottle I think my husband is convinced this is a splurge but definitely makes a huge difference with a relatively small economic footprint. So happy with the results!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
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Emily says
This is a little off topic but it’s my favorite money saving trick. I have an obsession with coffee table books but hate paying full price for them, so I order them from Half Price Books. I can’t believe it took me so long to do it this way! Even if they don’t have it in the local store they’ll ship from any store in the country for $3. Makes my ikea coffee table look much more expensive :)
Emily says
Although I bought your book full price–was too excited to wait!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re sweet! That’s such a great tip Emily!
xo
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Amanda says
Hey, I’m sure you guys know this already, but I’m getting some pretty tasteless ads when I pull up your site. The photo of the half-naked woman “Looking for a boyfriend!!” is particular disturbing. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! That’s the first we’ve heard. Do you have a screen grab? I wonder if it’s a regional thing that slipped through our parameters and we can’t see it. Would love to know who the ad is for (link, screen grab, etc) so we can block it for you. So sorry for the trouble!
xo
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Tamara says
Toto toilets – too funny! I bought a VERY basic, un-fancy, not-all-that-well-built condo back in 1994. But the one thing it does have is Toto toilets! Mine are likely not the 1-gallon-per-flush models that are popular today, but they are wonderful, quiet, and have never had any kind of problem. Guess I got lucky in this area!
Meg says
I’m really enjoying the Toto toilet comments. Our house is just a basic builder model that we have tweaked over the years, but the toilets are original. However, we live in Japan where Toto definitely holds the toilet market, so I just had to check. Sure enough…Toto toilets. Who knew we were so fancy schmanzy! I will say, though, that we own a plunger only because my youngest DS tossed nearly an entire roll of toilet paper down one when he was younger. We still have the plunger, but it hasn’t left our garden shed since its one and only call to service.
Amy says
1st Big splurge – a real tulip table when I was in my twenties (it was about 10% of my pay). A decade later & still perfect, though it is now the wrong table for our forever house & it will be listed on Craigslist soon (for all in the RIC area :) ) and replaced with a farm table. Latest big splurge – Grasscloth in the great room. The great room with vaulted ceilings. Wowza, that’s a lot of grasscloth. But so perfect, really warming up the space, and so neutral it can carry any color scheme. No need to update for decades – it can work with very color of the rainbow.
Biggest save – downsizing! The right sized house means you only have to decorate & care for space you actually use.
YoungHouseLove says
Such smart tips, Amy!
xo
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Carrie K says
Thanks so much for how you define a splurge and a save. Thank you for the 4 point guidelines. That helps so much! And in reading just a few of the comments so far, you graciously defend your decisions when I’m sure debating about toilets could get frustrating! lol How’s the barnacle?
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, we always love chatting with you guys, so we don’t ever feel like it’s frustrating to hear how others draw the line differently – it’s definitely one of those highly personal things. As for the barnacle, he’s awesome. Such a wiggly little boy!
xo
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Carrie K says
Good to hear he’s a mover and a shaker! Another question-do you find yourself designing the Habitat home with ideas you want to incorporate into your home too?
YoungHouseLove says
I think since that house is a completely different challenge (new construction, larger rooms, everything has to be done within a window of a few months so the entire house has a lot faster timeline) there is some overlap of taste (clearly, we like things that we like, haha!) but there isn’t too much project overlap since things we’d love to do at home might take us a while longer to execute and things for the showhouse by the nature of the deadline have to be done quickly. It’s a different style of house as well, so we’re more drawn to craftsman-type ideas there whereas for our house we’re leaning more classic/colonial. It’s really fun to see it come together – I’d say that house will end up looking related to our house, just since we like certain things universally (pops of color, wood tones, white trim, patterned rugs, etc) but they’ll be more like second cousins than twins :)
xo
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Janetl says
Do you still like your wood tiled dresser? Any problems? I’ve been eying the media console but I’m having a hard time pulling the trigger on that splurge.
YoungHouseLove says
Still very happy with it!
xo
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Anya says
My family raised me to be pretty thrifty too, but one thing has stuck with me. My grandfather used to say “The value is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” So in all the savings/bargains, make sure you’re getting the value you want, and really loving what you’ve spent your money on. I think it’s a quality is more important than quantity
I can’t say I end up using this rule a lot, as I’ve bought plenty of things I don’t “love” just because they are on sale. But as I get older, I tend to think that the “love”/value factor trumps the price.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo
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Taylee @ Twist Me Fit says
I currently only live in an apartment, but when I do buy a house eventually, I won’t be buying everything new. I will use what I have first, and then worry about slowly adding newer and nicer things. :-)
Paige @ Little Nostalgia says
We consider a lot of the same stuff when we’ve debating splurge vs. save. Because we’re still in our 20s, price does become the final factor for a lot of things, but we splurged on getting a concrete floor put in our crawl space and I’m so glad we did. Not only for safety reasons (it helps with radon levels) but because now there’s a huuuuuge storage area and easy access to a lot of our pipes. Boo ya!
SarahC says
I wasn’t sure how to reply to specific comments, but in regards to a few comments asking about over-improvement: I would also say to ask a realtor about how an upgrade might appraise.
It’s probably different regionally, but we just bought a house (our first – yay!) last September and got a GREAT deal because the sellers over-improved, not so much for the area as for the appraisal. We first offered very close to their asking price, which we really felt the house was worth, and they accepted the offer. Then the appraisal came in $10k less than offer. Our mortgage company refused to loan more than it appraised for (understandably) and we refused to pay the difference. Despite loving the house, we weren’t willing to pay more than we’d likely get a return on later (all things being equal otherwise in the market). They eventually accepted our offer for full appraisal price. I doubt they wanted to, but it is unlikely they would find a buyer willing to pay more.
So despite the fact that the sellers had put $35k in pretty smart upgrades in the house in just 5 years – new heating and air, new floors, new windows, hand-stamped patio etc – the house appraised for exactly what they paid for it in 2008. Appraisals in our area tend to be very conservative. It worked out great for us (woohoo for upgrades we didn’t need to do!), but was a surprise for the sellers.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks to everyone for sharing their tips today!
xo
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SarahC says
Oh, and just to be clear – I totally believe that there is more to upgrading a house than resell! I have big plans for our house since I know we’ll be here a while. Sometimes it is just about making your house a home and enjoying what you put into it. :)
Patti says
Great post! We just splurged on a new bay window but it really wasn’t a splurge because it was old and leaking, it just had to be done. I figure we do so much ourselves around the house that once in a while it’s smartest to call in the pros. On another note, to weigh in on the gas stove debate…If you love to cook, nothing beats gas. And a toilet IS life changing if it doesn’t clog and is easy to clean. There, settled!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Patti!
xo
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Gillian says
Such a brilliant post so great to hear the different considerations you have when buying things.
I’d love to know how you go about saving for projects. For example your kitchen how do you know how much to save if you don’t know exactly what cabinets and features you are going to add? or do you have a good look round what’s available and pull together a rough budget for each renovation.
Then once you know how much you need to save do you split your income in to little savings accounts until you’ve reached your target or just pop all your pennies into one account and when you have the money / time to do a project you just start.
Sorry to ask so many questions but I love what you guys do and would love to know more about this side of your planning.
Thanks so much
G x
YoungHouseLove says
I think there are a bunch of different methods for this, so others will hopefully weigh in with what works for them, but John and I have one account where we funnel as much savings as possible each month. There’s a “safezone” that we never like to be under when it comes to that account (just in case of emergencies, etc) and once it goes over that and months pass and it keeps growing and we see that we’re “x amount” over our safezone, then we might consider a project that falls within that range. It could just be a few months for a smaller update or a much longer wait for something larger. In general, we google or use the internet to research costs just to get an idea (ex: you can build a kitchen on ikea.com with their planning software even if it’s not exactly what you’ll be doing just to get a ballpark, or you can research what other bloggers or DIYers have spent for certain projects and use that as a guestimate). We like to over-estimate the budget too, so we often go into things thinking they’ll be way more (for example, we saved up 5K for our first kitchen gut job and it was only around $1300 I think!). Always nice to come in under rather than over :)
xo
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Meredith @ La Buena Vida says
I think everything in our house is a “save” at the moment…when I saw the post title, my first thought in terms of “splurge” was that we always buy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing instead of the store brand, ha!
BUT, I think there’s a lot of wisdom here in spending on a few items that you love and will last, versus buying cheapo things that might need to be replaced more quickly!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha! I love that example Meredith! Sometimes a girl just needs the real Hidden Valley Ranch deal.
xo
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Stephanie says
Love this post and all the great tips from you guys and other readers! My husband and I moved into our house in April 2012, and have slowly been working room to room and making it our own. We splurged on a kitchen table we both had our eye on, but got a beautiful dining room set from Craig’s List, a table, 6 chairs, buffet and hutch for only $650!!! It feels nice to splurge on something, but I think it feels even better to find a great deal on something you have been searching for :) We are currently in the middle of re-doing a bedroom into a guest room/office and are mixing in both splurges and budget friendly items. My favorite item is the curtains I just got from Pier 1, marked $40/panel on the website, but with an in-store special of $10 off, plus coupons I got two panels for $35! #couponsforthewin
http://www.pier1.com/Ikat-Jewel-Print-Curtain/PS46113,default,pd.html?cgid=curtain-length
YoungHouseLove says
Love those deals! Congrats Stephanie!
xo
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Vanessa @ Love This Crazy Life says
I love all of your lists! They inspire me to try and be more organized haha :)
My dad builds custom homes and recently took on a full remodel of our fixer upper. He has always taught me to think about longevity of choices (he stresses neutrals like white tile and wood stains that will age well). I like to think of splurges in terms of man-power to re-do a project (since we DIY everything) and product cost is secondary in my choice making. It’s definitely a balancing act!
YoungHouseLove says
Great ways of thinking about it!
xo
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Emily @ Love, Pasta and a Tool Belt says
We recently bought a new house and splurged on hardwood floors but we saved by installing them ourselves (whew a lot of work). We had someone else take a wall out because it was low-bearing. But we repainted our kitchen cabinets on our own to save money. There are still some things we want to splurge on and some to do on our own. But it is coming along!
http://lovepastatoolbelt.com/?p=2828
YoungHouseLove says
Love that Emily! Congrats on all of your progress!
xo
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Kelly says
I was wondering how spray painting the door knobs at your old house held up? Do you think it was worth the time?
YoungHouseLove says
They looked great until we left! Even the exterior ones that got rain/cold/heat, etc. Here a few of them were rusted and pitted, and we wanted to go for a more “special” shape since we had six-panel doors that we wanted to elevate with something nicer, but we were really happy with that spraying method for the last house :)
xo
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Jackie says
Always love reading your posts:)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jackie!
xo
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Jen says
This is a great post and a fine example of why you guys are so successful (and why I “tune in” twice daily).
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Jen!
xo
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Donna says
I have long appreciated how responsible you guys are with your finances. I think you’re excellent role models in an age where so many people are in debt. And your home is gorgeous!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Donna!
xo
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Lisa E says
I totally agree!
Kayla says
I’ve always been curious, but can’t seem to recollect a time that you’ve discussed your thoughts on what you thrift vs. buy new. You’ve touched on it some, but it seems you buy new clothes (though they fall into the save and definitely not splurge category) but never thrift them. Just something I’ve been curious about.
YoungHouseLove says
I just haven’t had luck with secondhand clothes (maybe all the good deals or stores here have alluded me?) although I’ve traveled and found some good deals in other states, both for kid clothing and stuff I’ll wear myself. The shops I check out here in VA just don’t seem to have much stuff that fits me or works for Clara’s age/preferences (she’s getting a little more vocal about what she wears, haha) but I love the idea of secondhand clothing deals! Here’s to finding more in 2014!
xo
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