Ballin on a Budget

Good morning Dinks.  This past week one of my colleagues offered to buy me coffee during our break.  Normally I enjoy accepting free Starbucks but there was something about the way he did it that really offended me.  I asked him why he always has the need to pay for things when he’s around me, even if I offer to pay.  I guessed it was one of three things, one: we haven’t known each other long enough for him to be comfortable accepting coffee from me, two: he doesn’t accept gifts from women or three: he feels I can’t afford to buy us both Starbucks.

Why do people feel the need to talk about what they have?

He told me that it’s two of the three.  He always feels the need to pay because he earns more money than I do (at least he thinks he does) and he always feels the need to pay for women.  I continued to tell him not to judge a book by its cover.  Just because I don’t spend money on $2000 suits and talk about spending $1000 a night in New York City, both of which he does, doesn’t mean I don’t have money.

I’d rather talk about how much I saved!

I choose to spend my money wisely, not waste it.  Of course we can all have more money but my income isn’t preventing me from doing anything.  I find ways to do everything I want and I do it wisely.  I mean why should I spend $400 on a hotel room in New York City when I could get the exact same room for $145 through a discount travel site.  For the amount of money he spends in one night I can spend during an entire weekend in New York – in my opinion that’s just smart money management. Why spend more when you can spend less.  That’s what I always say.

4 ways to live an expensive life  without spending a fortune:

Hotel deals.  I think it’s absolutely crazy to overpay for a hotel room.  If you spend some time searching you can find four or five star hotel rooms for less than half the original cost on discount websites such as Priceline and Hotwire.  As you know I’m a huge fan of booking hotels and flights via Priceline – not because they pay me to, but because I’ve been obsessed ever since I discovered it back in 2011.  I’m looking to take a long weekend trip to Las Vegas in March and I found a five star hotel on the strip for only $109 a night.

Cheap transportation.  I am all about being comfortable but sometimes I’m willing to give up my convenience if the discount is worth it.  I can fly to NYC for $320 or I can take the bus for $140.  Will I take an overnight bus to save $200?  You’re damn right I will.  I mean who cares how you get there if you’re asleep anyways.

Entertainment.  I would never spend $1000 drinking at a VIP nightclub.  If you’re not famous and aren’t going to be hounded by fans why do you need the VIP experience?  If you want to drink in a private room just buy a bottle of Vodka at the liquor store and stay in the comfort of your own home.  I believe in spending on experiences, not wasting money just because I have it.  Spending $150 to see a Broadway show is worth it as long as that’s the absolute cheapest price around.

Your home.  It’s what’s inside that counts.  Spend money on a few select quality items.  There’s no need to fill your home with cheap stuff that will break.  If you have to re-buy it you’ll probably end up spending more money on replacing the item than if you had just paid more money for a long lasting quality item the first time. Being selective in your furnishings, shopping around for the lowest price possible and taking good care of your stuff will help you save money when it comes to your home.

Photo from Flickr

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.