Confession time...

[momejay]

My biggest budget buster would be my kids & the "IWANTS." I have kept track the past few months & they are costing me over $100 a week.

Three teenagers, each girl needs a hair product, acne creme, makeup or contact lense solution. I find myself in Walmart at least twice a week more than necessary. I tried to solve this by giving each girl $20 in the begining of the week & I now send them in the store alone. If they don't have enough money for lunch at school, they can pack one! So far this has worked.

The little school trips this year have cost me a fortune too, but you feel so guilty saying they can't go because the rest of the class is going. The typical trip is educational & in some cases they had a test/quiz on what they saw the next day. A recent chorus trip to meet a Broadway star with a bag lunch cost $20 per student. They took a school bus less than a quarter mile to another school. What the heck was the $20 for? The bus?

For one child this year, school trips alone were $300 & they never left the state.

 

[okeydokey]

I splurge on Bath and Body Works liquid hand soaps. They smell heavenly. I do wait for a sale and then use a coupon so it's not too bad.

 

[mdsouth]

my kids are my budget buster....but if I am to be honest here, my bad habit is Bath & Body works, and Yankee candle!
I think my nose is connected to my wallet!

Yes, scented candles and Bath and Body Works are big busters for me!
Is their semi-annual sale over yet? I am trying very hard to stay away!

Scrapbooking supplies (paper and albums) are another big downfall for me.
I tend to go in spurts with it. I hadn't bought anything in about 9 months but then I just bought some stuff (around 80.00 worth of stuff all together, for our upcoming trip and just neat stuff).

 

[RadioFanatic]

Although I'm very frugal in most things, here are my foibles:

1. house cleaner once every other week - it has saved dh and my marriage as we both work FT
2. we eat out more than we should
3. I just bought DS a star wars shirt at old navy for $10.50 and I usually NEVER spend that much on a tshirt for him - but it was old school star wars and I loved it for him
4. anything for DS - I'm a sucker
5. another one here with the two times a year school pix - and this is for DAYCARE (my DS is 16 months old)
6. I have a taco bell addiction - two cheesy bean and rice burritos, a side of baja sauce - usually twice a week at $3.12 each time.

 

[cepmom]

mine would be my hair cut and color and mani/pedis. I spend $70 plus tip for a cut and color every 5 - 6 weeks. Last time, I wanted her to put in some foils to change it up a bit and that visit was $110 plus tip! Also, I don't get my nails done all winter, but once flip flop season comes along, I am getting pedicures every few weeks. I get manicures once in a while, but not as often as pedi's since they don't last as long.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

We have one serious, heinous budget buster:

DISNEY!

(I can't hide it, it's in my siggie).

 

[hsmamato2]

Toilet paper.
So now we get nice toilet paper.

I was trying to think of some ways we 'splurge'....technically we live well,very comfortable,but WELL below what we could be doing(DH and I are cheapskates)
but this is one....for years I bought cheap stuff,but,well, eventually I had to start buying nicer stuff for the sake of my bum! I decided it was well worth the extra cost...wouldn't you? And this is from a mama who doesn't buy paper products at all,except TP. We use cloth towels,napkins,etc for everything else,but TP,now that's my one standoff.I will not budge. It's a great invention,TP on a roll. does that even qualify as a black hole of spending? (don't ask my DH...)

 

[disneynewbee]

My budget buster is my 4 girls. We grew up poor and I never got new clothes so I take great pleasure in buying my girls clothes. Too many clothes, sometimes they only get to wear something once. I have a box of infant clothes that I bought for my 1yo that still have tags on them. We also like to be out and about which means money for entertainment (zoo, amusement park, chucky cheeses, etc) and food while we are there. Then dh always wants to buy them toys that we also have way too many of and they barely play with. They spend 95% of their time dancing around my house so all they need is a boombox but they have tons of toys that rarely get played with. Then we have the dance classes and cheerleading. My 6yo does all star cheerleading and the cost this year will be $2000 and that doesn't include hotel and travel costs for 3 overnight competitions.

 

[fun4me]

Our splurge this year was on summer activites for the boys. Swimming lessons at the expensive swim school instead of the community center swimming lessons that were about half the price. We also splurge with golf and church camp for the summer.

Eating out is a big splurge but really are trying to cut back on it.

Flowers!!!! I love to buy flowers for my yard. I didn't go totally crazy this year but once I was standing there in the middle of them I picked up more than I planned.

 

[merekc]

I can tell I don't have pets. Everyone is talking about litter pans. I thought, "Wow, I can't believe this many people use a garbage bowl when cooking and I can't believe they only empty them once a week."

It finally clicked after about four posts that you were talking about litter boxes.

My weakness is the thriftstore. I have to avoid them because I will find something everytime either for me, the kids, VBS, books. It really starts to add up.

I also have a book fetish! Luckily I only buy them used for $.25-.50, but I already have enough books that will take 5+ years to read (and I read a lot).

 

[pjb0216]

Mine is my kid's sports activities and eating out. Normally we are eating out because of their sports!

Plus, I do have a Yankee Candle thing, but I do wait for the big sales!

 

[Ms.Grumpy]

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream pints. I love their "2 twisted, everything but the ...." flavor. DH and I can easily go through 2 pints each a week.
They are just so gooooood!

 

[Arielle22]

Dunkin Donuts. I think they put something addictive in their coffee. It doesn't help that they are EVERYWHERE in our area either. I pass 5 of them on my way into work. I have tried the whole make your own and bring it in a travel mug thing... I even got a Keurig machine to make really good coffee. Doesn't work. I try not to add up how much I spend a year on my Great One coffees and Iced coffees (sometimes w/ the turbo shot). It's a lot, I know, and I try to justify it by saying that I work night shift and need me my caffeine. The problem is that the kids now want the coolatas or smoothies and when you get 2 coffees and 2 vanilla coolatas it is downright expensive! It doesn't help that they take debit cards either, because now I don't have to have cash in hand to drive thru.

I am the same way with the Great One Tea. I swear they put crack in it because it is so addictive. There is a DD in the base of my building so I have to pass it every morning and it sucks me in

I always feel guilty about $2.40 a day (some days I even get a 2nd in the afternoon) but I cannot help myself.

 

[SnowWtch]

Mine is food. It's just DH and I but I love to cook and I sometimes splurge on expensive food items. I usually wind up spending $50-$60 a week on food for us both.

 

[extremesoccermom]

We are very frugal. Every penny is budgeted for way in advance! We rarely go out to eat. I strive to cut my grocery bill in half by using coupons. But Disney is my downfall.....
We just added on 100 points at BLT to our DVC membership. We are paying cash but I know with the way the economy is we should have held onto it and kept saving. But with a free cruise calling how could we not use the money we originally called our DVC fund. We now have our vacations planned and paid for for quite awhile. I have already added the dues to our budget so we will be ready when they are due.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

My kids! Dh can 't say no ugh. Then he complains when they act spoiled and I'm like hellooo!

 

[pixiewings71]

We eat out waaaay too much and I like mineral makeup which is pricey compared to the Cover Girl foundation I used to get for darn near free at CVS. It does last a long time, though, and the coverage is amazing.

Oh yes, I use mineral makeup too. But I don't consider it a big deal, I can buy 1 jar of makeup and it will last me for 9-12 months...not too bad IMO, no way would Cover Girl last that long! lol

I splurge on Bath and Body Works liquid hand soaps. They smell heavenly. I do wait for a sale and then use a coupon so it's not too bad.

Oh yes, B&BW, love them!!!! Seriously.....I'm trying to wean myself away but it's HARD!!!!!

 

[tasha99]

We eat out way too much. That's a huge, yawning chasm in our budget. Our justification right now is that our kitchen is torn apart as we remodel, but we've struggled with it for long before that. 2 people working, it's just really hard to get it together and cook every single day. We keep working on it.

I am sooo with you there. Sometimes it seems like if I get any extra hours in at work, I blow all the extra money on takeout. Just Monday I had a 15 hour work day due to a Tuesday trial date for my boss. I phoned in Pizza Hut for the kids (and my sixteen year old had to get her brother to bed, which didn't happen till 11 it turned out). I also bought a Latte/Donut breakfast, Thai lunch and a Subway dinner for myself. All that was about $45! I still came out ahead, but what an incredible waste--I wish I could get it together more. I'm out of school for a few weeks, so I think it's time to take advantage of the extra hours by making freeze ahead meals.

 

[Shannalee724]

My budget buster is my 4 girls. We grew up poor and I never got new clothes so I take great pleasure in buying my girls clothes......My 6yo does all star cheerleading and the cost this year will be $2000 and that doesn't include hotel and travel costs for 3 overnight competitions.

BIG FAT DITTO!! Thank God I only have one girl!! I swear I buy her something everytime I walk into a store. Even if it is little. $1 pairs of Disney socks, pens, pencils, clothes!! Just yesterday I walked out of Target with two new cheer bottoms because they were on sale. Seriously, how many sets of practice/workout clothes does she need??

My 6yr old is also an All Star Cheerleader this year. VERY expensive. $2000 like you said for competition fees and uniform etc., plus hotel and travel, plus the monthly tution for cheer and tumble.

**whew** I am starting to agree with my husband that 2 children are enough. I also have a 2yr old boy....much less expensive.

 

[Pakey]

Artwork. We spend a ton on vacations but that is planned; the artwork is never planned.