Frugal people are wary about spending their hard-earned money, but some things are just too enticing or important for even the most adamant penny pinchers to pass on. Here are seven items that frugal people will happily—or maybe begrudgingly—open their wallets for.
1. Their Hobbies
They say money can’t buy you happiness, and we’re not here to argue with that. However, hobbies and life’s passions that make you happen often require at least a tiny bit of money to get going. Frugal people will gladly spend on their hobbies — but you better believe they’ll wait to see if there’s a sale first!
2. A Good Mattress
Sleep is vital to our survival and well-being. Frugal people understand the value of a good piece of furniture, and nothing in the home matters more than the comfort of your mattress. A good night’s sleep can dictate your entire day, affecting your energy and mood. Your physical and mental health is an investment that frugal people aren’t afraid to go all in on.
3. A Good Pair of Shoes
Frugal people spend money on comfortable, quality shoes for the same reason they don’t mind splurging on a mattress: they’re essential for moving through your day. Many of the most frugal people don’t go out of their way to buy many shoes, but they’ll have at least one all-purpose pair they spend good money on that’s exceedingly comfy.
4. Travel
Sometimes, the entire point of being frugal is to reach your goals. And for many financially conscious, that goal is to travel the world. So why on earth, when they’ve finally reached that goal, would they be overly concerned with expenses they’ve already well prepared for? Frugal individuals won’t necessarily go overboard when spending on travel expenses. Still, they certainly won’t sacrifice their experience for a few bucks, either.
5. Professional Development
You might notice a theme: frugal people are happy to invest in themselves. And another way people do that is through taking courses or getting certified to better their education or learn more about their industry. They acknowledge that taking the time and money to better yourself often pays down the line, and sometimes literally in the form of a raise or a better-paying job.
6. Smartphones or Laptops
No frugal person would be caught dead constantly upgrading their electronics whenever the next best thing hits the shelves. But that doesn’t mean they don’t understand the value of having a quality, reliable electronic they can use daily. We’re doing more work and communicating from our smartphones and laptops than ever before, so it makes sense that they’d want to at least invest in something they know won’t give out on them.
7. Good Kitchenware
All truly frugal people have one thing in common: they cook at home. A lot. And if most of their meals come from their kitchen, it only makes sense that they’d want quality cookware so they aren’t constantly replacing things. This could include anything from a good cutting board to a nice Dutch oven, but it will almost always at least be a high-quality knife; you aren’t getting far through your meal prep without one.
