Why is it that I’ll happily spend $7 on a pint of beer that gives me less than an hour’s pleasure (and then a bloated feeling), yet I get cranky that my favourite BONDS undies have gone up from $5 per pair to $7 per pair in the last 2 years? Surely a $7 pair of undies is going to give me more pleasure (and use) than a pint of Carlton Draft??

This battle in my head happens quite frequently, especially when it comes to food/drinks vs anything else. Do I spend $7 on a Hungry Jacks meal or $7 on a second-hand top I’ll get a few years wear out of? What about a night out on the town? Back in my young, foolish, carefree, well-paying-job days, I wouldn’t be too concerned about spending $100 on a night out including dinner and drinks. Although, back in those days, I also wouldn’t think twice about spending $100 on a new pair of shoes.

I suppose my view and value of money has changed in the last couple of years. Hubs and I have been living off only my wage (with monthly bonuses from Hubs’ tutoring), putting all of our money aside for overseas holidays, and now a house, so I’m much more aware of where all of our money goes. And this isn’t a bad thing – it’s good to know that we can budget and prioritise. But we do miss being able to go out to dinner with friends and at the end, saying “this one’s on us.” Or going to a restaurant and picking a favourite meal instead of the most economical, or going to Woollies and not having to buy home-brand cheese. Gosh my life is hard 🙂