199. Treat Yo'self (Responsibly)- Financial Splurges

Guilty Pleasures That Make Cents

This week, Michelle and I dive into something interesting on Build A Wealthy Spirit - the things we actually still spend money on! Before I discovered FIRE, I was the person who spent on everything - Ubers everywhere, constant UberEats and DoorDash, housekeeping, laundry services, and I even had someone come to my house for massages at one point! But in 2019, when I started my FIRE journey, I went completely the other way and cut back on almost everything. Today, we're talking about which expenses we've thoughtfully chosen to bring back into our lives.

Before I jump in, there's a HUGE expense we didn't mention in this week's episode - housing! Shortly after discovering FIRE, I moved back in with my parents for two years and managed to save 75% of my income. After that, I moved to a remote desert town in California where I made nearly double while keeping my housing costs low.

When we moved to Charleston, Michelle and I made a different choice - we decided we wanted to live somewhere relatively nice. We were able to find a beautiful apartment with large windows and amazing amenities for a reasonable price. Sure, we probably could have saved $100-200 at another complex or lived in my parents' house for free, but since we knew we'd be home most of the time, we chose to splurge on a nice, spacious place.

My other big splurge? Fitness through ClassPass. I spend about $100-200 on this even though I have a free gym at work! With ClassPass, I can attend higher-end studios for a variety of different workouts - yoga, pilates, barre, HIIT, strength training, and spin. I absolutely love the studios I use through ClassPass and it makes working out more enjoyable.

Dining out is another thing I spend on intentionally. Sometimes it's about getting different food groups in, but it's also about connecting with friends over a good meal. These moments aren't just expenses to me - they're investments in relationships, something I neglected during my workaholic decade.

When it comes to medical expenses, I spend a good bit here too. When I had my thyroid surgery, I chose to have it at the Mayo Clinic. To be honest, I'm not even sure how much more expensive it was, but I didn't care because their efficiency and quality were better than what I found in California. This applies to smaller things too. For example, I use one-a-day contacts instead of two-week lenses because they're more comfortable and less irritating. Not every medical expense needs to be top-dollar, but sometimes spending more than the baseline makes sense.

We had such a blast thinking about what we spend on these days and seeing how it lines up with our values. What do you still spend on even though you're careful with your money? And what do you wish you spent less on? Let us know in the comments!

Show Notes:

• Classpass

• ChatGPT

• Claude

• Macrofactor

Community Time

• Thank you Jess for your tips on using ChatGPT for choosing meals while tracking macros

• Thank you Tamara for your kind words about the podcast and for listening regularly!

• Thank you Paul and Harris for your tips on using Chat GPT

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