what's important.

So, as I was standing in my closet getting ready to run a couple errands, I was totally just thinking about my clothes and where I shop and what I spend my money on - et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! I think this was spurred from conversation we were having this weekend with family about knowing where your money is going and spending it on what is important to you.

I was contemplating how about 80% of what I wear either comes from thrift stores, clearance racks, Marshall's or outlets. I'm a HUGE bargain shopper. But I also value quality. Which means I can spend hours scouring the racks of a Goodwill and find only one thing or even find NOTHING and be completely okay with that. There are just certain things I'm not alright with putting down the money for because I know at some point I'll be able to find them for way less.

BUT when it comes to certain things, I have no problem paying more money. For instance, if it's something that I know I'm going to wear for the next ten years, I'm probably not going to go to my local thrift store to get it. I'm probably going to buy it new and pay quite a bit more for it because it's important to me that it lasts a long time. And it means enough to me that it's worth the money. Some things that I'm willing to do this for are a pair of really good boots, a really nice leather bag or a winter coat.

Nate and I love to cook together, but we also love to go find great local places to eat. We like to use coupons or discounts like Groupon or Living Social when we go out to eat, but it is very important to Nate (and me as well) to leave a good tip for our server so that they know we valued their service and that they know we think that their job is important.

It's interesting to think about what you spend your money on and where exactly it's going. Not only does it help you budget, but it also tells you about who you are as a person.  For instance, I know that Nate values people because he would rather have his money available to go to a server over going to more food or drinks or something else. And I can tell that I'm in a place right now where when it comes to my wardrobe, I value quality over quantity. And I can also tell that what I wear is important to me because I do spend money and time on it. Obviously, this is just the tip of the iceberg for us, but it was fun to sit and think about for a few minutes! :)

So what are the things on which you spend your money?  What do you think it says about yourself and what's important to you?