Interesting article on what people buy. Blows me away on how much people spend on alcohol

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/103379/to...

kook79

Not to many are buying two beers a day at a bar.

Debra

Out of that list only one struck me as incongruent: manicures.

I'm not arguing the price but the idea that it's a money drain. Depending on your job, a manicure may be a necessary expense, just like clothes & getting your hair cut. I go in about once a month for a manicure. I present a more professional image with well trimmed and smooth nails. If I tried to do it myself, it would be a hack job.

Lara Amber

Interesting article - I'd place credit card interest higher on the list, both because of the amount and frequency of people I think incur it.

On the alcohol - while not everyone has 2 drinks a day in a bar, those who do compensate for those who don't on a national average. (I bartend part time. We have several customers in the 1K a MONTH club).

Add home alcohol purchases and I think that alcohol sales number would shock people who are non-drinkers.

One thing I was surprised to not see on the list: Utility overruns. Cable/Internet/Phone/Texting charges that are higher than they could be reduced to.

Marianne

One other thing that I think would be an interesting topic - costs for pet care.

No flames - I am not saying pets aren't worth it, don't serve a purpose, poor peopple shouldn't have pets, or that people who have pet's should shirk their responsibility to care for their well being.

But I know people who can barely pay their bills who also spend a sum they can ill afford on pet care (premium food, grooming, vet bills.) Again, not saying don't care for your pet, just consider before getting one whether you can afford all that comes with pet ownership.

Marianne

No kidding! Credit card interest I'm suprised isn't as high as I thought for most people. The alcohol thing I find intereting, but I don't know anywhere where a beer costs as much as $5.00 a drink. I've seen the foo foo drinks cost that much and more!

<<I'm not arguing the price but the idea that it's a money drain. Depending on your job, a manicure may be a necessary expense, just like clothes & getting your hair cut. I go in about once a month for a manicure. I present a more professional image with well trimmed and smooth nails. If I tried to do it myself, it would be a hack job.

Lara Amber
>>


Do you figure you get paid "extra" for these additional expenses by your employer, or do you get paid about what the market pays others who don't need to maintain such high standards?



Seattle Pioneer

I've seen beers cost that much at sporting events, inside theme parks, and at high end restaurants. It wouldn't surprise me if that's a more common price in expensive cities.

Lara Amber

I think I do get paid extra. My boss has commented on my appearance and I think the fact that I dress well (and have decent table manners) is why I get invited to many lunch meetings and asked to represent the company at events. I think the positive feedback she gets on me is why I've been topping the raise percentage each year, and I know of at least one department that would like to steal me, if it wasn't for angering my boss.

When I say "dress well" I don't mean expensively. I usually wear a dress or pantsuit, hose & heels. I rarely spend over $60 for an outfit. Dressing in a classic business style does get me noticed and appreciated.

Lara Amber

One other thing that I think would be an interesting topic - costs for pet care.

I think that would be hard to generalize, starting from the fact that feeding a Chihuahua is much cheaper than feeding a Saint Bernard. Then typical medical problems vary by breed, plus there's just plain luck.

As much as I adore her, my dog certainly has been a challenge to my finances the past year. Between doggie ER visits and new daily (and expensive) medication, it's something on the order of $5000 since October. And that's on top of food, grooming, heartworm, vaccinations, flea medication, etc.

On the other hand, I adopted a senior dog. She was almost 11 when I adopted her and she turned 13 a few months ago. Acquisition cost (adoption fee) was $100 because of her age IIRC (sliding scale by age) and since she already was trained I didn't have to spend anything on training. There weren't any unusual medical expenses the first 18 months I had her.

Luckily, the medical problems seem to be stable now (although I have a permanent extra expense of about $140/month for medication) and they're kind of self-limiting. My dog is mid-way through her 13th year. Typical life span for her breed is 14-15, and a few individuals make it to 17. Right now she has physical limitations but she's still happy and has a good quality of life.

Guby

This is all kind of nebulous since it's of the "assume X costs Y and it is spent Z times a month" type of calculation. It's not actuals.

That said...

I do think manicures make a diffrence, not in salary, but in promotability/hireability. It adds to one's professional appearance. That said, I have the world's WORST nails (I'm a nail biter). But before I go to any client meetings or for any potential interviews to pick up new work, I do get a manicure. The rest of the time when I'm on construction sites, etc I don't bother. Would a client hire me if I showed up in jeans and with ratty fingernails? Maybe. But would they feel better in my capabilities if I appeared polished and pulled together? Definitely. This is one of those areas that is gender-specific. Guys have to wear ties sometimes (ick). We have to get manicures sometimes.

I wash my car twice a year whether it needs it or not. Just did so on Friday!
:)

I think that would be hard to generalize, starting from the fact that feeding a Chihuahua is much cheaper than feeding a Saint Bernard. Then typical medical problems vary by breed, plus there's just plain luck.

I think feeding and caring for a large dog is something some people simply don't consider. You buy more food, and grooming and boarding cost more.

I spend noticeably more since I took in a third cat. Of course, I wouldn't give my angels premium food if I couldn't afford it.

A lot of purebreds have health problems. I grew up with lots of dogs and cats. We rarely had breed-specific problems because our dogs were always mutts.

We have to get manicures sometimes.

What can a manicurist do for you that you can't do at home?

A manicurist can do several things for you that you would be hard pressed to do yourself.

If you have fake nails, you need a manicurist. You don't have a choice in the matter. I would almost say the same thing for a french manicure, unless you are naturally really good at applying polish.

If you have natural nails, they can do your cuticles much better than you can do yourself. Plus since they are experienced, and have two hands to use, you'll get a nicer shape and uniformity. I've found I could do one hand okay, and then when it came time to do my right hand, I was sunk. You're using your off hand to do the work, plus it's a little backwards (versus having a hand facing you). My own manicurist says she doesn't try to do her cuticles herself, she has one of the other women do it.

Plus, if you do your nails rarely, you don't have to spend the money buying supplies and equipment. Where I get my hands done, they also do a hand massage that feels wonderful after a long day at the keyboard.

Lara Amber

A manicurist can do several things for you that you would be hard pressed to do yourself.

I'm certain they can do a better job than I can. I do, however, question whether the job they do is so much better that it can be deemed a necessity.

If I'm applying to be a hand model, I'll absolutely pay the manicurist beforehand (probably for several weeks, to make sure everything is in good shape). For any other job, I simply don't believe a professional manicure is going to matter.

(I will say, though, that relatively speaking a manicure is an inexpensive treat.)

-lizmonster
uses 99 cent polish, emery boards, cuticle scissors, nail clippers, and good hand moisturizer

> Add home alcohol purchases and I think that alcohol sales number would shock people who are non-drinkers.

Let's see - I think I run about 3-5 beers/week in bars and barbeques and maybe a 12 pack every month. Near as I can tell, there are probably 1 or 2 drunks making up my slack.

> I've seen beers cost that much at sporting events, inside theme parks, and at high end restaurants.

Every palce around here charges $4-5 per beer, with specialty stuff costing more - $6 for a skull splitter, for instance. Of course, at 7.5%, it's not something to drink a lot of.

What can a manicurist do for you that you can't do at home?
Good point.

I'm not very good at it though. Since I only get 6-7 manicures a year, I'm happy to have someone else do it...

Let's see - I think I run about 3-5 beers/week in bars and barbeques and maybe a 12 pack every month. Near as I can tell, there are probably 1 or 2 drunks making up my slack.

Neither me nor my husband drink, there are family members that are making up for our lack of interest. One of which needs treatment, but isn't ready.

Debra

Hmm. I doubt i spend $20 a year on supplies yet frequently get compliments on my manicures and pedicures. If you truly are interested in saving $$ in this category, keep at it -- your shaping skills etc. will grow.

Part of it is luck in having strong nails. Part of it is doing daily or near-daily maintenance, even for just five minutes. I find those 4-sided (some have eight sides) buffer things can take the place of a complete manicure, buffing a shine high enough to simulate clear polish on the fingernails. Keeping a jar of cocoa butter or other emollient handy at work makes cuticule work virtually unnecessary.

For the feet and toes, a daily 90-second sanding to ward off callouses, two-to-three-times-per-week soaking and application of shea butter/cotton socks for about 15 minutes (this can be done in the a.m. post-shower, while otherwise getting ready for work) and scrubbing with a loofah-type material keeps them soft and supple. I keep my toenails polished all year round; two coats of base; discretionary coats of color depending on hue and two top coats. Takes about 1.5 hours maybe every three weeks while doing other household tasks. Much more convenient (and lasts far longer) than "professional" pedicures. I just had the works last month at a well-known salon, courtesy of a gift card, and the polish job was so shoddy i re-did it at home that night. It's due in part to the 'professionals" who slap on two or three coats within 10 minutes. Drying time between coats is key and time-consuming, but the duration of the pedicure makes up for it.

I must say the paraffin treatment was heavenly, though. A friend and i invested in a garage-sale crock pot and many pounds of wax and plan to emulate that treatment if we can find time one of these days.

Blows me away on how much people spend on alcohol

I heard a rumor that Amtrack is running a promotion on overnight trains. You pay for a sleeper compartment and they give you a $100 alcohol credit. That must make for an interesting train ride.

I am just not buying the notion that expensive manicures are important for business purposes. In fact, in my experience the contrary seems to be true. In my workplace, the highest-ranking women (and men) mostly have short, well-groomed nails that seem to have been done at home. The elaborate fake nails (with or without embellishments like little flowers or jewels or whatever) or French manicures (real or fake nails) seem to be limited to the lower-level clerical staff. Coming in to my workplace for an interview with an obviously "professionally done" manicure would tend to mark one as a lower-level candidate.

I guess workplaces vary in that regard.

I only spend money on a manicure if I have an extremely important event...like participating in a wedding.

Most of the time, I paint and file myself and I get compliments on a regular basis.

Some tricks...

Keep a file in your car, desk, purse and file immediately if there's a catch or snag. I only file at red lights in my car. That way you resist biting or tearing off the top at a funny angle.

Cuticles never get out of control by running an orange stick along the cuticle line after shower or bath. Takes less than a minute.

Use polish remover to clean the nails before putting on the first coat and then rinse with water. This takes off any skin oils or soaps that may keep the polish from adhering.

Let each coat of polish dry well before second coat and then finally let the whole project dry overnight before shower, bath, or doing dishes.

Carry the color with you to coat over the little chips and the effort will last longer.

Clear is a nice color and goes with everything.

Throw out old polish and reinvest in new and keep it in the fridge. Something about the formula fails after time and then it's prone to chipping. At the salon, they go through so much polish that it's always new.

Regatta

I am just not buying the notion that expensive manicures are important for business purposes. In fact, in my experience the contrary seems to be true. In my workplace, the highest-ranking women (and men) mostly have short, well-groomed nails that seem to have been done at home. The elaborate fake nails (with or without embellishments like little flowers or jewels or whatever) or French manicures (real or fake nails) seem to be limited to the lower-level clerical staff. Coming in to my workplace for an interview with an obviously "professionally done" manicure would tend to mark one as a lower-level candidate.

I guess workplaces vary in that regard.

Yes, there are variations per workplace.

At my company, the lower level clerical/customer service staff have either ratty fingernails or bright colored fake nails with nail art like flowers or little rhinestones. The professional staff has either the pink-and-white acrylic fake nails or plain short well kept nails.

I used to be in the pink-and-white category but now am in the plain short category. However, I DO get manicures a few times a year just to keep my plain nice nails still looking nice because I am pretty inept at doing manis myself.

d

of the professional level staff

I think the LBYM board would love to have a 200 post thread on manicures.

I prefer to drink within my means.

cheers
SoccerDad

The elaborate fake nails (with or without embellishments like little flowers or jewels or whatever) or French manicures (real or fake nails) seem to be limited to the lower-level clerical staff
Yes, but that's not hat I am refering to. I am talking about clear polish manicures with short nails. In my case necessarily short. If you saw my nails as is, or even after one of my attempts at manicure, you'd be put off - I can tell you. I would be willing to bet that many of those omen with the well-groomed short nails get manicures. When I go to the nail salon there's ALWAYS at least one woman either getting plain buff & polish, or a clear polish.

Yes, I can do this myself. But not nearly as well. And really, at six times per year that's less than the cost of a month of cable.

If you saw my nails as is, or even after one of my attempts at manicure, you'd be put off - I can tell you. I would be willing to bet that many of those omen with the well-groomed short nails get manicures.

I'll take your word for it, but it still kind of boggles my mind that filing and buffing their own nails seems to be beyond the capability of so many adult professional women.

mlk58
do-it-yourself manicurist

If you have fake nails, you need a manicurist. You don't have a choice in the matter. I would almost say the same thing for a french manicure, unless you are naturally really good at applying polish.

You don't need to be naturally good. You just need to be willing to practice.

How often do you need to reapply?

10. Unused memberships -- Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.


As opposed to a USED membership? Shouldn't it just be "gym memberships" and not the unused ones?

You don't need to be naturally good. You just need to be willing to practice.
Yeah - that's part of it. My interest in this is less than, say my interest in bob-sledding or cleaning the toilets. It's worth it to me to pay someone else to do it.

If my budget was super tight, or if I went to the salon often, I might change my mind about that of course. But for less than $100 a year, it's nice not to have to deal with it.

Not to mention the few times I do my own nails, the second I have polish on one of the following will happen:

1. The phone will ring
2. My husband will yell for me
3. A cat will show up wanting petted, and won't take "no"
4. A strange crash from another room, cats or dog?

At the salon at least I have some piece and quiet.

Lara Amber

"peace"

I can't spell today.

Lara Amber

As opposed to a USED membership? Shouldn't it just be "gym memberships" and not the unused ones?

I don't think so. Although you can exercise outside a gym, the equipment does help with a workout. A used membership means the person is utilizing the equipment. The amount paid to the gym may be paid back in lower medical bills.

IF

In Boston beer can be that and more

Although you can exercise outside a gym, the equipment does help with a workout. A used membership means the person is utilizing the equipment.


So what? Booze is on the list, and it is something that is "utilized" by the purchaser. We're discussing manicures, which are "utilized." So if gym memberships are included, so should they be considered spent money even if the facilities are utilized.

The utilization of the item purchased does not have any relation to its being a money drain or not.

xtn

<<Although you can exercise outside a gym, the equipment does help with a workout. A used membership means the person is utilizing the equipment.


So what? Booze is on the list, and it is something that is "utilized" by the purchaser. We're discussing manicures, which are "utilized." So if gym memberships are included, so should they be considered spent money even if the facilities are utilized.

The utilization of the item purchased does not have any relation to its being a money drain or not.

xtn
>>



It's obviously time for a repeat posting of Seattle Pioneer's rules for evaluating whether to buy a luxury:



1. I must be able to afford to buy the luxury without compromising other important life goals.


2. It must be something I, personally, value --- not something other people think I should have.



3. I must expect to use it enough to make it worthwhile.



Ahh HA! That third one is the kicker in the subject at hand!


If you've gone ahead and purchased a gym membership, you are obviously out the dollars whether you use it or not.


However, if you decide to adopt and use Seattle Pioneer's rules as described above, you will seriously consider whether you really will use that gym membership before buying it. If you decide you probably wont use it much, you wont buy it and you WILL have saved the dollars you otherwise would have spent.

Among other activities yesterday, I spent some time around a nice marina yesterday. There were hundreds of nice boats sitting in the marina at the peak of the boating season in August. (mine was sitting on it's trailer at home). Many of us have paid for more toys than we can play with.




Seattle Pioneer

So what? Booze is on the list, and it is something that is "utilized" by the purchaser. We're discussing manicures, which are "utilized." So if gym memberships are included, so should they be considered spent money even if the facilities are utilized.

IMO, it is different. I rarely hear booze is financially beneficial unless you want to claim happy hour is beneficial to your career. A number of posters are arguing over the concept that manicures help your career so they're beneficial.

On the other hand, a healthy body can be shown to be beneficial financially. Exercise may lower a person's blood pressure and cholesterol which will eliminate expensive drugs. Some people hire out lawn service because they physically can't do it, not because they hate cutting grass. I bet there are some studies that show healthier people get promoted more often.

IF

What makes these 10 items money drains anyway?

For most people, I think homes, cars, food, utilities, & clothing drain away much more money than coffee and manicures. Why aren't they listed?

The utilization of the item purchased does not have any relation to its being a money drain or not.

I don't care if some hack writer at bankrate (or some anaonyomus poster on an internet message board) thinks something is a "money drain" -- I care whether: (1) I can afford the expense, and (2) I get value (to me) commensurate with the expense.

Arguing about whether something is a "money drain" outside of this (necessarily personal) context is meaningless and puerile.

--AI