I splurged on a couch and it made such a huge difference! The rest of the furniture in my living room is just ok, but the couch gives the room some style.

My next splurge will be a quality mattress.

i don't skimp on art, furniture, rugs, vacuum cleaner or basic kitchen tools. I save money on linens, glasses, dishes, pillows, duvet (i still have mine from 10 years ago), and I don't really keep up with electronics or technology (A/V equipment).

We buy one "serious" thing per year. Everything else is second-hand from thrift stores, Craigslist, or family (except for our beds, which I won't buy second-hand because of bed-bug concerns.) We never buy "the look for less" new stuff, because it's just not very green.

i dont go by any hard-fast "rule" about which pieces to invest and which to save a bit of money on... i think that you get the best bag out of your buck for lighting, because cheap lighting is cheap and possibly dangerous, or generally falls apart quickly. and i have to disagree with kayoncy, i never skimp on linens...i made the mistake of purchasing a polyester duvet cover and my skin reminded me that a quality cotton cannot be beat!

I'm about to buy my first home and will be starting from scratch with furnishing the place. I have a limited budget so I'm trying to determine how to stretch it and where it's ok to stretch thin and where I need to allocate more funds. Eeeks! Luckily, there are a lot of fabulous furniture resale shops near me in the suburbs, where I'm far enough from the city to not have crazy prices, yet close enough that there is a great selection of furniture in great shape.

We splurge on mid-century furniture and books. We rent, and our furniture looks great in every apartment. Hoping to add a Saarinen dining table to the mix now that we have the space.

Books we splurge on because I love art, majored in art history... we have a lot of coffee table art books which can be pricey and definitely add up.

I will not, for the foreseeable future, ever splurge on a rug although I'm dying for a beautiful antique one. My cat ensures I'll never own a nice rug while he's alive.

Splurge vs. skrimp doesn't exist in my home. Thrift all the way baby! The only thing I'd consider going all out on is a new mattress.

There is always a way to get a good deal on something if you're willing to research and shop around and most importantly be willing to patient.

I had wanted a Kitchenaid stand mixer for over a year before I took the plunge. $120 for a brand new Pro 6 quart on Amazon. Not in my preferred color or timeline, but totally worth the $200+ savings.

I just bought my first home. I splurged on the floors (handscraped hardwood ftw) and replaced all the windows (they were single pane and painted shut). The next most expensive purchases were bedding from Pottery Barn and drapery (rods and curtains are surprisingly expensive and fairly difficult to save much on). Everything else I scoured CL and plan to refinish and reupholster. The next somewhat expensive thing I plan to buy is a nice chandelier to replace the ugly 70s one that came with the house.

Housewares (kitchen "stuff"), Domestics (bedding and towels) and anything we sit/lie on or will get a lot of use (mattress, sofa, rugs) are where we splurge. Of course, by splurge I mean hunt around for a really long time to find what we want and then hunt around even longer to find it deeply discounted and/or a holiday comes around and we can receive it as a gift from parents. Those are things that get used daily and get a lot of use, so it's worth it.

Generally, I think expensive stuff causes worry and anxiety! That being said, I won't buy cheap un-ethical junk either. So I buy it once and buy it well (and buy less), and then take advantage of thrift shops. I won't spend on designer items and status symbols and knick knacks.

I wanted an all natural bed and it was expensive but came with a lifetime warranty (and it's dreamy to sleep in). Also, "office" chair is important because we spend too much time sitting at the computer ;) and they are usually such an eye sore, so I was willing to spend quite a bit on it. Again, it's actually made with wood and will outlast me.

Splurge: Couches, dining set, t.v., fridge.

Save: China, decor, sheets

I recently moved into an apartment with no fridge and had to decide whether to save a few $$$ by buying a cheaper fridge or spending more to get one that I would want to keep for a long time. I did the same thing with my couches and dining set--better to buy quality things for the big items so that I save money in the long run.

The biggest thing I have saved on is using cheap dishes and decor. I have had the same dishes for years and they cost so little! As for the decor, I am constantly changing my apartment, so it makes sense to buy on the cheap or to create my own art.

Mostly we don't splurge on anything, except for really great sheets. We try to get good quality, be it from a department store or thrift store, and use it until it can't be used any more. We generally feel we get our money's worth.

I can't say that I've really splurged on much. If I had to say something, it'd be the stand for my aquarium. If it's going to hold 100+ lbs. of something potentially very messy, it has to be good.

Otherwise, I'm very thrifty. Most of what we have is Craigslist finds, upcycles, and gifts.

No hard & fast rules here either.

I buy as much on sale and closeouts/seconds as possible - I thrift, eBay and buy used whenever possible or as practical...
...but I've spent small fortunes on professional framing, sewing for custom draperies and re-upholstery work and tilework.

i think its important to not compromise on things you actually come in contact with. Those are the things that can really make a difference in your day to day life. Small luxuries. Really soft towels, comfy bedding, nice table ware.

Personally I have never splurged on purely decorative items.

I don't splurge much, but I don't really have to think too much when it comes to vintage furniture. It's not like the store can get more stock of the exact same item so I am usually confident that I'm getting a good deal when I decide on a piece.

We don't splurge on art either. We have a lot of prints and some canvases we got from a thrift shop.

Sometimes it's not so much spend vs. save. Tthe Eames chair is iconic but I would never spend $500 on one dining chair. That $500 could go further with other things.

We splurged on an IceStone top to refurbish a 30 yr. old Saarinen table. We also had the base powder coated at an auto body shop. We saved on chairs from Home Decorator's.

I like to splurge on things that I interact with all the time. I never skimp on heavy-use items.

Spending little dough doesn't always mean you end up with crap though. If you're willing to put some work into re-finishing you can get quality out of bargain, vintage finds. Sometimes just a little internet-foot-work will land you a great deal on a designer piece if you are patient, and not afraid to negotiate.

I buy high-end furniture, but I'm a bargain shopper. I'll save and save waiting for the yearly sales at the designer shops.

of the things in our home that are more expensive, we'd tend to not think of them a "splurges". we'd like to think of ourselves as smart(er) shoppers -- and what we paid for the original-this or the limited-edition-that can ultimately be sold for about what we paid for it. we even /made/ money on a 5 year old mcroskey mattress several years ago (that we purchased new prior to three price hikes).

we've also become more mindful of where our stuff comes from as we've seen our friends put out of work. importing cheap copies or ersatz decor from china will ultimately be the nail in the coffin for the american dream as we know it.

I'm willing, and able, to splurge occasionally on furniture, art and interior finishes by continuing to drive around in my beat up, '98 Ford Explorer Sport.

We splurge on rugs, furniture, and fixed house items (floors, kitchen cabinets, backsplash). But then we never buy expensive bookcases, tables or chairs, art, etc. Doesn't it depend on what your definition of spend/splurge is? We've bought some moderate furniture, but wouldn't ever spend more than $500 on most things.

I splurge on towels (well, Lands End - they're amazing and not expensive at all), and nice pieces of furniture. Not all at once, of course. One year I bought a marble-top Saarinen side table from DWR. I'll have it forever. I bought my couch and living room chair from Room and Board - took the bus to NYC to pick them out - rather than settle for stuff I didn't like at Crate and Barrel, etc (boring). But having said that, about a third of our apartment is great finds from the curb, yard sales, and CL.

Splurge: couch, mattresses, sheets. Save: everything else. Make it, save for it, thrift it, or wait for it to get marked down. Style is everywhere & at every price point, but if I have to sit on it or lay on it, it's gonna be brand new & untouched.

My bed..... high cotton threadcount sheets and feather pillows (just for that extra sense of oldschool luxury).

Art, whenever possible. And good knives for the kitchen.... really basic, but really, really important.

We recently moved and bought a lot of new items. We spent $60 on a second-hand (and antique, but a little scuffed) dining room table, and $1600 on a new sofa. Both pieces make the space; so sometimes it's all about finding the right piece, even if it costs an arm and a leg, or found on the sidewalk! Also, we'll buy linens, drapes, etc from IKEA, but never their furniture. Standards!

We just bought a new, all organic, 100% natural latex mattress. Because my husband has a compromised immune system, this splurge was totally worth it. We should have done it sooner. Love that it's natural, love that it's good for him, love that it's ridiculously, insanely comfy.

If we had a bigger piggy bank, we'd splurge on a custom couch too, but alas, that just isn't going to happen any time soon.

Everything else is pretty much CL-ed/eBay-ed, thrifted, researched to the death and waited on for a sale, or just plain handmade.

I would love to buy a really nice area rug, but my cat doesn't seem to know the difference between one and a scratching post. But really, won't probably buy anything remotely expensive until I own a place.

My only real splurges to date are a case study cabinet that's in my kitchen and an arc lamp that's over my dining table. But both of these were bought via craigslist at prices where I could sell them for as much/more than what I paid for them.

The plan is to save up for a truly nice sleeper sofa to replace the current ikea model. A truly comfy bed is important to me. But that's going to have to happen down the road.

Just splurged on Eileen Fisher Silk Comforter and Washed linen comforter cover (king sizes) for $700 after 25% off at Garnet Hill. My biggest investment ever on bedding. I've spend too much time on researching for a good set and it's time to work harder and earn the money back. :-) My husband was lovely to say just treat it as a Christmas gift for him and we can enjoy for many years to come. I hope when they arrive, I will be as impressed as I expected.