5 Pseudo Splurge-y Things Our Editors Secretly Love and Buy Over and Over Again

Even if you mind your dollars wisely, sometimes it just makes sense to spend a little bit more on something you truly love. Splurging on a household essential that you will use every day, or adding a few high-quality, high-impact items to your living room, might make you feel a twinge of guilt, but there’s also a whole lot of satisfaction there, budget-be-damned, and no apologies required. (Not to mention, pricier items often last longer than their cheap counterparts.) I asked the Apartment Therapy team to share their own recent “guilty pleasure” purchases, and why they decided to spend a little extra on themselves.

Liz Steelman, Real Estate Editor: Liz’s little indulgence comes in the form of a water bottle—one of those under-appreciated items that you carry around all the time, use daily, and perhaps don’t think much about. Here’s what she has to say about her favorite:

Do I need a $35 water bottle? Not at all. No one really needs a $35 water bottle! This is what I thought when the security guy at Citi Field told me I couldn’t bring in my red S’well water bottle that I had gotten for free at an event. I told myself that I could just go back to my other glut of water bottles at home (I have many, many, many). This whole frame of thinking lasted approximately two days, when I went out and bought a replacement S’well bottle. There is just something fabulous about the metal water bottles. They don’t leak, they fit in the slimmest of bags, and for some reason, I drink way more water from them than from any other water bottle.

Taryn Williford, Lifestyle Editor: Taryn’s been busy setting up her new loft this past year (in a building that was formerly a pickle factory) and carefully choosing how to decorate the space, one item at a time. (She regularly shares her purchases, including this large rug that only cost $90, but everyone thinks she spent a bundle on.). One of her go-to feel-good buys is coffee table books:

I love Monocle guide books (like this one on cosy homes, but they have also have a BUNCH of others). They’re lovely to skim through, and packed with good advice for living well. But honestly, I keep buying them because of how good they look in a stack.

Tara Bellucci, News and Culture Editor: Tara ‘fesses up to owning a number of beauty products, namely those Korean sheet masks we’ve been seeing so much of in recent years. She stocked up on a recent trip to Hong Kong:

I have an absurd amount of sheet masks. I have snail sheet masks. I have gold sheet masks. I have sheet masks with dog faces on them. They’re individually inexpensive and they travel so well, so I like to bring a bunch when I’m going to be on a plane or foresee that I’ll need some self care. I picked up a bunch from Korean brand Etude House when I was in Hong Kong (but you can get them on Amazon without the flight to Asia).

Adrienne Breaux, House Tour Editor: When Adrienne mentioned Mariage Frères tea, Creative Studio Director Anna Hoffman piped in to say she loves and drinks it too. It’s a daily ritual for Adrienne, but Anna reserves it for “splurge while sprawled on the sofa” times. From Adrienne:

Already a fan of nice loose leaf tea, a friend turned me on to Mariage Frères. One of their flavors, Marco Polo, was her suggestion and remains my favorite of their selections (though Vert Province is a close second). Marco Polo is a tea with the most elegant flavor profile, with subtle hints of fruit and flowers. It has such a lovely taste it needs no additions. It’s the perfect thing to sip slowly when you want to give yourself the gift of time and a little bit of luxury. And the cute tins the loose leaf comes in are great for reusing for all kinds of things.

Emma Glubiak, Audience Development Associate: Emma turned to Amazon to help her find a way to sleep. If you have trouble with insomnia, you know that finding the right formula to help at night is worth a little effort. In the past we’ve talked about breathing exercises, room temperature, and other weird tricks. Here’s Emma’s take on another method: aromatherapy.

I am obsessed with lavender-scented linen sprays. I’m a really finicky sleeper and so spraying a tiny bit on my pillow helps calm me down at night. It might be placebo effect but I have definitely started sleeping better since using this.