Self Expression Magazine

$50 for Joy??

Posted on the 04 February 2013 by Chasingjoy @chasing_joy
$50 for Joy?? $50 is a lot of money; at least it is for me.  $50 is just the price range where I pause and think just a little bit more about my purchase before handing over my card.  Never the less there are plenty of things that I have and will continue to purchase for $50.  Some I'm proud of and some, not so much.  Here are a few:
  • My Brooks Running Shoes.  These would fall in the category of proud of.  I get my first pair of Brooks when I was training to run my first 5k.  They were $100 and much more than I'd paid for any type of shoe, ever. As soon as I started working in them the my knee pain improved.  They were so worth the money.
  • Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Perfume.  This is my absolute favorite perfume.  Although now I do see it on sale at Target I have definitely paid over $50 for the entire set including body wash and lotion.  I feel so good all lathered, lotioned, and sprayed with Viva La Juicy.  So worth $50.
  • Concert tickets! If you are around my age, 30ish, you will remember the Jay-Z R-Kelly Best of Both Worlds debacle.  I purchased tickets and was so excited to see both of these artists at the same time. Hah,  by the time the concert got to Philly R- Kelly was out and it was Jay-Z and Friends.  I don't remember the exact price I paid for my ticket.  But I know it was over $50 and so NOT worth it.
  • Cable!  My monthly bill is definitely over $50.  Every month I say to myself this is so not worth it.  Yet every month I pay the bill.  As much as I hate to pay for it I'm not ready to let go of on-demand, DVR, and my favorite HBO original series True Blood, and Boardwalk Empire.  At least I got them to give me Showtime for free for 6 months so that I can enjoy Dexter.  So while I'm not proud of it. I have to say my Cable is worth it :-(
  • My hair.  I go to the salon every two weeks.  At a minimum it is $50 including tip.  Other times it is a bit more depending on the service.  I hate doing my hair. It takes longer and does not look as good as when the stylist at the sop does it.  Minimizing bad hair days is totally worth $50 to me.  
  • Clothes and costumes for my dog.  Now I have never spent more than $50 on a single purchase for my dog.  However when I add up the Dog Sweaters and rain Raincoats that did not fit.  Not to mention the Dog Boots hat he would not wear. The total is way more than $50.  This was so not worth the money.  Hurt would be just as happy with only his natural fur coat.  
There are also things that I'd just never spend $50 on:
  • Sunglasses.  I lose them, scratch the lenses, and break the arms.  It'd make more sense to burn the $50 with a lighter than to spend it on sunglasses. At least I would enjoy the drama.
  • A single bottle of wine and liquor.  These alcoholic beverages are supposed to improve in taste as time goes.  However, I just cannot phantom spending so much for something that will be going down the toilet a few hours later.  
  • A Hat.  I have nothing against hats. As a matter of fact I would like to wear them but they command a certain amount of attention that I am not comfortable with. Even if I did find a great hat that I felt comfortable in I just cannot imagine how a hat being so awesome that I would spend over $50 on it.
I know you are thinking so whats with all of the talk about $50?  I find it funny that there are so many things that we have spent and will spend $50 on yet when it comes to our personal development we hesitate.  I spend $50 regularly on things that don't enhance my knowledge or skills like my hair and perfume.  As a matter of fact I'm sure the time I spend watching cable could be better spent.  Yet I write the check each month and have no real plans on stopping.  Yet just this week I hesitated to pay for a blog conference that was $75 deciding to think about it.  Now granted there are other things I'm considering such as my schedule but I'd be lying if the price was not a factor.  It's funny we think we have our priorities all nicely figured out until we really think about our decisions and how we spend our money.
So my question to you is what will you spend $50 on?  When was the last time you spent $50 on your personal development?  If it's been a while maybe it's time to make that investment.  If so, I know just the place to start and it's less than $50.  Come to the Chasing Joy Brunch and Learn with me. Listen to speakers motivate us on ways to have a more joyful life. Meet some other Joy Chasers in person. And do it all while enjoying a yummy breakfast at Maggiano's.  Tickets starting at $38 are on sale now.  Find out about the speakers and the menu under Events.
“Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self-development) in order to guarantee your future.” ~  Brian Tracy
Will you invest less than $50 on your personal development and join me at the Chasing Joy Brunch and Learn? 
Tell me what are the most joyful and least joyful things you have ever spent $50 or more on?


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