Discover our High Value Splurges from a Mortage Free Family
You probably saw my last video about the everyday things we don't spend money on. But being intentional with money doesn't mean spending zero. It means spending where it counts.
From kitchen appliances that make cooking at home easier to home renovations that help us enjoy our space, these are the things we are happy to spend money on.
My husband and I paid off our mortgage more than 10 years ago, and over the years, we've learned that being frugal isn't always about buying the cheapest option. It's about spending money on things that bring lasting value, save us time, and make our everyday lives better.
We're homebodies who work from home and spend most of our time here. Naturally, our priorities might look different from yours, and that's perfectly fine! We all have different things we value.
Here are some of the high-value splurges that are worth it to us in this season of our lives.
1. Kitchen Appliances That Make Cooking at Home Easier
We spend a good amount of money on groceries, and I'm happy to do so. For our family of four, cooking at home is one of the biggest ways we save money, especially compared to eating out regularly.
A restaurant meal for four can easily cost around $100 or more, while cooking at home gives us much more control over our ingredients, portions, and budget.
That's why I'm happy to invest in kitchen appliances that make preparing meals easier and more convenient.
Our Air Fryer
Our air fryer is one of those appliances we reach for regularly. Since we work from home, we don't always want to spend a long time preparing lunch or dinner.
It's great for reheating leftovers, cooking food quickly, and getting dinner on the table without heating up a large oven. Ours has a large basket that works well for our family, and I appreciate how easy it is to clean.
We also chose a model without a traditional Teflon coating, which was an important consideration for us.
The less friction there is in preparing meals, the easier it becomes to keep eating at home instead of reaching for takeout.
Our Ninja CREAMi
If there's one treat I could happily eat every day in the summer, it's ice cream!
We have an ice cream shop nearby, but buying cones for the whole family adds up quickly. A family outing for ice cream can cost around $24, and that's before considering how often we might want to go.
Instead, we invested in a Ninja CREAMi, and we've had ours for around three and a half to four years.
We love experimenting with homemade flavours that aren't always easy to find at the grocery store, including pandan, red bean, mango, and strawberry. We can adjust the ingredients, sweetness, and type of dairy to suit our preferences.
The best part is getting creative in the kitchen. We can experiment with different combinations and make something that tastes exactly how we like it.
Let's look at the cost per use. If an appliance costs $300 and we use it to make more than 300 servings of ice cream, that's less than $1 per serving in appliance cost alone. Of course, ingredients and electricity cost extra, but the more we use it, the more value we get from our initial purchase.
For us, it's a worthwhile investment because we genuinely use it, enjoy it, and have fun making our own treats.
Our Coffee Machine
I don't personally drink coffee very often, but my husband does.
Instead of regularly buying coffee from a café, he can make barista-style coffee at home. When you're working from home and have a short lunch break, the convenience is hard to beat.
A coffee that costs $4 to $5 at a café might not seem expensive on its own, but buying one regularly adds up over time.
Making coffee at home also means fewer disposable cups and less time spent going out to buy it.
It's a small everyday convenience that makes sense for our household.
Our Zojirushi Thermal Carafe
While my husband enjoys coffee, I'm more of a tea drinker.
We invested in a premium Zojirushi thermal carafe that holds around two litres of hot water. Instead of repeatedly boiling the kettle throughout the day, we can boil water once, transfer it into the carafe, and enjoy hot drinks whenever we want.
It keeps water hot for hours, which is especially useful when we're working at home.
This is one of those purchases that quietly makes everyday life easier. I don't have to keep stopping what I'm doing to boil more water, and my tea is ready whenever I want it.
Sometimes, the best purchases aren't the ones that make a big impression. They're the ones you appreciate every single day.
Our Induction Cooktop
We also invested in an induction cooktop, partly for safety and partly for efficiency.
Induction cooking heats compatible cookware directly rather than relying on a conventional heating element. The cooking surface generally stays cooler than a traditional electric cooktop, although it can still become hot from contact with heated pots and food.
It also heats up quickly, making it easier to boil water and prepare meals without waiting as long.
While I'm not claiming it saves us a specific amount of money on our energy bills, I appreciate its efficiency, speed, and safety features.
For something we use almost every day, those benefits make it worthwhile.
2. Appliances That Buy Back Our Time
Time is valuable, too.
I love cooking, sewing, and gardening. These are activities that bring me joy, so I don't mind investing time and money in them.
But repetitive household chores? I'd rather spend less time on those if I can!
That's why I'm happy to invest in appliances that help take some of the work off our hands.
Our dishwasher, washer, and dryer are everyday essentials. They allow us to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time doing things we actually enjoy.
We also have a Roborock robot vacuum that cleans our floors on a schedule. For example, we can have it clean the kitchen in the evening and take care of other areas on different days.
Modern robot vacuums have come a long way, and ours can vacuum and mop, which makes keeping our home clean much easier.
These appliances aren't necessarily glamorous purchases, but they make a difference to our daily lives.
For us, spending money to save time is worthwhile when that time can be spent on something more meaningful.
3. Our Home: Creating a Place We Love to Live In
We spend so much of our lives at home that it makes sense for us to invest in the space.
Over the years, we've renovated areas of our home, including the kitchen, bathroom, and entrance. We're currently working on our basement, too.
When we first moved in, the house wasn't exactly what we wanted, and the basement wasn't fully finished. Our goal is to make this our forever home, so we're gradually creating a space that suits our family.
We don't renovate every year. These are projects we undertake thoughtfully, with the intention of enjoying the results for a long time.
Our bathroom now has that lovely hotel-bathroom feeling, and I enjoy being in a home that feels comfortable and relaxing.
We don't need to leave the house to experience a little luxury. For us, some of that luxury is having a space we genuinely love coming home to.
Home maintenance is another area where I believe spending money can be worthwhile.
I know someone whose home has gone decades without much maintenance, and parts of the property have started to deteriorate. While repairs and renovations can be expensive, neglecting problems can lead to even more costly repairs later.
Of course, not every renovation increases a home's resale value by the amount you spend. But maintenance helps protect the property, and making thoughtful improvements can improve how you use and enjoy your home.
Since this is where we spend most of our time, we're comfortable allocating money toward it.
4. Travel and Experiences With Our Family
Travel and experiences are a newer spending priority for us.
There was a time when we didn't have much room in our budget for these things. Now that our financial situation has changed, we're more comfortable putting money toward experiences we can share as a family.
My husband has a stressful job, so every so often, we'll book a spa hotel where we can stay overnight, enjoy the amenities, relax, and reconnect as a couple.
I think it's important to continue dating your spouse, even after years of marriage and raising children. Having time together away from our usual responsibilities helps us slow down and reconnect.
We still find ways to be frugal on these trips. For example, we'll bring some of our own food instead of eating every meal at a restaurant. That way, we can spend more of our budget on the hotel and its amenities.
We've also started taking our sons on international vacations. They've enjoyed travelling with us, and it's been wonderful to experience new places together.
Because our sons are content creators, we especially value opportunities to disconnect from creating content and simply enjoy being together. We don't need to film everything or turn every moment into something to share online.
These are experiences we'll remember for years, and that's what makes them valuable to us.
Not every worthwhile purchase needs to save money or make life more efficient. Sometimes, its value comes from the memories it creates.
5. Home Security for Peace of Mind
We love our home and the people who live here, so home security is another area where we're happy to spend money.
We have a video doorbell and security system that lets us see who's approaching the front door, whether someone is delivering a package, or whether a visitor has arrived while we're away.
One feature I particularly appreciate is local video storage, which means we don't have to pay a recurring subscription just to access our recordings with our current setup.
I'm always mindful of ongoing costs. A product that requires a monthly subscription can become much more expensive over time than its initial price suggests.
For us, having a way to monitor our front door provides peace of mind, especially when we're travelling.
As we get older, I can see us putting even more thought into making our home comfortable and secure.
It's not about being fearful. It's about feeling at ease in a place that matters so much to us.
6. My Home Office: Comfort, Function, and a Little Pink
As a content creator, I spend many hours working in my home office. Between editing videos, writing, and recording voiceovers, it's important to have a comfortable and functional workspace.
One of my most worthwhile purchases was an ergonomic office chair.
My previous chair had become uncomfortable after the cushioning flattened out, so I decided it was time to invest in a better one. Since I spend so much time sitting while editing, comfort matters.
And naturally, I chose a pink chair!
I also have a standing desk that allows me to change positions throughout the day. I don't want to be sitting continuously, and standing while recording voiceovers works well for me.
Another useful investment is my widescreen monitor. Having more screen space makes video editing easier because I can see more of my timeline and workspace at once.
These are functional purchases, but not everything in my office has to be purely practical.
I love pink. I enjoy surrounding myself with things that reflect my personality, and seeing that colour in my workspace makes me happy and inspires my creativity.
When you spend so many hours in one place, I think it's perfectly reasonable to make it a space you enjoy looking at.
7. Spending More Where It Matters, Less Where It Doesn't
Looking at this list, you might think we spend quite a bit of money. And yes, some of these purchases were expensive!
But frugal living is about looking at the bigger picture.
We save money in many other areas of our lives, which gives us more flexibility to spend on the things we value.
We don't have to spend money on everything. We don't need to keep up with every trend, buy things just because they're popular, or spend our money trying to impress other people.
Instead, we focus on what makes our lives better.
For us, that includes:
Food and cooking: Quality groceries and appliances that make home cooking enjoyable.
Time-saving tools: Appliances that reduce repetitive household chores.
Our home: Maintenance and renovations that help us enjoy our forever home.
Experiences: Travel, spa stays, and quality time with our family.
Peace of mind: Home security and a comfortable living environment.
Creativity and comfort: A functional home office with a few things that simply make me happy.
Your list might look completely different, and that's the beauty of intentional spending.
Perhaps you love travelling, enjoy eating out, or would rather invest in hobbies, fitness, or learning new skills. There isn't one correct way to spend your money.
The important thing is knowing what matters to you and making choices that support the life you want to live.
After more than a decade of being mortgage-free, one thing I've learned is that financial freedom isn't just about having money in the bank. It's also about having the flexibility to use that money intentionally.
We don't want to spend our lives constantly depriving ourselves of things we enjoy. We want to be thoughtful about where our money goes so that we can afford the things that genuinely bring value to our lives.
Sometimes, that means choosing a more expensive appliance because we know we'll use it regularly. Sometimes, it means investing in our home instead of spending more money going out. And sometimes, it means paying for a trip because the memories are worth it.
Frugal living isn't about spending the least amount of money possible. It's about spending less on the things that don't matter to us so we can spend more on the things that do.
🛍️ Products Mentioned:
Digital Peace of Mind & Security:
• Protect your personal data and digital identity with Aura (Free 14-day trial): aura.com/christinelan
Kitchen & Cooking Staples:
• Teflon-Free Family Air Fryer: https://amzn.to/4hFvGJ9
• Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker: https://amzn.to/4erZTJw
• Espresso / Coffee Machine: https://amzn.to/4dAXI6e
• Zojirushi 2L Thermal Carafe:https://amzn.to/4zq5zvG
• Induction Cooktop / Cookware: https://amzn.to/4zrgNQL
Home Automation & Cleaning:
• Roborock Robot Vacuum & Mop:https://amzn.to/4ypp3zW
Home Security:
• Eufy Smart Video Lock (Local Storage): https://amzn.to/4yiLB4Z
Home Office & Desk Setup:
• Ergonomic Blush Pink Office Chair: https://amzn.to/4yDvnV7
• Electric Adjustable Standing Desk: https://amzn.to/4ja8dku
• Ultrawide Editing Monitor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BP94J8VD
Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase. This video also includes a paid sponsorship by Aura. I only share and recommend tools and products that we genuinely use, love, and find value in. Thank you for supporting the channel!
