For better or worse, I can’t seem to bring myself to spend less on food and allocate more of my personal allowance on, well, anything else. So I want to document this list of unattained wants in a visual way which will, hopefully, spur myself to be a little more disciplined with the eating out.
Anker Soundcore Space NC
$100
Like many tech workers, I sit in an open office, which means I am constantly overhearing other people’s conversations less than five feet away from me. While I have a pair of headphones I already keep at my desk which do work, they are super old and incredibly cheap. The sound isn’t great and, most importantly, I have to turn it up pretty loud in order to drown out the people around me. Sometimes, all I want is just quiet– no music even. While I’d love to have something akin to the Bose QC 35s, I can’t bring myself to shell out $300 for a pair.
Symphonized Wood Earbuds With Fabric Cable
$25
This is my go-to earbud. I’m going to be honest, they are not the top of the line. But I am HARSH on my earbuds. Nothing ever lasts more than a year so why pay $100+ for something that’ll just get broken? I like these because the in-ear pads are extremely comfortable and the braided fabric cable tends to prevent snags and frayed wires more than just the plastic-sheathed cables.
Superfeet Black Insoles
$40
I bought a few pairs of these a couple years ago and they have been pivotal in keeping my flat feet comfortable day in and day out. Sadly, though, I’ve run through all the pairs I had and now it’s time for some replacements, at least for my daily shoe.
Mizuno Wave Paradox 3
$50
It’s about time (honestly, probably even slightly past time) for me to get replacement running shoes. I’ve always like the Mizuno’s Wave Paradox line, so why mess with a good thing? Opting for the v3 instead of the v4 because it’ll save me about $70 and, honestly, I’ve never cared about being the early adopter type.
Leather Repairs
$40
My leather jacket has gotten a very small tear in the shoulder, so I’d like to take it to get it repaired. I’ve been avoiding wearing it in the meantime since I don’t want to make it worse, which is a shame because I love wearing this piece. Not sure what the actual cost will be to fix, but I feel like $40 is a decently conservative estimate.
Watch Repairs
$250
I got a couple nice family heirloom watches as gifts during my wedding. They’re old and haven’t been used in decades, so they definitely need battery replacements and some amount of cleaning/tuning I imagine in order to be worn. There’s a part of me considering just selling them or holding on to them unused so that my children can inherit them, but on the other hand, I feel like vintage watches/jewelry/etc. lose their value more quickly these days in the age of online shopping, remakes, etc. Should I really just let it gather dust in the hopes it might be worth something later? I don’t expect I’ll wear them all that often, probably only when meeting with business contacts, so I probably only need to get one repaired at most and hide the other for safe keeping I suppose.
Shorter Haircut
$35
My hair is in an okay place right now– it’s healthy and decently kept. But it’s at a length that I don’t love and, now that the wedding is over, I’m pretty eager to chop it off to look like the above picture (minus the dye).
Alighieri La Collisione Necklace
$260
I’ve been crushing on this piece for a long time. I really like it because it’s mixed metal, which I’m thinking/hoping will help me wear my silver wedding ring (actually I think it’s either tungsten or titanium, but it’s silver colored) along with some other gold pieces I received from family.
Custom Leather Chelsea Boots
$245
A new shoe store opened up a few minutes away from my house. Their pieces are absolutely gorgeous and are custom-tailored to your foot. They take the measurements locally but the manufacturing actually takes place in Guatemala. They claim to pay their cobblers well and have individual biopics of each on their website, but Everlane and other clothing brands have ruined the “ethical clothing” label for me. It is very clear, though, that they know what they’re doing when it comes to shoes.
What’s on your wishlist?
Yet Another PF Blog 
I’m sure you know this already, but a quick reminder (from experience!): a short haircut like that will require a lot more regular maintenance (presuming you have a shoulder length or longer style right now). More money, more time.
I changed my style a couple of years ago, slightly shorter than your example. I love it! But it requires a trim every 5-6 weeks to keep the desired shape. And I also miss the option to pull it up in a ponytail when working out. A half-up style keeps the hair out of my eyes but it still gets stuck on my neck anytime I exert myself enough to build up a sweat.
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I tend to cut short once every few years into a layered cut and then let grow out again, but point taken on haircut maintenance. I do like being able to put my hair up though, it’s always been kind of annoying when it was short working out.
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I don’t know what the norm is in your new job but is it worth asking them to foot the bill for your headphones?
My wish list is awfully long for someone focused on decluttering right now… The top item is a replacement backpack but that’s on hold, it’s not an urgent need. I’d MOST like this cold to go away.
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Haha, I’m feeling the same about decluttering and wanting more things. Hope you feel better soon!
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Short hair is expensive to maintain and high maintenance. It would take me 45 minutes to blow dry and style my hair when it was short. I was getting haircuts every 6 weeks plus did some highlights every 3rd time plus the products from the salon. It was ridiculous what I was paying. And short hair was hanging in my face as those face framing layers were too short to pull back. One really bad haircut had me take close to a year before I had my hair cut again and that was by new boyfriend, now husband. He did a great job shaping up the mess the salon stylist made and I began my journey to long hair. It is so much less work. I can pull it back in a ponytail when I work out, do house chores and I either wear it down or get my husband to braid it for me for a professional look. My hair reaches past my elbows, I get compliments on my hair and people think I am 10-15 years younger than I am. Long hair is the only way to go for me. And being my husband trims my hair for me, I don’t have the hassle, wasted time or expense of going to the salon. Best move I ever made, saves me hundreds a year.
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