I love getting a good deal and don't believe that paying more necessarily gets you more.  I buy drugstore skin creams and hair products; love my Zara jeans and Old Navy tank tops and swear by generic cleaning products.

But there are a few things that I’ve purchased over the years that while not inexpensive, have been worth every penny.

Photo: Note, not my actual car. It looks like this one but mine’s dirty and needs a wash.

My Car

People always stop to ask me how I like driving a Mini Cooper.  Like it? I LOVE it! It’s the first car I’ve ever owned that truly feels like me. It’s perfect for city driving, not to mention city parking.  (Though sometimes I squeeze into spaces too small for my own good.)  It’s cheap to fill up and because I don’t drive much, a full tank lasts about three weeks.  Granted it’s not the most expensive set of wheels and I bought it used, but it has definitely been worth it. And even though it’s a 2004, at only 80,000 kms, I’m not planning on getting rid of it any time soon.

My Coffee Maker

I used to be a french press devotee.  Then I progressed to stove top. Now, I’m a diehard Nespresso fan. It makes good coffee and it makes it FAST.  The machine isn’t cheap (around $300) and neither are the pods, especially as I go through about 2-3 a day. Still, three pods are less expensive than just one trip to the neighbourhood coffee shop.  And while I know this isn’t the most environmentally-friendly way to consume coffee, I dutifully recycle all the pods.

My iPad Mini

When I first received the mini as a Christmas present, I thought I had no use for it and almost took it back.  (I already had a full size iPad.)  But now this baby is my constant companion, even more so than my iPhone.  I use it for emails, to surf the net, watch TV shows and movies when I travel, and, most importantly, to read. Plus, it keeps track of my lists, calories, recipes, music, photos and who knows what else.  Well worth it.

My Mascara

As a general rule, I’m not really into buying makeup.  Yes I wear it, but I keep it pretty simple with just a handful of products and MAC is usually about as high-end as I go. (Even that I get at a discount through a makeup artist friend.) But there is one beauty product I do splurge on and that’s my Dior Show mascara.  It doesn’t clumpy or get gooey and the brush is perfection.

My KitchenAid Mixers

I have a stand mixer, a hand mixer and a food processor, all from KitchenAid.  All in red. They are powerful, effective and have never failed me in the kitchen.  Not to mention that they look as good on the counter as any appliance possibly could.  Keep an eye out for department store sales on this one.

Now my new dryer? That’s a different story. Considering that it takes about two hours to dry two towels, I’m thinking that perhaps I should have bucked up!