Sigh! The Value of Money

I've been saving money like a mad woman for my trip this fall, yet I've been spending money as if I have a better paying job. In the past six months, I've bought several high ticket items that I've questioned, yet have decided was worth the cost. Let's recall, I'm not usually a big purchaser of techy items. Cable doesn't exist in my household; my DVD player is from 2000; and yes, I still have the same VCR from 1995. So I was pleasantly surprised to receive a coupon for a new phone from my cell provider, but Mich reminded me, it wouldn't be a true discount because of how expensive new phones can be. I had upgraded my phone 18 months ago to a smart phone, but still one of the cheaper ones because I felt I didn't really need all the extra bells and whistles on my phone. And I paid for that mistake. I had repeated issues, phone replacements, etc. with my cheaper phone, which drove me crazy. So I wandered into the store, after doing some in-depth research, I am after all a librarian. As the sales guy showed me all the features on the one phone I was really interested in, I tried not to drool as I decided to purchase a new Droid phone. These are not cheap phones, they're the equivalent of buying a new laptop, but I had my excuses in my head for why it was acceptable to spend the money: my old phone was acting up again and would need to be replaced, I could stay better in touch than I already do, I could take the 0% payment plan, and I was absolutely jealous of Mich's phone when she visited. While the sales guy rang up my purchase, he actually offered me a better deal on my rate plan. Of course, the payment plan will now replace the savings I would have gained from the new rate plan, but oh well. I've now had the new Droid phone for 3 weeks and have to say, I do not regret spending the money. I can't say enough about how much I love this phone. It was a worthy purchase for my needs. Do you have any buyer's remorse or joy stories?