5 Splurges That Are Totally Worth It

With the economy in a serious downturn (thanks to the Wall Street Hangover, apparently), smart college women like ourselves know better than to hit the malls and stock up on the latest fashion. We have to save! We have to buy gas! We have to invest in our futures!

But, there are just some things out there that are worth a little splurge. Sure, you may not be able to buy corn products next week, but who cares? You have yourself one of these babies:

1. An iPod.

I’m sure half of you already have iPods, but I’m also sure there are a few of you out there who are like me… unwilling to fork over the dough because you’re cheap and/or poor. Well, let me tell you, investing in an iPod is the way to go. After forking over the dough for something REALLY huge (a new computer), I got a free iPod touch, and wow. Just wow. The future is here. I can’t even fathom getting to access the Internet for free on a device that also plays music and lets me take notes, get the weather, and watch movies… it’s so awesome.

2. A new computer.

After eight years (serious) of lugging around an outdated Mac laptop, I took a deep breath and hit the “purchase” button last week for a new MacBook Pro. My old computer was still working… it was like a tortoise in terms of speed, though, and it wasn’t really capable of streaming video. Oh, yeah, and the total hard drive capacity was 9 GB. My new computer, I am already convinced, is the best investment I’ve ever made. I can Skype! I can load Web pages in under the amount of time it takes me to make a sandwich! I can listen to podcasts! With my old Mac, podcasts were something strange and exotic that I had heard about but never experienced. If you too are toiling away on an ancient computer, GET A NEW ONE! It is sooooo worth it!

3. A really nice, romantic dinner.

If you have a sugar sugar, treat that person to dinner at an unbearably fancy restaurant. If you’re rocking the single life, get your friends to go out for an amazing dinner with you. It can be painful to look at the tab after you’ve gone all out with appetizers, drinks, main course, and dessert—but if you go to a super-nice place, you’ll later remember how much fun it was rather than how much it cost.

4. An excellent haircut.

For poor college and grad school ladies, the temptation to trim the locks at Master Cuts (or, even classier, over your bathroom sink) is strong—believe me, I feel you. But if you haven’t indulged in a while by having your hair cut and styled (!!!) at a place that’s a little more upscale than your bathtub, you really should treat yourself and go for it. Unless your friend with the scissors is a professional stylist, the difference is unbelievable, and you’ll get the kind of cut that you want to stare at and play with in the mirror for hours.

5. Organics!

I am talking organic clothes and other products as well as food here. Not only are they high-quality, but they’re good for the Earth and good for YOU! You don’t want to chow down on pesticides every time you take a bite of an apple, so spring for the organics. In many places, they’re equally priced or just a little more expensive than the non-organics, and your body will thank you for eating and wearing such lovely things.

[Photo courtesy of promarketing.com]