Our Frugal Happy Life: Top 10 Series: the top 10 items around the house I buy

Inspired by recent discussion at Money Saving Mom.com about the top items that people should buy or should not buy, I am running a series in April and May about the top 10 things I purchase or don't purchase regularly.

Some of the points are actual physical items; other points are a bit more broad. In many cases, the reason I purchase a specific item is because we have a brand preference - and we choose to save money elsewhere in the budget so we can afford that specific item!

In April, I will share the top 10 things I purchase in four different categories: food, household products, health and beauty products and other miscellaneous products around the home.

These lists will be based on my opinions and my purchasing habits. Each individual and family will have different priorities for how money is spent. If your priorities are different, that's okay!

Here are the top 10 miscellaneous household items that I purchase, in no specific order:

1. Kitchen knives - A nice set of kitchen knives makes cooking so much easier! We don't have a high-end set, but we also don't have a cheap set - we have a middle-of-the-road set that works for us. My father-in-law usually sharpens our knives a few times a year for us.

2. Shoes - New, quality shoes are so important. I absolutely refuse to buy used shoes and I would never wear them. The same will go for our future children (it's even more important for growing feet to have new shoes!). Now, I do often get great deals on shoes (by watching for sales and coupons), but we're willing to spend the money.

3. Cookware - Our stainless steel cookware set is wonderful. It was a wedding gift and considering I cook seven nights per week, it definitely gets its use. Stainless steel is also super easy to clean, which is a bonus in my book. In addition, we've replaced one pan already and only had to pay the shipping; the (free) warranty provided us with a new pan for $0!

4. Bakeware - Quality bakeware is also a great thing. I have Farberware - and nothing sticks to it! Our bakeware items were also wedding gifts.

5. Stand mixer - I have a Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer and I love it! I had one of these on our wedding registry, but I didn't receive it; I finally had the money to buy it about one year ago and I am so glad that I did. Truthfully, I am not exactly sure how I survived without it! I use it several times per week for so many different kitchen tasks.

6. Sheets - I admit it - we're suckers for nice, comfortable sheets. :) Most of ours are around 300 thread count, and those are perfectly fine. However, we also have a set of 700 thread count sheets (that I got for $20 - they were used on a store display!) and those sheets are awesome. I worked in the Home Department at a department store and I would not recommend anything under 300 TC.

7. Pillows - My husband and I each have a "wedge pillow." He uses his for acid reflux; I use mine for allergies and sinus problems. Wedge pillows make a huge difference for us! My husband also likes his "cooling" pillow from JCPenney.

8. Bath towels - In the words of my husband, we don't want bath towels through which we could read the newspaper. We have nice, quality towels, although they certainly aren't extremely expensive for towels. We have been married for three+ years and are still using towels that were wedding gifts, so they hold up well (which makes them more worth the money!).

9. Name brand printer ink - We have tried the refilled ink cartridges and they mess up our printers every time. Because of that, I make it a point to purchase the name brand printer ink; I can usually find a nice deal on Amazon (and then I use Swagbucks to purchase it!).

10. Phone/cable/Internet package with caller ID - My husband is a pastor, so we have a landline with caller ID so our cell phone numbers aren't available to the entire congregation. We've discussed dropping this landline, but our cell phones don't work at our condo, so...for now, we keep the landline. We also have a basic cable package for the sports fanatic in our house (hint: it's not me!). We don't spend anything else on entertainment (no movies, rare dining out, etc.), so this is a choice that we have made. I will say that it would be the first thing to go if we ever got in a tight spot (and we both agree on that).

And one additional thing...

Simon, our Shih-Tzu
And yes, he is laying in a basket of blankets!

11. our dog! We rescued Simon nearly three years ago and he is a very important member of our family. He truly keeps us sane (we can tell him anything and he just listens!) and is basically our first child. :) Truthfully, he doesn't cost much at all - and he's worth it!

To catch up on the previous installments in this series: