15 Splurges That Save You Money in the Long Run

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Energy-Efficient Appliances

Spending more on energy-efficient appliances can help you save money in the long run, said Monica Lam, a financial blogger at LuckyMojito.com and mother of two. In particular, shelling out $50 to $100 more for an Energy Star certified clothes dryer can be a worthwhile splurge.

“Our previous dryer was old and took forever to dry our clothes. Buying a more expensive, energy-efficient dryer is worth it. My clothes are done in less than half the time, and I spend less money on our gas bill,” Lam said.

Energy Star certified dryers use 20% less energy — saving more than $200 in energy costs over the lifetime of the dryer, according to Energy Star. For even more savings, a heat pump model uses up to 60% less energy than conventional dryers.