I spent $400 the other day, all in one day -- and it was quite possibly the smartest thing I ever did.

Normally you would think such a splurge would be really dumb, but spending more all at once is a much better idea for a lot of reasons. For one, it gets your buying bug fed. Secondly, you make smarter decisions when large lump sums are involved.

About that buying bug -- you know how some women go shopping when they feel down? It was actually scientifically proven that buying stuff makes you happier, it's a kind of stress release. Sort of like eating, except you're feeding yourself with gadgets and DVDs.

Even though most people think it's a better idea to be frugal about their buying, letting go of cash in small amounts doesn't work nearly as well as going big.

Spending $100 over the course of a few days because you're being stringent with your money doesn't give the same emotional reward as spending $100 on one item -- and not just because you own it, but because that $100 item will be much more substantial, useful, and pretty than five $20 items.

Not only that, but when you're thinking about buying that big ticket item, you think about it a lot more. There's a reason everything next to the cash register is under $2 -- you don't have to think much about the value that pack of gum will have for you.

Making Better Decisions

However, when I spent that $400 on a second LCD monitor and a lovely glass L-shaped desk, I thought about it long and hard. I got the monitor online because it's often a lot cheaper there, and I can quickly compare a lot of monitors by specs and reviews.

I got the desk at a small local office supply outlet. Not only was it cheaper, better quality, and larger than one I saw online, I could test how well the frame held up, I could sit at it to make sure the height was right, and so on.

All in all, I wanted to make sure I got a great deal for the $200 I had budgeted for both. I knew anything less than that wouldn't be very great quality, and I wanted this to be the desk and monitor that last the next 5 years or so.

For once, I'm proud of the buying decision I made -- because I spent more than I normally do all at once.