I bought an expensive pillow for my birthday and I don't regret it (much)
May is my birthday month and while I’m not one to turn the entire month into it being all about me, I like having birthdays. Forget the haters who say celebrating birthdays after age 12 is for losers. You know what’s winning? Getting older. Some people don’t make it to 12 or 20 or 30 or 50. Each year is a win.
Until your neck hurts and you really want a good night’s rest. So when my parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I tapped my adult self and said, “a pillow would be nice.”
This is how you know you’re an adult of a certain age. Now, I’ve always loved sleeping and I’ve been a good sleeper from day two according to my parents. However, I can’t just fall asleep on a friend’s rug like I used to, now I need a proper mattress and supportive pillows so I don’t wake up with a sore neck.
With that in mind, I went pillow shopping. I wanted one that supported my side-sleeping habit and it had to be a cooling one because summer in Toronto is coming and I sweat enough as it is, thanks to the humidity that is lurking around the corner. As someone who hasn’t bought a pillow in years. (I wonder why my neck hurts the next morning), I got serious price-shock at the cost of pillows. You want $350 for a supportive pillow that is also cooling? What? Why? Also, what does buying a pillow have to do with the theme of this newsletter.
I started to do the mental math, how much am I willing to pay for better sleep? Is this a treat yourself moment or a long-term investment in my spine? At first, I scoffed and started searching for cheaper alternatives but then I remembered the two muscle creams (one hot, one cold) on my nightstand and the number of mornings I’ve started with a neck roll and a groan. I also remembered the cost of physiotherapy and massages, which I love but also, expensive, even with partial benefits.
I also remembered that I could be doing better things than looking up pillows. Yes, I went to Wirecutter but I also rested my head on about a dozen pillows in my search.
Maybe this isn’t indulgence, maybe this is prevention. Maybe this is maturity, or maybe I’m just tired and want to sleep without waking up feeling like I got in a fight with my own vertebrae. A couple therapy sessions and a tube of muscle cream is about the cost of the pillow. That made financial sense to me. Buy the nice pillow and use it.
I ended up buying a slightly cheaper one that did the same thing and it’s from a Canadian brand, Silk & Snow. I’m splitting the cost with my parents. I had a great sleep last night.
The Budgette Reader Survey 2025
There’s no readings this week but I do have my annual survey. I would love to know more about what you want to read about, so let me know. It’s anonymous and I’m not collecting emails. Reader Survey 2025