Publisher's Note: When we first put together the money theme, I knew we had to have a piece from photographer and nutritionist Mickey Trescott. I asked her to send us photos showing how she's chosen to spend money on her home.

"The couch was the first thing we actually bought at the store," Mickey told me in a quick interview.

It was the start of everything. They'd started renting this space after moving quite often for a few years, and their ratty $15 thrift store couch cracked in half in the move. "We couldn't think of putting a $15 couch in this beautiful space anyways," she said. Looking at IKEA yielded nothing - it seemed worth it to spend more on something well made, that they'd really love.

From there, their collection has grown. Noah Trescott, her husband and the maker behind Fermata Woodworks, built the coffee table, and the dining room table. In the years of our friendship, which started over a picture of a cookie, I've watched them slowly invest in their home.

"Every time I come home, I think 'Ahhhh…" Mickey says, "I think that comes from not having a lot of stuff; the emphasis we place on having a few nice things." The Trescotts had started getting rid of stuff in their previous tiny apartments. Looking at these photos, you might guess that all the junk is in the closets, but there are no closets - or clutter - in the entire house.

The couch was expensive. So was the Pendleton blanket in the bedroom - they saved for a few months after they had finally decided on a design they liked. Many things are thrifted along the way, or came from family. The clock by the yarn was her uncle's clock as a child, the art is all from friends.

Mickey's tips: be obsessed with research; be aware of what you would get if you are ever in the market for ____. "I'd never go into a store and buy something just because it looked cool - I might look, but then I'd think about things." And then save up, once you know what you want.