by POPSUGAR Smart Living 1

Tough times have made us all a bit more cautious about whipping out our wallets on a whim. When it comes to spending with discretion, most of us have heightened our priorities about things we think are worth the money and those items or services that are not. Take a look back at the list of worthy investments before we ring in the new year.

What else wowed us this year? Check out some of the biggest headlines of 2009 and cast your votes in my Best of 2009 polls!