What would you keep?

ChristyACB · #1 04/22/08, 09:57 AM

I've been reading the past posts and read a lot about what people are giving up or have always done without, especially in today's economy.

It made me curious, what things do you consider luxuries that you are keeping? I've cut out a lot, but the below list is where I must and do draw the line!

I'll start:
-Starbucks Venti Mocha Non-Fat No Whip (I do make my own but theirs is sooo much better. I keep it to one per week now though.)
-Very good coffee in the morning at home.
-Good cheese (like Buffalo Mozzerella) but only once in a while
-Flowers (I did buy bulbs and more seeds this year for flowers that have no other purpose than to be gorgeous)

Gosh, my list is so shallow that I feel..well..shallow!

Christy

FalconDance · #2 04/22/08, 10:07 AM

I've never had a cup of Starbuck's anything, so guess I won't be missing that

.

I'd like to keep my computer and internet - it lets me reach out to friends far away as well as keep up-to-date on information (and research obscure historical info).

I would gladly do without telephones and televisions. But I'd like to keep my music cds. And the daily newspaper (I consider that $9/mo. well spent, mostly) My books stay.

For the most part, I could also do without electricity ....... but until our solar is planned out fully and implemented, I guess that "luxury" has to stay.

swampgirl · #3 04/22/08, 10:14 AM

Running water, not necessarily hot, at the sink in the house. This is one luxury I hope to keep.

chickenista · #4 04/22/08, 10:34 AM

Luxury....?
My days of luxury things has long gone.
I don't consider power and water etc.. to be luxuries. if TSHTF I could make do, but the are necessities that I appreciate for now.

What I wouldn't give to taste something like a Starbuck's coffee or some sweet treat again....dreamy sigh...

The computer and tv are the two luxuries that we are hanging on to right now. Great! Now I feel guilty about liking my puter and my shows...

fordy · #5 04/22/08, 10:45 AM

................I'd giveUP my Phone(cell) , IF I had to choose twixt internet or phone since I have Wifi here at the KOA . I get all my info from the internet as well as HsToday .
................Hot wawa is essential in the winter and washing dirty dishes .
................Got to have my aircompressor(120vac) so i can grease my truck and trailer when necessary . PLus can't give up all my hand tools cause I don't like asking another person , IF I can borrow their tools .
................Health club access......This is the cheapest form of health insurance available to the general public but some folks just don't seem to understand how , really valuable a tool it is in maintaining a healthly body and attitude .
...............Water and Air are essential , esp. when they are mostly clean and smog free . , fordy

big rockpile · #6 04/22/08, 10:48 AM

Come right down to it.I think back to when we didn't have Electric or Phone.I think I just soon not do without Pickup and Chainsaw.

big rockpile

Kmac15 · #7 04/22/08, 10:57 AM

we have discussed ending the TV dish but agree that internet would be the last to go.

I still find room in my budget for good paper towels (only use 1 roll every 2-3 weeks)
DH has let me know that as long as he is working and able to pay for it we will be using soft TP.
DH buys 1-2 cups of coffee a week at a local small business for .85 on the way to work, she has a selection of 5-6 flavors out each morning. She gives us her old bread for the chickens and pigs.

DQ · #8 04/22/08, 11:03 AM

coffee w/cream and sugar in the mornings
internet/computer
hot running water
electricity
toiletries
variety of fresh/frozen foods
vehicle
pet food (therefore pets)
my own home and small acreage.

Gideon · #9 04/22/08, 11:08 AM

Being reared on a dirt poor farm w/o many luxuries except family love prepared me for most anything. I don't drink coffee-maybe a half cup once or twice a week-wife gets angry when I pour out the rest. Donuts now cost from .75-.99 so I quit indulging. Am buying a milk goat, Jersey calf, and the chickens are laying well. We have nearly every power tool backed up by manual ones. God willing by summers end we will be solar powered if the new roof doesn't bankrupt us. Greenhouse going in before winter so we can eat all winter of fresh veggies. Hope we don't have to do without anything. The ice storm of 2K didn't faze us any. Hurricane Hugo was just a minor inconvience because we had to keep filling up the generators but that has been remedied. They are propane powered now. I am a lazy clout, wc

veme · #10 04/22/08, 11:09 AM

I would miss the electric

Txsteader · #11 04/22/08, 11:17 AM

Air conditioning!!!

triana1326 · #12 04/22/08, 11:29 AM

I'd like to keep hot water, but even that can be let go as long as we have wood and our fire pit to heat water...
I'd like to keep the internet, but that's next on the chopping block for expenses, esp. since I have access at work and the library's four computers are a block down the street.
I'd love to keep the healthy organic foods we eat, as I view them as a form of health insurance.
We'd have to get rid of one of the cars, probably DH's, since I'm horrible at manual driving (although I'm sure I could learn fast).
I'd like to keep my Netflix - such a cheap way to get lots of entertainment, but if push came to shove, $20/month is still something...
I'd stop getting my once a week lunch out, and stick strictly to my brown bag lunches from home.

Everything else can go - except maybe electricity - at least until we get some solar panels put up.

big rockpile · #13 04/22/08, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Txsteader

Air conditioning!!!

Yea that was the hardest thing with no electric.We would go to the river before Bed time,cool down,give us time to get sound asleep before we got hot again.

big rockpile

-TWO- · #14 04/22/08, 12:11 PM

Indoor toilet, hot & cold running water, electic lights & a refrigerator. Went without any of these things for many years & sure like having them now. Wife thinks so to & would add the washer & dryer.

Pelenaka · #15 04/22/08, 12:49 PM

My trips to Puerto Rico which so far have included as many as 8 of us on my dime in years past.
I have tried to make these as fugal as possible even ending up spending the night @ the NYC Port Authority because of a missed Tailways connection. Yeah taking the a 5 hour bustrip is the fugal portion of the luxury of visiting with my Grandmother.
To quote Chickenista, I don't consider utilities or shelter with heat for that matter luxuary. Now air conditioning ...

~~ pelenaka ~~

farmergirl · #16 04/22/08, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmac15

we have discussed ending the TV dish but agree that internet would be the last to go.

I still find room in my budget for good paper towels (only use 1 roll every 2-3 weeks)
DH has let me know that as long as he is working and able to pay for it we will be using soft TP.
DH buys 1-2 cups of coffee a week at a local small business for .85 on the way to work, she has a selection of 5-6 flavors out each morning. She gives us her old bread for the chickens and pigs.

How do I convince my DH that the tv dish service is something he can live without? I would be happy to only use the tv for watching movies on dvd, but he loves his tv time. I figure everybody deserves an indulgence and that seems to be his, so I don't argue the point (also, I've tried that argument so many times and failed, it's not worth wasting the time trying!). I don't much care for tv, will watch it if I'm stuck inside due to crummy weather or if I'm sick with the flu, which isn't often.

MariaAZ · #17 04/22/08, 01:11 PM

What do you consider a luxury?

I'm assuming that we're talking about living the same basic lifestyle in the same house we're in now. By basic lifestyle I'm thinking that I cook on my gas stove, heat the house with the gas furnace, receive water & sewer service through the city, and meet my electric needs (including the evap cooler, fridge and freezer) through the electric company.

If these basics are considered luxuries, they would be the last luxuries I'd give up. If I can consider them basics and NOT luxuries, I wouldn't give up butter, cream, sugar and coffee. I don't like margarine, and consider cream and sugar the only acceptable basic additives to my beloved cup of coffee

Danaus29 · #18 04/22/08, 03:07 PM

I won't give up the second house. Yes it is costing a lot of money to rebuild it but it stays. My gas guzzling E-350 van stays also. I use it for hauling things, a lot.

Siryet · #19 04/22/08, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big rockpile

Come right down to it.I think back to when we didn't have Electric or Phone.I think I just soon not do without Pickup and Chainsaw.

big rockpile

Hey Rock,
Thought you were collecting disability. What in the world do you need a chainsaw for?

bluesky · #20 04/22/08, 03:26 PM

My husband and I were talking about this the other day and we pretty much agreed on the following.

Have to have coffee. I don't care if I have to boil it over a fire. My dh must have it.

Electricity. Currently comes from the electric co-op but we're working on plans for an alternative source.

Internet stays - I work at home online all day and that's our major source of income. Phone stays - It's required for my work and all six kids are grown and live far away and need to talk to mom. My employer requires both of these and doesn't pay for either.

I'd hate to give up running water. Our water is pumped from a spring in the hollow across the road in our neighbor's woods. Before about 25 years ago, three houses used the spring and hand carried all of their water and I guess we could do that (I know we could) but it wouldn't be my first choice. Wells just don't work here this high on the ridge and we're very lucky to have this good spring. Many people further up have water hauled in to supplement cisterns for rain water.

I could easily do without the dishwasher my dear MIL brought me for Christmas but I'd hate to give up the clothes washer.

We don't have cable or satellite TV. We have a very, very tall antenna and that works just fine.

Meat could go, since we buy ours at the store.

We've already given up driving for pleasure. No more long Sunday drives to see the eagles nesting and the heron rookery.

I could give up feeding the birds. We use over 50 pounds of black oil sunflower seed every week in the winter.

We rarely buy new clothing. We do buy new shoes and boots. We don't go out for entertainment. We have a rare pizza from town but could do without that.

We could give up the new car if we had to and drive the paid for truck. We have a Nissan Versa that gets great gas mileage but it's far from paid off and is expendable if things got really tough.

Beer could go, I guess.