What would you keep?

bajiay · #21 04/22/08, 03:37 PM

My favorite "thing" in my house is my Sleep Number Bed. We have had it for two years and I haven't slept better.....I like sleep.....and chocolate........

I have given up buying movies,cd's, and such. I spend that money on food storage instead. Gave up our cell phones. Will be giving up our Directv as soon as the contract is up in a few months..have already "sacrificed" other things when we moved here a year ago, but they don't seem like that now. Can't even think of them anymore. I like life simplified.....

BobDFL · #22 04/22/08, 03:55 PM

Back in 2004 hurricane Charley beat us up really bad and we were without power for 2 weeks (took power company that long to hook it back up in our area of the county and we weren't were it made landfall). Anyway it was amazing what we could live without, but the things we did keep were:

Coffee

- in the morning (used a propane camping stove to boil the water, and had enough as part of our hurricane supplies) but I could have given it up if it came down to it.

Radio/Newspaper - without TV it was the only news, and I am a newsaholic (the local newspaper was delivering free copies to those of us without power, I guess to try and get new customers).

Since the total area was out of power there wasn't anywhere to go so we lived off the canned goods (always need to have your hurricane supplies each year) so those would be needed.

A vehicle of some sort to get around (could even be a horse and buggy if you got down to it)

and a source of water, it's amazing how good a cold shower feels after you are on your roof fixing storm damage in 99 degree heat that felt like 120.

Out of those listed above I'd say the coffee and the Radio/Newspaper are the only real luxuries.

katlupe · #23 04/22/08, 04:13 PM

I won't give up my horses. They are our luxury.

katlupe

Sharon · #24 04/22/08, 04:20 PM

I'd keep internet as long as possible. One of our daughters moved across country and we IM with webcam often. I miss her terribly and it helps to chat with her daily and watch her open gifts, etc., via webcam.

Beaners · #25 04/22/08, 04:41 PM

All of our pets are probably my favorite luxury, and would be the last to go. Luckily a few of them like the rats and the fishtanks pay for their own upkeep. The rest of them aren't cheap, but they are worth it to me.

Kayleigh

Fla Gal · #26 04/22/08, 04:45 PM

Bob, I remember Charley very well. That was the one hurricane I was ready to cut and run from. I lived in Bradenton at the time. I remember the power outages in your area. My supervisor didn't understand, he said I'd be on call and asked if he'd be able to reach me if he called. I told him "Sure, you'll be able to reach me on my phone but I don't know where I'll be."

That was a very scary time for me. It made Ivan look like a cakewalk.

Some of the things I'd keep, if at all possible:

Coffee, got to have coffee and my camp stove to cook it on.

My truck and little car. The truck makes me enough money to be able to keep the car, that saves me money, on the road. I can't replace the car for the $700 I have in it. It runs good. It's not a good feeling to have to depend on someone to take me to town when my truck breaks down.

Internet access. It's cheaper than long distance phone calls to my family.

The normal food, clothing and shelter is a must.

I've lived without electricity and running water. It's a pain, but if I had to do it again I could. One of the perks of my job is electricity and water so that shouldn't happen in the near future.

I would keep my radio. I don't watch television and hearing music, from time to time, is nice. It's also good for keeping you up on weather updates when there are problems with the local weather.

Catbird · #27 04/22/08, 05:01 PM

For me i can't really think of anything i couldn't give up but would really miss the internet service if it ever came down to where i couldn't have it anymore

Callieslamb · #28 04/22/08, 05:09 PM

I don't know that any of us should feel bad or shallow to have a few things that we would like to keep. I think that shallowness would only come out according to how we would act if we DON'T get that thing we think we need.

So I am going to label mine - what I will whine to keep
Snickers bars and Rootbeer - okay, maybe I am not that bad
I will whine about refrigeration for my food.
I will gasp with every breath June thru Sept without AC or at least ICE

I can do without the phone as long as I have Internet - or some method of contacting my children and family. I can do without television but would like some of getting the news.

treesonggal · #29 04/22/08, 05:41 PM

I've lived without electric, indoor plumbing of ANY kind, land line phone and internet.
I'm at the point where the internet would be the last to go, which means keeping the landline phone, which means having electrical wiring and a generator if I didn't have electic hook-up.

We're still busy downsizing and I'm at the point where there little 150 square foot cabin I lived in looks real appealing!!! "cept now there are two of us instead of just me!

The refrigeration, propane furnace and kitchen stove and water heater can all go. We've changed our diet so much we really could use a large cooler and maybe an occasional bag of ice in warm weather. We've never hooked up our electric dryer. I have a handy little wringer washer that I've used for years - without plugging it in - and it could easily replace the top-load washer we now have. Water could be heated on a woodstove and cooking can be done there as well. We have a covered porch with a propane grill; a wood burning kitchen range sitting in a shed that would make a great "summer kitchen."

Just give me my Griswold cast iron, my yelloware bowls, my Robinson Ransbottom coffee mugs and my hand thrown pottery dinner plates and I'll be content. They are luxury to me.

june02bug · #30 04/22/08, 06:55 PM

Being near the criss cross path of several of the 2004 hurricanes I can appreciate being without and will do it IF I have to.

We could stop eating out, seeing the occasional movie out, TV - More I'm sure but can't really think of anyright now. Like most here we don't use many luxuries anyway.

stranger · #31 04/22/08, 06:56 PM

[QUOTE=ChristyACB;3032010]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[/QUOTE
I wouldn't buy any of that stuff, even the flowers, if a flower dosen't turn into a veg or fruit, i don't want it hogging any of my fertilizer or nutrients out of my ground.

Beaners · #32 04/22/08, 07:50 PM

Hmmm...I think flowers are wonderful. I can't imagine a spring without daffodils and tulips or a summer without morning glories and sweet peas. Personally I can begrudge them the small amount they take from the soil. After all, I am getting free nutrients from my compost and mulch!

Kayleigh

Freeholder · #33 04/22/08, 07:53 PM

I don't want to give up my flowers, but we have an acre to plant stuff on, so we can spare a little room for flowers. Morale is as important as any physical need, and flowers boost the morale for a lot of people.

Probably the last luxuries we'll give up will be the internet, Grandma's coffee, and hot cocoa. But they are luxuries, we have lived without them before and can do it again.

Like others here, I've lived a good chunk of my life without electricity or running water, and while I like having them, I can live without them. I've been preparing to do so ever since we moved here almost five years ago. (Not so much in anticipation of the current looming disaster, but because I knew someday we'd be in our own place again, and that it probably would be off-grid)

Kathleen

Quint · #34 04/23/08, 02:17 AM

Travel. I was going to Costa Rica and Thailand to see friends but the price of fuel and food is taxing my budget too much. Not to mention the fact that I'd have to get on a <expletive redacted> plane and deal with the <expletive redacted> <expletive redacted> <expletive redacted> <expletive redacted> TSA goons.

I'm usually pretty good about not envying the rich but unfortunately I've had the opportunity to fly charter on several occasions and schlepping it around an airport and flying commercial has been unmitigated torture ever since. I'd settle for just a Gulfstream 150. Not a 450 or a 650 just a plain vanilla 150.