Do you have luxuries?

[syracusa]

Question for frugal people: do you have any luxuries?

I mean, are there certain things that you consider luxuries but you care so much about that you do not apply your frugal ways to those and have them anyway?

For example, most people consider annual trips to Europe a major luxury.
I have family there, so it is a must for us.

I also have a hard time giving up a good fragrance. My rational mind tells me that spraying expensive fragranced water in the air every day just so that you will smell good for a few hours is in and of itself a non-frugal way and an actual waste of otherwise limited amounts of money.
And yet, it has become so much part of who I am that I cannot give it up.
If I don't have a good fragrance on...I somehow feel a bit sloppy and "un-kept".

BTW, I do not consider a necessary good quality item (such as a good pair of pants or a skirt) a luxury. I consider that frugal because it is something that will last much longer - you can run it into the ground wearing it - than a pair of cheapies that will break after 2 months and you will look bad in them even when they're new.

What about you? Any luxuries?

[dossin1]

Not unless you count basic cable and internet!!

[syracusa]

Waow. Pretty frugal crowd here - for real!

[scfr]

My Netflix subscription (2-at-a-time level). I love watching movies and I can't get all of the ones I want to watch from the library, so I gladly pay for the subscription even tho I know it's not a necessity.

[fairy74]

Netflix and gourmet coffee (I am very, very picky about coffee). DH is picky about brand of root beer and he uses only premium tattoo inks (but those aren't really a luxury because they last longer).

[Aleta]

I enjoy a certain brand of coffee. Some people will drink anything and I will drink what is before me, but I do have a favorite middle of the price range coffee. Some people don't like timeshares, but it works for us. There is noway that I could get that kind of space in a hotel with all the immenities. Besides, we cook while we are there, which does cut down on the vacation. I've heard it said that it takes about 10 years to break even on a timeshare affordability. It also allows me and my adult sons and family to get together and just have fun. But, I must admit, with the rising costs of the maintenance fees and assessments, that it is getting expensive. It also depends where you have your timeshare(location). Ours is in Key Largo which is a good destination for travelers.

[tinapbeana]

to me everything other than house, electric, water, basic food, ability to get to work, and 1 set of clothes is a luxury. with that in mind, i think everyone has luxuries, lots of them...

now, working within the spirit of the post and what would frugally be called a luxury: personally, i'm sure i spend a lot more on 'luxury' items than most here, but i do it knowing full well these are things that could and would be cut in the event of a budgetary crisis.

expanded digital cable, cell phone, steak 2 or more times per week (goes on sale for $2.99/lb every 3 months or so), 10$/lb coffee, name brand soda, organic milk butter noodles sauce sugar spices and more, the occasional lunch/breakfast/coffee out during the work week, DH's weekly pool league, the list goes on. we're lucky to be able to indulge in these types of luxuries and still be able to stash 20-30% of our income for savings/retirement/debt reduction.

i think for me what makes the difference is awareness, and knowing what is truly a necessity.

[autoxer]

My biggest luxury is my cars. I don't need a second car, especially a race car that isn't very practical on the street, but it sure is fun. Besides my obsession with cars, I'm pretty frugal.

[Aleta]

I read a book called All Your Worth, Elizabeth Warren and her daughter. She talks about the 50/30/20 plan. She puts life in an understandable perspective when it comes to spending. 50% is for your must haves, 30$ is for your wants, and 20% is for saving and debt. She really doesn't stress what you should spend the 30% on, that's up to you. A lot of light bulbs came on for me and it is an easy read. I had a hard time putting the book down. And yes, you can check it out at your library. It is a great book. She doesn't want you to deprive yourself of some fun. But, like you said, you need to save enough, and know when to cut the necessary corners.

My luxuries are skin creams that could cost about 150$ a year, eating out once in a while with friends or with my family (sister), traveling (probably next summer to come I'm going to see my friend in Morocco) and I think that's all.

[nanamom]

I have luxeries but you might not consider them that. We don't have a TV so no cable but we do watch movies on laptop so we pay a monthly fee for all the movies we want locally. That is more DH's lux than mine though. Movies to me are an excuse to sit and knit. my luxeries are a hot bath at naptime on occasion, and my stampin stuff. I dont' spend much but I do spend some every month. His luxuries are eating out (I've finally convinced him to taper that down some) and ice cream (DQ closes soon so we will be thriftier on that one also).

[vishenda]

personal care products (even products my derma doesn't recommend) I just love the feeling of my skin being so so clean, its like an obssession actually..and oh lipglosses and make ups too, some I use only for 3 days and then I would look for another..oh geesh, I dont know something might be wrog with me..hehe

[vishenda]

personal care products (even products my derma doesn't recommend) I just love the feeling of my skin being so so clean, its like an obssession actually..and oh lipglosses and make ups too, some I use only for 3 days and then I would look for another..oh geesh, I dont know something might be wrong with me..hehe

[syracusa]

I may have the longest list of luxuries here...but let's see:

1. The fragrance (might be a really good bottle once a year, about 100$.)

2. Cable galore (I could easily give it up but not DH; he would not accept it, he's a TV person).

3. Books bought once in a while (not just borrowed from library; I can't find everything I need there).

4. I have bought my 14 months old a few (not many) cute clothes (and quite expensive by many people's standards I assume) that were all about style, not need. Otherwise - we're with Goodwill and whatever he receives.

5. Some of the make-up I buy is high-end (but I use it a loooong time and I buy it rarely). Unlike high-quality clothing, I am aware that high-end make-up is not a "necessity" because it's not like with the drug store brand I look like "me" and with the high-end brand I look like Cindy Crawford (or whoever). It's still me. Need to work on this one.

6. Used to do manicure/pedicures about once a month, sometimes less often, during the summer. I just can't find time to do it myself. But I have stopped lately.

7. Jewelry purchases once in a while - rarely but enough to do some damage which, in an ideal frgual world, I could have done without.
Afterall, like my sister jokes... you got married, you had a kid, why continue to adorn yourself? Who do you want to attract now?

[lgslgs]

Our big luxury is not having to have jobs. That's plenty of luxury for us.

Lynda

[Gruntina]

Honeyed Ham meal from Knob Hills. I order the honey ham packages that comes with side dishes and dessert that they offer around Thanksgiving dinner. It’s set to feed for 8 with left over. I buy a package for just my Bf and I.

The reasons I do this is I honestly do not know how to make honeyed ham, even though I love to cook but don’t want to learn for the ham loll! The whole meal cost 45 dollars and it seems a lot. It's a luxury and it gives me a few days to rest from cooking. I can make many different meals from the set and freeze them for a later time.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by lgslgs

Our big luxury is not having to have jobs. That's plenty of luxury for us.

Lynda

None of you? How do you do that? That's my dream luxury!

[Broken Arrow]

Right now, I have PSP (portable game machine) and about six titles.

I'm thinking about selling it back though... not sure if I want to keep up with it. But then, besides the occasional hot bath and eating out, I don't have any other luxuries so... I don't think I'm over-stretching my budget on luxuries or anything.

[poundwise]

Broadband Internet service. And not the "lite" (slow) variety either.

[MonkeyMama]

I am big on luxury myself. LOL.

Frankly, I try to be frugal so I Can afford more, and well for financial security as well.

BUT my dh has a dedicated home theatre in the house, loves his cable and movies - that's his luxury. (The frugal part is that I know plenty of people who paid more for their t.v.s than he has for his whole theatre system. The DVD player and surround system are ones he bought AGES ago - he has never upgraded. For the longest time we used an old hand-me-down couch as seating and a blank white wall for a screen. Discount theatre room - the size of the picture is what is important and the quality of the projector - everything else is cheap - LOL).

For me it's a car - I Am saving up the money for a 2000 t-top camaro or something like that. The frugal aspect is I have loved this car since 1999 and I am willing to wait a few more years for it - hehe. Plus we have hardly ever spent money on our cars. I had a fun car once and traded it in when I had my first baby - couldn't afford the insurance though it was fully paid. But I look forward to having my fun car back. For now I have other priorities. IT will have to be a 3rd car so may be a while. IT won't cost more than 5k so it is not a huge thing to us. The avergae we have paid for all of our cars.

For the last 12 years money has either been SO tight or we have been saving saving saving every little penny that last year when I got a big raise we immediately hired a gardener and later put my son in preschool. Luxury perhaps, but they are both worth their weight in gold - I would work extra to pay for them. These are the monthly expenses I look at as pure luxury.

You know my parents brought me up cheap cheap cheap/frugal frugal frugal, and then when I Was around 10 my aunt died in her 30s very suddenly. My parents from that point really loosened up a little and decided to enjoy a little more. So I Take that attitiude from them. Just the other day my parents were both telling me I Was doing great and to stop being so stingy - and I Am thinking I learned it from them - HA! (OF course they think we are insane to hire a gardener). But I try to find that balance in the most frugal way possible. & of course there were many times in my life where there was no room for luxury, so I appreciate it when there is.

There are so many things I would never spend a dime on though - I Could give you a list a mile long. We don't spend money on the stuff we don't value and so there is that much more there for our luxuries.