What is Necessity, what is luxury

[snafu]

What's a luxury, what's a necessity? - MSN Money - Slide show

Answer the quiz and check-out surprising results

[tmvijai]

It is an interesting at same time never ending topic. It is subjective for lot of us. It reminds me of an article which I read about "If we lived like our grandparents"

Where would we be if we lived like our grandparents? « We, the Savers

[Broken Arrow]

Interesting survey. All of my answers fit along with the majority, but a couple of them conflicted with the pew research.

[disneysteve]

Very interesting survey. I think a few of the questions aren't simple yes or no questions, though. For example, a microwave oven. Yes, it is a luxury in that food could be prepared on the stovetop or in the oven. However, microwaves are more energy efficient than those options, so giving up the microwave would probably result in higher utility costs.

Same goes for the dishwasher. It is far more efficient to use a dishwasher than to handwash the dishes, so again, it is a luxury because you could live without it, but it might cost you more money to do so.

[FrugalIII]

Geez! I must be living in the dark ages. The only two I chose to be necessities were a car and a clothes dryer and I could probably get away with out the dryer with proper planning. I couldn't get to work without a car (too far to walk and no public transportation) though. I suppose I could find a job closer to work, MAYBE. I have most of the other items, but they are not necessities!

[disneysteve]

FrugalIII, it really depends on how basic you want to get. Sure, people lived for hundreds of years without all of those things, but the world was a different place. Lots of people voted Necessity for personal computer, but lots of people have jobs that require them to have one. Same goes for cell phones. Now if the jobs could be changed so that the computer and phone weren't needed, then they would become luxury items again.

As for a clothes dryer, personally I'd be fine without one, but my wife and daughter both have allergies. We can't line dry our clothes outdoors because they would come in covered with pollen. We could hang them around the house, but I don't really want a clothes line strung across my family room. Our basement is damp and musty so we can't hang stuff down there.

[MonkeyMama]

A lot of these depend where you live. If you didn't have AC in the city I live in - you would be dead (certainly, grandma would be).

BUT, I come from a very moderate climate and while no one had AC when we were growing up, back home, these days it is a lot more common. Luxury 100%. On the flip side, we are used to sweating out a few hot days a year, so the AC use here is absurd (I literally rarely wear summer clothes because every building feels 60 degrees in the summer). SO yeah - the extent that people use AC? Absurd, if you ask me. We keep our house 80 degrees and its considerably more comfortable than the summers we used to sweat it out. While others who grew up with AC think we are crazy to keep our house so "warm."

Cars? Depends where you live.

TV, a necessity? Not sure on that one.

[zakity]

I thought all of them were luxuries. I figure that if it isn't food, shelter, or clothes, then they are luxuries.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by zakity

I thought all of them were luxuries. I figure that if it isn't food, shelter, or clothes, then they are luxuries.

Again, it depends on how strict you want to be. Yes, I do not need a car to survive. I do need one to get to work, but there are places I could work that are within walking distance or biking distance of my home (unless a bike is a luxury also). I wouldn't earn nearly as much money and probably couldn't afford my house, but that's another issue.

There are items that are luxuries in terms of survival but necessities in terms of reality.

[snafu]

I thought the point of the survery was to research if/how our values have changed since about the turn of the century. Things like cell phones were initially viewed as a luxury several years ago for example. Weren't cars considered a luxury in the 1920s?

[nmboone]

Here in Louisiana, especially with these 100 degree days, without AC you'd be risking heat stroke and death. Though I believe that whether it's a luxury or necessity depends on where you live.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by snafu

Things like cell phones were initially viewed as a luxury several years ago for example.

True. The problem is as new technology and new inventions come along, society changes. Would anyone today say antibiotics are a luxury? Certainly, 100 years ago, people got by without them. Of course, lots of people died as a result. The same could be said for cell phones. How many lives have been saved because folks were able to summon emergency aid to an accident victim quickly via cell phone. I've called 911 multiple times from my cell to report an emergency of some sort (auto accident, fire, medical emergency, drunk driver). I still tend to think of my cell phone as a luxury, but I realize that it isn't really a clear cut yes or no question.

[marvholly]

Did not take the survey BUT
basic housing (passes city health/occupancy inspection)
heat (live in metro chicago so MUCH required)
Water
basic food (could go the beans rice if needed but enjoy my steak)
car-public transport to my work is $5/day + 3 hr rt, car is 1 gal gas, $4/day insurance, license, basic maintenance & 45 min rt -spending $2/day more BUT saving >2 hours & can do many errands on my travel route.
health insurance-I'm reasonably healthy for my age BUT the ....who hits my car & puts me in the hospital forXX days may NOT/prob NOT have insurance in my area and any big medical is a MAJOR cause of bankrupcy
clothes for work/job hunting (did buy 4 nice blouses in the past 6 weeks; TOTAL was <$10 inc 10.25% tax)

[whitestripe]

it all depends on where you live really, and your personal preference.
see, i think it's bulldust that so many people think a dryer is a necessity. but that's me. i know that lots of people would think a mobile phone is a luxury - but it's a neccesity for me because we do not use our house phone for calls and i have family all over the country. it can get as cold as -6 degrees celcius, and as hot as 45 degrees celcius where i live - but i do not think it is a necessity for either Air Con or Heating. i could go on, but alas, you get my point

[tzsgti]

Geez.... This is messed up. AC is a necessity for me specially if you live in a warm place. And a cloths dryer is a necessity????? I think it should be the other way around. IMO for me personally id take AC in the summer over heat in the winter if i had to chose. Just wear a coat in the house but you can only take off soo many clothing articles in the summer

Now for everything else:
The Computer is a necessity for business purpouses and the cell phones are actuall taking over land line phones and almost cost as little to have a basic plan. As far as a car it really depends. If you live in a city with mass transportation then it really is a luxury. But if you live in a rurral area and have to travel far to work then its a must, either that or you can go bac to a horse and buggy

[anonymous_saver]

Funny! I didn't choose one thing as a necessity. In reality, I'd be able to live without any of those things. A lot of the %'s suprised me!