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What Are Your Luxuries?

June 8th, 2007 at 09:07 pm

Ok since we all sit around our computers and type to eachother about how frugal we all are, certainly we all ahve some luxuries in life that make our lives sane.

For me, I play golf. And not just out on Saturday afternoons with the boys, drinking beer and talking sports. I play competitively, which means I travel all over California, playing in tournaments against other top players. Hotels, tournament entry fees, and my membership at my country club ($275 a month). It's fun and I watch every other penny to justify my spending when I play golf.

What are your luxuries?

28 Responses to “What Are Your Luxuries?”

  1. Ima saver Says:
    1181333553

    I eat out, almost every night. I also drive a nice bright red corvette. I also have a blue 1978 corvette (bought new) and a bright red 1933 ford victoria.

  2. koppur Says:
    1181335970

    I collect rare books (have some worth a couple hundred dollars), have expanded cable (no movie chanels, but it is still $55 a month), and through almost $65,000 in loans, have 2 degrees (BFA and MA).

  3. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1181336340

    whoa! golf and cars, eating out every night!

    Luxury? My husband is the spender and I am the saver.

    My little business
    Text is Pretty Cheap Jewelry and Link is http://www.prettycheapjewelry.com
    Pretty Cheap Jewelry is a pleasure but I am tickled pink it pays for itself.

    As a guy you might not be able to relate, but getting an eyebrow wax for $20 every few months is the only splurge I admit to. This is something I could do myself but choose not to. That's how I define luxury.

    I get a healthy 'allowance' on the credit card (which we pay in full each month). It gets used or losed according to hubby. But generally goes to a nice gift for him, a parent of ours, a child of ours, etc. Even my $100 hair cut/color is only every 3 to 4 months (and hubby protested when I stopped coloring so back it went, so it's not a luxury as far as I'm concerned).

    Travel will be my downfall after the kids are grown. But I am sure I will elderhostel and otherwise keep the experience maximal and costs minimal.

  4. Aleta Says:
    1181338272

    I buy alot of supplements and for some things - better quality in foods. Occassionally, I'll go to a local tech school where there is a beauty school ran by the county and get a really reasonable facial or waxings. Very rarely, I'll get a manicure or pedicure. They have a school there just for that. I also like candles, bath oils and long soaks. I used to spend a lot on books, but am mostly getting them from the library. We go once a year to a timeshare resort and the whole family can go and we enjoy it.

  5. monkeymama Says:
    1181338536

    My dh's luxury is all his elecronics. He would be happy not to buy a thing as long as he gets his HDTV and his DVDs, etc. But he buys nothing else so works out.

    For me it would be a convertible. Traded it in for kids and working to get it back. I guess we go big.

    Oh recently we hired a gardener and we have our son in preschool, those are huge luxuries I did not expect we could afford before.

    May seem excessive but we don't spend money on much else. Not big on beauty, cars, vacations. (My convertible was and will be VERY used. Wink )

  6. HouseHopeful Says:
    1181346285

    My luxuries are cable tv and Netflix. It maintain the cable all the time, but the movie rentals (Netflix) vary month to month. I recently cancelled the Netflix & am utilizing the library instead. In a couple of months, I'll do Netflix again for a month or two to watch those movies that my library doesn't carry. But I'll do this when the tv shows that I watch are all ended for the season.

  7. Carolina Bound Says:
    1181347902

    My luxuries are helping out my kids when they need it, nice gifts, and airfare/hotel/dog boarding when I visit my family.

    And I guess my pets are a luxury, too, because they sure are expensive!

  8. Cassandra Says:
    1181351151

    Books and purses. I rarely buy anything else.

    I also love my music lessons. Once a week for half an hour at $30/lesson. Gets expensive, but I love singing and my music lesson has kept me sane.

  9. JanH Says:
    1181352204

    Books and good haircare. I can't resist books, but the hair thing borders on necessity...

  10. Bookie Says:
    1181363081

    Recorded music -- classical CDs -- thousands of them.

    Smile

  11. pjmama Says:
    1181365487

    Food, in general-- whether eating out (usually) or grocery shopping. Clothes, occasionally, but those are a real luxury when I buy them. Currently, vacation. Of course, I'm giving up getting a car anytime in the near future to do so, but it'll be well worth it, I'm convinced!

    Oh, and BOOKS! I have tons of them. BF would call it a problem...

  12. yummy64 Says:
    1181368831

    I'm a princess. Luxuries are things like pedicures and waxings (a girl has to look pretty), a cleaning lady and travel. I save a predetermined amount each month which I think I soon will be increasing. Meeting my savings goals are important to me, but I live simply for the most part - while enjoying some of my luxuries very much

  13. Sindel Says:
    1181461157

    interesting post.

    my biggest luxuries are my PC and software, i upgrade it quite often so that my games run smoothly. I'm also a big spender on PC games Smile but its worth it to me because they give me hours of fun

    I'm frugal when it comes to other things like clothes and food. but i don't hesistate when it comes to plonking $70 on a new game I've been coveting.

    everyones different Wink

  14. fern Says:
    1181574426

    well, i guess i really am frugal.

    The only ongoing luxury i can think of is spending more money on organic food, cus i think it's worth it.

    Other than that, i don't drive a fancy car, get manicures or pedicures and altho i would like to travel, haven't really done so to anywhere exciting in a very long time.

    I do get a lot of enjoyment out of fairly simple things, finding a DVD at the library, like taking a long walk, cooking a good meal or sitting on my porch watching the birds. It sounds sappy, but it's true!

    Oh, ok, i thought of something i bought a year ago which was a definite luxury and expensive, a $1200 Whirlpool stianless steel refrigerator with the icemaker on the outside. I didn't have to spend so much, but i reallly wanted it and i'm glad i got it. So if i spend big money on anything, it tends to be home improvements that i get to enjoy myself and will improve or at least preserve the home's value when i sell it.

  15. rduell Says:
    1181581448

    I guess my luxury would be eating out once a week with DH before we buy groceries and if there's money left over we order in on Friday.

  16. LuckyRobin Says:
    1181610302

    I buy a music CD once a month and have a $10 subscription to Netflix. Those are my luxuries I don't want to live without. And the new cable internet we just got now that we can afford it with DH's raise.

  17. homebody Says:
    1181620363

    I'm going to have to say cable TV and helping my kids out too. We paid for YD's plane trip here, SIL's mother paid for his. YD is coming back in July to be a birth coach for her friend and we are using miles for that trip for her.

    We paid for half of OD's house that we are selling, loaned MD $15,000 and YD (and SIL) $5000.00 within the past year when they both bought their first homes.

    Otherwise we rarely eat out, I drive a paint chipping 1994 Plymouth Voyager with 179,000 miles on it, cut my own hair or have DH or whoever is around cut it, don't do manicures or pedicures.

    Oh I know my splurge! I like to buy Bath and Body liquid soap for the kitchen and bathrooms. I just bought 3/$10.00. I was in a generous mood to myself, otherwise I buy liquid soap at the Dollar Store.

    DH, I suspect, goes to Starbucks every day. Yes we make our own coffee in the morning, but I'm pretty sure he goes to Starbucks nearly every day too, just for regular coffee though. It comes out of his allowance, so I don't say anything about it.

  18. Nic Says:
    1181646833

    Vega$ is about 130 miles from where we live. When we visit, we like to stay in a fancy schmancy hotel and eat at a hoity toity restaurant. I don't gamble, but my partner will allow herself $100.00. We do this about 3 times a year.

  19. SicilyYoder Says:
    1181763376

    Ok, I'm a little different, and I know it. Having lived in an Amish community mnay years ago, I love to cook from scratch; however, I also love eating out. I get manicures/pedicures when I go on book tours and dress up, but mostly, I'm a more laid-back gal. I love trying new restaurants and I absolutely love traveling. I have to have soda- that's my coffee- I like grape and Sprite.

  20. Tim Says:
    1181917090

    watches and stereo for me; purses and shoes for wifey.

  21. T_I_N_A20 Says:
    1182089075

    food and clothes! Food is pretty much monthly though lol and clothes are like... Once or twice every two months depending on occasions.

  22. reflectionite Says:
    1182125936

    i guess you could say i buy too many luxuries, and the point of having a blog here is to get myself in order so i don't buy as many luxuries. Smile i used to buy most of the magazines on the stand, back before i blogged here. I bought Cleo, Cosmo, Madison, Marie Claire, NW, New Idea, Famous and sometimes a couple of others. All in all it would cost me over $70 a month. I know buy myself That's Life magazine every week at $2.70 (you can win prizes in it, I think it's worth it in that way) and occasionally I will buy Cleo or Cosmo.
    Clothes were and possibly still are my biggest downfall. I would go clothes shopping every two or three weeks and sometimes spend around $200 each time. I now think about what i want before i go shopping and only allow myself to go once a month, if that, and usually only spend under $100.

    Hmm what other luxuries? we used to hire 10 dvds @ $1 each, each week. Now it is more like 4 dvd's, once every three weeks, at $1 wach.

    We also used to eat out a lot. BF doesn't cook, so it's either me cooking or takeaway. I've gotten around this by either making a double batch of food and planning meals so it's easier to cook at night. Takeaway we usually have once a week for dinner, and occaionally we go out for lunch.

    Other than that, I would say the biggest splurges are takeaway beverages. I never realised it until I started adding it up, but I can spend over $100 a month on takeaway coffee, juices and bottles water! I'm working hard on reducing that...

  23. momandmurray Says:
    1182396550

    Shoes! Three inch or higher, stilletto heel, closed toe, in every color possible. Hubby had to build a room for them.

    Everything I sell on ebay is divided into two funds. 50% goes to my shoe habit, the other 50% goes to our charity of choice. Presently, that is soldiers overseas care packages, Saint Judes, Make-A-Wish, and Muscular Dystrophy Association.

    Yes, I should give 100% to charity, but it is my one luxury! Plus, I justify my shoes by all the wonderful things they have done for me. They are an immediate conversation starter. I have meet many people because of my shoes. Those people have made me a better person , financially or emotionally. They were worth every cent!!

  24. librarylady Says:
    1182541102

    I have really enjoyed reading everyone's replies on this one!
    My current splurges are a good haircut and color every few months; nice shampoo and soap, that I order online; Clinique moisturizers, for day and night; we get NetFlix, but just subscribe to basic cable; eating out; and like someone else said, my pets, a dog and a cat. They can get expensive at times.
    But this site has really helped me learn to budget and be more aware of every thing we spend.
    We are spending our money more "on purpose" (Dave Ramsey line) than we ever have.
    It has helped a lot!

  25. baselle Says:
    1182754762

    Lunch and a personal trainer. Yeah, my luxuries are at odds with each other.

    The personal trainer has been very helpful - I've lost 24 inches on various body parts, and lost 25 pounds and changed my body fat percentage so that in reality I've lost 40 pounds of fat and gained 15 pounds of muscle.

  26. mbkonef Says:
    1182866391

    I am a fairly simple person - no manicures, pedicures etc. and I really hate to go clothes shopping. But, I do consider my dogs to be my luxury. I have two mastiffs that were not "inexpensive" shall we say and they eat $80.00 worth of dog food a month. But, they enrich my life and my families lives greatly, provide me with reason/motivation to walk and get exercise and give me unconditional love. So, all in all, they are a luxury but worth every penny to me.

  27. Dido Says:
    1183225810

    My biggest luxury is my pets--I have 3, one dog and two cats, and the dog has medical problems which last year cost me 10% of my salary (that otherwise would have been my retirement contribution for the year). He's turned out to be much more costly to maintain than I'd ever anticipated--but he's worth it.

    Other than that--I eat out and/or buy prepared foods a fair amount--probably 1-2 "real" restaurant meals a month but 3-5 meals from the deli or a fast food place. And though I've trimmed my book budget waaayy back from what it used to be, I still spend some money on books (usually used). Also, I have a bare-bones Netflix membership and basic cable and high-speed internet access. And I belong to a gym and on vacations pay for personal fitness training or pilates classes.

  28. Dido Says:
    1183225898

    My biggest luxury is my pets--I have 3, one dog and two cats, and the dog has medical problems which last year cost me 10% of my salary (that otherwise would have been my retirement contribution for the year). He's turned out to be much more costly to maintain than I'd ever anticipated--but he's worth it.

    Other than that--I eat out and/or buy prepared foods a fair amount--probably 1-2 "real" restaurant meals a month but 3-5 meals from the deli or a fast food place because (since I work full-time and go to school part-time, I'm usually too tired to cook). And though I've trimmed my book budget waaayy back from what it used to be, I still spend some money on books (usually used). Also, I have a bare-bones Netflix membership and basic cable and high-speed internet access. And I belong to a gym and on vacations pay for personal fitness training or pilates classes.

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