What things would you refuse to cut back on despite rising costs etc?

[rubberhead]

Mine would be getting my hair done, treating myself to some unnecessary bits from primark, meeting friends for a coffee once a week.

Things that I've reluctantly given up are meals out with DH, take aways EVERY weekend ( maybe once a mth instead) buying unnecessary luxury food

What's things would you refuse to give up until you absolutely had to?

Decent wine, coffee, shoes and hair products.

Yes, I like my particular (expensive) brand of coffee and I'd be unliveable if I didn't have my morning coffee, so yes I hear you on the coffee!!

My cleaner would be one of the last things to go. But we have a high income and live well within our means so are not affected by the rising costs yet. I feel like we need to keep spending while we can to keep people in jobs.

Nothing really , we have parred back to basics before to get our mortgage paid off, so it doesn’t bother us. It’s more fun when you can afford the things again!

Pet insurance, having run up £15,000 of costs in 18 months due to pets needing operations.

My Liz Earle moisturiser

Hot water

Id hate to not shower whenever i felt like it because of the cost and will give up all sorts over hot water. When i grew up we shared bath water and rationed baths.

In terms of frivolous things - dorset cereals nutty museli?

My hair; I could stop buying new clothes and go easy on make up but for me hair makes a big difference

My TV subscriptions. I can do cheap shampoos and give up wine and shop at Lidl before I went without Sky/Netflix etc.

The gardener. Can't manage it myself.

Heating. I detest being cold. I'd rather eat lentils for every meal than be cold. And I don't like lentils.

This thread seems extremely tone deaf.
If you're refusing to cut back on things, you can afford them.
If you can't afford them, they're not an option, unless you're comfortable going into debt.

That's not the intention @Solosunrise.
I'd go without other things to make way for things that I really wanted. That's the direction of where I thought the post was headed.

My cleaner, she would be the last thing to go.

And for what it's worth, if you can afford things, like lunches or hairdos, I think it's probably best to continue doing them, to keep the money circulating.

Yes, I'm sure there was no malice, but on reading threads where full time workers are still relying on food banks, it made me wince a little

My sons’ monthly memberships at the local trampoline park. They go four times a week, it’s a non-negotiable.

Anything sociable. Coffee, drinks, running events. Obviously if I had to I would but not until it was really desperate. I can see doing a cheaper version, drinks instead of dinner, but not cutting it out altogether.

Everyone is being hit differently by the cost of living crisis.

I'm not going to cut back on essentials such as mortgage and pension, so the £200 a month that the increased costs of fuel, gas and food are costing me will have to come out of my disposable income.

DD ad I go for a walk each weekend, we used to have lunch in a cafe. I now take lunch and a flask of coffee. I've always taken lunch, snacks and a flask to work but I only go in 2 days a week now.

I do my own pedicures, manicures and brows now.

I am lengthening the time between cut and colours.

Im not giving up the private podiatrist, private physio, tv subscriptions, NT membership (worth it for the free parking). I'm also not giving up any of DDs social things.

Alcohol and food. My biggest vices for sure, but I would rather cut back on a LOT of things first before cutting back on good wine and nice takeaways/meals out.

Saying that though I am on a diet so not been eating as much nice food as I'd like recently

My kids being able to attend their martial arts clubs. Non negotiable.

Pet insurance.

Yorkshire tea, cleaner, Mitchum deodorant, excellent dog food and internet channels.

I long for the day when we can talk about things that affect us and that we choose to prioritise, and not be shamed for it because Others Are Much Worse Off! 🙄

For me it's holidays. Far fewer of them obvs but I will go without clothes, nights out, nice food, decent skincare etc in order to pay to get away somewhere fantastic every couple of years. I'd eat tuna sandwiches every day for a year if it meant I could take my children somewhere amazing for a couple of weeks.

My car. It's vital and I wouldn't be able to get to work without it.

Spending money on my nephews - I'd rather do without something than refuse them a bit of a treat. We went to the park and burger King early today and it means I'll have to wait until next pay day to get the book I wanted. No biggie.

There is almost nothing I would refuse to cut back on if necessary - been there before, you never forget the fear and worry.

But given I am not there yet, I am not yet needing to cut my standards on many things. I have switched to generally cheaper meal options but still able to afford decent food.