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?

Oh, and body form pads. I've tried cheaper ones and they irritate me. Ditto the washable one unfortunately 😕 so I'll keep buying body form.

Maybe could have been phrased as last luxury you would give up. However I’d say that the tone is pretty clear from the OP or next post.

if it isn’t for you maybe scroll by. Not all cut back threads have to be about but people literally cutting back to only afford basic food or fuel.

Frivolous: Getting my hair coloured, just don’t feel ready to go grey and can’t home colour. Getting a daily newspaper.

And manicures. Due to cerebral palsy I can’t cut my own nails. The NHS service is incredibly overstretched so I’m sure would be infrequent. I could get my parents to cut them but would feel the loss of independence.

Last luxury I would give up is a comfortable but tidy pair of trainers. I walk every day and they make all the difference.

Yes you're right, I guess @LondonWolf I suspect it's because of the use of the word 'refuse' in the OP (sorry OP!) combined with people I work with struggling to make ends meet because pay is rubbish and petrol costs are high.
And listening to people blaming the poor for being poor.
I've recently had to listen to my wealthy mother going on about making sacrifices despite them not being necessary for her,seemingly to show a good example to those wretched complainers who would be fine if they'd only learn to budget properly and make soup from home grown cabbage.

Just a bit sore I guess. Sorry!

Decent ground coffee and private dental cover.

Charitable giving ......not wanting to sound holier than thou but even with the recent price hikes I still recognise that I am comfortably off and in a much better position than many.

Sky Sports. I kept my subscription when I was made redundant in 2019, and things would have to be pretty horrendous for me to cancel it. I can’t not watch the England cricket team. It’s unthinkable.

Dog food. My dog is an elderly sighthound, and I wont put her on cheap crap that goes right through her.

My tumble dryer and heating.

Decent baked beans. My husband came home with Asda own brand beans a month ago and I almost filed him for divorce.

Local honey at £10 a jar (can totally taste the difference to supermarket and I eat it almost day on porridge)
Loose leaf tea (much, much nicer with dairy free milk compared to teabags)
Books (I mostly buy charity shop and utilise the library a LOT) so I'm not going to begrudge myself a few full price books occasionally
Butchers (Iocally reared, high welfare, excellent service)
Chocolate (order some nice quality dark chocolate about once a month)

I have several intolerance and very rarely drink alcohol these days. We rarely eat out or have takeaway so I like to indulge a lot on the food I can have

Lurpack spreadable will be the last thing to go I think.

And my yoga studio membership.

Swimming lessons for the children (although are they an essential? I guess not as I could teach them myself in theory!)

The gardener - only £70 a month but keeps money circulating and keeps our garden nice. We'll be spending a lot more time in it now days out are becoming few and far between.

A takeaway 3 or 4 times a month. I'd happily go for cheaper options (fishcake rather than fish) or have them on slightly random nights to get the best deal though.

Kid's activities - they don't do loads compared to many kids, but I would hate to cut what they do do.
My exercise classes.

We can't cut down on petrol given where we live - that's the big killer.

We are going to have to cut down on pretty much everything else though. We are massively overspending at the moment.

No drain tuna. And the kids activities. Everything else is negotiable!

Yarn - crochet is my main hobby but I don't buy every month.
Eyebrow wax - every 4/5 weeks £7 a time.
DCs clubs/activities - I've said they can't start anything new unless swapping one out for now.

Spotify. Happy to lose all the TV channels, Amazon prime - but music would be the last to go.

Most other things I can manage.

Skincare,Botox,certain food items

My cleaner

I'd give up every luxury going if it meant I could keep my cats.

Lidl and Tesco do decent pads.

Absolutely. It’s so wearisome. You don’t have to join a conversation if it puts your nose out of joint, either here or in real life. I do wish people would stop with the finger-pointing scolding because one person’s experience is different to theirs. It’s so bloody pious.

Holidays
The childrens education & activities
Skincare
Haircare including cuts

I will clean my house, do the gardens myself and cut back on eating out but I will not have shit skin & hair and have no holidays 🙈

thankfully we have a good income and will hopefully be able to continue on without being affected.

Hair cut and colour 6 weekly. £135.

This makes me sound tone deaf and minted (I am neither) but my peloton membership
I use it almost daily and it's my mental health as well as fitness because I WFH. Finish work, peloton, shower and it's the separation between work and home

I don't have sky, beauty treatments, go out to bars/eat out, drink or anything so it's my one luxury

Kindle Unlimited and Spotify would be the last things to go for me.

Champagne. What’s the point in anything if you can’t have a glass of champagne?