Things you’ve given up that you miss…and those you don’t

[wordywitch]

With most of us having to cut down on non-essentials due to cost of living increases, I was wondering what things you’ve given up or reduced that you really miss, and also what ones you thought you’d miss more but don’t.

And please, let’s not turn this into a bun fight about who has more or less, it’s just lighthearted and out of curiosity.

I miss having a cleaner, buying fresh flowers every week, and getting my nails done.

I don’t miss my Amazon Prime subscription, occasionally hiring a handyman (I’m learning to do things myself through YouTube), or buying most things new - I’ve become a dab hand at getting a bargain in the vintage and charity shops.

I gave up red meat recently. To my surprise I don't miss it at all.

Also really miss our cleaner. But I am now a dab hand at make do and/or mend, Vinted and charity shops, rather than buy new all the time.

Not due to the COL but I've given up breakfast cereal, buying ready meals and shop bought bread, shop bought sauces and mayos.

I make my own and dont miss them.

I miss gluten free food that doesn't have oats in it

Also gluten free foods without suger

I miss real size chocolate bars without palm oil I could eat half or one at a time and stop but this cheap filler chocolate doesn't satisfy the craving

Not due to COL but I don't half miss cigarettes sometimes (though I know they are terrible and the smell of them makes me heave now)

I don't miss animal flesh at all

I missed having a tumble dryer so much I bought another one

I don't really miss drinking alcohol

I don't really miss meat. Didn't buy any other luxuries really and haven't given much else up. We don't shop at sainsburys anymore and go to Lidl instead, but their products are nicer anyway, so not missing much. The only thing is that they don't carry the range of products that other supermarkets do, but we don't feel deprived. £5 for a box of crunchy nut cornflakes in sainsburys last time we were there 😱

I'm trying to give up sugar and ready meals and takeaways

I'm regretting this decision today but on the whole, have been cooking more

Smoking. Gave up about 6 years ago and couldn't now afford to smoke - probably just as well really.

Flowers each week. May ' only' be £5/6 week buy over a month it adds up
Large bar of chocolate daily for me and dh each. At 1.85 x2 x7 days a week it got stupid.
( unfortunately not lost any weight which I thought may be the silver lining lol)

None of these were related to spending, but don’t miss meat, alcohol or smoking.

Also don’t miss Netflix.

If there’s something we can get secondhand rather than new, we do – saves a fortune and there’s no difference. Recently got an amazing vacuum that had been refurbed. I often really prefer shopping on ebay or vinted for clothes as you can be more specific about what you’re looking for and aren’t constrained by trends or seasons.

Also smoking. I never smoked a lot but it’s ridiculously expensive I can’t justify any.

I’ve stopped eating bread which I don’t miss.
I don’t miss having a dog which is surprising as I’ve always had one.

I don't miss Virgin TV.

I miss all the solo trips to Europe I used to take (about 2 or 3 times a year I would bugger off and do a cheap air BnB/hostel trip). And I miss skiing (v first world problem, but I do).

I don't miss buying The Sunday Times, my hobby magazines, or eating out (I only go to restaurants for special occasions now).

Don't miss nights out on the town drinking, etc. couldn't afford it now and I have a child and zero out of household night time support so wouldn't be practical at the moment anyway.
I do miss
Easily going on European city breaks couldn't afford the prices as easy now anyway but lumping pushchairs etc around puts me off even more.

Gave up red meat years ago due to gut issues and other than an occasional pang for a rare steak I don't miss it at all. Lamb makes me feel sick just smelling it now

I live in rural Denmark, so Indian restaurants. And I miss the availability of fish n chips - I just miss knowing that the chippy is there.

I don't miss Sky TV at all. We swapped to a Humax box that we bought outright so we can still pause and record live TV if we want to.

I don't miss fabric softener. I can't say I've really noticed a difference and the washing machine doesn't get gunked up anymore.

I don't miss eating meat every day. I now only buy it if it's on a reduced sticker and put it in the freezer. We have vegetarian dinners roughly 5 nights a week now. I don't want to give meat up completely, I still love the odd steak or bacon sandwich but I'm perfectly happy it being an occasional rather than daily thing.

I do sometimes miss smoking. I gave up years ago and there's no chance I could afford it now anyway...plus the smell actually makes me feel ill but it's the strangest thing that sometimes I still think "I'd love a ciggie with my coffee right now."

I’ve given up:
Buying magazines - I get them free on the Libby app from the library, but I used to like the feeling of holding them.
Nights out drinking with colleagues - that subsided when we all started having children, and we’re now all far too old for such shenanigans. And alcohol in pubs is REALLY expensive 😱
Shopping as entertainment. I used to love a good mooch around Lakeland or and outlet village. I don’t want any more Stuff now, though, and I have frittered away far too much over the years. On the plus side, many of the clothes I bought are now Vintage, and my daughter wears them.

Not due to COL but I gave up milk in coffee which I don’t miss and sugar which I do miss!

I’ve lost 1.5 stone though due to changing my eating habits so it’s been worth it.

Tv.
Takeaways.
Chocolate/cheese.
Buying books i can read online.
And mostly people.

@MinkyWales I miss magazines too! To be fair I haven’t really bought them for at least a decade but I miss the days of having loads of them around. I still read paper books though, those will have to be prised from my cold, dead hands.

I don't buy wine anymore. I think somewhere in my head I thought I would miss it but TBH I don't.
I don't buy chocolate bars anymore, but hold my hands up to taking a sneaky handful of dark chocolate baking chips once in a while.
Because I'm not buying American food products anymore, I've learned, through using copycat recipes, how to make my own, and I don't even miss the convenience of buying the inferior ready-made products.
I used to love looking around the vintage stores and charity shops, but they are so crowded now with so many more people that have caught on to the bargains in these days of high COL, that I don't go much anymore and I do miss that.
DH and I used to go out for coffee every Saturday just to sit in the park and enjoy it, but the price of coffee has risen so much that it just feels extravagant to do this as often now, and I miss it but look forward to it even more when we do go.
We haven't eaten the meal out since before COVID, and we don't miss it at all.

I don't miss alcohol now. I don't have to buy new clothes. I had the weirdest dream recently where I was sipping at a drink then woke up and realised it wasn't true but I was just dreaming!

I miss going out for meals or taking a holiday.

Oooh I used to smoke I swear I was calmer

Filthy disgusting habit 😂

I still miss cigarettes so badly . I am a born smoker. It makes me sad every single day that smoking is anti-social, expensive and deathly. If it weren't I'd happily smoke 5 cigarettes a day for the rest of my life.