Tell me your lifestyle creeps

[Sparklingwaterornothing]

NOT a goady thread - meant as lighthearted fun!
If you earn well now tell me what your lifestyle creeps are? Those nice little extras that you yourself might have rolled your eyes at or have never entertained previously! Even better if you tell us the ones that aren’t worth it!

mine below:

Marks and Spencer for the food shop
Fancy makeup brands - not sure these are value for the money but I’m a SUCKER for the packaging!
Cashmere or silk socks - WORTH it!
High thread count bedding
Expensive skin care - genuinely think has made a difference 🤞

Would you say the bigger house has increased your happiness by a lot

For me yes. I have lived (since having a family) in both a tiny flat with no garden and a large (4000 square foot) house with large garden. I adore the house.

Just to add, we actually built the house, so we went through a lot financially, emotionally etc to get it!

Switching some of the food shop from Tesco to Waitrose. Can’t wait until I can buy most of it from there

First class rail travel on my trips to London. The single seats in coach M. No more journeys ruined by some twat who wants to talk at me for five hours about his special interests. The food is shite though, so I buy my own at the M&S at the station before I board. And Waitrose coming back.

Paying privately for therapy long term.
Going to an eye watering amount of craft workshops.

Upgrading our flights and hotels when we go in holiday.

Being able to have a 'fun car'. We had a Ferrari FF for a year and it was stunning and a lot of fun. We always looked forward to taking it for a spin at the weekend!

Business class flights. We struggle to go back now. Having access to the lounges and then a bed is a god send.

Better bread. Never eating dreary blotting paper white pap ever again. I used to buy Waitrose Heyford, now I order wholemeal flour by the sack and make my own. 😊

Buying all natural fibres except for running/swimming clothes.

DS' private school. He's happy which is worth rubies.

Premium Lounge and choose seats on flights
Independent education for DC
I mostly don’t care about ‘things’ - happy with clothes from Asda and Primark/furniture for IKEA, but happy to pay for comfort/ease/convenience/experience

Yes, I agree no more polyester! Specifically, only wool jumpers, my t-shirts and shirts have only even been cotton.
Expensive footwear- Fitflop, Birkenstocks or New Balance.
No more sleeping on floors/sofabeds/air mattresses. I'll pay for a hotel or AirBnB rather than be uncomfortable and sleepless in someone's house.
I'm happy to mostly shop at Aldi, and I drive an old banger but my feet and my back have to be happy. I do like the posh pasta from TK Maxx though.

Korean skincare
Beautiful handbags
Some food from Waitrose and M&S (but not all!)
Hair cut and roots done every 8 weeks

Paying privately for a gynae op I needed and would have to wait 18 months for.

Decent, mid range skincare and Botox.

Expensive shampoo and conditioner rather than forever being taken in by the advertising and buying cheap brands that don’t suit my hair.

Good quality gym leggings. They wash much better, last longer and don’t fall down.

Botox (ocassional)
Better quality skin care and make up
A dog
Massages, pedicures, spray tan
More expensive holidays (still nothing crazy though)
Regular gusto box
Bought decent car outright (and plug in hybrid so more expensive than elec or petrol)
Splashed out on several parties for my landmark birthday
Tickets for gigs, theatre etc
On the rare occasions I eat out/socialise ill have the more expensive cocktails or champagne if thats what I fancy.
Generous xmas gifts for DH and DS.

What I dont spend it on;
Designer handbags or clothes
Any more hair cuts/colour than before (i do see the most expensive stylist though)
Take aways
Pointless crap I dont need.

Well, my mortgage rate has rocketed, last year's water bill was up by 46% and I'm expecting another hike shortly, I'm still driving my 08 reg car ...

Botox.

Getting a food delivery every 3 days so I can have what I actually want / need at all times, not schelping around Aldi and trying to convince myself I like it.

Buying things with cash rather than credit... I know it's not really a creep but it's a gorgeous feeling.

DC doing a tonne of extra caricular stuff with the expensive kit needed etc.

Flower subscription. Beautiful bouquet twice a month.

It’s my dream to do my full weekly shop at M&S but I reckon it would cost me £400 plus a week.

I’ve always preferred natural fibres and am a sucker for expensive beauty & make up products. I’ve actually cut back though as pre dc I thought nothing of buying a Chanel nail polish. No way am I spending £30 on one now. I do like a taxi though.

Private healthcare insurance which is worth its worth in gold. had an operation last year, private room, marvellous treatment, lunch & dinner menu were delicious, couldn’t fault it absolutely worth it even if it was just not to be on a ward & to sleep & watch the telly in piece.

Also private GP appointments. I felt an illness on Monday afternoon. Went online and booked a private GP appointment at 6 pm when the dinner was in the oven, had said appointment at 7:30 pm. Collected the antibiotics at 7:45 am the next day after dropping child at before school club. Best 50 quid I ever spent.

M&S food isn’t that expensive!

@ThiagoJones I shop there already but not my entire shop. I also have 3 dc who are hungry!

Initially I struggled to think of any, but I’ve become a lot easier to spend money on activities/events.
I’m going to theatre or a gig easily once a month. If there’s a band I really want to see anywhere in the UK, I’ll book tickets and a hotel (just premier inn, nothing fancy).
If teen DDs want to attend a camp/ residential , I’ll book them on without too much fuss.
Thats a big change to how things used to be for me 8-10 years ago.

Just knowing that I can buy anything I want from any shop.
New pair of trainers? Ok.
Lunch every day from M&S? No problem.
A pair of goggles because mine just snapped? don’t even think about the cost - I buy which ever ones I want .
supermarket shop? I don’t need to keep a tally of what I spend.

Being able to afford stuff I need is a luxury I don’t take for granted.

the bigger stuff… business class seats on long haul. 5* hotels and holidays. Absolutely wonderful.

Ooh good question…
-buying a coffee when I feel like it
-ecover washing liquid and Method cleaning stuff rather than Aldi own
-nicer loo rolls (want to upgrade further to a ‘who gives a crap’ subscription but haven’t got round to it yet
-‘Faith in Nature’ shampoo
-lovely sourdough from a local bakery at the weekend
All 100% worth it, except probably the coffees but I just absolutely love it - grew up always taking a flask and a pack up on day trips, and Dh and I were skint when the dcs were little, so it’s a small luxury I’m completely prepared to pay for.

And private health care.
priceless.

My consultant told me during the pandemic that there was a good chance Covid would be fatal for me (pre-vaccines, antivirals, the Omicron mutations, obviously). I was convinced I would die of the plague for over a year!

I decided that if I survived the pandemic I wouldn't do anything I didn't want to do and, as far as possible, would do everything I want. So now:

I eat out several times a week;
Take trips to Europe just for Michelin Star fine dining;
Flying lessons;
Never doing (domestic) public transport again - and I hate driving - so taxis / chauffeur service everywhere.

I am living my best life because it still surprises me I have it.

(No kids, no spouse, so all disposable income is mine.)