What is your biggest lifestyle indulgence?

[Thankfucksummerishere]

Mulling this over as I look through job listings. I think for me it is enjoying fitness classes at different expensive studios, well pre covid it was. Not sure when we will be able to do that again! But I really enjoy it so much and it is definitely not an essential, I'm fortunate to be able to do so. We do live in an eye-wateringly expensive area so I guess that is partly a luxury, although we do need to live in this city for my partner's work.

What would you say is the most luxury aspect of your lifestyle?

An au pair to stop me from going crazy with childcare and my full-time professional career.

Dreading October, when the au pair programme ceases to exist. Thanks, Brexit!

Well, I gave up working full time at 50 in order to focus on family life and my own interests, cutting my income by a third. So I suppose my biggest indulgence is time.

On more material things. Hard to say really. I don't spend a lot on clothes, make-up and I've reconciled myself to my grey hairs since lockdown, so I shan't be returning to my regular colour at the hairdresser.

We used to have quite indulgent holidays - New York, Japan, Vietnam, posh villas in SIciily/South of France sort of thing. But now we have a dog, and I can't see us doing anything more adventurous for a good while than driving to France, as I can't imagine leaving him in kennels.

I plan to spend quite a bit on the house over the next couple of years - painting, furniture and getting artwork on the walls. That will run into thousands, realistically, so probably that.

Holiday home (not been in almost 2 years)
Going out for meals, can’t wait to eat then get up and leave (after paying of course)

Cutting my income to a third, I meant.

Central heating I hate being cold as will put it on while I open my windows to get fresh air but not be cold. Its not unusual for it to be over 25

Kids (blimey they're expensive, especially the SEN sort we've got!)

Animals - don't quite stretch to horses though

Peace of mind (I can buy what I want, when I want, without scraping together pennies and worrying about bills like I had to in my 20s).

Also a cleaner - at the moment I don't have one, but had one for years pre lock down and will get one again soon.

I had a loft conversion in my bungalow just because I wanted an en-suite (its small but I love it!) and a stripy stair carpet. I didn't need either and it means I'll be paying a mortgage until I'm very old but I don't care

I'm overseas so mine are different here than they were in the UK. I still get my roots done every 6 weeks, but it actually costs less than it did in London. Gel nails every 3 weeks, also costs less here and I often use Groupon. I had a keratin treatment before Christmas and that was on Groupon too!

I buy British foods in M&S and Waitrose if they are things I do not want to go without, so I buy biscuits and crumpets and hot cross buns! For DH it's sliced bread (£3 a loaf flown half way round the world, anyone?!), Waitrose diet tonic and alcohol.

We haven't been on holiday since we moved here 2.5 years ago, partly due to covid, but we average 4 5* hotel staycations of 2-5 nights a year. When we eventually are able to come back to the UK, on a direct flight and without being locked up in a shitty Heathrow hotel, it will be business class travel. DH's excuse is that he's 6ft 2 and mine is that I'm not sitting in economy while he's in business!!

Used to be travel. Will be again.

Time and my health is my biggest indulgence probably, followed by food.
After that, probably juvederm, keratin treatments and my F45 membership.

I don't have much else I want to spend on, I don't really do make up/nails/clothes/shoes/bags and I live on a tiny island in Caribbean so it's hard to know what's "out there" in terms of must haves.

In the past I've spent on meditation/yoga retreats so I think I'd put that on my list!

Fortnightly Counselling (£60 per session)
Cut and colour every 6 weeks
Expensive make-up and skincare
Eating out
Cinema (pre- covid, my favourite thing was going to the cinema by myself, so relaxing!)
Wine
House plants
Takeaway coffee

Currently mulling over whether to invest in semi-permenant make-up, which feels like a big extravagance but I do my eyeliner and eyebrows every day, even when I'm not planning on leaving the house so I'm convincing myself it's worth it to save time.

Beauty I think.

Hair, nails, pedicures, waxing, HD brows, lash tints were all regular treatments and will be so as soon as Covid allows

Meals out in very nice restaurants and very good seats on flights.

I will add makeup and eating out.

I also pay for counselling (£60 and hour) but I don't count that as a luxury - that's healthcare. I pay for it so I can choose my therapist and get the sessions when suits me.

Eyelashes - used to be for work but realised it's for me when we were all working from home and my technician came over when she was allowed before lockdown 3, it's £110 quid every 4-5 weeks!

Then it's cleaner, and buying organic.

Hair. I loathe to pay for colour because I used to love a box dye, but since going blonde I have conceded that bleach is outside of my remit. Costs about £60 every 2 months.

Working on the house renovations. I do as much sourcing as I can online on eBay and designer-carpets for offcits etc but the luxury of renovating to our style is my big splurge and pleasure. I figure we are going to be here for some years and the house has taken on a different level of importance since having a child.

Keeping my kindle topped up with books. Lush bath bombs.

Shoes, running shoes and Jimmy Choos.

A cleaner once a week. Only for three hours but it makes such a difference and motivates me to clean and tidy as well. I could do it myself, but think that it's money well spent. I feel so much better when the house is in order - I think when its messsy I feel out of control and chaotic and stressed. So money well spent in my book. Fresh flowers too, though i don't really buy anything very expensive - a couple of £1.99 bunches of Lidl tulips or roses really lift a room and make me happy. So not sure that is much of an extravagence! I guess the weekly Ocado shop is pretty indulgent - and the amount I seem to spend even though there are only two of us living in the house is astronomical. But i justify it by thinking of the money I am saving by not eating out/drinking/going to the pub.

Independent school
Cleaner
Gardener
Health club membership

Great big walloping environmentally unfriendly gas guzzling diesel engined car!

I love her.

I accept it's very sad about the planet and climate change.

But I love her.

She costs a fortune to run and isn't a sensible choice in any way.

But I love her.

I'd rather give up holidays than give her up!

Two dogs.
Three weeks in north Norfolk.
Two weeks in west Cornwall.
One week in North Yorkshire.

Three kids
3 cats
A dog

Foreign holidays in good hotels generally fully inclusive.
Fresh flowers.
New clothes.
Changing my car every 3-4 years.

For the record we are mortgage free and have no other debt, if we want something we save up.