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?

@tommyhoundmum

My lovely deerhound

@tommyhoundmum

We lost our deerhound in June last year... he was so amazing! 🥰

Horse for me and ponies for the kids. They keep me poor but the physical and mental benefits are something I wouldn’t be without.

Lotions, potions, makeup and my hair

I have a cleaner and also a wine subscription with Laithwaites which I absolutely love. 1 crate every 12 weeks...I get to try lots of different wines I wouldn’t normally buy. It actually only works out about £8/£9 per bottle but it still feels a bit special!

Make up and skin care. I used to buy a lot of cheap make up and was always disappointed in it so now I’ve started buying less but much higher quality make up, so like IT cosmetics and MAC rather than rimmel etc and it’s definitely made me happier to have a few really good products rather than tons of crap. I still like Barry m and revolution make up though. Also skin care, I’ve started buying la Roche possum and Vichy which might not seem expensive to some but definitely are to me. But my skin is awful and I’m hoping using decent skin care will help.

Next is perfume, I’ve got lots of cheap stuff but I’m going to choose a couple of really nice long lasting scents.

La Roche posay not possum!

Oh and hair stuff, I’ve got the hair burst stuff and their vitamins and my damaged snapped off hair is finally growing!

Gin !!

Salmon (from Aldi) for pescatarian DD. She eats a LOT of it.

Paying off holidays by direct debit like they are essential bills to be paid (they are.. sanity is important).

Going to work. It makes all our lives harder and costs us money but i really enjoy the break.

My myriad animals and birds. They keep me poor, but sane. And after them, having my nails gelled.

Member of club with a great gym/pool. Can't wait for it to reopen. Keeps me sane.

Reflexology or a massage every couple of months at least, monthly if I can. I'd have it over having my hair done if I had to choose. I sleep so well for at least a week after.

Good food - M&S, local deli, local butcher etc.

Yes, hanging out laundry is just not done. There are no bye-laws about it where I live, but there are in other areas.

People feel it hearkens back to the days of tenement housing, with washing lines strung out over the teeming streets. It 'lowers the tone'. I feel there's a prudish thing going on too, as hanging out your washing means hanging out all your unmentionables for the neighbourhood to see. Maybe a little concern about picking up parasites, depending on whether laundry is hung over bushes, etc. But mainly it's anxiety about poverty.

YY to the weather and its effect on wet laundry - I would have had board-like frozen clothing for a month and a half this winter.

Luxury hotels and £30 hand soap

@nonevernotever very sorry about your horse.

V expensive hi-fi

I don't really have many luxuries at all. I haven't been on a holiday trip in 15 years or more. I do order pizza delivered every two-three months. Does that count?

Nice furniture and home stuff.
My flat is my sanctuary and I want the best for it. My last purchase was some Vistoe shelves, not cheap but god they look fantastic.

I also do floatation therapy twice a month. Not these days obviously, the centre is closed at the moment but I can't wait to go back.

Honestly the only thing I’ve spent money on in the last 8 months or so is the baby. Now classes are starting up again I’ve booked something for more or less every day of the week - only for 4-6 week ‘terms’ to see if there’s anything we like. I buy her lots of books. I buy lovely food for her and have bought various storage/ freezing/ eating: drinking receptacles for weaning. I buy toys (mostly second hand) and basically spend far too much time in Facebook parenting groups which convince me of the many and various different things she ‘needs’ (although again I do mostly source them second hand),

Baby and lockdown coincided for us so it’s hard to tell how much different spending would be if not in lockdown, maybe I’d still be the same?

All the stuff I’d spend on pre-Covid - theatre tickets, eating and drinking out, holidays, trips to visit family and friends, days out - I’m not doing because of Covid but wouldn’t be doing with a very young baby anyway, although obviously I’m hoping to reintroduce them all as time goes on. I also used to buy a lot of books despite constantly vowing to only use the library or read what I already have, and I did spend a bit on getting my hair coloured.

My gorgeous old dog costs a fortune as well with the various medications he needs but worth every penny.

Hair and beauty products (fussy curl hair and extremely sensitive skin that have expensive tastes), Dr Martens and my 4x4 I would say are mine at present. I have a big collection of well made handbags but don’t add to it much as I buy quality over fashion It used to be those plus travelling.

DH’s are probably electronics and his car.

Nice holidays
Cleaner
Buying kids clothes
Eyelash extensions

Ridiculously expensive gym membership (pre-lockdown) which I absolutely cannot afford now (been a member there for 8 or 9 years but after 3 babies now work two days per week so salary very much lower now). I really should cancel it but it's my happy place and it has a creche for the kids (which no other gym near me has) and an outdoor pool for in the summer... I've told hubby I'll cancel it and contribute towards a kitchen extension if we get one but I'll be really sad to...

waitrose

Annoy

That must be so heartbreaking. I dread to think ahead too far. Tom is 7 and I know they don't always go on to a great age. I think you should get another.

My dog was a huge indulgence, because we bought her quite recently so she was extortionate. She eats posh, grain free food and has so many toys. She's worth every single penny, we adore her!

On that note, I will also be paying for doggy daycare as soon as the gyms open, so I can swim as much as possible. Said gym is also hugely expensive!