What's your deal-breaking, can't do without expense?

[Bossybritches22]

Following on the brilliant "No Spend January" thread in this section I've been feeling very nosy idily thinking.

What is your one/two things that you COULD economise on but would really make life so much more miserable. Things are SO tight for us all at the moment but we have to have one little treat/bit of help that picks us up,even if it seems extravagant.

Mine are; PG tips, I love my cuppa and I know there are other bags that allegedly taste as good but have never found one.

Nice wine; have restricted myself to 3 for £10/£12 once a month, when it's on offer, sticking to that and often it lasts longer but it's my luxury.

What's yours?

Good quality olive oil - I use it for everything and love massaging myself with it. It is the only thing that I can moisturise my face with, without feeling icky.

Leg and Hollywood wax every six weeks

Free range chickens and eggs. Though I do wonder just how 'free range' Aldi ones are, at £3-something a kg.

Free-range pork and sausages. This means that to fuel DS1's chipolata obsession I have to get them at Waitrose - no other supermarket does own-brand/meat counter free-range chipolatas. And I'm not paying Black Farmer prices! Though they're so often reduced in Waitrose that I'm buying in bulk and freezing.

Bare Escentuals face powder, but I always buy new off ebay, saving £s.

Dvds for DS1 from the local library.

Things I used to think were non-negotiable luxuries: recycled loo roll and kitchen roll. Economy ones now, for the most part. Why the hell does it cost more to buy something that's already been used once??

(Yes yes, I know why really. )

kindle books for me my saviour when im at work.

Also yankee candles thw whole family love them and weve always got one burning.

Just for me and dp dissarano and brandy lol

Coffee for coffee machine though I do have instant as well, depending on my mood :)

Really nice perfume. I feel very grumpy if I don't have any. Bought a cheap one just before Christmas in case DH bought me some of my favourite and resented it every time I put it on. Which sounds very spoilt brat but I'm cheap as chips in all other ways.

Another vote for decent coffee .

Very happy to economise on everything else - and just booked two free hair appointments with trainees today - at different salons !

Waitrose :o but not for full shopping...for "I'm in a shit mood/good mood/just got paid mood and I want a fabulous yummy treat :o I haven't been in there since before xmas...:(

My phone

Good meat

Amazon :o

Expensive perfume

DVDs

Cleaner 3 hours a week- can't really afford it but just WOULD not be disciplined enough to tidy and clean weekly without her.

2 hours a week babysitter so I can do sport (single parent)

School dinners - I know packed lunches would save money but one more thing I just can't cope with in the daily routine!

The things I do without are the haircuts (manage about every 3 or 4 months), new handbags, clothes or shoes (maybe 1 pair a year) and have never spent much on beauty products, make up, or anything on salon treatments etc.

Organic food - I'm vegetarian and I belong to an organic wholesale co-op and shop around, cook from scratch, buy second-hand everything, get my haircut once a year if that, don't drink, have a veggie garden etc. so that we can afford organic food and pay the mortgage.

Lurpak butter everything else is negotiable.

Lavazza coffee and weekly plates class.

I'm with BigusBumus

Heating. It's on 24/7 in winter. Although my direct debit is only £33 a month, small house.

Disposable contacts. The kids try and bash my glasses and I'm sure I'd get infections with the re-useable contacts. And I'm vain.

Gym membership. The fee is frozen for life and dirt cheap compared to what I'd pay for a new one. The gym is my sanctuary.

Getting my sunday paper delivered is my real luxury .

an abundance of fresh fruit and veg.

Coffee out
Food I want to eat rather than what's cheap/on offer/more economical to make yourself etc

Bloody hell I dont have any of these as it is - am so tightfisted.

er Virgin telly?

Wine.

Cadbury's milk chocolate.

Heating on when it's freezing.

A proper paper at the weekend.

I used to buy two-three books a week but now I am using the public library.

Cleaner; and I've been avoiding having my hair cut and coloured as it's soo expensive in Belgium, but not having had it done since September, I look like a sheep dog, so need to have it chopped, and the grey is showing.

My other essential is my cat.

There are loads of things that I would have to be seriously broke to cut back on, but off the top of my head:

I buy at least 3 or 4 takeaway coffees a week.

We get through 2 or 3 bottles of wine at the weekend.

We have a cleaner come once a week I would go without ANY other luxury to keep her on!

Good quality meat and organic milk.

I like 1-2 posh coffees and cakes out a week.
A bar of chocolate a few times a week.
A decent bottle of wine never more than once a week and sometimes only once a month.
Eyebrow and bikini wax every 4-6 weeks.
Organic milk and eggs, although I will downgrade if necessary.
A cinema trip with my son, usually once a month.
Oh and every week, I try to get out of the town I live in and explore a new town/city. Mostly I pay for travel there and back and treat myself to a panini for lunch.

Really nice fruit like oranges, grapes, frozen raspberries. I have stopped eating meat and am enjoying spending some of the money I'm saving buying more fruit for treats.

Good food.
skinny cappucino every morning
and wine every evening!

Having my Nails done once a month - £21.50
Pepsi Max, i could drink gallons of the stuff daily, but try not too.
False Eyelashes
Hair Extentions every 3-4 months.