As the recession bites, 0f all the things you've had to give up, what do you miss the most?

[nkf]

For me, it's nice perfume. I long for Jo Malone and Penhaligon.

What's yours?

Getting my hair cut and coloured every 6 weeks. Now get a £7 dry cut twice a year and colour it myself

That said I also get annoyed when I think of how much money I've wasted in the hairdressers over the years. My sister however moans constantly about being skint yet spends £60 a month on her hair and god knows how much in the salon on her nails and waxing. My mil is exactly the same.

Kellogs cereal and buying books. Also hate not being able to be as generous with gifts. We both hate looking tight and both our parents are very good to us and our girls

I guess I didn't give it up deliberately but I do really miss living in a decent area. We moved to a certain part of south east London a few years ago lured by the (relatively) cheap rent. It is just horrid. We didn't do our homework and underestimated the ordeal of the commute. Now with prices the way they are we're reluctant to move - even good (but not great) areas are pricey.

Thinking about relocating up north.

Occasionally being able to go out for a pizza or bowl of pasta before a child's school concert.

Being able to sort out household work when it needed doing. We need new windows, a new front door and a new patio. But we can't really do it while my husband is still unemployed.

Petrol costs = hardly any days out, or if we do go it's a worry. Started cycling to work so that we could go somewhere occasionally.
Cinema - distant memory
Food - buying everything "value" is quite depressing at times.
Clothes - only shop in charity shops now, and go into cold sweat if kids feet grow too much, LOL

BUT, I am still shocked at how much other people still spend - new pram for 2nd baby because it's a different sex!!! What?? A lot of people still have plenty of money. Just not one of them....boo hoo. Times like this teach you the value of things. Always think, can I live without that, and usually the answer is yes.

Laura Ashley wallpaper

Allotmentgirl - is your username a reflection of new allotment?

We've had to economize strictly for many, many years so I haven't had half the things mentioned - at least in my memory - to miss. And probably never will. (I don't think, now, I could physically put my hand in my pocket for money to buy fresh flowers. Just couldn't do it.)

It's not doom and gloom though. Perfectly possible to lead a fulfilling life on very modest means; and at least we have no debts. So I'm happy enough.

Bumble, yes, indeed. We can do little things: repainting woodwork, etc, but somehow when you see the bigger things, like the patio and the windows, it seems almost futile. But probably good for morale.

duchessee they will go on holiday with you in the future - we're all going away with my parents to Cornwall in Sept - except its now 3 generations as ds is coming too now! My sisters are coming with their dp's as well

Getting my hair cut and coloured professionally. It hasn't been done in almost a year and looks shite.

Fashion & Interior magazines.

Trilogy face creams, love them, my skin looks great when I use them but can't afford them anymore.

Cinema.

Fancy M&S food.

Dublin - do you have a college near you that does hair/beauty training? YOu can have cut/colour done at ours dirt cheap, and its quite good - it takes a bit longer, but i don't mind that.

Yy to long aimless drives in the country with a pub lunch. Think I miss that most of all.

My cleaner. God I miss getting my house cleaned but I can't justify it anymore.

Definitely petrol, my car does 26mpg - gone are the days of driving and seeing where we end.

My cleaner doing the ironing. (I actually don't miss the cleaning so much as I find I don't really need to clean everything as often as she did - it was a bit of a luxury. But OMG, the ironing is about to bury me)

Sky+ "pause it while I have a wee DH' oh..." "fast forward through the adverts DH, oh..." "what have we got recorded to watch tonight DH? Oh..." :D

DH would say gym and being able to eat things in the fridge without asking. I am forecver saying "not the ham! It's for the DCs tea!"

I miss buying my lunch. Bring soup everyday now, much healthier but was really nice to think "I fancy a chicken tikka sandwich" and go buy one and eat it!

Random clothes buying was great too.

If you can stretch to one thing for yourself make it trilogy rosehip oil. I use it under ordinary moisturiser and it's fantastic. Lasts 6m or so too.

days out, used to go to London a couple of times a year on the train.
my haircut now costs £18 at the local hairdressers rather than £45 at Toni and guys,
now buy m&s reduced price bread and freezing it,
used to have a take away once a month, but can't remember the last time we had one.

Going for a drive with no particular destination in mind...eating out...a decent bottle of wine (found myself cracking open a bottle of cherry brandy at the weekend...must have been at back of cupboard for about 5 years lol)...

Not having a car.

I don't have children so have mainly been able to cut back on things I don't miss, but I wish I could still afford:

• dentist (luckily my teeth seem OK but I am uneasy about not having had a check-up in 2 years)
• hairdresser (over the 7 years I've been going to her my lovely hairdresser has deservedly worked her way up from a small local salon to a very senior role at one of the big flashy famous ones in Mayfair and I can't afford to follow her there!)
• more holidays, especially weekends away which don't seem worthwhile for such a short time
• salon pedicures

Botox

OMG how did I forget Botox? THAT'S what I miss the most.

We need a wrinkly smily