I used to buy top shelf booze for my house because it was cheaper than going to bars and having standard quality drinks. Now, I don't ever go to bars, though, and restaurants hardly ever. I've discovered a couple of cheap but smooth and clean vodkas(Frost, Monopolowa) and I infuse them with tea leaves and spices and stuff to make my own liqueurs.
Dior and Clinique makeup, quality/pretty lingerie and excellent gin (Tanqueray no. 10 preferrably--cheap as hell tonic is fine). In this I follow my mother, who in her student days would get down to exactly 52cents in her bank account (she put herself through college, her parents were 6000 miles away). That way, my face looks alright, I feel pretty under my clothes, and I'm too happily pissed to care very much about anything else.
Good beer, my iPhone, my computer, salad (you wouldn't think salad's that expensive, but considering that I buy weekly stores of fresh veggies, meats, cheeses, etc. to go with the salad, it's an expensive habit, but I love it).
I already wear cheap clothes, I could move to a cheaper apartment, and I could happily give up most of my driving.
Earlier this week, my dad hung his head and sighed to me, "Well, we've let go of the cleaning service" as he looked forlornly around his enormous, beautiful home. I love my dad, but I almost scoffed audibly.
I already live on the bare necessities because I am in college. The last real luxury thing that I spend on every month is Netflix and that is about 10$ instead of having cable. But if my financial situation got worse I would give it up in a second. Deodorant and my Tresemme shampoo and conditioner would be the last things to go. And we all know that these things are not expensive... 3-5 bucks a bottle for the shampoo/conditioner, and I buy the 2-packs of deodorant.
Everyone has their bare minimums, and mine seem to be a lot more minimum. I think this comes from an upbringing where we lived like it was the depression- lots of ramen with frozen veggies for dinner.
Medications and self-medications. Therapy. A few pieces of jewelry with sentimental value. I would also try to stay in my apartment alone for as long as possible, but would probably eventually have to give that up. The bird stays, no discussion allowed.
the only luxuries i have are my cable/dvr service, my car, and my shoes. my shoes aren't expensive, but i have a lot of them and those large-footed ladies out there know that it's not easy to replace shoes when you don't wear a super duper common size.
This is a harder question than I thought. On the one hand, I would save embarrassingly little from a fire or flood. Laptop, a few pieces of art/antiques, photographs. But that's a different kind of question. A lot of what I have either isn't of enough monetary value to bother selling (most of my books aren't worth that much), or isn't a significant recurring expense. We'd have to be pushed very far before I got to the point where I had to, had to cut out things like my $9/week diet Coke habit.
We are very, very fortunate, though by no means rich by American standards. I feel so lucky that we're both employed and that scholarships have kept me in school, and that we're not in danger of losing our house. Right now, it doesn't get much better.
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
I already wear cheap clothes, I could move to a cheaper apartment, and I could happily give up most of my driving.
Earlier this week, my dad hung his head and sighed to me, "Well, we've let go of the cleaning service" as he looked forlornly around his enormous, beautiful home. I love my dad, but I almost scoffed audibly.
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
Everyone has their bare minimums, and mine seem to be a lot more minimum. I think this comes from an upbringing where we lived like it was the depression- lots of ramen with frozen veggies for dinner.
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
1. High speed internet/laptop. You really can do anything with a computer and the internet.
2. Birth control (I wouldn't want to add to my financial woes. And I am pained by ovulation).
3. Jeans that fit me. I am strangely proportioned and this is hard to come by.
4. Really, really good bagels and cream cheese. Sometimes that's all I eat (like yesterday).
5. Diet coke. I don't really drink coffee at home, but I guzzle diet coke.
03/23/09
03/23/09
03/23/09
We are very, very fortunate, though by no means rich by American standards. I feel so lucky that we're both employed and that scholarships have kept me in school, and that we're not in danger of losing our house. Right now, it doesn't get much better.
03/23/09
03/23/09
The dogs are not even up for consideration. They're the only other female presence in my house.