recessionistance

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What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
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robot ninja spy
11/22/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
I had no idea this thread was alive this long, but I'm glad I came back. If anyone's still reading this, I was conflicted about whether to include Schick Intuition razors to my list. When I can't afford the refills, I quit shaving altogether. I tried to use a razor and shaving cream like normal people and had a thousand stupid cuts on my leg. When money is tight, I just conserve them for special occassions; then the 3-pack lasts a long time. I also got a separate shower caddy for the back of the shower so it wasn't melting under the running water when people were using it. They last a lot longer now.
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jrhys
11/22/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Good cat food and litter for teh kittehs.
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jrhys
11/22/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Good shampoo and conditioner. Not $35 good, but $10 good. And decent maxi pads ( tampons give me cramps, and yes it totally sucks!).
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RedHotz
11/22/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
As I make my own soaps, lotions, lip balms and other toiletries I don't have to worry about those. I do color my own hair at home and it has been months since I had a hair cut. My luxuries are:

1. cable/internet-Comcast loves us

2. coffee beans- make my own lattes

3. Fiji water

4. Fresh fruits and vegetables

5. Books- used book stores, library and Barnes and Nobles

With the books I am an avid and voracious reader and go through books like crazy. As for the water many people have made fun of me as they can't understand when I tell them that water to me has a "taste" but I have for a very long time had problems drinking water plain. With all the medication I am on I need to drink alot of water and it was difficult for me to do. My husband and I also found that it was cheaper for us to make our own latte's than to constantly be buying them.
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Ipomoea
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
We pay for cable internet and don't have a TV, our car is paid off and only driven once or twice a week, so we can splurge on certain things. He insists on World of Warcraft, and I only feel human when I'm waxed once a month. Also, Spanish cava isn't an option, it's a neccessity.
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Aesop's Foibles. YES.
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Since getting laid off in june (thanks, general motors!) I haven't bought a stitch of clothing. At all. I spend my unemployment dollars on groceries from Trader Joe's- great stuff and it's cheaper than the Acme. Gas for the car. Basic survival-type shit. Don't color my hair anymore and only get it cut when I can afford it since I will only let one person in the whole world fuck with my hair and she's expensive as all get-out. I do, however, buy fourteen-flipping-dollar Venus Divine razors. Because I am NOT shavin' the pubes off with no bargain-bin razor. No way, no how. When I hark back to the glory days of buying stuff left and right, whether I needed it or not, my guts twist a little. Not only because I pissed away thousands of dollars,but also because I'd probably be doing that right now if I could afford to. But there's always a bright(er) side, like the best things in life really are free, like badmutha said way earlier. Loving up on my man every night and also smelling the dog's ears= priceless.
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MizJenkins
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Lotion? Has no one mentioned expensive lotion?!! Because if they take away my Kiehl's I refuse to shower or leave the house until after the recession.
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JLady
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Hmmm. The internet, a warm apartment (ironic since my heat isn't on and it's -8C outside - excuse me while I go call my landlord) and soft wool socks. Also cheese.
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BeAgrestic
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Good food. And weed.
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stoprobbers
11/21/08

@BeAgrestic: Weed is not a luxury :)
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BeAgrestic
11/21/08

@stoprobbers: ah, this is true. In any case, I always make room for it in my budget.
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pleppy
11/21/08

@stoprobbers: word. it's essential. if i stop spending money on it, i just start mooching off friends, until they get annoyed, and then i start buying again.

so, i can eat pasta, or not eat dinner, or whatever, but unfortch for my memory, it's weed and cigarettes for me.
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stoprobbers
11/21/08

@pleppy: My memory remains relatively unscathed. May I recommend that you make room in your budget for Trivial Pursuit? Nightly self-quizzing + weed + cigarettes = Quiz Night Queen. I'm serious. That was my formula for a five-week-in-a-row Quiz Night championship.
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whateverwilbewillbe
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Expensive coffee. I tried buying a bag of cheaper coffee last week, but if it's going to be my introduction into the day it had better make me happy. I think I spend %25 of my weekly grocery budget on coffee.
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hetaira
11/21/08

@Wolfiebones: I've started buying my coffee at Trader Joe's. You can get fair trade/organic/shade grown/whatever beans for fairly cheap and the coffee actually tastes good. And I'm a coffee snob!
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lisomiso
11/21/08

@hetaira: Have you tried their holiday Gingerbread Coffee? Oh my stars, it's delicious. I'm not a big flavored coffee fan usually, but it has little bits of ginger and cinnamon in with the beans, not fake flavor. I'm having a hard time keeping my caffeine consumption in check.
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jrhys
11/22/08

@lisomiso: You guys should try Bustelo. It's great -and it's 2.50 for 10ounces.
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argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
going to the little indian restaurant down the street for lunch once a week. it's ten dollars for the buffet, and i never eat that much food, but it's soooooooo good! they have the best naan and samosas EVER! plus, i've been going there weekly ever since i moved (five years ago) so i know i can count on free chai and friendly conversation... LOVE IT.
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stoprobbers
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
1. Haircut/Color (Same stylist since I was 16, he'll give me a deal if he knows I'm super tight on money, and I only get my hair colored and cut once every three months anyway)

2. Bi-monthly (as in twice a month?) trips to the farmer's market for produce and meat.

3. Sushi (2-3 times a month)

Everything else can be compromised. Clothes? Thrift store. Makeup? I have plenty, and I can get it on sale. Fancy dinners? I can cook 'em, and if they're romantic, well, you can eat nekkid at home....
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CamilleRouge
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
I was justing talk about the concept of "penny wise, dollar foolish" with a co-worker. I confess, I can fall into that category at times. I mostly live within my means, but I'm much more likely to drink $2.50 PBRs at the bar but buy a cashmere sweater.
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robot ninja spy
11/21/08

@Everyone who loves expensive makeup: I love MAC eyeshadow, but I almost never pay for it. When holidays roll around, I ask for Macy's gift cards and I use them for color cosmetics. I don't really go through them that quickly, either, so that once a year trip to the MAC counter is enough. I just thought this was a good time to mention that since the holiday season is around the corner.
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robot ninja spy
11/21/08

@CamilleRouge and @LaFemme:

If you consider that all that makeup can basically take you through the year, it isn't very pricey at all. A deal really. Sensible investment. Putting it in cart.

This is sort of what I wanted to say to Camille about sweaters. It's not silly to drink cheap alcohol and splurge on a sweater. You will only enjoy a beer for minutes. You'll have your sweater for a long time. I feel like I need fewer and fewer clothes each year because I don't have to re-create an entire wardrobe from scratch every season.
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brendastarlet is on it
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
I don't think anything job related or a tax deduction counts as a luxury. For me, that would include periodicals and books, along with internet and cable.
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Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon.
11/21/08

In reply to What's Your "Necessary Luxury?"
Once as a little kid, when my family was having some hard times, I asked my mom to buy me a book I had picked out, some educatioal picture book about children around the world. She asked me if I would rather have the book or eat dinner that night, we couldn't have both. Rhetorical, right? No! She bought me the book, we didn't eat dinner, and ever since I've never thought twice about skimping on the reading material.
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