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Needs vs wants

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Other than food, clothing, a roof over your heads what things do you consider to be essential....the internet, a car, phone line?

I know these things can all be classed as non-essentials but nowadays it would be hard to live without a phone, although I happily would ;).

I was just wondering what things you all cut out of your lives to reduce your spending/reduce the debt?

I sold my car and switched to a pay as you go mobile phone and stopped buying books/magazines/newspapers, but I can't bring myself to cancel my contact lens direct debit (£35 a month :eek:for daily disposable toric lenses) even though I know that is a luxury and I should juts go around in my glasses. My OH has a gym membership and plays footy twice a week at £5 a go, so there is £80 a month worth of luxuries that we could do without.

What are your needs vs wants?
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  • Blackruby
    Blackruby Posts: 833 Forumite
    What you should do is get the glasses while you still on the contacts, most optictians give them to you for half price if you are on their contact lense scheme. Then cancel.

    I can't live without my £20 phone contract, I live far away from all my family and I need to be able to contact them.

    Most other stuff, apart from tobacco, I can live without and quite often do. I don't pay for the internet so I kinda take it for granted, but in return I pay the tv license.
    Not an expert, but I try and contribute and I'll always listen. Middle child of middle child parents. I drink way too much coffee.

    Debt Free Date: March 2013
  • Naarwich
    Naarwich Posts: 78 Forumite
    I'm also a keen footballer and would definitely consider the £5 per week a definite need! Not just for the fitness aspect but also for the social side of things and it's also a great way of getting rid of any pent up aggression! ;-)

    My weakness is takeaways...always pledge not to get any however generally get two a month due to an extreme lack of willpower!
    Official DFW Nerd Club - Member no. 1129 - Proud to be dealing with my debts!
    LBM - Oct'08 - Highest/Current Debt at £29,400 / £28,485 (Jan'09)
    If Loan - [strike]£22,000 [/strike] - £21230 (Mar '09) ~ Halifax Card - [strike]£7100[/strike] - £5815 (Mar '09) ~ Barclaycard - [strike]£1470[/strike] - £1440 (Mar '09)
    £2 Savings Club 2009 - £50
  • cuddlymarm
    cuddlymarm Posts: 2,205 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Hi

    When we moved we had a month without the internet and landline. I have a pay as you go mobile and didn't realise how dependent you are till I had to do without and couldn't contact my kids easily. We could manage but I wouldn't want to.
    I could also manage without central heating but again wouldn't want to BRRRRRRr

    Cuddles:rotfl:

    June NSD 8/15
  • January20
    January20 Posts: 3,769 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Other than food, clothing, a roof over your heads what things do you consider to be essential....the internet, a car, phone line?

    I know these things can all be classed as non-essentials but nowadays it would be hard to live without a phone, although I happily would ;).

    I was just wondering what things you all cut out of your lives to reduce your spending/reduce the debt?

    I sold my car and switched to a pay as you go mobile phone and stopped buying books/magazines/newspapers, but I can't bring myself to cancel my contact lens direct debit (£35 a month :eek:for daily disposable toric lenses) even though I know that is a luxury and I should juts go around in my glasses. My OH has a gym membership and plays footy twice a week at £5 a go, so there is £80 a month worth of luxuries that we could do without.

    What are your needs vs wants?

    I've cut out magazines and newspapers. Magazines have so many adverts anyway!

    I don't go out very much -don't like pubs too much anyway- will go for a meal or the cinema once in a blue moon but tend to entertain at home. I don't drink much, don't smoke.

    I don't use make-up (never have really) and buy few clothes.

    I wear contact lenses and pay a similar price to what you pay but I DO consider them a necessity because if I had to wear my glasses all day long I'd feel less confident and more miserable so the overall impact on my life would be too great. I know it sounds dramatic but it's true, and I've given up a lot already!
    LBM: August 2006 £12,568.49 - DFD 22nd March 2012
    "The road to DF is long and bumpy" GreenSaints
  • shop-to-drop
    shop-to-drop Posts: 4,340 Forumite
    I am happy to do without most things but my dishwasher is essential. I'd go without the TV first.
    :j Trytryagain FLYLADY - SAYE £700 each month Premium Bonds £713 Mortgage Was £100,000@20/6/08 now zilch 21/4/15:beer: WTL - 52 (I'll do it 4 MUM)
  • I think it's important to not cut out everything that's fun in life because otherwise you end up in a depressed state where you have nothing to look forward too. I've been in that situation where I basically worked and came home and then had nothing to do because I had cut everything that was fun out of my life to save money. It took several months and something bordering on a severe depression before I realised that you have to have SOME fun in your life, even if it's only 5 quid a week for football.

    Sure, you should cut out excesses, but at a certain point you have to maintain a quality of life too.
    Proud to have dealt with my debts!

    I have taken all Knowledge to be my province
  • Kandipandi
    Kandipandi Posts: 1,656 Forumite
    I gave up smoking, stopped buying magazines and books (go to library instead), buy all my clothes from supermarkets/charity shops.

    Cancelled Sky TV, have a PAYG Mobile - costs £5 a month, turned the thermostat down and reduced the amount of time the heating/water is on.

    Stopped buying DVD's and borrow the odd one from the library, cut all of my dishwasher tablets in half, batch cook and freeze meals...... the list goes on.
    You can stand there and agonize........
    Till your agony's your heaviest load. (Emily Saliers)
  • My OH has a gym membership and plays footy twice a week at £5 a go, so there is £80 a month worth of luxuries that we could do without.

    What are your needs vs wants?

    TBH i see working out and being healthy as a need. Sure, you can go to a cheaper gym or even go running down the street, but imo its not a luxery its necessary. Your health is your wealth you know ;)

    My "needs" are mobile, gym, rent, food, savings, pension plan.

    My "wants" tend to be, nights out, days out, bits and pieces for my project car, expensive holidays :):(
    DFD: 21st June 2012
  • Hi Ladybird,
    What a great question I often wonder what other people see as needs vs. wants. I agree with the contact lenses, I NEED them because I feel more confident and comfortable with them. I have managed to reduce mine to 18 a month (biweekly lenses) through a local eye doctor (they give me loads of freebies every time I go too so well worth it, and my regular checkups are free :D )
    I agree with the footie, my OH goes each week and I think it's very important, as is my weekly yoga class. We have cut back in so many other areas (heating, groceries, etc.), and I think it's healthy and necessary to spend on these other things. We put a little aside each month to go out for dinner/movies too and I'm so happy we do as it's quality time together, and that's a NEED for any relationship!
    Debt at highest 01/01/2008- $79,385.32 :eek:
    Debt now 01/03/2009 - $63,194.72
    DFW Nerd Club Member #993
    Feb NSD challenge 9/10 days, Mar NSD 5/10 days
    Mar grocery challenge 221.02/250
  • Toni_Broke
    Toni_Broke Posts: 119 Forumite
    I agree that having a little luxury to look forward to is essential on the road to being debt free other wise you would just go nuts!
    I personally have my hair cut and coloured as my treat once every 8-12wks or so. Its quite expensive and some would say not necessary but to me it is.

    Tonixx
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