What little things have you been priced out of?

balletshoes

Lobsta wrote: »

Going for a mooch around the shops. I live 10 miles from town and can't afford the petrol. I used to just pop in for a wander and to get out the house, now I only go when I absolutely have to and have a 'when I go to town' list of things I need to get.

its the petrol price hike for me too - I now try much harder than I used to to stay within a budget for my petrol costs, so I don't drive over to my sister's as much now, we chat by phone more often instead (evenings or weekends, when its free ).

happy35

i have tried to cut down on buying lunch every day and now take it from home, dont think I have saved that much but my actual living costs havent so does seem to have gone someway to offsetting cost of living rises.

I also only very occasionally buy a coffee as a treat and have cut down on takeaways, seem to enjoy them more when we do get them around once a month

euronorris

flutterby_lil wrote: »

Legs waxing, nails doing and my frequent trips to get hair done. Must admit I have had my legs waxed twice since December but I am 39 weeks pregnant and can't do it myself lol.

Oh yeah, I haven't had my hair coloured by a hairdresser in over 3 years. Just too expensive! I don't even buy the home dye kits here, as they are almost €18!!! So, instead, when I am visiting the UK I buy a few of them at 5 quid each in Asda instead, and bring them home with me. Also get my hair cut about once every 3-4 months, instead of every 6 weeks.

I rarely buy an English magazine now. I can't justify €5-6 every week! So, it's usually a treat about once a month, sometimes less.

Generally speaking, I get less food treats. Used to just pick one up whenever I felt like it, but can't justify it anymore. Now it's always 'mmmm, can I really afford that. Is there anything at home already you can have instead? Yes. Well, you're having that then.' lol

OH hasn't been to hairdressers since I moved here. I cut his hair now. That wasn't really financial though, he just hates having to make small talk at hairdressers, so he asked me to do it instead! He's very brave. The first time, I accidentally cut his sideburns off! :eek::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

balletshoes

fluffnutter wrote: »

To everyone who's given up small luxuries, has it actually made much difference to your level of wealth/debt? Has giving up these treats enabled you to pay off a debt? To feel that you're less precarious in general?

If so, then that's great. But my suspicion is that it doesn't really make much difference. People continue to spend on the larger things - holidays, clothes, eating out, mortgage, car etc. but cut out the little treats, e.g. a cup of coffee on the way to work, a magazine once a week.

If you want to make a real difference to your life, economise on the bigger things. Don't go on holiday, walk instead of drive, try to re-mortgage, cut out the Sky subscription, don't buy the latest gadgets, stop buying clothes. But continue to buy the little things - treating yourself with low cost items is very good for your mood and makes little difference to your overall expenditure.

I don't think its necessarily to do with paying off debt/overpaying on the mortgage etc for some of us. Its about maintaining the standard of living we like, and still being able to afford it without getting into debt. Apart from my mortgage I have no debt, and have no wish to get into any. My mortgage payment is less than I would pay on rent for a similar property by quite a bit now.
But by cutting back on the driving I do for leisure, and therefore staying within budget on the petrol costs, I can still pay all my bills and afford to go on holiday etc. If I didn't consider the budget, I could get into debt/not afford the nice holiday etc.
I think we all have different priorities, and different things we look forward to.

euronorris

fluffnutter wrote: »

To everyone who's given up small luxuries, has it actually made much difference to your level of wealth/debt? Has giving up these treats enabled you to pay off a debt? To feel that you're less precarious in general?

If so, then that's great. But my suspicion is that it doesn't really make much difference. People continue to spend on the larger things - holidays, clothes, eating out, mortgage, car etc. but cut out the little treats, e.g. a cup of coffee on the way to work, a magazine once a week.

If you want to make a real difference to your life, economise on the bigger things. Don't go on holiday, walk instead of drive, try to re-mortgage, cut out the Sky subscription, don't buy the latest gadgets, stop buying clothes. But continue to buy the little things - treating yourself with low cost items is very good for your mood and makes little difference to your overall expenditure.

But those things have already been cut out.

We don't have holidays as such - just visits to friends and family in the UK. And those have been reduced dramatically in the last 6 months.

Don't own a car. Always use public transport, walk or cycle.

Can't re-mortgage, or get the rent any cheaper. We're already in a large studio as it is, so downsizing is not an option.

Don't have sky.

Clothes are only bought when needed (ie when something else falls apart), and even then it's from Primark or H&M, or charity shops.

Gadgets? Nope. I did invest in a new laptop last year, but that is because my old one died. It is the cheapest way for me to keep in touch with friends and family (Skype), and I used a combination of savings, bonus money & birthday money to get it.

There's very little else to cut back on.

flutterby_lil

DS4215 wrote: »

Poundland is your friend on a day out - £1 for 2x 500ml of most popular brands of fizzy beverage.

The thing I miss the most is just jumping in the car and going to the coast for the day. Used to do this 6-7 times a year and now its a couple of years since I've been.

Pound land is one of my best friends but I was in a kids play centre and miles from anywhere and you got thrown out for taking your own drinks!

chocoholic_chick

I've gradually cut back on alot of things, not necessarily because I can't always afford them, because sometimes I can, I just don't think it's worth paying however much they are charging.

I have had my first haircut in over a year this week, and even then that was because I'd won a free haircut! I suppose getting my hair cut regularly is one luxury I had to cut out as the salon I use is £40.

Other things I've cut down on is drives out to places because of the price of petrol, nights out because of the cost of taxis, the bars of chocolate and bags of crisps I would pop to the shop for if I was peckish and like others have said buying sarnies for lunch. All the sandwich shops where I work charge at least £2.50 for a sandwich, 99% of the time I bring my lunch in as I begrudge paying £2.50 for a poxy ham sarnie!!

MoaningMyrtle

Going out and about in the car due to fuel and parking costs. Buying mags unless there is a good free gift, buying papers unless there is a good free coupon.

picnmix

Hairdressers, don't go for my regular trims anymore, just the 3 monthly cut and colour.

Lunches - used to think nothing of trotting off to the local supermarket and picking up lunch, and other things always crept into the basket, now make and take my own lunch and sit in the staffroom.

Mooching around town also, don't go now unless I actually need something.

Do I feel that I have saved loads, no, because the money I have saved through making these personal treat cutbacks have just gone towards the cost of every bloomin thing that has gone up. x

Big_Hairy_Spider

Of all the cutbacks I've made, trading in the ex for a slightly older model has saved me a fortune.