What would you find hard to give up in these times of austerity?

Uniscots97

My car, internet, my straighteners and a decent haircut (though I have scrimped on that and have someone fab that comes to the house now and is superb and so much cheaper than anywhere shopwise thats decent).

I've done without buying my moisturiser, I managed to use up stuff I had and get freebies. I've done without heating, heating packed in one year on Christmas Eve! Hot water, my parents last house had a private water supply and no central heating.

culpepper

I would be like Ben Gunn the marooned pirate from treasure Island,
When he wanted to bargain with the sailors after years and years alone,all he wanted in the world was Cheese.
He called it a little piece of Heaven.
I would really really miss cheese if we couldn't afford it anymore.

sparrer

Fresh, clean water and cheese. Can't survive without water and I get 'withdrawal symptoms' if I don't have cheese in some form or other almost every day .

mummyyof5

Mine would be Internet,A hot bath and Pepsi Max...dont drink hot liquid so wouldnt miss the usual tea /coffee etc.

And my straighteners...look like Medusa without them lol xx

pollypenny

I couldn't do without heat. I don't understand those who say they don't put heating on.

I'd live on baked potatoes before I'd be cold.

freyasmum

My car; there are days I'd have to leave at 5 for work and stand in the cold for a silly length of time rather than drive. And other days where it would be gone 1 am before I got back in.

Heat. I'd be miserable if I were cold, I love to be cosy.

Real food - meat, eggs, veg, cheese, etc. No turkey twizzlers for us, thank you :eek: - is non-negotiable. It would normally cost upwards of £6 per day for bought lunches which is, obviously, £30 per week. I bought a huge roll of beef from asda the other week for £10; it gave my whole family (sister, BIL, mum, dad, and the kids, etc) a BIG dinner each and made more than enough sandwiches for the week.

An internet connection. I use it for online banking, chatting, emailing, money saving, searching for holidays (MS ones, of ourse - had a week in Wales a few years ago for £10... My daughter STILL talks about it) and shopping.

Also, being a young(ish ) woman, I enjoy my beauty treatments. I have a weekly tan (the lightest, just to take off the 'blue', not a 'you've been tango-ed' look :eek:), my nails are either shellac'ed or I'll have nail extensions every 2-3 weeks, my hair is cut and blow-dried every few months (which is real 'me-time' for me. I LOVE it) and I have my eyelashes permed and tinted. I realise this must sound really vain when there are people who can't pay their basic costs but, save for the haircut, I do everything myself. My cost is much less than one would spend on a 2/3-weekly take-away and looking healthier makes me feel good. It also means I don't have to waste precious time in the morning putting on make-up I COULD give it up if I really, really had to.... but I'd prefer not to. I do, however, NEED moisturiser as my skin is so dry and sore in this weather


But then I am ever so lucky in that I appear to be the only one in my circle that isn't struggling!? However, I'm not constantly drinking, smoking and shopping - or even spending a fortune on food for work like some people seem to. I used to work with a girl who spent £15 a day on lunch... and then didn't eat the half of it _pale_

dandy-candy

My tv and dvd player. I'm on my own most of the day and so really like to have them for company!

reddleman

As well as tea, chocolate and the radio, there are other things really important to me too.
Cheese, particularly Wensleydale and Blue Stilton
Wireless Broadband Internet connection, so I can watch video or listen to radio from all over the world while snuggled up in bed with my laptop!

[Deleted User]

Having been thinking even more this week and remembered that probably my largest expense was my grandchildren and I would happily do without virtually anything rather than give them up.The amount of love and support I get from my family is beyond any monetery value.I probably spend more than I should on them but in a practical way as one of my DD is going though a lean time at the moment even though both her and her husband work full time I help by buying the 'goodies' in their lives.If I see they are running short of something in the store cupboards I just replace or refill it.The little boys don't go without a small treat I don't buy designer stuff but the kids always look smart and neat and tidy.I do make a lot of cakes and biscuits and take to their house after school and the boys really don't know what shop-bought cake is like.I don't go without myself and neither do they They are family and when I was brought up families stuck together and helped each other through the thin days, and celebrated the better times when they came along .I have enough behind me for a rainy day and so to me, I give them my time,patience and HM food and in return I get total unconditional love and when I go into their house their great big grins and cuddles are my reward,Familes,absolutely priceless

vanoonoo

I would really really struggle without access to the internet, i've become so reliant on it for so many things that, and diet coke