Too much effort on reducing and not enough on growing?

Cazzdevil

This is turning into a very interesting debate.

Balancing needs and wants is a very tricky business. If you live purely on "needs" then there's little to enjoy as a treat.

For example, I really enjoy mountain biking, it's my one little escape from the "daily grind" of working and studying and has, in fact, rid me of a minor depression I was suffering prior to getting into it. Now keeping my bike serviced and in good working order can be an expensive business (I need new wheels at the minute at a cost of £150!), but the amount of pleasure I get from it surely makes it worth the cost? I know my bike isn't a "need" but I'd be bloomin' miserable without it!!

Where does the line get drawn between needs and wants I wonder.

Storm

Cazz, I would say with your mountain biking that as it maintains your physical and mental health then it is a need rather than a want. My brother does a lot of running, which is often recommended as a free alternative to expensive gyms, however he goes through at least 2 pairs of running shoes a year (he does a minimum of 8 miles a day!) and they cost around £80 a pair as he has to buy good quality ones to prevent injury.

I also think that we all are 'entitled' (not the best word, but can't think of a better one at the moment) to one activity/item that others might consider a luxury, because of the impact on our mental health, however we can look at the ways of doing this as cheap as possible (I presume you've shopped around for the cheapest new wheels etc)

Cazzdevil

Storm wrote: »

(I presume you've shopped around for the cheapest new wheels etc)

My boyfriend works in a bike shop, can't get much cheaper than trade price

anniestar

This is such an interesting debate. Zulu, what food do you actully buy? Would be really intrested. Just out of intrest last night I actually costed out our main meal to the last penny. I dont normally bother as I have done this for so long its almost second nature now! We had Home made Leek & Potato soup with a (full priced:o ) cheese topped french stick from yesterdays ASDA trip, we then had HM rhubarb and strawberry crumble wiht cream(left over from the soup) including everything(even the 2 stock cubes because I forgot to defrost my HM stock:mad: ) came to £2.47. DH is 6'4" and we both can EAT-A LOT:eek: !! By the way only the potatoes were value.

Sarahsaver

Zulu_Dawn wrote: »

...and if spending £75 on a barbecue for 12 friends does not fit under SOCIAL, then I am a Zulu and a girl called Dawn!:p

Some of the best parties I have had are where people bring food or drink themselves, it creates a sense of camaraderie and theres an instant ice breaker when people either swop recipes or bemoan culinary failures ! Friendship, or its maintenance, should not cost anything!

Zulu_Dawn

anniestar wrote: »

This is such an interesting debate. Zulu, what food do you actully buy? Would be really intrested. Just out of intrest last night I actually costed out our main meal to the last penny. I dont normally bother as I have done this for so long its almost second nature now! We had Home made Leek & Potato soup with a (full priced:o ) cheese topped french stick from yesterdays ASDA trip, we then had HM rhubarb and strawberry crumble wiht cream(left over from the soup) including everything(even the 2 stock cubes because I forgot to defrost my HM stock:mad: ) came to £2.47. DH is 6'4" and we both can EAT-A LOT:eek: !! By the way only the potatoes were value.

I promise you I will look into it. I have got my receipt from the ill-fated barbecue trip and will try and give you as much info as poss.

You must bear in mind that I don't do all the shopping and my wife is not quite as far down the DFW path as me. I asked her yesterday to buy a 2pt of milk on her way home. She came back via Asda with the aforesaid milk (66p from memory) plus two tubs of fresh fruit (3.00 - 94p saving) a carton of innocent fruit juice (£2!!!!) and a few other bits - total cost £11.77:eek: . Now by my calculations that £5.88 per pint.:mad:



ZD

rayday2

I really don't appreciate your sarcasm and get the feeling you are tongue in cheek taking the pee out of people in a bad situation.

People with children are struggling to shop on small budgets and you insist on basically making out that is your "social budget"

I may be out of line here but this forum is Debt Free wannabees - and anyone who truely wants to be debt free would not speak in your vein and belittle people struggling.

Zulu_Dawn

rayday2 wrote: »

I really don't appreciate your sarcasm and get the feeling you are tongue in cheek taking the pee out of people in a bad situation.

People with children are struggling to shop on small budgets and you insist on basically making out that is your "social budget"

I may be out of line here but this forum is Debt Free wannabees - and anyone who truely wants to be debt free would not speak in your vein and belittle people struggling.

You are totally and utterly wrong. I am absolutely passionate about this and am desperate to get out of the mess I am in.

I am in total admiration for this site and everyone in it. Please read my other posts if you have any doubt as to my genuineness.

My comments in my last post were meant to be light-hearted - and come from respect for what people here are trying to achieve - nothing more.

ZD

Broken_hearted

Unless you budget properly there is no point trying to be debt free.

Softstuff

Cazzdevil wrote: »

This is turning into a very interesting debate.

Balancing needs and wants is a very tricky business. If you live purely on "needs" then there's little to enjoy as a treat.

For example, I really enjoy mountain biking, it's my one little escape from the "daily grind" of working and studying and has, in fact, rid me of a minor depression I was suffering prior to getting into it. Now keeping my bike serviced and in good working order can be an expensive business (I need new wheels at the minute at a cost of £150!), but the amount of pleasure I get from it surely makes it worth the cost? I know my bike isn't a "need" but I'd be bloomin' miserable without it!!

Where does the line get drawn between needs and wants I wonder.

Again, this for me brings back what birthdays and Xmas is about. Gone are the days where I got something I had no interest in, but was "nice", and I'm back to looking forward to receiving something I really want. We still set a budget though, last xmas was about 40 quid.

As I said also, I'm not against having some things that I just want. Though I tend to see something in a shop, have a little patience and not buy it, and sooner or later I'll either see it in a charity shop, or decide I didn't really want it at all.

Hobbies are a big thing for my husband and I. We love films, like to play the latest video games, love to read, I cross stitch, sew etc etc. For the films we rent on the cheap tuesdays or get free from friends, TV or the library, video games are what my hubby gets from everyone for his birthday or xmas, and the rest tends to come from charity shops.

We're by no means deprived.

I used to go to work in an armani suit carrying a louis vuitton briefcase. I lived in England, was pretty miserable, hated my job and worked very long hours. I also earned about twice as much as I do now. But now I live in a beautiful part of Australia, in an incredible apartment (which we so far own about 1/6 of), work a whole lot less than before, enjoy our free time and I find I don't *need* half the things I used to.

I guess what a lot of people here say is true, if you find pleasure in family and more simple things, spending money to find happiness simply isn't necessary any more.