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What are you not willing to scrimp on?
Old 12-19-2007, 06:48 PM   #1
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What are you not willing to scrimp on?

Someone on another thread that they were not willing to scrimp on Heat. They keep their house at 78 or so in the winter.

For me it is long hot showers in the winter.

I'm sure there might be others, for DW I would say it is Scrapbooking stuff.
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Old 12-19-2007, 06:55 PM   #2
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Good food.
-Spent $40 today for meat from local farm.

High speed DSL

Hot water for most laundry
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:15 PM   #3
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I agree with Khan...good food, fast internet cannot be gone without... In my US home, I have a woodstove that keeps things toasty, in my Asian home I scrimp a little on heat.

DW would agree with Rustic23's DW, scrapbooking materials are necessities. Hot baths are also on her mandatory list. On the other hand, we always do laundry in cold water.

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Old 12-19-2007, 07:35 PM   #4
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High quality shoes for my problem feet. Food. High speed internet. My health (so, heat when I have a winter cold). My gym.

Looking at those, all except the high speed internet are needed for my good health. Don't do scrapbooking.
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:46 PM   #5
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Uh oh. Let me count the ways. Agree with a fast internet connection and good food.

Then there's decent wine. Not really expensive stuff often, but maybe $10-$15 range a couple times a week. Vacations, too. Infrequent but we save cheap stuff for 3-4 day getaways and tend to use the long ones for cruises or foreign travel. Our RV has made the getaways fun and pretty cheap except for gasoline. Kid visits are a must and will increase greatly with ESR.

That's about it. We're not into jewelry, luxury cars, mansions, or similar material self-indulgences.
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:50 PM   #6
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Food, air conditioning and sheets.
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:53 PM   #7
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Good food, good wine, air conditioning in summer and heat in winter, high speed internet.
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:00 PM   #8
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:01 PM   #9
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I scrimp much less now that I am safely retired.

I no longer compromise on :
-eating out, once every week or two, only at nice places (I won't eat at places
where the food is not as good as I can cook)
-wine ($20 - $40/bottle, sometimes more)
-short vacations (2-3 days long, every few weeks)
-high speed internet
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:05 PM   #10
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After reading these replies so far, I think I need some food stock.

Oh yeah, and about the wine....I found a great inexpensive wine by the name of Smoking Loon. Just love the Pinot Noir and the Chardonney is tasty too.
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:14 PM   #11
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For me, I would be sad if I had to cut back and not travel anywhere. I really dislike staying in one place for long. Setting down roots means that I need to travel somewhere different a couple times/year or feel stifled.
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:26 PM   #12
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2 gifts
3 vacations
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:36 PM   #13
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I don't scrimp on liability, auto, and homeowner insurance.
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Old 12-19-2007, 09:20 PM   #14
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Real fresh water pearls and turquoise for my beading projects.

Supima cotton flannel sheets for the bed in winter.

Good shoes. Warm coat. Quality underwear.

High speed internet.
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Old 12-19-2007, 09:23 PM   #15
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Beer, food, Internet connection, bicycle parts, hiking boots
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Old 12-19-2007, 10:53 PM   #16
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Old 12-19-2007, 10:58 PM   #17
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While working.. good food (including dining out 2-3 times per week), high speed internet connection, good shoes, heat, A/C.

Now that I am retired.... good food (including dining out 2-3 times per week), high speed Internet connection, HDTV, luxury car, good shoes, heat, A/C and good hiking gear.
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:02 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire View Post
High quality shoes...... Food. High speed internet.
I learned a looong time ago that since you only get one pair of feet in a lifetime, take very good care of them and treat them well. So shoes are definitely #1 on my list!

Also, I won't scrimp on food, DSL, heat in the winter, and A/C in the summer. Heck, I scrimped on a lot of things to reach this point in my life, and I determined that when I reached FIRE, I wouldn't scrimp on things that I needed OR wanted! So I plan not to scrimp on anything! I'll shop around for good prices on what I want/need, but I won't settle for low quality, or buy things just because they're cheaper.

A sticker that I had on my locker at w*rk stated it well:

"The Bitter Taste of Poor Quality Remains Long After the Low Price is Forgotten"
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Old 12-20-2007, 05:23 AM   #19
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Along with some things that others have mentioned, (food, heat and air, beer, sheets) we don't scrimp on pet food. Our dog and two cats get the best we can buy, as they contribute so much to our lives we want them around as long as it's possible to maintain their health, and quality food helps to achieve that.....
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Old 12-20-2007, 08:11 AM   #20
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Guess I would have to add High Speed Internet. We had satellite before DSL. DSL cut the price in half.
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