So, frugal people, what DO you allow yourselves?

[azanon]

DH just bought a (used) Infiniti FX-35 last May.  I about fainted when I saw the price--but we can afford it; it might possibly delay ER by, say a year?

He could have got the same vehicle for 10-15K less (given same "usedness").   Its called the Nissan Murano. Then again he could have spend another 20K more for the same vehicle too; Its called the Porsche Cayenne.

But from what i can tell, they're all 3 the same more or less.

 

[F M All]

He could have got the same vehicle for 10-15K less (given same "usedness").   Its called the Nissan Murano.   Then again he could have spend another 20K more for the same vehicle too;  Its called the Porsche Cayenne.

But from what i can tell, they're all 3 the same more or less.

No, the Cayenne is the same bodyshell as the VW Toureg. Nissan and Infiniti are related but not to Porsche or VW

 

[brewer12345]

Hmmm, you mean other than the suburban Merkin lifestyle, access to world class healthcare, clean water and three meals a day?

I guess I'd say:

- His and hers cell phones. Prolly lose one of them eventually, but for now they are useful.
- Organic food (especially milk) for kiddo. DW and I are picky about what we will buy/eat, but organic is overly pricy in many cases.
- Good booze, although I make most of it for pennies a pint.
- We take a couple of vacations a year. Usually look for "bargain destinations".
- Once or twice a year, plane tickets for DW (and sometimes me too) to go visit her family in Denver.
- Good coffee. I'm partial to Green Mountain, but I buy the beans and make my own damn coffee. Not willing to pay $3+ for a cuppa.

 

[F M All]

the suburban Merkin lifestyle

Have you Googled "Merkin" to see what you are referring to

This is more like a Dan post than your normal quality, but please give us the details of this lifestyle..........

 

[brewer12345]

Have you Googled "Merkin" to see what you are referring to

This is more like a Dan post than your normal quality, but please give us the details of this lifestyle..........

My use of "merkin" for myself and my countrymen is a self-deprecating reference to the hugely wasteful lifestyle most of us lead and the tendency for all of us to be "ugly Merkins" rather than good citizens of the world.

 

[retire@40]

I guess you have not seen how your food is handled in the food chain to your grocery store.  I did food inspections for a while.  After doing a few you learn to not worry so much about it.  Remember; there are limits on the amount of rat crap and insect parts that are acceptable in your processed foods. 

I know, I've seen the rats running around wholesale areas and in pasta manufacturing companies, and fruit-flies being processed in the apple-cider, etc., so I agree there could be crap and ground-up insects in many processed foods.

But, it's the extra layers of infestation that happens AFTER the food is brought into the restaurants that is more worrisome.

By the way, at home I still wash the triple-washed spinach.  

 

[F M All]

Oh please describe an ugly merkin!  Maybe Dan has a photo.....

 

[maddythebeagle]

mail order dvds. dont need cable and can sit down and watch a 1 hour tv show in 40 minutes.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I used to work in a restaurant way back in 1967. It was a truck stop. It was very, very clean all the time. I ate there every day. No problems whatsoever!

I'm sure there are some that are dicey. But I can atest that not all fall into this category!

 

[sgeeeee]

I used to work in a restaurant way back in 1967. It was a truck stop. It was very, very clean all the time. I ate there every day. No problems whatsoever!

I'm sure there are some that are dicey. But I can atest that not all fall into this category!

Who would be crazy enough to mess with a trucker's food? It's those upscale hoity toity restaurants where the kitchen workers take out their frustrations on the snotty customers.

 

[riskadverse]

Midlife crisis car (BMW Z3)
View house (I couldn't afford the mortgage if it had one - let's call it an investment)
Satelite TV and cable modem and TiVos (haven't been to a movie in years)

 

[retire@40]

Who would be crazy enough to mess with a trucker's food?  It's those upscale hoity toity restaurants where the kitchen workers take out their frustrations on the snotty customers.   

Or like in the movie Casino, when the mobster working the subshop hucks a lungie in the cop's sandwich before wrapping it up and handing it to him with a smile and a "have a nice evening."

 

[azanon]

No, the Cayenne is the same bodyshell as the VW Toureg. Nissan and Infiniti are related but not to Porsche or VW

Oh yeah, right. 

Its more than the same shell though;  they're practically the same vehicle.   Differences are largely cosmetic. I'm referring primarily to the FX-45 vs Murano.

 

[preben]

Am contemplating a 42" flat screen TV mounted on the wall in the bedroom.... still considering though but market days like yesterday certainly adds to the temptation!
Cheers!

Ps. a USED BMW Z3 1.9 (M-series) from around year 2001 costs a whopping $50k here in Thailand due to nuts taxes on cars so that will have to wait! Auch!

 

[Niko]

Pizza and beer tonight! That's a luxury for me. Also take guitar lessons, which is a luxury.

 

[Danny]

Pizza and beer tonight! That's a luxury for me. Also take guitar lessons, which is a luxury.

I need to do guitar lessons too. Finally treated myself to a tube amp this week - traded my Princeton 65 for a Hot Rod Deville, I spent the day toying with settings to get different tones, incredibly loud, next dream purchase someday a Gibson CS-336 Figured Top

 

[Lancelot]

A $29 chinese DVD player!

But I am watching borrowed (free) movies on it....

Lance

 

[Eagle43]

Who would be crazy enough to mess with a trucker's food?  It's those upscale hoity toity restaurants where the kitchen workers take out their frustrations on the snotty customers.   

I rarely give a waiter any crap and never until AFTER I've got my food.  Don't want no boogers on my burger.  BTW:  I knew guys who worked in restaurants who took special pleasure in defiling your meal, if you gave them a hard time.  Or so they told me..... and they were proud of it.

 

[brewer12345]

I rarely give a waiter any crap and never until AFTER I've got my food.  Don't want no boogers on my burger.  BTW:  I knew guys who worked in restaurants who took special pleasure in defiling your meal, if you gave them a hard time.  Or so they told me..... and they were proud of it.

"And as for the lobster bisque..."

 

[Martha]

I rarely give a waiter any crap and never until AFTER I've got my food. Don't want no boogers on my burger. BTW: I knew guys who worked in restaurants who took special pleasure in defiling your meal, if you gave them a hard time. Or so they told me..... and they were proud of it.

I once represented a person adverse to a restaurant owner in my town. I loved that restaurant but never went there again--worried someone would spit in my food.

 

[BigMoneyJim]

A $29 chinese DVD player!

You got robbed. I saw one for $25 at the grocery store (!) yesterday. I think it was a "CODY" which I think was supposed to look like the "SONY" logo. I stared at the thing for a few minutes trying to imagine where I could use it, but I have 3 DVD players at home plus two DVD readers for my computers so even a $25 progressive scan DVD player is a waste of money for me.

(Why do I have 3 DVD players? First was a gift, 2nd was "progressive scan" and part of the HDTV tuner box, last was a DVD recorder as a gift. And why do I have a DVD reader and a DVD burner for my PCs? Uh, no reason, really. )

 

[astromeria]

Luxuries:

-- mostly organic food (DH especially likes organic milk & meat)
-- some expensive food (lots of fresh seafood, occasional tenderloins of pork and beef, berries, mangos, nut oils, supplements)
-- travel (Italy this year, India last year...maybe camping next year due to DD's wedding )
-- DH's shop tools and seemingly constant software upgrades  :
-- cultural events (season tix to symphony, ~20 events at Spoleto Festival, more)
-- plantation garden & museum admission fees/meemberships
-- artwork (OK, I'm done now-)
-- a bigger house than required
-- periodic housekeeper (once every 4-6 weeks to do heavy cleaning)

But:
-- we keep cars for 8-12 years, TV's for 15-20, computers for 6-8 (DH uses for 3-4, then I use), stereo for 20-25
-- DH is very handy so we rarely need outside help

We don't eat out very often...and maybe it will now be less!
=astro, a fine tipper, I swear!

 

[wildcat]

Lesson from the post -

Indulge in your own little way so long as you are still able to save a sizable portion of your paychecks. Sounds like everyone here is doing just that and nobody LBYMs to the point of depravation.

To quote C-T - "It's all about balance"

 

[TargaDave]

Indulgences

Me. New kites every 2-3 years. Work stuff- new laptop every 2 years and techy phone with broadband (using it right now in Austin airpot lobby). Work stuff is paid by work so guess it doesn't count.

DW. Jewelry making stuff. Clothes 2 notches above Walmart.

 

[REWahoo]

...(using it right now in Austin airpot lobby).

They grow that stuff everywhere down there. "Keep Austin Weird"