What's something you gave up that you thought you would miss, but didn't?

[Sonorous Epithet]

Let's get some examples of how the hedonic treadmill can work in your favor. Could be a possession or a habit.

[MrFancypants]

I'm struggling to answer this question.  The "problem" is, I tightened up my finances so long ago I can't remember what I gave up.  There was no "revolution" in my finances, just a slow progression towards where I am now.

The biggest expenses I gave up are things that I actually do miss, and look forward to adding again later when I'm better able to afford and enjoy them.

[prudence]

Eating out. I really enjoy cooking from scratch and when I eat out now I find myself thinking- I could make this at home and it would taste better. Also the amount of salt used in so much of the restaurant food, makes it difficult to enjoy.

[Sonorous Epithet]

I gave up soda a long time ago. I thought it would be hard. It wasn't really. I have a guilt-free soda now and then on special occasions, but mainly I discovered I really love the taste of room-temperature tap water.

[welliamwallace]

Being a "regular" at a local restaurant or bar. I just loved that feeling when the waitress already knew what entree or drink I was going to order. For some reason this was something holding me back from going entirely home-cooked meals. WTF was I thinking? Who the hell cares!

[biscuitwhomper]

My addition to the dead-tree Northern Tool catalog.    I used to get it every month or so, and it would prompt me into realizing that I needed to buy some tool or equipment.    Now I throw it out and have never missed it.   When I need a tool, I seek it out myself online.

[zataks]

I gave up soda a long time ago. I thought it would be hard. It wasn't really. I have a guilt-free soda now and then on special occasions, but mainly I discovered I really love the taste of room-temperature tap water.

That's because water is friggin' awesome.  You just turn the handle and it comes out!  I drink it all day long and will continue to do so until Hawaiian Punch is on tap!
Also, drink very little soda but GF brought home a watermelon and a berry Lebanese soda from the Mexican market last night and we shared those with dinner--very nice treat!

[MrFancypants]

That's because water is friggin' awesome.  You just turn the handle and it comes out!  I drink it all day long and will continue to do so until Hawaiian Punch is on tap!
Also, drink very little soda but GF brought home a watermelon and a berry Lebanese soda from the Mexican market last night and we shared those with dinner--very nice treat!

I broke my soda habit with Hawaiian Punch flavor packets and water.  Basically it's about $.10 a bottle.

I still keep soda around, but I don't drink it nearly as often as I used to.

[mxt0133]

Going to the movies.  We used to go to out the movies 2-3 times a month, we would drive over an hour to go to drive-ins theaters.  We stopped going because we have kids, but now that we can leave them with family or friends to go, it just doesn't appeal to us anymore.  We even stopped renting movies, we do have Netflix but that is mostly for the kid shows, and House of Cards.  We now only rent movies from the library, well 98% of the time anyway.

[CNM]

Another vote for cable.  We had cool fancy cable for a while, then switched to basic cable (which was just the networks for the most part), and now we have kicked it to the curb altogether.  We now have an antennae on our roof and the shows are better (there are THREE different PBS stations!) and the antennae will have paid for itself in only three months!

[deborah]

When I retired I thought I would miss interacting with a variety of people every day, and lunches together and working together on things that were bigger than what one person could do by themselves - don't miss a bit of it! And I am amazed about how expensive all of that was for me - and how much less I live on now.

[Zikoris]

A monthly bus pass.  I've never had a car, but we both always had an unlimited monthly transit pass until a few years ago. Then I started working walking distance from home, and we switched to one that we shared, and now we're down to none and about 1-2 books of tickets a month (10 tickets in a book, $21/book).

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

Going to the movies.  It's been almost 10 years since I've stepped foot in a theater.

I still watch movies, I just watch them at home in my pajamas with a decent beer, my wife, and my dog. MUCH better this way.

[Thegoblinchief]

Eating out, though I was already not enjoying it (kids or no kids) pre-MMM.

Soda. I drink water, plain seltzer made at home, or seltzer with a splash of juice.

Driving. I actively hate it now. I always wish I could be on my bike instead.

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Eating out, though I was already not enjoying it (kids or no kids) pre-MMM.

Soda. I drink water, plain seltzer made at home, or seltzer with a splash of juice.

Ditto. I do sometimes miss the ease of restaurants, but when I think of how expensive they are, I'm over it. I am a recovering coca cola-zero addict, but it's smooth sailing with my seltzer substitute (made at home with the sodastream).

[Eric]

Eating out, though I was already not enjoying it (kids or no kids) pre-MMM.

Same here.  I have dietary restrictions that make eating out a challenge, and yet, I still continued.  Why?  Cooking at home is so much better.  Don't miss it at all.

Driving. I actively hate it now. I always wish I could be on my bike instead.

Yep. 

[samburger]

Buying books. I realize now that what I like is browsing books + reading books. The ownership part has nothing to do with it, as it turns out.

[Thegoblinchief]

Buying books. I realize now that what I like is browsing books + reading books. The ownership part has nothing to do with it, as it turns out.

Hoping my wife realizes this, but okay if she never does.

[Must_Stash]

Cable again.  Honestly, you will not miss it.  I'm not saying you don't enjoy it, but you will adjust in a VERY short time after giving it up.  There's still so much to do.  I walk more often now, bake more, listen to more NPR, etc.  It's a nice thing but somehow it slips very easily into the past.

[happy]

A long list.  I'm surprised. A lot of stuff I did was just habit and once the habit was changed , I didn't miss it. Even changing the habit on the most part was not hard, just had to remember to do things the new way. Includes: coffee, drinking juice/soda, wine hobby, laundry detergent, paying for parking, ironing lady, eating out, takeaway, using the dryer, blackberry, SUV, bought firewood, lazy money habits (like remembering to use discount vouchers, paying bills on time avoiding late fees, collecting cashbacks/rebates).

[imustachemystash]

Our house cleaner.  My kids would always mess it up anyway after a few days. I love not having that monthly expense.

[curlycue]

My car. My credit cards.

[wtjbatman]

Buying books. I realize now that what I like is browsing books + reading books. The ownership part has nothing to do with it, as it turns out.

That is such a good one. When I was reading the "How many books do you own?" thread I started getting jealous, as it reminded me how I used to "collect" books and how large my collection used to be... compared to how comparatively small it is now (just one book shelf! the horror!).

But really, once they are read most books are just another possession that take up space. I love browsing for the right book, reading it, thinking about it, and talking/writing about it. I don't need to keep the physical copy forever. In fact, for the last few years I probably do 99% of my reading on my Kindle. I have hundreds of books on my Kindle/in the cloud now, that were free or cheap, and they take up no physical space.

That said, not every book is created equal, so certain textbooks, rare books, and books with sentimental value are still important to me. But having X number of books (or feet of books as some people here say) just for the sake of owning them is the same as owning the largest collection of pet rocks in the neighborhood.

[mikefixac]

Mine was golfing.

Isn't it interesting how once we gave up something, we found it not difficult at all. I think that is true in most cases. Maybe the question should be what did you give up and you really miss.

To me this thread proves just how little we need and still be happy.

[Asgard01]

I think switching to loving what you have, wanting what you have instead of wanting something else that you anticipate or idealise as being fantastic has helped me. I already have so much entertainment, knowledge and options for activities available that are free on the internet, already part of basic tv or able to do without cost (such as having fun exercising, getting fit). I haven't then missed not having cable, or frequent meals out, or buying things on general.  I Have yet to exhaust all the fun from the previous stuff I brought that I still have.

Chris

[pachnik]

I read the daily newspaper for decades but once I found this website, I started scaling it back to a few days a week.  Now I just get the paper on Saturday. 

I thought I would really miss it but I don't at all.  And I actually like some of the free newspapers that my city has. 

[Zikoris]

Another big one was our landline phone. I put off cutting it for years, because I thought that I wouldn't be able to manage with just a cell - I thought my usage would require me to upgrade to a more expensive plan. But I realized that I really only have long phone conversations a few times a month, and I can just ask people to call me after 6 or on the weekend when I get unlimited. I'll be switching to an unlimited incoming anytime plan this summer when my cell contract expires.

[avongil]

Unlimited data plan on my phone.  I was actually shocked at how little I miss it. I'm quite a bit happier not being connected 100% of the time.  Switching from a verizon unlimited to  the page plus 12$/month plan has dropped our bill from $140 to under $30 per month.  I don't miss it much at all!  This was rather shocking and a big eye opener as to how much the media and society influences your "needs".   I am happier now with only 10 megabytes of data! 

[CarDude]

My fuel efficient mini car. I remember when I used to be so proud of being able to average 45 mpg over a tank through hypermiling.

I still hypermile, but don't see numbers like that anymore. However, the safety tradeoff was worth it.

[wtjbatman]

Unlimited data plan on my phone.  I was actually shocked at how little I miss it. I'm quite a bit happier not being connected 100% of the time.  Switching from a verizon unlimited to  the page plus 12$/month plan has dropped our bill from $140 to under $30 per month.  I don't miss it much at all!  This was rather shocking and a big eye opener as to how much the media and society influences your "needs".   I am happier now with only 10 megabytes of data!

I'm sorta with you, except I've just compensated by becoming hyper-aware of where I can find free Wi-Fi when I'm out. I'm saving money, but I'm still consuming media/sports/culture. I'm ok with that :)

[CarDude]

Ooh, I also used to have a Snapple habit. Then someone told me it had caffeine and that was pretty much the last time I ever bought one.

[avongil]

I'm sorta with you, except I've just compensated by becoming hyper-aware of where I can find free Wi-Fi when I'm out. I'm saving money, but I'm still consuming media/sports/culture. I'm ok with that :)

Dude, I have tons of free WiFi saved. I'm not saying my phone does not use gigs of data a month, it just uses free data!

[wtjbatman]

I'm sorta with you, except I've just compensated by becoming hyper-aware of where I can find free Wi-Fi when I'm out. I'm saving money, but I'm still consuming media/sports/culture. I'm ok with that :)

Dude, I have tons of free WiFi saved. I'm not saying my phone does not use gigs of data a month, it just uses free data!

I'd love to see how much data my phone downloads over WiFi. I bet it's nearly as much as my laptop. I have spent zero time looking for apps that do that, but I'm sure there are a ton out there.

[Nords]

What's something you gave up that you thought you would miss, but didn't?

Well, "having a job" was one that took a little convincing.   Yet although there are still possibly some aspects of the workplace environment that I miss, I've been able to replicate all of them on my own.   

Alcohol.  Every time I think I miss it, I realize that I'm under the influence of advertising.

"Eating out" is not something we deliberately gave up as much as something we just don't care about anymore.  We're out with friends or business meetings often enough that we don't need to do more on our own.

Buying books. I realize now that what I like is browsing books + reading books. The ownership part has nothing to do with it, as it turns out.

It took me a long time to shift my attitude from "valuable collectible" to "entertainment".  Now after a good read I donate it to the library or Goodwill.

[wtjbatman]

Buying books. I realize now that what I like is browsing books + reading books. The ownership part has nothing to do with it, as it turns out.

It took me a long time to shift my attitude from "valuable collectible" to "entertainment".  Now after a good read I donate it to the library or Goodwill.

That's one of the reasons I've grown to really like my Kindle. At this point I own hundreds of ebooks, and I don't get a single dirty look from the girlfriend for cluttering our house like I used to with my physical books. Downside is there is no selling or donating of the books... but I'm a re-reader so that's not a huge downside for me :) And the upside (keeping the lady happy) is priceless!

[OldDogNewTrick]

The lawn and maid service. I do a MUCH better job than they did, anyway. 6 months ago I would have emphatically stated I couldn't give those services up. Surprising.

The status symbol vehicle...well, I think I'm okay giving that up, at least that's what I tell myself. Over and over.

[avongil]

The lawn and maid service. I do a MUCH better job than they did, anyway. 6 months ago I would have emphatically stated I couldn't give those services up. Surprising.

The status symbol vehicle...well, I think I'm okay giving that up, at least that's what I tell myself. Over and over.

You had a 911 didn't you?  I miss mine. :(
If it was a coupe I would have not sold it. 

[Annamal]

Owning a car ( we thought it was just a temporary thing when we sold it 12 years ago).

We occasionally rent a car for long journeys and borrow a friend's car once every two weeks to do a huge shop but other than that...

Hooking up to local tv as well.

[lifejoy]

-a data plan on my cell phone
-expensive haircuts

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Ice. Our icemaker went out 2 years ago. I tried to fix it, but never could identify the problem. We didn't want to pay for a repairman, so we quit using ice in our drinks. Now we don't even think about it, except when we have company (but all of our good friends are used to it by now). We just keep ice, tea, and juice in the fridge, and it's magically cold when we serve it. It really doesn't need to be any colder.

Obviously we didn't make a concsious decision to forgo ice, only a decision to not fix the icemaker, but I think it applies here. I can't think of anything else I have given up in the pursuit of frugality that I actually thought I would miss.

[rocklebock]

Cable, unlimited phone plan, daily lattes. I'm now shocked that I ever cared.

[serious_pete]

A bunch of things. Drum lessons, indoor snowboarding, bikram yoga, driving every where, eating and drinking out every week, having the "back up" of a credit card. Turns out I don't miss any of them.

[SDREMNGR]

Having the house to myself.  We own a 3 bed 2 bath that my wife and I had to ourselves for a year but we just rented the 2 extra rooms for extra $1200 plus utilities share and maid service share (much easier to get maid than fight over cleaning).  After living by myself for many years before this and going back to roommates is a bit hard but so far it's been ok.  It's good to have someone home now if the dogs need to be fed or something.  It's a small sacrifice in not being able to walk around naked for the extra income.

[amandamechele]

Buying books. I realize now that what I like is browsing books + reading books. The ownership part has nothing to do with it, as it turns out.

I take great pleasure and comfort knowing that I have access to the information and stories at a second's notice. I also love how they look on shelves, as a decorative wall.
For all those who will point me in the direction of the internet or library for all the reasons I have listed, I can whole heartedly say that this is one of my luxuries that I do not want to change.

As for what I don't miss, I guess that would be meat. I have found so many delicious recipes with beans or tofu as a replacement. And the cost is so much less (for the beans, at least).

[oldtoyota]

Clothes (just for 2014), eating in restaurants (which we still do sometimes).

Other things I gave up that I never thought I would miss include the daily paper newspaper and the land line.

[cdub]

Cable. Bought a Tivo box and hooked it up to the roof antenna 3 years ago and haven't regretted it once. If there's something I really want to see it'll eventually come out on Netflix.

Data plan on phone. I have the $10/month Republic Wireless plan and I don't miss the lack of 3G at all.

Whatever it is can wait until I get near free Wifi.

[dadu007]

Netflix

[scottydog]

1. My cell phone.  I really enjoy that I'm not available all the time.  It makes running errands by bike solo adventures, especially when I take a scenic route.
2. Our second car.  We replaced it with a cargo bike, which we'll likely sell when the kids get older & bigger, and the bike is way more fun.

[meadow lark]

Our car.  Love having a scooter, and good friends that invite me to go grocery shopping with!

[ruthiegirl]

2. Our second car.  We replaced it with a cargo bike, which we'll likely sell when the kids get older & bigger, and the bike is way more fun.

Yep, me too. 


We also let go of a big house, cable, coffee, private music lessons, and a gym membership.  In exchange for all of that, we now have a shot at not working till we drop dead.