What "luxuries" would you never give up.

[wealthviahealth]

 I have been finding a great deal of freedom in getting rid of old possessions and habits that I no longer value.
That being said there are still certain "luxuries" that on paper are a waste but hold great value to me.

I,e Spotify ( $10 a month vs my free itunes library), Air conditioning in the summer,  going out to eat with friends,
good coffee, a car that is bit nicer than I need.

How about you?

[brewer12345]

Home roasted coffee, homebrew, the ability to crank the fireplace on cold days with a real wood fire are creature comforts I would not want to lose.  But the luxury to what I want when I want (FI) is what I most do not want to lose.

[TreeTired]

I pay to have landscapers cut my grass.   My wife loves working in the garden.  I hate it. I consider this a huge indulgence on my part, but fortunately I can afford it.

[chasesfish]

Craft beer....and maybe owning a compact 4x4 truck.

[CarDude]

I loves me some air conditioning. And high-speed Internet : D

[Mortgage Free Mike]

There are several, but coffee tops the list. I have quit in the past but I always return. I believe it helps my productivity.
I brew at home. No fancy coffee shops for me unless I'm on vacation or a date.

[arebelspy]

Previous discussion on this topic here:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/things-you-value-more-than-money/

For me: Certain technology.  I very much enjoy my iPad as well as my iPhone with unlimited mobile data.

[clarkfan1979]

This is a great question. Craft beer, wine, cheese, snowboarding/surfing/fishing/camping trips, and weddings. I probably have more but this is all I can think of at the moment.

[spoonman]

1) Hot water
2) A good internet connection
3) No mosquitos or flying insects

[dragoncar]

Never is a very strong word, but luxuries I'm willing to work for:

Reasonable climate control
Hot water
Plumbing
Internet
Access to a motor vehicle

[Cassie]

I agree with Dragoncar and would add my cable & the $55.00/month I spend on cleaners. I used to clean myself then spend $40.00 to have the Chiropractor put me back together. Better to just pay to get it done. Also the $ I spend on my Maltese-priceless as well as the $ we spend to either eat out occasionally or have dinner parties at our home-which we do a lot more of.

[nikki]

Never is a very strong word, but luxuries I'm willing to work for:

Reasonable climate control
Hot water
Plumbing
Internet
Access to a motor vehicle

+1. While I don't have my own car, I consider having access to buses and taxis pretty important.

The assumption here is that I also have a computer to use my Internet on ;-D

And soap. I really, really, really don't want a life without soap.

[dragoncar]

I agree with Dragoncar and would add my cable & the $55.00/month I spend on cleaners. I used to clean myself then spend $40.00 to have the Chiropractor put me back together. Better to just pay to get it done. Also the $ I spend on my Maltese-priceless as well as the $ we spend to either eat out occasionally or have dinner parties at our home-which we do a lot more of.

Good point, I pay $0.99 per dress shirt for laundry because ironing really isn't worth the hassle, and can't get the same result as those robotic pressing machines.  But that's a work expense that I will gladly shed once I retire.  I'll hand iron dress shirts for random occasions. (in retrospect, not sure if you meant house cleaners, as that makes more sense in context)

[Cassie]

I did mean house cleaners. I gave it up when I semi-retired until I realized it was throwing my back out to clean & was not worth the pain I had for a savings of really $15.00/month.  WE changed many things when we first quit working f.t.  but decided that particular change was stupid.

[Bookworm]

I feel like I belong on the wall of shame, but:

- cable TV...canceled it last July, REALLY missed it, hooked up again in September
- smartphone with unlimited data plan...I use the hell out of that plan
- air conditioning and heat (summers are 110+ here, and I'm a wimp about cold, too
- HOA dues of $243/month to live in a gated community on a lake, with lake view
- the luxury of staying home with my kids...wouldn't give it up for any amount of money

[dragoncar]

I feel like I belong on the wall of shame, but:

- cable TV...canceled it last July, REALLY missed it, hooked up again in September
- smartphone with unlimited data plan...I use the hell out of that plan
- air conditioning and heat (summers are 110+ here, and I'm a wimp about cold, too
- HOA dues of $243/month to live in a gated community on a lake, with lake view
- the luxury of staying home with my kids...wouldn't give it up for any amount of money

Eh, it's a spectrum.  If you are willing to work long enough to save $80k to cover your HOA dues, that doesn't make you a bad person.

[basd]

Good coffee
Good white wines
The occasional bit of dark chocolate

I tried to cut each of them out at least once in my life, but they just give me too much joy.

[Bookworm]

I feel like I belong on the wall of shame, but:

- cable TV...canceled it last July, REALLY missed it, hooked up again in September
- smartphone with unlimited data plan...I use the hell out of that plan
- air conditioning and heat (summers are 110+ here, and I'm a wimp about cold, too
- HOA dues of $243/month to live in a gated community on a lake, with lake view
- the luxury of staying home with my kids...wouldn't give it up for any amount of money

Eh, it's a spectrum.  If you are willing to work long enough to save $80k to cover your HOA dues, that doesn't make you a bad person.

[Cassie]

I stayed home with my 3 kids until the youngest was in school f.t. & I never regretted it.  It gave them a good foundation for the future. so that was definitely worth the $ to me.

[Cassie]

Downsizing is great once the kids are grown-that is exactly what we did.

[Bookworm]

Whew, $80,000!!  Yeah, that's not gonna happen.  We're going to stay here until the kids are grown (youngest is almost 14) and enjoy kayaking, boating, fishing, etc. on the lake while we've got it.  And then we'll move on to an empty nest house somewhere without an HOA.  Because I really do hate the HOA.

[Cassie]

so much of this is personal preference. We love cable but most on this site do not. However, we have given up many other things not important to us. It all is fine as long as it makes you happy & enables you to arrive at your financial goals and is not standing in your way.

[Jamesqf]

Don't think there's anything (short of eating, sleeping, and other biological necessities) that I wouldn't give up, if conditions called for it.  The rest is just ordering things by priority: supporting my critters comes pretty high on the list, closely followed by chocolate :-)

[Cassie]

Desperate times would call for desperate measures and many things would go but not my 3 little dogs.  I totally agree with you there & then chocolate!

[ginastarke]

My smartphone.

Give  up soda? no problem. Cable? Happier without it . Car? Don't have one, DREADING the day that I need one.

But Dora's gotta have her Map, I gotta have my Google maps. And Pandora. and my  apps that get me freebies/cheap deals  At $35, it's less than half a working day. Totally worth it.

[dragoncar]

Whew, $80,000!!  Yeah, that's not gonna happen.  We're going to stay here until the kids are grown (youngest is almost 14) and enjoy kayaking, boating, fishing, etc. on the lake while we've got it.  And then we'll move on to an empty nest house somewhere without an HOA.  Because I really do hate the HOA.

Well, I guess I rounded up and it's more like $72k at a 4% SWR, but did that number really just change your mind as to what you are/are not willing to give up?

[Bookworm]

It just never occurred to me how much it would cost if we stayed here for the long haul, because we've never really intended to.  That's a huge number!  Now, $243 X the 48 or so months we'll probably be here = $11,664?  Yeah, it's worth it, I think.  We've moved a lot (military until 2012), and of all the places we've lived, this has been the one where the features of the house and the lake community have created the best memories.  I'm glad we're living this chapter of our lives here.  When the kid chapter ends, I'll be happy to move on and ditch the HOA fees.

[wealthviahealth]

Another for me would be access to a quality treadmill. This may seem silly to some considering
walking/running is free outside but nothing has ever done it for me quite like my treadmill sessions.

I also would add - having a fairly recent ( 1-2 year old) smart phone, and usually stay on the cutting edge of tech on this one.

Also my high quality Bluetooth headphones for workouts. The price tag on these may have sent some here to the er but these returned on their investment for me even in two months time.

[happyfeet]

Good knives.  What a difference they make and I found some that aren't pricey and cut like butter.

Red Wine - a Bota Box works.

Dark Chocolate.

Spending money to go see friends who don't live near me anymore.

[happy]

There  are lots of "luxuries" I would prefer not to give up e.g. hot water coming out of taps at will. I couldn't say I would never give them up because depending on priorities and circumstances I would and could do so and indeed, might have to do so.

[Squirrel away]

We spend a bit on broadband for a fast connection, nice food, lots of fresh fruit and veg, good quality food for the cats and dogs and alcohol.;)

I also like nice bath products and essential oils in the bath but they don't cost much.:)

[Nudelkopf]

Air conditioning in the summer

Holy crap yes. Weeks above 100F are sh!tholes.. I like to think I off-set my air-con use by my lack of car.

[nereo]

my two cats. They refuse to get jobs, they are expensive to feed, but they make me smile every-time they crawl into my lap.

[NeverWasACornflakeGirl]

+1 on pets and air conditioning.  Not gonna happen.

Good knives.  What a difference they make and I found some that aren't pricey and cut like butter.

Happyfeet, can you recommend a brand for knives? 
TIA!

[GoldenStache]

I used to spend a lot on dry cleaning until I found that if you spend more on the shirt and buy a higher quality washer and dryer there actually is a thing as wrinkle free. 

Might also be my wall of shame, but love it:
quality washer/dryer
Benz - E Series
Bottle of wine with a perfect steak

[Scooter]

I don't have to give them up, but my Bose noise cancelling headphones are one luxury from my pre-mustachian days that I would replace. I would buy used ones  though.

Golf is simply a part of my life now. I guess I am willing to work longer to continue to play the sport.

[kite]

Musical instruments.   Was using a borrowed keyboard for the first 7 months,  but when the owner wanted her keyboard back to take to college,  I bought a very high quality instrument.   Fast forward 6 years, and I'm also playing guitar.   I started with a couple of free guitars,  but can sense that I'll soon be at the stage where I need to upgrade to a better sounding instrument.   

I have yet to own an Apple product.  We don't have air conditioning,  clothes dryer, subscription entertainment or dine in restaurants (unless traveling).  Used to enjoy fine wine,  but quit drinking entirely.   Used to ride horses, but pretty much gave that up unless getting in on a free trial ride on a friend's horse.   

Prescription sunglasses are my other luxury,  beyond music.  I can get by and be content with simple foods, running water, and a modest amount of electricity.   But I need to keep learning songs and playing through the ones I've already mastered.   I also can't bear being outside during the daylight hours without my prescription shades.  That I made it through the first 30 years of life without these things surprises me.

[Roland of Gilead]

Good coffee and good toilet paper

Everything else is up for negotiation but not those.

[zarfus]

I feel like I belong on the wall of shame, but:

- cable TV...canceled it last July, REALLY missed it, hooked up again in September
- smartphone with unlimited data plan...I use the hell out of that plan
- air conditioning and heat (summers are 110+ here, and I'm a wimp about cold, too
- HOA dues of $243/month to live in a gated community on a lake, with lake view
- the luxury of staying home with my kids...wouldn't give it up for any amount of money

At least you tried cutting cable, I think staying home with the kids captures a lot of the spirit of becoming mustachian...not everybody is fortunate enough to do it AND be financial independent while their kids are young.

For me it's traveling.  I'm going to do it forever in the most mustachian ways possible, but I will never cut it out of my diet.

[Thegoblinchief]

A music playing device of some sort.

I could adapt to a lot of things. I drink coffee. I love beer and wine but we're in the process of giving it up. The one thing I can't stand is prolonged silence. Music helps me think. Without it I'd suffocate.

A nice bike and outdoor gear is also high on my list.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Air conditioning, music to listen to, coffee--some of the things others have mentioned. And in addition, nice haircuts. I do my own eyebrows now but the only haircut that works for me is a bob, and a bob looks awful unless it's done skillfully. Plus if I get a good one, I can go three months between cuts versus two for a crappy one. So I pay like $200 a year for haircuts (ouch).

[happyfeet]

Knives.  I found a great chopping knife on Amazon

Victorinox Fibrox 7-Inch Granton Edge Santoku Knife

It was under $30 when I bought it.  Nicely balanced but nothing fancy and the sharpest knife I have ever owned.  I also bought the Victorinox three pack of a peeler, serrated knife and some small curved blade.  Those were about $13 for all three.  Not heavy duty but they do cut nicely also.

Purchased the sharpening tool also.  Gonna have to watch you tube to figure out how to sharpen my knives.

We pretty much eat at home and I chop alot of veggies.  The knife makes my life much easier.

The reviews on Amazon were pretty accurate.

Not the fancy Williams Sonoma $3000 knives(yes really)  but they do the job nicely.

[rocksinmyhead]

Cooking good, healthy, varied meals at home for us and for dinner parties with friends... not every meal is super gourmet but I'm sure our grocery bill could be much lower if we ate more repetitively and ate less meat.

Also visiting family/friends in Minnesota more than once a year.

I would hate to give up craft beer, but I would give it up before those other two things if I had to... I don't know if my boyfriend would :)

[YK-Phil]

Food, fashion and travel. Good espresso coffee (which includes having a decent machine) and good food (which includes wine) are our only luxuries, but we cook at home and limit our restaurant outings to once a month. My wife and I also have a capsule wardrobe of expensive clothes but at present, we can afford the high end brands because she owns a clothing consignment store. Travel used to be very frequent (5-6 times/year), but on the cheap because I used to work for a major airline until last October. One trip a year will now be the norm.

[payitoff]

wine
pedicures
A/C
travel
comfortable/reliable car - i spend 3 hours in it each day - very unmustachian i know, but work is a goldmine i cant find anywhere else like it.

[garion]

We were actually just talking about this last night.
Cooking and eating good, fresh food (and hosting family and friends)
A dishwasher (necessary with all of the cooking!)
Central air (live in the south... I lived in a place without it for a couple of years and don't want to go back)
Our fancy non-moustachian rock gym and boot camp memberships (I know...)

This is all of course assuming current income. Some of these would have to go in a pinch.

[tipster350]

High quality food
Heating/air conditioning to my comfort level
A comfortable bed
A comfortable sofa
Decent haircuts (I stretch time between haircuts to 10 weeks but the cut itself is a bit pricey. Totally worth it as my hair is challenging).
Hotels with no bedbugs

[rescuedog]

alcohol and vacations

[CommonCents]

It just never occurred to me how much it would cost if we stayed here for the long haul, because we've never really intended to.  That's a huge number!  Now, $243 X the 48 or so months we'll probably be here = $11,664?  Yeah, it's worth it, I think.  We've moved a lot (military until 2012), and of all the places we've lived, this has been the one where the features of the house and the lake community have created the best memories.  I'm glad we're living this chapter of our lives here.  When the kid chapter ends, I'll be happy to move on and ditch the HOA fees.

Don't forget to consider what the HOA fee covers though...you may still be paying for a lot of it after a move.  For example, our HOA fee in our condo covered: Master Insurance, heat, water, sewer, trash, snow removal, outside building repair (roof, repointing bricks during our time), landscaping to name a few.

[greaper007]

Hard to say, tools that I need to do a job.   Then again, those tools are saving me money so I'm not sure if they're a luxury.    Home brew, but I'm saving $100 a batch compared to buying beer in the store.    I could go without drinking, but then what would I be, a Mormon?   Screw that, I was raised Catholic and even the priest was drinking beer at our picnics.

Decent food, cheaper than healthcare.    I think I've really cut my luxuries back to the bare bones with the exception of Spotify and Netflix.   Sure, I live thousands of times better than someone in sub-saharan Africa, but I'm comparing myself to other Americans.