Author Topic: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)  (Read 30229 times)

Thegoblinchief

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #50 on: May 07, 2014, 12:06:10 PM »
Used to splurge on local coffee, don't currently. It's better but I can cope with cheaper brands for now.

Used to drink a lot of craft beer and expensive wine. Alcohol started making me sick, so I just enjoy the occasional brew. Sticking to DW is quite happy with the nicer box wines. Some months we don't buy it at all.

Cycling gear would be mine. I try to space it out, ask for advice here (recommendations from local shops have mostly been total busts), and it only comes out of my "mad money" account.

I wouldn't consider travel a weakness, not the way we do it. (Camping, staying with friends/family, or getting a kitchenette room.) Rather, I wish our budget was stronger to allow more of it. Outside of debt and investment savings, it is the #2 savings goal in our budget. We homeschool and I want my kids to see all of the cool national parks and museums out there!

acroy

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #51 on: May 07, 2014, 12:29:04 PM »
1) cars... I just love 'em. I bike to work (work pays $2.20/day for bike commuters!) and don't need more than one basic family car. I have 3. It's stupid. It make life worthwhile.
2) cars...

Caoineag

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #52 on: May 07, 2014, 12:42:22 PM »
Food. I have cut back on the cost but its difficult to stick to a budget for no apparent reason (we can afford our hobby). I like a lot of variety.

expatartist

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #53 on: May 08, 2014, 01:51:45 AM »
As someone who has visited China since 1985, attacks like the recent ones in China are certainly tragic and worrisome. But when we put them in perspective and compare the rate of violent attacks in China with that of the USA, we might conclude that China is afterall a relatively peaceful country.

Agreed 100% (traveled to Xinjiang alone for a project last year, loved it). It was just a reminder that I don't generally do holidays without a specific goal, and since I'll be traveling all of July for projects, there's no romantic holiday for us in May this year.

Ayanka

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #54 on: May 08, 2014, 04:52:10 AM »
My number one weakness is renting. Ironically, it is part of my plan, because it will be cheaper than paying a mortgage on the long term. However, if I wanted to, I could find a cheaper place to rent, I just don't want to risk it and get horrible neighbors.

Number 2 would be time management. I am working on it, but I used to go to the store to buy one thing and not even combine trips.  I did go to stores for one thing today, but I did 3 stores on one trip and it were all items I can't get in the local grocery.
This makes it harder to do things like cooking at home, watching prices, do whatever needs to be done, so it does cost money in the end.

Third would be living together with my ex and breaking up after 3 months, generally I look at it as long term savings, but it was a costly mistake.

mbl

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #55 on: May 08, 2014, 12:02:02 PM »
My horse.  Board, farrier, medicines,  shots, Coggins .....the list goes on.
Just the cost of doing business when you're a horse owner.

BlueHouse

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #56 on: May 08, 2014, 02:43:04 PM »
Furnishing my house and finishing out the new-buyer upgrades (ceiling fans, shelves, painting, etc).
It's unbelievably expensive to move when you want everything to be "just right for the new house".  Thank goodness I'm not one of those people who also needs all new dishes and cookware.  But I'm pretty bad right now and I just ordered two ceiling fans after putting it off for 1.5 years. 

Bookworm

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #57 on: May 08, 2014, 03:44:41 PM »
It's not a thing, it's a condition: inconsistency.

I will go along being very mustachian for a while, and then become upset or depressed or frustrated about something and decide I just really don't care...and my wallet is not safe (nor is my waistline, as it often involves gluttony).

deborah

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #58 on: May 08, 2014, 07:03:08 PM »
Crafts

Cressida

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #59 on: May 08, 2014, 08:03:32 PM »
Beer. Terrible, I know.

NewStachian

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #60 on: May 09, 2014, 05:09:15 AM »
My biggest weakness: The combination pizza hut and taco bell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIt2CdbBo_w


GrokGirl

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #61 on: May 09, 2014, 08:58:06 AM »
Food!!!

My husband and I are very fussy eaters and spend way too much money on food. Some months we probably spend close to $600 or $800 (Canada) for the two of us (includes eating out). I'm sure we've had some months where we've spent over $100 on starbucks :( We use to spend almost $400 a month on top of that to feed our dogs too but I've since sourced meat for them from a local farm and now it costs me almost nothing to feed them. It's embarrassing to admit but we are working on it! We don't overspend on anything else.


EricL

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #62 on: May 09, 2014, 09:02:48 AM »
I love eating out.  Partly it's due to a job with a hectic schedule, partly due to liking restaurant food - preferably high end, partly due to mediocre cooking skills, and mostly due to sheer laziness.  The end result have been anti-mustachian expenditures and a wider waist line.  In a few months I will not have such a hectic schedule and will have more time to devote to cooking.  I'll also have less money at my immediate disposal, so that should help.  I'm hoping the weight loss will be encouraging as well.

S0VERE1GN

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #63 on: May 09, 2014, 11:48:27 AM »
Lots of food related posts here! I can totally agree as well, as I'm prety sure the easiest hole to plug in my mustachian dam would be food expenditure. as a 10 year food service vet (the finally let me out on good behavior) I can tell you a few secrets about eating habits I've learned, and how to leverage them (which i try my best to do as well)

1. Eat the same meals over and over again: if there's something you like for lunch, just make a bunch of it and freeze it. Ido this with Chili all the time. For my wife its corned beef and cabbage. whatever it may be, you'll be surprised how many days in a row you can go eating this food before you're "sick of it" for me I usually eat chili all week at work, change it up when I'm at home to cook from scratch again, and then go back to Chili happily again.

2. Cook on your days off, and portion off your food for the meals you'll be eating "outside of home"

If you're already FIRE'd, then it just depends on whether or not you're planning on being home. if not, its more for you to make a lunch for yourself for all of the work days of the week. will you also be out with the kids for soccer practice? nip the McDonald's run in the bud with some finger sandwiches with hummus and avocado. there are plenty of easy to carry and easy to make snacks you can find online for stuff like this.

3. Don't be afraid to SPEND LIKE CRAZY on whole foods at the supermarket. (THIS DOES NOT MEAN BUY READY MADE MEALS!!!!)

I'm oddly frugal at the supermarket, but then I'll turn around and get an $8 lunch out because there's "nothing to eat" in the house.  If you want to make something specific to eat to supplement lunch, buy good quality stuff, make it a good quality meal, and I'll guarantee it'll still cost less than getting the worst version of that at a takeout place.  As you get better at understanding what foods you cook yourself you like, and where you can skimp, you can obviously lower your costs as you go.

4. Don't be afraid to try new recipes.

Cooking is actually really simple, its not rocket surgery, and many recipe sites give great tips. If you see a term you don't understand like "braise" or "reduce" just look up a youtube video. Much Like the badassity it takes to insulate your own house or install your own roof, cooking can be taken on with the same level of badass. so try it even if you've never done it before, and you'll be surprised.

SMC

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #64 on: May 09, 2014, 11:55:01 AM »
Beer.  I always buy the cheapest beer, but its the quantity that I buy....  Also I drive a car that doesn't do too well on gas.

prudence

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #65 on: May 09, 2014, 12:56:42 PM »
I hire someone to mow my lawn and plow my driveway. I am a single mom with 2 girls and a full time job. I mowed/shoveled myself for years, but I was so angry and stressed out with trying to do everything by myself. I hate spending the money, but the sanity savings has been tremendous. I plan to move when the youngest graduates HS (6 years), and driveway and lawn size/maintenance will be a huge consideration.

2ndTimer

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #66 on: August 18, 2014, 03:33:48 PM »
Things that smell good.  I am an absolute slave to Lush's Rose Jam.  Fortunately, they way over-scent so I add a small amount of their way over-priced soap to my bought-by-the half gallon-at-a-salvage store soap and it still smells wonderful.   

SailAway

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #67 on: August 18, 2014, 06:34:21 PM »
Food. Almost never eat out and do cook from scratch but still. Semi-local, semi-organic and grain-free is expensive. Also, 3 kids that eat like they've never seen food before.

Craft beer. Bad. So bad. Although I am a whore for beer specials. $2.50 pint night is our friend.

Coffee. Although almost entirely at home.

We've long had the philosophy that life is too short for cheap coffee or beer.

lizzzi

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #68 on: August 18, 2014, 06:59:11 PM »
Books, and to some extent, DVDs. I always try to find what I want at the library, but often they cannot even be ordered through inter-library loan, so I "buy with 1-click" on my Amazon Prime…and there it is on my Kindle or in hardcopy two days later. I've been reading a lot of non-fiction about Robert Rogers and the French and Indian War, and a lot of Star Trek fiction. I have been watching all the DVDs I could find that were set during the French and Indian War, and they're not all available on free Amazon Prime video. (All the Star Trek series and movies do seem to be on there--I finished watching all of Enterprise, and now am slogging through Voyager.) In terms of DVDs, something like "Marguerite Volant" is just not available in any way other than spending the money and buying it. (Never mind trying to understand it--no English subtitles--sigh. But great stuff. "Je me souviens!")

Jon_Snow

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #69 on: August 18, 2014, 07:31:13 PM »
Would have to be ferry travel. 3k annually. Ouch.

This is primarily because I take my truck when we go to our Gulf Island property, which is $150 round trip. Once FIRE'd (3 weeks to go!) I hope to cut this in half by walking on the ferry more often in the future.  Walking on the ferry will costs a mere $15 per person.

Might also treat myself to a seaplane trip once and a while....

G-dog

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #70 on: August 18, 2014, 08:13:53 PM »


4. Don't be afraid to try new recipes.

Cooking is actually really simple, its not rocket surgery.....

Hah!  Mixed metaphor police, please pull over and come out with your hands up...  This just struck me as funny!

I'll add -
5.  Do quick partitioning or prepping when you get home from the store. Separate meat into serving/recipe size chunks if you bought lots.  You can even season/ dry rub/ marinade and toss into the freezer. Also do quick prep with veggies.  This quick prep helps save time later, and reduce spoilage.

G-dog

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #71 on: August 18, 2014, 08:27:58 PM »
1. Food - mostly bother by waste (as in I don't always take my own advice and I have to dispose of squishy brown things that used to be produce). 
Improvement: reduced eating out, especially breakfast/lunch at work, been packing my food for work for about a month. I've always shopped for items on sale, unprocessed ingredients, store perimeter. But there are some convenience items we buy, like deli lunch meat, artisan/good bread, coffee, baking supplies
2. Pets - expensive dog food (after melamine scare several years ago), dog toys, dog treats, damage to house
Improvement: likely none, I consider the fur kids family, and part of my 'medical' expenses for reduced stressed unconditional love. And they are funny little bastards, so entertainment too.
3. Not yet automating more personal saving/investing
Improvement: opened personal Vanguard accounts and did some manual investments. Trying to learn more about my work benefits and options (e.g. HSA, 401k allocations, 401k is maxed the f*out and has been for many years, but I used to just select a 'mix' product, now I have selected specific indexes to make my own 'mix'). My saving/ investing is automatic at work, but it should set up an automated investment for personal account(s) too. I am currently tracking all my spending to get a better sense of cash flow, and I can leverage that info for auto-investing ( $/month)

mm1970

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #72 on: August 18, 2014, 09:21:27 PM »
Food and fitness.

Food - we do pretty well with avoiding eating out, buying coffee, etc. And I do the shopping and the cooking.  But I try to buy good quality food and I'm willing to pay more for local food in some cases.

Fitness - I'm trying unsuccessfully to lose the last 20 lbs of baby weight.  We belong to 2 gyms (totaling $1400/year for the family), plus I have some fitness videos.  And I also occasionally like to do things like join a triathlon training group for $275, plus the $120 triathlon fee.  Actually the last 20 lbs of baby weight is saving me some money because my wetsuit doesn't fit, so I haven't done the tri thing in a few years.

At least I can't run anymore so I'm not paying for races.

milesdividendmd

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #73 on: August 18, 2014, 10:34:54 PM »
Food.

But I think for weakness is the wrong word.  For me spending money on good food brings me more happiness than the equivalent financial freedom I could buy with the savings.  (If that makes sense.)

Astatine

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #74 on: August 18, 2014, 10:49:27 PM »
Eating out is the main one. Travel is a distant second.

stlbrah

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #75 on: August 18, 2014, 10:55:48 PM »
Underarmour gym clothes, and beverages

NewMustachian

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #76 on: August 21, 2014, 05:38:31 AM »
Clothing/online shopping - I have some baby weight I'm trying to lose and need to buy a few things that fit, but end up getting carried away and ordering things that I don't need and then paying shipping costs to return them. :( 

Plan is to start Project 333 - identify the few items that I actually need (jeans, a couple of t-shirts), and then not shop anymore for the next 3 months. 

begood

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #77 on: August 21, 2014, 05:57:02 AM »
Clothing/online shopping - I have some baby weight I'm trying to lose and need to buy a few things that fit, but end up getting carried away and ordering things that I don't need and then paying shipping costs to return them. :( 

Plan is to start Project 333 - identify the few items that I actually need (jeans, a couple of t-shirts), and then not shop anymore for the next 3 months.

I have started only ordering things from places where I can do a local return: Lands End (return to Sears), Gap, J.Jill, Old Navy. That way at least I know I won't have to pay return shipping, and usually I can get free shipping on the order. Lands End is especially good about offering free shipping often.

My weakness is clothes for my daughter, and I can only see it getting worse through the teen years.

basd

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #78 on: August 21, 2014, 07:50:19 AM »
- Travel (although we travel less since the arrival if our first child)
- Our first child (we seem to spend a lot more on him compared to when he wasn't there yet)
- I could drive a cheaper car, but I drive around 40k kilometres a year and like a bit of comfort

LibrarIan

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #79 on: August 21, 2014, 07:54:09 AM »
Mexican food.

minimustache1985

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #80 on: August 21, 2014, 11:55:43 AM »
Mine would have to be wine, chocolate, and travel.  We also spend WAY too much on eating out and cable, but those vices are primarily my husbands (although I would still want to eat out once every week or two, and I'll admit to enjoying the cable since we have it).

I spend more than I need to on food, but I consider that to be a priority rather than weakness since the cost drivers are things like buying wild caught seafood over farm raised tilapia, not buying convenience foods.  Cooking is actually one of my strengths, buying produce on sale then prepping and freezing it, cooking from scratch, etc.

1967mama

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #81 on: August 21, 2014, 12:09:41 PM »
My kids.

peace99

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #82 on: August 21, 2014, 12:27:21 PM »
Cars: I just love them. I love working on them, looking at them, cleaning them and of course driving them.  Its more then a status thing its a hobby. Trying to come to terms with cars = depreciating assets is hard but I'm getting their slowly (i now have 2 older cars that I still enjoy lots).

Fitness equipment: Related to Triathlons, skiing, weight lifting, camping, kayaking etc etc. I now try to by off Craigslist when I can. I still wrestle with this category as most of the stuff makes me healthier so thats worth something.

rubybeth

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #83 on: August 21, 2014, 12:29:37 PM »
All the stuff I don't need to spend money on but still do:

concert tickets
travel
museums
coffee shop fancy coffee
restaurants
board games
art
home decor
clothing/makeup

Fortuna

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #84 on: August 22, 2014, 05:52:30 AM »
Golf: Although I send about $2000 or less per year so for golf that is not bad

Wine: We do not buy a lot but have not gotten into the make your own to reduce the costs.  Like to try different wines

Travel: We do not do a bit trip every year but two years ago we spent about $9000 for 2 to spend 18 days in Italy.  Was that too much?  We need to do better on the airfare and accommodations.

boy_bye

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #85 on: August 22, 2014, 05:55:47 AM »
It's not a thing, it's a condition: inconsistency.

I will go along being very mustachian for a while, and then become upset or depressed or frustrated about something and decide I just really don't care...and my wallet is not safe (nor is my waistline, as it often involves gluttony).

This. And eating out or ordering in when I'm tired. Working on crock pot and freezer strategies...
Doggies, but they are my strength as well, make me super happy.
Travel, but I don't care, I love me a one time per year New York City long weekend or a trip to Maine to meet up with family.

my people! i definitely have on stages and off stages. right now i'm doing pretty well -- but it's been a stressful couple of days and i can already feel myself wanting to buy eyeshadow and eat cake. BUT I'M NOT DOING IT.

justajane

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #86 on: August 22, 2014, 11:37:58 AM »
Eating out, and not at nice places either. I have three young kids, and on some days when I finally get the kitchen clean in the afternoon, I cannot fathom getting it dirty again for dinner. So off we go to whatever fast food place is nearby. It's not even the experience of being out that matters (since eating with three kids is oftentimes stressful) but just the sheer fact that we don't have to clean up the kitchen at the end of the day when we're both exhausted.

Also, my husband and I tend to fall prey to availing ourselves of free parental babysitting and often end up eating out. There's something so luxurious about sitting there and actually being able to have a conversation without little voices interrupting you. I figure you can't put a price tag on your sanity, right?

The other weakness we have is  television. We dropped cable years ago, but we subscribe to Hulu/Netflix/Amazon Prime and also have a TIVO. All total it adds up to around $30 month (not including Prime, since we would get that for the free shipping anyway). We could drop at least one probably, but we watch something on all of them, so we consider it a splurge. 

ambimammular

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #87 on: August 22, 2014, 06:19:02 PM »
Travel to visit the in-laws. I could take it or leave it, but it's very hard to deny grandparents the chance to see their grandchildren once a year. (Currently they can't come to us due to caretaking duties.)

We offset the cost by staying a ridiculously long time soaking up the free meals and babysitting. But it still stings me to see the flight costs rotating into our budget every spring.

tracipam

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #88 on: August 23, 2014, 08:28:10 PM »
1)  Eating out.  I try to control this by only eating out with friends, then it's a social occasion and I feel better about it than having a moment of weakness and getting fast food. 

2)  Travel. travel travel travel.  I have no solution for this, because it's almost the only thing that I seem to be completely unable to say "no" to.  Perhaps it's a good thing that I have a finite amount of vacation days? 


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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #89 on: August 23, 2014, 08:40:44 PM »
Pop (soda). I feel dumb going out to get sugar + water + caffeine for 1.80 a piece at work when we have free water, tea, and keurig coffee though I'm not a coffee drinker. I've tried quitting with varying degrees of success for about a year and now drink 1-2 a week with high variance in how many i take in. I've considered buying larger packs on sale in order to make them cheaper, around 35 cents a piece, but I don't trust my willpower and feel like I'd end up drinking one every day if I had them on hand =). I've found caffeine messes with my head and disrupts my sleep.

Caffeine is my big weakness though - it reminds me of the attitude my friend and I have about chips, which is that the serving size for a bag of chips is 1 per bag regardless of the size of the bag. Along those lines, any pizza can be a personal pizza if you try hard enough :)

garth

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #90 on: August 23, 2014, 11:53:10 PM »
D batteries, porcelain dolls, human milk, armor piercing bullets, throw pillows.

Basenji

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #91 on: August 24, 2014, 05:42:36 AM »
D batteries, porcelain dolls, human milk, armor piercing bullets, throw pillows.

LOL

Grog

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #92 on: August 24, 2014, 06:21:46 AM »
Board games.
Granted, I play a lot, but sometimes there is this great looking game worth 50+$ played only once....that is sitting there and can't bring myself to sell it again. I love my huge library full of half played board game, but I feel guilty sometimes. I'm a board game hoarder....in the last 6 months I've spent 300$+. Sigh.

sleepyguy

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #93 on: August 24, 2014, 08:01:27 AM »
Basically these items.

1. Tennis gear and accessories (just bought 2x prostaff95 for $170, and thinking of getting the RF97 when it's released, lol).  I'm kinda a racquet collector, lol.  Think I'm at like 14 or something sick now.  At least my kids can use them, haha.  Also winter tennis a ripoff in Toronto.  I'll cut that down to 1once every 2 weeks this year... it's like $20-25/hr.

2. Video Games.  Soft spot for HumbleBundle, PSN sales, steam sales... not a huge expense but really I hardly have time nowadays to play at all.  Maybe 2-3hrs per week.  When AAA titles are $5 or less i generally don't think twice about picking it up.

Stuff I've cut out and haven't really missed.

1. Blu-Ray collecting, sadly still got a HUGE collection

2. Movie outing, haven't gone in like 3yrs

3. Car upgrades/tweaking... don't care anymore.

4. Home Theatre stuff.

LadyStache

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #94 on: August 24, 2014, 09:18:05 AM »
Shoes
Gifts

Gone Fishing

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #95 on: August 24, 2014, 09:31:45 AM »
Beer-switched from micro to cheap on only drinking on the weekends. 

Guns/ammo/accessories-Reloading all my own ammo these days and just pacing myself on new purchases.

Ascotillion

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #96 on: August 25, 2014, 04:42:02 AM »
Board games.
Granted, I play a lot, but sometimes there is this great looking game worth 50+$ played only once....that is sitting there and can't bring myself to sell it again. I love my huge library full of half played board game, but I feel guilty sometimes. I'm a board game hoarder....in the last 6 months I've spent 300$+. Sigh.
A lot of my friends have big board game collections, and they're SO much fun to play. If I was less Mustachian, you can bet I'd be throwing my money away on that. Betrayal at the House on the Hill, Small World, Pandemic, all great fun. People who have only played games from their childhoods are missing out!

RichLife

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #97 on: August 25, 2014, 05:22:26 AM »
I am with you on the chocolate. I have switched to cheaper bars for daily eating however, and only buy the best for special occasions. That helps keep it special too.

Games are another weakness of mine. All those Steam deals. I've now stopped buying anything that isn't 75% off and lowered my monthly budget from 50 euro to 25 which I usually stay below now too. I have quite the backlog which I am challenging myself to cut down on as well. I've added accountability by telling friends about this who keep an eye on my purchases and cheer on me when I do finish a game.

res

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #98 on: August 25, 2014, 05:43:14 AM »
For me it's anything bike or shooting related.
I try and make shooting pay it's way a little by being an educated collector but burning ammo adds up.
I got used to having the very best bikes working in the industry and it's hard to get out of that habit now that I'm not 

WheelPage

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Re: What is your weakness? (Related to your budget)
« Reply #99 on: August 25, 2014, 08:27:36 AM »
For quite a while, it was eating out was my only big issue. However in the last month, I have completely destroyed it. I have been playing a lot of footbag and wanted to get in better shape for it has restricted my diet by quite a lot. I do all of our grocery shopping all by bike and I always buy the cheapest option. However the food never taste any less amazing.

Car/gas, once again killed it by biking and commuting with co-workers.

Now, my only problem is rent/utilities. However I have already chopped off a clean 400 off of it. Actually, maybe more. My internet was cut in half as well.