Author Topic: How did you escape the desire for luxury?  (Read 43864 times)

Captain FIRE

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #100 on: June 29, 2016, 11:21:39 AM »
You'll quickly realize that being a little uncomfortable in coach is not that bad (a tip:  if coach is really unbearable just don't go to bed for 24 hours beforehand and you will sleep like a baby).

Oh god, I tried that the last time I went to Europe and managed to sprain my ankle going down a flight of stairs about 14 hours before my flight. Solo overseas trip in coach + sleep deprivation + being in too much pain to sleep is a truly miserable way to travel. I ended up being awake for 36 hours straight. I don't think being in first class or business class would have helped, though :-)  I might try it again next time I travel and this time not sprain my ankle.

I tried going out drinking my last night in Hong Kong.  I wasn't hungover, but being sleep deprived definitely made 15 hrs of flying worse.  To each their own.

Cellista

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #101 on: June 29, 2016, 11:40:18 AM »
You'll quickly realize that being a little uncomfortable in coach is not that bad (a tip:  if coach is really unbearable just don't go to bed for 24 hours beforehand and you will sleep like a baby).

Oh god, I tried that the last time I went to Europe and managed to sprain my ankle going down a flight of stairs about 14 hours before my flight. Solo overseas trip in coach + sleep deprivation + being in too much pain to sleep is a truly miserable way to travel. I ended up being awake for 36 hours straight. I don't think being in first class or business class would have helped, though :-)  I might try it again next time I travel and this time not sprain my ankle.


I tried going out drinking my last night in Hong Kong.  I wasn't hungover, but being sleep deprived definitely made 15 hrs of flying worse.  To each their own.

I would not spring for business class unless you have a physical problem that requires you to lie fully flat.

I have flown a lot of 13 - 16 hour flights.  In order to sleep I, and lots of people I know, use drugs.  Melatonin, Tylenol PM, Xanax if you can get your MD to prescribe it.  One guy I know uses Ambien + whiskey (not a good idea).

Once at your destination, be sure to get outside and walk around.  That will get you adjusted faster.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2016, 11:42:39 AM by Cellista »

Slee_stack

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #102 on: June 29, 2016, 11:46:48 AM »
You'll quickly realize that being a little uncomfortable in coach is not that bad (a tip:  if coach is really unbearable just don't go to bed for 24 hours beforehand and you will sleep like a baby).

Oh god, I tried that the last time I went to Europe and managed to sprain my ankle going down a flight of stairs about 14 hours before my flight. Solo overseas trip in coach + sleep deprivation + being in too much pain to sleep is a truly miserable way to travel. I ended up being awake for 36 hours straight. I don't think being in first class or business class would have helped, though :-)  I might try it again next time I travel and this time not sprain my ankle.


I tried going out drinking my last night in Hong Kong.  I wasn't hungover, but being sleep deprived definitely made 15 hrs of flying worse.  To each their own.

I would not spring for business class unless you have a physical problem that requires you to lie fully flat.

I have flown a lot of 13 - 16 hour flights.  In order to sleep I, and lots of people I know, use drugs.  Melatonin, Tylenol PM, Xanax if you can get your MD to prescribe it.  One guy I know uses Ambien + whiskey (not a good idea).

Once at your destination, be sure to get outside and walk around.  That will get you adjusted faster.

I would voluntarily pay more money than to take drugs for anything.  That's a messed up suggestion.  Drugs should be an absolute last resort.

aceyou

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #103 on: June 29, 2016, 12:07:33 PM »
You mention some things you like: your fancy car, your $500 Scotch, eating out. But what *else* do you like? What do you like that doesn't cost (as) much money? A cup of coffee? Reading a book on a sunny day? Picnics? Long walks? Volleyball with friends? What makes you go "ahh, this is the life!" and yet doesn't break the bank?

Focus on these things. Consciously enjoy them (think, "isn't it awesome that I can ___?") Do them more (not so much more that inexpensive things become expensive, of course...). These are the guilt-free pleasures of your financial "diet." Start with the ones you love and then maybe you'll find some new ones with time.

So I guess, in a nutshell, you can escape the desire for luxury by replacing it with desires for other things. Simple and inexpensive luxuries.



Yeah, this is key. 

There's an MMM post about this, but
1.  Make a list of things things you love.
2.  Rank them from least to most expensive.
3.  Work your way down the list, add items to the list anytime you see something new that could be fun/fulfilling. 

It's a really big world out there.  If you find yourself unable to stick with inexpensive avenues for happiness, then the issue is probably your creativity, not the price of things. 

People ask me often why I won't get cable TV or buy things like Steak or other fancy meats.  I tell them that regarding the TV, I keep telling myself that when I run out of fun free things to do (or that pay me), then I'll pay for cable.  The problem is the longer I go without cable, the more fun things I keep finding to do that cost nothing or pay me.

And with food, when I stop finding delicious ways to enjoy potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, etc., then I'll gladly start buying expensive cuts of meats, go to fancy restaurants, etc, except I'm running into the same problem.  And the more I work on cooking with those highly nutritious and cheap foods, the better I get at cooking with them, so it pushes me further away from the time I'll want to buy expensive food.

Captain FIRE

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #104 on: June 29, 2016, 01:16:23 PM »
You'll quickly realize that being a little uncomfortable in coach is not that bad (a tip:  if coach is really unbearable just don't go to bed for 24 hours beforehand and you will sleep like a baby).

Oh god, I tried that the last time I went to Europe and managed to sprain my ankle going down a flight of stairs about 14 hours before my flight. Solo overseas trip in coach + sleep deprivation + being in too much pain to sleep is a truly miserable way to travel. I ended up being awake for 36 hours straight. I don't think being in first class or business class would have helped, though :-)  I might try it again next time I travel and this time not sprain my ankle.


I tried going out drinking my last night in Hong Kong.  I wasn't hungover, but being sleep deprived definitely made 15 hrs of flying worse.  To each their own.

I would not spring for business class unless you have a physical problem that requires you to lie fully flat.

I have flown a lot of 13 - 16 hour flights.  In order to sleep I, and lots of people I know, use drugs.  Melatonin, Tylenol PM, Xanax if you can get your MD to prescribe it.  One guy I know uses Ambien + whiskey (not a good idea).

Once at your destination, be sure to get outside and walk around.  That will get you adjusted faster.

True on the getting out and walking around.  A friend living overseas would take everyone around immediately after redeyes, and wouldn't let them go to sleep until close to an early bedtime (e.g. 4pm bad, 8pm ok).  It surprisingly works to reset you quickly to that time zone and get over jet lag.

Trimatty471

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #105 on: June 29, 2016, 06:35:29 PM »
A steady diet of:

Blogs
Forums
Dollar Stretcher website

The people that I most admired growing up, was frugal yet, did so much.

Trimatty471

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #106 on: June 29, 2016, 06:44:45 PM »
Get older.  That makes it comparatively easy.
There's a point along the aging spectrum where you progress to the point of a) not giving a fuck what people think and b) the inconvenience of acquiring/owning/maintaining far exceeds the enjoyment you would have gotten to the point that you regularly forgo things you could very well afford. 
The older you get, the more you think in terms of actually being old and what the consequences will be then for decisions you make now.  Your future health, relationships, savings, reputation & community are all going to be influenced by things your present self decides.  Thru that lens, the fancy booze costs many times more than the price on the bottle.  The car becomes just some thing to finance, store & maintain all to impress complete strangers when you're stopped in traffic. 
Like many commenters, I grew up poor.  But a few of my poor siblings and inlaws came away from impoverished childhoods with a hoarder/shopping compulsion.  What I did differently was spend a lot of time with old people.  A lot.  I set foot in any store, and it all looks like landfill to me.  It's just like the stuff that old Mrs. S, Great Aunt H, and E.T. each needed cleaned out of their big houses.  Stuff that was highly desired and prized that was purchased, stored, displayed, dusted, broken, repaired, fretted over, ruined in a flood, fought over in a will or divorce. Eventually it all came to the same end. It's just stuff making its way to the landfill.
Along those lines, Your Money or Your Life had a bigger impact on me than any other personal finance book.

You touched on something else.  I bought a modest car.  My dream car is an Acura.  But I am glad that I bought a Corolla.  I went without a car for 18 years.  To be honest, I do not like owning a car.  I constantly worry about people damaging it (I live in the city).  And there are a lot of responsibilities that comes with car ownership.  With a luxury car, I would really be a total wreck.

Pretty much anything you buy comes with additional costs:  storage, insurance, usage of my utilities, batteries, software upgrade and etc. 

I just want simple.

sistastache

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #107 on: June 29, 2016, 07:00:42 PM »
Whenever I fly internationally I will purchase the upgrade to a "comfort seat" ($40 on a flight from Detroit to London) to get the bulkhead seat. After take off, I'll take my satchel out of the overhead and put it on the floor. The bulkhead is far enough in front of you that I can fully stretch out (I'm 5'6") and put my feet up on my bag. It's akin to sleeping a recliner. It's not flat, but it works for me!

kpd905

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #108 on: June 29, 2016, 08:17:44 PM »

I would voluntarily pay more money than to take drugs for anything.  That's a messed up suggestion.  Drugs should be an absolute last resort.

Even if it is the choice between paying $1,000+ extra for a flight and taking a $0.01 melatonin tablet?

I always look at the difference between business class and coach and ask myself if I would want to pay that much for one night at a hotel.  Most of the time the answer is hell no, so I am definitely not going to pay that much for something less than 12 hours.

Tyson

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #109 on: June 29, 2016, 08:20:34 PM »
Whenever I fly internationally I will purchase the upgrade to a "comfort seat" ($40 on a flight from Detroit to London) to get the bulkhead seat. After take off, I'll take my satchel out of the overhead and put it on the floor. The bulkhead is far enough in front of you that I can fully stretch out (I'm 5'6") and put my feet up on my bag. It's akin to sleeping a recliner. It's not flat, but it works for me!

Very clever hack!

Bajadoc

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #110 on: June 29, 2016, 08:42:04 PM »
Solution:

1. Realize you are spoiled.
2. Realize a great percentage of the world has a small fraction of what you have.
3. Realize "things" and "luxury" do not cause happiness.
4. Realize television and smart advertising are the reason you "need" luxury.
5. Realize the benefits of living the strenuous life (thanks Theodore Roosevelt).
6. Realize you have only one chance on this big spinning planet of love.

Look for ways to serve.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #111 on: June 29, 2016, 09:32:04 PM »
I admire Mustachians, but I have come to realize that I am not one. I thought I was addicted to luxury, but then I read this post. Turns out I'm not quite so addicted to luxury either.  So where does that leave me?  Neither luxuriating in borrowed luxury nor basking in my own smugness at being creatively and stoicly cheap. Extremism rules. Go big, luxury dude.

LuxuryIsADrug

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #112 on: June 30, 2016, 03:55:09 AM »
Quote from: Iron Mike Sharpe
Cut out advertising.

I glazed over this too quickly.

I had ample advertising and I chose it myself; I've unfollowed all accounts advertising (showing) luxuries on Twitter and Instagram; I've tossed out all the business cards and letters I had collected from luxury car dealerships; and I've unsubscribed from all the e-mail lists that are trying to sell me things (mainly companies I've purchased from in the past).


I would voluntarily pay more money than to take drugs for anything.  That's a messed up suggestion.  Drugs should be an absolute last resort.

Even if it is the choice between paying $1,000+ extra for a flight and taking a $0.01 melatonin tablet?

I always look at the difference between business class and coach and ask myself if I would want to pay that much for one night at a hotel.  Most of the time the answer is hell no, so I am definitely not going to pay that much for something less than 12 hours.

Funny. I never even thought of this even though I do use melatonin to switch my sleep cycle every so often. Ambien though? I'd rather not meet the walrus.

Bucksandreds

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #113 on: June 30, 2016, 05:17:03 AM »
I admire Mustachians, but I have come to realize that I am not one. I thought I was addicted to luxury, but then I read this post. Turns out I'm not quite so addicted to luxury either.  So where does that leave me?  Neither luxuriating in borrowed luxury nor basking in my own smugness at being creatively and stoicly cheap. Extremism rules. Go big, luxury dude.

Touche. I responded to the same idea earlier in this thread when someone said that buying asparagus (This is it's season) is fancy.  This is in many ways a cult here and I'm glad that instead of falling in line, I'm a more marginal mustachian.

Kitsune

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #114 on: June 30, 2016, 05:25:39 AM »
I admire Mustachians, but I have come to realize that I am not one. I thought I was addicted to luxury, but then I read this post. Turns out I'm not quite so addicted to luxury either.  So where does that leave me?  Neither luxuriating in borrowed luxury nor basking in my own smugness at being creatively and stoicly cheap. Extremism rules. Go big, luxury dude.

Touche. I responded to the same idea earlier in this thread when someone said that buying asparagus (This is it's season) is fancy.  This is in many ways a cult here and I'm glad that instead of falling in line, I'm a more marginal mustachian.

... In-season Asparagus is fancy?? For cryin out loud...


Khaetra

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #115 on: June 30, 2016, 06:52:55 AM »
I admire Mustachians, but I have come to realize that I am not one. I thought I was addicted to luxury, but then I read this post. Turns out I'm not quite so addicted to luxury either.  So where does that leave me?  Neither luxuriating in borrowed luxury nor basking in my own smugness at being creatively and stoicly cheap. Extremism rules. Go big, luxury dude.

Touche. I responded to the same idea earlier in this thread when someone said that buying asparagus (This is it's season) is fancy.  This is in many ways a cult here and I'm glad that instead of falling in line, I'm a more marginal mustachian.

Even in-season asparagus is expensive where I live, so it would be considered fancy in my eyes (FTR I don't buy it because I don't like it).  There are many extremes here, some of which I wouldn't/couldn't do but I did somehow manage to retire at 40 and can honestly say I have more money than Trump had in his May campaign account :).

On-topic, I never escaped the desire but I did change the way I thought and acted upon it.  Coffee and chocolate are good examples.  I love a good cup of coffee and I adore fine chocolate, but both can be more expensive than they are worth especially if consumed every day (or like coffee, a couple times a day).  So I designated one day a week as my luxury day, which is Sundays.  That's the day I change my linens so I have the luxurious feel of clean, soft sheets and get the majority of housework done.  I grind beans that I bought earlier in the week (small amount) and have a couple good cups of coffee (which makes getting things done much more enjoyable) and after dinner I have my chocolate.  So I get to indulge in some luxury without breaking the bank.

deeshen13

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #116 on: June 30, 2016, 06:59:46 AM »
If asparagus is luxury then I'm dipping out faster than Boris Johnson!

Tyson

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #117 on: June 30, 2016, 07:49:19 AM »
The other thing I've noticed is that I've shifted to thinking that wealth is the biggest luxury of all.  Would I rather have that 'thing' on Amazon or wherever, or would I rather actually BE more wealthy?  Now that I have a bit of money in the bank, I'm finding that actual wealth wins out of over the appearance of wealth.

ETBen

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #118 on: June 30, 2016, 07:57:43 AM »
Solution:

1. Realize you are spoiled.
2. Realize a great percentage of the world has a small fraction of what you have.
3. Realize "things" and "luxury" do not cause happiness.
4. Realize television and smart advertising are the reason you "need" luxury.
5. Realize the benefits of living the strenuous life (thanks Theodore Roosevelt).
6. Realize you have only one chance on this big spinning planet of love.

Look for ways to serve.

This is a good one for people who lack willpower. Or choose not to exercise it.

People consume when they have too much time on their hands. Not always but filling your time with activities and people will help limit using luxury to feel fulfilled.

Slee_stack

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #119 on: June 30, 2016, 08:06:07 AM »

I would voluntarily pay more money than to take drugs for anything.  That's a messed up suggestion.  Drugs should be an absolute last resort.

Even if it is the choice between paying $1,000+ extra for a flight and taking a $0.01 melatonin tablet?

I always look at the difference between business class and coach and ask myself if I would want to pay that much for one night at a hotel.  Most of the time the answer is hell no, so I am definitely not going to pay that much for something less than 12 hours.
The price of a drug is irrelevant.  Too many people have the just 'pop a pill' mindset.  No sale!

Unless you truly have a medical condition which requires a drug, why voluntarily take anything?  I despise sleeping pills, pain pills, vitamins, and whatever else, unless there really is no other recourse.  The first question I would ask myself is WHY do I NEED this pill and could I change any habits to avoid this?  That brings one back to an uncontrollable medical condition which I admit, you're stuck with a pill at that point.  Anything else is a face punch worthy failing on the pill poppers part.  PPP?  :)

Would I pay $1000 more for any flight, probably not.  I might however pay an extra $100 for an exit row, or some type of 'comfort' seat or whatever.  I might also look up alternate flights to see if one is less filled up so you might have a chance at an adjacent empty seat.  The point is....pills would be a last resort. 

I will always rank personal heath above financial health.  You can't enjoy the second without ensuring the first.  Popping pills as a way to save money?!  I guess some have a higher risk tolerance for their personal health.  Not I. 

MrsDinero

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #120 on: June 30, 2016, 08:14:44 AM »
I admire Mustachians, but I have come to realize that I am not one. I thought I was addicted to luxury, but then I read this post. Turns out I'm not quite so addicted to luxury either.  So where does that leave me?  Neither luxuriating in borrowed luxury nor basking in my own smugness at being creatively and stoicly cheap. Extremism rules. Go big, luxury dude.

I feel the same way sometimes.  I still enjoy getting mani-pedis (although not every 2 weeks anymore) and other things that hardcore MMMs would find laughable. 

With every group/lifestyle there will always be people on one extreme or the other.  The point is finding a lifestyle that works for you. 

chesebert

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #121 on: June 30, 2016, 10:51:48 AM »
You'll quickly realize that being a little uncomfortable in coach is not that bad (a tip:  if coach is really unbearable just don't go to bed for 24 hours beforehand and you will sleep like a baby).

Oh god, I tried that the last time I went to Europe and managed to sprain my ankle going down a flight of stairs about 14 hours before my flight. Solo overseas trip in coach + sleep deprivation + being in too much pain to sleep is a truly miserable way to travel. I ended up being awake for 36 hours straight. I don't think being in first class or business class would have helped, though :-)  I might try it again next time I travel and this time not sprain my ankle.


I tried going out drinking my last night in Hong Kong.  I wasn't hungover, but being sleep deprived definitely made 15 hrs of flying worse.  To each their own.

I would not spring for business class unless you have a physical problem that requires you to lie fully flat.

I have flown a lot of 13 - 16 hour flights.  In order to sleep I, and lots of people I know, use drugs.  Melatonin, Tylenol PM, Xanax if you can get your MD to prescribe it.  One guy I know uses Ambien + whiskey (not a good idea).

Once at your destination, be sure to get outside and walk around.  That will get you adjusted faster.
I have flown a number of 16+ hour flights in business and first class paid for by employer and to be honest I would not spend the money as no matter which class I sit in I am always jet lagged upon arrival. My body is just not built for intercontinental travel.

I also second the drug option if you are healthy. A lot of people I know use drugs. I don't because I already take regular meds and don't want too many drugs mixing in my body.

chesebert

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #122 on: June 30, 2016, 11:25:44 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??
« Last Edit: June 30, 2016, 11:32:19 AM by chesebert »

Kitsune

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #123 on: June 30, 2016, 11:28:29 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)

chesebert

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #124 on: June 30, 2016, 11:34:32 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

okits

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #125 on: June 30, 2016, 11:44:47 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Go dine by yourself?  Unless the rest of your family similarly values the meal it's a lot to spend if the diners are mostly indifferent to it. 

Bucksandreds

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #126 on: June 30, 2016, 12:03:05 PM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)

Does calling French fries something else make them more sophisticated?

Kitsune

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #127 on: June 30, 2016, 12:07:00 PM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)

Does calling French fries something else make them more sophisticated?

In my experiences, French fries are slightly thicker wedges, and pommes frites are like 3-4mm thick and make for super crunchy bites. So, not the name, the cut and cooking!!

zoltani

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #128 on: June 30, 2016, 12:09:21 PM »
What is desire? What do you feel? Where do you feel it? Is it in your big toe?

When you feel the desire, it is only in the mind. It is only a thought, and thoughts do not have power. You give them power. Addicted to luxury? Luxury is not a thing, it is a thought. You can be addicted to the reward system of purchasing a thing, but cannot be addicted to a thought.

When you have the thoughts of desire you chase those thoughts, rather than take note of it, observe why you feel that, and move on with something else. I suggest when you feel desire for luxury you simply take note, but don't pay attention to it. This is extremely difficult, and has a lot to do with living in the moment rather than living in some future time where you get the thing you desired.


chesebert

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #129 on: June 30, 2016, 12:14:39 PM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Go dine by yourself?  Unless the rest of your family similarly values the meal it's a lot to spend if the diners are mostly indifferent to it.
You go try this first with your SQ and let me know how that goes :)

zoltani

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #130 on: June 30, 2016, 03:43:54 PM »
Solution:

1. Realize you are spoiled.
2. Realize a great percentage of the world has a small fraction of what you have.
3. Realize "things" and "luxury" do not cause happiness.
4. Realize television and smart advertising are the reason you "need" luxury.
5. Realize the benefits of living the strenuous life (thanks Theodore Roosevelt).
6. Realize you have only one chance on this big spinning planet of love.

Look for ways to serve.

This is a good one for people who lack willpower. Or choose not to exercise it.

People consume when they have too much time on their hands. Not always but filling your time with activities and people will help limit using luxury to feel fulfilled.

I disagree with you. While filling your time with activities and people can be a temporary solution it does not get at the root cause of the problem, a lack of inner peace and focus. Having too much time on your hands is not the problem, not being able to just enjoy that time and be content "sitting still and doing nothing" is more of a problem. In fact, I saw a recent study that showed that a large percentage of people would rather give themselves an electrical shock than be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. If those activities and people that you used to take your focus away from the root problem disappear what will you be left with?

I actually consume less the more time I have on my hands. That time, however, cannot be spent "consuming" media, that is the issue. People with too much time on their hands consume more media, which leads them to believe that happiness is in the next activity or thing or person. In reality it is within YOU.

ETBen

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #131 on: June 30, 2016, 08:30:12 PM »
Solution:

1. Realize you are spoiled.
2. Realize a great percentage of the world has a small fraction of what you have.
3. Realize "things" and "luxury" do not cause happiness.
4. Realize television and smart advertising are the reason you "need" luxury.
5. Realize the benefits of living the strenuous life (thanks Theodore Roosevelt).
6. Realize you have only one chance on this big spinning planet of love.

Look for ways to serve.

This is a good one for people who lack willpower. Or choose not to exercise it.

People consume when they have too much time on their hands. Not always but filling your time with activities and people will help limit using luxury to feel fulfilled.

I disagree with you. While filling your time with activities and people can be a temporary solution it does not get at the root cause of the problem, a lack of inner peace and focus. Having too much time on your hands is not the problem, not being able to just enjoy that time and be content "sitting still and doing nothing" is more of a problem. In fact, I saw a recent study that showed that a large percentage of people would rather give themselves an electrical shock than be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. If those activities and people that you used to take your focus away from the root problem disappear what will you be left with?

I actually consume less the more time I have on my hands. That time, however, cannot be spent "consuming" media, that is the issue. People with too much time on their hands consume more media, which leads them to believe that happiness is in the next activity or thing or person. In reality it is within YOU.

Very true. However doing worthwhile things with your time can lead to satisfaction so you stop consuming.

FrugalTravelGal

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #132 on: June 30, 2016, 08:51:08 PM »
Solution:

1. Realize you are spoiled.
2. Realize a great percentage of the world has a small fraction of what you have.
3. Realize "things" and "luxury" do not cause happiness.
4. Realize television and smart advertising are the reason you "need" luxury.
5. Realize the benefits of living the strenuous life (thanks Theodore Roosevelt).
6. Realize you have only one chance on this big spinning planet of love.

Look for ways to serve.

Well said!

I have been reading simple living/minimalist blogs lately, as I desire to get out from under the physical and mental clutter in my life. One blog in particular, Becoming Minimalist by Joshua Becker, has been especially helpful: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/escaping-excessive-consumerism/

Taran Wanderer

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #133 on: July 01, 2016, 01:27:13 AM »
The other thing I've noticed is that I've shifted to thinking that wealth is the biggest luxury of all.  Would I rather have that 'thing' on Amazon or wherever, or would I rather actually BE more wealthy?  Now that I have a bit of money in the bank, I'm finding that actual wealth wins out of over the appearance of wealth.

I agree with this.  I enjoy knowing I have money in the bank and that I could be FI if I wanted to scale back.  And I enjoy knowing that I'm adding to my stache by more than most people make each year, plus it's growing on its own.  I decided recently that I'm done committing my future self to pay for things my current self wants, but there are still some things that I would like to have. I could "afford" them, but now it's a choice between buying them or working more years to reach FI. I choose earlier full FI.

Noodle

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #134 on: July 01, 2016, 08:25:34 AM »
Due to my job, I am around a lot of people who can genuinely afford luxury goods. What has put me off any interest in owning these kinds of things is that they are so.much.work. Big house with fancy landscaping? That house has to be cleaned, the gardens have to be kept up, if work needs to be done (new roof, new windows, etc) it costs more and takes longer because of the size of the property. Yes, you will hire that done, but you have to find and supervise the contractors/landscapers/cleaning staff and deal with the consequences if they don't know what they're doing/make a genuine mistake/hire their cousin Bob because he has a theft record and no one else will give him a job. Furs have to go to summer storage. If you have a fancy car, it can't go to any old mechanic or car wash, and if you take it out, do you try to find a parking space where it won't get damaged, or trust the teenage valet to take care of it properly? If you break a valuable antique chair, it has to go to the specialist restorer if you want it to keep its value. The fancy china has to be hand-washed. Expensive jewelry has to be kept in the safe. And so on, and so forth.

chesebert

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #135 on: July 01, 2016, 08:45:09 AM »
Due to my job, I am around a lot of people who can genuinely afford luxury goods. What has put me off any interest in owning these kinds of things is that they are so.much.work. Big house with fancy landscaping? That house has to be cleaned, the gardens have to be kept up, if work needs to be done (new roof, new windows, etc) it costs more and takes longer because of the size of the property. Yes, you will hire that done, but you have to find and supervise the contractors/landscapers/cleaning staff and deal with the consequences if they don't know what they're doing/make a genuine mistake/hire their cousin Bob because he has a theft record and no one else will give him a job. Furs have to go to summer storage. If you have a fancy car, it can't go to any old mechanic or car wash, and if you take it out, do you try to find a parking space where it won't get damaged, or trust the teenage valet to take care of it properly? If you break a valuable antique chair, it has to go to the specialist restorer if you want it to keep its value. The fancy china has to be hand-washed. Expensive jewelry has to be kept in the safe. And so on, and so forth.
That's view from someone who do not really have the wealth to afford the luxury. A very wealthy person may look at that Ferarri like we are looking at a 10 yr old Corolla - they don't give a frack if it's dinged they will just ask the dealer to pickup and car and get fixed. The cost is negligible to them. Same goes with the houses. They have a couple GCs they work with and just make them in charge of repairs. Again, the cost is negligible to them. Wealthy folks buy Herme like you buy cloths at a consignment shop - because again, the cost is negligible for them.

I think many people on this forum will end up with massive wealth - 10million+ once they get into their later ages. I think we better come up with a better rationale for why we don't desire luxury goods. 

zoltani

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #136 on: July 01, 2016, 10:37:30 AM »
Solution:

1. Realize you are spoiled.
2. Realize a great percentage of the world has a small fraction of what you have.
3. Realize "things" and "luxury" do not cause happiness.
4. Realize television and smart advertising are the reason you "need" luxury.
5. Realize the benefits of living the strenuous life (thanks Theodore Roosevelt).
6. Realize you have only one chance on this big spinning planet of love.

Look for ways to serve.

This is a good one for people who lack willpower. Or choose not to exercise it.

People consume when they have too much time on their hands. Not always but filling your time with activities and people will help limit using luxury to feel fulfilled.

I disagree with you. While filling your time with activities and people can be a temporary solution it does not get at the root cause of the problem, a lack of inner peace and focus. Having too much time on your hands is not the problem, not being able to just enjoy that time and be content "sitting still and doing nothing" is more of a problem. In fact, I saw a recent study that showed that a large percentage of people would rather give themselves an electrical shock than be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. If those activities and people that you used to take your focus away from the root problem disappear what will you be left with?

I actually consume less the more time I have on my hands. That time, however, cannot be spent "consuming" media, that is the issue. People with too much time on their hands consume more media, which leads them to believe that happiness is in the next activity or thing or person. In reality it is within YOU.

Very true. However doing worthwhile things with your time can lead to satisfaction so you stop consuming.

What makes something worthwhile?

naners

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #137 on: July 01, 2016, 11:17:34 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Guys. I have to tell you about sous vide cooking. It's a way of cooking proteins in a hot water bath. The results are 100% consistent and 100% fucking amazing. 

Step 1: Buy an immersion type sous vide cooker like the ANOVA. Yes, it's $200. Deal.
Step 2: Buy protein: even cheap cuts can be amazing with this method. Seal protein in plastic (ziplocs work fine). Throw protein in cooker for 1-2h.
Step 3: PROFIT

Did I mention that even cheap cuts are outstanding with this method? I mean, I've used it with London broil. It's also foolproof. To me this justifies the initial cost of the sous vide cooker. We use ours all the time.

Oh, and on the general subject of desiring luxuries. How much do you want FIRE and how early do you want it? For me, the answer is "quite a lot", and "within 15-20 years" (FIRE is not my only goal). So, my strategy is to say to myself "Eyes on the big prize, Naners" when I find myself wanting something luxurious/unnecessary.
 
« Last Edit: July 01, 2016, 11:27:16 AM by naners »

TheStachery

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #138 on: July 01, 2016, 12:23:22 PM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Guys. I have to tell you about sous vide cooking. It's a way of cooking proteins in a hot water bath. The results are 100% consistent and 100% fucking amazing. 

Step 1: Buy an immersion type sous vide cooker like the ANOVA. Yes, it's $200. Deal.
Step 2: Buy protein: even cheap cuts can be amazing with this method. Seal protein in plastic (ziplocs work fine). Throw protein in cooker for 1-2h.
Step 3: PROFIT

Did I mention that even cheap cuts are outstanding with this method? I mean, I've used it with London broil. It's also foolproof. To me this justifies the initial cost of the sous vide cooker. We use ours all the time.

Oh, and on the general subject of desiring luxuries. How much do you want FIRE and how early do you want it? For me, the answer is "quite a lot", and "within 15-20 years" (FIRE is not my only goal). So, my strategy is to say to myself "Eyes on the big prize, Naners" when I find myself wanting something luxurious/unnecessary.

Do you worry at all that any of the plastic chemicals will contaminate the chicken?

Giro

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #139 on: July 01, 2016, 12:44:39 PM »
Just have to say this.....melatonin is a naturally occurring chemical in your brain that helps you sleep.  It's not heroin....






SyZ

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #140 on: July 01, 2016, 01:57:09 PM »
I find other ways to satisfy the urge that are much cheaper.

For example, I'll wait until a puzzle that I really want goes on sale or a few years pass and the demand dies. So instead of spending $120 on it, I get it for $60. $60 for (estimated) 2,500 hours of work is a pretty good deal.

Netflix instead of going to the movies.

Renting a room in a huge house to teach myself why 3,000 SqFt. for 3 people is a little too much.

Etc.

So when I think of making a decision that goes against this, I remember things like this and realize the grass isn't greener.

Also, some things I just naturally don't care about. Like moving from Toyota to a luxury vehicle. I don't think that even if my salary were $500,000, I would feel the need to upgrade. I like how my car looks, drives, feels, and don't see any need for the ridiculous upgrades that come with it, even before you factor in money.

SeaEhm

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #141 on: July 01, 2016, 02:16:35 PM »
I didn't escape my desire for luxury.  I plan for it and don't let it ruin my retirement plans. 

Manage your money better, get a realization of what truly makes you happy, and then buy what you want without it messing up a realistic future.

Don't be impulsive because many purchases that you "need" at that moment will not be as important in one or two months.

Just remember that there are people here who get a lot of personal satisfaction washing and reusing ziplock bags. 


But you will have such a variety of responses here.

I am bit brainwashed as I feel that I have more control than others around me but I happen to live in an area that is known the be an epicenter of people purchasing things that they cannot afford. 

asauer

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #142 on: July 01, 2016, 07:00:37 PM »
Here's what helped me:
1. Get rid of cable.  It's insane how much that influences us even if we don't think it does.
2. Unsubscribe from ALL consumer email, catalogs and all magazines.  It's WAY too easy to click just to "see the sales".
3. Hide spendy friends from your Facebook feed in order to not compare what they're doing with what you're doing.
4.  Set immutable priorities.  For us it's getting rid of the mortgage, travel and good home cooked food.  Every single purchased is measured as how many camping trips is that?  Or how many more weeks of the mortgage is that?  Really puts purchases into perspective when we realize that it will cost us 3 days of a cool trip.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #143 on: July 02, 2016, 12:09:43 AM »
Some practical ways that I escape the desire for luxury:

1.  Pay myself first - my savings and investments go into 401k, Roth IRA, and investment accounts first.
2.  Minimize recurring expenses.
        - don't get the biggest house & mortgage the bank tells me I can "afford"
        - no car loans (pay cash)
        - no other debt
        - few or no "memberships"
3.  Pay cash, and no credit card purchases unless I already have the cash in the bank.
4.  For big wants, make a wish list.  If I still "want" it after 6 months, budget to save money to buy it.  Surprisingly, a lot of "wants" expire after a few months.  Some don't, and I buy those and am usually happy I did.
5.  Make friends with people who have simple tastes.


shelivesthedream

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #144 on: July 02, 2016, 02:32:18 AM »
There's a whole load of philosophical stuff surrounding reclassifying luxury, but here's something you could do right now.

1. Go through your bank/credit card statements for the last 3-6 months and add up how much you spent on luxuries. (If you come across an amount you spent and can't remember what it was for, let that feeling sink in. You spent $100 and two months later you can't even remember what you spent it on?)
2. Find the average monthly spend on luxuries. Halve it.
3. This is your new budget for luxuries. You still get to buy some fancy things and you can buy whatever you want as long as you stay within budget. When you buy some luxury, just think for a second whether you want it more than some other luxury. You can have anything you want, but you can't have everything you want. After a few months you'll be used to the new, lesser budget. Maybe cut 20% off it and see how you feel after another few months.
4. The other half that you would have spent gets put into investments at the beginning of the month. Because it's so true that you haven't saved any money until you have put th money into savings. (Look at me sitting here not buying a huge house! I just saved £1 million! And I just didn't buy a fancy car! I saved another £50k! Seriously, that is not how it works.)

naners

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #145 on: July 02, 2016, 02:48:22 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Guys. I have to tell you about sous vide cooking. It's a way of cooking proteins in a hot water bath. The results are 100% consistent and 100% fucking amazing. 

Step 1: Buy an immersion type sous vide cooker like the ANOVA. Yes, it's $200. Deal.
Step 2: Buy protein: even cheap cuts can be amazing with this method. Seal protein in plastic (ziplocs work fine). Throw protein in cooker for 1-2h.
Step 3: PROFIT

Did I mention that even cheap cuts are outstanding with this method? I mean, I've used it with London broil. It's also foolproof. To me this justifies the initial cost of the sous vide cooker. We use ours all the time.

Oh, and on the general subject of desiring luxuries. How much do you want FIRE and how early do you want it? For me, the answer is "quite a lot", and "within 15-20 years" (FIRE is not my only goal). So, my strategy is to say to myself "Eyes on the big prize, Naners" when I find myself wanting something luxurious/unnecessary.

Do you worry at all that any of the plastic chemicals will contaminate the chicken?

Generally I am concerned about that sort of thing (use glass tupperware, splurge on BPA-free canned goods). But the water in sous vide never gets very hot (that's part of why it works so well), so I figure there won't be much leaching. Also since we use ours so much we bought a Foodsaver vacuum sealer (big upgrade from ziploc), and their bags are BPA free. Pretty sure ziplocs are BPA free too these days.

Bucksandreds

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #146 on: July 02, 2016, 05:22:09 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Guys. I have to tell you about sous vide cooking. It's a way of cooking proteins in a hot water bath. The results are 100% consistent and 100% fucking amazing. 

Step 1: Buy an immersion type sous vide cooker like the ANOVA. Yes, it's $200. Deal.
Step 2: Buy protein: even cheap cuts can be amazing with this method. Seal protein in plastic (ziplocs work fine). Throw protein in cooker for 1-2h.
Step 3: PROFIT

Did I mention that even cheap cuts are outstanding with this method? I mean, I've used it with London broil. It's also foolproof. To me this justifies the initial cost of the sous vide cooker. We use ours all the time.

Oh, and on the general subject of desiring luxuries. How much do you want FIRE and how early do you want it? For me, the answer is "quite a lot", and "within 15-20 years" (FIRE is not my only goal). So, my strategy is to say to myself "Eyes on the big prize, Naners" when I find myself wanting something luxurious/unnecessary.

Do you worry at all that any of the plastic chemicals will contaminate the chicken?

Generally I am concerned about that sort of thing (use glass tupperware, splurge on BPA-free canned goods). But the water in sous vide never gets very hot (that's part of why it works so well), so I figure there won't be much leaching. Also since we use ours so much we bought a Foodsaver vacuum sealer (big upgrade from ziploc), and their bags are BPA free. Pretty sure ziplocs are BPA free too these days.

FYI, virtually all plastics leach endocrine disrupters. Some plastics are worse then others. Heating plastic or storing acidic substances in them leaches more. Buying BPA free is not a splurge. Tomato based products should only be purchased/stored in glass. Plastic should only be used for storing/making things we don't ingest.  Precocious puberty, rise is rates of endocrine related cancers, obesity, etc appear to all be linked to ingestion of endocrine disrupters.  Please everyone, be very mindful of the health benefits of avoiding plastic food storage/cooking.

naners

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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #147 on: July 02, 2016, 07:28:46 AM »
This is likely off topic, but here it goes:

I have this urge to have a really nice (and I mean really really nice) steak. I eat steak about 2-3 times a year and I have this craving for one of those super nice aged steak. For some reason I am starting to remember this one time i was at Peter Luger and the taste of their steak (yes the melt in your mouth kind)!!

The problem is a casual scan of the menus of some of the top restaurants around where I live now (there are like dozens of them) indicates that I need to spend anywhere between $60-150 for an equivalent quality entree. If I include dishes for my family the cost of that meal could easily be $200-300 - that's a shit load of money for a meal!

How do I fight this urge...??

You learn to cook well, and a splurge meal of excellent steak and fried mushrooms and grilled onions and pommes-frites and a nice salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette can be yours for under 30$/4. That's how you do it ;)
Raw aged steak are like $40+ already. Not willing to experiment on such an expensive ingredient.

Guys. I have to tell you about sous vide cooking. It's a way of cooking proteins in a hot water bath. The results are 100% consistent and 100% fucking amazing. 

Step 1: Buy an immersion type sous vide cooker like the ANOVA. Yes, it's $200. Deal.
Step 2: Buy protein: even cheap cuts can be amazing with this method. Seal protein in plastic (ziplocs work fine). Throw protein in cooker for 1-2h.
Step 3: PROFIT

Did I mention that even cheap cuts are outstanding with this method? I mean, I've used it with London broil. It's also foolproof. To me this justifies the initial cost of the sous vide cooker. We use ours all the time.

Oh, and on the general subject of desiring luxuries. How much do you want FIRE and how early do you want it? For me, the answer is "quite a lot", and "within 15-20 years" (FIRE is not my only goal). So, my strategy is to say to myself "Eyes on the big prize, Naners" when I find myself wanting something luxurious/unnecessary.

Do you worry at all that any of the plastic chemicals will contaminate the chicken?

Generally I am concerned about that sort of thing (use glass tupperware, splurge on BPA-free canned goods). But the water in sous vide never gets very hot (that's part of why it works so well), so I figure there won't be much leaching. Also since we use ours so much we bought a Foodsaver vacuum sealer (big upgrade from ziploc), and their bags are BPA free. Pretty sure ziplocs are BPA free too these days.

FYI, virtually all plastics leach endocrine disrupters. Some plastics are worse then others. Heating plastic or storing acidic substances in them leaches more. Buying BPA free is not a splurge. Tomato based products should only be purchased/stored in glass. Plastic should only be used for storing/making things we don't ingest.  Precocious puberty, rise is rates of endocrine related cancers, obesity, etc appear to all be linked to ingestion of endocrine disrupters.  Please everyone, be very mindful of the health benefits of avoiding plastic food storage/cooking.

Well, we all take calculated risks. Getting in a car is risky. Biking is risky, but many here feel that the benefits outweigh the risks. Just consider the costs and benefits as far as you can make out (often difficult to do) and do what seems right for you.

SJS

  • Stubble
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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #148 on: July 02, 2016, 07:34:31 AM »
Never had a desire to "Keep up with the Joneses!" 

gggggg

  • Bristles
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Re: How did you escape the desire for luxury?
« Reply #149 on: July 02, 2016, 08:09:47 AM »
I've had some luxury items, and honestly, I was happier with cheaper, more common items. Usually the cheaper items were more reliable as an odd twist.