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Thread: 15 non-essential expenses I could live without if I really needed to

  1. #11
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    There are plenty of things I could dispense with if I had to. Basic Training and college come to mind as pretty low-overhead periods. Mark Twain had something of a point when he referred to civilization as the endless multiplication of unnecessary necessities. But I'm very fond of many parts of civilization, and see no particular virtue in minimizing my impact on the universe. If that's the benchmark, the greatest achievement would be swallowing a dose of organic hemlock from a borrowed cup and fertilizing some deserving weeds.

    I think the worthiest challenge is in figuring out what's worth your time and pursuing it. That may or may not involve earning and spending money.
    .

    Well said, LDAHL. There are plenty of things in my life that are not strictly necessities, but I see no reason to eliminate them as long as I can afford them and I truly get value from them. However, I do think it is worth challenging anything that uses your time, energy or money to make sure it's worth the cost. The equation will differ from person to person.
    It's also a good idea to have a general handle on one's wants vs. needs, so that adjustments can be made when/if necessary.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler View Post
    1. Dog food for my dog. He likes all kinds of food, including spinach raw
    2. My car
    3. My freezer
    4. My dishwasher
    5. The W/D in my apartment
    6. My coffee table
    7. My bean bag chairs
    8. One of my blankets
    9. My laptop
    10. Cheese grater
    11. About half my silverware


    I dunno... that is all I got.

    Love the list. Look around and add 4 more things ha ha!

  3. #13
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    I am not sure I could come up with 15 however it was interesting to think about. I am thinking about things that cost money to buy or upkeep, not purging things I have

    1) haircuts, could trim and go back to long hair
    2) my weekly starbucks trip
    3) some of the foods I don't need like ice cream
    4) TV, but it is included with my internet and that I cannot give up for many reasons


    I really don't have much outside of regular bills, if I had to I could give up weekends for additional work.

  4. #14
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    1. One of our cars
    2. Dryer, we mostly air dry anyway but I would definitely keep the washer
    3. New clothes, we could wear out what we have
    4. paper towels
    5. Take out or restaurant food
    6. Store bought bread
    7. Alcohol
    8. Video rentals
    9. Mouthwash, use salt water
    10. Swiffers & wipes
    11. Crock pot
    12. Rice Cooker
    13. Electric kettle
    14. Toothpaste, use baking soda
    15. Liquid hand soap

    Lots of bits & pieces that we buy aren't necessary but are convenient. For example cordless phones, decorative items, cleaning products, small appliances, etc. I agree they do add clutter and appreciate the reminder to think about these things and not buy them in the first place.

  5. #15
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rosarugosa View Post
    .

    Well said, LDAHL. There are plenty of things in my life that are not strictly necessities, but I see no reason to eliminate them as long as I can afford them and I truly get value from them. However, I do think it is worth challenging anything that uses your time, energy or money to make sure it's worth the cost. The equation will differ from person to person.
    It's also a good idea to have a general handle on one's wants vs. needs, so that adjustments can be made when/if necessary.
    I agree. As long as I have food, clean water, some sort of clothing, and shelter to keep me from freezing to death in the cold/boiling like a lobster in the sun my necessities have been met. Everything else are wants. Do I want to live with only my needs provided and none of my wants. Absolutely not. We stumbled across a tv show while on vacation a few months ago called "Naked and Afraid" or some such. Basically they'd drop the participants in some remote, inhospitable place naked and, ahem, afraid, for 21 days to see if they could survive. I don't particularly want to do that, certainly not long term, but plenty of people managed it just fine. Give them more time and they'd likely make better shelter, etc, and do fine in the long term.

    But this is all nitpicking about the title/concept of this thread. Perhaps a better name to the thread would just be to eliminate "non-essential" from the title since so much of what we consider essential is really not essential at all, at least if one only considers "necessary for survival" items as essential.

  6. #16
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    I was thinking this morning for some reason when I got up of the few times in my life where I ran scared and did things that were a reduction, a weird plan ahead or savings plan, or just wild change because I felt I had to or should to A: change the world, B: something bad was going to happen. All these times brought a learning experience to my life. I know what I "could" do if need be. I now however have rested knowing I am not saving the world or the apocalypse probably isn't not going to happen. AS long as one can afford and wants something it's all good.

    Cable is my favorite reduction. Once again the big wasted item in the house sat idle for 6 months. I never turn it on, but husband likes TV for about 1/2 hour at night. I turned service back on last week, again realized nothing new was on it.

  7. #17
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    I could easily jettison my smart phone, and I'm plotting to ditch my cable with an antenna and streaming device at some point. I would eagerly trade in Chez Albatross for a smaller gem of a dwelling. I'm not much into self-denial though, so these are just the easy eliminations. Oh, and shoes, I suppose. At the rate I'm wearing them out, I'll have to take the ones I have into the Great Mystery with me. Enough, I suppose.

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