In this era of belt-tightening, what item(s) do you still splurge on?

[marmar]

At the top of my list, coffees from Illy, Whole Foods and Dallmayr. I'm a fiend for for the gourmet bean.

[Forkboy]

1. I still order out too much.

Both health wise and money wise it isn't a good thing. But I don't make calzones, so it's a conundrum. :)

[MorningGlow]

2. Organic milk, butter, and eggs

Got into the habit when MG Jr. used to drink milk nonstop. Now I've eased him onto more water, but he still has a fair share of milk.

Oh yeah--and bottled water, as we don't have an in-sink filter, and our village water is teh suck.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. The only thing I ever splurged on -

second hand videos.

My video collection has continued to increase, despite everything.

But then, I've always been something of a hermit.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Whats your specialty?

I like old 40's and 50's grade A and B science fiction movies.

With the amateurish special effects that looked great for that day.

W.C. Fields movies are high on my list too.

Don

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. Very eclectic - from modern blockbusters to Frank Capra -

tho I must say 50s SF is a favorite. 'The Last Man on Earth', 'Earth vs the Flying Saucers', 'The THING From Another World'.

I asked for Danny Kaye comedies on my birthday wish list - 'Inspector General', 'The Court Jester', 'Secret Life of Walter Mitty'. Last birthday I got a 10 disk collection of Jerry Lewis.

And of course, the film noir, and social dramas - 'They Made Me a Criminal', 'I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'.

Oh, yeah, the really BAD fantasies - 'Yor, Hunter from the Future', the 'Deathstalker' movies, 'Ator, the Fighting Eagle'

I could literally go on all day.

I have no life.

[FailureToCommunicate]

33. "The flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true" Love "The Court Jester"!

Good choices!
(And 'having a life' may be over rated...)

[NNN0LHI]

43. I watched 'The THING From Another World' two nights ago again

I sure like that movie.

And you have a life. Not much different than mine.

Don

[toadzilla]

4. vodka

[KansDem]

10. Have you ever tried "Three?"

http://www.3vodka.com/

:9

[toadzilla]

23. made from soy? crazy!

one day, when I'm less poor and can afford something other then svedka.

[lunatica]

30. Ditto. And HBO

But the HBO might not last long.

[toadzilla]

31. I prefer netflix...though i may be canceling that soon.

[Romulox]

5. CDs/LPs! nt

[Forkboy]

26. That's not splurging, that's a necessity.

:)

[Romulox]

39. Well, the "accessories" that go along with enjoying those records may be...

:O

[Warpy]

6. When I was dirt poor before my dad died,

the one splurge I insisted on was real maple syrup, Grade B if I could get it in bulk at the health food store, used very sparingly.

I was also grandfathered in to cheap DSL service and I kept that.

Other than that, it was root veggies, brown rice and beans.

[KansDem]

7. Vodka...

Especially "Three." Distilled from soy and remarkably smooth.

:9

Guess you might say, "I'm a thirsty boy for the distilled soy."

[cbdo2007]

8. why are we belt-tightening?

As frugal I am normally I still reserve the right to splurge any time on anything I want. :)

Ahhh, the joys of being debt free....

[Initech]

42. I'd tighten my belt...

...if I could do it around Bernie Madoff's neck.

[lefthandedlefty]

9. Phone,electricity,water.TV and Internet

[Subdivisions]

11. If I didn't need it for work, I'd say internet. Also, cell phone (don't

really need that so much). Cable teevee - I've recently realized that I could really survive without a teevee, much less cable.

[tularetom]

12. Vino

Although I'm buying $6-$8 bottles exclusively. Once in awhile, even the famous "Two Buck Chuck"

I used to buy the occasional $20 label for holidays, family get togethers, etc but no more. Now they'll have to drink the cheap stuff.

[toadzilla]

32. heart 2 buck chuck!

[On the Road]

13. I Still Take a Yearly Vacation with My Daughter

Could have ruined me this year, but it's what I live for.

[ThomWV]

15. My motorcycle gets anything it needs

It is my freedom.

[Ian David]

16. Porn. n/t

[marmar]

18. But you can mostly get that for free nowadays....

..... Unless you're spending a lot of nights in Marriotts.

[WCIL]

17. Books

We have cut back in every other area, but we still love our "stock up" trips to Prairie Lights bookstore.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I got a new IPOD touch

in my defense my PDA was not syncing with the MAC and no PDA, I am a mess when it comes to organization.

That app store though IS DAMN DANGEROUS... but The Guttemberg Project is a way to get me free readying these days.

Twenty more books from that source and the damn thing paid for itself

[ceile]

20. Seafood

About once a month I'll go to the fish market and get some nice salmon, shrimp and scallops.

[northofdenali]

21. Unfortunately, cigarettes -

way, way too much up here at nearly $7/pack. Trying desperately to quit a 40-year habit? Priceless!

[EFerrari]

22. Nothing really except SAT teevee. I love the documentaries

and niche news programs on Link and Free Speech TV.

[Initech]

24. I'm buying a new laptop in the next couple weeks.

[Creena]

25. Dog Food, Water, and Yogurt

The pup eats Orijen dog food. Sparkletts delivers because the local tap water makes me sick. Yogurt is Rachel's.

[anonymous171]

27. Books. Books are the one material possession that I covet and hoard

I just can't get enough of them.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. Books. But, I consider them a necessity, not a luxury.

[onethatcares]

34. I buy one nice coin a month.

I do some shopping and decide which early American coin I would like to have, then I save or do extra work to attain it. It's become an addiction just like DU. But those early American Type coins are beautiful to have in hand, so much nicer than the junk we get now.

[Are_grits_groceries]

35. Books! nt

[The_Commonist]

36. Marijuana.

And the good stuff, not the dirt weed.
Although, I'm on a break right now...

[texanwitch]

37. Birdseed and Mexican Coca-Cola.

The birds need to eat and I like a nice cold real coke.

[Evoman]

38. Video games and food, We spend a LOT on groceries and eating out.

I have expensive food tastes.

Other than food and video games, I live like a monk. I seldom buy clothes, I get all my furniture second hand, and I never buy stuff because I hate clutter.

[LibertyLover]

40. Every Friday night on my way home from work

I pick up dinner for the husband, kidlet and myself. Nothing fancy - Popeye's Chicken or pizza most likely. But it means neither he or I have to cook and we can relax a bit.

[taught_me_patience]

41. Golf.

Expensive but worth it for me.