What will you never economise on?

Well reading all your must haves I think we are a very modest lot.
I wouldn't begrudge you your lurpak or your Tetley teabags really is that your extravagance

What would I hate to give up? My hot baths (not everyday)
G&T with good tonic.
Occasional meals out.
I think I live quite frugally

I buy milk butter and free range eggs from ou

Oh yes, thanks Iam64, free range eggs from the farm are added to my list of essential too.

Fat fingers sorry
Milk butter free range eggs from the local farm. I don’t want to buy supermarket which is cheaper, mainly because the farm products are so good, also because they need us more than the supermarkets do
My car - essential for hospitals
Meat from the butcher, buy less but stay with the butcher
Dogs- I’ll keep their insurance but could feed them less expensively if I have to
Hair cut/colour - won’t change the stylist, could extend the period between visits
Will not economise on tea or coffee
Wine - dont drink a lot, won’t buy poor quality

I'm curious. Since I see so many of you mentioning 'good' butter, what is the cost compared to 'ordinary' butter?

We don't use a lot of butter, but a lb. of butter is appox $5.50 or 3.60 pounds GBP ( I don't have the sign on my keyboard). Organic grass fed with sea salt can be up to twice that price. I don't usually splurge on that, ordinary butter is tasty enough for me.

Prices for comparison sake?

I'm happy with ordinary butter but I would rather buy that than margarine.

I think the price has gone up suddenly, CanadianGran.
Ordinary Waitrose salted is £2.20 for 250gms (I think).
Duchy Organic is £3, French salted £3.50 per 250gms

I'm unable to give up my baths. I can probably give up many things but not that

Thank you Callistemon, your prices are slightly higher than ours. Our butter has indeed increased quite a bit in the last year as well, but we don't use an awful lot, except near Christmas when I make shortbread. Now that I know butter can be frozen, I do buy it when in goes on sale and stock up a bit.

I'm sure it was only £1.80 per 250gms for the 'ordinary' butter a few weeks ago.
However, farmers need to have a fair deal and costs for them have gone up recently.

West Country Farmhouse Butter with Maldon Sea Salt, which I only buy when feeling very flush, is £9.50 per kilo in Waitrose. Not seen it anywhere else.

Funnily enough, even though we are metric, our butter comes in 454 gr blocks (1 lb). The cups and 1/2 cups are measured on the sides of the package for baking measures.

Chewbacca, that price for 'good' butter would be in line with ours. I splurged once, but really couldn't taste that much difference.

Real butter
Good chocolate
And expensive sheets - I can make the last years on end but I never want to sleep on cheap sheets

My butter from Waitrose was £3.20 for ages and often on offer at £3.00.

Last time I bought it, it was on offer at £3.40. Didn't put me off.

We switched back to butter as we try to eat unprocessed/unadulterated food. I use a butcher so I know my meat is good quality and it's provenance and we buy our eggs from the 'egg farm' where we see the hens roaming free.

Those things are non-negotiable but we may have to reduce the amount we buy.

Wine
Molton Brown shower gel
L' Occitane soap
Clarins hand cream
Belgian chocolate

Strange that no one has mentioned holidays! I’d imagine that would be by far the easiest area in which to economise personally but appreciate they’re vital for many people.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kate54 I think most people are quite happy to 'downsize' or reduce holidays, - and they are expensive, so are things people drop without thinking when they need to economise.

Looking at the lists of things people say they will never give up, pets apart, a category of their own, almost everything they mention costs less than £20.

The way butter is going up that might not continue to be the case MOnica.

Callistemon21 I simply whizz with a funny rubber attachment for 4 minutes ish then rinse in very cold water a few times.
I then place it on grease proof paper and roll it, a lot more liquid comes off.
Shape and use half freeze half, the whole process takes under 10 minutes.

Thanks Sago
I found it quite fun to make and the butter was very good.

Our dogs' needs.
Cars maintenance and petrol.
Proper health insurance.
Schooling for GC and GGC.
Coffee beans to grind daily.
PGTips.
Good wine.
Excellent fresh fruit and veg - we're mostly vegan.
Hair, cosmetics, facials.

I don’t think I have any luxury items I couldn’t live without if necessary
Looking at your list Norah as a guidance ?
Don’t have a dog, don’t have a car, don’t have health insurance,
I thought schools were free, have never ground a coffee bean in my life ? rarely drink wine never buy a bottle unless going to a party …l grow my own … never had a facial
However I do have my hair cut every 5/6 weeks and will continue with that oh make up (Superdrug special)

Lurpack at Morrisons this week was £7.50. I buy "ordinary" unsalted butter.
I love brown seeded crusty bread.
Going out with friends for a coffee or the odd meal. It is my only way of socialising these days.
M&S jars of coffee.
Fish. I am not vegetarian but I eat a lot of it.
Washing machine and dishwasher. Air fryer has replaced my electric oven.
I have economised on energy but I can do no more.
I think my needs are modest.

Tea, tea and tea

Callistemon Just seen you made the butter!
It’s so easy isn’t it?
So glad you had a go.