What will you never economise on?

My three Cats! I restrict myself to two cups of Peppermint tea per day, and one good cooked meal.
I pay a window cleaner £7 per month because I could not do the job myself.
I shop at Aldi and sometimes treat myself to meat from a good butcher in the weekly market. My last purchase there gave me 15 pieces of meat (including pork, steak mince, sausage, burgers and steak) for £15. All fresh meat - now frozen.

Wouldn’t give up:
Capsules for my nespresso - lavazza are very good
China rose petal tea from Taylor’s
Holidays - making up post-covid
Knee replacement op, asap
Being warm
We are in a reasonably fortunately financial position but worry for those with less. I’m trying to put more in the food bank boxes.

My ageing dog’s health needs, and the occasional treat I give myself such as coffee and cake at a local cafe, a small bottle of Prosecco, or a decent-sized bar of Fairtrade chocolate - although if I couldn’t have the treats it wouldn’t be a big deal to do without.
I’m grateful for a roof over my head, food and drink, clothing, and warmth. Also for friends and family members, good mental and physical health, and a peaceful life after divorce.

I may turn the thermostat down this Winter, but not to a level where I have to wear hat, gloves and dressing gown over clothes. I'd rather economise on food, memberships and fewer meals out.

For me it’s:
organic butter and milk
Good quality meat
Free range eggs

So it’s mainly about animal welfare. I had never really thought about it before!

Heating
Free range eggs and chicken
Lurpak unsalted butter
Guiness
Loose tea
Salmon
My iPad

Proper coffee beans, free range eggs, hairdresser every six weeks, out two cats (elderly now and expensive on vet's bills), olive oil, three lots of fresh flowers a week, our organic vegebox, the Radio Times ... these are more or less the essentials but one could give up everything if the situation were dire (except the cats).

sunglow12

No 7 brown black mascara and their med foundation in cool beige plus contact lenses -also my garden birds ? treats that cost me £5 a week and they are so worth it and sing to me from the tops of nearby trees when they see me going up and down the garden with the yellow jug filled with their meal shaken with red hot chilli ? powder to stop Squirrel Nutkin eating all of it . The birds food would be the last to go .

Chilli powder in bird food? Don't the birds mind it? Must suggest it to my sister who is always fighting off the suirrels from her bird tray!

The birds don't mind it but, in my experience, the squirrels grow to tolerate it.

The car, good bedding, gin and tonics, fresh fruit and vegetables, woollen jumpers in the Winter,,microwave, central heating, en suite bedroom, high quality meat, butter. Not concerned with dining out but do enjoy our meals,with wine.

Giving to charities
Fresh flowers
The internet
Decent coffee
Staying warm

MawtheMerrier

My dog - her insurance, vet care, food or welfare in any way.
Dictated to me and signed by ? ? (Rosie, her mark)

Me too?

Our dog's food and pet insurance. We bathe and clip him so no groomer bills.
Properly fitting shoes, even if made to measure.
Spectacles.
Dentist.
Good quality sausages and bacon.
Lacto free whole milk.
Good loo rolls.
My green soap shampoo.
Locally bought Fish and Meat.
Washing machine.
Tumble Dryer.
Dishwasher.
Our electric blanket.
My sewing machine.
Our car.

I don't wear makeup or have my nails done, a bottle of perfume will last me over a year. I cut my own hair and DHs. The house is reasonably well insulated. We have LED lights throughout the house. We grow some of our fruit and vegetables and freeze them.

I've never been good at economising. We'll get through it somehow.

Car - or I wouldn't get out and about
Electric blanket - the new soft fluffy kind
Ground coffee
Decent lap top and mobile/wifi

big treat is probably still buying M n S Formula Face Creams/eye cream/ toner not cheaper.

Grandmabatty

As I'm on a very restricted occupational pension and I'm not eligible for the state pension til 2024, I will have to economise on everything,given today's announcement on the latest energy 'cap'. I will not be in the position to be choosy.

Me too Grandmabatty. Living on small work pension and savings. Hoping they will last until i get my state pension. I have to think about every penny I spend. Quite depressing sometimes. Fortunately I am quite creative and look on it as a challenge. A holiday would be nice though.

1/ Hairdressers 8 weekly and the shampoo/conditioner and mask I use. I'm a Leo and my mane is my pride and joy.

2/ My lotions and potions ?

3/ Quality bra's

Those above, come above clothing, by miles. I'm not a conventional dresser. Its easy to make styles look different.

I can do that by layering, altering, tecycling snd so on what I own.

FYI I make some of my lotions and potions so they aren't expensive anyway

Tea
Coffee
Bread
Organic milk
My tv
Having said that if needs must I could and would change, but I’m able to manage at the moment nn

dogs insurance, as I would feel terrible if anything happened and could not afford the vet's bills.
Currently, while I still have a contract for work then my car, cannot get to/from work without it at the times I work at the weekend.
toilet roll, only use cheap stuff when grandkids are here as 6 yr old will go through a roll or more a day.
already buy none name brands for food, a lot of them taste better IMO, never eat out and rarely have a takeaway, begrudge the money. I also get a fair amount of food from Olio and a social food larder as I have been off work sick for more than 6 months and have kicked into half wages

i have lived on benefits due to two lots of cancer and various other health problems and probably will never be able to go back to work, as i am 59 it will be a while before i get a pension, i am very frugal and live mostly on homemade soups, sandwiches and salad. things i won't give up..
my broadband
house phone
lurpak
pickled red cabbage
beetroot
i am indoors about 90% of the time so i use my phone for keeping up with family, my son pays monthly for a mobile that i can use when i am out or in hospital.

Good quality loose leaf tea and single malt.

Sago

Thank you Chardy for you money saving thread.As I was responding I got to thinking of the things I really wouldn’t want to change/ economise on as the cost of living rises.

Here’s my list; I couldn’t car share with my husband, so unless things were dire my car stays.
Quality tea bags.
Hairdressing (8 weekly)
Quality loo roll.
My shower oil.
Wine and Gin ( we rarely drink during the week)
Quality Olive/Walnut oil for dressings.
Ecover fabric conditioner.

Two cars, but you are looking after the environment with your fabric conditioner!

My aged Siamese cat who costs almost as much to feed as I do. Her life is being prolonged by a diet of steam cooked proper meat, poultry and fish sent once a month in frozen sachets. I am going to cancel her ridiculous insurance though. She is at least twenty and has almost no teeth so no more dental treatment which cats almost always need in middle age. To euthanise a good companion before it is necessary, amounts to murder.





Add to this, one blow dry a week from a home hairdresser with four light perms a year and trims. At 85, I REALLY need this.

Free Range Eggs, butter ( don't use a lot), good coffee and the dogs and cats ! Already have Thermal undies ready.

Hairdresser, though I might extend the interval from 6 to 7 weeks.
My car, but I won’t be upgrading it.
Meat from the butcher every 3 weeks.
Free range eggs.
Lurpak.
A warm house as DH can’t move a lot and feels the cold.
We almost never eat out and drink only rarely.
I probably won’t buy any new clothes unless something is worn out.

Coffee/tea. I don’t drink alcohol but love my caffeine!
Good quality plain Greek yoghurt. My favourite food and I eat a lot, in preference to most things, really!
Lighting. I live alone and love the cosiness of pools of light in the lounge come evening. I know an overhead is perfectly fine but several lamps instead are so lovely.
My iPad and iPhone. I know there are less expensive alternatives, but they are so easy to use with such great features. And the internet is a never ending source of interest. Along with Wi-Fi they are a must I think!
Good bread. Doesn’t cost much as I don’t eat much of it-but when I do…
Cadbury’s chocolate as a lovely treat. Just a few squares….
Real butter for baking. Use low cholesterol spread normally but enjoy the occasional homemade treat!
Books! Second hand are fine!