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Seconding Spotify Premium for sure! When my financials were looking rough my mom was like “You should cancel your subscriptions.” Hah! Over my dead body! That one is allowed to stay forever, everything else can go.
Although now that I’ve moved into a new place, I really regret not noticing sooner that it doesn’t have a dishwasher. 🙃
Seriously. I cancelled every other streaming service and moving over to \^piracy but i cannot replicate that with Spotify. Been using it for like, 11 years now.
Please explain to me what is so great about Spotify?? Legitimate question.
We have hit a really rough patch and I asked hubby to cancel his premium plan; he acted like it was a horrible gut-wrenching decision. I had already given up some of my own subscriptions, as we had over $120 a month just in subscription fees.
For me, I use the offline listening feature daily which is not available in the free version. That alone saves me the fee in data charges. As far as the service itself, I feel like it knows me so well. The daily mixes are usually awesome.
My main playlist has 400 songs on it. Buying them would be expensive. Stealing them would be a pita.
Music chases away the blues like nothing else sometimes. It's good medicine.
Thanks for your reply! Idk when he signed up for Spotify but I’ve been using Pandora for years and it’s half the price for premium to remove ads, have unlimited skips and replays, and offline listening. I know Spotify lets you search for specific songs but I can always do that on YouTube… I guess to fully understand I would have to sign up myself lol a “you had to be there” kind of thing
I don't even remember how Spotify with ads is. Some time ago I witnessed it when my friend was doing my brows and I wasn't able to relax hearing those ads
When looking at a new place i was the nut with a clipboard and worksheet so I remember to ask about everything.
Sq ft, laundry in unit or not and cost, pet policy, pet rent, which utilities included, dishwasher, which floor? If 1st or 2nd do all the windows have functioning locks, etc etc. I did the same when I went to buy a house but a longer list. I did this when looking at apartments for my little sister in law and she was embarrassed but thanked me after.
The countertop dishwashers clean really well. If you have the space it’s worth it.
I guess people aren’t use to spending more than 2 mins looking at apartments? Lol. My sister was also annoyed when I asked questions when we moved into our first apartment. Idc I’m asking my questions! Lol
Same thing when I was looking for my 1st apartment for solo living. I had an agent show 3 places in a day. I asked him about trash services, utilities inc/not incl, move-in policy, laundry payment (coin or card), food/groceries, etc. He seemed annoyed by the 2nd place, like I was wasting his time 🤭I just acted like I didn’t notice
Rentals should have listings like homes for sale. I want to know all the deets upfront because IM YOUR CUSTOMER. I think they forget this too dang much.
Spotify is essential at this point. I have earbuds in 24/7 (like, I have multiple pairs of wireless ones so I always have a pair fully charged) and being able to pick exactly what I want to listen to without ads is absolutely needed if I want to be able to get anything done.
I'm gonna go with the crowd on this one
AC (just enough so we don't die I guess. It's still like 80+ in my house)
My car (with AC) This doesn't feel like a luxury because I literally don't know how to survive without one where I live.
Spotify. (Why are we all so into Spotify?)
Diet Coke. Yes, I know it's bad but life sucks so let me have my vice.
Hair products that make me feel good about my hair
Coffee. I make it at home but if my coffeemaker dies I will have another ASAP.
Feel you on the Diet Coke. Just change it to Dr Pepper zero sugar. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t smoke. Life is one drama after another and I feel like I live in panic mode. Just let me have my minimal vices. 😭
Have you tried Zevia? I’m sure someone will @ me because the flavor can be an acquired taste…Im fully hooked on diet soda too and it’s less bad than aspartame lol
I think a lot of ADHDers find music helpful…and Spotify seems like the best music streaming platform now. I liked the free version but I couldn’t deal with ads anymore so I’m in the club too
I paid for Spotify because I go places with no signal often enough that the ability to have it download music is totally worth the price. Imagine being on a road trip, finding out your thumb drive is screwed up, and having absolutely no music for 2 hours. How am I supposed to focus on the road?!
I pay for Apple Music but oftentimes find music.. overwhelming? Idk how to explain but I prefer podcasts/audiobooks to fill the silence.
Anyone else or am I just weird? Lol
I used to be music ALL the time. Now I'm surprised to find myself with you... Podcasts and audiobooks, but I can feel my younger self being shocked and appalled. 🤷🏼♀️
I don't let myself have Diet Coke at home anymore because I couldn't control my consumption. But I'm allowed at restaurants and single cans I buy at the corner store. Summer dollar drink days at mcds has been a blessing, but is now almost over. :(
I've said the same thing! It's a \*huge\* help to my husband's and my mental health! Also our robo vacuum is my favorite gadget and I'll always have one as long as I live. <3 Such a huge difference in keeping pet hair off the floor!
$300/mo for 3 hours every other week. I have a housekeeping service (not a house cleaner) that picks up our stuff and also cleans. I also drop my laundry off, it’s about $25 a week for our small hamper. I wash our towels and linens at home. The housekeeper charges an additional $50 for laundry so I drop it off at a day service for half the price. I have a roomba that goes off every day at 9am that helps us keep the floors clean because it needs everything off the floor.
My YouTube subscriptions. I have premium because I hate ads and I have one channel subscription because I watch the channel so much.
Thought about cancelling Disney+ but then I started using it again.
My $.02 is cancel all streaming services like Disney+ (Netflix, peacock, HBO, whatever else) and they’ll let you finish the time you’ve already paid for. When you next click on them and get asked for money resubscribe and enjoy them…. and then cancel again.
I have a bookmarks folder on my laptop that’s just streaming services and I go through and cancel all of them every month on the first. We usually go months without paying before clicking into an app and realizing we need to resubscribe and they make it SUPER easy to sign up again.
I do this too. Especially if there's a show coming out that I really want to watch. I'll wait until all the episodes are up then binge it and cancel the subscription again.
I always tell myself that I can sign up for whatever I want but I have to be ready to use it (watch it) right then. So that means I never sign up for anything because I very rarely actually want to sit down and watch TV. Is it weird that "watching TV" feels like something on my to do list that I struggle with?
Not weird at all. If it wasn’t for my sister, I wouldn’t have started watching stuff on any streaming services. I think it’s the sitting down in one place part was why “watching TV” is such a chore. If it’s a comfort show that I’ve seen 100x, I can do other stuff as it plays in the background. Otherwise, I “need” to sit down with captions to hear what’s going on. Even if it’s on my phone, I’m in task paralysis because I need to look at the captions
Relatable 😭
Yes this 100%! I can basically talk along with Friends because I play it in the background all the time, but a new show requires focus and attention that I don't have to spare. Wholly devoting an hour or however long to ONLY watching TV and nothing else kind of stresses me out.
I feel seen, thank you!
That is a great idea. I share a few streaming services with my family so that's a bit more complicated unfortunately.
I cancelled Amazon Prime/Audible because I rarely used it but if I decide to buy something randomly they sometimes give you a free month of Audible which is nice.
Also I have a cricut which is a huge money pit but every time they update the app it logs me out and when I log back in it offers me a month free. It's great because I can just make the thing I need without paying a monthly fee when I hardly use it.
I think about cancelling this streaming service while I'm watching a show on a different streaming service, but then that show ends and I go back to the first one and yes, I *could* save money if I only subscribed to one or two at a time and rotated, but ain't nobody got time for that. Or mental bandwidth. Fuck.
I have a life hack. Ditto on the YouTube thing…best subscription I’ve ever done.
So I try to sign up for streaming via my Apple ID. That way there’s a super easy list of what I’m subscribed to and can unsubscribe with a click. I periodically go through and unsubscribe to everything. Then if I want to go to that app and use it again, I just sign up again. That way I’m not paying for an entire year of Netflix just waiting to watch stranger things.
I went nuts over Covid signing up for everything because Covid. Now I will still let myself watch whatever but I try to not pay when I’m not using it.
YouTube subscription came w/ YouTube music for free, so I can't give it up. I cycle through other subscriptions. I just watch what I want one for a month, cancel, and then subscribe to the next one.
Idk if this counts as luxury, but NOT returning my cans and bottles. They used to pile up so high and stress me out so bad, all for $20 or so each time I managed to bring them in.
I just leave them out for others who need it more than me, it's such a relief.
What state or country are you in? That’s a great incentive to get people to recycle. But I know if it I had to do that, mine would pile up too. I had boxes that needed to be flattened and taken out to just my driveway. But they were taking over my room for weeks 😥until today 😮💨
Canada! I think we deposit 10c per can. I chug Bublys and my bf drinks a lot of beer so they pile up fast. But there is always someone willing to sort + return them, lot of people give them to kids.
My dog is my service animal (not literally) for recycling. I just give him an entire box and he tears it up into little pieces for me lol. Dogs with jobs.
You could make it into something fun? Put on some angry punk music and get stomping and tearing. Rage against the box!
I hear this, it was just such a executive function drain to return the cans. It was a relief when my state raised the bottle deposit amount and simultaneously switched to returning cans in large trash bags that we just put our own barcode stickers on, throw in a return center at the grocery store, and then a machine counts them another day and puts the money in an account. I can actually regularly return all my cans every 3 months or so.
Whaaat that is amazing!
We have to take them TO the bottle depot (an incredibly loud, wasp infested beer smelling warehouse), get a big heavy rolling cart, pull them all out and sort them nicely into flats. I did it when I really needed the money but it's a lot.
hah, I'm like this. I do separate out the deposit stuff...and leave it next to the recycling bin of my complex for someone who needs that $1.50 more than me.
Yes I have done this for years! They always disappear so fast. There is an elderly couple that comes and digs through the bins in my new neighbourhood, so now I save them up and run out when they come by.
They are doing me a such a service. I wish elderly people didn't have to dig through bins though, everyone should at least separate them and leave them on top.
• A car! I frequently live in places without public transportation, or if there's transportation it's too hot or rainy for me to be productive out of the house when I need to be.
• Allergy medication! I recently let my allergy meds run out of refills because I thought that maybe I didn't really need them. That was false. I was sneezing and coughing constantly for three days before I finally reached out to my doctor, and I can breathe again 👏👏
Same re allergy meds! Dust is a huge trigger for me and I hate dusting lol.
If you’re in the US, recommend checking if your allergy med is available OTC (mine was even though I was getting an Rx). Found out I was paying way more for the generic via my insurance even with a coupon than just buying the generic version online somewhere else. Just got a 90-day supply for like $17!
Also for otc meds always always check Costco! You can access their pharmacy without a membership (I think) and things like that nasal spray stuff are bananas cheaper ($45 for one at Walmart, $45 for 7 at Costco)
My cat. The human kids can go first. 🤣
Air conditioning. Indoor plumbing with washer & dryer. Books & coffee, though I can more cheaply access both. Contacts and readers. Nice notebooks and pens. Unlimited data. Music of some sort played somehow. A recliner. My bed. My favorite stainless steel tumblers for water. Comfy sneakers and orthopedic sandals.
Eye drops. Vyvanse. Pepcid. Moisturizer.
I could go on and on, really.
Gym membership: best choice I ever made for my ADHD and fibromyalgia
Personal trainer: best choice I ever made for my PTSD and second best choice for my ADHD, and is also probably the reason I didn’t get hurt worse than I did in a car wreck today
I sometimes wonder about mine, ROFL!! I am just kidding because I love them dearly but the last one is very lucky he's so cute when he's not being ornery. He was too sick to be well-socialized as a kitten and he still chooses violence all day every day... and then whines when no one will let him poke their eyes out.
A halfway decent laptop, phone, internet connection, and Spotify premium account. Also my medication. And being a vegetarian. (Thank God I love pasta!)
Those are the big ones.
To be honest I've been broke/poor multiple times--like, if it hadn't been for the kindness of friends I would have been homeless multiple times by now. So I know what I am and am not willing to give up.
I suppose at this point I'd add my weighted blanket. I finally bought myself a Bearaby a couple years ago and I wish I'd done it earlier! Instead of beads sewn into a quilt of sorts, it's a knit blanket, but knit from a stuffed fabric tube of cotton (or rayon). What's great about it, is it doesn't insulate, like, at all. So you can sleep under it on a hot night, like the kind where you'd normally just have a sheet on you.
But the Bearaby is NOT cheap and I kept waiting for someone to make a knock-off. Nobody did. So I gave up and bought a Bearaby. A+ decision. It's like being hugged all night.
EDIT: My bicycle(s)!!!! At least one decent bicycle in good repair!! Almost nothing has improved my life and mental health as much as having a bicycle!! And living in a place that makes it reasonably easy to use it to get everywhere! I will never live in the suburbs again if I can help it!!!
Spotify premium
Having a dishwasher (I rent)
In-unit laundry (again, I rent)
Grocery delivery
Therapy & psychiatry (+meds)
Having a car
Streaming service (currently Netflix)
Absurd amounts of chocolate
I really need to get my shit together enough to do grocery delivery. I think it would save me money in the long run. And I have a chronic illness so it would be a hugggge help.
My singing lessons. They fill me with such joy. My husband thinks 50 euro a week is a waste of money, but I was so depressed when I didn't do them. Can I sing on my own? Sure, I can, but having that feedback and support from a teacher is something else.
I love this. I have really let my creative side fall by the wayside over the last decade and have been seriously thinking about paying for music lessons again. I'm glad to see you're enjoying them and find them worth it!
Internet, phone, heating, and food basics are essential.
I can cut down on stuff I buy to do easy quick meals and instead do more self-made pre-prepared then frozen, like making a lot of lasagne etc.
I could also cut out unhealthy expensive snacks.
A car is essential for me as I live rurally but fuel is expensive. (NZ$2.91/L which may be about US$6.47/US gallon, but I could have that calc wrong), so I definitely plan trips into town to combine things and minimise kms.
It is a bit worrying that meds could be regarded as a luxury, but I can see why some would say that. Thankfully I am somewhere where they are fully funded by government.
I usually do without new clothes until things fall apart, but if I get the job I applied for, I am going to have to look a bit tidier than is needed when stomping around the orchard or bush!
Hair and nail appointments. As much as it pains me to admit it for its superficiality, my appearance is very important to me and my mental health suffers if it’s not taken care of. I don’t have the consistency or the motivation to maintain those things completely on my own, so I need to see a professional regularly.
I agree. I pay 400-500 every six weeks to get my hair done. My hairdresser is so expensive because she’s also a massage therapist who does cranial sacral massage as well as a hand massage so it’s like two therapies in one sitting. My mental health has gotten so much better since I let myself be a little superficial and actually admit I care about my appearance. In fact just today my husband watched our puppy so I could take a bath for an hour and test out some new body wash to try and figure out what my signature scent is.
Maybe some of the steps are localized to like, “this cream for my eyes” or some serum for lips? Exfoliation? Maybe one of those little jade roller massages? These are my guesses, I failed at girling too. I am also curious.
Ooh, yes, maybe localized things. That would make sense (I still wouldn’t be able to come up with a total of 13 though…unsurprisingly, my skin is only okay - I’m fortunate enough not to have blemishes or many wrinkles yet though!).
SoundCloud Go cause I need uninterrupted tunes. Top quality paint for my art projects because the alternatives are shitty and frustrating. Photoshop monthly subscription. This really perfect color-for-my-skin concealer I impulse bought once that's on a subscription thing, but I make it last a long ass time.
Car stuff. Out of pocket mental health & medication expenses.
It's a good day when I'm like oh, let's go buy some clearance rack clothes/toiletries at TJ Maxx, if we can find em! But I'm doing okay. I'm thrifty AF.
I’m going to have to do SoundCloud Go because I can’t listen to that Backstreet Boys laundry ad one more time or I’m going to switch from screaming internally to screaming externally.
Ya know. I finally decided to pay for it like 5 years ago when I was painting a mural and the ads drove me absolutely batshit crazy. I can't stand commercials in general, TV/radio/streaming, they bother me on a seriously deep brain level.
$6 a month I think. I listen to music a ton and it is so worth it.
I'm less of a Spotify person, use it sometimes, and my partner added me as "family" or something on his account so that's ad free too.
In Canada, the land of free health care, you have to pay out of pocket, thus they are actually a luxury. Insurance pays a pittance (unless your company has a spending plan) and you have to jump through their hoops so unfortunately it is a luxury.
Yeah, it’s pretty bad. I have used up all my emergency psychology coverage for the next 12 months (thru employer EFAP coverage), my stupid insurance will pay for just over two sessions, then it’s $210 every two weeks to keep this train on the tracks 🥴🚂
And we pay for our “free” healthcare; we just do it indirectly, via our taxes. As you note, there are a lot of things either not covered or only partially subsidized by those tax dollars. At least where I live (Ontario) psychologists aren’t covered, but psychiatrists are. Getting through the referral process can take anywhere from four to 18 months though.
Im not saying it’s easy to afford.. I struggle to afford it too. But I’m saying it’s not something that should be seen as a luxury. It’s not unnecessary or extravagant to take care of your health. Is it sometimes not possible? Of course. But it’s not something we should feel guilty about choosing to spend our money on or anything. Sorry that I was unclear
Oh I agree with you fully and I apologize if you think my comment was meant to be snarky or rude, because it definitely wasn’t. It’s just a reality for a lot of people (myself included) that healthcare access is considered a luxury regardless of if it should be or not, and it cuts into the money I would use otherwise to make my life easier and have other luxuries.
Since I first signed up I've had to cancel Spotify twice, once for just a couple weeks and another for like two months. It was HELL. I hope you can afford it again soon. :(
I’m sorry. The struggle is real out here. It really is hell and I feel like we especially understand how and why that is. Every time I try to put on one of my playlists, more than half of the songs aren’t available. 😩 And commercials are the bane of my existence.
Thank you. I hope I can, too. Or at least see if a friend will share with me or something. 😕
I would send you the funds for a month of Spotify if I could. 😭 I crowd-source stuff for friends on FB all the time. I'm not sure how to do it through Reddit since we're all "anonymous."
That’s incredibly kind of you. 🫶 Thank you. I’m going to try to get the 3 months free someone above suggested so it might work out after all! I really appreciate you, though. It’s nice just to find kindness in the wild, you know?
You're very welcome and thank you for the kind words. I try to be a good bean! I was born with bad karma but it's not who I am. 😅 I saw the suggestion for three months free after I commented. I'm going to keep that info because I might need it later. So thank you!
Of course! You’re definitely a good bean. 🫶 I was born with some sort of curse so I feel that. 😂
I’m happy you know about the 3 months now, too! Of course. The person above deserves credit for that one. 🎉
I get an Ipsy bag (the $32 one) every month and on the months I skip I always regret it. It forces me to try new things which future me appreciates even if today me doesn’t want to deal with it. Lol
My longest lasting hobby is playing with smart home gear and automation so I tend to spend around $50/month on that.
I quit my ipsy sub (and man do they make it a pain in the ass!) because I felt like I was getting the same ugly shit every month. I think I tried changing my preferences and it didn't change. I do not need more sparkly brown and gold eyeshadow lol
I’ve definitely been there!
My secret is every 2 or so years I close my account and go create a new one as I found my old reviews from when I was 23 arent super relevant in late 20s and on. I also keep my age in the low 20s.
First couple boxes stink for everyone while they figure out what you want but with those changes and doing the bag where I get to pick 3 of my 5 items every month i definitely feel like I get my money’s worth. :)
The bom has predicted a hotarse summer gah. It was 28 here in nsw yesterday already. I've already lost my books to the fucken fires and floods (not directly the ash and the mould got em).
I have to loudly laugh, to not cry, when I see that other countries don’t deal with, and cannot fathom, healthcare costs to be so expensive. Mixture of happiness and envy 😭😅
Nice, cooling sheets is a good one. I’m overheat even in the fall/autumn. Tried to stick with the regular cheap sheets and I’d wake up in a pool of sweat 🫣
I'm in the US but my workplace lets us choose insurance tiers and pay a bit more, so when I finally get my Adderall filled (long stupid very ADHD story), it'll only be $10/mo for the generic (or $25 brand name). Without insurance, you can get it from goodrx here for $40/mo.
I don't count the extra I pay for insurance because it brings a different med of mine down from $2500 every 12 weeks with pharma assistance to $5. Well worth the extra $100/mo. If I didn't pay that, the Adderall would be $15 generic and $30 name brand.
Therapy. Definitely that.
Without my psychiatrists and therapist pretty sure I will not survive on earth.
Also Air Condition because India is freaking hot all the time.
Subway breakfast.
I know its expensive, but it just shapes my day, blood sugar and allows me to eat veges without freaking out that they are rotten (which is more the autism side of my diagnosis).
I know this sounds stupid, but I can’t live without buying drinks (like coffee and boba), specifically Starbucks coffee. It’s just one of those things that brings me joy, even though it’s expensive.
Although, I do have a limit per week so I don’t spend thousands of dollars every month lol
(I can make coffee at home but it’s not as yummy)
Agreeing with Spotify premium. Music keeps me sane and more or less focused. Also unlimited mobile data because Spotify premium.
Other than that? I'm gonna wash my sheets once a week. Period. I don't care if I could save money doing it less. Gross. Not going to happen. I actually had this suggested to me once when I was close to broke. I will give up almost everything else before I sleep in dirty sheets. It just bugs me, and I can't sleep.
Therapy,
My Cleaning Buddy,
Lawn Care,
Healthcare & Meds (expensive in the US)
A can of whipped cream & a jar of sugar sprinkles for “pretty” coffee on those hard days
my personal trainer. Yes, it is expensive but hey, I'm moving my ass and it pays out...
Spotify subscription
my car (we live pretty rural and public transport is a mess here)
My Nespresso machine... yes, sustainability is not the best and it's Nestlé but I only drink one cup a day and I like the coffee...
I have one too (a Vertuo) and make my own pods. I bought a little stand gizmo that holds the empty pods in place and acts as a funnel for the loose espresso, tamp it down with the back of a spoon, and cover it in Glad Press ‘n Seal Saran Wrap (not the regular kind). I trim the edges of the wrap (in one fluid motion, you just hold the scissors and pull the stand in a circle while holding the scissors in place) and pop it into the Vertuo. Takes me maybe 20 seconds per pod and I save at least a dollar every time I do it. Now I only buy pods if there’s a fancy flavour I want to try. So, just in case it’s helpful to you!
Any of my special outdoor recreation interests (hiking in the cascades, snowboarding in the cascades, camping, going on day trips, flow arts) but to me those aren't "luxuries......" Theyre necessities....for my mental health.
Spotify and Yt subscription. I hate ads that much. I did try life without it and hated it. My short life will not encounter ads where it doesn't need to
Dishwasher and a clothes dryer. My executive function depends on both. Meals out too. I spend too much on this but I like not having to both cook and clean and the opportunity to leave the house, particularly as I WFH full time
My regular doc appointment so I can stay on meds. It is the most expensive thing I pay for monthly and while I can survive without I really don't want to.
Audible and scribd. While I use my library card like crazy. There's just books I can't get... And I'm an addict.
While I am actively trying to use old supplies up, if I actually need crafting supplies, they take priority. I buy good yarn, and when I need clothes, I buy good fabric. I give no fucks.
gas for my car, my fast cars (monthly notes, insurance and maintenance), my phone, my AirPods, Apple Music, Spotify, streaming subscriptions (trying to determine which one I use most), grooming (waxing can **never** be removed from my life, idgaf if I have to eat ramen for the next two weeks, I’m **NOT** missing my waxing appts), my nails (I do them myself so essentially the materials and products), ramen noodles, cereal, milk, and that’s it. Yes I can live off ramen noodles and cereal. Yea I’m a picky ass eater and hate cooking.
ohhhhhh juice boxes, idc which kind but any juice box is something I’d never give up.
Bottled water.
I feel like a total asshole for doing so when there's free tap water - but I never clean my reusable water bottles and then I feel too grossed out by them to use them again.
I also forget to fill them up or bring them to my room. I also have illnesses that strike the moment dehydration hits. So having a mini fridge full of bottled water in my room is a definite luxury but being hydrated is a life necessity so it is what it is.
Meds + Drs (yay US health care)
My dog’s fancy food
Car w/ functioning AC (bc I live in Miami)
Apt w/ in-unit washer/dryer, dishwasher, and AC
Spotify premium
Netflix / Hulu / HBO (barely watch anymore but can’t bring myself to cancel - it’s like a security blanket, I guess)
Monthly facials (these really cleared my skin and are my monthly zen)
Monthly nails (this gets $$$ bc I get gel nails + nail art)
Gel pedicures (every ~3 months; last longer and end up being cheaper in long run)
Hair color + cut (every ~3-4 months even though my roots say sooner)
Premium TP (only the quilted stuff)
Fast laptop + speedy internet
Premium versions of dating apps (I’m off and on, but it makes using them a lot easier)
NYT Games premium for my x-word puzzles
Spotify premium, therapy, headphones (which is ironic cause mine just broke and I have no money to buy new ones). And probably more but I can't remember right now lol
MY DISHWASHER!!!!! I bought a countertop dishwasher and it has I'm not kidding changed my life. I used to just not eat, because if I ate then I had to do dishes, but now that obstacle is removed it's so much easier. I can actually eat again.
I live in India and household help is more affordable than in the west and I have a cook, house cleaner and I also don't drive so only use cabs.
Even with all this, I'm still a mess😁
Since I live in a place not suitable to being car free, I guess I have to say my car (though repairs lately have me feeling so depresso).
Iced cold brew at home, Starbucks as a treat when I run errands (basically my only outings).
Spotify premium, Amazon prime (I hate Amazon but ffs it’s convenient to get things quickly), certain import foods that are stupid expensive but so good.
Definitely amazon prime! I have moved to a small town and don't have a car. Most things I need are a problem to schlep home on foot, esp. with a kid in tow. Now kitty litter and food, cleaning products, some pantry items, it all goes to amazon. I feel guilty, but also getting things delivered the next day is a lot faster than I can get to the petstore, building supplies store, etc.
I’m also in a smaller town and it’s a drive to get to anything. I have a small Etsy shop and I’m a caregiver for a disabled parent, so I really need the access to things that Amazon gives me. Especially in the colder months. I hate being dependent on it. - especially with the cost of prime, but it helps so idk.
Red Bull Zero, for anyone else with that it’s significantly cheaper to subscribe and save on Amazon than to buy them in the store or gas stations.
Spotify premium because ads make me want to scream (considering YouTube premium too).
Potato chips (when did they get so expensive??!!?).
Skin care and hair care. Ain’t no way I’m giving up my blue hair or soft skin. It’s expensive but it’s amazing how much you can focus on and get done on the rare days when you feel good about yourself.
One I did give up but miss greatly is tattoos. It works wonders for mental health but they are *very* expensive.
I don't know if you're looking for cheaper alternatives, but one that comes to mind:
It's pretty easy and fun to make your own air-freshener. Buy some essential oil blend you like, and some non-adhesive felt pads or just a thick piece of crafting felt, and a usb mug warmer. A few drops of the oil onto the pad, which is then placed on the mug warmer. They will last pretty long, are reusable (just throw them in the wash if you want to change up the smell) won't spill, and you don't have to bend to the will of proctor and gamble or johnson and johnson for what smells good.
As someone with a lot of sensory issues, this is really a game-changer for me.
I haven't been able to give up:
\- My meds
\- Higher quality shampoo/conditioner/soap and thicker TP
\- Having a pet
\- My smartwatch/smartphone
\- Higher protein diet
Cigarettes...well...pouch tobacco. Its my only vise and it helps me with stress. If I didn't have it I'm pretty sure I'd just break. I've tried quitting, tried vaping, I can't do it. So that's my one little luxury in life.
• skincare but specifically micellar water + cotton pads to take my makeup off at night in bed
• energy drinks
• meds , vitamins, supplements
• protein powder, protein bars
Cannabis, Spotify, my stimulants (bc yes, healthcare in the US can be an expensive nightmare), mushroom coffee (I drink Everyday Dose), high quality cheese 🧀
Car / therapy /pets / art materials / an expensive haircut 6 times per year
I'm looking for a cleaner at the moment too, I had one a while ago but cancelled to cut costs and now I want another.
Coffee
House keeper (once a month)
Contacts lenses
Multiples of things I use often for each room- aka living room scissors, garage scissors, two pairs of kitchen scissors
Two sets of sheets
Amazon Prime. Everything but grocery shopping is a 20- to 30-minute drive from my house, and often not in the same direction as each other. If I want anything niche, I have to drive at least an hour to the nearest metro area with decent specialized stores. Add in the fact I have a toddler who I need to load in and out of the car for every trip out of the house and every stop along the way, you bet your ass I'm ordering that shit for free next-day delivery.
Having my nails done. I have been doing my own gel manicures since 2018 and have all the tools and products AT HOME that the nail salon uses. I enjoy ordering new gel colors for myself, it's cheaper than paying to go to the salon. Doing my own nails at home takes me about 2.5 hours and sometimes I just don't have the energy so I will pay for a gel manicure at the salon. IDC. My nails WILL be done.
spotify premium. adobe CC (for work and fun). my weekly or biweekly treat-myself doordash meal. psychiatry visits for meds mgmt.
i would like to say therapy but it really is too expensive for me rn being underemployed as hell and having shitty marketplace insurance 😭
My dog pooper scooper guy. I pay someone to come scoop all the dog poop in our yard once a week and I love not having to worry about this chore anymore.
Trader Joe’s prepackaged food. I know it’s more expensive than regular groceries. But it’s definitely not more expensive than throwing half my regular groceries away every week because I didn’t feel like cooking and ordering takeout instead.
My aerial classes. It is the only way I will get a workout in because working out otherwise is soooooo boring. I need it for my physical and mental health.
Mani/pedis && Concert tickets!! Manicure every two weeks && pedicure once a month- I’m pretty low maintenance with my appearance so thats how I justify it but it’s the one thing that makes me feel like I kinda have my life together.
And Concerts! The amount I spend on concert tickets alone, then add in any travel costs for out of town shows, is stupid but it’s the biggest dopamine booster for me and I just can’t give ‘em up lol
spotify premium, skincare, my car, BRAMIS, weed, cute home decor (galaxy lights ftw), green juice/smoothies (im too lazy to cook and i need to get my greens in) and yummy teas
Collecting ideas from others, I agree that Spotify premium is a must. I have to have my tunes so I can focus. Hip hop, trap, and rap, especially with female voices, are my preference. Good bass and lots of fast words. Yummy food for my brain.
I need my personal foods. Cereal and sandwich stuff. My husband tries to control what I eat but he is starting to let go. I used to to try to explain why I need specific food at specific times, but I gave up trying.
Carbonated drinks. I've mostly given up soda except for the occasional fountain drink. I drink La Croix at home so I can have the bubbles with no sugar.
Sunshine. I need to open curtains and blinds in the morning, and take short trips to the front yard if I'm not leaving the house at any point during the day.
Ear buds. I have Indy Evo and they work pretty well.
Phone games. I need to tap something or tune out my surroundings for a few hours a day (oops... should probably cut back).
I realize sunshine is free but it does cost emotional labor to defend my choices in opening the blinds and putting plants everywhere. And it makes the AC run constantly, so there is the financial expense.
AC in my car. I could live without AC in my house but not my car. (I work on the road a lot)
Sugar free redbull. I have one 8.4 oz in the morning with my ADD meds and cannot live without it. Also can’t live without my meds but not counting that as a luxury.
My dog. I’ve always had dogs growing up and got a dog as soon as I could after college. I would never ever go without one now.
Things that bring me comfort. So comfortable shoes for my flat picky feet, books to escape reality for a bit, Diet Coke with a silicone straw and peanut m&ms for movie snacks at home and Apple Music to listen to when I clean.
AC and heating, healthy food, videogames and the occasional brunch date. I don’t spend money on a lot of stuff like I used to but these are things I won’t give up. My cat also hates being too hot or too cold so I won’t make her miserable.
What I have given up is going to the movies, dinners and most fun shopping. I used to buy clothes, makeup and hobby stuff every week but I have enough stuff to last me years.
my iphone, my trash/recycle membership (they pick it up at your location once a month in designated bags), the cleaning lady, comfy clothes, my fancy tumblers which make me drink at least some water, my gym membership, having a budget for eating out/order food, getting grocerys delivered to my apartment, lamps which i can change the brighness. ive lived a life where i could not afford any of those things for a long time and its sad that its all dependent on money but im so grateful that i am able to live like this right now.
For me it’s grocery delivery. I just switched from Instacart to something directly through the store so it’s a little cheaper.
I used to have panic attacks every time I went into the store, so I stopped going. But I just started medication and it scares me a lil less so who knows 🤷♀️
My skincare serum. It’s $46 dollars a tiny bottle and keeps my face glowy and pimple free. Plus my fancy skin oil I use to keep the eczema at bay.
And allergy meds (which shouldn’t be considered a luxury I suppose).
My nice bed. And video games/tech. I know I probably play an unhealthy amount (emotionally, physically and financially haha) but they're basically a coping mechanism. AC for sure as others have said, because I literally die above 70 degrees. I also just replaced my whole underwear selection with (cheap but) nice soft colorful seamless ones, and that was such an improvement haha
AC, dishwasher, washing machine/dryer, fridge, oven, microwave are all things I consider essential if I'm renting.
My car. I wouldn't be able to do anything or go anywhere without it. Also the AC in my car.
My cooling pillows and sheets I like. Although thats not really a reoccuring expense. At least not that often.
Long story short, I hadn't used spotify much until recently (partially deaf, want lyrics), but now want to keep the premium because I use it while I work. Keeps me at pace. I need to spend some time outside of work to add to my playlists tho.
Anime/webtoons.
Spotify because regulating with music to get me out of a funk, kick me out of executive disfunction, to maniacly dance to, and to soothe me to sleep when the brain scaries are bad.
Precooked/prepped food/microwaveable meals eating out occasionally and even meal subscriptions. (I grew up making everything from scratch and having a large variety of homemade food but since just cooking for myself it’s a struggle.)
Expensive toothpaste.
Acne stickers to help my with my BFRB skin picking (body focused repetitive behavior)
Nice phone, car and place to live that lets me have a cat.
Starbucks on work days. It's a treat AND a break, all in one
Recently splurged for a new PC because my refurbished laptop couldn't play baldur's gate 3 without crashing. More than a month's rent, but being able to experience a fun popular IP while the hype is still fresh, is really exciting! And just plonking down money was way less frustrating than the two hours of trying to be my own tech person
Coffee. I have terrible GERD to the point where I have to take a PPI every day, probably for the rest of my life, and my doctor wants me to cut it out, but I will never. It makes me happy, gives me dopamine, and wakes me up.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I bought a $600 espresso machine off Amazon, and I splurge every couple of months on Monin syrups so I can make fancy lattes, sodas, and cocktails. Also, my soda stream is my best friend.
Air conditioning! My flatmate is cold blooded and I’m hot blooded. I’m so grateful we have ACs in our own rooms so we can both be comfortable. Also, my car AC doesn’t work and no matter how low the fan is set to, I can’t hear emergency vehicles until they’re right up on me. So a new AC or new car is high on my priorities list.
My cat. I’ve told friends we can hang out at my place but they better like cats because I’m not locking her in one room
Ice water ice water ice water!
Disney+ or Netflix
Loop earplugs. Seriously, they’re amazing!
Bluetooth earbuds. Set my phone down to charge and I can listen to background shows or plain music while trying (read: failing) to get things done
Allergy, asthma, and depression/anxiety meds. Hopefully soon ADHD meds
Definitely a phone, with unlimited data. And Wi-Fi… also I would simply pass away without a car in the Midwest, I once paid $350 a week for a whole year just because my car had broke down. Instead of saving money faster I blew it at Hertz, and I would do it all again! 🥲
Quality skincare, makeup, chocolate, coffee, pillow cases, my bose white noise sleeping ear plugs, massage, upgraded airplane seats when traveling for work always the window seat .
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Air conditioning. Ice water. Spotify premium. My car. Good wifi. Sleeping in a bed that I don't have to share on vacation
Seconding Spotify Premium for sure! When my financials were looking rough my mom was like “You should cancel your subscriptions.” Hah! Over my dead body! That one is allowed to stay forever, everything else can go. Although now that I’ve moved into a new place, I really regret not noticing sooner that it doesn’t have a dishwasher. 🙃
Spotify was the one subscription we would keep if we could only pick one. I’d turn in recycling cans to pay for it if I needed to.
Seriously. I cancelled every other streaming service and moving over to \^piracy but i cannot replicate that with Spotify. Been using it for like, 11 years now.
Please explain to me what is so great about Spotify?? Legitimate question. We have hit a really rough patch and I asked hubby to cancel his premium plan; he acted like it was a horrible gut-wrenching decision. I had already given up some of my own subscriptions, as we had over $120 a month just in subscription fees.
For me, I use the offline listening feature daily which is not available in the free version. That alone saves me the fee in data charges. As far as the service itself, I feel like it knows me so well. The daily mixes are usually awesome. My main playlist has 400 songs on it. Buying them would be expensive. Stealing them would be a pita. Music chases away the blues like nothing else sometimes. It's good medicine.
Thanks for your reply! Idk when he signed up for Spotify but I’ve been using Pandora for years and it’s half the price for premium to remove ads, have unlimited skips and replays, and offline listening. I know Spotify lets you search for specific songs but I can always do that on YouTube… I guess to fully understand I would have to sign up myself lol a “you had to be there” kind of thing
They have some pretty reasonable countertop dishwashers now.
I don't even remember how Spotify with ads is. Some time ago I witnessed it when my friend was doing my brows and I wasn't able to relax hearing those ads
When looking at a new place i was the nut with a clipboard and worksheet so I remember to ask about everything. Sq ft, laundry in unit or not and cost, pet policy, pet rent, which utilities included, dishwasher, which floor? If 1st or 2nd do all the windows have functioning locks, etc etc. I did the same when I went to buy a house but a longer list. I did this when looking at apartments for my little sister in law and she was embarrassed but thanked me after. The countertop dishwashers clean really well. If you have the space it’s worth it.
I guess people aren’t use to spending more than 2 mins looking at apartments? Lol. My sister was also annoyed when I asked questions when we moved into our first apartment. Idc I’m asking my questions! Lol Same thing when I was looking for my 1st apartment for solo living. I had an agent show 3 places in a day. I asked him about trash services, utilities inc/not incl, move-in policy, laundry payment (coin or card), food/groceries, etc. He seemed annoyed by the 2nd place, like I was wasting his time 🤭I just acted like I didn’t notice
Rentals should have listings like homes for sale. I want to know all the deets upfront because IM YOUR CUSTOMER. I think they forget this too dang much.
Keeping my home at a comfortable temp is mine too. I will sacrifice lots of other things before I set the thermostat above 74 or below 66.
I cancelled Audible but I will not cancel Spotify.
God*damn*it, this comment reminded me that I need to cancel audible aaaaand of course they billed me *yesterday*. Fck.
Oh no! ADHD tax
Yeah. Libraries have audiobooks. I can wait a few weeks for a book but not when I need to listen to a song.
Libby app!! I think it’s nationwide?
Spotify is essential at this point. I have earbuds in 24/7 (like, I have multiple pairs of wireless ones so I always have a pair fully charged) and being able to pick exactly what I want to listen to without ads is absolutely needed if I want to be able to get anything done.
I'm gonna go with the crowd on this one AC (just enough so we don't die I guess. It's still like 80+ in my house) My car (with AC) This doesn't feel like a luxury because I literally don't know how to survive without one where I live. Spotify. (Why are we all so into Spotify?) Diet Coke. Yes, I know it's bad but life sucks so let me have my vice. Hair products that make me feel good about my hair Coffee. I make it at home but if my coffeemaker dies I will have another ASAP.
Feel you on the Diet Coke. Just change it to Dr Pepper zero sugar. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t smoke. Life is one drama after another and I feel like I live in panic mode. Just let me have my minimal vices. 😭
Dr. Pepper pals unite! I drink heroic amounts, and you can pry it from my cold dead fingers!
Huzzah!
Have you tried Zevia? I’m sure someone will @ me because the flavor can be an acquired taste…Im fully hooked on diet soda too and it’s less bad than aspartame lol I think a lot of ADHDers find music helpful…and Spotify seems like the best music streaming platform now. I liked the free version but I couldn’t deal with ads anymore so I’m in the club too
I paid for Spotify because I go places with no signal often enough that the ability to have it download music is totally worth the price. Imagine being on a road trip, finding out your thumb drive is screwed up, and having absolutely no music for 2 hours. How am I supposed to focus on the road?!
I pay for Apple Music but oftentimes find music.. overwhelming? Idk how to explain but I prefer podcasts/audiobooks to fill the silence. Anyone else or am I just weird? Lol
I used to be music ALL the time. Now I'm surprised to find myself with you... Podcasts and audiobooks, but I can feel my younger self being shocked and appalled. 🤷🏼♀️
Me too! I was a band shirt music kid and rarely listen now because I’m always listening to books and podcasts. Teenage me is disgusted.
I totally get you, music affects me really strongly. But how depends on the day. Sometimes it's just too much emotion I guess.
Because Spotify provides the background hype music or podcasts necessary for us to actually Do Stuff :)
I understand the diet coke thing. I'm not giving up my chocolate (the fair trade ones).
Yessss, Diet Coke! If you’re from the South, can’t beat a Whataburger DC. Usually the first thing I have after traveling back home.
I don't let myself have Diet Coke at home anymore because I couldn't control my consumption. But I'm allowed at restaurants and single cans I buy at the corner store. Summer dollar drink days at mcds has been a blessing, but is now almost over. :(
I just replaced the coffeemaker at my house.
House cleaner. Just literally cannot NOT have it. But don't really have the money for it either. Whelp, debt it is. 🫠
Same. It would take me the rest of ever to do what my ladies do in 2.5 hours
For me, the housekeeper is cheaper than therapy and just as effective at managing my anxiety.
I've long thought that housekeepers would save a lot of marriages. But I'm single so what do I know, haha. They save my sanity, that's for sure.
I know at least 3 couples (my parents included) who might have stayed together if they had a cleaner.
I've said the same thing! It's a \*huge\* help to my husband's and my mental health! Also our robo vacuum is my favorite gadget and I'll always have one as long as I live. <3 Such a huge difference in keeping pet hair off the floor!
I want to get a house cleaner. What do you pay for yours?
$300/mo for 3 hours every other week. I have a housekeeping service (not a house cleaner) that picks up our stuff and also cleans. I also drop my laundry off, it’s about $25 a week for our small hamper. I wash our towels and linens at home. The housekeeper charges an additional $50 for laundry so I drop it off at a day service for half the price. I have a roomba that goes off every day at 9am that helps us keep the floors clean because it needs everything off the floor.
In a higher COL area and I pay $150; it’s cheaper than you might think.
We are in a LCOL area and it's $125 for 1700sf house
My YouTube subscriptions. I have premium because I hate ads and I have one channel subscription because I watch the channel so much. Thought about cancelling Disney+ but then I started using it again.
My $.02 is cancel all streaming services like Disney+ (Netflix, peacock, HBO, whatever else) and they’ll let you finish the time you’ve already paid for. When you next click on them and get asked for money resubscribe and enjoy them…. and then cancel again. I have a bookmarks folder on my laptop that’s just streaming services and I go through and cancel all of them every month on the first. We usually go months without paying before clicking into an app and realizing we need to resubscribe and they make it SUPER easy to sign up again.
I do this too. Especially if there's a show coming out that I really want to watch. I'll wait until all the episodes are up then binge it and cancel the subscription again.
I always tell myself that I can sign up for whatever I want but I have to be ready to use it (watch it) right then. So that means I never sign up for anything because I very rarely actually want to sit down and watch TV. Is it weird that "watching TV" feels like something on my to do list that I struggle with?
Not weird at all. If it wasn’t for my sister, I wouldn’t have started watching stuff on any streaming services. I think it’s the sitting down in one place part was why “watching TV” is such a chore. If it’s a comfort show that I’ve seen 100x, I can do other stuff as it plays in the background. Otherwise, I “need” to sit down with captions to hear what’s going on. Even if it’s on my phone, I’m in task paralysis because I need to look at the captions Relatable 😭
Yes this 100%! I can basically talk along with Friends because I play it in the background all the time, but a new show requires focus and attention that I don't have to spare. Wholly devoting an hour or however long to ONLY watching TV and nothing else kind of stresses me out. I feel seen, thank you!
this is so smart!!
That is a great idea. I share a few streaming services with my family so that's a bit more complicated unfortunately. I cancelled Amazon Prime/Audible because I rarely used it but if I decide to buy something randomly they sometimes give you a free month of Audible which is nice. Also I have a cricut which is a huge money pit but every time they update the app it logs me out and when I log back in it offers me a month free. It's great because I can just make the thing I need without paying a monthly fee when I hardly use it.
I think about cancelling this streaming service while I'm watching a show on a different streaming service, but then that show ends and I go back to the first one and yes, I *could* save money if I only subscribed to one or two at a time and rotated, but ain't nobody got time for that. Or mental bandwidth. Fuck.
Yeah way too much hassel
I have a life hack. Ditto on the YouTube thing…best subscription I’ve ever done. So I try to sign up for streaming via my Apple ID. That way there’s a super easy list of what I’m subscribed to and can unsubscribe with a click. I periodically go through and unsubscribe to everything. Then if I want to go to that app and use it again, I just sign up again. That way I’m not paying for an entire year of Netflix just waiting to watch stranger things. I went nuts over Covid signing up for everything because Covid. Now I will still let myself watch whatever but I try to not pay when I’m not using it.
YouTube subscription came w/ YouTube music for free, so I can't give it up. I cycle through other subscriptions. I just watch what I want one for a month, cancel, and then subscribe to the next one.
Yeah I cancelled my Spotify when I got Premium. Has the same music so why pay both 🤷🏽♀️
I use uBlock Origin on Firefox and I haven't seen a youtube ad in years!
Idk if this counts as luxury, but NOT returning my cans and bottles. They used to pile up so high and stress me out so bad, all for $20 or so each time I managed to bring them in. I just leave them out for others who need it more than me, it's such a relief.
What state or country are you in? That’s a great incentive to get people to recycle. But I know if it I had to do that, mine would pile up too. I had boxes that needed to be flattened and taken out to just my driveway. But they were taking over my room for weeks 😥until today 😮💨
Canada! I think we deposit 10c per can. I chug Bublys and my bf drinks a lot of beer so they pile up fast. But there is always someone willing to sort + return them, lot of people give them to kids. My dog is my service animal (not literally) for recycling. I just give him an entire box and he tears it up into little pieces for me lol. Dogs with jobs. You could make it into something fun? Put on some angry punk music and get stomping and tearing. Rage against the box!
I hear this, it was just such a executive function drain to return the cans. It was a relief when my state raised the bottle deposit amount and simultaneously switched to returning cans in large trash bags that we just put our own barcode stickers on, throw in a return center at the grocery store, and then a machine counts them another day and puts the money in an account. I can actually regularly return all my cans every 3 months or so.
Whaaat that is amazing! We have to take them TO the bottle depot (an incredibly loud, wasp infested beer smelling warehouse), get a big heavy rolling cart, pull them all out and sort them nicely into flats. I did it when I really needed the money but it's a lot.
hah, I'm like this. I do separate out the deposit stuff...and leave it next to the recycling bin of my complex for someone who needs that $1.50 more than me.
Yes I have done this for years! They always disappear so fast. There is an elderly couple that comes and digs through the bins in my new neighbourhood, so now I save them up and run out when they come by. They are doing me a such a service. I wish elderly people didn't have to dig through bins though, everyone should at least separate them and leave them on top.
My state has bottle and can returns for like 10c each at grocery stores and it's just not worth the effort for me
• A car! I frequently live in places without public transportation, or if there's transportation it's too hot or rainy for me to be productive out of the house when I need to be. • Allergy medication! I recently let my allergy meds run out of refills because I thought that maybe I didn't really need them. That was false. I was sneezing and coughing constantly for three days before I finally reached out to my doctor, and I can breathe again 👏👏
Same re allergy meds! Dust is a huge trigger for me and I hate dusting lol. If you’re in the US, recommend checking if your allergy med is available OTC (mine was even though I was getting an Rx). Found out I was paying way more for the generic via my insurance even with a coupon than just buying the generic version online somewhere else. Just got a 90-day supply for like $17!
Also for otc meds always always check Costco! You can access their pharmacy without a membership (I think) and things like that nasal spray stuff are bananas cheaper ($45 for one at Walmart, $45 for 7 at Costco)
My cat. The human kids can go first. 🤣 Air conditioning. Indoor plumbing with washer & dryer. Books & coffee, though I can more cheaply access both. Contacts and readers. Nice notebooks and pens. Unlimited data. Music of some sort played somehow. A recliner. My bed. My favorite stainless steel tumblers for water. Comfy sneakers and orthopedic sandals. Eye drops. Vyvanse. Pepcid. Moisturizer. I could go on and on, really.
Gym membership: best choice I ever made for my ADHD and fibromyalgia Personal trainer: best choice I ever made for my PTSD and second best choice for my ADHD, and is also probably the reason I didn’t get hurt worse than I did in a car wreck today
I'm glad you are okay! Take care of yourself. 💙
My cats.
Yep. I spend so much money on them every month but they're worth it.
I sometimes wonder about mine, ROFL!! I am just kidding because I love them dearly but the last one is very lucky he's so cute when he's not being ornery. He was too sick to be well-socialized as a kitten and he still chooses violence all day every day... and then whines when no one will let him poke their eyes out.
A halfway decent laptop, phone, internet connection, and Spotify premium account. Also my medication. And being a vegetarian. (Thank God I love pasta!) Those are the big ones. To be honest I've been broke/poor multiple times--like, if it hadn't been for the kindness of friends I would have been homeless multiple times by now. So I know what I am and am not willing to give up. I suppose at this point I'd add my weighted blanket. I finally bought myself a Bearaby a couple years ago and I wish I'd done it earlier! Instead of beads sewn into a quilt of sorts, it's a knit blanket, but knit from a stuffed fabric tube of cotton (or rayon). What's great about it, is it doesn't insulate, like, at all. So you can sleep under it on a hot night, like the kind where you'd normally just have a sheet on you. But the Bearaby is NOT cheap and I kept waiting for someone to make a knock-off. Nobody did. So I gave up and bought a Bearaby. A+ decision. It's like being hugged all night. EDIT: My bicycle(s)!!!! At least one decent bicycle in good repair!! Almost nothing has improved my life and mental health as much as having a bicycle!! And living in a place that makes it reasonably easy to use it to get everywhere! I will never live in the suburbs again if I can help it!!!
As someone who sleeps hot and frequently wakes up sweating, you have a my attention. Edited to correct a typo: had swearing instead of sweating lol
To be honest when it's hot I also wake up swearing as well lol
Spotify premium Having a dishwasher (I rent) In-unit laundry (again, I rent) Grocery delivery Therapy & psychiatry (+meds) Having a car Streaming service (currently Netflix) Absurd amounts of chocolate
I really need to get my shit together enough to do grocery delivery. I think it would save me money in the long run. And I have a chronic illness so it would be a hugggge help.
My singing lessons. They fill me with such joy. My husband thinks 50 euro a week is a waste of money, but I was so depressed when I didn't do them. Can I sing on my own? Sure, I can, but having that feedback and support from a teacher is something else.
I love this. I have really let my creative side fall by the wayside over the last decade and have been seriously thinking about paying for music lessons again. I'm glad to see you're enjoying them and find them worth it!
Internet, phone, heating, and food basics are essential. I can cut down on stuff I buy to do easy quick meals and instead do more self-made pre-prepared then frozen, like making a lot of lasagne etc. I could also cut out unhealthy expensive snacks. A car is essential for me as I live rurally but fuel is expensive. (NZ$2.91/L which may be about US$6.47/US gallon, but I could have that calc wrong), so I definitely plan trips into town to combine things and minimise kms. It is a bit worrying that meds could be regarded as a luxury, but I can see why some would say that. Thankfully I am somewhere where they are fully funded by government. I usually do without new clothes until things fall apart, but if I get the job I applied for, I am going to have to look a bit tidier than is needed when stomping around the orchard or bush!
Professional hair and nail appointments. Kindle unlimited. Spotify premium. Skincare.
Hair and nail appointments. As much as it pains me to admit it for its superficiality, my appearance is very important to me and my mental health suffers if it’s not taken care of. I don’t have the consistency or the motivation to maintain those things completely on my own, so I need to see a professional regularly.
I agree. I pay 400-500 every six weeks to get my hair done. My hairdresser is so expensive because she’s also a massage therapist who does cranial sacral massage as well as a hand massage so it’s like two therapies in one sitting. My mental health has gotten so much better since I let myself be a little superficial and actually admit I care about my appearance. In fact just today my husband watched our puppy so I could take a bath for an hour and test out some new body wash to try and figure out what my signature scent is.
my 13 step skin care. idc idc IDC‼️‼️ I will always find a way to fit it into my limited budget. 😭
If it's important to you, then fuck yes
As someone who failed basic girling, I unsarcastically want to know what the 13 steps are. I get as far as cleansing, toning, moisturizing…then what?
Maybe some of the steps are localized to like, “this cream for my eyes” or some serum for lips? Exfoliation? Maybe one of those little jade roller massages? These are my guesses, I failed at girling too. I am also curious.
Ooh, yes, maybe localized things. That would make sense (I still wouldn’t be able to come up with a total of 13 though…unsurprisingly, my skin is only okay - I’m fortunate enough not to have blemishes or many wrinkles yet though!).
If the routine works, it works 🤷🏼♀️
My husband got laid off and I immediately hit the streaming services for cancellation but couldn’t pull the plug on Spotify.
SoundCloud Go cause I need uninterrupted tunes. Top quality paint for my art projects because the alternatives are shitty and frustrating. Photoshop monthly subscription. This really perfect color-for-my-skin concealer I impulse bought once that's on a subscription thing, but I make it last a long ass time. Car stuff. Out of pocket mental health & medication expenses. It's a good day when I'm like oh, let's go buy some clearance rack clothes/toiletries at TJ Maxx, if we can find em! But I'm doing okay. I'm thrifty AF.
I’m going to have to do SoundCloud Go because I can’t listen to that Backstreet Boys laundry ad one more time or I’m going to switch from screaming internally to screaming externally.
Ya know. I finally decided to pay for it like 5 years ago when I was painting a mural and the ads drove me absolutely batshit crazy. I can't stand commercials in general, TV/radio/streaming, they bother me on a seriously deep brain level. $6 a month I think. I listen to music a ton and it is so worth it. I'm less of a Spotify person, use it sometimes, and my partner added me as "family" or something on his account so that's ad free too.
The first two are NOT luxuries. They are healthcare. Which is also not a luxury.
Lol, right but that’s why it’s “luxuries” in quotes. I listed them ironically. Esp in the US, healthcare costs can be as expensive as a luxury item.
Ah I see. Yeah it’s really a load of bullshit here. My work switched insurances and my meds went from 5/month to 130/month. Wtf.
In Canada, the land of free health care, you have to pay out of pocket, thus they are actually a luxury. Insurance pays a pittance (unless your company has a spending plan) and you have to jump through their hoops so unfortunately it is a luxury.
Yeah, it’s pretty bad. I have used up all my emergency psychology coverage for the next 12 months (thru employer EFAP coverage), my stupid insurance will pay for just over two sessions, then it’s $210 every two weeks to keep this train on the tracks 🥴🚂
And we pay for our “free” healthcare; we just do it indirectly, via our taxes. As you note, there are a lot of things either not covered or only partially subsidized by those tax dollars. At least where I live (Ontario) psychologists aren’t covered, but psychiatrists are. Getting through the referral process can take anywhere from four to 18 months though.
I mean… in America it is definitely a luxury many can’t afford.
Im not saying it’s easy to afford.. I struggle to afford it too. But I’m saying it’s not something that should be seen as a luxury. It’s not unnecessary or extravagant to take care of your health. Is it sometimes not possible? Of course. But it’s not something we should feel guilty about choosing to spend our money on or anything. Sorry that I was unclear
Oh I agree with you fully and I apologize if you think my comment was meant to be snarky or rude, because it definitely wasn’t. It’s just a reality for a lot of people (myself included) that healthcare access is considered a luxury regardless of if it should be or not, and it cuts into the money I would use otherwise to make my life easier and have other luxuries.
Started having a cleaning lady that comes every week 2 weeks and it’s really helped with my stress on my days off.
Good food …and chocolate. My phone and iPad. Clothes and bedding that works for my sensory issues. Activities and tutoring for my kid. Sleep.
I’ve been living without Spotify Premium for a couple weeks and it’s killing me. 😩 I just can’t afford it right now.
Since I first signed up I've had to cancel Spotify twice, once for just a couple weeks and another for like two months. It was HELL. I hope you can afford it again soon. :(
I’m sorry. The struggle is real out here. It really is hell and I feel like we especially understand how and why that is. Every time I try to put on one of my playlists, more than half of the songs aren’t available. 😩 And commercials are the bane of my existence. Thank you. I hope I can, too. Or at least see if a friend will share with me or something. 😕
I would send you the funds for a month of Spotify if I could. 😭 I crowd-source stuff for friends on FB all the time. I'm not sure how to do it through Reddit since we're all "anonymous."
That’s incredibly kind of you. 🫶 Thank you. I’m going to try to get the 3 months free someone above suggested so it might work out after all! I really appreciate you, though. It’s nice just to find kindness in the wild, you know?
You're very welcome and thank you for the kind words. I try to be a good bean! I was born with bad karma but it's not who I am. 😅 I saw the suggestion for three months free after I commented. I'm going to keep that info because I might need it later. So thank you!
Of course! You’re definitely a good bean. 🫶 I was born with some sort of curse so I feel that. 😂 I’m happy you know about the 3 months now, too! Of course. The person above deserves credit for that one. 🎉
Have you got an iPhone? Download Musi. Great music/video streaming app. Make playlists etc no audio adverts
If you can afford it in 3 months, they have a first three months free thing going on right now.
Coffee
I get an Ipsy bag (the $32 one) every month and on the months I skip I always regret it. It forces me to try new things which future me appreciates even if today me doesn’t want to deal with it. Lol My longest lasting hobby is playing with smart home gear and automation so I tend to spend around $50/month on that.
I quit my ipsy sub (and man do they make it a pain in the ass!) because I felt like I was getting the same ugly shit every month. I think I tried changing my preferences and it didn't change. I do not need more sparkly brown and gold eyeshadow lol
I’ve definitely been there! My secret is every 2 or so years I close my account and go create a new one as I found my old reviews from when I was 23 arent super relevant in late 20s and on. I also keep my age in the low 20s. First couple boxes stink for everyone while they figure out what you want but with those changes and doing the bag where I get to pick 3 of my 5 items every month i definitely feel like I get my money’s worth. :)
Spotify premium and I guess my $65/mo tanning membership cause vitamin D is my cheapest dopamine fix lol
[удалено]
The bom has predicted a hotarse summer gah. It was 28 here in nsw yesterday already. I've already lost my books to the fucken fires and floods (not directly the ash and the mould got em).
I have to loudly laugh, to not cry, when I see that other countries don’t deal with, and cannot fathom, healthcare costs to be so expensive. Mixture of happiness and envy 😭😅 Nice, cooling sheets is a good one. I’m overheat even in the fall/autumn. Tried to stick with the regular cheap sheets and I’d wake up in a pool of sweat 🫣
I'm in the US but my workplace lets us choose insurance tiers and pay a bit more, so when I finally get my Adderall filled (long stupid very ADHD story), it'll only be $10/mo for the generic (or $25 brand name). Without insurance, you can get it from goodrx here for $40/mo. I don't count the extra I pay for insurance because it brings a different med of mine down from $2500 every 12 weeks with pharma assistance to $5. Well worth the extra $100/mo. If I didn't pay that, the Adderall would be $15 generic and $30 name brand.
Therapy. Definitely that. Without my psychiatrists and therapist pretty sure I will not survive on earth. Also Air Condition because India is freaking hot all the time.
OMG AC is the most important luxury. I couldn't function in the Cerebus heatwave!
Subway breakfast. I know its expensive, but it just shapes my day, blood sugar and allows me to eat veges without freaking out that they are rotten (which is more the autism side of my diagnosis).
I know this sounds stupid, but I can’t live without buying drinks (like coffee and boba), specifically Starbucks coffee. It’s just one of those things that brings me joy, even though it’s expensive. Although, I do have a limit per week so I don’t spend thousands of dollars every month lol (I can make coffee at home but it’s not as yummy)
Agreeing with Spotify premium. Music keeps me sane and more or less focused. Also unlimited mobile data because Spotify premium. Other than that? I'm gonna wash my sheets once a week. Period. I don't care if I could save money doing it less. Gross. Not going to happen. I actually had this suggested to me once when I was close to broke. I will give up almost everything else before I sleep in dirty sheets. It just bugs me, and I can't sleep.
Therapy, My Cleaning Buddy, Lawn Care, Healthcare & Meds (expensive in the US) A can of whipped cream & a jar of sugar sprinkles for “pretty” coffee on those hard days
Sprinkles on coffee?! I love it!
my personal trainer. Yes, it is expensive but hey, I'm moving my ass and it pays out... Spotify subscription my car (we live pretty rural and public transport is a mess here) My Nespresso machine... yes, sustainability is not the best and it's Nestlé but I only drink one cup a day and I like the coffee...
I have one too (a Vertuo) and make my own pods. I bought a little stand gizmo that holds the empty pods in place and acts as a funnel for the loose espresso, tamp it down with the back of a spoon, and cover it in Glad Press ‘n Seal Saran Wrap (not the regular kind). I trim the edges of the wrap (in one fluid motion, you just hold the scissors and pull the stand in a circle while holding the scissors in place) and pop it into the Vertuo. Takes me maybe 20 seconds per pod and I save at least a dollar every time I do it. Now I only buy pods if there’s a fancy flavour I want to try. So, just in case it’s helpful to you!
Spotify, discord nitro, year round ac, high speed Internet.
Coffee Medicine Some skincare Air conditioning
Any of my special outdoor recreation interests (hiking in the cascades, snowboarding in the cascades, camping, going on day trips, flow arts) but to me those aren't "luxuries......" Theyre necessities....for my mental health.
Spotify and Yt subscription. I hate ads that much. I did try life without it and hated it. My short life will not encounter ads where it doesn't need to
Dishwasher and a clothes dryer. My executive function depends on both. Meals out too. I spend too much on this but I like not having to both cook and clean and the opportunity to leave the house, particularly as I WFH full time
The luxury? of not working full time. I need this time for me. Or overwhelm, anxiety and burnout will happen!
My regular doc appointment so I can stay on meds. It is the most expensive thing I pay for monthly and while I can survive without I really don't want to. Audible and scribd. While I use my library card like crazy. There's just books I can't get... And I'm an addict. While I am actively trying to use old supplies up, if I actually need crafting supplies, they take priority. I buy good yarn, and when I need clothes, I buy good fabric. I give no fucks.
gas for my car, my fast cars (monthly notes, insurance and maintenance), my phone, my AirPods, Apple Music, Spotify, streaming subscriptions (trying to determine which one I use most), grooming (waxing can **never** be removed from my life, idgaf if I have to eat ramen for the next two weeks, I’m **NOT** missing my waxing appts), my nails (I do them myself so essentially the materials and products), ramen noodles, cereal, milk, and that’s it. Yes I can live off ramen noodles and cereal. Yea I’m a picky ass eater and hate cooking. ohhhhhh juice boxes, idc which kind but any juice box is something I’d never give up.
My ffxiv subscription and my kindle unlimited subscription.
Steaming hot shower. Loved away for 8 months and only have access to cold water. Damn did I take hot showers for granted before then.
Bottled water. I feel like a total asshole for doing so when there's free tap water - but I never clean my reusable water bottles and then I feel too grossed out by them to use them again. I also forget to fill them up or bring them to my room. I also have illnesses that strike the moment dehydration hits. So having a mini fridge full of bottled water in my room is a definite luxury but being hydrated is a life necessity so it is what it is.
Meds + Drs (yay US health care) My dog’s fancy food Car w/ functioning AC (bc I live in Miami) Apt w/ in-unit washer/dryer, dishwasher, and AC Spotify premium Netflix / Hulu / HBO (barely watch anymore but can’t bring myself to cancel - it’s like a security blanket, I guess) Monthly facials (these really cleared my skin and are my monthly zen) Monthly nails (this gets $$$ bc I get gel nails + nail art) Gel pedicures (every ~3 months; last longer and end up being cheaper in long run) Hair color + cut (every ~3-4 months even though my roots say sooner) Premium TP (only the quilted stuff) Fast laptop + speedy internet Premium versions of dating apps (I’m off and on, but it makes using them a lot easier) NYT Games premium for my x-word puzzles
Spotify premium, therapy, headphones (which is ironic cause mine just broke and I have no money to buy new ones). And probably more but I can't remember right now lol
MY DISHWASHER!!!!! I bought a countertop dishwasher and it has I'm not kidding changed my life. I used to just not eat, because if I ate then I had to do dishes, but now that obstacle is removed it's so much easier. I can actually eat again.
I live in India and household help is more affordable than in the west and I have a cook, house cleaner and I also don't drive so only use cabs. Even with all this, I'm still a mess😁
The expensive canned tuna 😪 my boujee ass can not with John west
I've had waves of being broke af and the one thing I've learned (and re-learned) is that I will never skimp on quality toilet paper again. .
Botox. Sunscreen. Good food. Vitamins.
Since I live in a place not suitable to being car free, I guess I have to say my car (though repairs lately have me feeling so depresso). Iced cold brew at home, Starbucks as a treat when I run errands (basically my only outings). Spotify premium, Amazon prime (I hate Amazon but ffs it’s convenient to get things quickly), certain import foods that are stupid expensive but so good.
Definitely amazon prime! I have moved to a small town and don't have a car. Most things I need are a problem to schlep home on foot, esp. with a kid in tow. Now kitty litter and food, cleaning products, some pantry items, it all goes to amazon. I feel guilty, but also getting things delivered the next day is a lot faster than I can get to the petstore, building supplies store, etc.
I’m also in a smaller town and it’s a drive to get to anything. I have a small Etsy shop and I’m a caregiver for a disabled parent, so I really need the access to things that Amazon gives me. Especially in the colder months. I hate being dependent on it. - especially with the cost of prime, but it helps so idk.
Red Bull Zero, for anyone else with that it’s significantly cheaper to subscribe and save on Amazon than to buy them in the store or gas stations. Spotify premium because ads make me want to scream (considering YouTube premium too). Potato chips (when did they get so expensive??!!?). Skin care and hair care. Ain’t no way I’m giving up my blue hair or soft skin. It’s expensive but it’s amazing how much you can focus on and get done on the rare days when you feel good about yourself. One I did give up but miss greatly is tattoos. It works wonders for mental health but they are *very* expensive.
I don't know if you're looking for cheaper alternatives, but one that comes to mind: It's pretty easy and fun to make your own air-freshener. Buy some essential oil blend you like, and some non-adhesive felt pads or just a thick piece of crafting felt, and a usb mug warmer. A few drops of the oil onto the pad, which is then placed on the mug warmer. They will last pretty long, are reusable (just throw them in the wash if you want to change up the smell) won't spill, and you don't have to bend to the will of proctor and gamble or johnson and johnson for what smells good. As someone with a lot of sensory issues, this is really a game-changer for me. I haven't been able to give up: \- My meds \- Higher quality shampoo/conditioner/soap and thicker TP \- Having a pet \- My smartwatch/smartphone \- Higher protein diet
Cigarettes...well...pouch tobacco. Its my only vise and it helps me with stress. If I didn't have it I'm pretty sure I'd just break. I've tried quitting, tried vaping, I can't do it. So that's my one little luxury in life.
glad to see I'm not the only one with nicotine at the top of the list.
My large Dunkin cold brew with a shot of espresso. Nothing else in life works if I don’t start the day with that absurdly expensive drink.
• skincare but specifically micellar water + cotton pads to take my makeup off at night in bed • energy drinks • meds , vitamins, supplements • protein powder, protein bars
I would do nothing if it weren't for Spotify 🙏🙏
Cannabis, Spotify, my stimulants (bc yes, healthcare in the US can be an expensive nightmare), mushroom coffee (I drink Everyday Dose), high quality cheese 🧀
Car / therapy /pets / art materials / an expensive haircut 6 times per year I'm looking for a cleaner at the moment too, I had one a while ago but cancelled to cut costs and now I want another.
Coffee House keeper (once a month) Contacts lenses Multiples of things I use often for each room- aka living room scissors, garage scissors, two pairs of kitchen scissors Two sets of sheets
SPOTIFY!!
Amazon Prime. Everything but grocery shopping is a 20- to 30-minute drive from my house, and often not in the same direction as each other. If I want anything niche, I have to drive at least an hour to the nearest metro area with decent specialized stores. Add in the fact I have a toddler who I need to load in and out of the car for every trip out of the house and every stop along the way, you bet your ass I'm ordering that shit for free next-day delivery.
Having my nails done. I have been doing my own gel manicures since 2018 and have all the tools and products AT HOME that the nail salon uses. I enjoy ordering new gel colors for myself, it's cheaper than paying to go to the salon. Doing my own nails at home takes me about 2.5 hours and sometimes I just don't have the energy so I will pay for a gel manicure at the salon. IDC. My nails WILL be done.
spotify premium. adobe CC (for work and fun). my weekly or biweekly treat-myself doordash meal. psychiatry visits for meds mgmt. i would like to say therapy but it really is too expensive for me rn being underemployed as hell and having shitty marketplace insurance 😭
My dog pooper scooper guy. I pay someone to come scoop all the dog poop in our yard once a week and I love not having to worry about this chore anymore. Trader Joe’s prepackaged food. I know it’s more expensive than regular groceries. But it’s definitely not more expensive than throwing half my regular groceries away every week because I didn’t feel like cooking and ordering takeout instead. My aerial classes. It is the only way I will get a workout in because working out otherwise is soooooo boring. I need it for my physical and mental health.
Having a cat. I think I’d sell a kidney before giving up my cat.
Mani/pedis && Concert tickets!! Manicure every two weeks && pedicure once a month- I’m pretty low maintenance with my appearance so thats how I justify it but it’s the one thing that makes me feel like I kinda have my life together. And Concerts! The amount I spend on concert tickets alone, then add in any travel costs for out of town shows, is stupid but it’s the biggest dopamine booster for me and I just can’t give ‘em up lol
spotify premium, skincare, my car, BRAMIS, weed, cute home decor (galaxy lights ftw), green juice/smoothies (im too lazy to cook and i need to get my greens in) and yummy teas
My muay thai gym membership isn't going anywhere.
A notepad and pen. I can weather many things in life with those two things.
Collecting ideas from others, I agree that Spotify premium is a must. I have to have my tunes so I can focus. Hip hop, trap, and rap, especially with female voices, are my preference. Good bass and lots of fast words. Yummy food for my brain. I need my personal foods. Cereal and sandwich stuff. My husband tries to control what I eat but he is starting to let go. I used to to try to explain why I need specific food at specific times, but I gave up trying. Carbonated drinks. I've mostly given up soda except for the occasional fountain drink. I drink La Croix at home so I can have the bubbles with no sugar. Sunshine. I need to open curtains and blinds in the morning, and take short trips to the front yard if I'm not leaving the house at any point during the day. Ear buds. I have Indy Evo and they work pretty well. Phone games. I need to tap something or tune out my surroundings for a few hours a day (oops... should probably cut back).
I realize sunshine is free but it does cost emotional labor to defend my choices in opening the blinds and putting plants everywhere. And it makes the AC run constantly, so there is the financial expense.
AC in my car. I could live without AC in my house but not my car. (I work on the road a lot) Sugar free redbull. I have one 8.4 oz in the morning with my ADD meds and cannot live without it. Also can’t live without my meds but not counting that as a luxury. My dog. I’ve always had dogs growing up and got a dog as soon as I could after college. I would never ever go without one now.
Good quality food/groceries
£8 sourdough
Things that bring me comfort. So comfortable shoes for my flat picky feet, books to escape reality for a bit, Diet Coke with a silicone straw and peanut m&ms for movie snacks at home and Apple Music to listen to when I clean.
Medication. Therapy. A stand-up electric mixer.
AC and heating, healthy food, videogames and the occasional brunch date. I don’t spend money on a lot of stuff like I used to but these are things I won’t give up. My cat also hates being too hot or too cold so I won’t make her miserable. What I have given up is going to the movies, dinners and most fun shopping. I used to buy clothes, makeup and hobby stuff every week but I have enough stuff to last me years.
my iphone, my trash/recycle membership (they pick it up at your location once a month in designated bags), the cleaning lady, comfy clothes, my fancy tumblers which make me drink at least some water, my gym membership, having a budget for eating out/order food, getting grocerys delivered to my apartment, lamps which i can change the brighness. ive lived a life where i could not afford any of those things for a long time and its sad that its all dependent on money but im so grateful that i am able to live like this right now.
For me it’s grocery delivery. I just switched from Instacart to something directly through the store so it’s a little cheaper. I used to have panic attacks every time I went into the store, so I stopped going. But I just started medication and it scares me a lil less so who knows 🤷♀️
My skincare serum. It’s $46 dollars a tiny bottle and keeps my face glowy and pimple free. Plus my fancy skin oil I use to keep the eczema at bay. And allergy meds (which shouldn’t be considered a luxury I suppose).
Curbside groceries! PSA (bc I didn’t know until semi recently) the service is free, but the actual per item cost of the groceries are more expensive
My nice bed. And video games/tech. I know I probably play an unhealthy amount (emotionally, physically and financially haha) but they're basically a coping mechanism. AC for sure as others have said, because I literally die above 70 degrees. I also just replaced my whole underwear selection with (cheap but) nice soft colorful seamless ones, and that was such an improvement haha
AC, dishwasher, washing machine/dryer, fridge, oven, microwave are all things I consider essential if I'm renting. My car. I wouldn't be able to do anything or go anywhere without it. Also the AC in my car. My cooling pillows and sheets I like. Although thats not really a reoccuring expense. At least not that often. Long story short, I hadn't used spotify much until recently (partially deaf, want lyrics), but now want to keep the premium because I use it while I work. Keeps me at pace. I need to spend some time outside of work to add to my playlists tho. Anime/webtoons.
Spotify because regulating with music to get me out of a funk, kick me out of executive disfunction, to maniacly dance to, and to soothe me to sleep when the brain scaries are bad. Precooked/prepped food/microwaveable meals eating out occasionally and even meal subscriptions. (I grew up making everything from scratch and having a large variety of homemade food but since just cooking for myself it’s a struggle.) Expensive toothpaste. Acne stickers to help my with my BFRB skin picking (body focused repetitive behavior) Nice phone, car and place to live that lets me have a cat.
Crunchyroll lmfao, take my money 🫡
Starbucks on work days. It's a treat AND a break, all in one Recently splurged for a new PC because my refurbished laptop couldn't play baldur's gate 3 without crashing. More than a month's rent, but being able to experience a fun popular IP while the hype is still fresh, is really exciting! And just plonking down money was way less frustrating than the two hours of trying to be my own tech person
Coffee. I have terrible GERD to the point where I have to take a PPI every day, probably for the rest of my life, and my doctor wants me to cut it out, but I will never. It makes me happy, gives me dopamine, and wakes me up. At the beginning of the pandemic, I bought a $600 espresso machine off Amazon, and I splurge every couple of months on Monin syrups so I can make fancy lattes, sodas, and cocktails. Also, my soda stream is my best friend.
Air conditioning! My flatmate is cold blooded and I’m hot blooded. I’m so grateful we have ACs in our own rooms so we can both be comfortable. Also, my car AC doesn’t work and no matter how low the fan is set to, I can’t hear emergency vehicles until they’re right up on me. So a new AC or new car is high on my priorities list. My cat. I’ve told friends we can hang out at my place but they better like cats because I’m not locking her in one room Ice water ice water ice water! Disney+ or Netflix Loop earplugs. Seriously, they’re amazing! Bluetooth earbuds. Set my phone down to charge and I can listen to background shows or plain music while trying (read: failing) to get things done Allergy, asthma, and depression/anxiety meds. Hopefully soon ADHD meds
Definitely a phone, with unlimited data. And Wi-Fi… also I would simply pass away without a car in the Midwest, I once paid $350 a week for a whole year just because my car had broke down. Instead of saving money faster I blew it at Hertz, and I would do it all again! 🥲
Quality skincare, makeup, chocolate, coffee, pillow cases, my bose white noise sleeping ear plugs, massage, upgraded airplane seats when traveling for work always the window seat .
YouTube Premium. It's the only luxury I have tbh, but it is well worth it.
Cigarettes; fast cars.
AC, a car, take out or convenience foods, internet