Extravagance

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Hi everyone! We all have those little places in our life where we throw thrift out the window! I was thinking about this last night, we all went on Cale's annual "get ready for hunting" shopping expedition.

Wow! Can he shop or what? I think his credit card was getting hot last night!!! This is a man who duct tapes his coveralls together so he doesn't have to buy new ones. But when he sees some new hunting gimmick, he wants it!!!

(Don't e-mail me about the evils of using credit cards, I just didn't have my check-book, and I will pay the bill in full when it comes!!!)

He also splurged big time when we bought our new leather furniture for our living room. 2 big couches, 2 wing back recliners, all in special order leather, (the regular wouldn't do...) we spent more money than we did on the room we put the furniture in. The kids and I were just sitting there in complete shock and dismay. He definitely knows what he wants!!!!!

My own extravagances are: BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS I love them!! I also love flowers for my perennial garden and I am always looking for some new and different specimen. Last night I fould some drumstick allium that gets 1 foot flower heads on them. I can't wait for spring to see them!! They were 30% off at least!!

OK everybody chime in now, what is your biggest extravagance????

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), November 03, 2001

Answers

I tend to go hog-wild on school supplies. I don't like buying used books for homeschool; I want brand-new, hard back if possible. Also, I bought the manipulatives set for Saxon math for $40 when I could easily have made my own. I buy all sorts of things that we may not necessarily need, but give a little "something" to our school day. This year I didn't buy as much, but usually each child gets a new eraser, new crayons (they have to be Crayola) or colored pencils, new pens/pencils. This year we did get each child their own desk, although they can't really be called an extravagance since they cost only $2 each (including chairs) at a school-going-out-of-business sale.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 03, 2001.

I love books and spend a lot on them. I am getting ready to splurge on yarn-I love knitting and crocheting and usually make do with Super saver skiens from Wal-mart. I sprained my ankle yesterday and so I ordered a yarn catalog so I plan to splurge on some nice yarn-of course this was before my husband said the car needs some repairs-I think we spend more on the stupid cars than anywhere else!

-- Kelly in Ky (ksaderholm@yahoo.com), November 03, 2001.

Under this roof the idea of splurging is limited to two things, both are over $2.00 a pound- cheese and anchovies!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 03, 2001.

Mitch, I'm with you - nothing like really good cheese - imported parmesano reggianno is a favorite in this house! And once a year I try to get out to the best restaurant I can find and have a seriously fabulous dinner. I check out reviews, do my homework and bring my credit card - the last one was in NYC at a place called Gabriel's, right close to the park.

-- Judi (ddecaro@snet.net), November 03, 2001.

Melissa, we share extravagances. My gardens keep growing as does my book collection.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 03, 2001.


Hello Melissa, We have been living in a continuous construction site for over one year and a half. We have tighten our belts and counted every penny since we started our new homestead. The only place that we splurge is meals. As both Meli and I are semi-retired professional chefs we just could not give up eating the gourmet cooking that we were both used to do. We do not eat out anymore but, as a compromise we buy ingredients that add the "gourmet touch" to our meals. Meals are all prepared from scratch but, little items such as "feta cheese", hard to find herbs and spices, certain dressings, mineral waters, extra extra virgin olive oil, speciality teas, espresso coffee and such are the splurges that make living in these times a little saner. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), November 03, 2001.

I'm with Cathy, I love new school supplies. I will buy everything new, even if I can make it. I also have a weekness for books . I collect cookbooks and have over 200 and I have 6 5foot books shelfs in the house. I also love craft supplies.I never leave Wal-Mart without aleast one book for me, one for John Michael and one new craft project. I can tighten everywhere but here!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), November 03, 2001.

My extravagances are organic food, which I wouldn't buy if I couldn't afford it but I can afford it now because we have lived so frugally over our 27 years of married life. I also love books and could easily go wild on them but I try hard to be careful. I have bought lots of good used books and my favorite "haunt" is a used book store! I also love, Melissa, perrenials and really all kinds of flowers. I'm really just getting my flower gardens going good since we moved here 8 years ago and last May I did go wild (I thought). I spent over $100 on flowers. Never spent that much on flowers in my life but then again, I can afford it now because........I'm not trying to brag because we are by no means wealthy, well I guess that depends on how you define wealthy, but I want to point out the rewards of being frugal for later on in your life to encourage some of you younger folks.

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), November 03, 2001.

Boy, I sound like a lot of you. I have always loved books and have spent most of my extra cash on them all my life. But, I've donated so many of them to Friends of the Library causes that I could probably fill an entire library. Now, I am more careful in my buying, but I keep on doing it. Now, how-to books and philosophical types seem to make their way to the top of my list. I went to the bookstore with my daughter the other day and was astounded when I saw so many new books about all kinds of things. lol I really felt like a hick come in from the cold. lol She did talk me into buying a couple of fiction paperbacks, which I will read more to be able to talk books with her than it would be for myself. Who knows, maybe I'll like them. I also seem to collect fabrics. Odd types. I have boxes all over the house. Most are meant for clothes, but I've started collecting quilting fabrics too. One thing I will agree to let my husband purchase storebought for me are those cheap little silkie pj bottoms from Walmart. Honest to goodness, I feel like a queen in those silly things. I could make 3 for the price he pays, which isn't much, but I love having something that feels that soft next to my skin. I cringe at the prices for clothing these days. If I let him, he'd run amuck in Victoria Secrets on girly things for me. He loves doing that. But, I would literally look like someone with a back problem walking around the farm doing chores from all the stays in most of those overpriced undies. lol I tend to buy powertools too. I believe in the middle of the road pricing of things like that, so I don't get junk, but I don't buy labels either. I've had to calm myself in that area lately. lol I need to build a workshop first. I've been told that I have more tools than most men in my county. I lived on this farm as a single woman and was the one who rebuilt the bathroom from the joists up, alone, after the toilet fell through the floor. Well, gotta go. A storm's coming and I just saw lightening in the distance. Have a great day all. Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 03, 2001.

I am a Quilter so for me it's fabric,fabric,fabric LOL

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), November 03, 2001.


I LOVE perfume! I have since I was a child. I enjoy trying out different ones although I have some all time favorites. Another is books. I think I have at least forty feet of book shelving filled with paperbacks. I like their size as they are easier to carry and hold. Then, there is fabric! I love to sew and could spend days in a fabric store! (Did you ever see the expression of a bored husband, waiting for his wife to finish looking at fabric? It's hilarious.)

-- Ardie/Wi (ardie54965@hotmail.com), November 03, 2001.

Feta cheese, hands down....I don't care if it gets to $10/pound somehow I would manage to buy it anyway....cannot eat a salad without it....second extravagance, and a close runner-up with the feta cheese are my collection of old books I have about two hundred medical books, none of which were published after 1880. My oldest book is one from 1796..you gotta love them leeches! Good thing I can't get around as I used to because when we hit the flea markets and old/rare bookstores, I would always find one or two that HAD to come home with me. Other folks read romances and mysteries late at night.....I read how to do an appendectomy using leather restraints and soiled instruments..wheeeee...

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), November 03, 2001.

Groceries! Doesn't matter what I try to do, I always spend a TON of money at the grocery store every time I go. Even if I only run in for a few things, I usually come home with $100.00 worth or more.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), November 04, 2001.

Books, animals and groceries! Altho I try to economize on all three. I simply cannot do without books. I do use the local library extensively, and am fortunate that they also have a paperback exchange. I do most of my book shopping at thrift stores and second hand book stores. I doubt I buy 1 new book in 5 years, other than as gifts. In addition to all my regular reading, I have quite a collection of homesteading type books, everything from gardening and animal husbandry to some of the Foxfire books and Five Acres and Independence, etc. I usually pay .25-.50 cents, occasionally up to a dollar for a really nice hardback (some still bearing their $24.95 price tags!). And I get all my Countryside mags absolutely free! :) So my dh rarely complains about the book addiction.

I try to make most of our animals pay for themselves, but we are always having dogs/cats dumped here (4 this summer). We usually find ourselves unable to turn them away, and spay/neuter, shots, worming and petfood get expensive. Again, I take advantage of deals with my vet and local spay/neuter clinics. (Just had 4 cats altered, wormed, treated for ear mites, first vaccinations and rabies shots for a total of $40.) Will get the last male kitten neutered in Feb. for $10. I generally do all my own shots, worming and treating for illnesses, and barter with my vet for the cost of meds. Nevertheless, the pets are an extravagance, altho I must say we don't have mice problems. VBG

Groceries - I once went through a rough time in my life where I rarely knew where the next meal was coming from, and I had 3 kids at the time. Thank the Lord, we never went hungry, but ever since I have been adamant about keeping a good stock of groceries on hand. I shop carefully and frugally, raise some of our own food, etc. but I too am one who often goes in for a $2 item and comes back out with $100 worth of groceries (usually a great sale on canned food).

So I guess maybe I am frugally extravagant?

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), November 04, 2001.


Books and animals. I hae floor to ceiling book cases filled solid and I never get tired of re-reading them. My other passion is dogs, I love my dogs and tend to spend more on them than I should.

-- Roxanne (Roxanne143@webtv.net), November 04, 2001.


Breakfast Tacos . . . books . . . Music CD's . . . in that order. I only subscribe to three magazines (and keep all of them, to my wife's dismay). I have enough hunting / camping equipment to last several lifetimes, too.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), November 05, 2001.

Okay, I confess to actually buying the frilly Victoria's Secret stuff, and in matching sets; my husband doesn't care what I sleep in, but likes my matching undies, so I don't get any complaints. I feel bad sometimes, though, spending more on underwear than the clothing that goes over it! For hubby, it is sunglasses; he has sensitive eyes, and wears nothing but Oakleys. Which is fine, but we have lost two pair in the lake, one pair on a brush fire (he's a firefighter), etc. If he could just hold on to them, I wouldn't cringe when the clerk says $189! On the pairs in the lake, however, that one was almost worth it -- sent hubby and my two nephews (only 5 and 6 years younger than him) out skiing, and they came back all three arguing over who was supposed to have them, who had them, and how they ended up gone!

-- Christine (cljford@aol.com), November 05, 2001.

Books on homeschooling or for homeschooling, homesteading, religion, crafts, sewing, simple living, etc. (Only used, I never pay full- price). Annnnnd...soda pop. Jennifer

-- Jennifer (none@none.com), November 05, 2001.

Oh, you are all going to laugh. My biggest extravangance, if I have the opportunity, is goat semen!!! Yes, I can spend hundreds of dollars within half an hour and feel perfectly justified in doing so!! Aside from that, there are the goats themselves, books, and fabric, also daylilies. But I think the goats are the worst! :)

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 06, 2001.

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