Things you are willing to splurge on

[Coleroo]

Certain name brand foods (when i know from experience the offbrand will just be wasted.)

Professional hair dye job if im going lighter (bad home color experience!!!)

Air condition (my husband is from upper NY - we're in mid SC now..he about dies in the summer here! staying cool is priority)

Chocolate milk

Hot Pockets :-q

[PetMom]

Fruits and Veggies, whole grains, chicken breasts/legs for my
dogs (especially since dog food scare).

Air conditioning - a necessary luxury, we cannot sleep at night
in the heat.

some hot water laundry loads

Was books, but I have cut back a bit on that

[genmed]

Air conditioning!
Water for baths...
Travel
Electricity to watch movies at home.

[txex86]

Air Conditioning
University of Texas football/basketball tickets
Good red wine

[parafly]

New York Jets season tickets

[Gruntina]

My splurge is my vehicle and fresh produces. I have a 2006 Ford Escape. While that may not seem like a splurge to many since it is a good 45 minutes away from any grocery stores since we live up in the mountains. I need the cargo of the vehicle for stocking up on groceries and stocking up on firewood since I hate shopping and only do it about once a month. Requiring a vehicle with 4wd(A NECESSITY!! since it slows down the engine going down a very steep and curvy hwy down the mountain and for driving on extreme curvy roads without having to brake every second).

Having it newer (bought used at 19,000 miles) and under warranty (currently under a 100,000 mile warranty...a lot can happen between 75,000 to 100,000 miles) is a splurge I am happy to spend on. We got a great deal because it used to be a car rental and the salesman kept giving us deals over the week until we were satisfied with the price. He was desperate as it was just before Christmas and he had 7 children but it was the specific vehicle we wanted before we searched and for Hubby to be a certified Ford mechanic, he was able to check the in and out of any Ford vehicles. It gives my husband a break from working on cars (He is a Ford mechanic and does not need to work on cars when he gets home!). So far I had the vehicle for 6 months and it has been running perfectly so no need for taking it in for repairs for now.

[plumpossum]

Tbiggest splurge: childcare. I was able to find a $30/week babysitter for my son when he was born who was awful , she never paid attention to the kids unless she was yelling. Did some research and found a licensed in-home day care provider who charges $85/week (my son only goes part time) and is an absolute saint. The peace of mind I get and happiness I see in him is more than worth the cost.

Another, very worthy splurge, I have a 2002 Volvo S40. I love it, it's my dream car, bought it used, and then promptly had to replace the starter. On my Toyota a starter was under $75. On my Volvo it was around $300. And that doesn't include labor, thank goodness my husband works on cars, because if it did include labor, this girl would be walking everywhere.

We also splurged a little on running a huge freezer year round, but we bought one of those big wholesale meat packages (beef, pork, chicken, and sausages) and also do a lot of gardening which we freeze. So that pays for itself.

[Bookie]

It's 9:00 at night. The temperature is 86 degrees. The A/C is running.

If this is a splurge, I'm willing.

[tinapbeana]

Bookie!!! Hey, where have you been hiding?!?

For what it's worth, having my air on has nothing to do with the temp outside. If it gets warmer than 74 inside, the air's on.... On the flip side we like it about 65 in the winter, which is pretty easy to achieve

[disneysteve]

Am I the only person who doesn't consider AC a splurge? I think heat and AC are necessities. Sure, people did without them for thousands of years, but people also only lived to be 30 or 40 back then. Asthma, allergies, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and a dozen other medical conditions can all be seriously impacted by cold, heat and humidity. Sleep is nearly impossible without AC during the summer and that poses a risk for everyone regardless of health.

So yes, we run our air regularly but no, I don't consider it a splurge.

[tinapbeana]

Steve, I don't consider AC a splurge, but I consider the fact that we keep it between 68 and 70 a splurge.

Then again, after a year's worth of electric bills in our new home we're averaging $80 per month for 1700 sq ft., so I guess I shouldn't gripe too much...

[txex86]

Am I the only person who doesn't consider AC a splurge? I think heat and AC are necessities. Sure, people did without them for thousands of years, but people also only lived to be 30 or 40 back then. Asthma, allergies, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and a dozen other medical conditions can all be seriously impacted by cold, heat and humidity. Sleep is nearly impossible without AC during the summer and that poses a risk for everyone regardless of health.

So yes, we run our air regularly but no, I don't consider it a splurge.

It probably depends on what temperature you keep the thermostat at as to whether it is a considered a "splurge" or not. In North Texas where I reside, anything lower than 76 degrees is pretty expensive and considered a mild "splurge." After reading this board over the past few months, a "splurge" seems definitional at best.

[disneysteve]

When I hear all the reports each summer of how many elderly folks have died in our area because they were living in unairconditioned homes, I definitely don't think AC is a splurge.

[The Credit Guru]

My cars

[rob62521]

When I hear all the reports each summer of how many elderly folks have died in our area because they were living in unairconditioned homes, I definitely don't think AC is a splurge.

It isn't in just your area. Up in the Chicago area when the temps and humidity are both high, many elderly succumb because they can't afford air conditioning, but also are afraid to open windows because they don't want anyone to break into their homes. Our local community does a fan drive in June to give to elderly and low income.