in your attempts to save money and be frugal? I know luxury can be drastically different from one person to the next, but is there something you used to buy often that you now don't, so that you can save some $$$?

I am a magazine junkie. I would always stop on Friday afternoons and pick up People or Us (or some other intellectually stimulating magazine ) or both to read over the weekends. Well buying both would be about $8 or $9 a week so I have cut back. I only buy one once a month or so (when something really trashy is on the cover! )

I also used to shop at Bath and Body for bubble bath. With the great sales, bubble bath was a pretty good deal. But I take a bubble bath every night so I was tearing through the stuff. Now I buy the boxes of Vaseline Instensive Care Bath Beads at the Dollar Store for a dollar. I don't get the bubbles but I save $$, smell good and have soft skin.

So what fun or luxurious item have you given up or changed in your efforts to save $$$.

Many things, but cable is the only thing I miss. We use an attena and get 3 channels on a clear day.

Soda
Magazine subscriptions
Weekly dinner out

Hmm. You know, I think it's more that I don't impulse-buy as much as I used to, but not necessarily particular items. I'm much more likely to NOT grab a Diet Coke at the checkout line, things like that. When I think back to how much money DH and I used to blow on impulse-buys, back when we were both working full time and living in a tiny apartment, it makes me cringe! I would come home from the bookstore with $80 worth of stuff, or he would show me an MP3 player he just picked up. Heh. Those days are long gone!

Gave up cable TV

Oooohhhh! That's a really good one. I used to do that all of the time and it's like $1.00 + for a single severing bottle and I never thought twice about it. Now I won't even buy a two liter unless it is .89¢.

We gave up call waiting and the name portion of the caller ID (can't - won't- give that up completely because I like to screen calls!)

I too have given up a lot of the impulse buys. I try to not wander through the stores (esp. Wal-Mart, K-mart) and only go directly to what I need.

We both work and have a once a week rule for lunch out but I am slowing giving that up. I am also working on giving up buying a pop at the gas station multiple times a week.

We will be getting rid of our satellite soon and switching to antennae.

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My party lite candles!! I used to host four to five parties a year to get free stuff, but I would still spend a fortune. So I have cut way, way back. I had one party in January and won't have another until October to get Christmas candles. I haven't even bought from other people parties. That is hard for me because I used to burn candles every single day. I love the smells and it helps calm me. Now I only burn a candle when someone is coming over or special occassions.

~Jenifer

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Jenifer
Proud wife to one amazing man
Proud mom to four awesome kids

Have a safe and blessed New Year!

We gave up Netflix because we weren't getting enough use out of it. Now we borrow movies from the library... FREE!

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I do have one thing that I can't completely give up ... STARBUCKS! And I don't even drink coffee! I do drink tea and I enjoy their tea though truthfully I could make it all at home. But I enjoy their service, I enjoy the store, and I enjoy when I get a free bag of coffee grounds to add to my garden! And I enjoy the occasional snack from their deli case!

On the bright side of things the nearest store is 35 miles away and I have cut back a lot even when I am down that way! So I don't feel too bad about it!

I gave up- pedicures, getting my hair professionally colored (I miss professional hilites ) and my magazines! I really can't think of anything else- I gave up all of this so we can have the other luxuries!