Do you sacrifice certain luxuries so that you can do other things?

United States
April 13, 2013 8:14am CST
Do you have a really nice car or just one to get you from point a to point b? Do you sacrifice the coffee from the coffee shops or eating out so that you can take a little trip at the end of the year? What things do you sacrifice so that you can get something else? My husband is the type of person who feels you should always get a new car, take out a loan if you have too. I'm looking at two vehicles but I think I'm going to go with the cheaper one because then I don't have to worry about paying any interest or having to pay on it for years. This will free up my money so that I can do other things with my daughter throughout the year. I really think that doing something this way will benefit me more than spending all of my money on a newer model and then not really having any money to go somewhere special in it.
2 people like this
25 responses
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
13 Apr 13
I sacrafice many good things. Like hair do, nails things like that. To take care of my son.
2 people like this
• United States
14 Apr 13
Yes I understand what you mean. It is nice to be able to get our hair and nails done, but our child/ren must come first. And so in a lot of different areas in our life we sacrifice so that our children can have more of what they want or need.
1 person likes this
• Mexico
14 Apr 13
I dont get them done very often, as money is tight here. But Im happy....
2 people like this
• United States
16 Apr 13
I'm glad to hear that you are happy. That is what is important. We want to be happy even though we have to make certain sacrifices for our family. Our child/ren are very important to us and we strive to put them first and balance our responsibilities.
2 people like this
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
13 Apr 13
I do sacrifice a few of the things I know I want and I need because I could not afford these even if I want to. I have freed up some of the things I can allot my money to, but I have responsibilities and these responsibilities come first. And I have to sacrifice the money for my priorities.
2 people like this
@ajithlal (14716)
• India
13 Apr 13
I am also sacrificing things I need in life including laptop, tablet, etc for the future and not buying right now and I hope I can save enough money after all the responsibilities within two years to buy a laptop.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Apr 13
@chiyosan I understand what you mean. We do have to keep our priorities straight. We at times have a lot of responsibilities and often have to use our money and resources very carefully.
• United States
14 Apr 13
@ajithlal I hope that you will be able to save and get some of the things you want in the future. At times we do have to save for quit a while to be able to buy certain things. That is why it is a good thing to prioritize so that we can get the best deals for our money.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
13 Apr 13
I think youh ave the right approach. A car is a vehicle that should get you from point A to point B without too much trouble and expense. If you have plenty of money you can buy the fanciest car in the lot. If on the other hand money is an issue you should buy a car that does not strain your budget to the point where you cannot do anything else for fun relaxation and togetherness with family and friends. Myself I am retired and on a limited income. I love travelling and when I was working I took many unforgettable trips. Now I have to forgo certain extras and luxuries to afford one really nice trip per year. I limit my visits to the coffee shop, stretch my hair appointments, rarely eat out and cook my meals from scratch. I also arrange my menus for the week according to what is on special. example last week broccoli was on special for 87 cents, so I bought two bunches, one for a stir fry the other steamed in a pasta salad. Last night I went shopping (my supermarket starts the specials on Fridays) Unbelievable what I found: fresh hot house tomatoes for 67 cents a pound, cucumbers (beautiful long English cukes) for 67 cents each. So this coming week it is going to be cucumber and tomato salad for side dishes and lunch. My trip this year is going to be an escorted tour of Newfoundland and Labrador, very expensive but I am looking forward to it. Besides fresh vegetables are the best.
2 people like this
• United States
14 Apr 13
Yes you understand exactly what I mean. If our budget is strained more then we will feel that we can not do anything and that is not a good way to live life. I'm glad to hear that you are able to enjoy traveling. I'm glad to hear that you enjoy doing the same things. We do have to make sometimes small sacrifices so that we can enjoy other things like trips. I'm sure that you will have a grand time for your trip. You really did find some great deals at your grocery store.We do feel great when we are able to find deals like that.
• South Korea
13 Apr 13
Three months ago I made a promise to myself that I should keep a certain amount on my savings, luckily i'm still on the path. I try not to buy branded make up! and skin care! I just love buying everything new that comes out just because I love trying them, I didn't even notice that I'm spending hundreds of dollars a month just for my make ups, and when I dont like them I will just give it or throw it away, and at the end of the month my bank account report will just shock me. So now I'm trying to save on make ups and dress, because later I want to have a trip outside the country^^
2 people like this
• United States
15 Apr 13
I'm glad to hear that you will be taking a trip out of the country. I'm sure that you will feel that those small sacrifices of the name brand makeup and skin care will be well worth it for your trip. Keep up the great work and I can't wait until you tell us about your trip.
@roshigo58 (4859)
• Pune, India
13 Apr 13
hi, For getting something we have to lose something. we can save our money by cutting many things. Like we can save mane by preparing food in the home and not buying food from hotels or going outside to eat. We can save money by cutting cost for movies, we can save electricity bills by reducing use of electricity. we can buy second hand things and we have enough money we can buy them new.
2 people like this
• United States
14 Apr 13
Yes you understand exactly what I mean and how I think. It is important for us to do those types of things so that we can use our resources for other items we may need or want to use our money for.
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
13 Apr 13
new is not always better and you hit the key point if you buy a new car you have payments for years but then comes the warenty witch seams to run out before the car is paid off them you have to worry about the repair plus the payment off the car
2 people like this
• United States
14 Apr 13
Yes you are exactly right. Things like that is what prevents me from wanting to buy a new car. By the time we have the car paid off it is hardly worth anything anymore. And repairs can be very costly.
1 person likes this
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
15 Apr 13
I do try and sacrifice a lot of luxuries especially right now because I am trying to save up money to move to Washington. I have been using used cars all of my life and as long as they run I don't really care what they look like. If I could I would love to be able to live life without a vehicle because they just cost so much money and they are such a hassle. I also try to not spend too much money on going out to eat and doing activities that cost a lot of money. However my girlfriend does still like to go out on fun dates so we try and make it work as much as possible. I would rather not go out to eat so we could spend more money on groceries and just make our own food. But we have limited time and sometimes going out to eat can be really convenient as well as fun.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Apr 13
Yes I agree with what you are saying. That is how I feel about a car that I get. As long as it gets me where I need to go then I'm happy. Yeah I agree that it can be fun to go out to eat. We are working at eating more at home and limiting the amount of money we spend getting food we when are out and don't feel like cooking.
@kixsh101 (2103)
• Philippines
14 Apr 13
Priority. That is the single word that I always instill in my mind. I see to it that I prioritize things. And prioritizing things means, what is a need not wants and what is a must not should. Thinking what best suits it, and the after effects is what I usually think of, before jumping on decisions, whether on acquiring new stuffs. Your husband, sounds like my husband too, I feel like being always in the center busy prioritizing things, thinking what should be done first and here I am being sweep off by a sudden decision or being thrown with suggestions that I think is a little bit odd. Either way, that is my husband and I have to live with it, but I just can't let it go without explaining what was my point until he totally gets it.
• United States
16 Apr 13
Yes I agree with you. I'm continually working on this. Trying to remember that everything that new and latest that my friends or family members may have I don't NEED. It can be hard to stick to this but it is a must if we want to have money and some type of financial stability. Yeah it is good to explain things. We don't need a brand new vehicle but a little car that is drivable and works well is good.
@ginnimia (145)
• India
14 Apr 13
Yea every one have to sacrifice to get another thing. Its not about rich and poor every one have to sacrifice to get new things. The common example are Parents , to fulfill their children wishes they have to leave their luxuries.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Apr 13
@ginnimia I agree with you. I'm coming to appreciate this more and more. As my daughter ages I'm learning that I will sacrifice to get her the things that she needs and that she may want. It is a great feeling to see her happy and enjoy some activity or toy.
• United States
16 Apr 13
@anujkumar I agree with you. We all have to sacrifice in some way. The amount of things to buy or do there is no end. So even rich people have to make decisions about what they would rather do.
14 Apr 13
Yes i am totally agree with you everybody need to sacrifice...
1 person likes this
@airasheila (5454)
• Philippines
14 Apr 13
A pleasant day Dominique25, I am the type of person who really thinks others before myself. Especially if that thing will go for the wellness of my loved ones. That, I am willing to sacrifice my own happiness for my family and loved ones. Even it is not a luxury, I will definitely wait another opportunity to have it and give what I have at the moment for the wellness of the people that I treasured most. It is fine if I just have a bit as long as the people whom I loved and treasured enjoy the most of it.
• United States
16 Apr 13
I'm glad to hear that you are willing to sacrifice for your families happiness. I'm doing well at doing this. That is another reason I would like to have money throughout the year. It will make it easier to get my daughter things she may need or want during this time period.
• Philippines
14 Apr 13
Yep, I do sacrifice a lot of luxuries and convenience to save up money. I do walk going to the office when the distance seems to be walkable. Just to save bit from transportation. Also, I do eat most of the time at home instead of eating out late in restaurants. Saves a lot of money. I heard the term the social cost of investing. I do invest a lot at this point of my life so the social side is a bit sacrificed like high tech gadgets or fancy clothes. But I don't mind. I know that I am saving and investing up for something bigger. And true enough, most of the time I always have the money when the big spending is coming like vacations and other stuff.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Apr 13
I'm so glad to hear that. I too would rather take a vacation than buy an expensive vehicle. That is just me, I would prefer to see new and different places than just have a very nice vehicle to drive around town in. I think that creating memories for myself and my family is something I would rather do.
• India
14 Apr 13
Hi friend, i am not interested with great luxury things and i have the ability to sacrifice luxury life. Lot of quality things are available with low cost, then what is the need to spend lot of money for luxury. I will save money and go for other necessary things than spending money for luxury needs
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Apr 13
I'm glad to hear that you aren't interested in having great things. I do agree there are a lot of things that we can get at a low cost. It is definitely agree that we should save money and use it for other things.
14 Apr 13
Yes i do so because i know that i have lots of responsibilities and i am not millionarie so that i need not to sacrifice.I must sacrifice because i know that i have to do some extra things but i do not sacrifice always only the things which does not pour any effect on me i sacrifice with..
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Apr 13
I'm glad to hear that you know when to sacrifice. I'm learning to better use my money as well. It has taken me some time to be able to learn how important savings is also. Now that I appreciate the value of this I know how important it is to make purchasing decisions wisely.
• Canada
14 Apr 13
I kinda want to buy many electric equipments and go restaurant too often. I like travelling more than just watching a movie.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Apr 13
I agree with you traveling is enjoyable. I hope that in the future I will be able to travel more. In order to be able to do that though I need to work at sacrificing certain small luxuries so that I can achieve that goal.
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
14 Apr 13
Hi Dominique25, Yes, I do sacrifice by not going out to expensive dinners so often even though I enjoy such activities tremendously. Who doesn't want to get a larger and more luxurious car? But I learn to practise delayed gratification as I think that would be so much wiser and gratifying. Spending money without prioritizing is a bad idea. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Apr 13
Yes I too enjoy going out to eat at restaurants. Yes it is important that we prioritize how we spend our money. Yes it would be nice if we all could have new luxurious car but sometimes are money just doesn't match the expense and that is when we have to know and understand this difference.
@tiffnkeat (1673)
• Singapore
14 Apr 13
You can go for the cheaper, but you need to check out the total cost of owning it, not just the purchase price. Some cars may be cheap to buy, but maintaining it makes it not worthwhile. To be able to sacrifice something in anticipation for something bigger is delayed gratification, and it is a good practice.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Apr 13
Yes I agree with you. Thankfully though the two cars I have been looking at I will be able to get checked out to make sure that nothing serious is wrong with them. And they are both small which will be that getting tires and things like that will not be costly. It is definitely a good practice to sacrifice certain things so that we can get something later.
@deodavid (4150)
• Philippines
14 Apr 13
Hey there Dominique, I think that you are correct with that kind of thinking, and I do swear it is really weird that some people will really buy an awesome car but will not have enough money sometimes for months because thye cant buy gasoline for it, but hey to each is his or her own right but i am with you on this one.
• United States
16 Apr 13
Yes I completely understand what you mean.What is the point in spending a lot of money to have a car that just sits because we don't have the gas for it. So I'm trying to be very thrifty about the car I get. I just would like something that is economical and that I can actually use. Expensive and fancy cars will have to wait for the future.
@elsino91 (440)
• Poland
14 Apr 13
I don't go out to eat at restaurants ever, I although I'm a student I don't go out partying either. I'm saving up for a trip to the US, I live in Europe. Hopefully, by next year I'll have enough to go. I'm prepared to cut back on a lot of things t be able to realize my goals, its all about setting priorities and figuring out what means most to you, if something is less important to you than something else, then you're prepared to do without it in order to achieve the thing that is more important.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Apr 13
I'm glad to hear that you really know how to save. That you are using your money wisely so that you can travel to the US. I too agree with you that I think it would be much nicer to travel at least once a year instead of paying on a really expensive car that I would no longer have very much money to do things with. Prioritizing things is essential.
@cherigucchi (14885)
• Philippines
14 Apr 13
There are many little things that I do sacrifice especially those personal ones in exchange to what my family and my kids' needs. Even if I want to buy some personal stuff, I just decided on buying things for the house and for my kids instead.
• United States
16 Apr 13
Yes I understand what you mean. It is important that we put our family's needs ahead of our own. It can be hard to support a family and at times even with both partners working bills are still high. So at times we as wives/ and mothers make sacrifices for our family.
• Philippines
14 Apr 13
Yes of course. I will balance what I really want and do what's heavier for me.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Apr 13
Yeah it is important that we prioritize what we really want. We need to know what is most important and then make sure our goals harmonize with those things. It at times is easier said than done with all the "new" things that are always coming out.