cable tv, impulse purchases on vaca, colognes i rarely use

Those fancy packages of tissues for the nose. They make me feel special. I know I should get a life but I really like them. I spend $4.00 a week on lotteries…you never know. Other than that I do love getting a bottle of good red wine for my husband.

Tech stocks just before the bubble burst. Shoes that hurt my feet. Lawyers.

The 3 dumbest things I’ve spent money on are 1) yarn for my most recent knitting project that is now sitting with the yarn from the other projects I haven’t started 2) a Flip video camera on sale—such a deal and maybe not so dumb in the long run and 3) that incredible eye cream with caffeine in it—-like Starbucks for the face.

The 3 dumbest things I’ve spent money on are in my case, Lot’s of different fabrics for fantasy costumes (it’s so much I never can use them all), my hair, I would spent less money there if I could go with my brown hair, but I like blond more, and last but not least the World of Warcraft trading card game I’ve never played since I have bought it.

Definitely the premiere pkg on the dish when the only movie channel I watch is HBO. Right now John Adams is justifying the monthly cost. Definitely the magazine subscriptions that I have on auto-pay and don’t know how to cancel and don’t have time to read. And vegetables - I have the best intentions but more often than not, it’s the vegetables that die the unappreciated life in my pantry. Oh, and the piles of time for a switch, cute in the store, sure-I-can-wear-pink, fantasy driven clothes that I never wear! I solved the Iced Blended Mocha $4 daily addiction by buying the ingredients and making them at home. If someone can promise that the water filter absolutely works, then I’ll ditch the daily bottles of Evian.

Well, I have this shoe “radar” embedded in my forehead, so, no matter where I am in the world, if there is a shoe outlet within 100 miles, my radar clicks and I’m on my way. This was how I used to be before retiring. I would buy horse shoes if they were on sale. “But I got 2 for a dollar.” Now I am a tightwad but still have great shoes. Not as many, but good ones. I know all the cool discount stores in Montreal and buy off season. I used to (BR) before retiring, waste $ on magazines. I’d buy a few every week. What a waste of dough. Now I go to Chapters book store, sit in a comfy arm chair, read all the same mags, have a coffee and then put em all back. You are allowed and welcome to do this. I’m becoming a middle class miser. I love sticking it to the man every time I get perfectly good clothes, shoes, etc. for a bargain. I don’t mind being tight! The $ I save goes for trips everywhere and tweaking my house. What else do I now spend $ on…a Tim Horton’s coffee a day. Sure I could haul my Joe around in a thermos, (he might complain) but hey. I need one little splurgy do. Thanks for asking.

Junk food (mainly chocolate), craft things like yarn and little things like nifty gadgets, especially things I see at flea mkts and books of all kinds. That’s 4 things but oh well. I am a packrat and save everthing, and I have all kinds of collections, like angels, shot glasses and oil lamps, just to name a few.

Shoes that I can’t wear cause they hurt my feet; magazines that I don’t have time to read; and age-defying cosmetics, which cost a bomb but I can’t see any difference! Oh well!

I can’t think of one thing even after reading all the comments for ideas. I must be doing something right. :) SES http://www.metalcyberspace.com

publications i can read on line, shoes that hurt but look fabulous, hair products.

Not much, really. I limit myself to one magazine subscription, and do others online. If you’ve not tried it, you might be surprised at how wonderful extra virgin olive oil is for removing make-up and as a night moisturizer. A thin layer spritzed with water is awesome!

Suzanne de Cornelia, Thanks for explaining! I had no idea. But hey us Brits get totally stung when it comes to petrol. A full tank costs me nearly $100 (£48).

Going out to eat too often or stopping for coffee (Starbucks fan, too) and iced tea. I can make it for so much less at home. Anything that doesn’t bring me closer to my life’s dream or my true unique mission.

Cigarettes, take-out and Christmas presents!