Can't/Won't Give Up

A few days ago, a friend of mine tagged me on Facebook.  I am supposed to list down ten things that I can't, won't or refuse to give up during this recession.  At first, I thought..."What can't I give up?  Of course, I can give up anything unnecessary and I will.  In fact, I think I already have!"  Hence, I ignored the tag.

Oh, I was so wrong.  I later realized that there were some things I could have given up, but I just didn't.  I don't think I can name ten though, but here's a few--

Starbucks.  We do have free coffee at work, and we have at least a dozen kind and flavors of tea.  We have cream, milk, half-and-half, refined sugar, raw sugar, honey and three kinds of sweeteners--pretty much anything we need to get ourselves a beverage without spending a penny.  But that trip to Starbucks just can't be saved--especially when I'm having a rough day like today.  And what's more--I ended up putting a refill on my Starbucks card since it's almost running out of funds.  Did I mention I'm supposed to be off limits to caffeine right now?  Tsk...tsk...tsk.

Dining Out.  I think I've done pretty well on this.  Lately, we've been eating home-cooked meals a lot more than dining out.  But sometimes, I just can't help but set aside the packed meal that I bring from home to join the colleagues for a nice Japanese lunch.  Or give in to my cravings for a big prime rib dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  Since I don't like eating alone, I had to drag the hubby and make the excuse of..."it's been ages since we were last there..." or "we have to treat ourselves once in a while..."

New Clothing.  This is the worst time to buy myself new clothing not only because it's recession but because I know my size and shape will drastically change in a month or so, and maybe change again thereafter.  But when I saw a pair of my favorite brand of jeans go on sale, my hands were just itching to click on that "Checkout" button.  And i did.

Accessories.  I have a weakness for designer handbags and shoes.  I thought I did pretty well at cutting back on these since the last time I got myself one was last Christmas.  But very recently, this email from one online store I visit often just kept popping up showing this really modish-looking handbag that's just too painful to resist.  I had to get it, but I swore to myself that this is going to be my last splurge for the year... or until the next holiday... or until the next excuse comes up.  Darn it!

Lens.  How many do I want?  Lots.  How many do I really need?  Just one.  Well, I had an excuse to get it, but this still can't be considered a necessity.

La Mer.  My skin care regimen.  A friend of mine recommended this after I suffered from chicken pox.  I've been using this product for almost two years now and it's awesome, but I'm sure Oil of Olay or Neutrogena will do just fine.  The hub keeps telling me it's a rip off and so I decided to just finish my last bottle and then switch to a more reasonable brand.  I probably survived three days without it and found myself buying again on the fourth day.  I also ended up getting another product from their line.  Moreover, I now got my sister using it by giving her some samples.

So do I feel guilty at all?  Of course I do!  I know how to distinguish a want versus a need.  But some things have just become part of us, and although we can give them up eventually, it's going to take a fair amount of struggle.  And if I really have to [give them up], I'm sure I can--albeit gradually.