Necessity vs. Luxury

I have a short list of blogs I read on a daily basis, and one of them posted this question recently: In this economic climate, what would be the very last discretionary (i.e. – not strictly necessary) expense you would give up?

Well, that one really made me think. What would be the very last “luxury” I would give up if my budget was super tight? Now those of you who know me, you’re all thinking, “Yeah, we know what it would be. It would be all that yarn and wool stuff she messes with all the time.” Hmmm, not so much, actually. Shocked? Me, too, at first.

In actuality I have enough yarn to keep me knitting well into 2012. I really don’t need to buy any more, but it’s hard to resist a new color combination, and of course I have to get the specific fiber combo for that special request… (See 2009 Goals for explanation and solution.) And I have plenty of knitting mags and pattern books, as well as all the notions needed for a project – so I’m set there.

I actually had to think hard about what would pretty difficult to give up. And get this – it was tea! Yep, I would find it pretty hard to give up my new-found love and respect for loose-leaf teas (thanks, Amanda!) I would have to drink (oh, the horror) Lipton™! (Not to rag on Lipton, just after you’ve had the best…) It not just the caffeine, though that would be near impossible to let go, but the richness and flavor, and even the ritual of making it every morning would be hard to let go.

Then I near smacked myself in the forehead. Why am I even thinking along these lines? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Amazing, no? He also provides for all our needs (that’s needs, not wants – hard lesson to learn, I can tell you) and if He brings me to that point, well all I can do is lean fully on Him.

But as an academic question – what would you be hard pressed to give up? I think the answer might surprise you.