what couldn't you live without?
the other day i read an article in Ynet about an organization that helps people get out of debt. the story focused on this one single mom, who learned how to buy less expensive stuff, including switch to a cheaper brand of cigarettes. one of the talk-backs at the end of the article (no. 35) did the explicit calculation, and showed that if she only quit smoking altogether, she would have saved 1000's of shekels a year, enough to buy a new washing machine or a computer... (i remember doing that experiment with my old commander at the army, who was (and probably still it) a chain-smoker. we figured that he could have saved enough money to send his 3 kids to college if he only stopped smoking!)
cigarettes are very expensive, partly due to heavy taxing. in some cases this taxing is supposed to make you consume less of a product that's bad for you. it sounds like a good idea: if it costs more, you buy less of it, you live longer. i can think of some examples where this clearly doesn't work, especially when strong addictive substances are involved.
but if you don't consider yourself an addict, is there anything in your life that you use on a daily basis, and would not give up, even if it became ridiculously expensive?
here are some examples:
beer becoming x3 more expensive. will you still buy beer?
tomatoes?
meat? if meat became very very pricey, will you become vegetarian?
where would YOU draw the line?
i think that there are a few things that we will not give up regardless of the price. i'll put them in the comment below, just so that whoever reads this post has a few seconds to think about it before reading the rest... ;)
8 comments:
* electricity. can't live without it, so maybe it doesn't count...
* internet. we would still buy internet even if it were x3 times more expensive.
* gas. even though we dont buy it every day, we use it every day, so it counts.
what are your things you can't live without?
you got me with the internet. i can't live without that for more than a week or so.
coffee is a definite must-have. a few days without it would probably break my addiction, but those days would hellish.
i have to add toilet paper to the list too. a great alternative to leaves.:)
Hey, I remember this conversation! Kudos on the follow-through.
I would have to add something, which I guess some might say it doesn't count, but I think that someday someone in the goverment might tax. SUN-LIGHT.
I guess I am adicted to it, and I can't live without it.
I remember Gary told me once that psychoterapists in Michigan has 3 or 4 times work in the winter, than they have during the summer.
Also drinking beer on the beach.... (sorry, American friends)
I would be very greatful if prices of chocolate would be as high as the price of tuber mashrooms (kamahin) - 1500$ per kg, which I can't afford...
Pet care. I'd still want my cats and Grady vaccinated, taken care of when sick, neutered--the works, even if it cost 3 times as much.
And coffee.
That's the worst possible question for us - we can't live without our comforts, and will stupidly pay for them. TV is the soundtrack of our lives, the internet is the closest thing we have to a brain and books are essential pieces of furniture. Not to mention super expensive cat food and litter.
But just because you mentioned gas... when I was younger my parents had money problems and could not always pay the bills, so as a kid I learned that the most important thing is water. Seriously, you don't want not to be able to flush the toilet.
ooh, definitely. toilet wins. i bet sewage system usage will be heavily taxed someday!!! i would definitely keep paying THAT. including other convenient "garbage management" items, such as disposable diapers (moms, relax, we are not pregnant), detergents and shampoo... although i admit that i would be more efficient about it. which reminds me - recicling... i will write about that experience sometime.
Post a Comment