How High Will You Go...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
February 18, 2009 12:39pm CST
Last summer during the height of the high gas prices, ppl decided to stay closer to home and save the money rather than spend it on gas to take long trips. With the recent high tax on cigarettes some ppl have opted to quit rather than pay more for their smokes. There’s been talk of taxes maybe on alcohol and fast food. Basically things that others don’t think are good for you…they tax them really high and then your forced to quit or at least cut back.
It does raise an interesting question though. How high will you go? If cigarettes are $10 a pack, will you buy them? What about $20 a pack? Or what if a Big Mac is $10? Or they start charging for beer by the can and not the case? Do you have a limit for how high your willing to go for your habits? Have you ever set down added up how much you spend a month on your habit?
My only habit that I have is EverQuest II and it’s $15.00 a month but that’s the max I’ll pay for it so if they raise the price I’ll be finding another game. I don’t drink, smoke and rarely eat fast food so I’m good there. What about you?
[b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
**STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
12 people like this
14 responses
@sassy28 (834)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Fast food would be my only problem, I don't smoke or drink. I don't really eat fast food but I have two sons 9 & 7 and they can not survive without McDonalds. Now that baseball has started up again, that will be their place to eat before practice and games. If they did make some crazy tax on it, I would would do better brown bagging it and buying them a stupid toy. We have a collection of happy meal junk.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I don't smoke, drink, eat much fast food, shop much for clothes, or play games! I'm not driving right now either so I'm doing ok, like you. I think if we got paid more and I can afford the things I can buy, then I guess we can go as high. Back in the days a cup of coffee was 10 cents.. while minimum wage was barely a dollar or less.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
18 Feb 09
It really depends on what year it is and the value of the dollar happens to be. Regardless of how cheap or expensive they are, I hope to be a nonsmoker some day and soon because I'd like to live longer than I would be if I kept it up. Life can be a pain in the rear sometimes but for the most part, I'm happy.
1 person likes this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
18 Feb 09
No I will never pay over the odds for anything, if something I buy regular goes up in price then I will buy a similar but cheaper product. I have no loyalties when it comes to anything like that. I smoke, but again if the price rises to high then I shop for it elsewhere cheaper. I would give up if it came to it.
1 person likes this
@mcelhenney (481)
• United States
19 Feb 09
If they ever go that high for fast food then I would not buy it.I am disabled and my finances are very limited to where I cannot afford to buy most things now. I don't smoke or drink so that is not a problem for me. I do not buy many groceries especially meats because they cost too much,,I also stay home more on account of the gas prices.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (159850)
• United States
12 May 09
We eat out probably more than we should. I think we are strange though. We eat out less now, but opt for more expensive choices. In other words, we make it an occasion, not just a meal. I do not have other addictions, other than the internet.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
19 Feb 09
My husband and I don't drive. He doesn't have a licence now because of poor vision, and I've had poor vision all my life, so I never had a licence. Our not needing to drive has saved us a lot of money. Mind you with him working in AZ for a while, the airfair between there and Canada got a bit expensive. Now we're together in Canada, so no more air-fare.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I'm with you twoey. I'm a non-smoker for a year now, don't drink and seldom eat out. Just can't afford to eat out anymore and I quit smoking for my health, not cause of the rising prices. When they start taxing the heck out of healthy food is when I'm gonna end up suffering. lol We all will!
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
18 Feb 09
I'll tell ya what been getting higher, its satellite tv, our bill was a little more this month, and now that everything's going digital, your either forced to pay the higher prices or buy a little box that lets you get the channels. I personally think that if I have to, I will cancel my subscription with them and buy the little box for my tv, its getting expensive. You would think that when they go digital they'll be getting more customers and it would help the prices go down not up, thats my gripe for the day..lol. Thankfully I don't smoke or drink either, I do eat fast food, but not as much as I watch tv..haha.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
18 Feb 09
i do smoke but i don't drink & very seldom eat fast food. i don't know how high i'd go. have to cross that bridge when i get to it. i stay home most of the time but i'm going to have a few things i enjoy, smoking is one of them. i threaten all the time to have my cable cut back. all i have is extended basic & it's outrageous, there again tho, i never go to the movies or anywhere so u have to have a few pleasures along the way. my computer is soo much company to me i'd hate to have to do w/out it.
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
19 Feb 09
High prices have definitely changed our lifestyle. My guy and I don't smoke or drink so those aren't an issue for us. We do like to eat out several times a month, but now thanks to such high prices on everything we limit it to about once a month - and its still whatever is the cheapest. High gas prices this last fall had us staying home all the time. My ONE extra I allow myself each month is my high speed internet service. I figure since I'm disabled and often need to be home I will have this as my outside link to the world and the people in it. I have no other extras because I can't afford anything extra. Heck, I can't even afford the usual bills. Here it is almost the end of the month and I haven't been able to pay rent, my electric, or my phone bill. Rent - luckily I'm friends with the landlord here so she knows I'll catch up eventually. The others - well I'm not far behind so they will allow me some wiggle room.
I do hope smokes don't fet to ten bucks a pack or it will be cheaper to take the trip down to Mexico and buy them there and bring them back 
@taterkitty (45)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I do smoke and right now I paying a little over $4 a pack. It's a extremely bad habit that I someday soon hope to quit. If prices hit $5 a pack then I will definitely work on kicking the habit. We used to eat out a lot because of hectic schedules but since the economy is plummeting we have cut back on that and I try to find the time to cook at home. As far as gas prices goes, I don't see that I have a choice but to pay whatever. I have to work and I live in a rural area so there are no transit systems or car pooling. I'm just out of luck there.
