Steaks were on sale at local grocery, so I bought a twinpack (which was how it was sold)—we cooked one and froze the other. It was like a NY steak for $7.99//lb or something. I don’t stock up on lots of things. We only have a fridge with a freezer on top and there are only the two of us.
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Passing on beef and alcohol is much easier these days.
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Hotels it all depends. We paid $300+/ night (usually unheard of for us) to stay in downtown Boston to walk the Freedom Trail. We flew in and could get to the hotel by public transportation. In Savannah stayed on the outskirts for $100/night, drove 17 minutes to the historic area and parked on a side street for $15 for the day vs $200+/ night for a downtown hotel.
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Lobsters used to be the poor man’s dinner. Do you remember in…I think Little Women and one of the characters (maybe Amy?) was so embarrassed because she was seen bringing lobster home for dinner?
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Although I have many great memories as a child and with my own children, I have reached a point where I will no longer pay for any of the Disney theme parks. Not only are the ticket prices insane but all of the ridiculous costs for add-ons (lightning lanes, hopper pass, etc.) I can’t contribute to the Disney machine. Crossing my fingers that my granddaughter doesn’t get sucked in.
Aside from that, I refuse to pay for custom drapes, custom framing or salmon at a restaurant (I can make it for a fraction of the price at home). We have many expensive steak places in my city, but one of the best steaks I can get is at Texas Roadhouse for like $17 with sides 
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My husband makes wonderful salmon on the grill. So I almost never have salmon at a restaurant.
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When we do go to restaurants, I often choose to enjoy food DH is allergic to, like shrimp, which can be costly, but I figure I’d rather be gouged on something that is a treat I can’t prepare at home than a salad that costs the restaurant almost nothing.
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I have a similar policy. In a restaurant I order stuff I can’t get at home. Food we don’t know how to make as well in our own kitchen!
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I make salmon all of the time so never order it out. Got brunches I always get some kind of eggs Benedict, im not the best at poaching eggs.
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I often order fish in restaurants as I don’t like to cook it at home because of the (everlasting) smell.
I’m trying to decide if I want the beef ($60) or the eggplant parm ($40) at my high school reunion (or chicken or red snapper @ $50). I’ll probably go for the beef, but I’ll think about it for a while longer. I’m sure half the cost is for the venue, so i don’t feel too bad about paying that, and the other activities are $10 for a karaoke pizza party and $12.50 for a boat cruise.
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Plus, I know if I’m serving salmon, it’s wild caught.
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Served to prisoners, indentured servants, slaves, children, & apprentices:
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Blueberries here were almost $8 for a pint so passed and bought more strawberries instead. i tend to buy on sale, but can’t say I would never splurge on some food item i really want even if not on sale.
We stay in mid-level hotels. i don’t want to stay at low end hotels anymore, but have never seen the appeal of a super high end, very expensive hotel. Would rather spend the money on an experience.
I have been having a bit of the opposite feeling as I get older - if I want something I should go for it (clearly within reason) without excessive worry about the cost. My DH recently bought a steak at the butcher while I was away overnight with friends. Expensive, but very delicious compared even to “angus” beef at our local supermarket and definitely cheaper than a steak at a nice restaurant. Worth !.
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I love going to the theater and really missed it when I couldn’t afford it during a period of unemployment and during Covid. However, I still have a limit when I know I can get tickets for much lower on the day of the show. I’ve become the expert on discounts and how to get them. Tonight I’m going to “Come From Away” at a regional theater for $27 instead of the regular price of $79. I’ve found some cheap seats in the orchestra of the Broadway theater that I actually like, so if I buy in advance I try for those, and if I can’t get them I get Rush tickets on the night of the show.
I will not pay $180 for tickets to traveling broadway shows. I will not pay $200 for football tickets (but will gladly go if invited by my friends but then won’t pay $15 for a beer).
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My solution has been reselling. For example, I saw Hamilton earlier with what I consider to be the best seat in the theater – front row, and slightly left of center, so conductor’s head doesn’t block view. My net price was ~$0. I bought 2 tickets at release, then sold the extra ticket at high markup later, after few tickets were available. Obviously this only works for shows that sell out at sticker price, like Hamilton. The shows I see tend to be popular, with high demand for tickets. A similar principle can work for music concerts.
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Or sporting events. That’s what my son is doing with World Cup tickets.
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Tried that at Paul McCartney and the Eagles. Are one of 4 for McCartney - didn’t sell out at Wake but intended to sell 2 but couldn’t. Brought another person.
And the eagles. Bought four. Added a 2nd show. Sold at a loss.
A neighbors’ house which does not conform to the prevailing architectural style of our area. I would like to have it razed.
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If you are in NYC try the Broadway theater ticket lottery. Stand near the ticket booth because if you don’t win they frequently sell “lottery loser” tickets cheap.
People seem to know about the half price ticket booth but this isn’t as commonly known.
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We buy subscription tickets to our local community theater. The prices are great—6 shows for just over $250 in great seats. Performances are amazing. We would go even if the prices went up and have been for many years.
I refuse to buy tickets for nosebleed in crowded venues. The crowded venues area huge turnoff for me. Yes, we could afford them but no interest in being crowded areas at all.
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