We’ve all been in those situations where we’ve convinced ourselves that a want is actually a necessity, ergo Starbucks. We convince ourselves that we need these items because we work at a job we hate, or we always provide for our families and this one thing is for us. But these items can often lead us down the path of debt if we aren’t careful, particularly when we’re putting them on credit cards every month. Following is a list of 6 modern “necessities” that are really nothing more than “entitlement” items.

Daily Latte

Or the Vendi, or the Mocha, or whatever else you happen to prefer from Starbucks. The fact is, it’s way more expensive to purchase a cup from Starbucks than if you were to make it at home. Fortunately for me, I can’t stand coffee and so Starbucks isn’t on my list, but there are people that are spending roughly $25 a week. That’s $1300 a year in just coffee. I’ve heard all manner of excuses as to why this is a necessity, but they don’t hold up. This isn’t a necessity, it’s a want.

Cable TV

This one is really a waste. I fell victim to it for many years myself until I realized how much money I was throwing away. I buy everything on DVD, including TV shows - which I know I’m going to hear about. It’s not a necessity, it’s a want, but it’s my coffee addiction. And I’ll have you know that I watch every single DVD I own, repeatedly. So, I gave up cable because there just wasn’t a point to paying for it. This can cost anywhere in the neighborhood of $300 to $780 a year, depending on the package and extras that you choose.

Lawn Service

For those of you who pay to have your lawn professionally done, you really are throwing away money. I know the argument that you just don’t have the time to do it yourself, but you’ll never have time if you don’t make time. Practice a little time management and see if you can’t shave off an hour a week to devote to mowing your own lawn. If you simply can’t, try paying a kid in the neighborhood to do it. It’s far cheaper and you’ll be helping out the neighborhood kid looking to raise money for the summer.

Bottled Water

There’s plenty of debate about this one on whether it’s money well spent or not. We all know I’m not big on spending money when I don’t have to, so this definitely falls on the list as a want - not a necessity. You can get water from the tap and run it through a filter and it tastes just fine. Plus, tap water has fluoride, which is good for your teeth. Dentists recommend tap water! Ok, I don’t know if that’s true, but since tap water does have fluoride, it sounded like a good thing to say.

Manicures/Pedicures

Being a female who does partake and enjoy these activities, I know full well how difficult they are to give them up. These are just little ways of treating ourselves to a long week at work or a really bad day in general. But, they can really drain the pocketbook as well. So if you’re looking to cut the spending and avoid the debt on your credit card, consider cutting back on these activities.

Techie Stuff

This section includes things like DVDs (I’m right there with you guys!), the new game systems (again, I’m there, too), or even the newest cell phones (*sigh* I really want the new Sprint Instinct). But having them right away may not be very good for our budgets. In my case, I’ll have to make a choice - do I want the new 80 gig PS3 or do I want the new Sprint Instinct. They’re likely to be in the same price range, which is insane. The banker in me knows that I don’t need either of these products, but the kid in me is calling out. Either way, you can see how quickly keeping up with the latest in technology can really drain the wallet.

What other items would you consider “entitlement” items, and where do you draw the line on purchasing them?