In this day and age, it can be increasingly difficult to tell a need apart from a want. A fairly simple definition of need (done by me is you cannot survive without it.  A want is nice to have, but not necessary.  And even needs can turn into wants if you’re not careful. For example:

• You need food. And water. But you don’t need to eat all your meals out or ordered in, and treat yourself to a steak dinner once a week, and all the Perrier you can drink.
• You need clothing – and in Canada, that means a good pair of boots, and a hat, mitts, and a scarf, and a coat! You cannot survive the winters here without them.  However, you don’t need a top of the line designer jacket with matching accessories – and you certainly don’t need to get a new set every year. Children grow, so they may need a set every year, but that’s what second hand stores and hand me downs are for!
• You need shelter – but you don’t need a 6 bedroom house if there are only 2 of you. Nor do you need something that you’ll barely be able to pay off over the next 30 years with top of the line appliances and an in ground pool.

And then there’s the stuff that once you have, you don’t know how you survived without:

• Cell phone. I used to have a basic pay as you go one without texting. Now I have a Smart Phone with a set plan each month. And while I’m not constantly on my phone – there are times when I don’t know what I’d do without it.
• PVR. I love my PVR. Before it, we had a VCR, and managed just fine – but now that I have a PVR, I can’t imagine going back. Mind you, I probably spent a lot less time watching TV without the PVR.

What’s your biggest “want” that you can’t imagine doing without?

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