Any modern convenience you don't have in your house?

My colleague (born in India) doesn't see the need for a microwave. We were flabbergasted.

But then again, people are stunned that I have only an antenna TV - no cable at all ("I don't either, we don't like HBO". "No, I mean no cable at all" "well, you have CNN" "No, we don't.")

We're working on that last one.

you need a dryer.

We dry most of our stuff on drying racks (saves your clothes, especially undies, but also tops and sweaters), but towels, jeans, and flannel sheets go in the dryer. Also, we live in an apartment, so hanging stuff out to dry isn't an option -- we don't have those cross-street clotheslines like they have in Italy.

We hang them in the cellar.

I grew up in a cold Northern climate and sheets, towels, and jeans were all hung out to dry even in the dead of winter. We had a pulley clotheline from the second floor of our house to the second floor of the triple decker across the yard and the tenant in that unit shared the line with us. The only time the laundry wasn't hung out to dry was during rain and blizzards. That said, I prefer using a clothes dryer these days and I live in a more temperate climate.

It is difficult to dry large or heavy items indoors unless you have a shower rod in an underused bathroom or can run clotheslines in the basement.

we sometimes drape things like slipcovers or bedspreads over the stairrails. But we're sort of limited to things that fit on a conventional drying rack, since we live in a one-bedroom apartment.

My 82-yo mother still hangs everything outside. I've seen her struggling to fold things that have frozen solid before they had a chance to dry. Most of it comes from being a depression baby, but she was recycling since the early 70's, before they sent trucks around to collect it, so there's a little bit of environmentalist in her as well Although I yell at her to turn on the a/c when it gets over 90, since my dad has emphysema and has trouble breathing: "Ma, it's 90. Did you turn on the a/c yet?" "Did you call just to yell at me?" "Do you have the a/c on?" "There's a beautiful breeze here today." "Is Daddy breathing okay?" "No, but I don't think it's the weather" :banghead: :banghead:

Nothing like having to thaw your jeans before wearing. In her later years my mother did relent on A/C because she lived in a brick apartment building and it got very hot in the dog days of summer.

I have central A/C but we rarely use it because we live in a dry climate. Low humidity means that the temps fall off rapidly most nights. If we have a rare pattern like last summer (100+ degrees for days on end, nights cooling only to about 80 with no breeze) then we will run the A/C but it's set for 78-80 degrees, never lower.

smell so good when they were brought in and folded. Someone said that it was the extra ozone, but I don't know if that's a scientific opinion or just their idea.

The main reason I don't dry mine outside is that too many neighbors use their fireplaces year round and the laundry would smell like wood smoke, not clean air.

No way things get dry just hanging there. Not to mention that drying sheets and stuff outside would trap pollen in them. Which would make my allergies worse. We don't have basements either.

The only one that bothers me is the lack of a dishwasher. I hate hate hate dishes. Oh, and having a working stove and oven again would be nice (broke a few months ago), as I'm getting tired of microwaved food, but the money isn't there right now, so I'll live with it. Or without it, as the case may be.

Cable TV, well ... there are a few shows and channels that I'd watch if they were available, but it's not worth the monthly fees to me, to pay for all the rest of the stuff that I won't watch anyway.

AC ... technically I have one, but it's been broken for years and I've seen no need to get it fixed, since I like it hot. Even when it was functional, I never used it.

I wouldn't really need a clothes dryer, since I line-dry most everything, but I have one and do use it occasionally. It's quite old, though, and when it gives out, it won't get replaced.

Never unpacked it when we moved, and we realized a year later that we didn't miss it. Now we have no counter space for it (well, no counters in the kitchen--we're going vintage again--second house we've done this) so we gave it to my mother. We have a '50s-looking toaster, a microwave, and an oven. If that doesn't cover all our cooking and reheating needs, then that's just really sad!

We need the toaster oven. We could probably get it repaired, but it doesn't seem worth it.

Between the stovetop, the microwave, the toaster oven, and the crockpot, we have everything we need covered.

sorry.

one at the end of each of our arms... ;)

But seriously, we have no cable, an older TV (that we prefer to keep in the attic guestroom instead of the livingroom) and stereo, and no dishwasher. I'm sure there are other things we're "missing" but... we're obviously not missing them if I can't think of anything.

My parents pre-wash all their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher - in fact, if I do the dishes when I visit, and they complain if they're not washed thoroughly enough before they go in the dishwasher, which seems pointless to me.

I did read somewhere, however, that a dishwashers uses less energy (in hot water terms, I think) then washing by hand. But too bad. I don't want a dishwasher.

I mean, first of all, since most folks do pre-rinse/wash, is that included in water usage? And I generally try to not use a lot of water, and as I rinse, add that rinse water back into the small amount of soapy water I start off with.

They get the water a LOT hotter than what comes out of the tap. Hand washing of dishes is not going to kill the germs.

I consider a dishwasher a necessity. So did my mom, and they bought their house in 1953.

it's just something that I don't have and don't really need, and frankly don't have room for anyway. As for sterilization goes, I'm not doing surgery with my cutlery and have yet to get sick from it, so I won't really worry about that. My hot water heater is pretty good and most modern dish soaps claim to be anti-bacterial as well, so....

Food gets so gross and rubbery in the microwave. I only use it to melt chocolate and warm up soup or similarly liquidy foods.

As far as other modern conveniences, I have most of them. Phones, washer/dryer, dishwasher, cable, computers, wireless internet.

I don't have DVR or HD. Or a garbage disposal.

There's not one at work, and it's really hard to remember not to dump stuff in the sink.

We don't really COOK stuff in the microwave --- it does get rubbery. Mostly use it to re-heat leftovers.

And no a/c. I get along fine without either but have to admit I wouldn't mind one or the other once in awhile.

We didn't have a/c when I was growing up, and I wonder how I handled it -- how did I possibly sleep at night? How do millions and millions of people all over the country sleep at night? God, it appalls me how spoiled we've all become.

Yikes. Back when I shared a beach house with a bunch of other twenty-somethings (beach houses are never air-conditioned) and we were going out for the night that I would go home with any man I met that night who had a/c. I said I was only kidding and always ended up back in our sweltering house, but I often wonder what would have happened if I HAD had met a guy with a/c.....

Most of the year we don't need a/c. My house is brick and very shady and I have a ceiling fan in my bedroom plus a tower fan so, with the windows open, it's usually comfortable to sleep. I can open the window in the bathroom and take the tower fan in there too so it's not unbearable after a shower in the summer.

I've got ceiling fans in other parts of the house too. There are a few days in the year I wouldn't mind a/c but it's really not too bad.

My CAR, now that's a different story. It's got a/c. And so does my office.

and Philadelphia is miserable in the summer. Still, I went a lot of years with only one unit - in the bedroom.

Their summers are so hot and humid. I've been there in July and August....

I lived in Louisiana for two years without AC and got along fine. I lived in old houses designed for natural cooling, and fans were enough the other times.

If I have to stay in a house with AC at night, I find a way to open the window to get some fresh air.

Or eighty degrees and humid. Never had enough window units to cool the whole house.
It was dirty and miserable.

Yeah, I know I know.. where that hell have I been? But seriously, I see no need for those items and I don't care how behind the times I am.

Well, yes, but it broke and I haven't been in a hurry to fix it yet...

RL

We haven't gotten around to fixing it yet.

I lived way out in the country w/ my daughter. We didn't have a washer or dryer (clothesline and yes, I had an actual old washboard-couldn't afford to buy a washer and it cost too much to drive into town to wash clothes), no microwave, no phone (except for a prepaid cell that I kept exactly the minimum amount on in case I had to call for an emergency. I made no calls on it and only used it as a message phone because it was demanded of me at work.), no cable or satellite, no computer, no video games, an old black and white that I found at a garage sale for $1, an antenna that I found dumped on the side of the road, no vcr or dvd player, etc. We had a window unit air conditioner that we used in one room-all I could afford.

Sometimes I miss it but I also know that it really sucked at times.

a big priority. I grew up in a family of nine, and we didn't have a dishwasher then, either. My sister and I were the dishwashers. :eyes:

well, except for the two that are attached at the end of each of my arms.

Oh, and I don't have a food processor.

I'm spoiled.

did I stump you???? Freezer's something I don't have, not that I need to store an army worth of food. They're good for some folks though.
We don't have a toaster either.

Right now I have 2 refrigerators. :)

Four channels. Other than that, we have the basics.

washer/dryer (live in nyc) Plus I gave up kitchen appliances for environmental reasons so no microwave, blender, electric can opener or toaster(although I don't eat toast so that was pretty easy to give up). Also i don't use hair dryers or AC. Or TV.

Thanks for the thread, I like to gloat about how small my carbon footprint is :hi:

but when I had to serve stuff at a party, I used my oven.

:P

We don't own a washer/dryer (although there is one downstairs from us in the apartment, and it's reasonably priced).

I never understood people w/o disabilities needing an electric can-opener. During a 3-day blackout (ice storm) several years ago, one of my best friends (a hyper-organized Civil Engineer who builds skyscrapers for a living) had no food in her house because.....she didn't own a manual can-opener.

And we only use our blender for margueritas out on the deck in the summer, so that doesn't count.

Though the flat is wired for it. There's a dishwasher, but I'm not sure if it even works. Two hands will do the trick for less energy. And a microwave came with the flat, but I've only tried it a couple times. I keep it unplugged, since it was wasting electricity its light display.

And I confess that it has wall to wall ceilings and floors. One day I'll learn to live without them.;-)

I'm borrowing my freeper neighbor's WiFi signal because he's too f%%kin stupid to protect his connection. If I was more malevolent I'd use remote access to screw with him...

"Ryan, this is God. Stop playing with yourself. I said stop it!", "Jesus hates your pick-up truck.", "Satan says 'Screw the poor' too, It seems you have something in common." etc.

I wish it were possible!!!

Someone in my apartment area has unprotected wifi, but now that DSL has come to our area, I don't poach anymore.

when I moved into my new place. Once the cable was hooked up, you can bet my wireless router was protected!

And we could definitely live without the microwave - pretty much only used to make hot chocolate, frozen veggies and to re-heat soup or food to put in lunchboxes...

Which I almost never use when I'm not traveling, but which work demands when I'm on the road.

I think a lot of women could live quite happily w/o video games (yes, I know there are exceptions), and I don't have a MP3 player either (yes, I still carry a little transistor radio to the gym! how luddite!)

which really sucks, I had to wait an hour this morning to pee.

for 3 of us (if you include the litterbox).

Usually, if I have to barge in to use the loo while he's in the shower, the cat will decide that's when she needs to use the litterbox, so we've had 3 creatures in there are once using the facilities

no clothes dryer, no food processor, no garbage disposal (well chickens and dogs), no AC, almost down to no vehicles (grrrr - wish we could actually do away with them, but this is not by choice, presently)

and for a "modern" ranching/ag operation we get by with no tractor or heavy "metal". (which is pretty evident by the condition of our roads and vehicles :eyes: )

though i am jealous of my mothers dishwasher.

and a jet airplane

their outhouse? :)

and I agree, many people have a tough time believing that.

Also no iPods, ot orther MP3 players.

though I really don't mind doing the dishes myself, and didn't run if often when we had a dishwasher, sometimes it'd be so nice to just toss the dishes in there and presto! Have clean dishes.

No blender/food processor, and I don't really miss it except for the few times a recipe will call for blended soup ingredients.

I'd use a clothesline if I could (and in the warmer months). When we move I"m going to set one up... I LOVE the smell of fresh air-dryed sheets, shirts, etc.

No toaster. Broiler in oven is just as easy (though you can't forget the bread is in there - as I have far too often - and set off the smoke alarm).

I have a cell phone, but no pda, ipod, blah blah blah. But I covet a Trio or other phone/pda combination - not so much for all the pda stuff, but just to be able to get to email easily.

or any other sort of security system beyond deadbolt locks.

(but, now that I've announced that on DU, I may have to get one to avoid any trolling Freepers)

Other than that, I think the only thing we don't have is a large screen plasma or LCD TV

I have no furnace right off the bat. I have a wood stove and use one of those space heaters that looks like an old fashioned radiator for backup.

I have no cable.
No clothes dryer.
No dishwasher.
No high speed internet.

Wash my clothes downstairs in the laundry room and the dishes get washed using old fashioned elbow grease.

I don't think I'm missing much.

but with only two of us it's no biggie

and I am putting up a clothes line this year, I don't need the dryer most days if I could hang out the wash

and I have so many cotton/ramie sweaters i usually have one load that air drys anyway

no landline, tv or microwave. and no dishwasher in the apartment, washer/dryer are downstairs (I air dry, not for environment's sake, but because it saves me $1.50 a load! pays for my drycleaning)

oh, and sadly, I was forced to release my gimp, something about 'unlawful confinement' or some such crap.

If someone wants to talk to me, they have to talk to me.

I remember back in college, actually NOT GOING OUT for fear of missing a call I was expecting.

I guess if I had a cell phone that I used regularly, I wouldn't need it, but I'm so old that most of my friends call my land line (for all you youngsters, there actually used to be phones that were plugged into the WALL! You couldn't take them everywhere and talk loudly on the train, on the bus, on the street, in the mall, in the supermarket, and while you were driving!!! Hard to believe, I know!!! Not being "in touch" 100% of the time!!!

I admit that there were times in my youth when I feared missing calls.

What old age has taught me is that if the call is really important, they will call back.

There isn't a whole lot in my life now that is quite so important as maybe missing a call from "that special someone". Nowadays, that "special someone" is calling to make ME make the decision about what we're having for dinner and whether we need cat litter, and he can damned well decide that for himself.....

no bread machine, no rotisserie, no massage chairs, no whirlpool tubs....

If you wanted to take my tv you would have to first pry my cold dead fingers off the remote.
Lee

holy shit do I want an effing dishwasher. Do you have any idea what I would do for a dishwasher?!

No dishwasher...oh, wait...there's Mr. Gray.
No clothes drier...Oh, wait, Mr. Gray just left for the laundromat.

to be washed and folded, it costs about 10 bucks for two loads.

If I do it myself, it costs $8. Guess what my choice is. :)

And for some reason, he hates me going to the laundromat with him...he says I am hyperactive.

If I had my choice, I'd spend all my money on a housekeeper and cook.

I'd have to hang out the window because this little place is small. But, nothing is off the table. :)

You're worth it.

Cleaned before they came and felt sort of apologetic until they left.

lol

That's why I like camping. That dirt is SUPPOSED to be there. That's why we camp: it's the dirt. :rofl:

You should see my house. We live in a two roomer.

I never really found the need for one.

Or making homemade quesadillas.

Received a DVD player for Christmas a year ago and it has been rarely used.

I need cable, though. I don't watch much TV, but I like the niche channels - and if nothing else for the good reception.

An electric can opener that I won't use, the handheld one is less trouble. Ditto for the Cuisanart which I replace with the fork. :)

I'm the dishwasher and take laundry across the street. I'd ditch my sattelite tv but I love watching DemocracyNow! every morning on LINK, so that's not a go plus I'm now addicted to TiVo. I guess I'd like to deinvent the wheel, lol, because simple is more comfortable or something.

But not by choice. Our condo unit don't have the hook ups. We have coin operatated ones on each floor.

a microwave or cell phone. I don't have a girlfriend either, wonder if that's a reason? :)
Oh wait, I don't have a DVD player, or toaster oven

Granted we live in New England but it does get humid and sticky in the summer.

But because it is New England that's why I haven't given into the desire to get A/C becuase it doesn't last long.

I may be breaking down this comming year though since we moved my son's bedroom upstairs, it does get very hot up there, so I might get a small room one and put strick rules about when it can be used on it.

dishwasher, microwave, Tivo, big screen tv, DVR, video games, a/c, cell phone.

I'm in an apartment, so it's coin laundry.

I'd like to have a dishwasher; the next place I move will definitely have one. I have a toaster oven instead of a microwave, and prefer it.

Don't need one - though we have one at the office.

'Cooking' in a microwave is not IMHO cooking. But I'm very 'old school' when it comes to food.

We do have two refrigerators though. One for food and the other for wine, beer and excess frozen stuff,

I hate how unclear the reception is, I hate how rude people are when they use them (get off the goddamned phone and pay for your purchases, or get the hell out of line)

But I have to have the damned thing for when I travel -- clients think because THEY'RE reachable at all times, that *I* have to reachable at all times. "I can't have a teleconference right now, Chris, I'm on the plane and they're closing the doors and are going to make us put our phones away, sorry.")

They also come in handy when I get lost outside a strange city, far from any chance of finding an (ever rarer) pay phone.

But day to day -- rarely use mine.

:shrug:

That will be taken care of monday thank goodness.

I was forced to spray down my beloved old GE toaster oven about a year ago when I over-reheated a piece of garlic bread and it burst into flame. The glass shattered. I haven't had the heart to shop for a replacement yet.

I don't miss the noisy, leaky old dishwasher that never did a decent job.

No iPods or MP3 players. i prefer the quality of CDs. No TiVo.
No PDAs. No video games. No flat screen TV.

No swimming pool -- wish I had one, it's hot a lot in Texas.
No hot tub -- would be nice for my aches and pains.

One good thing is that we can see the TV broadcast towers from our windows, so our reception for the 4 networks, plus 2 PBS stations, plus 1 UHF, plus 1 Spanish-language All-Mammaries-All-The-Time Channel is excellent. No TiVo or fancy TVs.

My SO has a nice little shuffle he uses at the gym, and his sister gave him a $350 iPod that neither of us have touched yet. But I don't have or use one, not do I play video games. I have to have a cell phone for work, but thankfully, no PDA.

I wish we had a pool AND a hot tub, but our gym has both if I feel the need (and my back went out last week, so it was really nice. My dream in life is to finally afford a little house with room for a hot tub.

it's kind of like Fahrenheit 451 around here when the cable guys drive by and look suspiciously at our house.

because the building bans satellite dishes on the outside. I never had it before. And I am told that I would not have great boob tube reception without cable. That I do not understand. I am in a close-in Chicago suburb. Never had to worry about that on the Far North Side of the city.

Other than that, I have a microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposer. Laundry room is multiple quarters downstairs. I do have a DVD and VCR, DSL connection, toaster, blender, food processor.

showered in the freezing spray. Had no washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave. Until about a month ago, I had never seen a show on NBC and couldn't tell you what some show called Seinfeld was about. I never owned a microwave when the kids were growing up or even a mixer.
I now have laundry facilities, hot water, microwaves, a dishwasher, mixers and cable. I still hang my laundry out when I can and I can pack the dishwasher with a five course seating for 12 before I run it. I guess it's all what you grow up with.

However, I can live for months with no power in the middle of any severe Maine winter. I have water on hand for the bathrooms and two wood stoves and tons of kerosene lamps and a crank radio for NPR.

you're tougher than me, much tougher.
I got a crank radio specially for NPR too! (in case we ever, ya know, get The Bomb and have to hide in the basement with our radio)

Clothes dryer, microwave, a "normal" American sized fridge.

for four months.

Have to pay our town and county taxes and then we will go buy a new oven/range.

Never ever have had a dishwasher, but would love to have one if we had a bigger kitchen.

I store the catfood in it.

Between microwave, toaster oven, stove top and crock pot, we don't miss it.

I need more storage. Until I get a new oven I will use the cavity to store stuff.

I'm honestly not missing mine much either, otherwise I would be out buying it on credit. The only time I missed it was Christmas for the cookie baking. We share a small cottage at a lake with my sister and brother, so I just went down there for a weekend and baked.

I don't miss the cable, but man, I'd give anything to have a washer and dryer.

No electric can opener, either. Wow, am I deprived!

WE do have a television but it is a newer one that doesn't come with an antenna and we don't have satellite tv or cable. We do watch movies on it though.

I'll just walk. No pedometer. After all, I'm not a pedophile...

I wouldn't mind having the first (I've NEVER had one!) but gave up the second after owning one or two over the years.

I run into the same as you. People just assume that you have cable.

. . . but I do have a dishwasher here. First time ever. I ignored ignored it for a year or so til my landlord said I had to start using it or the rubber seal would dry up (?)

So I started using it, and now? I couldn't live without it! It is my Saviour!

No toaster oven
no garbage disposal
No jacuzzi, no sauna

What's a Tivo?

space for the little sucker. But some day I may.

It's like the freaking Flintstones around here.

(although I do have a washer/dryer in my apartment complex--which reminds me...)

I love having a microwave, especially because I like to cook up large amounts of things, freeze them, and then thaw them for quick meals.

a toaster, or a dishwasher (unless you count my own two hands).


Edited to add:
No Cable TV, no TV in my bedroom though I have a DVD/VCR (:banghead:), no landline, no motorcar (I have a bicycle and most of where I need to go is in walking distance).

We were without a dishwasher or a garbage disposal - our landlord installed both last week.

I feel like we catapulted into the early 1970s...

but and quite happy w/o a dishwasher

We did so for the past 2.5 years and it led to a constantly messy kitchen.

Now the kitchen is clean before bed every night - it is a blessed thing :)

No cell phone, no video games, relatively few electric gadgets, although I likes my stereo. No pagers or beepers or whatever. No air conditioning.

no convection oven, although I do have a microwave that I could live without if I had to.

aA