What to know
- Many Torontonians say coffee is a non-negotiable small luxury. Residents interviewed said they would find a way to keep their daily coffee routine, whether that’s buying roasted beans for home brewing or grabbing an occasional coffee and pastry while out for a walk.
- Other luxuries like beauty services can cost hundreds. One resident said braids can cost $200 to $300 and installing a wig around $150, while others pointed to things like acrylic nails as an expense they might reconsider.
- Some residents are rethinking what’s worth keeping. While a few Torontonians say they could give up things like snacks or nail appointments, many still hold onto at least one small treat despite rising costs.
Torontonians love their small luxuries, from their morning coffee or monthly acrylic appointment – but with the cost of living rising, is this something they’re willing to give up?
With Toronto’s high cost of living, an $8 coffee or an $80 nail appointment can quickly become unaffordable. That leaves Torontonians with the choice – to give this small luxury up, or find another way.
Now Toronto asked residents: do they have a small luxury they refuse to give up, no matter how expensive things get?
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Danielle, a Toronto resident, shared that her small luxury is “coffee, cream, with a bit of maple syrup in it.” She adds, “I could have, like, literally no money at all, and I would figure out a way to get the best roasted beans from the best coffee shops and ground it for my French press.”
She shared that a pound of coffee costs around 22 to 24 dollars, and she replenishes it every two to three weeks.
This small luxury is a non-negotiable in her life, to which she shared, “I will never give up coffee.”
Echoing this sentiment, Toronto resident Darren shared that he likes to have “a little treat now and then with a walk, having a coffee and a little croissant… especially in the springtime.”
Each time he “needs a pick-me-up,” a coffee and a pastry together cost him around 10 to $15.
He tried to give up the expensive activity, but said he could only last a couple of weeks.
He typically makes coffee at home, and jokes, “I don’t really have an excuse to get coffee out, but I still do.”
But another Torontonian, Maxine, is willing to give up a small luxury: acrylic nails. “When I see some fancy nails… I like it, but I know it costs a lot of money. When you think about it, I could help somebody else with that kind of money.”
But one luxury item she cannot give up is, like the other Torontonians, her coffee.
She justifies that she does it at home, and that a Tim Hortons coffee costs only $1.50 compared to other coffee shops.
Maxime re-evaluates her situation mid-interview and shares that she used to drink stronger coffee and is willing to try giving it up.
A non-negotiable for Chrisean is getting her hair done – despite its high cost. She shares that braids usually cost $200 to 300, and installing a wig costs about $150.
Sebastian, another Toronto resident, loves drinking Brisk iced tea or eating Cliff bars. He enjoys these items, but could envision himself giving them up.
“There [are] days I just don’t do it, but it’s something nice. You can go out, get something small and just go home. It’s not a big outing,” he shares.
