# Things that you don't have in your house, but everyone else does **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005 "2005-12-23T20:00:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/41 "2005-12-24T22:15:34Z")
My house does not have: A dishwasher A doorbell High-speed internet Premium cable (we have basic digital cable, but no movie channels like HBO) An iPod or any kind of digital music player Plants, live or otherwise A video camera ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/42 "2005-12-25T18:55:43Z")
Garbage Disposal Portable MP3 Player Attic Doorbell Gutters (okay, the last two are _on_ your house) ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/43 "2005-12-25T19:25:26Z")
Dishwasher Tumble dryer Cable TV DVD player Computer games Heaters Air conditioning units Duvets Blankets Meat Fizzy drinks Christmas tree Christmas lights Christmas lights that play electronic carols :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/44 "2005-12-25T19:45:21Z")
Video games (they either bore or frustrate me), air freshener (gotta keep that Back Bedroom Stuffy after all), movie channels, ballpoint pens, blowdryer, Tupperware, letter opener, La-Z-Boy, nutcracker, Clapper, telephone receiver shoulder rest thingy (can you still get those?), glow-in-the-dark light switch plate, or pinball machine. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/45 "2005-12-25T19:47:29Z")
Of _course_ everyone else doesn’t have a pinball machine. But my household also lacks sugar (can’t have it), plants (don’t give a damn), or pets (allergic). ---
**Author:** ![Cockatiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cockatiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cockatiel)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/46 "2005-12-25T20:03:09Z")
No napkins, no Christmas tree, no ice cream, no alcoholic drinks of any type, no ironing board, no garlic press. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/47 "2005-12-26T05:55:05Z")
“Bad” carbs. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/48 "2005-12-26T13:56:53Z")
No TV set, no microwave. No time for the first, no space for the second. I’ve thought about making room for the microwave, but I have no need, desire, or time to use at TV. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/49 "2005-12-26T14:33:21Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > No TV set, no microwave. No time for the first, no space for the second. I’ve thought about making room for the microwave, but I have no need, desire, or time to use at TV. But then how do you watch Baseball and MythBusters? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/50 "2005-12-26T14:41:11Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > telephone receiver shoulder rest thingy (can you still get those?) [Yep](http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&prodBlockOID=537362902) ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/51 "2005-12-26T21:11:10Z")
Central heat and air, alcohol, and a kitchen table. StG ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/52 "2005-12-27T04:11:33Z")
No television, no dishwasher, no bidet. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/53 "2005-12-27T08:08:32Z")
> [@Martha](#): > > Air conditioning units > Duvets > Blankets So where do you live that’s cool enough not to have an AC but warm enough to forgo blankets and comforters? I ask because it sounds like the type of place I’d like to live. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RunSilent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RunSilent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RunSilent)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/54 "2005-12-27T12:43:45Z")
Sodas Meat Junk Food Cable TV Alcoholic Beverages People Magazine & similar publications Video Games A Girlfriend ☹ ---
**Author:** ![suezeekay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@suezeekay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suezeekay)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/55 "2005-12-28T00:24:05Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > How much maintenance can a garbage can possibly require? > > Put bag in can, fill with garbage, remove bag from can, replace with new bag. If you really want to get swanky, you might have to pull the lid off while you’re switching bags. > > I’m not seeing it. Well, I have a garbage can but for four months of the year it means dragging it down the icy, snow-filled driveway, sometimes in a blizzard, with the wind chill at -40 , so I keep it on my front porch tied to the post (I lost two to the wind). In the summer I have to have it because those little buggers called skunks rip the bags apart, otherwise I would just put the one bag I usually have out by itself. ---
**Author:** ![suezeekay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@suezeekay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suezeekay)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/56 "2005-12-28T00:30:48Z")
I don’t have a cell phone. I like to have some time in my day when NO ONE can reach me. I lived most of my life without one and gotten by just fine. Anyway, I can’t use it at home because there’s no reception, except, as I’ve mentioned before, in the IGA parking lot. So you see a lot of tourists up there in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/57 "2005-12-28T00:41:23Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > So where do you live that’s cool enough not to have an AC but warm enough to forgo blankets and comforters? I ask because it sounds like the type of place I’d like to live. 😃 Dominican Republic. It does get very hot and humid in the summer, and most people who can afford it have aircon, but we hate it and settle for ceiling fans and open windows. At this time of year it’s deliciously cool and there is the occasional night when you need a little more than a sheet - we have a cotton bedspread that does the trick. I can’t get over the fact that some of our neighbours run the a/c all night, every night, even in this weather. We’re on the coast. At higher altitude it gets really cold in winter, sometimes reaching 0 celsius or colder - yes, in the Caribbean. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/58 "2005-12-28T01:45:03Z")
> [@suezeekay](#): > > … In the summer I have to have it because those little buggers called skunks rip the bags apart, otherwise I would just put the one bag I usually have out by itself. If you pour an ounce of ammonia inside the bag before you tie it up, not even the skunks will bother it. ---
**Author:** ![wonder9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@wonder9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonder9)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/59 "2005-12-28T15:38:51Z")
Gaming system of any kind (and I have two teenaged sons) paper napkins (cloth all the way) garbage disposal Coke Name brand cereal (and I have two teenaged sons…did I mention that already?) Call Waiting We do have 4 laptop computers and 4 or 5 desktop computers (I’ve lost count). ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005/60 "2005-12-28T15:42:38Z")
No canned peas. Abomination! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-dont-have-in-your-house-but-everyone-else-does/337005.md?page=4)