Outside of the usual life purchases, like cars, house, furniture, trips, etc., the most expensive and well-worth-it "luxury item" my husband and I have ever purchased has to be our beautiful, much adored hairless Sphynx cat, Lucy Leal-Goldstein.

My husband and I both love cats, but because I am severely allergic to cats, we were unable to adopt a cat with fur. Although Sphynx cats are not completely hypoallergenic, I am able to tolerate this breed very well.

I can't really say we "own" her. She is very much the queen of the house. In many ways, she owns us. --Lulis Leal, Cedar Grove, N.J.