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Since some supermarkets have started tacking "essentials" labelling onto things such as candles and couscous, I started wondering...

What are things in your life other than basics (food, shelter, bed) that you really couldn't live without? That you'd now consider "essentials"?
Did any of them surprise you? Do you know any people who don't use things we all consider vital?
[You get precisely one free pass for a deodorant joke, use it well]

For example my neighbour got to age 78 without ever using or owning a microwave. So something I consider a standard part of everyone's life, she happily ignored.

I'm surprised, but thinking about it, I go a bit stir crazy without writing utensils (paper or a notepad on a device).

I'm guessing internet would be on a lot of folks' lists here. Anyone reckon they could do without?

Coffee. I drank so much coffee in the past two years my blood must have been partially replaced by caffeine by now.

Edit : And a computer. I cannot ignore the outside world and all the upsides of "getting a life" without a computer.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
couscous,

To be fair, I consider couscous pretty essential. It's cheap, quick and goes with just about anything; perfect student food!

The one thing I do without that people would probably consider essential is a mobile phone. If I need to contact people I can usually either email them or talk to them face to face, and everything else my tablet or laptop does just as well. In a similar vein, I am one of those people who has absolutely no interest in social media in general. I'll do forums and such as I'm there to (mostly) discuss specific interests with people that share those interests, but I have never felt the need to take to Twitter or Facebook or TwitFace to tell a largely uncaring world what I just ate for breakfast or how bad/good a day I'm having or how irked I am that it's raining.

Tea. I cannot live without tea.

Perhaps the oddest one for me is my iPod, or just music in general. If I ever have to spend any period of time doing something that would otherwise be silent (ie. anything but conversation, really), I always have to have music on or I just get bored. I probably could live without it, but it would be very dull.

 Paradigm wrote:

I am one of those people who has absolutely no interest in social media in general. I'll do forums and such as I'm there to (mostly) discuss specific interests with people that share those interests, but I have never felt the need to take to Twitter or Facebook or TwitFace to tell a largely uncaring world what I just ate for breakfast or how bad/good a day I'm having or how irked I am that it's raining.

[...]

Perhaps the oddest one for me is my iPod, or just music in general. If I ever have to spend any period of time doing something that would otherwise be silent (ie. anything but conversation, really), I always have to have music on or I just get bored. I probably could live without it, but it would be very dull.

^ This.

 Paradigm wrote:

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
couscous,

To be fair, I consider couscous pretty essential. It's cheap, quick and goes with just about anything; perfect student food!

I was about to say pretty much the same thing. I use it to bulk out my lunch.

Other than that, I think a shower and shower gel is my go to must have essential. So much quicker, easier and more enjoyable than a bath. A 2 minute power shower means you only need to add about 4 minutes on to your day when getting ready (I like to sleep in the morning ) and you feel clean all day rather than having to fug through things and wait until you get home and have time for a bath, or get up much earlier.

I could quite happily do without my phone as a phone itself.
Quite often I leave it at home or choose not to answer it if it rings.
No, I'm sorry, having my number does not mean you are tapped into one of my veins and entitles you to instant access to me. That's my terms, and unless you're my partner or one of two vulnerable people I secretly added to the exception list, my phone won't actually ring aloud for you.

When I was a kid, I went out and didn't have a phone. My parents didn't have them until they were mid fifties. I'll survive if I don't have one in my hand.

That said, I'm a photographer and do feel weirdly unprepared without a camera on my person.

Cats
Asthma medication

water
food
shelter

internet access (since so much gov stuff is now done this way)

pretty much in that order

I’d be hard pressed to live without a computer/internet these days. Would probably go back to reading more.

I’ve grown quite fond of The Wife. She’s an essential.

Wheels are good to have. Without a car my life would be difficult.

In the “little and random” category, my Leatherman Micra. Small little pocket multitool that is useful in so many situations, but small enough it’s unobtrusive to cary around. I feel naked when I don’t have it on me (normally when flying)

Absolute necessities: Food+Water, Clothing, Shelter

Necessities for my current standard of living: A car, cell phone, some form of internet access.

Luxuries: everything else.

Tea, of many things listed above i agree but tea, tea is one thing that is needed.

My flag gives it away

Despite being a miserable feth so far as my phone goes, company is probably pretty high up my list.
I can't imagine not seeing or speaking to anyone I cared about for more than a day or two.

I'm going to put my car and computer under "not technically essential, but I enjoy the perks of being a productive member of society".

My extensive collection of plastic dinosaurs goes under "non-essential", however.

Love
Water
Shelter
Heating
Tea
and Bacon.

depending on location a car can be considered a requirement to basically exist there. not everywhere has any public transport, or can be walked in any reasonable time.

The boy.
My wife.

Both happy and healthy. Anything else is windowdressing.

Good health: Understanding this more as I get afflicted by various things.
Food/water: Is a given, you do without you die and largely affects the good health.
Protection from the elements: Shelter or clothing can largely be made.
Family: Yeah, they are a little too important to not mention since you would probably sacrifice your life to save them if needed.
Books/information/writing/elder advice: Expanded knowledge access, I know how to do many things, reference material takes me the rest of the way: I can adapt to anything with sufficient knowledge.

Above are true 3rd world essentials.

Social circle/friends/neighbors: The next group of essential people where we help each other out, maybe not die for them but you would cry a bit. Makes life's load lighter.

Tool making/acquisition: each type applied in the right fashion makes the work easier, more efficient, work truer to form and function. This goes hand in hand with food and protection.

Probably around the 2nd world essentials stated above.

Means of commerce or trade: You need something, hopefully you have something someone else needs, you "work it out" and you get what you need.
More and more lately, you need to have skills few people have so others find you more desirable to trade with or "employ".
My brother can make arrow heads and spear points out of rock like a boss, I do insane excel spreadsheets, can write instructions procedures and rules lawyer (standards and codes) with the best of them.

Music: If I gotta have something, #1 means of entertainment for me is music. Back in the day of 8-track tapes I figured the "future" would be an album the size of a domino. Now your whole music collection can fit in that space.

The "smart phone": I remember being taught math and being told "you are not going to walk around with a calculator strapped to you." Well, yes I do now. A freaking translator available, calculator, instant messaging, contacts, phone, compass, maps, encyclopedia and built-in dictionary based correction on the fly. The Star Trek tri-corder has nothing on these things, heck the freaking ST bridge "computer" in your pocket. I had a "Palm Pilot" when they first came out, they seemed like a VERY advanced calculator. It was when wireless on-going connectivity that made things insanely powerful. Even the access to books pales in comparison to the ever-present word search.

These above be the 1st world essentials.

Dunno, maybe I am too general but there are only a few items that need to be acquired where the rest is developing yourself to be self sufficient and failing that: being useful for others.