Author Topic: Cheap Things That Make You Happy  (Read 939018 times)

FIRE Artist

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #750 on: April 10, 2018, 11:21:47 AM »
Right now, spring cleaning and decluttering is making me happy.

middo

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #751 on: April 10, 2018, 11:10:16 PM »
Much-needed rain.

We missed the rain too.  But Yay for cooler weather!

mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #752 on: April 11, 2018, 02:09:17 AM »
Finally hitting some cooler weather (25-28C!) and enjoying the fact that I am not in 7C torrential rain NZ right now.

kei te pai

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #753 on: April 11, 2018, 02:30:34 AM »
Spending the day in front of the fire, as we get hammered by the first winter storm! Its been very cosy.

mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #754 on: April 11, 2018, 06:00:12 AM »
Spending the day in front of the fire, as we get hammered by the first winter storm! Its been very cosy.

Nice! So not hit by the power disruption? [My sister has been]

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #755 on: April 14, 2018, 02:58:43 AM »
Sitting on our terrace, out of the wind, in the thin springtime sun, in the morning, watching the birds and a squirrel.

frooglepoodle

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #756 on: April 14, 2018, 05:30:31 AM »
Pancakes for breakfast on Saturdays. Used up some sour milk and taste delicious!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #757 on: April 14, 2018, 07:07:36 AM »
Seeing the first blue flowers growing where the snow is gone.
Sitting with DH on a dock at the seaside, in the sun with no wind, relaxing.

It won't take too long now before the forest  is snow free.

Basenji

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #758 on: April 14, 2018, 07:40:00 AM »
Free walking onion and leek starts from neighbors

DouglasFir

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #759 on: April 14, 2018, 11:08:29 AM »
My homemade chicken and vegetable curry with steamed rice and a nice bottle of craft beer for dinner.

A rum and Coke made with rum agricole, which is rum made from fresh sugar cane juice instead of refined sugar or molasses.

Eye contact, human touch, deep conversations. :)

pbkmaine

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #760 on: April 14, 2018, 01:01:46 PM »
Chicken corn soup made with the chicken carcass and leftover meat from dinner last night, an onion, carrots, celery, frozen corn and herbs from my garden.

mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #761 on: April 14, 2018, 07:07:20 PM »
The cool breeze finally blowing away the particles from the controlled burn-offs.

jengod

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #762 on: April 14, 2018, 10:24:09 PM »
Carmelized onions and chickpeas with Maldon sea salt, made in my cast-iron skillet, is a cheap thing that makes me happy.

lemanfan

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #763 on: April 14, 2018, 11:19:06 PM »
Black coffee and a good book on a early sunday morning.   Today the book was "How Proust Can Change Your Life" by Alain de Botton".

HappierAtHome

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #764 on: April 15, 2018, 12:10:10 AM »
Good advice and support from wonderful posters here.

Hirondelle

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #765 on: April 15, 2018, 01:01:58 AM »
I got myself a mint and cilantro plant yesterday and potted them. Now they're waiting to be eaten while being green and leafy and providing me with oxygen in my little room :). I hope I'll be able to make them survive for long and get many many mint teas, curries and spring rolls out of them.

If I'm succesfull I'm planning to expand to basic and parsley as well.

Mezzie

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #766 on: April 15, 2018, 02:37:58 AM »
Butterflies. I just watched one emerge. ❤

Raenia

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #767 on: April 15, 2018, 06:10:36 AM »
I got myself a mint and cilantro plant yesterday and potted them. Now they're waiting to be eaten while being green and leafy and providing me with oxygen in my little room :). I hope I'll be able to make them survive for long and get many many mint teas, curries and spring rolls out of them.

If I'm succesfull I'm planning to expand to basic and parsley as well.

I planted a rosemary and oregano yesterday in a window box.  They make me happy ever time I enter that room.  Here's hoping they get enough sun in our little apartment!

Hirondelle

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #768 on: April 15, 2018, 06:52:19 AM »
I got myself a mint and cilantro plant yesterday and potted them. Now they're waiting to be eaten while being green and leafy and providing me with oxygen in my little room :). I hope I'll be able to make them survive for long and get many many mint teas, curries and spring rolls out of them.

If I'm succesfull I'm planning to expand to basic and parsley as well.

I planted a rosemary and oregano yesterday in a window box.  They make me happy ever time I enter that room.  Here's hoping they get enough sun in our little apartment!

Same here! Though I've read that mint should be an easy one, the cilantro will be more tricky. My balcony is facing the north so not a lot of sun and on the west side window there's a building only a few metres away so I'm also afraid they won't get enough sunlight :(

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #769 on: April 15, 2018, 12:17:48 PM »
I got myself a mint and cilantro plant yesterday and potted them. Now they're waiting to be eaten while being green and leafy and providing me with oxygen in my little room :). I hope I'll be able to make them survive for long and get many many mint teas, curries and spring rolls out of them.

If I'm succesfull I'm planning to expand to basic and parsley as well.

I planted a rosemary and oregano yesterday in a window box.  They make me happy ever time I enter that room.  Here's hoping they get enough sun in our little apartment!

Same here! Though I've read that mint should be an easy one, the cilantro will be more tricky. My balcony is facing the north so not a lot of sun and on the west side window there's a building only a few metres away so I'm also afraid they won't get enough sunlight :(

We have planted basil and chives seeds in the kitchen. I hope that when the 50cms of snow in the garden have melted away that the parsley we planted last year will come up again. But it is much better to have herbs in the kitchen, then the threshold for using it is much lower.

Last year we also had spinach in the garden, which worked well.

zeli2033

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #770 on: April 18, 2018, 08:05:03 AM »
DH and I love a good cup of coffee brewed at home. Our vice was to buy pricey coffee beans that delivered the perfect (to us) cup of coffee. But a little while ago, his coworker sold us a second hand large coffee roaster for a third of the normal price in perfect condition. Buying green beans from all over is SO MUCH CHEAPER, DH loves experimenting with roasting larger batches of coffee and it tastes absolutely divine.

jengod

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #771 on: April 18, 2018, 09:03:01 AM »
DH and I love a good cup of coffee brewed at home. Our vice was to buy pricey coffee beans that delivered the perfect (to us) cup of coffee. But a little while ago, his coworker sold us a second hand large coffee roaster for a third of the normal price in perfect condition. Buying green beans from all over is SO MUCH CHEAPER, DH loves experimenting with roasting larger batches of coffee and it tastes absolutely divine.

May I ask what roaster you use? I just use a popcorn popper and things get so smoky! I wonder if a roaster is less intense.

~~~

I'm grateful for the existence of fandom communities. Wonderfully talented people write about characters I love, and it's all available for free.

A whole category of cheap things I love is kitchen equipment from the thrift shop. I've developed a collection of durable midcentury cookware and some modern appliances from Goodwill, estate sales and even trashpicking. We live in an abundant world.

zeli2033

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #772 on: April 18, 2018, 10:55:43 AM »
DH and I love a good cup of coffee brewed at home. Our vice was to buy pricey coffee beans that delivered the perfect (to us) cup of coffee. But a little while ago, his coworker sold us a second hand large coffee roaster for a third of the normal price in perfect condition. Buying green beans from all over is SO MUCH CHEAPER, DH loves experimenting with roasting larger batches of coffee and it tastes absolutely divine.

May I ask what roaster you use? I just use a popcorn popper and things get so smoky! I wonder if a roaster is less intense...

We have been using the Behmor 1600 Plus Roaster: https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/behmor-1600-plus . It’s been great, incredibly easy for him to use and experiment with, quiet and does not turn our kitchen into a smoke pit.

He was originally using a small, handheld ceramic toaster which was fine but he had to make tiny batches at a time, there was chaff all over the kitchen and it was pretty smoky.

jengod

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #773 on: April 18, 2018, 05:40:40 PM »
DH and I love a good cup of coffee brewed at home. Our vice was to buy pricey coffee beans that delivered the perfect (to us) cup of coffee. But a little while ago, his coworker sold us a second hand large coffee roaster for a third of the normal price in perfect condition. Buying green beans from all over is SO MUCH CHEAPER, DH loves experimenting with roasting larger batches of coffee and it tastes absolutely divine.

May I ask what roaster you use? I just use a popcorn popper and things get so smoky! I wonder if a roaster is less intense...


We have been using the Behmor 1600 Plus Roaster: https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/behmor-1600-plus . It’s been great, incredibly easy for him to use and experiment with, quiet and does not turn our kitchen into a smoke pit.

He was originally using a small, handheld ceramic toaster which was fine but he had to make tiny batches at a time, there was chaff all over the kitchen and it was pretty smoky.

Thank you!!

OtherJen

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #774 on: April 18, 2018, 06:38:39 PM »
A batch of cottage pie (like shepherd’s pie but with good grass-fed ground beef), with a pound of turnips in place of a pound of potatoes in the mash layer to reduce the starch level. It was so good that I’ll do that from now on.

The sun came out for about an hour today.

Got a big box of sheet music for my summer choir (I’m the librarian so choir funds paid for the scores).

frooglepoodle

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #775 on: April 19, 2018, 05:18:00 AM »
A batch of cottage pie (like shepherd’s pie but with good grass-fed ground beef), with a pound of turnips in place of a pound of potatoes in the mash layer to reduce the starch level. It was so good that I’ll do that from now on.

That sounds delicious! I frequently use mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes for shepherds/cottage pie, but it hadn’t occurred to me to try turnips. Cauliflower can be expensive out of season and hard to find not wrapped in plastic, while I can get turnips in bulk. :-)

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #776 on: April 19, 2018, 05:50:05 AM »
Taking a walk in the neighbourhood in the evening, picking up some garbage on my way home. I didn't plan it and didn't carry a garbage bag. Should be thinking about it next time.
The days are now getting very long, so I could start walking at half past 7 pm.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #777 on: April 19, 2018, 06:13:28 AM »
Going to a slide show on native woodland plants that will grow in my garden.  Spring will come.

CutTheFat

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #778 on: April 19, 2018, 08:28:25 AM »
Finding treasures by thrifting, part of the fun and happiness is in the hunt!  It makes me happy to re-home items that may have otherwise become trash.  It makes me happy how inexpensivly I can make purchases.  It also makes paying retail espescially painful. It makes me happy that I find unique items that beautify my wardrobe and home. 

MatthewK

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #779 on: April 20, 2018, 06:00:11 AM »
Our bread machine purchased for $6 at the local Goodwill. It has made us numerous loaves of whole wheat bread and pizza dough. I also love how healthy it is with so few ingredients versus supermarket bread...and the aroma it gives off, nothing better then entering the house and smelling the bread baking!

BZB

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #780 on: April 20, 2018, 07:58:55 AM »
When you're feeling a bit deprived in a no grocery spending month, and then realize you have a paid day off and all the ingredients to make chocolate chip scones. Mmmmm

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #781 on: April 23, 2018, 03:03:13 AM »
Yesterday, for the first time in months, I had my first walk in a snow free forest not so far from my house. The first wild flowers had appeared and some green grass was starting to grow. It felt good.
I saw that the forest close to my house also is becoming snow free. Things are really going fast now.

auntie_betty

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #782 on: April 23, 2018, 03:35:54 AM »
Taking the rubbish out to the bins on the street (large communal bins in Spain) and walking back to the house, looking down thr road to the sun sparkling off the sea.

Been here over two years and it never ceases to make me happy - when I was in the UK I was 2 hours from the sea :)

Freedomin5

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #783 on: April 24, 2018, 06:53:58 AM »
Helping a very lost elderly man and his equally elderly wife who doesn’t speak the local language find their way back home. Glad my parents made me learn four languages while growing up.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #784 on: April 24, 2018, 09:55:41 AM »
DH spent his day in a useful way, finding a good looking second hand induction plate and oven, for 150 dollars. These are going to replace the old fashioned and partly broken electric cooking top and old fashioned dirty oven that we have in our muntain cabin.
The induction top was very dirty and according to the seller this couldn't be cleaned. DH managed to clean it anyway.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #785 on: April 25, 2018, 11:41:34 AM »
Taking the rubbish out to the bins on the street (large communal bins in Spain) and walking back to the house, looking down thr road to the sun sparkling off the sea.

Been here over two years and it never ceases to make me happy - when I was in the UK I was 2 hours from the sea :)

That sounds amazing.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #786 on: April 26, 2018, 04:39:31 AM »
Watching an interesting movie, borrowed for free from the library.

Rural

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #787 on: April 26, 2018, 05:11:43 AM »
Watching the sunrise from the home office my husband designed and built for me - nothing but windows on the south and east walls. Admittedly, the office was not cheap, but it's a sunk cost now, and sunrises are 100% free. :)

Carrie

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #788 on: April 27, 2018, 08:04:24 PM »
Wanted some irises in my yard, asked the neighborhood fb gardening group for resources and ended up with a neighbor sharing her plants for free. 1. I love sharing and generous neighbors 2. I now have yellow iris plants in my soggy corner of the yard. Landscaping my tiny plot of earth makes me happy.

MrMoneyMullet

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #789 on: April 28, 2018, 08:54:34 AM »
The Decorah eagle cam: https://www.raptorresource.org/birdcams/decorah-eagles/

Thanks for sharing! I checked this out yesterday afternoon and now I'm sucked into the drama of their lives! Dad disappeared a week or so ago and the human monitors just called off the search for him and think he's never coming back. An unidentified male eagle is hanging around now and is possibly the cause of Dad's disappearance.

This is way better than The Bachelor or whatever drivel is on network TV now.

Trifle

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #790 on: April 28, 2018, 09:22:47 AM »
The Decorah eagle cam: https://www.raptorresource.org/birdcams/decorah-eagles/

Thanks for sharing! I checked this out yesterday afternoon and now I'm sucked into the drama of their lives! Dad disappeared a week or so ago and the human monitors just called off the search for him and think he's never coming back. An unidentified male eagle is hanging around now and is possibly the cause of Dad's disappearance.

This is way better than The Bachelor or whatever drivel is on network TV now.

I've been sucked in too -- I've spent countless hours watching the last week.  Personally, I don't think the unidentified male had anything to do with Dad's disappearance . . .  I don't know why he disappeared, but this is migration time, and it is no wonder if a passing male heard Mom's cries, checked it out, and found no male was around.  I would hang around too for that awesome territory at the fish hatchery, complete with a beautiful and accomplished female eagle. 

Those two eagles had such a great run of it -- 11 seasons of success raising their babies.  It is sad to see that ending, but the next chapter should be fascinating.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2018, 09:25:17 AM by Trifele »

chaskavitch

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #791 on: April 29, 2018, 08:13:12 AM »
Listening to the birds in the flowering trees on my sunrise bike ride to work :) 

Also, not freezing on said bike ride due to our current warm weather blip.

dandypandys

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #792 on: April 29, 2018, 08:29:31 AM »
Hummingbird feeder -  Hummy and Spud are so cute

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #793 on: April 29, 2018, 10:17:31 AM »
The look on my 11 year old's face when he made a huge save as keeper at soccer. . . that smile! The look of pride. Loved everything about it.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #794 on: May 01, 2018, 01:32:50 AM »
Two years ago DH built a squirrel nesting case that hangs in a tree. Today there were two squirrels in that tree. One went in and out of the nesting case all the time. So maybe this year for the first time, we might get a nesting squirrel in it.

Hirondelle

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #795 on: May 01, 2018, 02:41:27 AM »
Co-worker offering me chocolate.


I wonder how many times I've written this in the thread already :D

HappierAtHome

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #796 on: May 01, 2018, 02:49:21 AM »
Co-worker offering me chocolate.

I wonder how many times I've written this in the thread already :D

I write "chocolate" in this thread over and over again!

HappierAtHome

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #797 on: May 01, 2018, 02:50:09 AM »
Baby having an extra long nap - I got so much done AND had a nice break with a cuppa :-)

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #798 on: May 01, 2018, 09:52:44 AM »
Last night I replaced a power steering hose on my car, thus deferring the need to purchase a new car by some number of months.  It cost about $20.  I get a rush out of fixing things. :)

Tabitha

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #799 on: May 01, 2018, 10:27:01 AM »
Walking to work in the sunshine. interesting work and pleasant colleagues.