Author Topic: Cheap Things That Make You Happy (Read 940238 times)

chaskavitch · « **Reply #850 on:** May 21, 2018, 06:31:49 AM »

Oddly, being sore the day(s) after lifting weights for the first time in a few months.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #851 on:** May 21, 2018, 07:22:40 AM »

Waking up after a good night's sleep. That feeling of waking up a few minutes before you need to be, because. . . you feel reasonably refreshed. This is particularly good as I'm between international business trips and my body is going to be super jet lagged again in another week.

Raenia · « **Reply #852 on:** May 21, 2018, 07:46:22 AM »

Waking up naturally a few minutes before my alarm clock.

golden1 · « **Reply #853 on:** May 21, 2018, 12:51:45 PM »

Podcasts. Yes, they require a smart phone or some other way to listen to them, but people are putting amazing content out there for free.

Great coffee. I spent a little money up front for a good grinder, but now I get fantastic coffee for pennies a day.

effigy98 · « **Reply #854 on:** May 21, 2018, 01:06:55 PM »

PC games like Path of Exile, League of Legends, Overwatch, etc... free to play, small hardware investment.

Seattle area:
20+ awesome lakes around me, swim, kayak, paddleboard, fish, etc
100s miles of bike paths
100s of miles of hiking trails
Snow in the winter for cross country skiiing, tubing, etc (very cheap).
5 libraries in biking distance. Super modern content, it is pretty amazing.
Low cost or even free training on any skill or subject i can think of

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #855 on:** May 21, 2018, 01:55:48 PM »

Quote from: expatartist on May 17, 2018, 10:56:37 PM

Wow @Linda_Norway what does ivy tea taste like? Are the leaves fresh or dried? Sounds wonderful.

I'm enjoying a fresh crop of sprouts every couple of weeks. Gratifying and tasty treats from the sun.

@expatartist: I used the plant fresh, including stilk, leaves and flowers. Difficult to decribe the taste, but it tasted smooth and warming and no strange after taste. I just picked some more to dry for future tea. My garden is full of this herb.

Yesterday I also picked some raspberry leaves and fireweed leaves to use in tea. Never tasted those before, so it is an experiment. Both are drying.

I also picked a bunch of rowan tree leaves. They can be used to cook in cream and make ice cream of it. Gives a nice nutty taste, like pistachio. I hope they will also work after drying.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #856 on:** May 21, 2018, 02:05:40 PM »

Just been on a camping trip. Sleeping in our tent on campsites, pretty low cost. Watching and photographing puffins birds and white-tailed eagle. And me snorkling and DH freediving and shooting fish to eat. Me foraging edible plants. We even ate some of it in the soup, sorrel and asian knotweed.

koshtra · « **Reply #857 on:** May 21, 2018, 03:24:49 PM »

The sudden peal of laughter from my wife's office when she's struck by something comical on the internets. Makes me grin every time.

Poundwise · « **Reply #858 on:** May 21, 2018, 09:20:38 PM »

Showing kids how to catch crabs at the beach with a mesh onion bag and some old lunch meat.

radram · « **Reply #859 on:** May 22, 2018, 06:07:16 AM »

My daughter told me yesterday a red-tailed hawk was perched on our wood pile, about 100 feet from our patio door. I didn't even see see it, but was reminded of seeing 2 males fight for a female far above my head while I was in my garden a few years ago.

Hirondelle · « **Reply #860 on:** May 22, 2018, 06:27:00 AM »

The €7 Asian food place close to my friends house. If we don't cook at home it's my favorite place to eat out around here :)

tinaglass · « **Reply #861 on:** May 22, 2018, 11:40:38 PM »

Quote from: lifejoy on July 07, 2017, 07:34:26 PM

List here. Come back as often as you like!

Evening walks, Weekend coffee, Reading books, Watching movies.

lemanfan · « **Reply #862 on:** May 23, 2018, 12:03:47 PM »

Strong coffee on a sunny morning.

lifejoy · « **Reply #863 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:11:04 PM »

Quote from: Linda_Norway on May 09, 2018, 12:44:59 AM

Taking up a sick day (which does not cost me anything at all). Yesterday morning I felt lousy and called in sick. Spent my day picking up a library book, studying several library books and taking notes of them, packing trip gear for a trip on Thursday, looking for mushrooms around my house, baking a pie of wild plants.

If was pretty tempting this morning to call in for a second sick day, despite for feeling fine. But as usual I have too much of a conscience to do that.

My mom used to call those “mental health days” or “I’m sick of you people” days LOL!

lifejoy · « **Reply #864 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:12:03 PM »

Quote from: lemanfan on May 10, 2018, 02:06:21 AM

Early morning, public holiday - black coffee and a coursera lecture on buddism and psychology.

Oh cool! What’s the course called?

lifejoy · « **Reply #865 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:13:22 PM »

Quote from: Hula Hoop on May 12, 2018, 09:42:36 AM

Quote from: Freedomin5 on May 12, 2018, 08:53:33 AM
Quote from: Hula Hoop on May 06, 2018, 06:04:00 AM
Sorry this is OT but Freedomin5 how do you join a library when you live overseas? I'd love to get free library books on my device from my home town library but I assumed I couldn't since I'm in a different country.

@Hula Hoop I have property (and hence property related bills) in my home country (Canada). Next time you’re in your home town, bring your bill with your home address to the library and request a card. If you have an old library card from when you used to live in your home town, you can just ask the librarian how to activate eBooks on your library account. In my case I had to link my card on OverDrive to the library.

Thanks - I don't own any property in my home town but I do have a couple of bills with my dad's address on them.. When I'm back visiting this summer, I'll visit the library and see what I can do.

I do this and don’t feel guilty - it’s good for library stats to have more users :)

lifejoy · « **Reply #866 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:15:48 PM »

Cheap sunglasses. Functional and not the end of the world when they get lost of broken.

An app called “one second every day”. It is delightful to link the 1-second videos and see my baby grow up! It was $7 which is expensive for an app but CHEAP for a baby-item, and the cost-per-use is very good. It delights me.

Free baby clothes. So many hand-me-downs passed along to us with love :)

lifejoy · « **Reply #867 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:17:46 PM »

Quote from: pkygola on May 16, 2018, 03:53:30 AM

Hello,

I'm from India so my reply may not contribute as expected but I felt I should say something here....

The cheap thing, I am getting benefit from is my radio!

It entertains me, educates me and updates me........ I love the traditional radio more than today's FM radio and those radios are fixed with mobile phones.

+1

I love radio. It has filled a void for me now and again, over the years.

lifejoy · « **Reply #868 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:18:58 PM »

Quote from: Trifele on May 16, 2018, 05:07:51 AM

Good one, Pkygola. We listen to our radio daily as well.

What's making me happy right now is listening to the rain falling. It's falling slowly, but in drops not mist. So it's making that lovely pitter-patter sound on the roof.

And this website for when I miss the rain: https://www.rainymood.com/

lifejoy · « **Reply #869 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:20:44 PM »

Quote from: frooglepoodle on May 18, 2018, 04:37:24 AM

Toast on homemade bread and iced coffee while I listen to the rain.

“People in the country and the coast. They always ask, what do I like most?
I don’t wanna brag and I don’t wanna boast, I always tell ‘em... I like toast! YEAH, TOAST!”

Haha song I heard as a kid

lifejoy · « **Reply #870 on:** May 24, 2018, 04:21:19 PM »

Quote from: spookytaffy on May 18, 2018, 10:49:06 AM

Fresh clean sheets after a long hot shower!

Omg the best... tied with warm fluffy towels after a long hot shower!

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #871 on:** May 25, 2018, 01:26:54 AM »

Learning that caraway soup tastes very good.

On Wednesday my course group for learning to eat weeds, went picking edible weeds. Yesterday we went cooking them and made several dishes. The big surprise for me was the caraway soup, made from caraway leaves and root. I made tempura wild flowers, which was also appreciated.

Where we picked the stuff, there grows loads of caraway. In earlier times people used to harvest it commercially for export. I will pick some more there, when I ever find the time... Working FT sucks. On the other hand, I have been doing this course in the evening. I could just as well go picking the caraway in the evening.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #872 on:** May 25, 2018, 07:05:41 AM »

Friday afternoon at work: free icecream paid by my boss, eating outside in the sun during working time.

bucketsofrain · « **Reply #873 on:** May 25, 2018, 09:16:38 AM »

One of the regulars at the cafe/restaurant where I work brought me three homemade hot sauces yesterday. I love building community through food and am happy that he thought of me.

Rowellen · « **Reply #874 on:** May 25, 2018, 04:51:21 PM »

Youtubing upbeat music and dancing around the house with my son and singing along (sorry neighbours).

Jenny Wren · « **Reply #875 on:** May 25, 2018, 06:08:32 PM »

Unplanned hikes!
Went on a drive with my 13 year old and discovering a trailhead on state land tucked away on a dirt road we had never noticed before. The trail followed a beautiful little creek and ended at a lake we had previously believed had no public access points beyond a boat ramp.

Just Joe · « **Reply #876 on:** May 25, 2018, 09:15:53 PM »

Quote from: CheapScholar on May 13, 2018, 03:38:20 PM

Old Navy flip flops.

Or - just any old flip flops. My current pair is really hanging in there. Just a cheap pair from a big box retailer before a vacation to the beach.

HappierAtHome · « **Reply #877 on:** May 25, 2018, 11:31:56 PM »

Walking in very 'fresh' weather (slightly windy and cold).

Gerard · « **Reply #878 on:** May 27, 2018, 09:07:31 AM »

Breakfast on the balcony, listening to birds, trying to identify everything we could smell (mock orange blossoms, petrichor, neighbour frying potatoes).

Free birding trips: http://www.torontobirding.ca/site/outings

MedEvac Finance · « **Reply #879 on:** May 27, 2018, 09:22:57 AM »

landing a formation flight on an aircraft carrier with your old college buds while trying not to crash into each other or the ocean in microsoft flight simulator online. A $25 game that has entertained for years!

lemanfan · « **Reply #880 on:** May 27, 2018, 09:32:35 AM »

Quote from: lifejoy on May 24, 2018, 04:12:03 PM

Quote from: lemanfan on May 10, 2018, 02:06:21 AM
Early morning, public holiday - black coffee and a coursera lecture on buddism and psychology.

Oh cool! What’s the course called?

"Buddhism and Modern Psychology" from Princeton University. This link hopefully goes to the right place:

https://www.coursera.org/learn/science-of-meditation/home/welcome

TheWifeHalf · « **Reply #881 on:** May 27, 2018, 09:39:26 AM »

$3 trees
I bought these 25 years ago for $3 each, and see them from the window I pass the most inside.

OtherJen · « **Reply #882 on:** May 27, 2018, 12:03:55 PM »

A cool shower after a morning of yardwork in the sun and heat.

Also, the new Miss Kim lilac, Rose of Sharon bush, and hanging fuchsia in my yard (anniversary gifts from my parents).

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #883 on:** May 28, 2018, 12:06:51 AM »

Nesting birds in the garden. Unfortunately only 1 out of 4 nesting boxes that we have hung up is occupied.

Trifle · « **Reply #884 on:** May 28, 2018, 05:27:08 AM »

My chickens make me incredibly happy. They are funny, sweet, and interesting. After five years I am still learning new things from them.

Teachstache · « **Reply #885 on:** May 28, 2018, 09:55:19 AM »

Sipping a glass of homemade blueberry mead on my patio after watering my veggie garden.

Poundwise · « **Reply #886 on:** May 28, 2018, 06:12:52 PM »

Seeing roots on the mint cuttings that I stuck in a jelly jar.

Listening to my husband watching Talking Heads videos with my preschooler.

Hearing my oldest son's deep new voice upstairs (looks like he'll be a baritone).

Rowellen · « **Reply #887 on:** May 28, 2018, 09:47:07 PM »

I received a fitbit as a gift. A friend who is a personal trainer has been including me in the various daily/weekly/weekend challenges. Turns out I'm quite competitive. I'm enjoying finding ways to get more steps in my day and try to beat strangers or my own goals. I've also discovered there is an option to do solo challenges to "hike" famous trails. When I get a certain number of steps I am rewarded with a beautiful scenic picture of places I'll probably never go. Adds a bit of interest to my otherwise boring and sedentary workday.

OtherJen · « **Reply #888 on:** May 29, 2018, 05:29:45 AM »

The ability to get up early and bake a cake for tonight’s meeting before the weather turns hot (cake went in the oven at 7 am). A well-stocked baking cabinet and fridge, which meant that I could bake a marbled poundcake large enough for a crowd. I love baking. :)

mspym · « **Reply #889 on:** May 30, 2018, 09:05:19 PM »

The ridiculously gorgeous clouds out my work window right now. More like a painting of clouds than real.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #890 on:** May 31, 2018, 02:13:44 AM »

We have a male bird in our garden, the European pied flycatcher (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_pied_flycatcher), that has been whistling like mad for many weeks around our nesting cases, trying to attract a lady bird. This morning I noticed a brownish bird coming out of the nesting case. So I think he has finally found a female. Yesterday evening I had noticed the male bird was not singing as usual.

We have had these birds before. One year, one of them didn't find a female at all and I felt very sorry for it. But this year, it is looking good, but I need to confirm it later today, as I am (wasting my life) at work.

Freedomin5 · « **Reply #891 on:** May 31, 2018, 04:31:36 AM »

I was on the library waitlist for the updated Your Money or Your Life ebook, and it’s finally my turn to read it!

dandypandys · « **Reply #892 on:** May 31, 2018, 05:46:41 AM »

Facetime with hubs while we are apart this month. We just hang :)

frooglepoodle · « **Reply #893 on:** May 31, 2018, 06:07:49 PM »

Library and park time with my kiddo.

Cooking the first broccoli of the season from our CSA box.

Kiddo wanted to sing a bedtime song to his little brother (in utero). My hormonal self may have cried a bit...

Mezzie · « **Reply #894 on:** May 31, 2018, 06:36:45 PM »

Letting people know I care.

OtherJen · « **Reply #895 on:** May 31, 2018, 09:36:31 PM »

Singing with my choir friends.

Carrie · « **Reply #896 on:** June 02, 2018, 04:41:41 PM »

All of the flowers I have in bloom around my little plot of earth make me so happy. Today in bloom: Two different day lilies, gladiola, gardenia, hosta, strawberry, tomato, basil (need to trim those buds off!).

Picking herbs from my garden makes me so happy- this week I've made chimichurri from parsley & cilantro, Greek marinade from oregano, parsley, basil. I've got rosemary for my pork chop marinade today too.

Any successful diy project rocks my socks off. I'm so pleased when I save hundreds with just a little sweat & hard work (or a lot of sweat & hard work).

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #897 on:** June 03, 2018, 06:22:36 AM »

DH ate the first strawberry from our garden today. It still tasted a bit sour, but the strawberries are doing well in these times with 28-30 degrees C.

lifejoy · « **Reply #898 on:** June 03, 2018, 08:37:20 PM »

Quote from: Freedomin5 on May 31, 2018, 04:31:36 AM

I was on the library waitlist for the updated Your Money or Your Life ebook, and it’s finally my turn to read it!

Oh good!!!!! I hope you like it. First time I read it and soaked up the ideas. The second time, I really did the steps and it was very satisfying.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #899 on:** June 04, 2018, 12:34:40 AM »

Quote from: lifejoy on June 03, 2018, 08:37:20 PM

Quote from: Freedomin5 on May 31, 2018, 04:31:36 AM
I was on the library waitlist for the updated Your Money or Your Life ebook, and it’s finally my turn to read it!

Oh good!!!!! I hope you like it. First time I read it and soaked up the ideas. The second time, I really did the steps and it was very satisfying.

I have checked, but my library doesn't have the book. :-( Maybe because it is a foreign language books, which they have fewer of.

On the other hand, I think I really have understood what I think is the concept of the book. Most things you spend your money on are not worth it, especially if working (FT) is negative for your health.

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Author Topic: Cheap Things That Make You Happy (Read 940238 times)