Author Topic: Cheap Things That Make You Happy  (Read 939047 times)

goat_music_generator

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2650 on: February 01, 2022, 10:28:24 AM »
Very basic, but a runny yoke on a perfectly cooked poached egg makes me smile every time

Ooh, this reminds me: I recently tried the Budget Bytes Hollandaise recipe, and it came out perfectly: https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-hollandaise-sauce/

(... then I remembered I'm pregnant and I'm not supposed to eat it, so I haven't made it again yet :-P)

Seems so fancy, yet not actually expensive or hard to make!

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2651 on: February 01, 2022, 10:29:45 AM »
For Christmas, DW got me a novel I read as a kid.  A Gordon Dickson sci-fi book from ...I'm guessing the 70's.  Used paperbacks like that are usually $0.01 + $4 shipping or so, and I got a good few hours of enjoyment out of it, curled up on a sofa on a quiet-ish Sunday afternoon.

Dorsai?
Of that series, indeed.  Tactics of Mistake.  My older sister had a bookshelf of sci-fi and fantasy books that she left behind when she went to college, and I absolutely devoured them.
lol.. i sorta guessed right. i should buy a lotto tix.

you only read Tactics?
none of the 3 previous books in the Childe Cycle arc? (Dorsai being the 1st book in that series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childe_Cycle

Too bad the author died before releasing the final book.  :(
I've read Dorsai! and The Spirit of Dorsai recently as well--when my sister was purging her collection a few years ago, I picked up a few dozen of her books, including those.  I want to say I read Soldier, Ask Not as a teenager, but I don't think I ever read Necromancer

FIREin2018

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2652 on: February 01, 2022, 10:33:05 AM »
Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.
What is white dishwasher soap?

i've used bleach in my washing machine. didnt help. :(

Dee_the_third

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2653 on: February 01, 2022, 05:52:28 PM »
Very basic, but a runny yoke on a perfectly cooked poached egg makes me smile every time
(... then I remembered I'm pregnant and I'm not supposed to eat it, so I haven't made it again yet :-P)

You can buy pasteurized eggs to make hollondaise! Or if you've got a sous vide, you can pasteurize them yourself: https://www.streetsmartkitchen.com/how-to-pasteurize-eggs-sous-vide/

Siebrie

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2654 on: February 02, 2022, 03:41:54 AM »
White dishwasher soap: uncoloured, a tablet that's not half blue with a red ball in the middle :)

FIREin2018

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2655 on: February 02, 2022, 08:33:59 AM »
White dishwasher soap: uncoloured, a tablet that's not half blue with a red ball in the middle :)
i dont use a dishwasher and i dont use pods for laundry.
How do i use the dishwasher soap in my washing machine?

sui generis

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2656 on: February 02, 2022, 10:29:30 AM »
White dishwasher soap: uncoloured, a tablet that's not half blue with a red ball in the middle :)
i dont use a dishwasher and i dont use pods for laundry.
How do i use the dishwasher soap in my washing machine?

I don't know the answer to this, but I will say dish soap (I'm not sure about dish*washer* soap) is great for stain removing.  I just got an old (i.e. already went through washer and dryer before I realized it) wine stain out of a new shirt by doing a sequence of vinegar soaking and dish soap gently rubbed with an old toothbrush.  Never tried it on pit stains, but now thinking I should.

Raj

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2657 on: February 02, 2022, 07:02:56 PM »
Specialized Lip Vaseline, sometimes my lips get dry enough that they crack and bleed which is always a pretty painful experience.

While normal Vaseline can work, it's often far thicker than needed and the smell ain't great when it's that close to your nose.

You barely need any for your lips, so I bought a Vaseline Lip Therapy that was only 17g that I expected wouldn't last very long despite it costing $8.

Well I was wrong, as I still have the thing years later, and it's saved my lips multiple times in that time frame.

Easily one of my better purchases. 

Dicey

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2658 on: February 02, 2022, 09:14:16 PM »
@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!


https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/

Dicey

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2659 on: February 03, 2022, 05:34:49 PM »
@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/
So I did a cost comparison on this and got $0.32 per use ($0.20 for baking soda and $0.12 for the peroxide). Brand-name Oxi-Clean costs $.10 per load in my area ($12.19 for 5.9 lb size which yields 127 loads per the package). Are the building blocks of the DIY version less expensive in some areas?

[Edited: math error! But still more than brand name.]
IIRC, it was cost and effectiveness that gave the victory to the homemade recipe. Also, if you shop at Costco or Sam's, which TFG does, the cost of baking soda is far less than that. I buy my Oxyclean at estate sales for an even better deal. Last time, I got the giant warehouse box (11 pounds, I think?) for $5.

FIREin2018

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2660 on: February 03, 2022, 05:35:38 PM »
@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!


https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/
thx!

unfortunately, i need to soak the tshirts overnight.
i'm not going to remember or might be too lazy to do the laundry the next day.

the clothes might stay in the bucket for days.
no idea if that's good or not with this mixture?

FIREin2018

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2661 on: February 03, 2022, 05:37:44 PM »
@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/
So I did a cost comparison on this and got $0.32 per use ($0.20 for baking soda and $0.12 for the peroxide). Brand-name Oxi-Clean costs $.10 per load in my area ($12.19 for 5.9 lb size which yields 127 loads per the package). Are the building blocks of the DIY version less expensive in some areas?

[Edited: math error! But still more than brand name.]
IIRC, it was cost and effectiveness that gave the victory to the homemade recipe. Also, if you shop at Costco or Sam's, which TFG does, the cost of baking soda is far less than that. I buy my Oxyclean at estate sales for an even better deal. Last time, I got the giant warehouse box (11 pounds, I think?) for $5.

oh wow.. oxyclean is currently on sale at costco!
i'll pick it up to try.
if i dont like it, i'll return it and try white dish soap (whatever that is).

What's TFG?
« Last Edit: February 03, 2022, 06:37:53 PM by FIREin2018 »

Dicey

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2662 on: February 03, 2022, 06:08:04 PM »
@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/
So I did a cost comparison on this and got $0.32 per use ($0.20 for baking soda and $0.12 for the peroxide). Brand-name Oxi-Clean costs $.10 per load in my area ($12.19 for 5.9 lb size which yields 127 loads per the package). Are the building blocks of the DIY version less expensive in some areas?

[Edited: math error! But still more than brand name.]
IIRC, it was cost and effectiveness that gave the victory to the homemade recipe. Also, if you shop at Costco or Sam's, which TFG does, the cost of baking soda is far less than that. I buy my Oxyclean at estate sales for an even better deal. Last time, I got the giant warehouse box (11 pounds, I think?) for $5.

oh wow.. oxyclean is currently on sale at costco!
i'll pick it up to try.
if i dont like it, i'll return it and try white dish soap (whatever that is).

that's TFG?
It's in the link. The Frugal Girl, one of my favorite blogs.  It was a go-to before MMM existed.

okisok

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2663 on: February 04, 2022, 11:29:04 AM »
Secondhand wool cardigan and sweater keeping me toasty

Fireplace roaring with wood I cut myself

Realizing my old dog didn't want her bed in front of the fire, she wanted it next to *me* where I'm currently working. Now her bed is in a patch of sunshine on the floor by my chair and she's snoring quietly instead of pacing back and forth between me and the fireplace looking put out. :)

Balancing my checkbook to the penny (even though I rarely write checks anymore, I still use the register). Bills paid through the end of the month with the rest allocated to its work

Slow cooker burbling away full of sale and discounted ingredients that will make a delicious soup

Working from home on a snowy day so there is no spending at all

Working up a sweat and taking off my coat shoveling my drive

Just Joe

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2664 on: February 04, 2022, 01:35:09 PM »
Just making the things we already own last longer. A simple repair, a minor refurbishment, being satisfied with what we already have, etc. I wasn't always like this.

Once upon a time, upgrading to something newer was important but that was seldom as satisfying as I thought it would be. Okay the new thing does a couple things differently or better but is it really a worthwhile improvement?

Tracfone says my smart phone is out of date and I should buy a new one. Phone is only 3-4 years old. Red Pocket tells me they can provide service at an affordable price of $20 per month. So, I dodged a $400+ phone purchase for another few years. Besides, I already like what I have b/c it is already paid for. Bye bye Tracfone. RP SIM card enroute.


FIREin2018

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2665 on: February 04, 2022, 09:53:22 PM »
Just making the things we already own last longer. A simple repair, a minor refurbishment, being satisfied with what we already have, etc. I wasn't always like this.

Once upon a time, upgrading to something newer was important but that was seldom as satisfying as I thought it would be. Okay the new thing does a couple things differently or better but is it really a worthwhile improvement?

Tracfone says my smart phone is out of date and I should buy a new one. Phone is only 3-4 years old. Red Pocket tells me they can provide service at an affordable price of $20 per month. So, I dodged a $400+ phone purchase for another few years. Besides, I already like what I have b/c it is already paid for. Bye bye Tracfone. RP SIM card enroute.
When i was gaming, i would upgrade my bang for the buck mobo/cpu combo every year (thanks Frys). plus a bang for the buck video card.
looking back, i should have only upgraded the mobo/cpu every other year and just upgrade the video card yearly

Seamster

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2666 on: February 11, 2022, 01:23:54 PM »
I carry a 1 month calendar/planner in my pocket.  I lost my old job with the color printer so I have to print at home in B&W.  But then I saw a pack of Crayola color pencils on sale at the grocery store for $0.99 and I decided to pull the trigger. 

I told a friend that I don't want to buy a pencil sharpener because it seems like one of those things you would just like, have, either from when you were a kid, something that you got in box of stuff from someone, or, just something that was magically always there.  We work in manufacturing and concluded that pencil sharpener shouldn't cost $1, but maybe $0.25: blade, small screw, piece of plastic.  At this point he said something I'll never forget:

The best things in life are usually free or near free

A week or two later I was jogging and, lo and behold, as I was passing by a school's driveway, I saw in the grass a shiny new pencil sharpener.  But not the cheap ones I mentioned above (which I later found were 8 for $1 at Dollar Tree), this pencil sharpener has a slot for thick pencils and another for thin pencils.  Plus it holds all the shavings.  The best pencil sharpener ever!  I haven't needed to use it yet, but I'm happy with it because I think this is a great story. 

Here she is.  I got the blue one!:


jnw

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2667 on: February 12, 2022, 04:19:53 AM »
My dog! :)

dividend

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2668 on: February 18, 2022, 10:53:49 PM »
next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

What kind of deodorant do you use?  I read that pit stains happen when the aluminum in your antiperspirant or deodorant mixes with your sweat and gets absorbed into your clothes.  I switched several years ago to the crystal stick kind, and have literally not had a single pit stain since.  They're also incredibly mustachian since 1 of the large ones lasts me over a year. 
https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/crystal-body-deodorant-stick/0008644900225

Dee_the_third

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2669 on: February 20, 2022, 12:11:16 PM »
Today is in the mis-40s and I went out into the sun to started the first of this year's seeds. Such joy!

GuitarStv

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2670 on: February 22, 2022, 07:41:52 AM »
next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

What kind of deodorant do you use?  I read that pit stains happen when the aluminum in your antiperspirant or deodorant mixes with your sweat and gets absorbed into your clothes.  I switched several years ago to the crystal stick kind, and have literally not had a single pit stain since.  They're also incredibly mustachian since 1 of the large ones lasts me over a year. 
https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/crystal-body-deodorant-stick/0008644900225

The crystal deodorants have plenty of aluminum in them, it's just in a different form - potassium aluminum nitrate (sometimes called potassium alum) instead of aluminum chlorohydrate.

I've always like the idea of them, and tried them a few times . . . but unfortunately they don't work for me.  When wearing the crystal stuff my shirts will soak through with sweat, and I'll start smelling later on in the day whereas with a conventional antiperspirant I don't.  For me, sweat stains were more significant with the crystal deoderant stuff.  YMMV though.

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mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2672 on: April 01, 2022, 02:48:02 PM »
Morning coffee in bed while thinking about starting the day.
@Seamster that is one sweet pencil sharpener!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2673 on: April 01, 2022, 03:48:52 PM »

mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2674 on: April 02, 2022, 02:49:04 PM »
These sweet scissors
https://www.amazon.ca/Dressmaking-Upholstery-Dressmakers-Materials-Right-Handed/dp/B07MPH38YM/ref=sr_1_6?crid=22DVQWP6W0C3J&keywords=fabric+scissors&qid=1645549625&sprefix=fabric+scissors%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-6

I never get tired of them.

I have shears like that, they were my mother's and must be at least 60 years old, if not older.  Super to use.
I bought a pair like that for $2 at a secondhand market and they are a dream to use.

OtherJen

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2675 on: April 02, 2022, 04:47:52 PM »
next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

What kind of deodorant do you use?  I read that pit stains happen when the aluminum in your antiperspirant or deodorant mixes with your sweat and gets absorbed into your clothes.  I switched several years ago to the crystal stick kind, and have literally not had a single pit stain since.  They're also incredibly mustachian since 1 of the large ones lasts me over a year. 
https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/crystal-body-deodorant-stick/0008644900225

The crystal deodorants have plenty of aluminum in them, it's just in a different form - potassium aluminum nitrate (sometimes called potassium alum) instead of aluminum chlorohydrate.

I've always like the idea of them, and tried them a few times . . . but unfortunately they don't work for me.  When wearing the crystal stuff my shirts will soak through with sweat, and I'll start smelling later on in the day whereas with a conventional antiperspirant I don't.  For me, sweat stains were more significant with the crystal deoderant stuff.  YMMV though.

Not sure if you can get Lume deodorant in Canada, but I've been using it for a year with no pit stains. It's the only natural option I've tried that doesn't cause me to break out in a rash or stop working after a couple of months.

OtherJen

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2676 on: April 02, 2022, 04:51:10 PM »
Husband and I enjoyed a trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts today. Thanks to a millage that was renewed in 2020, all residents of our county and two others that border Detroit get free general admission. It's always such a treat to visit Rivera Court.

RWTL

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2677 on: April 12, 2022, 04:10:48 AM »
PTF

Just Joe

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2678 on: April 14, 2022, 02:04:51 PM »
I was just moving around the property picking up sticks from winter winds and checking on little bushes and trees DW planted last year. Dear dog was sniffing around checking things out. Warm sun, warm breeze, sounds of the wind in the trees. Sweeping the garage out, sweeping the driveway off. The seasons are in flux again. 

Pretty wonderful.

OtherJen

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2679 on: April 16, 2022, 09:23:24 AM »
The choral version of Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances" (from Prince Igor), which is currently playing on Classic FM online. This was one of my favorite pieces to perform with my choir, and it's so much fun to hear it again.

Dicey

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2680 on: April 16, 2022, 09:49:20 AM »
DH had surgery on both feet this week. Despite his protestations that it wasn't necessary, I decided a wheelchair would be helpful essential to my sanity and his continued survival. I requested one via NextDoor. I had an offer from someone nearby within ten minutes. She had three to choose from, and wisely suggested the one he could propel himself. Today is Day 2 and it's already been a godsend.

Anon in Alaska

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2681 on: April 25, 2022, 06:39:01 AM »
Butter Croissants from Costco. $4.99 for 12, warm in microwave, add some cheddar cheese, a banana, and a big glass of water and I have a delicious, filling meal for about $1.25.

jeninco

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2682 on: April 26, 2022, 12:49:44 PM »
Went out with some friends for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and picked up trash from a little section of a greenway multi-use path. I bike commute along that path, and it had been bugging me, so I recruited a couple of friends and then contacted the city. They have a well-designed volunteer coordinator, who set us up with grabbers, trash bags, gloves, masks, waivers (so we don't sue them, obviously!) and they pick up the bagged trash later, asking only that we not leave it blocking the paths. I put up a post on NextDoor, inviting other folks to join us, but I figured if it was just the three of us that was fine.

Turns out 5 adults with intent can pull a LOT of garbage out of a creek/greenway in two hours. The place looked a ton better, we piled up .. I dunno, a dozen full-sized trash bags worth of stuff, and it felt so nice to actually DO something to make the place a little cleaner! Plus, not only did we pick up every piece of plastic that we found, we also found a prairie dog skull that everyone thought was cool!

Just Joe

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2683 on: April 26, 2022, 01:01:59 PM »
Good on you! I was just noticing a country road near our house that was looking scruffy due to trash. Alot of people haul their garbage to the transfer station along that road. Things blow out of their pickup trucks I guess.

Well, the county must have read my mind b/c the next day the road crew were out there picking up. Loads better!

RWTL

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2684 on: April 27, 2022, 01:46:58 AM »
Went out with some friends for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and picked up trash from a little section of a greenway multi-use path. I bike commute along that path, and it had been bugging me, so I recruited a couple of friends and then contacted the city. They have a well-designed volunteer coordinator, who set us up with grabbers, trash bags, gloves, masks, waivers (so we don't sue them, obviously!) and they pick up the bagged trash later, asking only that we not leave it blocking the paths. I put up a post on NextDoor, inviting other folks to join us, but I figured if it was just the three of us that was fine.

Turns out 5 adults with intent can pull a LOT of garbage out of a creek/greenway in two hours. The place looked a ton better, we piled up .. I dunno, a dozen full-sized trash bags worth of stuff, and it felt so nice to actually DO something to make the place a little cleaner! Plus, not only did we pick up every piece of plastic that we found, we also found a prairie dog skull that everyone thought was cool!

The world would be a much better place if more people would:

a) Put things in a trash can
b) Pick up a small amount of trash on a routine basis

Good on you!

stoaX

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2685 on: April 28, 2022, 05:43:40 PM »
Went out with some friends for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and picked up trash from a little section of a greenway multi-use path. I bike commute along that path, and it had been bugging me, so I recruited a couple of friends and then contacted the city. They have a well-designed volunteer coordinator, who set us up with grabbers, trash bags, gloves, masks, waivers (so we don't sue them, obviously!) and they pick up the bagged trash later, asking only that we not leave it blocking the paths. I put up a post on NextDoor, inviting other folks to join us, but I figured if it was just the three of us that was fine.

Turns out 5 adults with intent can pull a LOT of garbage out of a creek/greenway in two hours. The place looked a ton better, we piled up .. I dunno, a dozen full-sized trash bags worth of stuff, and it felt so nice to actually DO something to make the place a little cleaner! Plus, not only did we pick up every piece of plastic that we found, we also found a prairie dog skull that everyone thought was cool!

The world would be a much better place if more people would:

a) Put things in a trash can
b) Pick up a small amount of trash on a routine basis

Good on you!

+1

OtherJen

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2686 on: May 08, 2022, 08:26:20 PM »
Okay, so the tickets to see Sting in concert last night on the other side of the state weren’t cheap. They were, however, worth every penny: husband and I both have been huge fans for decades, and Sting’s performance was 2 hours of sheer joy.

The cheap part was the side trip today to surprise my SIL and niece and nephew (surprise assisted by my BIL), who live on the other side of the state. We hadn’t seen them in person since Christmas Eve. My SIL was teary-eyed. The kids body-slammed us with hugs. Such a great day.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2687 on: May 09, 2022, 08:36:49 AM »
I got out for a short run this morning, and was stunned at the amount of birdsong there is at 5:15 in the morning.  It sounded like hundreds and hundreds of birds singing as loud as they could. Half an hour later, just as the sun was cresting the horizon, they seemed to have calmed down.

NotBadForADad

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2688 on: May 09, 2022, 08:37:53 AM »
When the grocery store stocks the one type of cream I like for my coffee.

Just Joe

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2689 on: May 09, 2022, 01:11:47 PM »
Rode my bike down to the farm fields near our house almost at dark and watched a thunderhead cloud cross the sky. Quite a lightning show and confined only to that one thunderhead cloud. It was several miles north of my location. Its been a real treat to live in a place with fields and the open sky above. We still have trees and shade around the house.

Our previous house was in a neighborhood. While we enjoyed the shady trees, there wasn't a way to see very far in any direction. 

Gerard

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2690 on: May 09, 2022, 01:34:31 PM »
I got out for a short run this morning, and was stunned at the amount of birdsong there is at 5:15 in the morning.  It sounded like hundreds and hundreds of birds singing as loud as they could. Half an hour later, just as the sun was cresting the horizon, they seemed to have calmed down.

The dawn chorus! Now I need to get up early this week to get me some of that.

Just Joe

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2691 on: May 17, 2022, 05:15:24 PM »
Coming home this afternoon with the windows down, smelling all the plants. Huckleberry, fresh cut grass (hay), and all the others. No traffic so I could coast along at 30 mph.

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2692 on: June 05, 2022, 08:35:22 PM »
When the person in the 120k RV in the campsite next to you points at your tent and says that they used to camp like that, and you reply, "yes, I can afford a 120k RV, but I prefer a tent."

lemanfan

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2693 on: June 05, 2022, 11:18:38 PM »
A midsummer night.  OK, it's still a few weeks to go here, but at my latitude it's still full daylight at 9 PM now.  The formal sunset is at 10 PM and dusk at 11 PM.  I love summer light at night.

mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2694 on: June 05, 2022, 11:39:04 PM »
Free plants from a giveaway pile!

Dicey

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2695 on: June 06, 2022, 09:06:20 AM »
When the person in the 120k RV in the campsite next to you points at your tent and says that they used to camp like that, and you reply, "yes, I can afford a 120k RV, but I prefer a tent."
Hahaha, we represent that remark. Of course, we paid half that for a rig that has doubled in "value" in two years, which we never expected. Truth is, we're in our sixties now and we would be miserable sleeping in a tent. We did it when we could, but we've earned our creature comforts now. Of course the cash we paid for the rig was part of the proceeds from our side hustle.

Dreamer40

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2696 on: June 06, 2022, 06:15:04 PM »
Free plants from a giveaway pile!

Same here! I volunteer at a nonprofit orchard and its freebie table this spring has been fantastic. Really excited about the black cap raspberries I just got.

Norma_G

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2697 on: June 20, 2022, 02:08:42 AM »
There are so many small things in life that can bring us happiness, and often, they don't cost a thing. A sunny day, a phone call from a friend, a good book to read - these are all things that can make us smile. Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.
« Last Edit: June 20, 2022, 02:11:44 AM by Norma_G »

bmjohnson35

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2698 on: June 22, 2022, 02:16:18 PM »

A shower at the end of the day, especially if you have worked or played hard during the day.  Start of warm and transition to nice and cold......It doesn't even have to be long to be tranformational.

mspym

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Re: Cheap Things That Make You Happy
« Reply #2699 on: June 24, 2022, 09:30:42 PM »
A good night’s sleep, a delicious coffee and a painfree run