Cheap Things That Make You Happy

[jeninco]

My Sunday morning ritual of sitting in my living room soaking up the sun through the bay window, with a pot of tea and a logic puzzle.

It is not going to be "cheap", but we're talking with an architect about re-jiggering the inside of the house so that we can spend the next few decades doing this (but not in the living room, because that's on the west side of the house -- great for sitting in the afternoon sun, etc. etc.)

Mine is taking advantage of the cold weather to bake cookies and various types of fruitcakes, and then sharing them with friends and neighbors!

[Freedomin5]

Made several gingerbread house kits to give to friends.

[Serendip]

Bright sunshine on white snow..everything looks so perfectly gorgeous.

[srrb]

A big pot of soup/stew on the stove and homemade bread. Watching the winter sunset out of the sunroom. Happy Solstice!

[Gerard]

Being warm and inside with no outdoor obligations during this decade's fourth Storm Of The Century.

[Metalcat]

Being warm and inside with no outdoor obligations during this decade's fourth Storm Of The Century.

Same. I'm isolating before major surgery in a few weeks, so no Christmas obligations for me.  I'm very much enjoying that I don't have anywhere to be and already have weeks worth of food in my house.

DH on the other hand? He went out for a run last night because he does that every time he gets an extreme weather warning on his phone. I think he's in a dick measuring contest with God or something.

[CatamaranSailor]

My wife has perfected the art of making green chili. She made a batch using the last of the Hatch chili's and it's been heavenly.

[Serendip]

Stretching (in the morning, in front of the fireplace)

[Frugal Lizard]

A really good cup of tea in a quiet house.

[Metalcat]

Orthopedic supports when you've had orthopedic surgery.

One of my very favourite possessions in the whole wide world right now is a $17 leg lifting strap. I've had it by my side, under a pillow in my hospital bed because I don't want anyone to accidentally move it somewhere.

There are just all these little useful aides that so dramatically increase my quality of life right now.

[Dancin'Dog]

Fortune cookies. 


There's no logical reason to care what's printed on the little slip of paper, but I still enjoy seeing what they say.  The last one I opened was in English on one side and in French on the other.  The lucky number was only on the English side, so I guess I'm lucky to speack English.  ;~) 

[okisok]

Home baked bread

[Metalcat]

Fortune cookies. 


There's no logical reason to care what's printed on the little slip of paper, but I still enjoy seeing what they say.  The last one I opened was in English on one side and in French on the other.  The lucky number was only on the English side, so I guess I'm lucky to speack English.  ;~)

Same. Love them.

[Just Joe]

Finding that lost thing. Looked high and low for a tool yesterday. Haven't needed it for several years since before we moved last time.

After checking every possible place, I thought of one more place to look and there it was... Then I remembered my friend putting it there (inside a cabinet) so it wouldn't get lost.

Was prepared to buy it again, won't need to now.

[GuitarStv]

After 24 hours of stomach pain and vomiting from a bout of food poisoning, it's feeling really spectacular to just not be in pain and nauseous.

[Serendip]

Orthopedic supports when you've had orthopedic surgery.

One of my very favourite possessions in the whole wide world right now is a $17 leg lifting strap. I've had it by my side, under a pillow in my hospital bed because I don't want anyone to accidentally move it somewhere.

There are just all these little useful aides that so dramatically increase my quality of life right now.

My father is waiting for a shoulder surgery and constructed a pulley system in order to gain/increase his range of motion in the injured arm. It's true--amazing what some straps, rope, pulleys can do for quality of life.

[RWTL]

Home baked bread

Agree.  Especially when it is a bit warm still.

I made a loaf one time and left it on the kitchen counter to cool before I went to bed.  When I woke up in the morning I went downstairs and there were just crumbs left.  My teenage daughter came home and ate the whole loaf. 

[CatamaranSailor]

Modern dentistry. Maybe not so cheap as say watching whales and drinking tea (which sounds wonderful, BTW) but thank God for endodontists and anesthetic. $375.00 (after insurance) and I'm now the proud own of a root canaled tooth and no more pain.

[StarBright]

Random, unloved condiments from the food pantry are making me happy today!

People often donate interesting condiments to the food pantry that we can't give away. They usually sit on a shelf for 6+ months and then we cycle them through. Once they go in the trash, I have been known to ask if I can have them.

Now some of my fellow volunteers ask me before throwing them in the trash and I scored three jars of momofuku chili crunch (with an expiration date of december 2023) last weekend!

I ate a delicious bowl of noodles, spiraled butternut squash and cooked spinach with a chilicrunch/soy/honey/chicken broth  for lunch and it made me really happy!

[Catbert]

Random, unloved condiments from the food pantry are making me happy today!

People often donate interesting condiments to the food pantry that we can't give away. They usually sit on a shelf for 6+ months and then we cycle them through. Once they go in the trash, I have been known to ask if I can have them.

Now some of my fellow volunteers ask me before throwing them in the trash and I scored three jars of momofuku chili crunch (with an expiration date of december 2023) last weekend!

I ate a delicious bowl of noodles, spiraled butternut squash and cooked spinach with a chilicrunch/soy/honey/chicken broth  for lunch and it made me really happy!

When you say, "can't give away" is that because customers don't select the condiments or because of some food pantry rule?   

[StarBright]

Random, unloved condiments from the food pantry are making me happy today!

People often donate interesting condiments to the food pantry that we can't give away. They usually sit on a shelf for 6+ months and then we cycle them through. Once they go in the trash, I have been known to ask if I can have them.

Now some of my fellow volunteers ask me before throwing them in the trash and I scored three jars of momofuku chili crunch (with an expiration date of december 2023) last weekend!

I ate a delicious bowl of noodles, spiraled butternut squash and cooked spinach with a chilicrunch/soy/honey/chicken broth  for lunch and it made me really happy!

When you say, "can't give away" is that because customers don't select the condiments or because of some food pantry rule?   

I didn't realize how funny that must sound for a food pantry :) Badly used phrase on my part. The customer's don't choose them.

While the pantry generally has limits on how many of an item each individual can take (2 condiments per visit, etc), with items that sit too long we eventually move them to a shelf that says "help yourself! Take as many as you like!" And them some of the more esoteric items still there until we eventually throw them out.

I've gotten bags of dried figs and prunes, different hot sauces, mustards, ghee, and loose leaf teas from the toss shelf. I like keeping it from going into the landfill.

[Dancin'Dog]

Turning up the thermostat on our waterheater just a few degrees higher. 

[iris lily]

Random, unloved condiments from the food pantry are making me happy today!

People often donate interesting condiments to the food pantry that we can't give away. They usually sit on a shelf for 6+ months and then we cycle them through. Once they go in the trash, I have been known to ask if I can have them.

Now some of my fellow volunteers ask me before throwing them in the trash and I scored three jars of momofuku chili crunch (with an expiration date of december 2023) last weekend!

I ate a delicious bowl of noodles, spiraled butternut squash and cooked spinach with a chilicrunch/soy/honey/chicken broth  for lunch and it made me really happy!

When you say, "can't give away" is that because customers don't select the condiments or because of some food pantry rule?   

I didn't realize how funny that must sound for a food pantry :) Badly used phrase on my part. The customer's don't choose them.

While the pantry generally has limits on how many of an item each individual can take (2 condiments per visit, etc), with items that sit too long we eventually move them to a shelf that says "help yourself! Take as many as you like!" And them some of the more esoteric items still there until we eventually throw them out.

I've gotten bags of dried figs and prunes, different hot sauces, mustards, ghee, and loose leaf teas from the toss shelf. I like keeping it from going into the landfill.

Those items are bio degradable though. They will break down in any landfill or in any compost pile, even better.

[Serendip]

Fresh basil in the winter (we have a basil plant that lives indoors)

[Runrooster]

Now some of my fellow volunteers ask me before throwing them in the trash and I scored three jars of momofuku chili crunch (with an expiration date of december 2023) last weekend!

I ate a delicious bowl of noodles, spiraled butternut squash and cooked spinach with a chilicrunch/soy/honey/chicken broth  for lunch and it made me really happy!

Chili crunch has been a hot item in 2022. I got my brother and nephew hooked on it. I prefer more salty spice like jalapeño on my pizza, but I’ve been wondering what to put on my butternut noodles so I’ll try it.

[Linea_Norway]

Plants sprouting from seeds that I sowed.

[Serendip]

Plants sprouting from seeds that I sowed.

Yeeeesssss!!!!

[Serendip]

Drawing. So simple and profound.

[Frugal Lizard]

Plants sprouting from seeds that I sowed.

Yeeeesssss!!!!

me toooooo!

[sui generis]

I just discovered (free) online jigsaw puzzles!

And while I thought I would miss the tactile part of actually manipulating the pieces, I thought it was really fun and didn't miss the physical pieces!  I haven't been able to do puzzles in years because my cats would want to "help" the entire time (even if I could find a good way to protect a big puzzle between work sessions), so this is a great solution.

Not that I needed more games to play, but I'm FIREd so theoretically I have time??

[Trifle]

Plants sprouting from seeds that I sowed.

Double yes!!!  This never gets old. 

[Serendip]

The smell of cookies baking..

And deep, fresh snow on a ski day (the skiing isn't cheap but I have a pass & my gear but the weather really changes everything!)

[jeninco]

The smell of cookies baking..

And deep, fresh snow on a ski day (the skiing isn't cheap but I have a pass & my gear but the weather really changes everything!)

Just finished baking a tray full of cinnamon rolls to take to a ski race tomorrow. Friends are racing, I'll be a course marshal.

Enjoy the snow!

[Serendip]

Just finished baking a tray full of cinnamon rolls to take to a ski race tomorrow. Friends are racing, I'll be a course marshal.

Enjoy the snow!

thanks @jeninco --best day of the season so far! Hope the races went well :)

Library books (and the ability for librarians to bring in books from other districts if I request them). Such abundance.

[Drink Coffee And Stack Money]

Cheap things that make me happy: My morning coffee, early morning drives, and quiet time.

-A few days a week I'll get up an hour or so before daylight and sit in the dark/quiet, drink my coffee, and just think or zone out.
-Other times I'll read at this time but only with a little book light.
-On the weekends I'll sometimes get up before daylight, make my coffee, and take a little drive while the wifey and majority of the city sleeps in.

I have a demanding/stressful job so this is one hour a day a few times a week where I know it will always be peaceful and relaxing.

[Dicey]

Random, unloved condiments from the food pantry are making me happy today!

People often donate interesting condiments to the food pantry that we can't give away. They usually sit on a shelf for 6+ months and then we cycle them through. Once they go in the trash, I have been known to ask if I can have them.

Now some of my fellow volunteers ask me before throwing them in the trash and I scored three jars of momofuku chili crunch (with an expiration date of december 2023) last weekend!

I ate a delicious bowl of noodles, spiraled butternut squash and cooked spinach with a chilicrunch/soy/honey/chicken broth  for lunch and it made me really happy!

When you say, "can't give away" is that because customers don't select the condiments or because of some food pantry rule?   

I didn't realize how funny that must sound for a food pantry :) Badly used phrase on my part. The customer's don't choose them.

While the pantry generally has limits on how many of an item each individual can take (2 condiments per visit, etc), with items that sit too long we eventually move them to a shelf that says "help yourself! Take as many as you like!" And them some of the more esoteric items still there until we eventually throw them out.

I've gotten bags of dried figs and prunes, different hot sauces, mustards, ghee, and loose leaf teas from the toss shelf. I like keeping it from going into the landfill.9

Related tangent: I run a large-scale annual food drive.  During a planning session, I asked about cash donations vs. food. The answer was both, because people donate things the Food Bank doesn't buy, like branded cereal and...condiments.

As a result of what I've learned over the years, I personally give money, because the FB's buying power far exceeds my own, but I always watch for screaming deals on condiments to donate. (LOL, I don't buy branded cereal either.)

[Frugal Lizard]

A delicious meal made from my pantry/freezer/cold cellar.  Even better when I grew some of the ingredients. Easy to cook.  It's like a gift from past me.

[RWTL]

Last night I made cookies and this morning, I made homemade ice cream.  I've found making ice cream really fun since I know what is going in it, and I keep tweaking the recipe over time.

[RetiredAt63]

A delicious meal made from my pantry/freezer/cold cellar.  Even better when I grew some of the ingredients. Easy to cook.  It's like a gift from past me.

It's always better when you grew some of the ingredients!

[jeninco]

Just finished baking a tray full of cinnamon rolls to take to a ski race tomorrow. Friends are racing, I'll be a course marshal.

Enjoy the snow!

thanks @jeninco --best day of the season so far! Hope the races went well :)

Library books (and the ability for librarians to bring in books from other districts if I request them). Such abundance.

It was ... a day. Someone else drove, but we were in a car for 5+ hours (combined). It was single-digits while we were mostly standing stil (and cheering for the racers)l on the race course, and my partner and I wound up kind of trying to dissuade a moose from re-crossing the race course by ringing cow-bells (and wondering if we were going to have to stop the race, which we would've if the moose had come back towards the course). 

Seconding the library books, and +1 for Libby, which lets me just download them onto my iPad!

[GuitarStv]

Just finished baking a tray full of cinnamon rolls to take to a ski race tomorrow. Friends are racing, I'll be a course marshal.

Enjoy the snow!

thanks @jeninco --best day of the season so far! Hope the races went well :)

Library books (and the ability for librarians to bring in books from other districts if I request them). Such abundance.

It was ... a day. Someone else drove, but we were in a car for 5+ hours (combined). It was single-digits while we were mostly standing stil (and cheering for the racers)l on the race course, and my partner and I wound up kind of trying to dissuade a moose from re-crossing the race course by ringing cow-bells (and wondering if we were going to have to stop the race, which we would've if the moose had come back towards the course). 

Seconding the library books, and +1 for Libby, which lets me just download them onto my iPad!

You don't want to mess with moose.  They're kinda goofy looking and usually pretty relaxed animals so people tend to underestimate them.  If they get upset they're very capable of killing you - unexpectedly quickly.

[FrugalShrew]

Library books (and the ability for librarians to bring in books from other districts if I request them). Such abundance.

+1

I also enjoy chatting with my librarians. That's another cheap thing that makes me happy. :)

[jeninco]

Just finished baking a tray full of cinnamon rolls to take to a ski race tomorrow. Friends are racing, I'll be a course marshal.

Enjoy the snow!

thanks @jeninco --best day of the season so far! Hope the races went well :)

Library books (and the ability for librarians to bring in books from other districts if I request them). Such abundance.

It was ... a day. Someone else drove, but we were in a car for 5+ hours (combined). It was single-digits while we were mostly standing stil (and cheering for the racers)l on the race course, and my partner and I wound up kind of trying to dissuade a moose from re-crossing the race course by ringing cow-bells (and wondering if we were going to have to stop the race, which we would've if the moose had come back towards the course). 

Seconding the library books, and +1 for Libby, which lets me just download them onto my iPad!

You don't want to mess with moose.  They're kinda goofy looking and usually pretty relaxed animals so people tend to underestimate them.  If they get upset they're very capable of killing you - unexpectedly quickly.

Yep -- unpredictable, scary, and freaking HUGE. But there are 6 or so that live at the X-C ski area where we patrol and where the race was, so we mostly try to keep the people and the moose separated... I guess my "cheap thing" for the weekend was "I got to see a moose!" which was improved by "and it was moving steadily away from me at the time!"

[parkerk]

Homemade brownies! I made a batch to take to a friend's house and they were so good I made another batch for us to have at home.

[Serendip]

@jeninco  @GuitarStv

I agree that moose sightings are amazing (when from a distance). My parents have animal crossing paths on their property so whenever they don't have a dog, you can see the footprints (and once a mother and baby moose resting under a tree).

Yesterday I spotted a Northern Goshawk while out for a wintery hike. Apparently a rare sighting and thankfully I was able to get a (blurry) photo. So wild and beautiful.

[Freedomin5]

The luxury of time. Today, I worked out for two hours at the gym this morning, went home and had lunch, and am now lying in a sunny spot on the sofa reading the forums and a good book from the library.

[sonofsven]

Getting lost in a good book. The hours fly by.

[Josiecat22222]

A job well done.  I just finished painting all of my kitchen cabinets.  Dramatically cheaper than hiring it out, probably not done to the same standard, but now I get to appreciate the fruits of my labor daily. 

[FrugalShrew]

Chatting over the fence with my lovely neighbors.

[Just Joe]

The cold. I've been sitting on the front porch in the evenings listening to the night sounds and our dog sniffing her way around the yard. I've been testing colder and colder temps. 50s were nice. Then started sitting in the 40Fs with a blanket. Last night I sat outside for 30 minutes in ~35F weather. I think I outlasted the dog.

Sometimes, spend the time reading stuff on my phone, or using the internet, or  ...listening to my 50 year old AM/FM/SW radio. Analog dials, etc. Runs forever on a set of cheap D-cell batteries. Sitting on the cold front porch, running up and down the dial on all the frequencies, listening to this and that from far and near. Listened to the HAM guys the other night, lots of foreign places, AM radio (WSM Grand Old Opry) one recent Saturday night. Avoiding all the political talk radio with opinions based on ??? Hearsay? Don't want to inhabit the world those people think they live in.