Cheap Things That Make You Happy

[Josiecat22222]

a clean organized kitchen.

I like my dry goods in sealed containers, my fridge clean and organized, my dishes put away and my counters clean.

[jeninco]

similar to @zolotiyeruki , (but not our own trees, that'd be AWESOME), the apricot season in my state is so short, but the growers that come to our farmer's market typically have boxes of seconds that are heavily discounted. I had been buying a 7 lb box (I think they were "seconds" because they weren't all evenly ripe, and they aren't similar sizes) but I had to switch my farmer's market day to their mid-week market, and the 7 lb box group wasn't there. So I "had to" buy a 20 lb box of variable size apricots. $35, baby -- and if we actually look like we'll have leftovers (spoiler, we won't) I suppose I could dehydrate some...

TDLR: Cheap thing that makes me happy: being able to snag a fresh apricot or three every time anyone walks through the kitchen. Yum!!

[stoaX]

a clean organized kitchen.

I like my dry goods in sealed containers, my fridge clean and organized, my dishes put away and my counters clean.

Me too!

[Dreamer40]

Good call with the clean organized kitchen! It feels peaceful and makes cooking more enjoyable.

[Just Joe]

Really anything that is clean is so nice... Clean clothes, clean kitchen, clean dog, clean car, etc.

I had been putting off some e-bike maintenance and haven't ridden much this summer. Lazy and its been hot... Completed the maintenance (just bike adjustments) and for no cost, its ready to ride again. Now, just need to make the time. I have a new route picked out to ride.

Maybe this winter I'll tear it down, clean everything (nearly free), and even re-paint the frame (cheap to do). It is 15 years and many miles old. Not as many miles as some of you I'm sure.

[zolotiyeruki]

Really anything that is clean is so nice... Clean clothes, clean kitchen, clean dog, clean car, etc.

I'll add "fresh, clean sheets" and "brand new socks" to that list :)

[Fire enthusiast]

Facetime with my family
Staring blankly
Second hand stuff
Shopping without buying
Reading financial free resource online
Workout at home (not a gym person)

[zolotiyeruki]

Shopping without buying

Ooh, I like this one. 

Last weekend, we took the kids to the Renaissance Faire.  Near the end of the day, the kids were off exploring by themselves and DW and I wandered the shops.  Being the end of the day, most of the crowd had left, and the proprietor for a costume shop invited us to play dress-up.  So we did!  We had no interest in paying $200 for a late-Elizabethan doublet or bodice, but it was fun getting dolled up.  And as it turns out, DW is stunning.

[mspym]

@zolotiyeruki awesome pic!

[jeninco]

My annual birthday hike. The "present" part of it is that DH is 100% responsible for organizing. We gather a group of friends and folks I like (no social commitment inclusions here) and we hike to the summit of a peak that looks down on town. There are two routes up: the group that's feeling fit and hale climbs a few thousand feet and about 3 miles, and the folks with injuries, small kids, feeling old, or guests in town drive to the higher trailhead and walk a bit over a mile and a few hundred feet to meet us. We sit on the summit and have bagels with cream cheese and lox, brownies, juice and prosecco (or mimosas) fruit, and various other delicious goodies people bring.

[Metalcat]

My annual birthday hike. The "present" part of it is that DH is 100% responsible for organizing. We gather a group of friends and folks I like (no social commitment inclusions here) and we hike to the summit of a peak that looks down on town. There are two routes up: the group that's feeling fit and hale climbs a few thousand feet and about 3 miles, and the folks with injuries, small kids, feeling old, or guests in town drive to the higher trailhead and walk a bit over a mile and a few hundred feet to meet us. We sit on the summit and have bagels with cream cheese and lox, brownies, juice and prosecco (or mimosas) fruit, and various other delicious goodies people bring.

This is awesome!

Back when my legs worked, my sister and I had a tradition of going for a huge winter hike on January 1st as a way to kick off the new year. We had both given up alcohol, so we celebrated that we were starting off each year fresh and energized and ready to take shit on.

We would sit in the snow and have warm drinks from a thermos overlooking the valley. I absolutely loved it.

[curious_george]

My hammock.

20 dollars at a garage sale. Can lay down on my back patio and relax in the sun on days that I feel tired and out of it.

[Malossi792]

My hammock.

20 dollars at a garage sale. Can lay down on my back patio and relax in the sun on days that I feel tired and out of it.

+1000
A hammock is contentment that you can touch.

[Adventine]

Shopping without buying

Ooh, I like this one. 

Last weekend, we took the kids to the Renaissance Faire.  Near the end of the day, the kids were off exploring by themselves and DW and I wandered the shops.  Being the end of the day, most of the crowd had left, and the proprietor for a costume shop invited us to play dress-up.  So we did!  We had no interest in paying $200 for a late-Elizabethan doublet or bodice, but it was fun getting dolled up.  And as it turns out, DW is stunning.

Awesome to try something like that for free!

[Just Joe]

Those costumes look great! Now thinking I should buy one and that can just be my Halloween costume each year. Otherwise my costume is middle aged Dad/employee.

[zolotiyeruki]

Those costumes look great! Now thinking I should buy one and that can just be my Halloween costume each year. Otherwise my costume is middle aged Dad/employee.

It's not cheap, that's for sure.  The complete (5 piece) outfit DW wore totalled $500.

Honestly, though, that could be a really, really cool FIRE hobby--sewing a custom, high-quality pair of costumes for DW and myself each year for Halloween could be a lot of fun.

[Adventine]

Today's cheap thing that made me happy: I got new socks that cover my ankles!!

Why did this make me so happy? I've developed a funny looking sock tan from being outside so much. My tan is a two inch strip of skin between the end of my leggings and the top of my socks. My ankles look especially dark. As in, they're so crispy fried tan, they look dirty. That's how dark they've become compared to the rest of my skin.

They got this way despite me wearing sun protective clothing and religiously using good Asian sunscreen.

The new socks cover the tan lines completely. Hopefully my skin will even out in a few months. I took another hour long walk today on a humid Southern summer morning, and having my ankles covered up felt better than I expected.

[Josiecat22222]

@Adventine-- I get the same tan line!! I call it my tiger stripe

[Adventine]

@Josiecat23503 I may start calling them that, too!

[Just Joe]

Those costumes look great! Now thinking I should buy one and that can just be my Halloween costume each year. Otherwise my costume is middle aged Dad/employee.

It's not cheap, that's for sure.  The complete (5 piece) outfit DW wore totalled $500.

Honestly, though, that could be a really, really cool FIRE hobby--sewing a custom, high-quality pair of costumes for DW and myself each year for Halloween could be a lot of fun.

That's cheaper than I expected though. I would have said $1500. Cheaper to be "Dad".

[sonofsven]

The first substantial rain in a month, and the cooling in the evening and morning that says Fall is on the way. My favorite season.

[Josiecat22222]

@sonofsven, I agree!! love the smell of fall in the air and the feel of leaves crunching under my shoes.  And wearing a cozy vest.  Love a vest.

[RetiredAt63]

@sonofsven, I agree!! love the smell of fall in the air and the feel of leaves crunching under my shoes.  And wearing a cozy vest.  Love a vest.

Same here.  But my tomato and pepper plants disagree.

[Josiecat22222]

@RetiredAt63 - I get it, my tomato plants are in their last thrall of the summer and it is the best produce season (seriously I could eat corn and peaches at every meal!!) But, fall leads to butternut squash, apples, and soups with crusty bread.  And, don't forget, cozy vests. 

[RetiredAt63]

@RetiredAt63 - I get it, my tomato plants are in their last thrall of the summer and it is the best produce season (seriously I could eat corn and peaches at every meal!!) But, fall leads to butternut squash, apples, and soups with crusty bread.  And, don't forget, cozy vests.

Oh, I love fall.  Fall is my favourite season, then spring.  Perfect weather for doing things outside.  After the first frost, no mosquitoes.

But we have had cool nights most of the summer so my tomatoes and peppers are way behind, and I want more from them!

[Just Joe]

@sonofsven, I agree!! love the smell of fall in the air and the feel of leaves crunching under my shoes.  And wearing a cozy vest.  Love a vest.

Stepped out on our porch this cool morning (53F) and stepped on 7-8 leaves by the door. One of our cats likes to get up early and bring us leaves. She goes in cycles.

I'll bet that was what she was telling me about when she jumped up on the bed to talk to me. "Hey! I brought you more leaves. Come see. Some leaves are changing!"

Love that about her.

[Metalcat]

@RetiredAt63 - I get it, my tomato plants are in their last thrall of the summer and it is the best produce season (seriously I could eat corn and peaches at every meal!!) But, fall leads to butternut squash, apples, and soups with crusty bread.  And, don't forget, cozy vests.

Oh, I love fall.  Fall is my favourite season, then spring.  Perfect weather for doing things outside.  After the first frost, no mosquitoes.

But we have had cool nights most of the summer so my tomatoes and peppers are way behind, and I want more from them!

Fall here is like "Oh, it's the last week of August huh? Cool, enjoy the slow fade of summer...just kidding, I'm gonna slap you in the face with the air from now on!"

Woke up to 70km winds this morning, lol.

[Gerard]

Fall here is like "Oh, it's the last week of August huh? Cool, enjoy the slow fade of summer...just kidding, I'm gonna slap you in the face with the air from now on!"

Woke up to 70km winds this morning, lol.

Still in Newfoundland, I take it? :-)

[Dicey]

Fall here is like "Oh, it's the last week of August huh? Cool, enjoy the slow fade of summer...just kidding, I'm gonna slap you in the face with the air from now on!"

Woke up to 70km winds this morning, lol.

Still in Newfoundland, I take it? :-)

We talked to our kids in CO last week. They live above 8000 feet. Their comment was "Winter's coming, we can already feel it." Hell, in most of California, September and October are the best months of summer!

[MinouMinou]

RAIN! Rain rain rain for the first time in months. Soft, gentle, soaking rain. It will green everything up and hopefully help with the forest fires.

[Metalcat]

Fall here is like "Oh, it's the last week of August huh? Cool, enjoy the slow fade of summer...just kidding, I'm gonna slap you in the face with the air from now on!"

Woke up to 70km winds this morning, lol.

Still in Newfoundland, I take it? :-)

Yup, and 70km is just the appetizer.

Not sure when I'm heading home this year, but I should start making plans.

[RetiredAt63]

Fall here is like "Oh, it's the last week of August huh? Cool, enjoy the slow fade of summer...just kidding, I'm gonna slap you in the face with the air from now on!"

Woke up to 70km winds this morning, lol.

Still in Newfoundland, I take it? :-)

We talked to our kids in CO last week. They live above 8000 feet. Their comment was "Winter's coming, we can already feel it." Hell, in most of California, September and October are the best months of summer!

Winter is definitely coming, the nights are getting nippy here. 10^oC tonight.

[Metalcat]

Fall here is like "Oh, it's the last week of August huh? Cool, enjoy the slow fade of summer...just kidding, I'm gonna slap you in the face with the air from now on!"

Woke up to 70km winds this morning, lol.

Still in Newfoundland, I take it? :-)

We talked to our kids in CO last week. They live above 8000 feet. Their comment was "Winter's coming, we can already feel it." Hell, in most of California, September and October are the best months of summer!

Winter is definitely coming, the nights are getting nippy here. 10^oC tonight.

Yep, 5C here this morning and that's with it being bright and sunny.

[Freedomin5]

Potluck with a group of friends.

[Metalcat]

I'm sure I've posted this before, but it never gets old: fresh baked bread.

Where I am, decent bread is about $7/loaf, so I brought a breadmaker with me this summer, and I just LOVE the smell of fresh bread, and it's so stupidly easy to make.

Our friends here were blown away by our bread maker bread. Breadmaking isn't very common here and there are no bakeries. I found them a new in box breadmaker on Facebook marketplace for $30, and now they're enjoying cheap, superior bread as well.

It's so much fun when the much cheaper option is the far superior option.

[Josiecat22222]

Agreed, @Metalcat!   *As I am preheating the oven to put two loaves in*

[Metalcat]

Agreed, @Metalcat!   *As I am preheating the oven to put two loaves in*

I'm way too lazy for that, lol. Breadmaker all the way.

[Dancin'Dog]

I'm smoking ribs for DD & her friends who are coming over for Labor Day.  They're a cheap treat.  I picked up the most basic electric smoker Lowes carried a couple of years ago & it's been great.  No charcoal or gas to buy or worry about running out of, just turn the knob & it gets hot. 


If we only had a breadmaker we'd have a real feast tomorrow.  I'm adding that to my wish list.

[Metalcat]

I'm smoking ribs for DD & her friends who are coming over for Labor Day.  They're a cheap treat.  I picked up the most basic electric smoker Lowes carried a couple of years ago & it's been great.  No charcoal or gas to buy or worry about running out of, just turn the knob & it gets hot. 


If we only had a breadmaker we'd have a real feast tomorrow.  I'm adding that to my wish list.

People are always selling used breadmakers. No idea why, they're stupid easy to use

[Siebrie]

My €1,200 electric bicycle. €1,200 is still quite a lot of money, but as electric bikes go, it's very much the discount no-brand version.

We bought the bicycle with eco-vouchers. This is a Belgian government scheme, where employees are given max €250 in vouchers per year, usually in June. Both husband and I were given these, and they are valid for 24 months, so we had around €1,000 to spend. We also had a 10% off voucher for the DIY store where we bought the bike; electric bikes were not excluded that year, but they were the year after :)

I also get commuter's compensation, which is tax exempt for biking commutes. I make €900/year by cycling to work :).

I feel energized arriving at work, not sweaty thanks to the electric support, and any work stress is gone by the time I get home. It's a 30-minute ride, which is often faster than it would have been by car, especially going to work in the morning.

We have since bought a second electric bicycle, which is used by dd1 to commute to her secondary school 16km away. She enjoys it much more than the bus ride, and it saves her time, and the heartbreak of being ignored by her former classmates from our village's primary school.

We are planning to buy a third electric bike this summer; we've saved our vouchers the last year and are waiting on this year's vouchers.

[Trifle]

I might have posted this before, but my sewing machine makes me so happy.  It's a 1956 Singer 301A, and it runs absolutely beautifully.  What an incredibly well designed and well built machine.  I got it for $85 on Craigslist about five years ago. 

[jeninco]

Our anniversary dinner, which we'll have this evening. I'm currently making a pot of soup/stew (chicken, bean, potato, and veg), which we'll dump into a huge, wide-mouth thermos (this year's anniversary gift: in previous years the kids have been with us, and we've just packed up an entire medium-sized crockpot), and take along with bread, cheese, some veggies, fruit, cookies, and a thermos of hot water for cocoa. Then we'll drive up to Rocky Mountain national Park, cruise up to a pull-out at an overlook that looks down on one of the meadows where the elk hang out, and sit on rocks and eat our dinner while the elk bugle (and sometimes the makes fight, too, which makes a great crashing noise).

In a good year the star watching is also amazing, and we almost always spot some satellites. Bonus points for coyotes howling, and seeing bears and/or moose on the drive up/in.

[mspym]

@jeninco what a delightful anniversary! Enjoy!

My cheap thing is: making biscuits today. I did a chocolate variation of Anzac biscuits and they are so good!

[Freedomin5]

Spent a few hours redecorating our new house using Design AI. Our house looks beautiful on screen. In real life, our 1980s home is perfectly functional with its 1980s decor.

[curious_george]

My cheap thing for today is: water.

I mostly only drink water, everyday, all the time. And I have a well, so I only pay for the electric to pump up the water and for depreciation on the well pump.

Water water water

[baludon]

My cheap thing for today is: water.

I mostly only drink water, everyday, all the time. And I have a well, so I only pay for the electric to pump up the water and for depreciation on the well pump.

Water water water

Water is mostly all I drink all day too. Except for a cup of green tea in the morning. I drink water out of the tap.  When I travel overseas, I bring a Grayl water bottle and use local tap water. No need to buy water in plastic bottles.

[jeninco]

@jeninco what a delightful anniversary! Enjoy!

My cheap thing is: making biscuits today. I did a chocolate variation of Anzac biscuits and they are so good!

Mmm, chocolate, coconut, oats, and orange peel -- sounds delicious! Do you have a recipe?

We had a great time -- heard loads of elk, saw a moose, watched the stars come out (and spotted a bunch of satellites and at least two shooting stars!) and still got to bed about the usual time.

[Serendip]

@jeninco --sounds amazing :)


Today's cheap thing that I appreciated was a good hike in the rain with an upbeat friend. We got soaked but still jumped in a lake at the end when the rain slowed down and sun peeked out. The forest was dripping, which is a nice change following a very dry summer.

[Metalcat]

My new professional license that I got today costs less than a tenth of my other license. It turns out it's a lot cheaper to be a professional if there's no blood involved.

[Adventine]

We got a study desk for free from my husband's boss! He's redecorating his house and needed to declutter some items. He even delivered it to our apartment because it's so close to the office. Score!