Author Topic: Cheap thrills  (Read 17051 times)

annaraven

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Cheap thrills
« on: December 15, 2013, 06:06:34 PM »
So what kinds of things do you do that are inexpensive or free that really bring you joy? I thought of this yesterday as I watched a hummingbird at the feeder I hang outside my kitchen window. It costs so little to keep filled but brings such delight.

So what about you? This might be helpful for those who are new to frugality and wondering if cutting back on expenditure might reduce their enjoyment of life.

Daley

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2013, 06:08:44 PM »
Kite flying, definitely kite flying. Gets you outside and exercising, and is very relaxing.

lentilman

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2013, 06:17:17 PM »
Every Autumn, I head to a secluded spot and try to catch leaves as they fall.  Probably about 30 years now.

It's much more challenging than catching a baseball.  The detachment from the branch  is random, so you have to pay attention and ready to spring into action.  Also, the shape and weight of the leaf gives the flight path more variation than the best knuckleball ever.

NV Teacher

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2013, 06:24:18 PM »
Kite flying, definitely kite flying. Gets you outside and exercising, and is very relaxing.

I love flying kites.

I'd also add reading a good book while sitting outside in the sun and listening to a good book while I clean or work on the house.

nikki

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2013, 06:45:21 PM »
I really like cleaning my entire apartment, cooking something delicious (and cleaning up, of course), and then sitting back to enjoy my food while looking at the orderliness and cleanliness I maintain. I'm happiest when my surroundings are tidy.

I also like napping with my cat curled up next to me.

Emilyngh

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2013, 07:53:15 PM »
I like a good organization project.    Having plenty of time and coming up with a new efficient system (preferably that involves colored labels) and sorting, getting rid of things and organizing.


I like a good craft project: making something very attractive, but not cluttery, or useful.


I like hanging out with my family (dh, dd, mother and sisters) or ,y 2 best friends: chatting and laughing.

I like napping.

I like walking across our land in the spring early in the morning, taking deep breaths.

I like peeking at the stache and seeing it's grown.



brewer12345

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2013, 08:15:44 PM »
This time of year, I take great delight in squirrel hunting.  It takes some gas to get to my hunting grounds since DW insists on a suburban lifestyle. However, once I am there I can spend hours pursuing one of the three species of squirrel considered game animals in Colorado at the cost of a peanut butter sandwich and a dollar or two worth of ammunition (tops).  I preserve the tails (meat gets eaten) and swap them with the Mepps fishing lure company for trout lures, which occupies much of my time in the late spring and summer.  This spring I plan on taking my folding rod, mini tackle bag, and bicycle to the river and lakes within easy biking distance to really find out what is in those waters.

annaraven

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2013, 08:18:10 PM »
This time of year, I take great delight in squirrel hunting.  It takes some gas to get to my hunting grounds since DW insists on a suburban lifestyle. However, once I am there I can spend hours pursuing one of the three species of squirrel considered game animals in Colorado at the cost of a peanut butter sandwich and a dollar or two worth of ammunition (tops).  I preserve the tails (meat gets eaten) and swap them with the Mepps fishing lure company for trout lures, which occupies much of my time in the late spring and summer.  This spring I plan on taking my folding rod, mini tackle bag, and bicycle to the river and lakes within easy biking distance to really find out what is in those waters.
Nice. Brunswick stew?

nikki

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2013, 08:38:09 PM »
This time of year, I take great delight in squirrel hunting.  It takes some gas to get to my hunting grounds since DW insists on a suburban lifestyle. However, once I am there I can spend hours pursuing one of the three species of squirrel considered game animals in Colorado at the cost of a peanut butter sandwich and a dollar or two worth of ammunition (tops).  I preserve the tails (meat gets eaten) and swap them with the Mepps fishing lure company for trout lures, which occupies much of my time in the late spring and summer.  This spring I plan on taking my folding rod, mini tackle bag, and bicycle to the river and lakes within easy biking distance to really find out what is in those waters.

Noooooooooooooooo! ㅠ.ㅠ

Other than *my* cat, squirrels are my favorite animals. At least you don't just leave them to rot.  ㅠ.ㅠ

brewer12345

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2013, 08:47:08 PM »
This time of year, I take great delight in squirrel hunting.  It takes some gas to get to my hunting grounds since DW insists on a suburban lifestyle. However, once I am there I can spend hours pursuing one of the three species of squirrel considered game animals in Colorado at the cost of a peanut butter sandwich and a dollar or two worth of ammunition (tops).  I preserve the tails (meat gets eaten) and swap them with the Mepps fishing lure company for trout lures, which occupies much of my time in the late spring and summer.  This spring I plan on taking my folding rod, mini tackle bag, and bicycle to the river and lakes within easy biking distance to really find out what is in those waters.
Nice. Brunswick stew?

All kinds of recipes.  Hassenpfeffer made with squirrel or rabbit, Hong-style squirrel soup, squirrel pot pie, Maltese-style rabbit or squirrel, etc.  I like to cook and squirrel is really tasty so I a always trying out new recipes.  I may try "tinga de squirrelo" (variant on Mexican dish tinga de pollo) soon.

brewer12345

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2013, 08:49:18 PM »
This time of year, I take great delight in squirrel hunting.  It takes some gas to get to my hunting grounds since DW insists on a suburban lifestyle. However, once I am there I can spend hours pursuing one of the three species of squirrel considered game animals in Colorado at the cost of a peanut butter sandwich and a dollar or two worth of ammunition (tops).  I preserve the tails (meat gets eaten) and swap them with the Mepps fishing lure company for trout lures, which occupies much of my time in the late spring and summer.  This spring I plan on taking my folding rod, mini tackle bag, and bicycle to the river and lakes within easy biking distance to really find out what is in those waters.

Noooooooooooooooo! ㅠ.ㅠ

Other than *my* cat, squirrels are my favorite animals. At least you don't just leave them to rot.  ㅠ.ㅠ

Squirrels are some of my favorite animals, too.  I am actually a paying member of Squirrels Unlimited, believe it or not.  I know way more about squirrel biology and have a much deeper appreciation for them as an animal since I started hunting them.  I try hard to be an ethical hunter and I use everything of them I can (hence the tail preserving deal).  I'd be pretty bummed if there were no squirrels to watch and hunt.

Russ

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2013, 09:42:59 PM »
washing dishes

impaire

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2013, 09:55:54 PM »
Cooking, especially baking and cutting stuff... And as I set out to make some "art" and small presents for Xmas, I just discovered that I LOVE playing with paint and crafting simple little things. There will be more of that in the future, if I can figure out a way to not make it produce clutter!

Moomingirl

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2013, 11:15:42 PM »
Gardening. I had to get a few things to start (second hand trowel, hand fork, and pots at the second hand store, and a few seeds), but now it is paying me back in exercise, fresh air, and vegetables 

lifejoy

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2013, 05:58:37 AM »
Talking to my friends, mailing letters, sitting with a cup of tea and reading a book :)

MissStache

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2013, 08:36:49 AM »
mailing letters

Oh, good one!  This is such a nice thing to do, and I know my elderly relatives (and far-flung friends!) would really appreciate it!

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #16 on: December 16, 2013, 08:46:44 AM »
I really like cleaning my entire apartment, cooking something delicious (and cleaning up, of course), and then sitting back to enjoy my food while looking at the orderliness and cleanliness I maintain. I'm happiest when my surroundings are tidy.

ME TOO!

Also, taking my dog for a walk somewhere where he can be off-leash. Watching him frolic joyfully like a puppy instead of a 10-year-old dog puts a huge smile on my face :)

dantownehall

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #17 on: December 16, 2013, 09:28:39 AM »
Music for me.

It's one of those things that can be really expensive or really cheap, depending on how much of an exploding volcano of wastefulness you are.

I paid $300 for a pretty good used guitar with a (repaired) crack in it about ten years ago, and I have played it thousands upon thousands of hours.  Pretty good happiness dividends per dollar invested.  The time I spend playing music (which now costs nothing) also definitely keeps me from spending money entertaining myself in other ways.

Also books!  Free at the library, or $3-$4 apiece at a good used bookstore.  Go ahead and facepunch me, but I buy books still.  For me it's a good investment.  I like looking at them and reminding myself of my favorites.  They're also great for conversation when all of my well-educated, beautiful & literate friends come over!

aglassman

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2013, 09:46:06 AM »
Quote
I head to a secluded spot and try to catch leaves as they fall.

Uh, I kind of want to try this now....

Sledding is cheap and massively fun, and it's good exercise! 

shamelessHedon

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2013, 11:20:43 AM »
Cooking
Digital photography
Crafts with scrounged materials
Reading
Exercise - disc golf courses are free here.  I like jumprope too.
Making music (I play with friends)
Blogging
Babysitting - my 5 year old niece is so fun to hang out with!

CommonCents

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2013, 11:47:12 AM »
Reading books from the library
Playing with my sister's dog and taking her for a walk (no dog for us yet, alas)
Time with friends
Computer games (probably too much time at this).  Use to play with my now-husband when we were dating, my brother, his wife, and my brother-in-law, when we were living in 3 different states, so it was actually more social than it might sound.

Sadly, unlike another person I can't put down crafting because it can get expensive.  Although recently I gave lap quilts I made as wedding gifts, so I spent a little less on materials than what I otherwise would have spent, and I got to craft.  :)

MicroRN

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2013, 01:25:09 PM »
I love making chocolate mousse, cheesecake, or a similarly simple but decadent dessert, and once the kids are asleep have some with a glass of wine and a movie, or reading next to our (gas) fire.  Another is to simmer dried apricots in water, sugar, and brandy, let them cool, then half-dip in melted dark chocolate.  Real hot chocolate is great too - sugar, grated chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk.   
   
I have family hand-me-down Wedgwood and sterling flatware, so I'll do dinner for us using the good stuff.  Put a nice tablecloth and candles on the table, and make it all special.  We have a deep freeze and buy our beef by the side, so even good steaks average about $3.50/lb.  I can do shrimp, steak, goat-cheese mashed potatoes, and a vegetable for <$10 for 2 people. 

Pack a picnic and enjoy the day out.  We used to go to our local botanical gardens all the time.  They even had a kid's area with fountains to play in.  It did cost for admission, but we became members and our averaged cost was $2/visit.  The gardens had a weekly summer concert series included with admission.  We also have a national parks pass (free for AD military), and so we make use of that now to go hiking and enjoy incredible views.   

We also used to live right near the beach, and that was a great cheap thing to do.  Sometimes we'd wait and go after dark to wander along in the edge of the water. 

Hot bubble bath with a book.

Debbie M

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #22 on: December 16, 2013, 02:07:04 PM »
My favorite is to sing along and/or dance along to my favorite recorded music.  Regular dancing and ballroom dancing.  I even like just singing as I'm walking to the bus or something.  And yes I will sing or dance along to background music while I'm grocery shopping.

I love reading the same book my boyfriend is reading and talking about it with him--it's fun to read aloud our favorite quotes, too.

Enjoying any good book, movie, song, play, etc.

Fine tuning a recipe to get something super tasty but also healthy and quick and easy to make and made from basic ingredients that will probably always be available.  Actually, I don't really enjoy fine-tuning a recipe, but I sure enjoy finally having the perfect recipe for something.

Hiking through woods.  Hiking through mountains, deserts, beaches, and cities is okay, too.

I get really sucked in organizing certain kinds of things like creating and tweaking spreadsheets for personal finance issues or fixing forms that don't have enough space for common answers and/or are confusing.

And of course all the basic stuff: eating when hungry, drinking when thirsty, sleeping when sleepy, resting when tuckered, peeing after holding it, stretching in bed in the morning, scratching itches (I love this one way too much), warming up when it's cold and vice versa, taking a deep breath after swimming underwater.

Luck better Skill

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #23 on: December 16, 2013, 08:45:08 PM »
I really like cleaning my entire apartment, cooking something delicious (and cleaning up, of course), and then sitting back to enjoy my food while looking at the orderliness and cleanliness I maintain. I'm happiest when my surroundings are tidy.

ME TOO!

Also, taking my dog for a walk somewhere where he can be off-leash. Watching him frolic joyfully like a puppy instead of a 10-year-old dog puts a huge smile on my face :)
 
  I like baking cookies.  Then watching my friends poor manners as they diss my fat pills with a full mouth.  <evil grin>

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2013, 07:39:05 AM »
And of course all the basic stuff: eating when hungry, drinking when thirsty, sleeping when sleepy, resting when tuckered, peeing after holding it, stretching in bed in the morning, scratching itches (I love this one way too much), warming up when it's cold and vice versa, taking a deep breath after swimming underwater.

Haha, I love this. You gotta love being alive :)

Catherine

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #25 on: December 17, 2013, 08:53:42 AM »
Music and reading for me too. I play violin in a quartet and loooove it. I also plunk around on the banjo but I've got a ways to go on that before I can feel confident in a jam.

Kriegsspiel

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #26 on: December 18, 2013, 07:14:38 PM »
I love getting drunk or hopped up on glue and going streaking. It's a cheap way to get out and meet people.


Bartstache

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #27 on: December 19, 2013, 07:26:46 PM »
My dog and her favorite tennis ball.  Thanks for the reminder that the simple things are the best.

MoneyCat

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #28 on: December 19, 2013, 07:46:17 PM »
I lived for several years in an inner city neighborhood, so now that I live in the quiet suburbs I really enjoy sitting in my backyard and watching the bird feeder.  Usually with a beer in my hand.  You have no idea how much you miss Nature until you've been away from it for a long time.

imustachemystash

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #29 on: December 19, 2013, 09:16:52 PM »
Singing karaoke!
Going to the beach
Texting my friends about something funny
Feeling a nice buzz after drinking the right amount of coffee or alcohol
Wrestling with my husband

RNwastash

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #30 on: December 19, 2013, 09:28:50 PM »
I started running with my friend, training for half-marathons.  It provides great exercise and company.  After running, I'm too tired to
go out and spend money :) It makes me prioritize what things I really need to buy- usually only food now that I dislike shopping as a sport.

EnergyConsultant

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #31 on: December 21, 2013, 10:29:17 AM »
...mmmm....
hiking
running
playing soccer
love-making (with DW) -- I know, wives (or husbands) can be expensive, but not all are :-)
sitting by the fireplace
playing board games with the kids

RootofGood

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #32 on: December 21, 2013, 03:13:53 PM »
Cooking a kick ass meal at 10-20% the cost of a similar restaurant meal.  And ending up with similar taste/quality (or better!) with healthier nutritional stats. 



For DW, it would be sitting by the fireplace watching candles burn.  Kids love this too.  It's nice and warm, and enchanting.  I don't mind it but don't get a lot of enjoyment out of it. 

+1 on board games.

We also went for a hike on an urban greenway and did some animal/plant spotting with the kids.  70-something degrees on the first day of winter helps. 

annaraven

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #33 on: December 21, 2013, 03:47:00 PM »
My dog and her favorite tennis ball.  Thanks for the reminder that the simple things are the best.
Oh gosh yes! This is a great one! Or even just walking them. Or taking them to the doggie park. They're so happy.

southern granny

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #34 on: January 31, 2014, 06:34:39 PM »
Fighting the dog over a squeaky toy.  He is soooo darn cute.

lcg377

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #35 on: February 01, 2014, 01:12:13 PM »
We used to live in a house that butted against a powerline easement, which in the winter made this great open hill for sledding.  We'd get home from work, and take our dog and the tube out there and sled til dark! (We were in grad school. lol) The best part was our dog, because mostly she'd run up and down with us, but occasionally she'd also jump on us to ride the tube down.  You had to crash through some scrubby brush/trees to get out there, so none of the neighborhood kids even bothered to get to it, and we had the whole place to ourselves all winter!

cbgg

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #36 on: February 01, 2014, 10:22:06 PM »
I love sports and the outdoors.
 - Hiking
 - Beach volleyball
 - Backcountry Camping ("free" for me since I have all the gear now)
 - Packing up a lovely picnic and eating it in a pretty park

Hedge_87

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #37 on: February 04, 2014, 11:28:21 AM »
I really like cleaning my entire apartment, cooking something delicious (and cleaning up, of course), and then sitting back to enjoy my food while looking at the orderliness and cleanliness I maintain. I'm happiest when my surroundings are tidy.

ME TOO!

Also, taking my dog for a walk somewhere where he can be off-leash. Watching him frolic joyfully like a puppy instead of a 10-year-old dog puts a huge smile on my face :)
This made me think of my walk last night. My lab found a deflated volleyball on our walk last night and went nuts. I couldn't stop laughing as he threw it in the air and ran around like he just won the biggest prize ever.

crumbcatcher

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #38 on: February 04, 2014, 05:07:16 PM »
I like this idea, but call them "simple luxuries" instead. Things that feel like an indulgence because they make me feel SO good, but aren't really luxuries by most standards.

-- standing and looking out the window, just to watch what's going on outside and/or daydream
-- sitting outside to do the same as above
-- the sensation of clean sheets on a freshly made bed
-- eating a piece of fruit that I don't usually buy (usually this ends up being a pomegranate)
-- bubble baths

Other cheap things I enjoy:

-- browsing print catalogs (I love to look but don't buy)
-- visiting an art gallery
-- cleaning and organizing
-- baking
-- knitting

I spent last Friday evening scrubbing the bathroom, and had a deep sense of pride and accomplishment at the end. My long-distance boyfriend said, "wow, you really know how to live it up on a Friday night!" It might have seemed snarky if it weren't for the fact that he's the same way. ;-)

Dicey

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #39 on: February 04, 2014, 10:31:16 PM »
I volunteer in my community, particularly at the library. (Two Boards.)

I serve on the steering committee for my city's Community Service Day. Fifty projects around the city and about 1500 volunteers working to complete them all in one day.

I usher at the theater and get to see lots of interesting shows free.

All of these are fun, cost me nothing but time and I've made lots of interesting new friends.

DaKini

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #40 on: February 04, 2014, 11:39:40 PM »
I think i have very cheap hobbys. Generally, i just like to be in nature, sadly that does not happen as often i would like.
My favorites:
- Going hiking in the mountains which is entirely free (as i live near them my trip starts right at my door)
- Climbing (also nearly free, besides the equipment which lasts long if properly used/maintained)
- Exploring caves (same as climbing/hiking, equipment can be shared so this only costs me gas)
- Baking bread (about every two weeks)
- Optimiting various things (really everything; software, things at home, organiazion of my homeoffice, car gas usage, energy consumtion, money spending, coffe usage, eating behavior and so on)

And of course spend time with my kids: sometimes excellent fun without any cost.

Currently i also heavily enjoy reading (library ftw, hell yea!), currently mainly educational books on the markets and investing but also on society as a whole.
Peeking at the (yet small) stache is also a nice thing, however i expect this to wear down once my financials (asset allocation, tracking capabilitys, accounting, etc) are readily set up so i just need to add. Currently i work to minimize time needed later on, i just want to open a spread sheet telling me what asset is lacking so i need where to support my stache.
I like spreadsheets and graphs. Yes i do.

2ndTimer

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #41 on: October 06, 2014, 09:53:21 PM »
I like going to a nearby city on the day before Christmas and buying a small cup of coffee at the Starbucks which is dead center and watching the hustle bustle.  This is the only time I can think of when a Starbucks coffee is worth it.

surfhb

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #42 on: October 06, 2014, 10:21:48 PM »
Surf!

Natcat

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #43 on: October 07, 2014, 10:52:31 AM »
I like going to a nearby city on the day before Christmas and buying a small cup of coffee at the Starbucks which is dead center and watching the hustle bustle.  This is the only time I can think of when a Starbucks coffee is worth it.

You sound just like my mom. This brought a smile to my face

I enjoy
hiking,
reading,
siting by the window looking over the forest drinking tea,
meditating,
cuddles with kitties (especially first thing in the morning),
Daydreaming,
Cranking some tunes and dancing when no one is around,
Conversation with friends over a bottle of wine (yes this does have a small cost but very minimal),
Finding free or nearly free festivals/events in my city,
Reading blogs and forums,
Going to the spa and enjoying a massage on my companies health plan

In fact these are the main things I do everyday, there aren't too many things outside of this that have a cost that I enjoy.

MandalayVA

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #44 on: October 08, 2014, 02:28:43 PM »
Reading

Writing for my own entertainment (I've done that since I was a kid)

Hanging with the husband

Rubbing the stomachs of happy cats

Making and enjoying good food

GuitarStv

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #45 on: October 08, 2014, 04:04:35 PM »
Olympic style copulation.  I specialize in speed sexing but have been known to aim for high artistic points on rare occasion.

Johnez

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #46 on: October 09, 2014, 06:50:38 AM »
I never learned to cook until this year.  It's like magic when you can make a perfect cheeseburger.  An entire meal that can cost $20 or more can be had with a fraction of the cost and ten times the fun!  Me and my girl just had a chicken baking competition-she won, but I got to eat hers too. :P  Next up is carnitas.  MMMmmmmmmmmm......can't wait.

Jouer

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #47 on: October 09, 2014, 07:55:47 AM »
Living room picnic.

It gets damn cold here in winter so a lot of nights are spent inside. When my wife and I were dating, I invented the living room picnic, where we put out a spread of picnic foods (bread, cheese, pate, etc) in the living room. We have an old 1963 record player (in a cabinet!!) we bought on kijiji and we listen to $1 used records. Since we have the old-school record player, we also consider those nights technology free (no TV, phones, tablet, etc).

Frugal way to do something different and feels way better than "staying in on Friday night watching TV".

HawkeyeNFO

  • Bristles
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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #48 on: October 09, 2014, 08:47:15 AM »
Sex.

Kimchi Bleu

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Re: Cheap thrills
« Reply #49 on: October 09, 2014, 07:22:36 PM »
A great cup of tea
Being the only person awake in the morning - really enjoy the solitude before everyone wakes up
Phone calls with friends or family
Reading
Taking walks with hubby/friends/dog
Making popcorn at home with melted butter and a movie

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!