(As promised during this no- or low-spend February, I have run a Throwback Thursday post to encourage frugal pursuits. This week’s choice is designed to remind us to take care of ourselves – without breaking the bank. The piece originally ran on July 15, 2015.)
Some habits that I consider opulent would make other people sneer. To each her own, I suppose. Myself, I happen to think taking a long, hot bath with a good book in (dry) hand is a tremendous luxury – especially if there’s a glass of iced tea or a Diet Coke handy.
(Hint: Even if the soft drink is already cold, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so before you run the bath. The contrast of the hot-as-you-can-stand water and the icy beverage is delightful.)
Hanging our laundry to dry in the sun leads to another luxury: falling asleep surrounded by the fragrance of the sun and the wind. Some people would say the sun has no odor. I beg to differ.
DF and I sometimes joke about being “frugal sybarites.” The fact is, a sumptuous lifestyle doesn’t necessarily require a lot of dollar signs.
For example, those hot soaks aren’t terribly expensive but it does cost you to empty and then refill the water heater and bring the new agua up to temperature. If I were on a super-tight budget then I’d do navy showers most of the time just to be able to have an occasional soak.
Ditto our sauna, which DF built in the basement ages ago: It’s definitely an energy suck. We don’t use it every night, or even all that often. When we do, it’s sheer delight: steady, baking heat that relieves pain and relaxes you utterly. Moving from the sauna to a shower to a bed full of air-dried linens? Utter bliss.
Nature’s air freshener
Incidentally, we put the linens out year-round, whether that’s after laundering and just for a good dose of fresh air. Our pillows and comforter smell so nice after a spell outdoors.
And if you live in a condo that forbids clotheslines? Drape the linens across a table or a few chairs just below the level of your balcony railing. What the board members can’t see can’t hurt them.
We want the indoors to smell just as nice, so even in the winter we’ve been known to fling open the windows briefly. Just a few minutes’ worth of fresh air makes a startling difference. (Due to pollen issues, we don’t open them in the spring before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.)
On sunny, breezy winter days the sheets sometimes do dry outside. On dark and still days we put freshly washed linens (and other clothing) on drying racks near our fireplace insert. The fires usually get started around 5 p.m., and by morning most or all of the laundry is dry.
Watching the fire movie
That insert is another huge winter treat. It’s a treat at any time, actually; we ran a fire as late as early June. We felt a little rueful but the heat was greatly appreciated since it was a rainy day with temps in the low 40s. Beats turning on the regular heat, I guess.
The fireplace fuel comes from cut-downs in our yard and the yards of others. We did have to spend about a hundred bucks on the wood-splitter rental, but that was worth every penny. DF and I spend many hours sitting near it to read, write or just “watch the fire movie,” as my great-nephew puts it.
Speaking of reading: Books are a tremendous pleasure, and any frugal sybarite worth the title will have a library card. Publishers mail books to me due to my line of work, and we also get them from thrift stores and also a used books emporium called Title Wave. At the latter we trade books in; currently we have more than $200 worth of credit.
Some people go for book clubs. Here’s a frugal workaround:
- Lend your favorites to a friend or friends.
- Invite that person/several people over to talk about the read.
- Make it a potluck or a “bring your favorite snack/appetizer” event. Bonus fun points if the potluck/snacks reflect the book in some way, e.g., Mexican food for the marvelous novel “Kissing the Virgin’s Mouth.”
Prepared and shared with love
Here’s another thing a frugal sybarite knows: If it works, don’t fix it. Our baking pans are somewhat discolored and have a few dents or scratches here and there. Homemade yogurt cooks in an old soufflé dish set atop a warming tray. My bathrobe is a bit pill-y from long wear and washing.
But you know what? Our food tastes great, the yogurt contains no pectin or preservatives, and my bathrobe keeps me cozy. I honestly don’t care what Rachael Ray or Martha Stewart might think.
That food is both affordable and healthy as well as delicious. Tactics like the boiling bag, buying flour and yeast at Costco for homemade bread and rolls, the condiment hack, dried beans bought in bulk and a fondness for using (and re-inventing) leftovers keep the tabletop interesting. A bowl of greens from our garden followed by a dish of homemade soup makes a masterful meal – especially since, as DF puts it, they’re prepared and shared with love.
About that sharing: We don’t gulp our food down in order to get back to the Internet or, heaven forbid, check e-mail/send texts while we’re eating. We use mealtimes to reconnect rather than letting technology distract us from our food, or from each other.
Sweet (yet frugal) habits
We generally make our own treats, too. Why pay $5 for a cupcake when the same five bucks will pay for ingredients for some very indulgent delights?
Lately DF has been on a peanut-brittle kick – as in, he gets such a kick out of sharing it as well as eating it. His mom is a big fan and so are my nephews (maybe it should be on the menu at Café Awesome), my friend Linda B. and my tax guy.
This morning I woke up to the smell of cookies, which didn’t surprise me. DF has decided he wants the house to smell delicious any time his granddaughter comes over, because he remembers the good-food aromas at his grandmother’s house. Turns out he’d made two kinds: regular oatmeal cookies with mini-chocolate chips plus a separate batch to which he added cinnamon, ginger and cayenne.
The result is so good that I had to tear myself away from the kitchen. The tingle and burn of spices along with the sweetness of the chocolate and oats were an indescribably good combo. (DF calls them “Hot Scots.”) I told him he should enter the Pillsbury Bake-Off.
The National Popcorn Board has some astounding recipes that turn the ordinary kernel into a sophisticated snack. These treats can also be paired with movies, such as Masala Corn with a Bollywood musical. It doesn’t get much cheaper than popcorn.
Treats need not break the budget, or your diet. Use money from the “entertainment” section of your budget and have a few friends over to bake and decorate cupcakes (then send them home with the goodies). Bake a batch of cookies with friends (or your kids, or by yourself) and deliver most of them – along with a “thank you!” note – to a fire station or the teachers’ break room at your neighborhood school.
How do you define ‘fun’?
Speaking of entertainment: A frugal sybarite may define “fun” differently than others. (See “fire movie,” above.) Reading, gardening, taking walks, gallery openings, a nephew’s school concert and a round of cribbage are some of the ways that DF and I stay amused.
Not that we always stay home. I review theater from time to time, which means two free tickets plus a $75 paycheck, and I’ve also started reviewing restaurants. Tonight we’re going to the movies: the Metropolitan Opera’s HD rebroadcast of “La Fille du Regiment (The Daughter of the Regiment).” But we’re getting 20 percent off by paying with discounted gift cards and DF is invoking the movie theater’s senior rate. Since the Met tickets cost something like $25, the dual discounts make a big difference.
Discounted gift cards are available for ticket agencies, restaurants and other entertainment opportunities. I’ve been known to use “pay what you can” nights, social buying vouchers, and gift cards cashed in from Swagbucks to entertain myself and others.
Oh, and if a whole bunch of you want to attend the same show? Call in advance and request a group discount. Some theater companies do offer such price breaks and/or discounts for seniors and students.
Or how about an old-fashioned Sunday drive? If you can afford a few extra gallons of gas, this can be a delightful change of pace. We did this a few days ago because DF was concerned that I’d been stuck in the house and a little too work-focused lately. Also because it’s summer and we need to look at it from someplace other than our own yard.
As always, the drive revived. Cruising along on a warm, sunny day during which blue skies form a perfect backdrop for mountains and a perfect complement for Turnagain Arm, I thought of the people who work and save for years (or decades) to be able to spend one or two weeks in Alaska.
We get to live here. Blessed!
Readers: What kinds of inexpensive luxuries/indulgences make you happy?
Related reading:
- Frugal-hacking my way through a month without pay
- Time is something we can’t do over
- The opposite of obligation
- Scenes from a frugal weekend
Donna – great article as always and you are going to share the cookie recipes, right? Stop being such a tease.
He isn’t really clear on how much of the spices he used other than “a couple of shakes” from the bottles. If I try making them I’ll do it by taste but will also try to estimate how much is needed. The pepper in particular is potentially volatile.
Hehe. Those darn people that don’t follow a written recipe. Hmph! Lol. You are so lucky to have a man that loves to cook. What a blessed life you lead, friend.
Agreed! I am grateful to be with a fellow who’s on the same (frugal) page as I am, vs. making fun of me for wanting to save money. If anything, we egg each other on with “stirring tales of thrift.”
My hubby and I live in the Smokey Mountains, close to the National Park. There is nothing as wonderful as packing up some bread, fruit and cold cuts and setting out for a day in the park and having a picnic at our favorite “Chimneys” picnic area. If its warm enough, we can dip our feet into the stream that borders the picnic area. Even if it rains, it is just beautiful and peaceful. The fact that my hubby drives a company car which permits personal use and with gas included as a job perk makes it even better!
Niiice.
When I want a bit of luxury, there’s nothing like making a feast of Indian food. I can make a curry, spiced rice and breads bursting with coriander, onions and an array of spices for under $6.00.
And, I am with you on the hot baths. Nothing like a hot bath to melt away all the cares of the day 🙂
What time is dinner? 😉
Donna – I love reading stuff like this. It reminds me of a day last December that DH and I were both home. It started out like any regular Saturday, but I decided to put some nice jazz on rather than turning on the TV or filling my time with mindless shopping. It was chilly and overcast which made it a great day for a fire. Our wood pile was high, and we didn’t have anyplace in particular to go that day. The combination of the music and the fire is something I’ll remember for a long time. I wanted the day to go on forever. It’s funny how being frugal brings a hard to explain peace to your life.
Agreed! See the links to “huge winter treat” in the body of the piece and “The opposite of obligation” and “Scenes from a frugal weekend” under “related reading.” Those are the kinds of days we cherish, too.
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a comment.
Your mention of Swagbucks reminded me to thank you for turning me (and all of your readers) on to them some time ago. I just ordered up my first gift card–what frugal fun!!!
With you on the attachment to old/loved clothing as you have for your robe. One of my “favorites” is a sweat shirt that I purchased while on a vacation at Disney World….in 1998… at the Wilderness Lodge Hotel with DW and our girls. That sweatshirt has seen a lot…is a bit frayed and is getting thin but still one of my favorites. Aaaad…. we were contemplating a return to Wilderness Lodge and I was stunned at the pricing….pretty close to $400 a night WITHOUT park passes or meals….WOW…Gonna have to think about this…
Our favorite frugal ritual is Saturday night with a Red Box rental. Combine that with popcorn from our 20-year-old air popper, the dogs curled up at our feet, cuddled in our jammies and a warm throw…our favorite night of the week. After 40 years of marriage, we must be doing something right. Thanks for a great article.
Thank you, for reading it.
Before you go to Redbox, though, do a quick Internet search for “free Redbox code.” You might have an even cheaper date.
Bird feeders in the garden. Who needs HBO when the hummingbirds are in town?
My mom loved watching the hummingbirds in Florida, and my sister has taken some great photos of them in Seattle. I haven’t seen any here in Anchorage although at least one variety does migrate here, from as far away as Panama (!):
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=birdviewing.backyardbirds&species=rufoushummingbird
We’re not allowed to keep bird feeders stocked during the spring and summer because they attract bears. But once the snow flies we put black oil sunflower seed in the feeder outside the kitchen window and have a great time watching the birds have at it.
Brilliant article Donna!! I restored my fireplace this year to solid burning and I have been chopping and sawing wood from my garden to enjoy the fire when the winter comes. I do wonder about the cost efficiency of spending so much time on this activity. My hourly wage(as a teacher) wouldn’t come close to compensating me for the time involved. What do you think? I know you have touched on this subject before but I would love you to write another article on this subject.
I also love sitting in the sun in my garden reading a good book or looking at the birds who come to visit and eat the crumbs/ nuts I leave out for them.
The trouble with fireplaces I’ve seen is that they remove more (furnace-generated) heat from the home than they produce. That’s why we have a fireplace insert (i.e., a small wood stove) rather than send our electric baseboard heat up the chimney.
However, I’d count the chopping/sawing as “exercise,” and figure I’d killed two birds with one stone.
I think I’ll tell DF he should count climbing up a ladder and all the work of sweeping the chimney as bonus exercise points.
You’re right Donna. A stove is more practical and economical but I love the look of an open fireplace. My one does throw out a lot of heat.
Good way to look at the sawing/chopping. Better than a workout at an expensive gym.
I’ve been overnight pet sitting, which means that I live in other people’s homes while they are on vacation. It also means I only see my husband when we schedule a meet-up. I’ve really been enjoying our Thursday date nights…I scoot away for 3-4 hours, he makes us dinner, and I bring a Redbox to watch. It’s relaxing and we reconnect. We meet up at least once a day for a meal, but Thursday nights have been my favorite.
Frugal entertainment includes books and occasionally movies from the library, walking my cat (on a leash) in the county open space, cribbage with friends, and listening to music CDs I already own. I’ve also discovered that I can listen to classical performances on Youtube, and other Web sites. My pellet stove is large enough to run fire movies in the winter, which I do enjoy. No TV at my house, though.
Last week DF’s granddaughter, who will turn three in November, came to visit. As she was passing through the living room she stopped and said, “You don’t have a TV.”
“Nope,” I said, and kept doing what I was doing.
It puzzled her briefly, I think. But there’s so much else to do here that she quickly got busy.
Going home to fold my bath towels from an afternoon on the line. I cannot wait to shower tomorrow with a clean one fresh from the line! That to me is the best luxury in the world!
Loved this post and it seems to me what you’re doing is actually slowing down enough to enjoy your life. I love the ocean movie, but I have been in the Navy for over 20 years so that’s a giving. My luxury is giving myself dollar facials and adding warm oils to my skin after a shower. I always feel like I’m at the spa.
Thanks for the great article Donna! You have a unique and genuine voice in the frugal blogosphere and I always enjoy your insights. I’m so happy you & DF found one another! <3
Mmm, sign me up for a bowl of fresh-popped popcorn with just a little real butter and salt!
I love an afternoon at the ocean, when the water is like slipping into a warm bath and the gentle swells push and sway you while the sun shines down. I must have a bit of a mean streak, because I used to take special pleasure in taking the kids to the beach on the Monday after a holiday weekend. Bumper-to-bumper traffic headed inland; smooth sailing to the water’s edge. 😉
Since losing my vision, I think I’ve become far more attuned to the pleasures of the other senses: The lovely sound of a windchime or piece of music on CD or YouTube. The distinctive taste of a thin slice of gourmet cheese or a tiny piece of licorice. The sleek slope of a glass bottle sliding under my fingertips or the furry warmth of a purring cat. My sense of smell is not what it once was, but I can still enjoy some strong or persistent smells such as lavender or herbs from my garden or the lanolin scent of wool yarn. Sybaritic pleasures, indeed!
I think you just wrote the first two grafs of your next blog post….
Donna, I’m sitting here eating leftover rice mixed with salsa topped with curried chicken. It’s pretty good. All leftovers. My food sits on a beautiful stainless steel tray with embossed handles. I paid the equivalent of US 80 cents for it at a garage sale. The frugal luxuries are an early walk with the view of the hills- I live in a valley. After a long marriage which I would describe in the same as you’ve described yours, I need to pay attention to the small frugal things which give me so much pleasure. Thank you for the reminder, and for your positive, unique voice as well. All the best.
Thanks back to you, for your kind words. And you’re right: Sometimes the small touches give happiness in huge ways.
Hi, just reading your articles for the first time. I love saving money. My husband and I have been taking a summer vacation yearly since our children are now grown. We went through Anchorage airport around 4 years ago pulling our cooler on wheels. We pack it as we would a suitcase and when we get to our car rental or place we will be staying I unpack the items and go to the grocery store. We take our cooler in posh hotels or mom and dad hotels. It saves us loads of money and if we can, we have one special night out to eat during the vacation. We don’t go on vacation to “eat”. We have other things to do and see!
Welcome!
I eat a lot of meals in the room myself when I travel. Next time you come through Anchorage, let me know.
A splendid post! I cast my vote for air-dried laundry and reading in the tub!
It’s so easy to let lifestyle inflation redefine “pampered”, I love these reminders that it’s not all about how much you pay.
The ability to take a long hot shower feels sinfully delightful these days because of the drought. We aren’t in such dire straits as some in CA but I’m very aware of those who are and can’t bring myself to waste water even if my little shifts to conserve are woefully inadequate in the face of the rest of the drought.
Ditto a good a/c unit when we travel – it’s atypical for SF area homes to have a/c so during the recent heatwaves, we were a bedraggled lot.
Reading good blogs instead of buying more books – I started this in college in an effort to improve our circumstances and have stuck with it ever since. We have to have internet no matter what, so why not juice it?
Take full advantage! Lots of good (and not-so-good) reads out there. I also like the availability of info at any time, whether it’s double-checking the spelling of “La fille du regiment” or looking for a recipe.
Donna, once again, thank you for a brilliant post. I believe that, in this country, we have lost our way. By constantly dangling all sorts of expensive and overpriced goodies in front of our noses, Wall Street has hypnotized us into forgetting how incredibly wealthy even regular working people are in this country.
My husband and I sponsor a little girl in El Salvador. Most of the simple luxuries mentioned in these comments are out of her reach. The first time we sent a monetary donation for her and her mother, It made me sad to see that among basic staple food, they had bought a little wooden table, two plastic chairs, and numerous jugs of bleach. This was the first time they had someplace to sit for meals. The bleach was to combat the diseases that constantly threaten their health.
I have siblings who make large salaries. I see them compulsively spend every penny of it and more. My brother, who last year got an 80,000 dollar bonus, says that he can’t go a week without a paycheck and that he will be in debt till the day he dies. Discontent has become our economy’s bread and butter.
The people who posted here are truly alive.
“Discontent has become our economy’s bread and butter.”
Agreed! The hedonic treadmill is a killer. I hope your brother doesn’t ever end up unemployed, even briefly.
Oh, and I splurged yesterday on a new (to me) pair of jeans from Value Village. The cost was $3.99. I’m just as covered as people who pay full price for their denims.
Thanks for being such a consistent reader and commenter.
I agree with you on reading in the bath. I get my books from the library, of course. Other frugal pleasures include picking roadside flowers for my dining room table and playing board games.
I’ve also recently discovered a great hack on groupon. Groupon is testing a new program with select users and somehow (I have no idea how since I never used groupon all that much) I got chosen to be part of it. I can earn points for opening their emails, viewing deals, searching their site, etc and use those points to get money off groupons. Well, with very little effort I’ve been accruing enough points to regularly get $20 off deals. So I look for groupons to restaurants that cost $20 or less for $40 or more worth of food. My husband and I have been going on dates for just the cost of a tip this way. Previously we’d go a year or more without going on a date. I keep telling him we have to take advantage of this program while it lasts, because it’s too good to be true so I don’t think it’s going to last very long.
Nice!