Between the economy, the freezing temperatures throughout the country, and the post-holiday blues, everyone can use a pick-me-up right now. I know I can.
In the past, I often used money as a method of cheering myself up. If I was feeling down, I’d spend. But that only led to guilt and more depression when I realized I was broke.
It’s possible to treat yourself without breaking the budget. Here are the little extras I splurge on when I’m feeling down.
Gourmet coffee
It would be too expensive to drink gourmet coffee every morning, but sometimes we buy enough beans for one pot. For about $3, we create our own coffee house at home.
Movies
Most of the time we rent from RedBox (which is usually free with a code), but sometimes we see a movie at the cheap theater for $2 or splurge on a matinee for $5. Watching a good movie with my husband takes me back to the days when we first started dating.
Dessert
Sometimes after dinner we go out to a local bakery for a cup of coffee, and we split a slice of pie. For about $6, we’re out of the house enjoying something sweet.
Cooking fancy meals
If we’re craving a restaurant meal, we buy the ingredients in the grocery store and try to make it ourselves. Cooking together is fun, and it’s so much more rewarding to enjoy a meal you made yourself (not to mention cheaper).
What frugal extras bring you joy?
Well, we too like to duplicate some of our favorite meals (like mizithra cheese spaghetti) and drinks (like fraps). Sometimes I’ll just meet some friends somewhere and just have a pop or something. That way I still get to socialize but at very little cost.
hi there
yeah we like to cook in, something bad for us – lots of garlicky roast potatoes perhaps – if its naughty it feels even more luxurious. we also make our own take-out favorites – deep fried hake & chips or pizza inthe outdoor oven
you definitely need to feel spoiled now and again!