Frugal pleasures

[Alanamackree]

I thought it might be helpful to share some free/cheap pleasures to see us through January.

I’ve just rediscovered the pleasure of a hot water bottle, after getting a gift of one at Christmas. We used them a lot as children but I’d forgotten how nice it is to have warm toes watching the telly.

Baking my Herman friendship cake, giving the jar and instructions to my colleague at work and planning my next bake!

A hot bath and a fresh bed

Coming home from night shift this morning and realising it was ever so slightly lighter than this time last week. That made me really happy.

My dp scratching my back before we go to sleep.

proper meat and potato pie
hot choc with squirty cream
dog cuddles
painting or drawing a picture
log burner
big blanket and a film
bring your duvet downstairs in the morning and just having a slob day
wirting someone a letter and then decorating the envelope

Tidying the bedroom - a rare pleasure but it does make bedtime a lot nicer

Sorting out a shelf and looking at it all neat.

Sorting out photographs. Well, I believe it would be enjoyable if I EVER BLOODY DID IT.

Polishing my one nice piece of wooden furniture.

Resting my head on my cat while he purrs madly. This may be specific to my cat. Certainly not free either, probably about £20 a purr.

Reading Northanger Abbey.

baking a cake.
putting take that album on full blast
accomplishing a recipe.
eamon and ruth on this morning
hallmark movies.

stayingaliveisawayoflife oh ym word I just looked up what this was.it looks amazing!how lovely.are you in Europe? this is something everyone should be doing. :D

Sex

Re-reading a favorite book. Dh thinks that this is nuts even though he rewatches box sets all the time.

I’ve just discovered radio plays too.

Before i had my children I would set my alarm for 4.30am during the week because i love that feeling you get when you wake up but still have a few hours left in bed before you get up for work. It may be a pleasure for child free people!

Going to bed early!

A really good back & neck massage from DH to unlock my tired shoulders. He has lovely big, strong hands!

Here are mine:
Playing & cuddling with my pets
Completely cleaning flat inside out and nice candles on
Hot bath with nice bath salts (I especially love the back and shoulder one and the cold season one: www.amazon.co.uk/l/3179889031?tag=mumsnetforum-21)
Long walk, especially late at night, in the dark around empty common or neighbourhoods - really clears my head.
Playing board games with my friends (if you don't have any already, check your charity shops periodically. I got a brand-new Articulate for £2.50!!!)
New book
Just sitting/lying in the grass in the sunshine in the middle of the park or on the beach.
Swimming in the sea
Arts & crafts. I am currently into silk painting (you can get kits for less than £5 and I frame them in charity shop frames)
Walk in the woods

Love how you've bullet pointed with stars, penguin.. I can see that catching on.

@MyNameIsNotSteven do you just download the prime series? Doubt my local gym has WiFi

Feeding the birds
Watching things grow in the garden
Making bread

On the morning of my day off after the kids go to school I make myself a pot of twinings English breakfast tea and get my mini items out ( china mug, jug and ramekin for milk sugar and extra teabag). Leftover hot water goes in my work flask. I bought myself a bright red pot that brews enough for two cups. It cost me £6 from Amazon but everyone who sees it always compliment it (It is cute). Then I take it all upstairs and get back into bed and watch the soaps or boxset.( I treated myself to one of those wooden trays with legs for £3 from BHF). On the morning on my day off I might also make a huge batch of chocolate shortbread. If so I reserve 2 pieces straight from the oven and make the above routine even better. Then I'll have a nap. If not I listen to audible or a podcast. Then in the afternoon I'll have a long hot soak while drinking more tea (made fresh using flask of hot water from the morning tea). I look forward to this all week. I put my phone on silent and ignore the door. As I can't enjoy it when the kids are off school I happily cover my colleagues shifts which they need when their kids are off too. (My kids old enough to manage on their own occasionally). So some weeks I may have an extra day off if the swap couldn't be done on the same week. Oh God it looks sad written down.

Declutter and clean! They are two of the best mood boosters this time of year when you’re spending so much more of your time indoors and at home. A few cleaning products aside, all it costs is a bit of time and patience, and it will keep you busy and active. I know a lot of people might think it’s a really bizarre thing to WANT to do, but it can have such a positive impact on your mood and general mental health, which we all know can take a bit of a flogging come January!

Please don’t throw rocks at me for suggesting a frugal cleaning tip, but ... Zoflora! Costs £1 on offer for a small bottle and comes in lots of wonderful scents. Add 1 capful per 400ml of water to a skooshy plastic bottle and you have a fab disinfectant cleaning spray for as little as 8p. It will smell fucking awesome and make your home all clean and shiny!

This seems to be turning into a housework thread. I wish I considered tidying my bedroom and decluttering to be one of life's pleasures! Sadly, the briefest look at our house would show this is not the case.

A morning or afternoon mooching around charity shops followed by a nice cup of Darjeeling once home with my treasures

0urKid that sounds lovely and very me! can you post a link to your teapot?

I've just downloaded How to Unfuck Your Habitat to my Kindle for 99p. Buzzfeed were advertising it for $17. I only clicked for the authors name. Was thrilled to see it for so little. Ive read great reviews and have already done the first mini before/after challenge. (Taking a photo of the nearest cluttered flat surface. Picking up 5 items and putting them where they actually belong. Then take another photo. I know I know but I'm drowning at the moment and this has been a big baby step for me)
The link for anyone interested. Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZ4CD5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PE9nCbSCQ3FX8?tag=mumsnetforum-21

1. Baby Cuddles
2. A cup of pink chai (it’s amazing even if it does look like a cup of Peptobismol 🙈)
3. A good declutter
4. Lights reflecting on the river near my house at night time...

Walk in the country with dog and kids.
Audiobooks.
Macaroni cheese for tea.
Looking through photos of the dc when they were little.
Warming my clothes on the radiator in the morning before I put them on.

Price & Kensington Brights Red 2Cup Teapot www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0046A8Q74/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jfgoCb06V8HPK?tag=mumsnetforum-21 it's this one and am using it right now. Sharon I just bought that download. I'm struggling too.

Yesterday, watching a blackbird gobbling up some leftover Christmas cake. I'd been wondering why I bother to make one, when hardly anyone ever eats it. We do feed the birds anyway, but I could tell thiis was special - all that fruit!

More going out today. As long as someone's enjoying it - and it's not actually wasted - I'm happy.

Blackbird will repay with another free pleasure - beautiful singing - come the spring.

I wish there were more of you to go round DisgracetotheYchromosome. And I say that even knowing you outside of Mumsnet ;-)