Small (cheap/free) daily pleasures pls?

[warblingwater]

Going through a bit of a shit time at the mo, DH is waiting for a bone marrow transplant (needs a donor), outlook isn't great and while he is waiting he needs radiotherapy to shrink his cancer.
He had his first radiotherapy session this afternoon and is SO sick. He's having it daily (weekdays) for 15 days, I'll be ferrying him to the appointments.
I'm lost and so sad and my mind is just full of all terrible what if situations so I'm making a positive effort to ensure I do something every day that sparks a bit of joy.
Today I sat and had a coffee in a nice cafe and read a book while he had his treatment.
Tomorrow I'm going to (attempt to) paint my toenails in a lovely colour.
I've got a nice face mask lurking somewhere so will have a long bath one day.
Anyone like to share cheap/free mood boosters for me?
I'm not working at the moment as I'm caring for DH so I have lots of free time when we aren't at appointments and I find myself doom scrolling on social media either bursting into tears at soppy TikToks or feeling ever so slightly resentful of my friends who all seem to be having a lovely time with their healthy families. I'm happy for them, I'm just sad for me and the DC

Have a look at the Medito app, headspace or calm for relaxing stories, mindfulness excercises.
also are you a member of your library? You can join and download magazines, books and ebooks.

Are you crafty? You could make him a wooly hug blanket of your own if you learn to crochet. Do a square every day.

A cup of tea in a good flask taken out to enjoy the fresh air on a bench!

A good book you've not read for ages, snuggled on the sofa with the window open listening to the outside.

The cheap cinema midday tickets to a film to watch on your own (and most let you take your own snacks too!).

I love a drive in the evening, a portion of McDonalds fries and a milkshake eaten in my car when parked up at the beach (location dependant obviously!).

As above, just any time spent at the seaside listening to the birds and waves. A bag of chips (bloody inflation it's now £3 ish a bag!) and a good book.

Tesco flowers - the roses (£2.50 and £3 bunches) are fabulous, last forever and really brighten up a room. If the budget stretches to a florist arrangement then that's fabulous too, but the lovely roses in all of the bright colours really bring me a bit of cheer.

Getting up in the morning and not looking at your phone for the first hour - a shower, face mask and blow dry. Cup of coffee and some toast with all of the time in the world to enjoy, zero screen pressure.

Free YouTube yoga workouts (the easy mindfulness ones!) bring a sense of peace and wellbeing to me, and there's all sorts of meditation ones too if you want some zen.

The biggest thing is less phone time (ironically typing this on my phone 😂) and it'll calm your mind without information being thrown at it through a tiny screen.

Baking a cheeky mid afternoon cake! I made banana today and I felt like nigella, eating it made me so happy and looking at it makes me proud - ridiculous as it's just a banana bread, but it's therapeutic, delicious and homemade. Ditto for simple bread making! The supermarket mixes are fab, especially focaccia. It's fun to make and tastes amazing, sparks enough joy in me too!

Sorry to hear you're going through such a rough time, hope your DHs treatment goes well and you manage to find a bit of joy in every day 😊

A bunch of flowers put where you can see them.

Sit in the garden with a magazine and coffee.

Make an especially nice meal, set the table and ditch the phones.

Clean out a messy drawer or cupboard.

Learn some origami.

Paint or draw a picture - there are lots of tutorials online.

Grow some radishes or a courgette plant in a pot.

I really hope your DH finds a match. Wishing you both peace, and pleasure in small things.

I’m so sorry, OP. I can’t even imagine what you’re all going through.

if you live close to a beach, a lovely little walk and pack yourself a lunch and take a good book!

xx

Fresh coffee. I have a filter maker but a cafetière would do.

Baking something easy and cheap.

Shower and a full body moisturise and fill set of clean clothes- odd this works

I've just started swimming but it's not for everyone.

Stretching with a Theraband easy and cheap.

Audiobooks/podcasts/Netflix whilst cleaning or sorting.

Eating cucumber I have a weird thing about it!

I'd suggest yoga, there are lots of quick & simple routines online and it really helps me feel better.

Sorry you have so much going on, I wish you and your husband well

The poetry pharmacy books, or a Poem for Every Night of the Year.

Swearing. A lot.

Crossword puzzle / suduko book. Playing patience (with real cards so you’re not on a device.

This sounds daft because it involves a bit of work but fresh bedding is always a mood booster for me. Change it in the morning and you’ll most likely forget you did it by bedtime and it will be a little mood booster after a long day.

Read a favourite book from when you were younger, something that will take you back to a happy time and place.

If you’re a tea drinker, get some really nice teabags (a variety if possible) and have once everyday. Ditto coffee beans if you’re a
coffee drinker!

Sorry to hear this OP, sending you all the best.

A walk with a good audiobook or podcast is a joy

I like those books where you learn something new everyday, Susie Dent has a book with an unusual word each day and Year of Wonder is a classical music song for every day of the year, I am no classical music fan but it opened it up to me and I really enjoyed it!

A nice ‘daily’ podcast is the Retrospectors where they have a ten minute podcast on ‘this day in history’ - sometimes ancient sometimes modern, it’s a great way of learning something new!

Buy yourself your favourite childhood chocolate or sweets.
Light nice smelling candles at home, even just tea lights - candlelight is so comforting.
Similarly, string white fairy lights along your headboard for reading by at bedtime.
Sign up to Spotify for free and make a playlist of songs you enjoy.
Find a funny podcast to listen to regularly.
Wear your nice clothes, don’t save things for best.
Buy some cheap puzzle books to do while you wait, if you enjoy them.

I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I like to have a mooch around charity shops. Look at all the bits and bobs and maybe treat myself to a book or something.

Going to a petting farm also cheers me up. I pay the £1 for the animal food and can happily wander around feeding the sheep and donkeys in my own little world.

Watch a movie at home on Netflix but make more of an effort so close all the blinds and get popcorn and snacks. There's all the Harry potters on Netflix at the mo, which are uplifting.

Same as others have said about the sea side, collect some nice shells.

Have a look around a garden centre, some of them have little cafes too.

I find a power walk for an hour really gives me an endorphin boost.

Learn about star formations and look out on clear nights and see if you can learn any of the constellations.

Plant some wild flower seeds.

Make a nice spot in the garden to sit and think, read etc.

Thank you all, some great ideas here. Some I wouldn't have ever considered. Love the hive mind of MNet!
And thanks for the kind words, DH is so positive and strong through all of this. He amazes me. I tend to do most of my worrying when it's bedtime and he's fast asleep next to me so I think some of the mindfulness tricks will be good.
I'm lucky enough to live a 30min walk away from the sea. I think I'll make an effort to get there more often.

I love doing origami when I am stressed . Just following the instructions and folding the paper to make amazing shapes.. really calms the mind.

This -
great podcasts
reading all together on the sofa
gardening swimming stuff on and wash the car 🤦‍♀️
fresh bedding
decent tea
we love love love board games and jigsaws
have cupboards inside full of games and outside

A jigsaw puzzle, one that is challenging but easy to make some progress each time you do it.
Painting by numbers kit.
I am not crafty, at all, but I recently did a silk painting greetings' card kit which was ever so easy.
Buy a bird table/bird feeder, and enjoy watching your visitors.
Grow some tomatoes, or strawberries. Or have a herb garden on your kitchen window sill.

Podcasts are good. I was paying for audible but loads for free on bbc sounds

I'm sorry you're going through such a shit time OP. My few ideas:
Download the (free)Merlin App and identify birds from their song.
Go into all the local charity shops and buy the best thing you can find for £1/£3 whatever budget you fancy
Make a new recipe with something you've never eaten/cooked before
Download a drama from bbc sounds to listen to- there's an old Miss Marple on there at the moment that's quite fun

Was coming back to say jigsaws and the Merlin app but too late . A jigsaw and a good radio drama = a perfect afternoon.

As pp have said

Fresh bedding
Jigsaws
Planting seeds
Baking
Reading
Drawing

I'd add just doing something slightly different like always brushing your teeth standing on one leg, sitting in a part of your house you usually just walk through, cutting veg differently to how you normally do it

Museums and galleries - often free and always marvellous

A ride on the top of a double decker bus

A bike ride

Dressing up for dinner at home

Bowl of water for your feet outside on a sunny day so you can have a paddle

I have the Merlin app!!
I love it

Start the day with a few quick wins, glass of water, piece of fruit, vitamin, tick a few things off the to do list fairly early on. I love the newspaper and a cup of tea made in the teapot drunk from my favourite mug. ‘Wash off’ a tough day with a shower as soon as you get back. Yes to the making an effort ideas, bit of beauty stuff, cooking nice meals, flowers in a vase. Yes to the nature ideas - beach, woods, stargazing, buy a houseplant, enjoy small things - I like wildflowers on road verges. Prayer / meditation / journaling. Exercise. Animals. Learn new things, liked the daily podcast idea. Do something for others - pop one tin of beans in your basket at the shops. Human contact - keep in touch with your friends and not just to talk about DH. Some treats in the diary for you and for the two of you together - something nice for the end of his treatment like a cinema trip together. Wishing you both every happiness xx

Swimming. I should do it more often. Nearly always lifts my spirits, dont know why exactly. Followed by a sauna good too. A nice cup of tea or coffee is my first treat of the day. Finding somewhere quiet outside to sit in he day. A good book. Just going to bed for a rest in the day if possible. Doing a few easy stretches and hearing the tension release cracks! Hot bath maybe wit Epsom salts or bath oil. Wearing make up!

I haven’t got your difficult problems OP, but in recent years have felt overwhelmed and exhausted with various worries and the never demands of every day life. It’s a lot about finding space to relax and unwind. Though occasionally if feeling more energised it’s about going somewhere more interesting or stimulating.

No other solutions but just wanted to wish you and dh (plus extended family if involved), my vert best wishes. Will be thinking of you. Suggestions by other OPs are great. Take care.