To ask what you’ve bought to cheer yourself up

[Stuckinarut79]

A lot of this time has been great and a real eye opener as to how many material things we don’t need. But I’m really struggling now and feel like a treat, money’s tight but I’ve spent way less than usual, so looking for an idea on a bit of a treat. What have you bought that’s made you smile?

And if you are into sketching. .don't tell me you wouldn't get a little buzz from a new tin of pencils and a quality sketch book....

Not really TBH, unless I buy them in charity shops- which is where I tend to buy most things anyway.

@ArgumentativeAardvaark Turner & George online, their meat is amazing

so many plants!

Wine, books and bedding plants. Some lovely new sandals I can't wait to get my hands on. Also some breakfast bowls from habitat, but I did order the cheap ones and not the ones I really wanted.
I would like another lounger for the garden as we only have one and have to take turns. Would also like a garden bench. So far I am resisting.

Thanks @SinkGirl. Sorry @Fluffybutter I see you already answered my sandals question!

Lots of lovely food including plenty fruit and alcohol.
A new painting, desk and chair, summer dress, silk flowers, garden flowers and some more

@ArgumentativeAardvaark Yeah sorry, they are more ‘dressy’ than Merrills . Have you tried Trek sandals ?

Not Trek 🤦‍♀️.. Teva!

More perfume!

Jigsaws......so many! Each more challenging than the last. Books, but I always buy books.
Spice club membership
Garden loungers
Bike
Seeds

It feels like all I've done is spend money this lockdown 🤦 I've bought:

Robot hoover, new dining chairs, beautiful bee duvet set, laptop for dd1, canvas paint by numbers kits for dd2, about 10 'school' books for ds, all new shorts & tshirts for ds & dd2, trainers for all 3 dc, various 1000 pc jigsaw puzzles, mobile phone tripods for dds, locally made soap bars - oatmeal & tea tree, who gives a crap toilet roll big box, year subscription to Aquila may for ds, leopard print trainers for me.

I can't bare to add it all up, plus the weekly shop is about £20 dearer, probable cos I'm filling the trolley with snacks and juice!

My 'justification' is that I have no after school costs now and haven't filled the car with fuel or bought work lunches since before lockdown.

@TaighNamGastaOrt I also bought a gadget to clear the plug hole. FB adverts have a lot to answer to

Loads of clothes - again because of FB ads. Some don't fit and no idea how to return - if you even can 😥

Melissa shoes in the sale off Brand Alley

2 Le Creuset pans. Amazing !! Always wanted some and QVC sent me an email offer to good to miss

Loads of speciality food - brownies, fine dining meal in a box, veg boxes,

A voucher for a cheap night in a posh London hotel for when things eventually reopen

Neom candle

Fruit box from local farm

Gin

I’ve bought some nicer new casual clothes. When I was at work all day in nice clothes and then just shoving scruffy joggers on at home when running around after a toddler, it didn’t matter that my home clothes weren’t nice. Now that I’m not at work so that’s all I’m doing, it didn’t take long to get me down that all my clothes comfy enough to wear at home were really scruffy! Nice soft leggings and plain loose tops have made a big difference to my mental state - so simple but just the fact of them being nice and new was what I needed.

Bloody NOTHING! My controlling DH decided to do all the shopping three years ago when he sold his business and retired. He has to have a list.

I add to the list when I think of things. My neighbour gave me a can of blackcurrant and gin the other day - it was wonderful! So I added 'Ribena' to the list, as we have gin somewhere. He came back with Tesco blackcurrant and apple cordial. I asked whether there wasn't any Ribena and he said that I always say to get the cheapest. I explained he had got blackcurrant and apple. He said it was blackcurrant. It wasn't. I said I had written Ribena, anyway. Then I had the usual 'Well you do the fucking shopping then.' I bloody did for 27 fucking years!!!

He also came back with sausages, which I don't like, for the BBQ. Obviously extras for him. But nothing as an 'extra' for me.

I have asked him to 'think outside the box' when he shops and not just look at the list, but nothing. Not even my favourite wine gums or Maltesers.

Not even mushrooms [which I bloody love] for the BBQ.

I said the other day how I would LOVE a salad [he's taken over the cooking too]. I think he's done that so he gets more to eat than I would serve him. I bloody LOVE cooking and always have. And baking. I make our own bread etc. Anyway, no salad ingredients appeared. I can't write down those in advance as it depends what they have and what looks best.

If he's in the shop, can't he bloody look and get stuff? Why should I try and create a virtual supermarket in my head to use?
Christ - I can't do this much longer.

A MacBook 🙈 no regrets mind you

I also bought a gadget to clear the plug hole. FB adverts have a lot to answer to

Is that the Velcro on a plastic stick thing? It doesn’t even go in my plug hole hahaha 😂

@redwoodmazza girl. leave him. the knob.

@speakout...oh I know what you mean. I am charity shop queen. If there is one thing I miss it's poking round the charity shops....

I bought my switch lite and a load of games, it's out for delivery right now
I plan to keep it hidden from the children so they don't claim it and just play when they are in bed. Very excited.

Plants and a cordless Dyson here!

Well since I didn't need to pay for childcare, parking or the train to university for a term I basically blew this term's student loan on stuff I wanted rather than needed.

New mattress which has cleared my back and hip pain
Macbook Air and airpods
And then last night I spotted some of that Quadro climbing frame stuff for the kids cheap on hotukdeals so bought some of that as well.

Then after suffering Costa deprivation for weeks and weeks - and since I have a lockdown birthday coming up, DH bought me a bean to cup coffee machine for a combined birthday/Xmas present.

Oh yeah and Animal Crossing which has kept me sane.

I decorated the garden. I cleaned and painted the slabs, bought lights and plants to put in pots and a few ornaments, bought a garden couch and chairs (which cost a lot but I put it on the credit card, and I'm waiting for a refund for a school trip, so that will pay for it). We are also building a fence because ATM we share the garden with the neighbour. It's a lot of money, but will be worth it.

I have discovered gardening this lock down and worked hard to make my front garden nicer than the jungle it has been. Today I bought a sprinkler for the back garden. I don't really need it as the garden is not huge but the DDs are loving it! I've also invested in some nice recliner garden chairs in the hope that we will spend more time orders this year. The gardening has been a real eye-opener for me, I thought I would hate it but it brings me such a sense of achievement.

For those who bought a robot hoover heymammy and sorry forgotten other posters names... watcha get? I’ve been researching for ages but can’t decide which model and how much to stretch my budget!