Happiness that you can get for free or won't be affected by the raising cost of living

[SophieHasOneQuestion]

Unfortunately, it seems everyone is cutting back, myself included. Let's share things that give you happiness and satisfaction for free (or almost free). So life can still be fun and worth living in these difficult times.

I go to a weekend philosophy club (held in a park), which is free, it gives me intellectual stimulation and makes me happy.

Reading (library books for free) and joining a book club

We live near a national park so going for lovely walks and taking in the views, maybe with a picnic in the summer

I volunteer and work with kids (Brownies) which doesn't cost me anything except time but I feel is very worthwhile and fulfilling

walking in the park and seeing cute little birdies, saw a goldcrest this week, never seen one before.

I live rurally and have limited mobility due to illness so not a lot - I really hate online stuff.

If it wasn't for that pre-illness I would have said riding my bike or going for long walks - but actually they are not free really. Bike - needs to be safely maintained to use it and I already have plenty of kit and equipment. There is minimum kit required like a helmet - not a cheap thing.
I thought about walking. But then I realised I own 2-3 decent pairs of boots and trainers that would make walking comfortable. Along with a waterproof mac. A friend of mine has none of these - only has one rather old pair of tatty trainers which are falling apart and wouldn't use new ones for this. She's limited to walking using paths in good weather basically.

Sorry that's rather depressing but it made me realised some of the basic things really aren't free.

Walking.
River swimming

Walking the dog
Having my morning cuppa in the garden with the birds singing
Not free but my 17.99 hammock. Best money I ever spent

Doing yoga at home using free videos on YouTube - it feels great, calms me down crafter a stressful day, makes me happy and helps with back pain. Yes I do need a device with Internet access so it's not free but the phone /laptop is also used for other things. I have a yoga mat because we have wooden floors but have just used a sheet spread out on carpet when away from home.

@LesterKnopf

Doing yoga at home using free videos on YouTube - it feels great, calms me down crafter a stressful day, makes me happy and helps with back pain. Yes I do need a device with Internet access so it's not free but the phone /laptop is also used for other things. I have a yoga mat because we have wooden floors but have just used a sheet spread out on carpet when away from home.

Great, I will try this too, can you please share the name of the yoga channel? Thank you.

I get up early, go outside and listen to the birds. I live in south London but there's still plenty to listen to!

Yoga With Adrienne

I really like the sound of a weekend philosophy club!

Walks on the beach. Trips to the park. Picnics (not free but you’d have to eat at home anyway). Walks with flask of tea/hot choc. Art galleries and museums.

Yes to libraries. Walks in pretty places, with a flask of coffee so I can stop somewhere and enjoy a warm drink in the sunshine. Listening to the radio. Cuddling my kids.

Hugs from my dc, reading, walking, my job.

My plants and pots. I had a lovely willow that I thought was dad and today I noticed it was budding.

Sunshine and birdsong.

The weekend philosophy club sounds like the title of an Alexander McCall Smith book

The library. Hours go by in a flash I find. Kids love it too ime.

Coastal and forest walks.
Although I do enjoy them even more when a trip to a nearby pub is involved.

Like others I do love a good walk in a place I've never been or just a usual spot (I live in North East and love going to Durham City Centre. It holds a lot of lovely memories and you can either visit for the cathedral or do the river walk and spot ducks, birds, butterflies (I have a 3yo DS so keeping him entertained with little things like that is a must)

Once in a while we take our own packed lunch and the picnic blanket and a flask to sit by the river and my DS entertains himself with his diggers and little cars (I do love a take out coffee or to go for brunch but we just can't afford to spend that much every weekend)

Walks with my dog, reading, knitting - growing cutting - recently someone cut me some beautiful twisted hazel branches been in water with rooting powder for a week and grown beautiful long roots and branches have amazing green shoots forming - potted it up tonight in a compost and will water it for a couple of week and hopefully have a 1 m high twisted hazel by the end of the summer for free.

Doing the same with an apple, pear, camellia and magnolia hoping that one or more takes and it’s nice to think I cut that bit off and grew a whole new plant.

Fire pit burn seasoned wood and twigs collected and we sit outside and play uno or cards - the kids love it. From Easter onwards we have camp nights outside with a tent in the back garden

Weekend philosophy in the park sounds like something I'd love to go to.
I probably wouldn't manage a second go though, I usually find I'm more shallow than I'd like to think!

Forgot to say in my original post, this is the nicest and "warmest" threads I have read for a long time and I've placemarked it to catch up on later

Just watching a beautiful sunrise, the moon coming up in a star filled sky, listening to bell ringing practice from the church, down in the village, as the sound drifts across the fields, or just listening to the owls hooting at night as I lie in bed with the window open

Gardening, reading, walking , crafts, cycling, rowing, painting, crafts, looking after pets, coffee with friends, audio books and meditation (free on youtube) lots of things to enjoy for free.

Walking the dog, listening to a great podcast.