To ask, in these times of financial struggle, what free or very cheap things do you do for yourself that make life that bit nicer?

[FattyAirways]

For me, I love going in the garden if it's a clear day, and as lots of planes go over I love to look them up on Flight Radar 24 and see where they've been or where they're going. That's the geek in me!

I also really enjoy lighting tealights (you can buy loads for £1 or £2) or burning incense sticks.

I have recently rejoined the library and mine gives free access to magazines, even the good ones and hundreds of titles. All I do is put my library card number in and away I go. It's just brilliant and if I can afford a slice of cake whilst I read, even better!

I like to research places to visit. I might not ever get there, but it doesn't mean I can't plan for if it might happen!

I won’t masquerade as someone who is currently struggling - that’s my disclosure.

I do a lot of ‘going on holiday’ with people on YouTube. A lot of camping in far flung places. Sometimes a few hours of YouTube videos a night. It’s lovely.

I also burn a lot of tea lights (and £1 pillar candles from Flying Tiger).

I like going to the coast for a walk. Blows always the cobwebs.

Honestly? Going to bed with the duvet on is the best thing in my life currently.

I like to get Too Good To Go bags. I like to think I’ve done my bit to reduce food waste, but I also love the surprise element. I got a Boulangerie Jade bag today for £4.50, which had a loaf of sourdough, a French stick, a big black olive fougasse, 2 croissants which made DC happy, a brie and salad baguette and a mini salmon quiche. So much pleasure from a good haul of amazing bread!

I look to houses on Rightmove. A lot.

Houses I've seen for sale in the area.

Houses that I might be interested in if I were to move.

Houses I can't afford.

Houses miles away.

I love it.

Story time at our local library, free and baby dd gets a fuss from the ladies that work there as well as me being able to have a natter to other mums

agree on the Candles - not free but you can get them for about 89p for a big jar candle at home bargains or ask for them for your Xmas / birthdays. Makes the room feel lovely

Lying in bed too long in the morning with dd. She loves a snuggle and it makes me feel happy. Love not having some where to rush off to.

Oh also allowing myself to get in a ‘Wikipedia spiral’ - just reading loads of pages that link to each other. Has improved my general knowledge loads too! I find it really relaxing 😆

I go to very expensive clothes shops and try on coats costing hundreds of pounds. I don't know why but I just love it. I also read thrillers that I pick up for free around the place and go for extremely long walks through cities and countryside.

@Blueeyedgirl21 currently doing this in between flicking threw mumsnet ❤️

Boiling hot baths.

Candles.

Reading.

Scrolling, damn it! But only after a hard say of not being on a device and then allowing myself that hour before bed to scroll frivously (sometimes while in boiling hot bath)

A large glass (or two) of red on worknights, not weekends when I'm more rested and calmer!

Appreciating the autumn colours everywhere

Fresh air: a walk, a hike or a run
Homemade cake
Fresh clean bed sheets
A nice library book in bed

Get outside and look around you.

Sleep.

Watch nature documentaries, it's mind blowing how complicated living and breeding is for wild animals yet it works.

Same 😅

Libraries!! Free books and jigsaws!

Brilliant thread

cup of tea. Spending time with my kids when they are playing music (they like folk stuff, singing and guitar)
stroking / walking the dog
baking
a pack of sherbet lemons and a board game

exercise, go for walks, listen to birds and watch the leaves fall, look after yourself (TLC), declutter, learn a new recipe, speak to family and friends

in many ways it feels very much like back in lockdowns but no restriction on movement

My DH does the flight radar thing!!!

Me? I go for walks by the river, canal, or in the woodlands. (Sometimes DH comes if I can drag him away from the air traffic!)

Yankee votive candles from the outlet and using fallen fruit for cooking !

Also watching my pets in the garden when they think I'm not there

@ClaudiaWankleman

Same here

We spend half our evenings it seems watching adventurous travel YouTube videos then googling routes, mapping them etc. we are not in a position to retire!

Bubble bath with candles. So relaxing.

Not far from my sister’s house is a field of llamas.
Sometimes I go that way round (about a 5 minute detour) and sit and look at the llamas.

A really nice cup of coffee in the morning - enjoying it and a scroll before i start work

walks in the park at lunchtime and after work

sudoku! I bought a huge book for about £2 and it stops me doomscrolling in the evening.

cuddles with my cat (not free but I guess but not something I’m getting rid of!)

Jigsaws from the charity shop whilst listening to the radio

My OH loves a show home

I like messing about in the garden office/posh shed section of a garden centre or the kitchen section of b&q

Looking at the fish in a pet/aquatic shop

Flipping through those books of carpet in carpet shop (or anything else tactile - putting hand in loose birdseed bins for example)

Naps
Yoga with Sarah Beth (free on utube)
re-reading old books. Watching old films.
Finding lovely woodland walks with my dogs
Hosting friends for tea and biscuits
Home made pizza or bread.
campfires in the garden
Sleepovers with a movie and popcorn for the kids
Free NT playgrounds and activities for the kids
challenging my kid to find her own free/low activities

Every time I go out, I tell myself that this is my world. I explore as much of it as I can and really admire everything around me. All the sights, sounds, smells, taste and things I can touch. It's amazing.
Even at night, on a clear day, I can look out into my universe.
I tell my dc that it's their world, what are they going to do in it?

Another thing that matters to me is making my home clean and comfortable, so it feels calm and welcoming.