What do you consider a treat?

[coulditbeme2323]

What do you consider a treat?

No right or wrong answer here - because it will mean different things to different people.

On another thread I have stated that a takeaway coffee or a basic chain lunch is more functional than a treat for me. I am not saying that it isn't a treat to others.

It was even suggested because I went shopping for a chopping board it was a treat.

So what does a treat look like to you?

For me it is time. I'm so time poor that time that is entirely my own and I get to decide what I would like to do (rather than have to do) is a real treat.

In terms of consumables, it would be a good massage or facial. Something along those lines.

A paid for treat for me is something that I cannot make better at home. I can make excellent coffee and tea at home, this isn't a treat. I can make fantastic pizza from scratch at home that a takeaway pizza can be disappointing.

My treats are my roots being done every 3wks at the hairdressers. I can do this at home but not better than my hairdresser, she has better quality dyes and doesn't miss parts of my hair or stain my bathroom/ clothes. I also treat myself to a full body massage every couple of months, my shiatsu massager isn't the same.

I love nice chocolate. However, I am always disappointed by Tony's.

I grew up in poverty so I struggle to "treat yo self" but I do love a good coffee. Which I enjoy approx once a month

Have never ever got Hotel Chocalot either, over priced and cheap tasting.

I'd say a treat is something that brings you pleasure and is out of the ordinary for you. It can be something planned or unexpected, big or small and what it is is going to depend on your lifestyle, including but not restricted to your income. When my DC were very young the biggest treat for me was a lie in at the weekend and that cost nothing! Everyone's definition is different but I think for most people it's something that makes them think "ooh that was nice" and which isn't a completely regular part of their life, and it's typically something that is not absolutely essential.

I see it as a choice, not a treat.

i would see it as a bit of a treat if say i was a carer for someone 24/7 but someone had offered to 'give me a break! So I could do that, but I'd see the treat as what the other person was doing for me & the activity just as a choice.

Really delicious lunch out, could be the special Thali at my favourite Indian restaurant or something more "elevated", but must include not having to drive, so I can have a glass of wine.
A Reflexology session.
Full body massage.
Facial.
Wander round a local market.

Chocolat. I don't care that I have it as dessert every day- it's still a treat because 1. I don't need it 2. It makes me feel good
Atm it's Lindt intense 85% that does it for me.

Coffee and cake. Going out for a meal. More so now, because these days I mostly begrudge the prices and don't do it as often.

It depends on the day and how I'm feeling! Sometimes the simplest things feel like a treat - getting out in the sunshine at lunchtime if I've been stuck inside, an Ella's oat bar as a dessert - but other times it's a meal in a nice restaurant, getting my nails done, upgrading to a nicer hotel or airline seat.

A long uninterrupted shower with enough hot water and potions and a warm towel to step into. In an ideal world someone would take care of all my body hair (shaving, shaping, shampooing, etc as appropriate) and ALL I would do is stand there.

I don’t think I would like somebody who couldn’t see something as a treat unless it was expensive, tbh. It says something unpleasant about their priorities in life. Taking pleasure in small things is a mindset, irrespective of your bank balance.

To me, a “treat” isn’t really defined by price, rarity, or how “special” something is.

I’m comfortable financially and we earn around 140k, I still budget very carefully.
That’s actually part of what makes something feel like a treat, it’s not about spending freely, it’s about choosing something deliberately and knowing I can comfortably afford it without it impacting anything else.
A treat can be something as small as a takeaway coffee, a nice lunch, or even something as ordinary as a new mug if it genuinely improves my day or brings me a bit of joy. I don’t really separate “functional” and “treat” in a strict way anymore. If it makes life nicer in a meaningful or enjoyable way, then it counts.

What I like about this way of thinking is that it keeps “treats” accessible. It stops them becoming these rare, big-event things and turns them into small, regular moments of enjoyment. Even simple choices can feel like a treat if they’re intentional.

I think a treat is really just anything that feels like a small “yes” to myself or my family, something I’ve chosen, I can afford, and genuinely enjoy in the moment. I think it’s a mindset tbh.

I don't think it's so much about expense, but how often.

For example if you grab a coffee at the train station everyday on your way to work it's unlikely to be viewed as a treat. If you go out for coffee once a month it's more likely to be viewed as a treat.

Neither people would be wrong.

Time in the house on my own is a treat. It’s rare but valuable.

to me it's a nice wine and cheese 🤤

Peace and quiet and a nap.🐑🐑😴

A restaurant meal out of over £80. A purchase for myself of over £100. Taking a day off of work for myself only. A calorie dense food that I don’t eat daily/weekly.

Back in the day it was booze, now I don't drink!

Sugar is still a bit of a treat but I am on MJ so my eating habits have changed (and I have lost 5st in 14 months)

Current treats are my weekly coffee. It sounds pathetic but I am a tea drinker and once a week on my way back from a medical appointment I pass a lovely coffee shop so I grab a takeaway!

My other treat to myself is reading. Every night before bed I read for at least half an hour. It's not always highbrow - in fact it's often lowbrow - I am currently reading Alex Berenson but it's peaceful and meaningful. It helps me unwind and sometimes but not always helps me sleep. It's "my" dedicated time.

I am lucky that on a small scale I am able to buy myself (and the kids) things as and when we need them, some will be essentials but yes there are some treats. Occasional take aways, ice creams on hot days, new trainers when DC1's feet grow again etc. Nothing majorly expensive. I save for bigger treats like holidays.

I'm old(ish) and old-fashioned.
For me, pretty much ANY meal or drink out of the home is a treat.

I was brought up by a mother who took a flask with a hot drink, and packed a picnic lunch, if were were going to be out for the day. Otherwise, trips and activities were planned so that we were home for lunch.
Needless to say, snacks and drinks between meals were just not a thing.

I still don't like wasting money on buying lunch - there are so many better things to spend my money on.

A real treat is a nice cake, or chocolate.

I take great pleasure in small things.

I get pleasure out of a blue bit of sky, the bee drinking from the water I've put out for them, a fuss with a dog. I could go on.

that doesn't mean I see spending my money or time in the way I choose is a treat, it's a choice. Whether that's a coffee or a weekend away.

I think I've come to the conclusion that FOR ME A treat is something someone else bestows not a choice I make about how I spend my time or money.

I love Tony's chocaloney, I'll look out for it going down to £6 for the pack of taster bars.

Something I don't do often.

Grabbing a coffee is a treat for me because I generally have instant coffee (several cups!) before work and grab instant coffees from the staffroom. I don't get them on the go usually as not a convenient stop for me.

Therefore when I do get one, either by stopping off or ordering it via just eat right to my desk 😳I get a extra fancy one, not just a boring flat white, so it's definitely a treat.

But for me, lots of things I don't get to do as often as I would like are a "treat". I saw a very old friend the other day that I haven't seen for many years. I stopped by their house, had a cup of tea and caught up. I left feeling so happy to have seen them again, it was so nice. That was a treat.

I love having a Costa hot chocolate as my treat. I don’t do it often. Perhaps once a week - but that seems like a lot actually.

I have to “earn” it though. My own categorisation. Most often by completing a list of errands or exercise.

A iced cherry lemonade at the local farm whilst the kids play, or a iced cream and apple jam filled doughnut from the local bakery on a Friday!