Calling all you experts at frugality - what are your it's for treats that are free or inexpensive?

[TallulahTwinkle]

Fairly new to being frugal but treating it as a challenge and picked up some great tips on recent threads.

At a loss as to how to work in 'treats' and know that, long term, will start to feel a bit fed up.

Treats before, for example, magazines, nice bottle of wine, takeaways after a long week at work,cinema

So any good frugal treats would be hugely appreciated!

Obviously I meant ideas in thread title!

I used to do a takeaway equivalent on a friday night. We did it on a four week rotation of curry, chinese, fish and chips, pizza. All homemade - there are some fantastic recipes out there which really taste the same and you can do it for the family for a couple of extra quid on the food budget. You can do all the extras too - eg prawn crackers/puppadoms/mushy peas. Prawn crackers are about a £1 for dozens and dozens and you just fry them in an inch of oil. Puppadoms can be brushed with oil and microwaved. make an onion salad and get some own brand mango chutney. Bhajis are really easy to make and very very cheap indeed. If you want the day off cooking you can stock any of this stuff up in the freezer and just defrost on the friday. Get a bottle of coke and some own brand icecream for pudding and you're sorted!

Cinema - saturday kids club is £1.50 a head and take your own popcorn. Or do orange wednesdays. Look on freecycle for magazines or set aside some time to read online editions of things. Nice bottle of wine once a month? apparently the £3.79 aldi wine is very good!

Going out for a walk in the woods and taking a flask of tea and some homemade flapjack.

Boardgame tournaments? we play backgammon lots when we're broke. We bet a penny a point!

Poker night at yours with friends? Make a chilli and get value tortilla chips etc

Thanks!

Like the prepare ahead idea! Think it is just to have things that are different from the norm but still cheap.

Ooh, shrinkingnora, thanks for all those ideas.

Just need to readjust my mindset and not always go for quick fix bought treats I think!

We had a long phase where we had nothing to spend on treats (and are about to go back there, to be honest!). Lots of it will become a habit, don't worry!

Stuff like baking can be really satisfying and uses up time as well as having a nice end result. Another favourite was to go for a family walk with friends and then pile back to ours for a family high tea - scones, crumpets, homemade cakes and biscuits at about 4.30 and then the kids only need a bit of fruit to top them up before bed. Any leftovers can then go in the freezer for packed lunches. I reckon this can be done for a £5 at the most and there is nothing lovelier than an cold walk and then lots of tea and chatting. In the summer, replace high tea with icelollies and cold drinks in the garden - 8 for a £1 at the most in tesco.

We maintained our membership of the national trust and the local zoo and wetlands centre which meant that even when we had no pennies left at all we could still have a nice day out that felt like a treat.

Good luck. It's exhausting but can become quite exhilerating as you get competitive with yourself. Organise stuff when you're feeling high so you don't have to think about it when you're dragged down.

We have gold cards for local zoo so we can go as often as we want and just pay petrol, take a picnic!

Personal favourite - a lie in or afternoon nap - free!!!!!!

I usually only buy wine on offer- no more than £5 a bottle

Aldi/lidl do lots of fake choccies - don't know if they are any good, there ice cream looks good i hate ic

A long, peaceful soak or a couple of hours to yourself

Do you have a college nearby that has a trainee salon for nails, hair etc- really cheap!

I like the idea of baking up an afternoon tea, my girls would enjoy that.

College salon is a definite must, at one point ours were doing three treatments for £10.

I would go every month for a rotation of leg wax, facial, eye brow shape, manicure and pedicure.

I also have my highlights done at the college salon and get loads of compliments about them, they cost £14 for 2 colours done by a level 3 student or £9 by a level 2 student.

I usually only read mags at the doctors but the market near us sells out of date ones for £1 for 4. Have you got a view near you, they do a montlhy cinie pass, think is £15.

Might ask for a membership for somewhere as a Christmas present off my Mum.

Baking is a good idea, will do that today and then can eat what we've made in front of The Great British Bake Off!

Always given outgrown toys, clothes etc to charity shops - do you recommend ebaying them or is the money made outweighed by the hassle? (sorry, might be a separate thread!)

Charlotte - I dream of a lie in!

£15 on cinema a stretch too far at present, but thanks.

Just had a message from library that a book I reserved has arrived - nice new book for 60 p reservation fee - bargain!

Tallulah Do you have a partner? To ec=xchnage lie ins with?

We're going to car boot our toys so we can save something for a holiday next year. If I get round to it....

We usually get memberships for birthday/christmas. Also vouchers for massages/facials are great as then you get a real treat. If you get the cash equivalent, you tend to just spend it. A couple of years ago my parents asked what I wanted and I said various things for the kitchen and ended up going to a lovely kitchen shop with my mum and she told me the budget and I had a lovely time choosing itall and then she treated me to coffee and cake.

Yes, my dh has his own business though so tends to work 6 days a week so lie ins tend to be alternate Sundays! More than some people get, I realise.

I treat myself to early nights (alone!) instead, think f it as a lie in in reverse

I do that too!

Curry night at home always feels like a treat if I do little bowls of dips, salads etc - and I am now reaching the conclusion that cooking it myself is not only cheaper than takeaway but much tastier too.

A long soak in the bath with cheap bubble bath (Waitrose Essentials stuff is only about a pound for a big bottle) and either a library or charity shop book.

Use a cheap bottle of red to make jugs of sangria - tastes nicer and goes much further! White wine spritzers ditto.

Cup of filter coffee in Pret with hot milk on the side is only 99p. I could happily sit for ages in the one in Selfridges, watching the world go by.

I love Nora's walk and a flask idea. :)

Bowling can be v cheap if you look out for deals, eg going before 7.00pm or whatever.

I don't ebay stuff. I think giving stuff to charity repays me in 'feeling useful' factor, so is worth it. :)

Oh it is worth paying more for that one thing that really feels like a treat for you but that you can have everyday. For me, that's Twinings Earl Grey.

'The Takeaway Secret' by Todd Wilbur is a brilliant recipe book - I can highly recommend the KFC-style chicken!

We got a family membership to the RSPB which is £5 a month for a family of 4, it means we can go whenever we want, park for free and join in all the holiday entertainment (normally a couple of quid each) as much as we want. Our local reserve has a lovely play area that is often empty and it gets us out in the fresh air. Best £5 I spend each month! Great idea about the college for getting hair etc done I think I will be looking into that as my hair looks like a scruffy bush a real mess.

RSBP sounds good and cheap!

Also love watching real housewives in the afternoon.

Lovefilm £4.99 per month

Reant DVDS?

If you do go to cinema take your own popcorn and drinks

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4071029

Some magazines give really good free gifts, often listed on mSE email ie £3.50 magazine with £12 mosituriser, mascara etc. Win,win!!

RSPB are sometimes on Quidco and topcashback but watch out for £5 joining fee on quidco.