Cheap Glee
[ 17 August 2007 ]
Sometimes you just need to be perked up — & sometimes your wallet’s feeling a little bit lighter than you would like. In these situations, what you need is a shot of cheap glee. Here are some ways to get it:
Go & get a decadent ice-cream sundae. Make it count by waiting until you’re really hungry. If you want to really appreciate it & you’re able, check your local ice-cream parlour’s website & decide which flavours you’re going to get beforehand. Then get them to pile it up with whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, nuts, sprinkles, etc., find a good spot to do some people watching & devour the entire thing. (This is my favourite store.)
Buy a bright pen (pink! blue! green! purple!), make some postcards, write little haikus to your friends. Put a stamp on it, kiss the back, & pop it in a post box.
Put on some comfortable shoes, take your digital camera for a walk & do a colour study. Red, pink, orange, black, lilac, whatever — whenever you see it, take a picture.
Take some of your favourite pictures from a magazine & get them blown up to poster size at a photocopying shop.
Go to the supermarket & scour the dairy/deli section for camembert cheese on special. (Usually they reduce the price when it starts to become ripe.) Buy one that appeals to you — I suggest a round one, I like them the best. Find somewhere nice to sit. Take the cheese out of its box & unwrap some of the white paper. Then nibble at it, like a mouse. No knives or other implements allowed. Just eat it. It is the best thing ever. I can easily eat entire blocks of cheese like this, it is totally delightful.
Take a yoga class — ESPECIALLY if you’ve never done it before! Just show up to a beginner’s session in comfortable clothes & go for it.
Eat really good pepperoni pizza in bed while watching something totally awful.
Scour Ebay for bargains. REAL bargains, not “this-would-be-a-bargain-if-I-were-Richard-Branson” bargains! You can find new stuff from MAC cosmetics, samples of perfume, great nailpolish (like Essie & OPI), bulk candy, beautiful typewriters, wigs, Polaroid cameras, furry legwarmers… you get the picture!
What are your tips for making merry on a budget? (Most of mine involve food!)
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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thrift/secondhand shopping is and has been my indulgence when on a budget (and not, ha!). sometimes, especially back in the day, i’d set myself a firm limit (say $20 usd) and then search and search and ponder and find deals. and then come home and smugly enjoy my deals, knowing i got much for little.
another indulgence for small (relatively) change is fruit. sweet, better (for one) than candy. or perhaps a small bag of jelly bellies (jellybeans).
mmm. :)
Hmm… My cheap indulgences?
Well, they’re not so cheap, but when I want to feel really great quickly I get a cheap but good coffee, and a teenie-bopper magazine.
Or… I’ll go to a big-chain bookstore and buy a book I’ve wanted on sale (they nearly ALWAYS have something I want on sale).
Recently, I bought two different card/post-card sets. One was from Angry Little Girls! and the other had these great images of cute little “Parisian” type girls. Both for only 10$ CAN.!
By the way Gala, great job on posting so much recently! :3
Haha, most of my cheap indulgences involve food as well. But, other than that, I like to go buy cheap DVDs (like, from the $5 bin) and come home and watch them immediately.
Call a friend just to talk.
Go to a park with a friend (preferably with a kite!).
Go through and reorganize something…like, my closet or jewelry boxes. :)
Oh, and sex with my husband. Hehehehe. }:)
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, find a sweet shop where they sell the individual flavours and get all the ones you like then eat them one by one. I love Juicy Pear.
Bake a cake and invite someone over for coffee/tea..
If you have a party coming up try on all your party clothes to decide exactly what you will wear, will remind you how spunky you look in a dress ;)
Put something expensive on LAYBY! ha ha, not cheap in the long run but at least you know you have something beautiful waiting for you.
In Nz: BURGERFUEL! soo good.
Omigosh, Juicy Pear Jelly Belly Jelly Bean is the best flavor.
My cheap thrills are:
2 dollar concerts by local bands.
3 plates of 1 dollar sushi.
A game of dungeons and dragons with all the geeky friends! Cheap entertainment for hours :)
Buying crayola watercolor paints and watercoloring postcards until all the paint is gone.
This was fun!
Hmmm…cheap indulgences. A copy of Vogue usually does the trick. Along with a small bar of really good chocolate. Yum!
Or a home facial and/or bath, using the stash of beauty and body products I usually end up spending all my money on!
I love the idea about good cheese though – baked camembert is one of life’s great indulgences – just writing this makes me peckish :)
Oh, sorry about the double posting, but there is ONE HUUUUUUGE pleasure I have in this world, that’s cheap but oh-so-sexy!
PIERRE LAPOINTE.
He’s a Quebecois (French-Canadian) singer, who’s sexy, and has a sexy voice. His songs are great, and the lyrics are too.
Check him out! He’s getting really popular in Europe too, now!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iwifSGa19tU&mode=related&search=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7ujvOWb5KPs
RAWR!
i love going to junk and $2 shops. there are lots of little goodies hidden away in these type of shops
I often need little treats to help me feel better. I’m such a mopey creature. My favourites are:
Making myself a PROPER cup of tea. So that means, boiling the kettle with fresh water, warming the pot, warming the cup, letting it draw and then drinking it slowly and appreciatively. I also like to use a nice teapot and tea cup, and proper sugar cubes.
Buying something sweet and small and rich – a cupcake, a really good chocolate (say, from Koko Black), a cup of Italian hot chocolate.
Going to cafe on my own, ordering a latte, and systematically reading all the magazines they have for their customers.
Hmmm, all of my indulgences involve food too! Or hot drinks? I think I must have an emotional link to hot drinks, hahaha.
Going to a park and playing on all the kids play equipment
Rearranging my bedroom
Baking something – bread, brownies, biscuits – whatever
Going through street press and seeing what free music gigs are on in your area and going to them, usually without having heard of the band before.
Going to the library and borrowing books on obscure subjects or ones that just have nice covers or cool titles.
I am constantly rearranging my room!
Not so much now that i have my own house but in my teenage years it was like a monthly or sometimes weekly thing! I never seemed to have enough room though(too much furniture in a small room i suppose!).
I like to go for a walk and people watch or explore streets and parks i havnt been to before. i love imagining who lives in the houses and admiring the gardens.
I also love bargain shopping as most of the time i have to! it has been more frustrating lately since i have been reading your blog i guess gala, as i no longer want the same old stuff or something that is ok….and want a treasure find!
If I need a quick pick-me-up, I’ll go design a quick website. Something is just so terribly satisfying about creating something from scratch (or code). It’s my sort of art form; creativeness is incredibly invigorating.
I’ll also clean my room if I am so compelled.
Sometimes I’ll take a walk over to my neighbours house to do a little bit of visiting with the kids I have babysat for 6 years. Nothing cheers me up more than those two boys.
My favourite thing to do that perks me up is to read up on my favourite blog… iCiNG of course! Nothing makes my day better than some wonderfully written and inspirational articles!
.... Or I’ll just station myself on the couch with my sister and indulge in some good old Disney cartoons. The best are the ones which make you feel guilty to watch.
what a great list Gala!
my cheap glee comes from:
+ 90c peppermint chocolate frogs from Haigh’s
http://haighschocolates.com.au/
+ op shopping (which i never get to do any more and i miss it!)
+ hanging out with my 3 year old niece
+ using a supermarket docket to have a cheap cafe lunch with a friend
+ italian hot chocolate and bookstore browsing with my husbandito
shucks, i’d just typed out a similar article!! haha i shall keep it for later!!
my cheap glees (is there such a word) are…
inviting my friends over for kimchi nabe (soup), or okonomiyaki, or gyoza. everyone helps to cook, and it’s so fun!! or better yet, potluck! or we like to pack a picnic and go play badminton, frisbee or baseball in the park.
or go to the zoo.
or spend 10 hours in karaoke. (my record was 17 hours)
or spend the day with a tub of ben&jerrys, watching dvds – disney, gilda, breakfast at tiffanys, japanese dramas, smap concerts….
i can while away so much time doing nothing! it’s my special skill.
having a hot bubble bath with a glass of red wine, and i take my laptop into the bathroom, put it on a chair and watch a dvd. bliss!
This is what I like to do:
* Cuddle up with a book and tea, preferrably poured from my favourite teapot into my favourite teacup with an added dash of milk.
* Some hand crafting. Making stuff (of fabric, paper, clay, whatever) makes me feel great.
* Dress up in something really pretty and colorful, go into town and have a caffe latte at some nice cafe, leafing through a magazine or just watching people.
* Clean some dusty old corners where there’s been a mess forever! Somehow getting order from chaos cheers me up a lot.
* A long walk outside with something good in my ipod, be it music or podcasts. Instant happy :)
* Go to the library.
* Go for a walk (bush/beach optional).
* Listen to favourite uplifting music (I like sentimental guitar-based power ballads, m’self . . . )
* Play with children.
I always seem to be broke, so I have a long list of things to do on the cheap which cheer me up.
With a friend – play dress ups in your friend’s wardrobe – take a bottle of wine and two glasses to somewhere you can watch a sunset and chat – buy a mini manicure set and some nail polish and take turns giving each other manicures/pedicures (me and my bf do this regularly. it’s so relaxing, your nails end up great and it’s really cheap!) – Play at a playground – take photos of who can pull the silliest face
By yourself – bubble baths. really really deep with warm fluffy towels for afterwards – clean. Just work on one room/shelf/corner – makes you feel great when you’re finished
-trashy magazines and good coffee
-get on a circuit route on a bus or train and just watch the people around you – find a puppy (your own, someone elses or at a shelter) and play with it. Benefits both of you!
Thanks Gala for your tip on blowing up magazine pages to poster size – I never thought of this, but I’d love to decorate my new study..
Ooh, I love Trampoline’s ice-cream! Especially those cute little chocolate-coated “Mushroom” ones they have!!
Whenever I need to cheer up, I always go for a bike ride to the milkbar and buy a ridiculous amount of lollies, then sit in the park and eat them. Then I don’t feel so bad about eating so much junk food because I’ve done the bike ride. ;)
- Buying a nice big chai latte and then reading books in Borders cafes. Today I got through Vogue, Black, and most a book on the history of the orgasm. Awesomely cheap fun.
- Library visits.
- People watching.
- Roller skating.
- Climbing trees.
- Writing people letters.
- Knitting.
- Snuggling up in bed with a warm boy & a good book.
I have a giant silly collection of post cards and buttons, because whenever I’m super broke I can buy lots of them usually for less than $1US each. It’s like buying mini pieces of art that you can wear and give to your friends as presents and make them smile.
Taco nights are also one of my favorite things. Taco ingredients are so cheap, and when you invite lots of friends over and have them bring things too it makes it even better (and cheaper!). We try to do this once a week and buy a 12 (or 24!) pack of cheap beer like Pabst and get a little drunk and eat good food and laugh a lot.
I also love to burn cd’s or make long playlists for my iPod and either go on really long walks or drives, depending on the weather and how full my gas tank is. It’s my favorite way to be alone and it makes me feel really happy and independent and free.
Trampoline is my favorite treat store too. Particularly because their sorbets are ultra intense, exotic and fruity. And also because the staff have been super-gorgeous to me late at night: sung stupid duets with me and when they have run out of my favorites have dug into the batches being churned for tomorrow :)
Empty your penny jar and go to one of those stores that sells all the candy of your pre-teen years or home country and then share that sweet nostalgia for sherbert filled goodies with old school friends on Facebook…
Buy a pretty folder or archive box (Have you found ZETTA FLORENCE yet?) and scrap-book all those mementos of happy times that are probably just shoved in an envelope or still in the bottom of a suitcase. Looking through a pretty scrap-books is the perfect antidote to the day you don’t feel you have a special life.
Buy a reeeeelly small pouch of an expensive, exotic tea hand-rolled into a fabulous shape (Buddha’s tears or Yunnan Blossoms) and drink it from a fancy pink, china teacup and saucer. If you need an extra treat put a shot of congnac in your tea-cup and speak French (or Franglais if you can’t!).
Go shopping without your wallet but with friend and a digital camera. Take pics of each other trying stuff on. Go home and analyse what suited you best in light of what you already own so that you make informed purchases when the money rolls back in.
Phone your parents and tell all your news and tell them you love them. Parents love even the most mundane news and all the nice things they say back and the pleasure of making them happy is the best bargain and the best medicine in the world sometimes:)
Ha ha, I love my list so much. Just writing it made me happy. I think I’m putting on my blog too :) thanks !
Its all about the pilates for me! Great for boosting your self esteem! mmm flat belly!
Giraffe do an amazing ice cream sunday! Its only down the road too!
The best thing to cheer me up is, sitting in bed with the cats watching Top Gear. Best.thing.ever!
*Water balloon fight! Or playing in the sprinkler! Or sneaking up on your friends and putting ice cubes down their shirt! It is very hot where I am, even at 6 in the morning, so these things are on my mind.
*Coloring books/line-art printouts are awesome. My younger sister has a great stash. It’s especially good if you feel pressure to be creative but are having a hard time – you can just focus on coloring and having fun. Easy to find at the Dollar Tree or its equivalent, leading to hours of entertainment.
*Which makes me think – dollar stores are awesome. They have all sorts of silly things you can use to amuse yourself. Also toothpaste.
*Don’t listen to all these poor misguided people – Peach is by FAR the best Jelly Belly flavor! I get so sad when the last one is gone.
That pictures-blown-up-at-printshop idea of yours is fantastic. I was just lamenting last night that Nick Cave posters are so hard to find – now I will just have one made! Bwahahaha! Thanks!
I never really have money to blow, so I am always trying to find inexpensive things/activities to occupy my time. Nice article Gala!
What I do:
- Once a month, I take little a trip to the The Hunting Center (in San Marino, California, USA) and walk through the botanical gardens with my digital camera. Each first Thursday is free day, so I am able to dodge the normal $15 US price of admission! It isn’t too far, but I do have to hop on the freeway to get there, so it is kind of like a miniature vacation for me! They have a beautiful Japanese Garden that is just about my favorite place in the world…A bit of trivia: The cherry blossom garden scene in Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed there! I like to pretend that I am a magnificent geisha walking through the garden when i am there. It is such a beautiful place, and it is hard not to imagine yourself in some sort of fantasy world when you are there. I love it. (And I love that it is FREE!)
http://huntington.org
- I like to go for a drive to the beach (if i have enough gasoline :/)...There is nothing more refreshing than arriving at the beach at 6am, sitting on the sand, listening to the waves, and watching the whole world wake up around you.
- I buy a bottle of sake. There is a store near me that sells big bottles for $3 US!!! Such a bargain! I heat it up, and then curl around my pillows on the floor and watch a tear-jerking movie.
- Video games. I spend a lot of time with my very nice/fun/hawt friend, and fortunately we are both very dorky and love video games. We help each other out at tricky parts, and make fun of each other when we loose the game or die. It’s very silly, but it’s great because he and I can totally release our inner nerds on each other, and no one else has to know! Haha! It’s especially entertaining if we have some wine or beer to share, and it’s much more fun and less of a hassle than a night out on the town!
- I will sometimes go to the mall with my ipod charged up, buy a small bar of chocolate, and wander around aimlessly, people watching and window shopping, with my favorite music playing in my ear. If I am feeling reclusive, I will put on a pair of big sunglasses and turn the music up louder, so that it really blocks out the random conversations that people are having. This may sound weird, but it’s really kind of fun to watch people walk around and talk to each other while having no idea yourself what they are saying or what they sound like. It kind of puts the world in silent-movie-mode!
~Flea markets! Even if you don’t end up buying anything, it’s worth going just to see all of the neat/crappy/amazing things for sale. It’s also a most excellent place for people-watching.
~Library book sales or used book stores. It’s a great way to buy tons of books on the cheap, especially if you’re at a library book sale. I was once able to fill up an entire paper bag full of books and records for a mere $6US! I’ve found so many gems at those things.
~When I was in college (and at my poorest), my friends and I would take turns cooking Sunday dinners for each other. I miss those days so hard!
- Buying a cheap notepad in a bright colour. – Buying $1 copies of Poirot mysteries and reading them with a cuppa. – Going to a swing set and swinging for hours on end.
Also I bought a purple biro the other day when I was blue. It was 70 cents (au) and cheers me up every time I use it.
when I’m feeling low I like to browse crazy websites like ytmnd.com and icanhascheezburger.com. I giggle my worries away!
cheap fun:
-taking a bubble bath with a stack of fashion magazines and a cup of tea with honey.
-$3 veggie dogs at zach’s shack here in portland.
-curling up in bed with bad celebrity gossip online or trashy tv shows on youtube.
-going to the nickel arcade.
-thrift shopping or going to estate sales. nothing beats finding a great dress or fabulous household item for super cheap!
-exploring the city with my camera.
-holding a bake sale or lemonade stand.
-dying my hair at home.
-teaching myself something new at home.
-sex and/or masturbation.
-eating a really good chocolate bar slowly.
-drinking almond tea boba.
-tv marathons and cocktails in pajamas with friends.
-creating fabulous extravagant wishlists.
-going to the farmers market and buying beautiful fruit.
-getting a stack of great books/magazines from the library.
-baking cupcakes.
i have complete luck when it comes to Target clearance. there’s nothing better than walking out with a bag that was originally 40 dollars for 6! it’s the waiting that’s the hard part, but it’s a measure of will power. hahaha!
what I usually do for a cheap thrill is.. walk downtown, buy some yummy drink (usually a chai latte, but a hot chocolate works on a budget) at my favourite cafe, sit and enjoy it for a while, soak in the atmosphere, read a book.. then go for a walk beside the river (it runs right through downtown) and end up at my favourite antique store, (which is HUGE) where I spend hours wandering through the aisles of antiques! I usually buy myself something really cheap and silly, last time I bought a kids book (7 great detective stories!!) for 1$, because it has a great cover. oh, and I always listen to good music on my ipod while doing this. lately its been Charles Mingus.
alternativeley, (ie, on a REAL budget) I make myself a cup of tea, put on my favourite cozy sweater, some sweet music (Ray LaMontagne, anyone?) and read a book. works everytime to cheer up or calm me down. :D
for a cheap thrill sometimes i go to the drugstore and buy inexpensive makeup in colors that i’ve never tried/or usually never would think of wearing. then i go home and experiment!
these are great ideas! i’ll definitely have to try some of these asap :)
cheap fun for when im bored or grumpy often involves..
Heading down to the nearest blockbuster or video ezy. The usually offer a 10 weekly dvd movie deal for $7 (or something like that), so I’ll spend hours inspecting every DVD cover on every shelf. Sometimes ill check imdb.com for my favorite actors/actresses and then borrow everything they’ve starred in or ill borrow based on genre eg. 10 dramas, 10 comedies.
4 player video games, get a bunch of friends and play racing and fighting games. Have tournaments and battles. The older the games the more often the better. Mario kart can keep me entertained for hours.
Sudoku and crosswords from trashy magazines. They offer various other puzzles, but those to offer me the most fun.
Finding something ugly in my wardrobe or on a $1 rack at a thrift shop and making it wonderful. Eg. pair of old Levi’s i made into shorts which i wear all the time.
Taking photos of myself, or other things and then messing around on paint or photoshop. Changing specific colors or using different effects.
TV series boxset marathons. With all the new shows available to box set, Ill call up a friend and we lounge around all day and try and get through as many episodes as possible.
Surprising a friend at home or work with a cheap snack (pastries, cupcakes, bagels), desserts (honeycomb gelati!) or coffee. Their genuine surprise and appreciation will make your day!
chocolate gelato in a big sugar cone does wonders for me and my soul.
and magazines! since i’ve been living in other countries that aren’t home for me, it’s been so much fun picking something up at the stands/kiosks as i walk by. there is something deeply satisfying about browsing through a glossy and feeling inspired…knowing no one else back at home is seeing what you are! ;)
I’m usually broke, all my month’s money goes to photocopying and buying text books for college…so:
-See downloaded/pirate movies (yeaah illegal!!!) that will never be in the theatres with my bf, while eating Maruchan Ramen (
I make Mexican icebox cookies and whilst they are still warm, I dip them in cream and eat them. Heaven.
I drink tea from a proper teacup with a saucer underneath.
I find new tv shows to watch on tv-links.co.uk
- Baking! I am a compulsive baker. There’s nothing more restorative than making a batch of cupcakes and icing them. And you get to eat them after :)
- Going to a used book store that sells old magazines, buying some old fashion mags and going through them with a pair of scissors. I’ve got a fantastic collection of ads and photoshoots from this. If I’m feeling particularly cheap, I sit on my floor and sort through them and make collages.
- Playing with my (or somebody else’s) cats. Nearly endless hilarity and if you’re lucky, at the end you’ll have a cat sleeping in your lap.
I’m going to have to say that reading your blog cheers me up & it’s totally free.
I sound like a suck up, but whatever, it’s true!
after thinking long and hard about what cheers me up, i finally came up with something!
while not totally cheap, i LOVE love love buying a new c.d. it’s awesome to have the actual c.d. and not just the files purchased online loaded onto your computer and/or ipod. the happiest i can get in terms of c.d.s is when i read a review of a new band ive never heard of or hear 1 song that’s on it, buy it based on that review or love of that single song, come home, play the c.d., and love the whole thing! it’s so refreshing when you “discover” a new artist for yourself.
also, organizing makes me happy..which may be weird, i know. but getting rid of old junk and rearranging the rest of your stuff to make life easier is free. i may just be weird like that though.. hehe.
I really enjoy mixing up a big ol batch of bubble juice, and inviting a bunch of friends out to the park to play in the sun and blow bubbles!
Wow, what an amazing assortment of ideas! This is great, whenever I’m bored I can just come back & read this & do something listed here… :D
I get bored often, and being a freelance artist i tend to have some really broke months, and i see the same things all the time, ie my desk(s) etc, so i am another one who does a lot of Re-arranging their furniture, its weird, i dont know why i get so much satisfaction out of it, but maybe because its not as great as moving and getting a new start, but when its over, you have a pretty large space you are responsible for changing…so its ALMOST new. Plus, everyone notices, unlike other things you can do where nobody bats an eye at.
I like to go for walks/hike with headphones or my friend teddy, who is always free, so i can just give him an impromptu “get your shoes on” call and pick him up on the way.
I’m a dvd maniac, so i tend to stock up on dvds i want to see/love when they are on sale and have a stack at least 3 high that i have yet to see. And Turner Classic Movies always gives me ideas. I’ll see one good movie with a certain actor i never noticed or gave much thought about and love and then just go out and pick that up plus some extras that are similar. So many good discoveries from that channel.
And durring the summer here a semi-local theater has midnight showings of great cult and classic movies each week, its only 5 bucks and you get to see a movie you love surrounded by people who love it. You cant go wrong with that. In fact, I’m gonna go see Clockwork Orange on Saturday.
A lot of these suggestions are great, i’ll add some to my list for when im down, or broke, or, gasp, both
i ADORE going to Lush – you can smell it from way down swanston st&it’s just sooo delicious! even if I cant afford anything the girls there just let you sniff and play with everything until satisfied…it’s great
then next time I have money i also know exactly what things i want to get!
Thank you, Gala (and everyone else), for such fabulous suggestions! I’ve bookmarked this list for future (i.e. this afternoon) reference. Here are some of my tips for achieving cheap glee:
-Putting some essential oil (petitgrain and grapefruit are really happy-making) in a burner or in a cup of hot water, and placing it nearby whilst I work or read or surf the web.
-Going to the local chip shop, getting a £1.50 portion of chips WITH salt and sauce (this may be a regional delicacy), and eating them hot with my fingers whilst outside.
-Buying an espresso and really savouring it.
-Having a long shower and using every single bath/body product I can find!
-Walking in the nearby botanical gardens and just noticing the sky, trees, flowers in different stages of growth.
-Buying stationery: pens, notebooks, file paper, folders, anything. It’s cheap and it makes me happy. Then you can go and write or draw something wonderful with it.