What is one of your favorite luxuries in life that is under $50?

[Tap]

Is it good chocolates, a good glass of wine, a mani/pedi, a cafe coffee.....?

 

 

What is one thing that you will splurge on, that absolutely isn't necessary, but you will budget in just for you? What is that thing that just makes the world a happier place, for just a few moments?

 

Mine would be good tea (the drinking kind-figured I better qualify that!) and good chocolate. I love a variety of teas, and I like...what I like. Unfortunately, the ones I like... aren't cheap. I can be very happy with a bag of Dove chocolates (fairly cheap, but not the cheapest) or a nice imported bar of chocolate.

 

I can do my own nails, and brew my own coffee. But don't touch the tea or the chocolate:D

[Snickerdoodle]

Tea

I love nice tea.

[TammyinTN]

Having my nails done every 2 weeks. I love it!:D

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I'm not a drinker. But after many years of trying to find a wine or beer that I can drink without grimacing, I've finally found an alcoholic drink that I truly enjoy....

 

Jack Daniel's Bourbon

 

It tastes great and reminds me of my grandfather who would have a shot after lunch every day. Not that I've taken to having it daily....I have it occasionally with coke zero.

 

Yum.

 

K

[Trivium Academy]

Silky, s£xy nightwear (not ling£rie in the garter sense, just sophisticated s£xy like a satin nightgown)- it's something I've never done b/c everyone would buy pj's for me which were flannel or cotton top/bottom combos with cute graphics...THIS is such an improvement to my wardrobe and self-esteem. I even felt good carrying the items through the department store to find a fitting room, lol!

 

3 new pj's -$38 total since they were on sale for 60% off

Painted red nails with top coat to protect them for more than 1 day- free b/c I already had the stuff

A new haircut

 

Completely free...discovering that I've lost 8 lbs and I've went down a pant size! :hurray:

[5knights3maidens]

I would have to say tea, dark chocolate, and coffee from a certain local cafe' .

[LisaKinVA]

A mani-pedi does it for me (I had two last summer and thought I was in heaven!)

[lionfamily1999]

Coffee, but I brew it, lol. And clove cigarettes, they smell so yummy.

 

Otherwise... I have too much of a guilt complex to spend moola on moi, when it seems like the kids always 'need' something.

 

Answered my own question again, the internet. I just upgraded us from dial up to cable. Nat'l Geographic magazine and Reader's Digest.

[mellifera]

High quality coffee. Every once in a while I like to get pickled artichoke hearts. I'm the only one in the family who likes them.:D

[snickelfritz]

Which, I guess could end up over $50 if I'm not careful.:D

 

But, that's how I spend my time when dh takes the kids to give me a night out.

[Jackie in AR]

Manicure/pedicure.

[tuckabella]

Chocolate, preferably dark, and some nice hot tea. That's pretty inexpensive. But my true $50 splurge, which I can only do maybe 2x a year is a $45 haircut from a certain salon. It truly looks amazing, and I feel like a million dollars from THAT haircut. Sorry, BestCuts just can't come close to that haircut!

[Nayner]

A good haircut & dove chocolate.

[JudoMom]

A good cup of coffee. Rarely I'll get a Starbucks (I love their lattes and other fancy-schmancey coffees), but it's more that I can't really afford the gazilloins of calories that accompanies the lovely coffees. If I want to be indulged with fewer calories, I will brew a K-cup in my Keurig (instead of using my normal refillable pod).

 

I also like Yankee Candles. I always have one in the house, and save my pennies once it starts getting low so I can buy a new one.

[Kari C in SC]

Mine is Starbucks Hazenut Hot Chocolate. I am not a coffee or tea drinker. For years, I didn't understand what the allure of Starbucks was. Then my ds gave me his Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. I am hooked! We only have one Starbucks in the area (at Target) and it is about 25 minutes away. I used to tell myself no most of the time. Lately, I have been telling myself that I am allowed to enjoy that once a month or so. In the realm of things, that $3 isn't going to make or break us, right?

[Jen in PA]

Time alone in a library or bookstore. Aside from the cost of a sitter, this would be totally free! Tickets to the symphony, and I'm not picky about where my seat is. Dark chocolate, especially over candied ginger or orange peel. Cabernet and a nice meal prepared by someone other than myself.....

[ELaurie]

We're waiting to see pix of your new haircut :)

[LibraryLover]

Kitchen or cooking items. I have a deep love for a certain French olive oil that is $40. My fav thing is to go to the gourmet shop and check out the herbs and other fun items. My family is lucky cooking is fun to me. lol

[mcconnellboys]

On a regular, daily/weekly basis: it's a coke of late. A really nice, cold coke. Very cold. Mid-afternoon pick me up when school is out and my taxi service duties are just beginning until bedtime....

 

I do love chocolate. Many types. A simple Hershey's bar will do, but I also love really good chocolates, too. I can't even think of the brand name right now, but one of my current favorites is an organic, darker chocolate that contains lavender and blueberry. Yum.

 

I also like a good cup of tea, but again am happy with a range from bagged to looseleaf organics.

 

I occasionally will drink a Kahlua and milk over ice at home. Or I occasionally will drink some Asti Spumanti, which I prefer over champagne. Or I occasionally will drink some Port. One of my current favs the last few years has been a port produced in nearby Indiana, at Hubers' Family Orchards (which include a winery and other distilled products). Ruby Red - very nice! (They ship, too....)

 

Another regular thing that I really do for me (although it regularly benefits my children and often others, as well) is to eat lunch out most days. I like getting out and I like eating food that I have not had to prepare.

 

I like the camaraderie of dining with others. It's a sort of decompression time for me, separating the morning of more intense work from the afternoon generally spent reading, doing science projects, or in more leisurely pursuits, such as outside activities, etc.

 

Some of our best ideas for activities over the years have come out of lunch time. Some of the most personal information shared with me by friends has been done over food. Breaking bread together is a special thing to me that I feel helps to forge alliances on many fronts.

 

When I worked, lunch was also very important to most of us in our department. We regularly had power lunches with attorneys working our cases and some of our most important work came out of those lunches. The world of business really often does revolve around the breaking of bread. I have come to feel that many/most human relationships may benefit from sharing food together....

[Sharon in SC]

Is it good chocolates, a good glass of wine, a mani/pedi, a cafe coffee.....?

 

 

What is one thing that you will splurge on, that absolutely isn't necessary, but you will budget in just for you? What is that thing that just makes the world a happier place, for just a few moments?

 

Mine would be good tea (the drinking kind-figured I better qualify that!) and good chocolate. I love a variety of teas, and I like...what I like. Unfortunately, the ones I like... aren't cheap. I can be very happy with a bag of Dove chocolates (fairly cheap, but not the cheapest) or a nice imported bar of chocolate.

 

I can do my own nails, and brew my own coffee. But don't touch the tea or the chocolate:D

 

A full body deep tissue massage. (My dearest girl friend is a massage therapist - don't know if I could let anyone else do it! ;-P)

[Janna]

Though I've taken to doing it myself as of late. I can't justify it when dh is out of a job.

 

Also, in agreement with others: good coffee.

 

Oh, and I spend a lot on shampoo. My hair is so fine that any shampoo I could buy at the store weighs my hair down and makes it super flat and greasy in no time. I learned back in H.S. that I need salon quality shampoo and conditioner.

[Janna]

oops, didn't mean for that to be under yours, Judomom.

[Chris in VA]

I have had cravings for vinegar-y foods for the past 3 or 4 years. For quite a while, my indulgence was Claussen Pickles. But for the past few months, it's been garlic-stuffed olives from the Bloom Deli dept--can't do jarred ones, other store's don't taste right, it's gotta be those. They cost about 6 bucks for a pint (?) container. I can cruise thru them in about 3 days. It's the crunch and the salt, I think, and the oil/vinegar/garlic. In fact, I could just squirt out the garlic clove and eat that w/o the olive! What does that MEAN?:D

[PrairieAir]

I'm not a drinker. But after many years of trying to find a wine or beer that I can drink without grimacing' date=' I've finally found an alcoholic drink that I truly enjoy....

 

Jack Daniel's Bourbon

 

It tastes great and reminds me of my grandfather who would have a shot after lunch every day. Not that I've taken to having it daily....I have it occasionally with coke zero.

 

Yum.

 

K[/quote']

 

Yup. No diet pop here, though. I would not defile my Jack Daniels by adding it to diet pop. I do drink it in regular Coke, in coffee, and I have found it adds a fabulous flavor to so many dishes. I love just the smell of it alone or in things. In spite of the way my family teases, I do NOT cook everything with Jack Daniels and I do not even drink it that often. But man do I love it when I do!

 

Other luxuries: cream for my coffee instead of milk, sometimes a packet of Swiss Miss in my coffee, bras and undies from Victoria Secret (not all of what I have, but some--the lingerie from there isn't for me;)). Once in a while I will cook something for dinner that no one else in my family really likes just. because. I. can. And they had better not complain since most of the time I'm cooking only what they like.

 

Foods are at the top of my list of little luxuries I allow myself. I LOVE food. I love exotic foods that my casserole lovin' family shies away from. I like to travel using my tastebuds. (It's much more affordable than actual travel.) My other main luxuries are mostly about time I allow myself for different pursuits. I have been to the Kansas Archaeology Training Program Field School four times and would like to go every year. That's a luxury to me, although pretty inexpensive, it requires leaving my family to fend for themselves for at least part of a week. Someday maybe I'll go for the full two weeks. And, okay, they don't really have to fend for themselves that much since I make up most of the food ahead of time and stick it in the freezer for them to reheat. Sometimes I take little day trips to places nearby that I want to see and photograph. These are all pretty simple and cheap, but they are my favorite kinds of things.

 

ETA: I just re-read the OP and saw the $50 qualifier. The KATP field school costs more than $50 when you add the price of membership plus attending (I think $50 together) along with the price of gas to get there and any meals out. (I try to pack simple foods from the grocery store for most of my meals.) Still pretty danged cheap for a vacation.

Edited December 29, 2008 by PrairieAir

[DB in NJ]

I get 2 pedicures a year, right before I go on vacation (June and September). This also means I take my dd with me. We usually go to Starbucks for coffee, take it with us to the salon and get our pedicures, then go out to lunch. It's heavenly, and it's just us girls. Wouldn't trade it for the world :D

[Melinda in VT]

Good coffee. And liquid creamer. This is a daily treat.

 

Good chocolate. This is much rarer.

 

And I don't know how much they cost, but my kids (and DH) bought me some great hard-soled slippers with sheepskin lining for Christmas 2007. Every night after the dinner dishes are done, I put on my slippers. It's a mental sign that I can relax for the night.

[PrairieAir]

I thought of another one! SmartWool socks. Wool right next to my skin often makes me break out in hives. Not SmartWool. And they keep my feet so toasty warm in winter. The lighter weight hiking socks have saved my feet from blisters on long hikes (up to 30 miles several times). I heart my SmartWool socks. $15-$20 for a pair of socks seems expensive, but it really isn't for these, and they last far longer than the cheap cotton socks I wear at other times.

[StaceyinLA]

it's a good meal out; sushi, some good thai or lebanese, really good Mexican, a perfect filet mignon or lobster tail. I don't know - that just does it for me.

[Jenny in Florida]

. . . is to sit down at the dining table or outside on the patio if the weather is nice with a new book and a snack of my choosing. Of course, this works only if the rest of the family is out of the house or occupied a few rooms away.

[klmama]

For me, the joy of books is much better than a splurge on foods or beverages. Reading outside in the shade on a warm, sunny day is my idea of paradise. Now, if we could only have some of those warm days.... :)

[cin]

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Steamer 150 degrees. But since they don't have free WIFI, I usually end up at Panera's with a glass of milk and one of their chocolate chip cookies. It's about 2 hours of heaven (oh yeah, laptop with headphones!)

 

That runs less than $5.00

[Sharon in SC]

Good coffee. And liquid creamer. This is a daily treat.

 

Good chocolate. This is much rarer.

 

And I don't know how much they cost, but my kids (and DH) bought me some great hard-soled slippers with sheepskin lining for Christmas 2007. Every night after the dinner dishes are done, I put on my slippers. It's a mental sign that I can relax for the night.

 

I'm in the market for something like this. If yours are comfy, please share the brand/store purchased. Thanks!

[Tracy in Ky]

Real maple syrup with breakfast.

 

Actually, breakfast period. Sausage (I'm trying to get dh to raise a hog this summer), OJ, raw milk, homemade pancakes (made from soaked flour and fresh eggs, cooked in butter), maple syrup, then coffee with raw cream and sugar.

 

I love breakfast, and I eat the above virtually every single morning.

 

Lunch, supper, snacks--I can eat whatever. But give me my breakfast. lol.

[Alaska Mom]

I thought of another one! SmartWool socks. Wool right next to my skin often makes me break out in hives. Not SmartWool. And they keep my feet so toasty warm in winter. The lighter weight hiking socks have saved my feet from blisters on long hikes (up to 30 miles several times). I heart my SmartWool socks. $15-$20 for a pair of socks seems expensive, but it really isn't for these, and they last far longer than the cheap cotton socks I wear at other times.

 

 

I thought this was just me :D! I'd add to that my $3.75 latte in town.

[KidsHappen]

It is the one thing that I can always justify. I say No to almost everything else but what is the quote, I buy books and if there is any money left, I buy food. :)

[6packofun]

Just goood skin care products and bath/body stuff. I love a great shampoo or a nice shea butter cream.

 

Oh, and Yankeeeeee Candles!! (Said in my Oprah announcing something good voice.)

 

Books don't count because they are a necessity, not a luxury. LOL!!

Edited December 29, 2008 by 6packofun
.

[Mommy22alyns]

It is the one thing that I can always justify. I say No to almost everything else but what is the quote, I buy books and if there is any money left, I buy food. :)

 

 

Ahhhh, yes. Actually, I justify books for the girls as a "treat" too. I'd rather buy them a book than a toy or trinket.

 

So I guess my "unjustified" luxuries are Yankee candles, Bath & Body Works lotions/washes, and occasional Starbucks drinks. :)

[lynn]

Yankee Candles

Prevention Magazine or Southern living magazine when they have topics I want to read about

Taste of Home magazine when the recipes look interesting

New top or shoes that I absolutely love

Perfume when mine is getting low

Starbucks latte

Rent a movie, pick up sushi and/or Cherry Garcia Ben and Jerry's ice cream on Tuesdays when I am child less for 4 hours

Flowers

[jonesloonybin]

BOOKS! I love books. I read really fast so sometimes it is hard to justify spending 5-7 for a paperback (or 20+ for a hardback) when I will be done in a couple hours. But a new book and the peace & quiet to read (add in some tea and chocolate) and that is the best. I feel so refreshed after.

[Lakeside]

Silky, s£xy nightwear (not ling£rie in the garter sense, just sophisticated s£xy like a satin nightgown)- it's something I've never done b/c everyone would buy pj's for me which were flannel or cotton top/bottom combos with cute graphics...THIS is such an improvement to my wardrobe and self-esteem. I even felt good carrying the items through the department store to find a fitting room, lol!

 

3 new pj's -$38 total since they were on sale for 60% off

Painted red nails with top coat to protect them for more than 1 day- free b/c I already had the stuff

A new haircut

 

Completely free...discovering that I've lost 8 lbs and I've went down a pant size! :hurray:

Do you have any pictures of your new hairstyle?

[astrid]

And time to choose a pattern and knit.

A dear friend gave me a skein of Qiviut yarn for Christmas and I"m looking for a lace scarf pattern to use it up. Qiviut is made from the downy undercoat of muskox and is incredibly soft and warm.

 

I love me a mani/pedi, but give me luxurious yarn any day!

 

Astrid

[percytruffle]

Jones Cola. The brand that uses cane sugar instead of hfcs and then bottles it in glass. Yum. It always seems special when we by some. It doesn't cost anywhere near the $50 limit, but it sure is special.

[tmkclscroggins]

Fabric! I love to buy fabric. We have a great quilt store quite close to the house and I love to take an hour (alone!) and go and touch and maybe come home with something!

 

Magazines and books.....I love quilting and cross stitching magazines!

 

I can always justify books!

 

Bath & Body lotions! Smelling goods makes me feel good!

 

 

Melissa

[Jenny in Atl]

A fine bottle of red wine and some good dark chocolate.

[dragons in the flower bed]

What is that thing that just makes the world a happier place, for just a few moments?

 

 

A new book.

[catalinakel]

Magazines. When I get a new magazine, it is like a little vacation to sit down and enjoy it. I finally figured this out, and that it is much cheaper to buy subscriptions, so now I get three new magazines by subscription each month and really enjoy them. All cost less than $20. for the year, but pay off in relaxation benefits for the mom all year long!

[chaik76]

Books. Books come first.

Then Starbucks venti breve lattes.

[Jean in Newcastle]

A new music CD - preferably something unusual but really cool.

[CalicoKat]

A nap. Totally uninterrupted.

 

$0 (if dh is home)

[Brigitte]

There is a cocktail at Bang! in Charlottesville made with Jack that is almost divine. I think it is Jack with a simple syrup and mint. If I find the name or recipe, I will pass it on.

 

hmmm, that reminds me that I will be in Cville in Jan. I might have to get my sister or bff go to Bang! with me. Cravings starting...........