The Frugal Luxury Guide: Savoring the Moments Money Can't Buy

Image: Tapio Haaja on Unsplash

Last weekend we talked about the physical items worth spending our hard-earned money on. Now let's talk about the free experiences that feel like pure luxury, those that add a sense of abundance and indulgence without spending a single dime.

Redefining Luxury  

image: Debby Hudson on Unsplash

When we think of luxury, thoughts of plush furnishings, high-end vacations, or expensive watches and handbags come to mind. But as a frugal blogger, I've come to realize that the most profound luxuries in life don't have a price tag at all. True luxury is about stillness, observation, and what I like to call "found time." Today, I'm sharing three completely free experiences in my life that make me feel incredibly indulgent.

Sunrise and Solitude

Photo by Resul Baltacı on Unsplash

I wake up around 5 AM every morning, often before anyone else in the house. I make my coffee in that serenely quiet moment, one where I can be alone with my thoughts as my mind becomes awake. There are no questions about what is going on that day, no phone calls to answer -- there are no conversations outside of my own mind. I'm able to live in the moment for a brief period each day. I watch the sun crest the horizon as I sip my coffee. Upon opening a window to freshen the indoor air, I hear birdsong in those early hours. The core luxury here is the absence of demands—no phone calls, no questions, and no expectations. It is just me, my thoughts, and a hot cup of coffee.

Breakfast by the Water

image: Albert Stoynov on Unsplash

It's our family tradition in summer to spend a few of those glorious mornings at the beach. Bringing a thermos of coffee and a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls, we have breakfast by the water. It's such a great time to be at the shore. Early in the day parking is easy to find. There are interesting things to watch at that hour, such as the divers coming ashore from a dive in their wetsuits, or the dog-walkers strolling past on the sidewalk that lines the sandy beach. And the air is cool enough to not need to find a shady spot. 

One of our favorite waterside spots for one of these summertime al fresco breakfasts is a small boating community. In summer, folks moor their crafts at the marina in this town for their weekend getaways. We will sit on a bench at the water's edge with our breakfast in hand and watch the boaters as they slowly start their own days, coming up from the sleeping quarters below to their decks with their own cups of coffee in hand. We don't intrude on their moment of quiet. The core luxury is the enjoyment of the maritime beauty as a quiet observer. We don't call out or wave; we are simply sharing a peaceful, parallel morning moment with the world around us.

"Found Time"

image: Adele Nosova on Unsplash

There's a concept I like to call "found time." It's when a situation cancels the day's or hour's plans, like those magic moments when an afternoon summer rainstorm chases me out of the garden, or a meeting or appointment that I've dreaded for weeks drops off my schedule. I find myself gifted with unanticipated free time -- time to choose my next mini adventure. 

Vintage Inspiration

image: Annie Spratt on Unsplash

My favorite frugal way to spend this found time is an afternoon spent watching black and white movies or reading vintage cookbooks for free via Internet Archive online. Curled up under a fleece throw, I lose myself in a 1940s intrigue story or peruse 1950s recipes. I don't make enough time in my week to do these things, so when a block of time suddenly opens up, I try to do something that will delight my mind. The core luxury I'm describing is permission. Because the weather or circumstances made my plans impossible, I get to enjoy guilt-free relaxation.

The "essence" of frugal luxury is not about spending money; it's about protecting your peace, noticing the small details, and embracing "found time." The best things in life truly are free, if we just slow down long enough to notice them. 

Your turn: I would love to hear from you this weekend. Do any of my frugal luxuries resonate with you? Or does indulgence come to you in a different way? Does the thought of a giant stack of library books or magazines perk you up? Or perhaps a long hot bath with oils, a lit candle, and warm towel speaks luxury to you.  How about the moment you slide into a bed made with freshly laundered linens --  is that the moment you feel indulged? Tell me about your favorite free experiences that feel like pure luxury in the comments below. I'll be here all weekend, reading and responding to your thoughts on luxury.

Iron Chef: Frugal 1940s Edition (How I'm Turning Random Fridge Contents Into a 40s-Style Dinner)

Maybe not 1940s-esque day before grocery run. It's slim pickins' by today's standards.

Yesterday in the garden, today in the kitchen. Come along as I play a high-stakes round of Iron Chef: Frugal 1940s Edition. It's the end of the grocery-week and the crisper is almost bare. Compounding that, I have no meal plan for tonight. Instead of complaining, this will be a fun culinary challenge to pull some random items together and make a good meal for the four of us. And to do so, I'll be consulting a couple of my wartime era cookbooks. Today, I'm showing you exactly how this played out.

The Fridge

• 2 long-in-the-tooth carrots, the last that no one else wanted
• a partial bundle of celery
• 1 lone onion
• 4 apples losing their crisp bite
• most of a head of cabbage, hmmm why is no one eating the cabbage?
• part plus 1 whole aging, wrinkly green peppers
• 1 small hunk of leftover pot roast, about 7 to 8 ounces
• 1 lonely boiled egg
• most of a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread

The Plan

part of my vintage cookbook collection

When you have random cooked protein, some veggies and a loaf of bread, sandwiches sound like the logical outcome. In my case, I have not just one sandwich but two types of sandwiches to satisfy both ends of the crowd, the carnivore at one end and the plant-based at the other. 

Tonight I'm using grinding the leftover beef roast and blending with mayo, onion, carrot, and boiled egg for the beefy Vegetable-Meat Filling as a mash-up between the March 1944 edition of Health for Victory and the Meat, Carrot, and Egg Filling from the 1943 400 Tempting Salads and Sandwiches. I'm also using a bit each of cabbage, apple, carrot, celery, onion, green pepper, and mayo for the garden-fresh Vegetable and Apple Filling from the 1941/1949 500 Tasty Sandwiches. I'll use the vegetable sandwich filling as a side salad served on the lettuce leaves picked from the garden.

Both sandwich fillings call for grated carrot, and one calls for ground cooked meat. I'll use my food processor to shave some time off those two chores. 1940s housewives would have had a manual crank grinder, the kind that would clamp onto the counter and one would use to make sausage meat or other ground meat.

The Recipes

(remember I'm combining the two meat filling recipes)

Vegetable-Meat Filling from Health for Victory

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. grated onion
3/4 tsp. salt (see my notes below, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp would be better)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup ground cooked meat
1/2 cup raw ground carrot

Mix all ingredients together. Makes enough for 6 sandwiches.

NOTE: Ground meat may be leftover beef, veal, lamb, chicken, or ham.

Meat, Carrot, and Egg Filling from 400 Tempting Salads and Sandwiches

Combine ground left-over meat with grated raw carrot, chopped hard-cooked egg, and seasonings to taste; moisten with mayonnaise.

Vegetable and Apple Sandwich Filling (or Small Salad) from 500 Tasty Sandwiches

1/4 cup chopped cabbage

3 tablespoons chopped apple

3 tablespoons chopped carrot

3 tablespoons chopped celery

1 tablespoon chopped onion

3 tablespoons chopped green pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

No instructions given in the cookbook. Combine all ingredients and use for a sandwich filling or small salad.

All of these recipes use very basic ingredients that would have been available for those keeping victory gardens in combination with a little produce, meat, and egg shopping. 

One roast often had to last the family an entire grocery week for fresh meat. First night might have been a roast, but sliced very thin. The second night the family might have had a hash, stretching the meat substantially with potatoes, The third night, sandwiches, either with very thin slices between bread or as in these recipes, ground and combined with other stretchers. And finally, the fourth night the housewife would make a penny-stretcher soup, simmering any bones and gristle for hours to extract flavor and nutrients, afterward adding any vegetables the victory garden produced and some barley, rice, or potatoes to add bulk. A family's animal protein ration might also have been supplemented with organ meats, some poultry, rabbit & game, and fish, which weren't rationed.

How It Turned Out

I suspected the meat filling would be too salty as the recipe was written, so I cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. It could have even been cut down to 1/4 teaspoon and tasted fine. I also cut the black pepper to 1/16 teaspoon, but in hindsight, we might have enjoyed the full amount of the pepper. When I mixed the mayonnaise into both the meat filling and the vegetable-apple filling, I didn't measure, but added mayo until I thought it was right. I think I used about 1/3 cup mayo in the meat filling (then used mayo on the slices of bread) and used about 3 tablespoons in the vegetable-apple filling.

I had 3/4 of an apple  (plus 3 more whole) remaining after making the Vegetable and Apple Filling. I used the 3/4 apple plus 1 more and made apple-raisin-cinnamon baked apple slices, adding a couple of capfuls of lemon juice and cinnamon-sugar for flavor. I covered with foil and baked at 360 for about 30 minutes. There were a few fresh lettuce leaves remaining. Those were nice on the Vegetable-Meat sandwiches.

The Verdict

It wasn't fancy, but it was very good. And it gave the remaining bit of beef roast a last run as some delicious sandwiches. The meat sandwiches were very meaty, and the shredded carrot was undetectable. The addition of some carrot in the filling not only boosted the nutrient profile, but also stretched the small amount of beef so we could get more servings from it. As it was, the recipe made a lot of filling, easily enough for 6 sandwiches.  And the vegetable-apple salad (recipe for a sandwich filling) was a huge hit. It was tasty, fresh, and flavorful. I've had requests to repeat that as a salad. My family and I enjoyed all of these foods.

Your Turn: What is your ultimate fall-back meal when the fridge is almost empty and grocery day is tomorrow? Is it a "brinner" night, an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup meal.,or stir fry all you've got for dinner? Let's swap ideas below.