Frugal Indulgences -- A Survey

As I filled my bathtub with hot water, laced with scented bath oil, I reflected on what a luxury this is. Not too long ago, a luxuriating hot bath was something  not available to many people. Before the age of indoor plumbing, baths were for Saturday night, were taken in a small portable metal tub, most often in the kitchen. Heating enough water for one of these baths was done over a stove, one kettle at a time. A bath of more than an inch or two of hot water just wasn't feasible.

Fast forward to today and all I need is a bathtub, water that's been pre-heated in the water heater, time and privacy. I make my baths extra indulgent by adding essential oil fragrances, oils, baking soda, ground oatmeal, flower and herb bath tea, dim lights, and music. I can do all of this with what I have in my house.

Here's another favorite frugal indulgence of mine. I make myself a special cup of cocoa, using whatever milk I'm currently drinking, baking cocoa, sugar/sweetening, vanilla extract, and mini-marshmallows. I make this in the microwave, just one cup at a time. I try to make the cocoa special in some way, with vanilla or almond extract, marshmallows, whipped topping, extra cocoa powder, candy canes, whatever I can dream up, using what I have in the kitchen.

Thinking about this prompted me to wonder just how many ways there are to indulge ourselves, frugally. And I thought this would make a good topic for another survey. I'll leave the survey open for a few days, then compile all of the results into one post. I plan on using your ideas as my go-to list of how to provide that needed pampering during stressful times, with little or no extra expense. I've also opened a spot for $5 and $10 indulgences, which I thought might not only be nice for ourselves, when we can afford it, but also perhaps some nice ideas to treat someone else, for an occasion or when they seem to need a little indulging.

Anyway, share your thoughts and ideas! It's completely anonymous! I'll leave this up for a couple of days in case you have more thoughts to add. You can fill this out multiple times.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for Mid-May

Friday

• pork fried rice, using leftover pork roast, carrots, cabbage, asparagus and onions, plus brown rice
• scratch vanilla pudding

Saturday (husband cooks)

• black bean tacos, using kale in place of lettuce, and canned tomatoes in place of fresh
• carrot sticks

Sunday (husband cooks)

• tomato-vegetable soup
• homemade breadsticks
• leftover Boston Cream Pie (daughter made this early in the day to have at lunch)

Monday

• leftover soup
• leftover breadsticks
• leftover vanilla pudding

Tuesday

• leftover soup
• grilled cheese sandwiches
• leftover cake

Wednesday

• whole wheat penne with bolognese (a fancy name for basically spaghetti, right?)
• broccoli
• (I had my bolognese over the last of the asparagus, then had a potato on the side)

Thursday

• homemade pizza (brown rice, topped with pizza sauce for me)
• cole slaw

I'm cooking a separate dinner for myself each evening. I am temporarily "off" gluten and dairy. (The bloating and pain went away overnight; sadly, the abdominal fat did not.) So, while I make these meals for the rest of the fam, I microwave myself a potato, scramble an egg, fry some turkey bacon, slather apple wedges with peanut butter, top chopped celery with egg salad, and heat veggies. It's all working out well for me, in some ways better than usual as I can eat only when I'm hungry and not feel I need to eat as much as I serve everyone else. It's also a good excuse to eat bacon. ;-) All of the weeknight dinners have been simple ones, which makes everything super easy for me.

How about you? Anything interesting on your menu this past week? Any outdoor plans for this weekend? Is the weather expected to be nice where you live, this next week? I am volunteering in my once-per-month job with a charity luncheon, tomorrow, and hopefully seeing my daughter in a performance in the evening. It should be a busy day for me.

Have a great weekend!