Frugal and minimalist virtues are often held in high esteem. While I agree that it’s important to save and be less wasteful, I think it’s equally important to revel in life’s simple pleasures. Small indulgences, in moderation, aren’t bad. They make me happy and are a reminder that I don’t need the fancy Chanel quilted lambskin clutch or the house with the white picket fence. On what, you ask, do I indulge? These are a few of my favorite things:
Cheese
During the summer, I like to stop by the local cheese vendor at the farmer’s market and pick up a container of their cream cheeses. For the rest of the week, we’ll snack on bread smothered with the cream cheese paired with slow roasted tomatoes. For the remainder of the year, Daniel eats his Comté while I indulge in the rich creamy Délice de Bourgogne.
Cost: $15 / 250gr
Fresh Flowers
In Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire, he writes that a person’s love flowers is a reflection of their desire for beauty in their lives. Flowers make me happy and I need beautiful things around me. Flowers change the tone of a room and cheer up a living space. I’m not talking big fancy arrangements, but a small bunch of tulips from the farmer’s market or even carnations from the grocery store.
Cost: up to $10 for a small bouquet of flowers
Chocolate Truffles
Every couple of months, I buy myself a small box of truffles from Soma’s, a local chocolatier. I then proceed to have a piece for dessert every following evening. It’s hits the spot and satisfies the sweet tooth- all for less calories than a piece of cake.
Cost: $2.50/truffle. I usually purchase a 10 piece box and I do share with Daniel. Sometimes.
Cup of Tea
There’s nothing better on a cold rainy autumn evening than a good cup of hot tea (except maybe tea and truffles). For those nights, you’d find my husband and I curled up on the couch blogging away while sipping on my choice of tea: Harney and Sons’ Paris blend. It smooth and rich and evokes the romance of the city’s namesake. For a choice more close to home, we default to the Tealish Coconut Blossom.
Cost: H&S Paris $10 / 20 sachets; Tealish Coconut Blossom $6.50 / 50g
Magazines
While there’s no shortage digital content available through blogs and social media, there’s still something to be said for the good ol’ smell of a stack of paper bound together. I have a hard time curling up to the Kindle and enjoy saturday mornings eating breakfast as a family, sipping my coffee and reading a my favorite magazines.
Cost: Subscription cost varies per your favorite magazine
Living frugally and being responsible can be boring. Whenever I feel the urge to blow it all away, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel the need to spend. Little indulgences make me happy and are a constant reminder of how simple things can make all the difference.
What are a few of your favorite things?
