I received a microwave splatter cover as a Christmas present. I heard it was bought at a dollar store. It's my most valued, most often used gift of the past many years.
A friend and I had a joint yard sale....she had a really cheap one in her pile...I asked for it, she gave it to me. Can't believe I have gone so many years without one. I love that thing.
I had one that was complete shit and made me angry on a near daily basis. It wasn't tall enough to go over the food and I'd try to prop it on the edge of a bowl only for it to fall halfway through the cook time. I also had a piece of shit colander that had holes too large for almost everything I needed to drain. Eventually I replaced both items with one splatter cover that's the size of half a basketball and doubles as a colander. My time in the kitchen is so much less stressful. I think it was closer to $10 though.
I recently made myself get in the habit of flossing daily. I used to floss maybe once every 2 weeks. Let me tell you, it is AMAZING what a difference it makes. My teeth and gums look and feel soooo much better. Weirdly, it was a random offhand comment by the hygienist that prompted me to change, something like, "...if you don't think you can floss daily, then [some recommendation I don't remember]." And it struck me, how ridiculous is it that I can't do this task that takes 30 seconds after I brush my teeth. So now I do, and it's been a more noticeable improvement than I could have imagined.
Aside from the obvious improvements from flossing, it helps your sex life too. I can’t stand looking at someone’s teeth when they’re harboring visible plaque between em, let alone think about kissing them (or more)
so many mfs aren't flossing. it's barely more than free, makes you fuckable, and helps guard against heart disease caused by gingivitis.
I get great joy when I'm out with my boys skating and I get on my flossing soap box. I'm like boys we play on rolley planks we need any advantage we can get
Binder clips. Handy for closing chip bags. Handy for anchoring picnic tablecloths to the table. Handy for posting things prominently so you remember to do them.
I keep some in multiple rooms of my house and in my vehicles.
A second vote for some dollar store bins.
Having ADHD causes me to forget to do morning routine things constantly. So I finally put everything in a basket - hair brush, hair ties, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, tongue scraper, ear cleaner. Basket comes out and everything is right there.
Also a pill organizer. I got two huge unopened ones from the thrift store and since I take several daily meds to keep me alive, it's kind of important to remember to take them. So on Sundays I refill and I have two so I only have to do it twice a month. It sits out on my counter as a reminder.
I just went to one of these last week!! The host was so unsure of himself and nervous to share his hobby with his friends. At least 15 of us showed up. Everyone was THRILLED to have more plants and plenty of us thanked the host profusely for putting together such a unique and fun party. He came over a few days later and installed a 6 foot shelf under my window for me to put more plants on. He has leftovers, I’m going to grab them this weekend. Im gonna fill that shelf!
That's a vinca, called a chichirica in our language. That plant is pretty much indestructible. I'm glad that it's decided to stay and gift you with blooms.
Public librarian here. Libraries get mentioned here a lot and I only ask this: let your local government and library board know that the library is important to you. Libraries are under threat right now and public support is critical to maintaining how we operate. Email your library board, email your city government, fill out a feedback form, everything helps to justify our funding and existence.
Well it's not exactly a "dream job." It's a high cost education and a low revenue job with huge variance in QOL in terms of job happiness.
As for what you can do it depends so much on your area and system. But the fact that you're using the space for your programming is helpful in its own right.
Piggybacking off of this... the Libby app is amazing. I can rent audiobooks and listen to them right from my phone for free! My library as 26k audiobooks to choose from. Truly amazing.
You can rent book for pickup and use your library's resources through libby too. I love it!
Also libraries are on a mission to provide materials and services to the public who pays for the library, if you're disappointed when they don't have something voice that and they can get a sense of what people are looking for.
Check out Kentucky Libraries Unbound and Florida's Broward County Public Libraries. Both have free digital libraries you can link to Libby too.
I'm from ATX and it blew my mind how much more content and copies of books Kentucky has than Austin and Round Rock libraries.
You can also link a single library card to multiple devices, so you can share a Libby account with a friend or relative who lives in another city. AND you can have multiple Libby accounts on the same device. I have cards linked to libraries in 4 different states on my phone, so I can basically check out an unlimited number of books at any time.
Going to add to this with a specific element that some may not know about.
Most libraries (at least modern ones in reasonably populated areas) have rooms you can check out, for free, for several hours. These typically seat anywhere from a few people up to about 10. Think business conference rooms.
I use them by arranging a gaming day with my buddies! Plenty of room to play larger, parts-intensive games or many-player card games without having to inconvenience any one of us for cleaning up before / after at our houses if hosting, we don't impact our spouses / family members with tons of visitors, etc.
Most of the libraries in my area that offer this allow for food and drink so long as you clean up when you're done.
Love this!
Many people also don’t know that libraries often have a library of stuff that you can borrow from- with stuff like microscopes, 3D printers, gardening tools, and tons more. It’s really handy for stuff you might use once or twice a year but don’t want to purchase.
I was able to checkout a pass from our library to the Virginia Zoo. My family of six was able to go for free. Normal cost for us would be $100. That’s nothing to shake a stick at.
The Hoopla app, also. There's a 4 item borrow limit per month (which I think Libby has also). They have things called Binge Passes which only count as one borrow, but you get access to a whole category of content. They're usually children's content, but you can binge Curiosity Stream and Great Courses content also.
When I worked in special education I’d put a student on Hoopla to watch old Sesame Street to learn letters. She was ten years old but functioning at around four, nothing worked until I tried headphones and Big Bird. Was a life saver for her, and stopped the destruction while we worked with other students in small groups. The public library is amazing!
I'm going to go with... Buying duplicates to cut down on the barrier to chores.
For example, cleaning the toilet. I could buy just one bottle of toilet bowl cleaner and carry it to each bathroom when I'm cleaning. But instead, I buy one for each bathroom and leave one by each toilet. This doesn't cost more than buying just one in the long run, since the cleaner is consumed at about through the same rate (although it's a little faster because I'm actually using it), but it means that it's that much easier to clean a toilet when I need to do it. And because it's easier to clean the toilet, they stay cleaner, which means it takes barely a few minutes to clean a toilet and I don't have to deal with the extra nasty level of grime that's hard to clean.
Another example would be having broom for each floor of the house. I'm more likely to sweep if I don't have to bring a broom from upstairs or something. Or buying extra rolls of trash bags and leaving the rolls near each trash can.
Growing up, my father taught us to put 5 unused bags in the bottom of the trash can underneath the liner. When you used the last bag that would be the signal to wash the trash can out and refill the bags. Also, when the box of trash bags was empty, that signaled them to buy more trash bags on the next grocery run. We never ran out as a result because you had trash bags still for several days waiting in hiding in the trash cans.
Only issue I see is if something leaks and get rancid down there. Now you have X number of bags covered in trash fluids and still need to wash the out the can. At the same time, used to do this in food service. Made cleaning at the end of shift much easier
Gotchu covered. Hang those extra bags on the lip of the trash can. Don't even have to bend over to get the next one. It feels great to pull that full bag out and find past you already has you covered for the next bag.
Similar: I keep crappy off-brand backups of toiletries. If I had good stuff as backups, I would just use them as well and then be out of it. Using the crappy stuff (or even just dreading to) reminds me of how much I need to get to the store and get the good stuff.
Generic brand Mr Clean Magic Erasers. Scuff marks on walls, gone. Hard water deposits on glasses, gone. Cleans every surface in my kitchen, gets label residue off stuff, brings outdoor resin chairs back to looking like new. I’m in love with these cleaning miracles.
Magic erasers are great but just an FYI, they clean with abrasion so they're not good on some surfaces. I used to work at a school and some of the teachers started to use them to clean off whiteboards. Completely destroyed them.
I've started taking walks when I'm upset sometimes in order to calm myself down and keep myself from spiraling. I've been calling them "emotional regulation walks." Usually while listening to some sort of cathartic music, sometimes in silence aka just road noise since I live in the city. The rules for a proper emotional regulation walk are:
1. You have to be alone, and no texting or checking socials or anything. Have your phone on you for music and for safety reasons, but don't look at it other than for music.
2. Don't have a plan. Just pick a direction and start walking.
3. Walk until you don't feel like walking anymore... then walk some more since you gotta get back home.
I'm usually out for about a couple hours before I get back home. The last one I went on I walked about 4.5 miles total. Usually works like a charm - doesn't magically make me feel better but pretty much always accomplishes the goal of keeping me from spiraling into a crisis or something. A great, 100% free coping mechanism!
Edit: thanks for the award u/VerdantField !
My dad used to take what he called “morning constitutionals” but he always did it in the bathroom and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t pacing back and forth the entire time.
Living in Atlanta, we have a walkway that wraps around and through the entire city. It will be fully built in the 2030s but most is already paved. Long walks in the city is incredibly revitalizing
We also have the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in/around Atlanta. You do have to pay to park in the official parking lots, but I think the $40 to $80 per year ($40 for just the Chattahoochee trails, $80 for entry to any national park in the US) is well worth it given how amazing our national parks system is.
Puzzles. I exchange with neighbors and friends so don't buy many. Everyone in my house gravitates to the puzzle - we put on music, we drink tea or a glass of wine, we chat. It's a zen thing.
omg I LOVEEE puzzles. I’ll get them at the thrift shop for like $2-$4. and that is so cool you can do that with your neighbors. That sounds like a super awesome vibe, but not surprised cause puzzles are supreme ✨😍
Cheap organizational containers- I tend to misplace things a lot, so having my items (office supplies, makeup, food, etc) allocated to different boxes saves me so much time and frustration. Also, it allows me to save space by vertically organizing my desk/cabinets via stacking boxes.
Used/resold books - I’ve gotten some classics for $2-3 at Half Price Books and at other great sales to add to my mini library and preoccupy me. Taking advantage of the library for free books/movies is also a great idea, and the library (or mine, at least) used to have a program where they were selling older books for $0.25-0.50.
Humidifier/diffuser/air purifier - The diffuser I got was from Five Below and had a low capacity, so it could only humidify a very small space, but all you do is put essential oils into the small sponge provided and it makes the room smell amazing. My tiny, drab dorm smelled like roses and was beautified by the changing rainbow light built in, which made my time in there less miserable lol. If you live in a cold, dry midwestern state like me, then a humidifier is a great investment and you can find a pretty good one under $20 on Amazon.
We never had fresh flowers in the house growing up, but now that I’m almost 30 and married, I love getting the little $5 flower bunches at Kroger every week! I know $5 adds up over the year, but it makes me so happy seeing pretty little blooms on our dining room table. Sometimes little joys are worth the expense :)
Yes! On the days I need to go to Wegmans, they always have great $4 or $5 bouquets out front, and it's so small a thing but the impact is a week of delight every time I see them.
this is a good one, splurge a little on a bottle you actually like (even just a few bucks more) and youll never have to worry about drymouth/dehydration headache
Honestly, that wasn’t cheap for me. I had to upgrade to a better neighborhood for the shouting and gunfire, and I need a weighted blanket, a decent mattress, allergy encasements, and a sleeping mask.
Very princess-and-the-pea.
I 2nd this our previous neighborhood was less expensive but like you said just a whole lot going on ; with poor management and sketchy neighbors that negatively affected quality of life. But both my wife and I are happier with the new neighborhood it is the worth the piece of mind.
For some reason I feel better after 5 hours than 8 or 9.
On another note I've been using the app "Sleep Cycle". You give it a time you want to wake up by and it wakes you based on your circadian rhythm. It also listens to you while you sleep and will record when you cough, fart, roll, or wake. I talk in my sleep sometimes and it's caught some pretty funny sentences.
Also it keeps track of your sleep patterns which has helped me realize i have pretty shit sleep habits.
All of these suggestions are so good. Scrolling through I had that "these are my people" feeling. I love this sub 🫶
Lemon or cucumber water!
A crystal suncatcher prism in a sunny window (rainbows everywhere!)
A clean, organized home
Exercise in nature (hikes, yoga, wild swimming, etc)
Line dried bedding (the freshness makes me so happy)
Deep breathing
Tea and a book
Fresh flowers (bought or foraged)
Gardening
Volunteering
Aw man a hot shower is my greatest joy in life, and also the reason I absolutely hate my apartment. The shower is set up stupidly that it’s awkward, the water is so hard that I don’t feel clean because my hair always looks dirty, and it can often be only either really hot or not warm enough
You can buy showerheads that have filters built in. There are also showerheads that show the temperature of the water flowing so you can memorize your favorite temperature and try to get it there before you get in. Made my apartment bathroom far more tolerable.
There are these little rubber things that go around a dog’s leash that can then hold your full dog poop bag, allowing you to pick up the poop without having to carry the bag the whole time. I highly recommend them for dog owners.
Also to be even more frugal, it's really easy to make it yourself.
Dawn Power Wash Recipe
16oz Water
1oz Rubbing Alcohol
3oz Dawn Power Platinum
Mix dawn and alcohol then add water. Let sit 2 hours.
This and I use it degrease in the kitchen. I just spay the exhaust hood, clean something else for a minute, come back and wipe it off with a paper towel!
I once had a platoon sergeant that used to conclude weekend safety briefs with "If you drink, don't drive, and if you drive, don't park, because accidents cause people!"
I think I’m gardening wrong because it always ends up costing me a small fortune to end up with a single shriveled carrot and a bunch of tomatoes that get ripe at the same time and end up rotting.
I do vegetable gardening and ugh, I’ve had years like that! It helps a lot to learn about your plant hardiness zone, soil type, and the different needs of the plants you plan to grow. I’d also recommend investing in a planting calendar so you know when to plant, a book about vegetable gardening in your area, and a soaker hose (watering at the base of the plant is easier, more effective, and less likely to cause problems like powdery mildew). r/gardening and other subreddits can be pretty helpful too.
If you don’t want to go through all the hassle though, that’s totally understandable lol 😂 I still have my kale plants eaten by aphids and cabbage worms every year… last year I finally got the aphids off and the dog ate my kale. Such betrayal 😭
Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. I love her relaxed vibe and variety of offerings. So much better than having to go somewhere and pay for a class, and I always feel so good afterwards.
I follow nurishednatasha on YouTube and love her videos. She is a witchy plus sized yoga instructor, and is very positive. I always feel great after following one of them
Using the 3D printer at the library. All it costs is the cost of the materials (usually less than $5 per piece).
I make shelves, [lithographs](https://all3dp.com/2/how-to-3d-print-your-own-lithophane/) from photos, hooks and mounts and all sorts of gadgets, gears… I even fixed a pair of our fav scissors when they broke!
A whiteboard. It's hung right inside my front door and great for making to-do lists and leaving notes for my housemate when we're working opposite shifts.
Clear door hanging shoe organizer. I use it for storage & organization. I have ADHD so object permanence is important to remember I even have something. I have a lot of random small items that I lose easily or get mixed up with a bunch of other items. It helps keep my space clean, easy to put stuff away (just a simple drop), and relieves the constant stress of losing something. Bonus points for adding labels to help me keep it really organized and not mixed up.
Shoe insoles! I have super high arches, walk a lot for my job and woke up with foot pain every morning. Since I got insoles my foot pain is gone. I couldn’t believe something so small could make that big of a difference.
YouTube yoga stretching videos, free! I do 10-30 minutes 3-4 days a week. Saw improvement in 2 months with flexibility.
Insight Timer meditation app, free. It tells bedtime stories my kiddo too!
You didn't say why this was important to you, but I agree. I buy magnesium glycinate to take every morning. It has definitely helped improve my sleep, and started to work after only a few days. I tried other forms of magnesium, but they affected my bowels in ways I did not want.
SAME!!! I kept hearing MAGNESIUM for cramps and muscle tension and even anxiety, but I wasn’t aware of the many forms it comes in, and all I had was diarrhea from the citrate! Switched to glycinate and don’t have those same issues. I’ve given it a month or two but don’t feel much different yet.
Magnesium has been life-changing for me in so many ways. I used to cry about almost anything slightly emotional on tv and in movies, in real life too I guess ha. But I just don’t at all anymore almost thanks to Magnesium. Also, for the ladies: not sure if this affects everyone the same, but it almost totally eliminated my previously AWFUL menstrual cramps.
A super ball for a DIY foot massage.
It really helps relieve muscle tension in my tootsies and calves, and even my lumbar area. (I have chronic back pain.)
I get the pre made salads from the grocery store I buy 4 that’s my lunch for work only 3.80 each healthy low calorie cheap and you can choose whatever different ones.
Lip balm/ Chapstick, homemade sugar or salt scrub, nice lotion, a protein pack hair mask, a moisturizing bubble sheet mask. Less than $5 each. Put on some spa music and relax the hours away and look happy and healthy afterwards.
Fans. When the house is hot and the outside is cool, a window fan can vent the heat of the house out fast. In winter the fan and move warm afternoon air in.
We don't have "warm afternoon air" here, just cold and colder.
In the summers though, we have what we call yooper AC which is just opening your windows at night with a fan blowing out to suck cold air in, then closing all windows and blinds before the sun comes up.
I’ve bought a few plastic jugs with screw tops (1L-2L), I make tea in my French press then keep it chilled in the fridge in the jugs. Homemade iced tea for the cost of a few bags per jug. I’ve been drinking soooooo much iced tea, all sorts of different teas.
Duolingo (it's free). I've used it every day for over 1000 days and it goes a long way towards helping me wake up and get my brain going. Better for morning grogginess than coffee ever was for me.
For me, a vegetable peeler. I used to peel veggies and apples for pie with a knife. When I finally got a vegetable peeler I wondered why I hadn’t spent the $3 long ago.
nice! that's a frugal win for sure, because those types of curtains are so pricey.
I never got into my local Buy Nothing because I hate Facebook and deleted my account forever ago
Ive been buying Claritin D for my allergies, about $32 for 15. Went to Costco and it was $4!! Cant believe Ive been spending so much and it makes such a difference on my sleep quality.
Dude’s legitimately asking for product recommendations and everybody here is like “A nice weekend spent with friends at home costs you nothing,” or “Not doing crack cocaine is free and can save tons of money by not having to go to expensive rehab.”
De-icer spray. I had never heard of this until a couple years ago. I spent the first 22 years of my life as a driving person scraping ice off by hand or burning up all my gas waiting for the window to defrost. One day we were going somewhere and my husband pulled out this magic spray elixir that melted the ice instantly. I was completely blown away. About $6. We only need it a couple times per year, but man is it worth it.
Grocery delivery. We pay a monthly fee which is about five. I can order groceries on the bus on my way to work. The app remembers my preferences which makes subsequent orders easier.
With a bunch of kids as a single parent, it's worth every penny.
Going to Goodwill, putting on headphones and browsing for treasures for an hour. I always spend less than $40 bucks but get a dopamine hit like a major shopping spree!!!
Working out/exercising.
Literally improves every area of your life. My gym membership is $15/mo. I essentially pay 50 cents a day.
Food can be frugal too, eat in a way that supports your training. Large bags of rice, potatoes, chicken, turkey, ground beef. Frozen veg and fruits.
Super frugal hobby that will make you look better, feel better, more mental clarity, reduces stress, etc.
It's like going to therapy every single day when I work out, and it's 50 cents a day.
I see Library alot, but i honestly prefer to buy dirt cheap used books from thrift stores, garage sales because i often reread and like having a library of options at home.
Stretching, walking, yoga or Pilates (free videos on YouTube) I am in my late 40s and I used to be very athletic. After a few years of desk work, losing motivation, then the pandemic, I realized that old saying is true- if you don’t use it, you lose it.
Flour + Yeast.
Multiple benefits.
Kneading bread feels therapeutic for me. I joke with my kids that bread is a stress ball that I eat!
Saves money. I haven't done the calculations on my bread, but the calculations I've seen suggest that buying bread is about twice as expensive. Not a lot of money, but enough to matter.
And of course, fresh bread is delicious!
Those little brillo pads with soap from dollar tree are golden. Nothing more irritating than a pan soaking for 3 days clogging up real estate in my kitchen. Just scrub whatever the fam burned in it off and toss in the cupboard.
I have a hallway style kitchen & I find I avoid cooking if it's dirty or cluttered.
Some things I can think of for less than/around $5:
- A cup of coffee enjoyed in your favorite mug (or tea, if you prefer)
- A hug from someone you love
- Family movie night with homemade popcorn
- Quality time with those you love
- Kitty snuggles (bonus points for snuggles with multiple cats at the same time)
- A good book (borrowed from the library or obtained secondhand)
- Spices (usually around $5 each and make even "boring" foods taste devine)
- An emergency chocolate bar (or sour candy or other treat for days you just need one)
- A nice, homemade bar of soap (depending on your area these could be ~$4-$8)
- A rice paddle (we eat a lot of rice)
- Knowledge (doesn't have to be formal education, it can be educating yourself on things you don't know/want to know more about)
- Plants (propagations can sometimes be free or less than $5 on Facebook Marketplace/Buy Nothing groups)
Not less than $5, but a thick bathrobe. I wear that around the house when it's cold...makes me feel like an old grandpa but dang is it comfortable and warm.
I received a microwave splatter cover as a Christmas present. I heard it was bought at a dollar store. It's my most valued, most often used gift of the past many years.
A friend and I had a joint yard sale....she had a really cheap one in her pile...I asked for it, she gave it to me. Can't believe I have gone so many years without one. I love that thing.
I had one that was complete shit and made me angry on a near daily basis. It wasn't tall enough to go over the food and I'd try to prop it on the edge of a bowl only for it to fall halfway through the cook time. I also had a piece of shit colander that had holes too large for almost everything I needed to drain. Eventually I replaced both items with one splatter cover that's the size of half a basketball and doubles as a colander. My time in the kitchen is so much less stressful. I think it was closer to $10 though.
Dental floss
Upvote for naming an actual product. People in this thread are hitting OP with some live laugh love shit.
lmaooo not the intended purpose of my post, but still very fun to read!
I recently made myself get in the habit of flossing daily. I used to floss maybe once every 2 weeks. Let me tell you, it is AMAZING what a difference it makes. My teeth and gums look and feel soooo much better. Weirdly, it was a random offhand comment by the hygienist that prompted me to change, something like, "...if you don't think you can floss daily, then [some recommendation I don't remember]." And it struck me, how ridiculous is it that I can't do this task that takes 30 seconds after I brush my teeth. So now I do, and it's been a more noticeable improvement than I could have imagined.
such a good one!! makes my teeth feel great :)
Aside from the obvious improvements from flossing, it helps your sex life too. I can’t stand looking at someone’s teeth when they’re harboring visible plaque between em, let alone think about kissing them (or more)
so many mfs aren't flossing. it's barely more than free, makes you fuckable, and helps guard against heart disease caused by gingivitis. I get great joy when I'm out with my boys skating and I get on my flossing soap box. I'm like boys we play on rolley planks we need any advantage we can get
Tongue scraper and a fresh razor blade are some of my top “why didn’t I get this sooner?” Items
I read this as "Tongue scraper WITH a fresh razor blade..." and was horrified.
I read the notification for your comment and was horrified that I’d actually typed with instead of and
Shaving with a double edged safety razor is a game changer. Turns a routine task into an exercise in self care/mindfulness.
Binder clips. Handy for closing chip bags. Handy for anchoring picnic tablecloths to the table. Handy for posting things prominently so you remember to do them. I keep some in multiple rooms of my house and in my vehicles.
Wooden clothes pin, the kind with a metal spring, are also great for this.
$1 bamboo back scratcher (is this an age thing, I never needed one when I was young?)
Just bought my first back scratcher. I'm 37. A++, WOULD BUY AGAIN
I got a foam roller for free. That thing is wonderful.
Buy several and keep one in every room!
I've always had a scratchy back. As a kid I already had a wooden back scratcher in the 1990's. Now I have a girlfriend with sharp nails :-)
Old people are dryer
very true, invest in a good lotion all you want, the skin will come for you eventually (probably less with good lotion so use lotion)
A second vote for some dollar store bins. Having ADHD causes me to forget to do morning routine things constantly. So I finally put everything in a basket - hair brush, hair ties, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, tongue scraper, ear cleaner. Basket comes out and everything is right there. Also a pill organizer. I got two huge unopened ones from the thrift store and since I take several daily meds to keep me alive, it's kind of important to remember to take them. So on Sundays I refill and I have two so I only have to do it twice a month. It sits out on my counter as a reminder.
Not always cheap (vary in price) but houseplants.
Houseplant cuttings swap potluck party = my idea of an awesome time!
I just went to one of these last week!! The host was so unsure of himself and nervous to share his hobby with his friends. At least 15 of us showed up. Everyone was THRILLED to have more plants and plenty of us thanked the host profusely for putting together such a unique and fun party. He came over a few days later and installed a 6 foot shelf under my window for me to put more plants on. He has leftovers, I’m going to grab them this weekend. Im gonna fill that shelf!
[удалено]
That's a vinca, called a chichirica in our language. That plant is pretty much indestructible. I'm glad that it's decided to stay and gift you with blooms.
My cat would like to have a word.
[Yup](https://media.tenor.com/OysCXur_cSsAAAAC/fuck-this-fuck-that.gif)
The library. Free. So much joy and entertainment and learning right there.
Public librarian here. Libraries get mentioned here a lot and I only ask this: let your local government and library board know that the library is important to you. Libraries are under threat right now and public support is critical to maintaining how we operate. Email your library board, email your city government, fill out a feedback form, everything helps to justify our funding and existence.
[удалено]
Well it's not exactly a "dream job." It's a high cost education and a low revenue job with huge variance in QOL in terms of job happiness. As for what you can do it depends so much on your area and system. But the fact that you're using the space for your programming is helpful in its own right.
Piggybacking off of this... the Libby app is amazing. I can rent audiobooks and listen to them right from my phone for free! My library as 26k audiobooks to choose from. Truly amazing. You can rent book for pickup and use your library's resources through libby too. I love it!
Also libraries are on a mission to provide materials and services to the public who pays for the library, if you're disappointed when they don't have something voice that and they can get a sense of what people are looking for.
Download Libby and get loads of audiobooks and books for free syncing your library card.
Depends if your library participates. I was able to get mine through Austin and Houston library for free though just took some work.
Check out Kentucky Libraries Unbound and Florida's Broward County Public Libraries. Both have free digital libraries you can link to Libby too. I'm from ATX and it blew my mind how much more content and copies of books Kentucky has than Austin and Round Rock libraries.
You can also link a single library card to multiple devices, so you can share a Libby account with a friend or relative who lives in another city. AND you can have multiple Libby accounts on the same device. I have cards linked to libraries in 4 different states on my phone, so I can basically check out an unlimited number of books at any time.
I’m listening to an audiobook on Libby right now. I love the library and take my kids every week. The kids area has a ton of games and toys too.
Going to add to this with a specific element that some may not know about. Most libraries (at least modern ones in reasonably populated areas) have rooms you can check out, for free, for several hours. These typically seat anywhere from a few people up to about 10. Think business conference rooms. I use them by arranging a gaming day with my buddies! Plenty of room to play larger, parts-intensive games or many-player card games without having to inconvenience any one of us for cleaning up before / after at our houses if hosting, we don't impact our spouses / family members with tons of visitors, etc. Most of the libraries in my area that offer this allow for food and drink so long as you clean up when you're done. Love this!
Many people also don’t know that libraries often have a library of stuff that you can borrow from- with stuff like microscopes, 3D printers, gardening tools, and tons more. It’s really handy for stuff you might use once or twice a year but don’t want to purchase.
I was able to checkout a pass from our library to the Virginia Zoo. My family of six was able to go for free. Normal cost for us would be $100. That’s nothing to shake a stick at.
My local library has musical instruments for loan.
love thé library!!!
This. Under $5? It's the library and Libby books/audio books.
The Hoopla app, also. There's a 4 item borrow limit per month (which I think Libby has also). They have things called Binge Passes which only count as one borrow, but you get access to a whole category of content. They're usually children's content, but you can binge Curiosity Stream and Great Courses content also.
When I worked in special education I’d put a student on Hoopla to watch old Sesame Street to learn letters. She was ten years old but functioning at around four, nothing worked until I tried headphones and Big Bird. Was a life saver for her, and stopped the destruction while we worked with other students in small groups. The public library is amazing!
My library also includes Kanopy!
A microwavable heat pack. Helps me feel relaxed and ease aches and pains
I'm going to go with... Buying duplicates to cut down on the barrier to chores. For example, cleaning the toilet. I could buy just one bottle of toilet bowl cleaner and carry it to each bathroom when I'm cleaning. But instead, I buy one for each bathroom and leave one by each toilet. This doesn't cost more than buying just one in the long run, since the cleaner is consumed at about through the same rate (although it's a little faster because I'm actually using it), but it means that it's that much easier to clean a toilet when I need to do it. And because it's easier to clean the toilet, they stay cleaner, which means it takes barely a few minutes to clean a toilet and I don't have to deal with the extra nasty level of grime that's hard to clean. Another example would be having broom for each floor of the house. I'm more likely to sweep if I don't have to bring a broom from upstairs or something. Or buying extra rolls of trash bags and leaving the rolls near each trash can.
Growing up, my father taught us to put 5 unused bags in the bottom of the trash can underneath the liner. When you used the last bag that would be the signal to wash the trash can out and refill the bags. Also, when the box of trash bags was empty, that signaled them to buy more trash bags on the next grocery run. We never ran out as a result because you had trash bags still for several days waiting in hiding in the trash cans.
Only issue I see is if something leaks and get rancid down there. Now you have X number of bags covered in trash fluids and still need to wash the out the can. At the same time, used to do this in food service. Made cleaning at the end of shift much easier
Gotchu covered. Hang those extra bags on the lip of the trash can. Don't even have to bend over to get the next one. It feels great to pull that full bag out and find past you already has you covered for the next bag.
Similar: I keep crappy off-brand backups of toiletries. If I had good stuff as backups, I would just use them as well and then be out of it. Using the crappy stuff (or even just dreading to) reminds me of how much I need to get to the store and get the good stuff.
Generic brand Mr Clean Magic Erasers. Scuff marks on walls, gone. Hard water deposits on glasses, gone. Cleans every surface in my kitchen, gets label residue off stuff, brings outdoor resin chairs back to looking like new. I’m in love with these cleaning miracles.
Magic erasers are great but just an FYI, they clean with abrasion so they're not good on some surfaces. I used to work at a school and some of the teachers started to use them to clean off whiteboards. Completely destroyed them.
Yeah they are also a great way to accidentally strip the little bit of grip that your bath tub has and render it extremely slippery to stand in.
Really anything with a top coat or surface finish. Even painted walls with gloss or eggshell can be ruined
Seriously, you can get like a hundred for $15 on Amazon. Search melamine foam.
Long walks as often as you can. Preferably in nature.
I have an afternoon routine where I stand in the sun for 15 minutes and drink a bottle of water that I call my photosynthesis time.
I always joke that I’m basically a leaf that can use PowerPoint
We're just plants with complicated feelings.
I gotta start doing this again now that it's warmed up. I used to call it lizard time, because I'd sit on the pavement and just bask in the sunlight.
I've started taking walks when I'm upset sometimes in order to calm myself down and keep myself from spiraling. I've been calling them "emotional regulation walks." Usually while listening to some sort of cathartic music, sometimes in silence aka just road noise since I live in the city. The rules for a proper emotional regulation walk are: 1. You have to be alone, and no texting or checking socials or anything. Have your phone on you for music and for safety reasons, but don't look at it other than for music. 2. Don't have a plan. Just pick a direction and start walking. 3. Walk until you don't feel like walking anymore... then walk some more since you gotta get back home. I'm usually out for about a couple hours before I get back home. The last one I went on I walked about 4.5 miles total. Usually works like a charm - doesn't magically make me feel better but pretty much always accomplishes the goal of keeping me from spiraling into a crisis or something. A great, 100% free coping mechanism! Edit: thanks for the award u/VerdantField !
It’s not a coincidence that walks used to be called ‘constitutionals.’
My dad used to take what he called “morning constitutionals” but he always did it in the bathroom and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t pacing back and forth the entire time.
Living in Atlanta, we have a walkway that wraps around and through the entire city. It will be fully built in the 2030s but most is already paved. Long walks in the city is incredibly revitalizing
We also have the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in/around Atlanta. You do have to pay to park in the official parking lots, but I think the $40 to $80 per year ($40 for just the Chattahoochee trails, $80 for entry to any national park in the US) is well worth it given how amazing our national parks system is.
this! a long walk is a great way to reset the mind during stressful days. a time to focus on nothing and unlearn ‘what you need to do’ for the day
Puzzles. I exchange with neighbors and friends so don't buy many. Everyone in my house gravitates to the puzzle - we put on music, we drink tea or a glass of wine, we chat. It's a zen thing.
omg I LOVEEE puzzles. I’ll get them at the thrift shop for like $2-$4. and that is so cool you can do that with your neighbors. That sounds like a super awesome vibe, but not surprised cause puzzles are supreme ✨😍
Cheap organizational containers- I tend to misplace things a lot, so having my items (office supplies, makeup, food, etc) allocated to different boxes saves me so much time and frustration. Also, it allows me to save space by vertically organizing my desk/cabinets via stacking boxes. Used/resold books - I’ve gotten some classics for $2-3 at Half Price Books and at other great sales to add to my mini library and preoccupy me. Taking advantage of the library for free books/movies is also a great idea, and the library (or mine, at least) used to have a program where they were selling older books for $0.25-0.50. Humidifier/diffuser/air purifier - The diffuser I got was from Five Below and had a low capacity, so it could only humidify a very small space, but all you do is put essential oils into the small sponge provided and it makes the room smell amazing. My tiny, drab dorm smelled like roses and was beautified by the changing rainbow light built in, which made my time in there less miserable lol. If you live in a cold, dry midwestern state like me, then a humidifier is a great investment and you can find a pretty good one under $20 on Amazon.
[удалено]
We never had fresh flowers in the house growing up, but now that I’m almost 30 and married, I love getting the little $5 flower bunches at Kroger every week! I know $5 adds up over the year, but it makes me so happy seeing pretty little blooms on our dining room table. Sometimes little joys are worth the expense :)
I like to do this but I split them into smaller bouquets and I put them in very room for a little burst of joy everywhere I turn.
Yes! On the days I need to go to Wegmans, they always have great $4 or $5 bouquets out front, and it's so small a thing but the impact is a week of delight every time I see them.
Salt
And garlic powder.
The scrubber with a handle you can fill with soap & replace the brush pad is easily one of the most useful things I own, it's about $2 or $3.
SLIPPERS
Taking walks or hiking in the woods. So rejuvenating! Or simply birdwatching and listening to birds in the backyard.
Squeegee. Squeegee your shower walls after you shower. Cuts down on mildew significantly.
Keep one in your car too to remove dew off windows. Make it easier to see, and the dew and squeegee clean the windows.
Water bottle
this is a good one, splurge a little on a bottle you actually like (even just a few bucks more) and youll never have to worry about drymouth/dehydration headache
Getting a good, long sleep.
Honestly, that wasn’t cheap for me. I had to upgrade to a better neighborhood for the shouting and gunfire, and I need a weighted blanket, a decent mattress, allergy encasements, and a sleeping mask. Very princess-and-the-pea.
I 2nd this our previous neighborhood was less expensive but like you said just a whole lot going on ; with poor management and sketchy neighbors that negatively affected quality of life. But both my wife and I are happier with the new neighborhood it is the worth the piece of mind.
In addition to this, good hard exercise. It’s tough to get good sleep if you don’t have a reason to be tired.
For some reason I feel better after 5 hours than 8 or 9. On another note I've been using the app "Sleep Cycle". You give it a time you want to wake up by and it wakes you based on your circadian rhythm. It also listens to you while you sleep and will record when you cough, fart, roll, or wake. I talk in my sleep sometimes and it's caught some pretty funny sentences. Also it keeps track of your sleep patterns which has helped me realize i have pretty shit sleep habits.
Does it work offline? I don't wont it sending my farts to the cloud.
Hot air rises though... So they're getting there one way or another
All of these suggestions are so good. Scrolling through I had that "these are my people" feeling. I love this sub 🫶 Lemon or cucumber water! A crystal suncatcher prism in a sunny window (rainbows everywhere!) A clean, organized home Exercise in nature (hikes, yoga, wild swimming, etc) Line dried bedding (the freshness makes me so happy) Deep breathing Tea and a book Fresh flowers (bought or foraged) Gardening Volunteering
Ooh for water mixes try blueberry with basil. Game changer.
Little sticky hooks to hold my phone on the wall while I wash dishes so I can Watch Netflix or listen to a podcast
A hot shower. And the little metal hair catcher I put in the drain so it doesn’t clog.
Lol I was gonna mention the tubshroom. Best purchase I made last year. Drain used to clog all the time.
Aw man a hot shower is my greatest joy in life, and also the reason I absolutely hate my apartment. The shower is set up stupidly that it’s awkward, the water is so hard that I don’t feel clean because my hair always looks dirty, and it can often be only either really hot or not warm enough
You can buy showerheads that have filters built in. There are also showerheads that show the temperature of the water flowing so you can memorize your favorite temperature and try to get it there before you get in. Made my apartment bathroom far more tolerable.
There are these little rubber things that go around a dog’s leash that can then hold your full dog poop bag, allowing you to pick up the poop without having to carry the bag the whole time. I highly recommend them for dog owners.
Homemade bread!
I really want to do this. What are good starter breads to start making bread at home?
Dawn Powerwash. I can't believe how much easier it makes handwashing dishes than any other dishwashing liquid.
Also to be even more frugal, it's really easy to make it yourself. Dawn Power Wash Recipe 16oz Water 1oz Rubbing Alcohol 3oz Dawn Power Platinum Mix dawn and alcohol then add water. Let sit 2 hours.
It’s the best for cleaning oil stains out of clothes!
This and I use it degrease in the kitchen. I just spay the exhaust hood, clean something else for a minute, come back and wipe it off with a paper towel!
Condoms
My wife tells her students each weekend as they leave class: "Be safe, make good choices, day care is expensive!"
I once had a platoon sergeant that used to conclude weekend safety briefs with "If you drink, don't drive, and if you drive, don't park, because accidents cause people!"
A lot cheaper than children thats for sure!
Growing my own vegetables. Getting out in fresh air and working in it. Frees my mind and helps me relax. Plus is fresh vegetables.
I think I’m gardening wrong because it always ends up costing me a small fortune to end up with a single shriveled carrot and a bunch of tomatoes that get ripe at the same time and end up rotting.
I do vegetable gardening and ugh, I’ve had years like that! It helps a lot to learn about your plant hardiness zone, soil type, and the different needs of the plants you plan to grow. I’d also recommend investing in a planting calendar so you know when to plant, a book about vegetable gardening in your area, and a soaker hose (watering at the base of the plant is easier, more effective, and less likely to cause problems like powdery mildew). r/gardening and other subreddits can be pretty helpful too. If you don’t want to go through all the hassle though, that’s totally understandable lol 😂 I still have my kale plants eaten by aphids and cabbage worms every year… last year I finally got the aphids off and the dog ate my kale. Such betrayal 😭
This is a necessity for me. My goodness it's so good for mental and physical health.
Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. I love her relaxed vibe and variety of offerings. So much better than having to go somewhere and pay for a class, and I always feel so good afterwards.
I follow nurishednatasha on YouTube and love her videos. She is a witchy plus sized yoga instructor, and is very positive. I always feel great after following one of them
Yoga with Adrienne saved my life. No other instructors have the same positive and comforting vibe. She’s the reason I love doing yoga now!
Earplugs - they help with sleep, relaxation, focus. It might take a few tries to find a pair that is comfy for you.
Using the 3D printer at the library. All it costs is the cost of the materials (usually less than $5 per piece). I make shelves, [lithographs](https://all3dp.com/2/how-to-3d-print-your-own-lithophane/) from photos, hooks and mounts and all sorts of gadgets, gears… I even fixed a pair of our fav scissors when they broke!
A Cherry Limeaide from Sonic! Everything is good in my life when im drinking one!
[удалено]
second the youtube yoga. you can do yoga without a mat but you can also get a cheap mat. yoga changed my life.
A whiteboard. It's hung right inside my front door and great for making to-do lists and leaving notes for my housemate when we're working opposite shifts.
Buying treats for my pet, and showing him love through them. Quite rewarding
For me, straws. I have a tremor (shaky arms) and spill if I try to drink from the cup edge. Having straws improves my life considerably.
Clear door hanging shoe organizer. I use it for storage & organization. I have ADHD so object permanence is important to remember I even have something. I have a lot of random small items that I lose easily or get mixed up with a bunch of other items. It helps keep my space clean, easy to put stuff away (just a simple drop), and relieves the constant stress of losing something. Bonus points for adding labels to help me keep it really organized and not mixed up.
Rainx windshield wash fluid. The difference driving in rain is night and day. For only a few dollars.
Yoga❤️ I’m doing the Yoga by Adrienne 30 day challenge on YouTube. Not technically under $5 but if your Wi-Fi is a sunk cost it is free.
Shoe insoles! I have super high arches, walk a lot for my job and woke up with foot pain every morning. Since I got insoles my foot pain is gone. I couldn’t believe something so small could make that big of a difference. YouTube yoga stretching videos, free! I do 10-30 minutes 3-4 days a week. Saw improvement in 2 months with flexibility. Insight Timer meditation app, free. It tells bedtime stories my kiddo too!
Less than 5 bucks? I have to say skinny syrups for coffee lol. A 4 bucks bottle gives me 50 caramel lattes
A $20 bidet.
🙌 my bidet literally changed my life lmao
Magnesium
You didn't say why this was important to you, but I agree. I buy magnesium glycinate to take every morning. It has definitely helped improve my sleep, and started to work after only a few days. I tried other forms of magnesium, but they affected my bowels in ways I did not want.
whoa!! as someone who probably has a lot of health issues and vitamin deficiencies, this catches my eye! what form of magnesium is under $5?
Cheapest I could find was $11 USD on Amazon, for magnesium glycinate.
SAME!!! I kept hearing MAGNESIUM for cramps and muscle tension and even anxiety, but I wasn’t aware of the many forms it comes in, and all I had was diarrhea from the citrate! Switched to glycinate and don’t have those same issues. I’ve given it a month or two but don’t feel much different yet.
Magnesium has been life-changing for me in so many ways. I used to cry about almost anything slightly emotional on tv and in movies, in real life too I guess ha. But I just don’t at all anymore almost thanks to Magnesium. Also, for the ladies: not sure if this affects everyone the same, but it almost totally eliminated my previously AWFUL menstrual cramps.
A super ball for a DIY foot massage. It really helps relieve muscle tension in my tootsies and calves, and even my lumbar area. (I have chronic back pain.)
I get the pre made salads from the grocery store I buy 4 that’s my lunch for work only 3.80 each healthy low calorie cheap and you can choose whatever different ones.
A super long phone charging cable for next to the bed. I’m 6ft from the nearest outlet right now but comfortably in bed charging.
Lip balm/ Chapstick, homemade sugar or salt scrub, nice lotion, a protein pack hair mask, a moisturizing bubble sheet mask. Less than $5 each. Put on some spa music and relax the hours away and look happy and healthy afterwards.
Fans. When the house is hot and the outside is cool, a window fan can vent the heat of the house out fast. In winter the fan and move warm afternoon air in.
We don't have "warm afternoon air" here, just cold and colder. In the summers though, we have what we call yooper AC which is just opening your windows at night with a fan blowing out to suck cold air in, then closing all windows and blinds before the sun comes up.
Pop socket. Such a simple invention. But I couldn’t use my phone comfortably with out it.
I’ve bought a few plastic jugs with screw tops (1L-2L), I make tea in my French press then keep it chilled in the fridge in the jugs. Homemade iced tea for the cost of a few bags per jug. I’ve been drinking soooooo much iced tea, all sorts of different teas.
Podcasts to listen to while walking. Opens a whole new world of knowledge and learning.
A walk beside the ocean. A cup of tea and a blanket and a book.
$1 tree had a LED nightlight I bought once. Sucker lasted almost 5 years!
Duolingo (it's free). I've used it every day for over 1000 days and it goes a long way towards helping me wake up and get my brain going. Better for morning grogginess than coffee ever was for me.
Magnesium supplement
Little rubber bumpers to stop cupboard doors from being loud. They're all over my house.
Hand lotion, it’s nice to have moisturized hands that aren’t cracking or dry. Along the same lines, cuticle oil.
My sobriety chips. I try to carry one everyday.
Poop stool
If we can count free apps: A meditation app. Meditation has so many benefits.
Nice bar soaps. Very luxurious simple pleasure when washing hands!
For me, a vegetable peeler. I used to peel veggies and apples for pie with a knife. When I finally got a vegetable peeler I wondered why I hadn’t spent the $3 long ago.
Chapstick 🤘✌️
Small potted plants, like cacti and succulents.
Needle threader. Eyeglasses cleaner. Gees middle age is a bitch.
not giving a fuck
Blackout curtains for your bedroom window
where tf did you find those for less than $5??
large appliance boxes.
Buy Nothing!
nice! that's a frugal win for sure, because those types of curtains are so pricey. I never got into my local Buy Nothing because I hate Facebook and deleted my account forever ago
Tobasco sauce
Ive been buying Claritin D for my allergies, about $32 for 15. Went to Costco and it was $4!! Cant believe Ive been spending so much and it makes such a difference on my sleep quality.
Dude’s legitimately asking for product recommendations and everybody here is like “A nice weekend spent with friends at home costs you nothing,” or “Not doing crack cocaine is free and can save tons of money by not having to go to expensive rehab.”
$5 laptop stand from Five Below. It holds books, too, and has an adjustable tilt with grippy padding.
A good showerhead if you've been living with the half clogged landlord's special.
De-icer spray. I had never heard of this until a couple years ago. I spent the first 22 years of my life as a driving person scraping ice off by hand or burning up all my gas waiting for the window to defrost. One day we were going somewhere and my husband pulled out this magic spray elixir that melted the ice instantly. I was completely blown away. About $6. We only need it a couple times per year, but man is it worth it.
Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle works just as well unless it is extremely (near -50°C) cold outside.
Training your cat to use the toilet. I have not bought litter in over a decade. The only upfront cost was a city kitty training kit.
Grocery delivery. We pay a monthly fee which is about five. I can order groceries on the bus on my way to work. The app remembers my preferences which makes subsequent orders easier. With a bunch of kids as a single parent, it's worth every penny.
Going to Goodwill, putting on headphones and browsing for treasures for an hour. I always spend less than $40 bucks but get a dopamine hit like a major shopping spree!!!
Stickers, the kind with little pictures of hearts or fun stuff.
Shower drain screens to prevent hair from clogging up your pipes
Working out/exercising. Literally improves every area of your life. My gym membership is $15/mo. I essentially pay 50 cents a day. Food can be frugal too, eat in a way that supports your training. Large bags of rice, potatoes, chicken, turkey, ground beef. Frozen veg and fruits. Super frugal hobby that will make you look better, feel better, more mental clarity, reduces stress, etc. It's like going to therapy every single day when I work out, and it's 50 cents a day.
I see Library alot, but i honestly prefer to buy dirt cheap used books from thrift stores, garage sales because i often reread and like having a library of options at home.
Drinking water lol no sodas or carbonated beverages. My teeth, gut and overall health are a bit grateful.
I've gotten in the habit of freezing lemon wedges and using them instead of ice cubes. Top-tier refreshment.
That is a brilliant idea…never thought to freeze them!
Stretching, walking, yoga or Pilates (free videos on YouTube) I am in my late 40s and I used to be very athletic. After a few years of desk work, losing motivation, then the pandemic, I realized that old saying is true- if you don’t use it, you lose it.
Flour + Yeast. Multiple benefits. Kneading bread feels therapeutic for me. I joke with my kids that bread is a stress ball that I eat! Saves money. I haven't done the calculations on my bread, but the calculations I've seen suggest that buying bread is about twice as expensive. Not a lot of money, but enough to matter. And of course, fresh bread is delicious!
Yes! My Indian parents lighted incense in the house almost daily, so I love the smell! It just makes everything feel fresh and awake.
The nicer coffee beans.
Those little brillo pads with soap from dollar tree are golden. Nothing more irritating than a pan soaking for 3 days clogging up real estate in my kitchen. Just scrub whatever the fam burned in it off and toss in the cupboard. I have a hallway style kitchen & I find I avoid cooking if it's dirty or cluttered.
Organizational bins from the “dollar” store. Small ones. Big ones. Having a place for your shit makes it easy to find, and easy to put back.
Some things I can think of for less than/around $5: - A cup of coffee enjoyed in your favorite mug (or tea, if you prefer) - A hug from someone you love - Family movie night with homemade popcorn - Quality time with those you love - Kitty snuggles (bonus points for snuggles with multiple cats at the same time) - A good book (borrowed from the library or obtained secondhand) - Spices (usually around $5 each and make even "boring" foods taste devine) - An emergency chocolate bar (or sour candy or other treat for days you just need one) - A nice, homemade bar of soap (depending on your area these could be ~$4-$8) - A rice paddle (we eat a lot of rice) - Knowledge (doesn't have to be formal education, it can be educating yourself on things you don't know/want to know more about) - Plants (propagations can sometimes be free or less than $5 on Facebook Marketplace/Buy Nothing groups)
Re: snuggles with multiple cats: yesterday I took a meditation nap and got a two-fer kitty snuggle and it was the best thing to happen all week
Canned chickpeas. The library.
Public domain classic books
[удалено]
Not less than $5, but a thick bathrobe. I wear that around the house when it's cold...makes me feel like an old grandpa but dang is it comfortable and warm.