Pleasure really doesn’t cost a lot.
Savouring the basic pleasures and not taking everything that we do for granted as “what we deserve to get because we work hard”, can work wonders to help our pleasure quotient.
Our brain tends to be extremely sensitive to relative differences
When I eat out with friends, I feel rich, in that I have friends to spend a good meal with, and I can afford it without going into debt (which is why I don’t do it often).
In other words, if you gave someone $1000, they’d be over the moon.
But if you give them another $50 above the $1000, they won’t be as excited.
However, if you do the reverse and give them $50.. and then up it to $1000, it will show a LOT more activity in the reward centers of the brain.
So in my above example, if I ate out all the time to try and maximize my happiness, my brain would adapt to it being a taken-for-granted pleasure, and eating out would cease to become pleasurable or fun.
It is relative to what you already do
When I spread slather good, great-smelling moisturizer on my face after it’s been washed, it feels luxurious and decadent.
However, if I went to a spa every month, where I got a facial, a massage and whatever else comes with a spa visit, a mere spreading on of my facial moisturizer would not be as pleasurable for me.
My brain would think: Meh. You go to a spa monthly, this is peanuts.
Don’t get used to the pleasures. Really revel in them, and enjoy them… or go on a little fast, to make you appreciate them more.
Paying attention to little pleasures can help in many ways
The most banal of acts: getting hugged, drinking a great cup of tea, or logging onto your blog to approve comments (is that just me?), can be continuous pleasures if we pay attention to them.
Temporary bursts of positive, feel-goodness, like basking in a little sun, or loving that it’s a sunny day, can make us feel more creative, confident and more optimistic.
Not only that, it might even boost your immune system, and in a chain reaction, make you friendlier to others, which results in others catching your good spirits & reciprocating in like, and in return, makes you feel better.. and so on.
My way to really lift my spirits is to put on some really catch, happy music like Black Eyed Peas, and sing out loud either at home or in the car, it doesn’t matter.
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
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A nice cup of coffee with milk in my hotel room always makes me smile! I wake up in hotels often enough, and if i have time i eat breakfast in my room. packaged oatmeal, a banana and coffee. yum 🙂
Eating in my pjs of course!
That sounds nice. It’s true that in most hotels, I always forego my cup of
tea and am happy when I can drink one.
My daily pleasure, one that never fails to make me feel good, is patting the cat. He is such a hedonist, and enjoys it so much, it’s contagious. Beyond that, physical contact with another being you care about makes you feel good. A rarer pleasure, a real treat, is hot chocolate, with some hazelnut coffeemate stirred in, and topped with whipped cream. I don’t allow myself the extra calories/sugar very often, and it’s usually when I *really* need the indulgence. You’re right; limiting it really makes it more special.
I do enjoy a hot chocolate with hazelnut creamer, but I find it too chemical-y for my tastes now. I almost prefer sugar with vanilla bean pods put into it for some flavouring 🙂
Massage! A must for someone in her early 50s with a history of back trouble who works as a writer and finds it hard to step away from the !@#$ computer. I use every Groupon-type deal I can find.
Diet Coke. I buy it on sale and allow myself, on average, one a day. It’s in the fridge but before I drink it it goes into the freezer for about 12 minutes, until little bits of ice start forming.
One of those “French toast” bagels from Panera. They really do taste like French toast.
Ohhhh massage. 🙂
Have you ever tried yoga? I find it helps in between massages…
I love going into Coronado with my boyfriend and my dog, we stop at a local juice joint and both get a mean green delicious drink. We usually walk around and enjoy the sunshine. It makes for such a wonderful morning. I have learned to cut out the expensive pleasures and I am working on finding those pleasures in my own less expensive way. I also have been going to yoga on my lunch breaks, that really helps to ignite me with positive energy. I come back to work much happier and motivated. (I also don’t pay for that, I clean the studio in exchange for yoga) Oh the simple pleasures. This has really got me thinking. I am going to write down all the pleasures I pay for and see how I can get the same satisfaction in a more money saving way! THANKS! 🙂
Taking a walk without having to specifically go somewhere. It gives me time to take in seasonal changes and get some relaxing exercise. Doing something I want to do rather than have to do is such a nice change from the usual!
Some nice advise here. Simple pleasures for me? Taking a nap in the afternoon, enjoying a cup of Tetley tea, reading in the bath, cuddling with my boyfriend. I am easy to please!
A pedicure done by someone else, a piece of dark chocolate, a good steak on the grill.
what a great post, thank you. As I am on my way out of debt (less than a year to go!) I have been thinking about this but wasn’t able to quite put my finger on it.
It’s partly related to lifestyle inflation too. Stay with your current lifestyle and don’t inflate it to the point where you FEEL like you deserve things that you really can’t afford or should be a treat.
A simple pleasure that I don’t have often is a SB Soy Chai Latte… ah I love those!!!!
I was having one almost every day with their half off things, but now I’m back down to once every 2 weeks or less. I was a bit out of control but my budget warned me when I saw how much I spent!
You can make soy chai lattes easily at home with one part liquid Tazo Chai concentrate and one part soymilk. Heat in a pan. Add a little water to taste, if you wish.
totally agree – I just bought groceries today and didn’t just buy quick things on the way home – I went a little farther and bought organic veggies and fruit (a luxury since it is expensive at this time of year – but I so wanted some) from my favourite local organic grocery store. It is an ordinary pleasure – but I feel so rich eating my salad with tahini dressing I made with the lettuce, garlic and lemons I just bought…and roasted potatoes, too!
Someone in a city where it is always sunny might not care so much if it is a nice, sunny day – but in Vancouver, I’ll take what I can get! Today, I daydreamed about being back in the prairies, listening to the Rural Alberta Advantage and strolling to the grocery store, enjoying the sun.
A few weeks ago I treated myself to my second manicure, and first pedicure in my life. I really enjoyed it but didn’t like when they told me I should come back once a week for a manicure and once a month for a pedicure. Umm…there’s no way I can add $50 a month to my budget! But, I did enjoy it since it didn’t happen all the time. I know I’d not appreciate it if I got my nails done all the time, though.
I go out for walks with my camera when it’s sunny and slightly warm. It’s a treat to trot around in boots, not have to dodge ice piles, snow and slush and just enjoy the day.
After reading this post, I thought about ordinary pleasures and I realized that quite often I follow a daily routine and sometimes just roll through a day on auto-pilot. I should work harder to appreciate and pay attention to the little things that make me happy like: the way my cat runs to the door when I get home, a good cup of tea, when there’s a great song to sing along with on the radio, watching an entertaining tv show, and re-reading a favourite book. I think too, that I will try and do little things to brighten someone else’s day – send a nice message, do little favours, give a compliment.
Mine is a cup of tea while reading and replying to comments like yours. 🙂
I’m re-reading favourite books and mangas right now.
Going to lunch, for sure. I work in an environment where NO ONE ever goes to lunch, instead opting to eat at their desk each day and working simultaneously, in an effort to get outta dodge earlier.
Today and tomorrow, I’m offsite with 2 coworkers for a training without access to a refrigerator, so we went out for lunch. It’s been SO LONG since I’ve done so, that it felt like a GIFT! Too funny.
I agree with that. I rarely go out to eat .. I even decline when others go every day (I don’t like the food), but once in a while it’s a nice treat.
I read this advice a lot–don’t get used to small pleasures or they will cease to be pleasurable. But I wonder if there is a happy medium? There are some things in which I find great pleasure BECAUSE I do them all the time. The pleasure is the routine, you know?
I guess it depends on what you consider a pleasure 🙂
I think it’s more tied to cost, like having your hair and nails done, going to a spa, getting a massage.. it feels like you want more and more (at least for me), if I did all those things monthly.
I’d want to ‘up the ante’ and get the deluxe package.
I love cruising around in our convertible on a nice sunny day. ahhh.. yeah. That car is gone though so now I’ll just have to be happy walking around on a nice sunny day. heh heh.
The first sunny day of Spring is always so nice, great promises of things to come.
ps. come back and see baby picture. I added one Houdini pose. 🙂
OOO! I’m there.
(Now you have a bundle of squealing joy to enjoy 😉 )
My simple pleasure is making fun of anybody who likes the Black Eyed Peas.
/reads the post again
Oh, that’s you? Awkward…
Then I guess I should hold in my remarks about Taylor Swift and chips 😉
What a great post! As I have gotten older, I enjoy the simple pleasures more and more.
My ordinary pleasures are hearing my daughter laugh/making her laugh, taking a shower all by myself and slurging for a coffee
I agree with warm showers. They’re so therapeutic.
Walking around in my plush robe after a shower and moisturize. I only do it for 10 minutes but it feels so good.
This makes me want a plush robe. LOL
My ordinary pleasures…petting my animals, who come and greet me at my door each day, singing loudly in the car/kitchen/shower, morning snuggles with DH on the rare days I get up after him, phone calls from my 5 year old niece to tell me random things about her day (latest voicemai, stated exuberantly-“Aunt Sarah, I got my hair cut. Bye.”). eating a favourite meal that I’ve had time to prepare… this is the good stuff.
Mine is also cooing at pictures of cute baby animals.
I want to bite that gingerbread man that’s probably deliciously soggy in the coffee. Your posts lately are inspiring me to eat like crazy.
I love this post though. Things that make me feel rich: wearing sweat wicking, pretty pants when I go running, jasmine bubble baths, buying a new book.
That’s me and my grand master plan to make you all fat and hungry 😉
So true! Pleasure in small doses keeps your excitement for them.
I’m with you when it comes to reading comments on my blog – I love those!
I also love settling down and blowing off responsibility to watch some silly TV episode with my boyfriend. & Fuzzy socks. I love fuzzy socks.
me, too – I come home and change into fuzzy socks! And lately have been watching old seasons of the amazing race with my partner – armchair travelling! 🙂
Staycations? 🙂
Simply put, treats cease to be treats when they happen all the time. It’s a concept I have had to familiarize myself with throughout my shopping bans and weight loss journey.
My simple pleasures are reading in the recliner on a quiet sunny morning, hot baths, going to bed early to read, the occasional Starbucks latte, being outside on warm days, and spending time with my Mom.
Hopefully this post brings some ah ha moments for those who struggle with ‘doing with less’
I’d love to spend a day on the ground in a park, reading a book. Unfortunately, we don’t have very many beautiful and clean parks here for me to do that. I’m imagining myself in paris 😛