I don’t think it will come as any surprise to hear that our family has been on a tight budget for a long time. Why? Well, that’s the only way we could manage to take the family to Australia for six weeks this past summer.
Like most people, I find the constant monitoring of pennies to be tedious. Enough to make you want to buy a lotto ticket, even. Sometimes, even though you know it not to be true, it feels like you are being deprived. I mean, talk about first-world deprivation! Pedicures at home, hair cuts at First Choice Haircutters, and no bottles of wine that cost more than $12 a piece.
Regardless of where you stand on the spectrum of “deprivation,” you might be able to relate this: little luxuries. Because sometimes it really is the little things that make you feel grand. And special. And even a touch decadent.
For my mom, I know she likes to pick up flowers from the grocery store and make beautiful little bouquets around her house. I’ve also tried this. It totally works, by the way.
Lately though, I’ve found myself relying on two favourite little luxuries. The first is to light a candle in the evening.
My friend Vanessa has started to make her own hand-poured, pure soy candles. It took me forever to pick a scent because there were so many that I loved (which is rare since I usually find scented candles overbearing). So far, my two top choices are Pink Grapefruit and Brown Sugar Fig. The cost of this luxury? $10.
The second little luxury that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying was inspired by my friend Andrea’s post. “It’s about soap, but not really.” She shares that she goes out of her way to stop at Terra20 to buy soap. And that this soap costs $5. She talks about buying local. She talks about the ingredients in the soap. But really, what it comes down to is this:
“Turkish fig is unlike anything I have ever smelled before. It’s fresh and uplifting without being sweet, like something botanical without being floral. I can’t put my finger on it but I love it. There are poppy seeds embedded into the soap as well, which gives it a really great feel. Whenever I use it I just think: ahhhhh, HEAVEN. And 30 minutes later I realize I’m still in the shower, remembering I have actual work to do.”
Reading Andrea’s words back in February of 2013 made me feel a little better about paying $5 for good soap too. My husband and I both really enjoy our handmade cakes of soap. And I actually find that they last a long time. Like Andrea, we forgo lattes at Starbucks, but give in to this little luxury of a great bar of soap. It really does do the senses good.
So, I’m curious: Do you have any little luxuries that you build into your day … your week … your month? Let me know.
And while you’re at it, please enjoy this giveaway to win some little luxuries of your own from Terra20. With this giveaway, two Coffee with Julie readers will win a $50 gift certificate to Terra20. The gift certificate can be used online from anywhere in Canada. Contest is open to residents of all provinces with the exception of Quebec. Two winners will be selected via random draw and a follow-up skill-testing question at midnight, October 13, 2014.
*** this giveaway is now closed *** feel free to continue to share your little luxuries! ***
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