Through The Tulips Words of 'Wiz'dom

Yep, you guessed it- some of the very best things in life are F-R-E-E, or at least pretty close to it.

With summer a few days away, I thought it would be a great time to talk about some of my favorite affordable pleasures.   You know the ones-  those little things that we love, ohhh soooo muchhh that don’t break the bank to enjoy.

Ten of my own personal favorites are:

• Reading-  You don’t have to buy a book to enjoy it-  Head over to your local library and borrow one, or check out some of the book swapping sites online.
• Bike Riding-  The bike I currently own was given to me by one of my best friends when she bought a new one, and it sat in the storage shed for close to a year before I ever decided to venture out.   Now that I have, I LOVE it and would bike every single day if the weather permitted.
• Museums- I’ve recently discovered that many of our local museums are either free or admission is very inexpensive.  On those rainy days- it’s the perfect place to spend your time.
• Letter Writing- Forget e-mail- grab your favorite pen, a piece of paper and scribble out a few words to some of your favorite people.   Give it to them the next time you see them, or add a postage stamp and send it the old fashioned way- through the mail.   Not only is it fun- knowing that you made someones day is a wonderful feeling.  Trust me, more people want to hear from you than you think.
• Walk in the park- There is usually a park to be found somewhere in most neighborhoods, so put on your walking shoes and walk, walk, walk.  You never know what you’ll run into while you’re out walking.  Take the time to enjoy your surroundings.
• Go to the beach- If you live near the beach- pack yourself a bottle of water, a sandwich and head off to the beach.   Spread out a blanket, enjoy the sound of the waves, and relax.  It’s one of my very favorite things ever- and if I’m feeling weary, stressed or even frustrated- my troubles magically melt away.
• Window Shopping- I live in a place where the stores close fairly early, and one of my favorite things to do is to visit a nearby city and walk along the store fronts window shopping. 
• Music- Turn on the radio and listen to some music.  I love music, and nothing can bring me out of a slump like a good song on the radio.
• Photography- With the age of digital cameras being so affordable,  almost everyone can grab a digital camera and go on their own personal photo shoot.   The great thing is- no expense of processing photos you don’t want-  just click and choose the ones you’d really love to keep.
• Painting- Technically speaking you could paint with mud if you wanted to, but I prefer acrylics and water colors.  Not that I’m very good mind you, but it’s fun, and fairly inexpensive. 

Your turn!   Please share some of your affordable pleasures with us.    Who knows, it may become one of mine as well.