BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living Which of the best things in life are free?

So many of the best things in life, after you have food, safety and shelter covered, are free. What are these things?

I'll start by mentioning nature and the outdoors. I am never bored and always rich, knowing I can walk around outside. I can enjoy mountains, canyons, rivers, streams, ocean shores, lakes, deserts, meadows, forests...all for free.

I may not have the gas to get to all of them all the time, but I can pretty much always find some way to enjoy a sunset, a horizon and a trail, wherever I may be.

What other good things in life are free?

Yes, the obvious first: Air. People take it for granted but it is the most important thing we need to survive. We can't survive more than minutes without it. And let's not forget that many struggle every minute for breath, such as those with cystic fibrosis or pulmonary disease.

When I got outside, I inhale deeply the clean, fresh air and feel very thankful indeed.

Water. It isn't "free" where I live, sadly, and I really believe that clean water should be free for all. A basic human right. I do a water meditation every time I shower. So thankful for clean water, especially since I am a water element.

Yes, Jilly, I agree with you that Planet Earth is free for all of us, an abundant source of wellness. Like you, I appreciate and honor the earth and enjoy being surrounded by nature. My favorite places are near the ocean and under the trees.

Knowledge is free for those who seek. One can gain knowledge from books, the Internet, other humans and just by pondering and meditating.

Ooo, knowledge! An excellent one, Lori!

When asked, Dan said, 'Thunderstorms.' :-)

To me anything in nature is special and beautiful.

If you love unconditionally you essentially give it freely. That is the best thing in life.

I love how I can find so many gorgeous places to walk along the waterfront here in San Diego for free. I've also been canoeing, which (if you have the canoe) is also totally free.

NAPS! I love naps, and they are totally free. If you have a place to lie down and close your eyes, you can nap. You can nap at home or in a park.

Naps are truly underrated.

The only thing that I can think of that does not have a cost is my imagination. I always worry about the cost of everything in relation to my time. If I could only buy more time!

Jilly,

I was going to say anything having to do with nature, a sunset, stary-night, snuggling, a smile at a stranger or even a compliment to a significant other, friend or even someone you don't even know.

A woman that didn't know me came right up to me and said, "You have the most beutiful smile. Did you get any "work" done?

It took me by surprise. I've neve had someone compliment my smile, like a stranger or anything. But I'm like, "Oh, thank you. No, I guess it just came out that way from the beginning."

Maybe she was a dentist or something, but it was really nice.

Karen, compliments are wonderful! And Jilly naps are the most awesome things in the world And Valerie isn't the imagination great? I just interviewed a 7th grader who told me using her imagination was like "watching a movie in her head." And Debbie I always think it's a miracle when I see "nature" since I live in the middle of a huge metropolis. When butterfly floats by my window in the summer time, I'm like WOW. And you can't buy moments like that.

I love public libraries, but they aren't exactly "free" when you consider tax and all that.

True Leah, but we pay the taxes whether we use the libraries or not. So we may as well use them, and it doesn't cost us a cent more to do so. :-)

That elemental force you feel when you're near the ocean, watching the tide and thinking about the enormity of it - a spiritual experience in itself.

A cross between naps and imagination - those moments when you're aware of being somewhere between sleeping and waking, and all sorts of ideas can leap into your mind. I think of that as my personal Twilight Zone.

And the love of companion animals. It may cost something to feed and care for them, but the love they give you is HUGE and free.

Grace, those are great things. I ALWAYS feel calmer when i am near water. Something about the motion of light on water, the sounds of it, the scent of it even...

And along the lines of napping, how about those days you wake up, realize you don't have to rush off anywhere, and go back to sleep? ...Priceless.

Tonite I am enjoying tea with my hubby. The box of tea is something I've had for years and don't remember buying. Feels free to me, and the hot water is soothing on this chilly day.

Jilly?

Are you guys back together?

I don't want to overstep my bounds, but it's just hard to keep up.

It's weird isn't it, just the waves of the tides...

What wonderful imagery, appreciating imagery is free!

Last night - my husband and I watched a movie and I made Tilapia w/fresh shimp and some more winter-root veggie soup.

We cuddled.

Tonight?

He made some popcorn - no butter (I worry about that stuff sometimes for him), and we're going to do a role-playing game.

It's the little things, but the REAL ones that make all the difference.

What fabulous evening ideas, Elleise. I like your thinking.

Something I've appreciated lately are the many free ebooks you can find on Amazon. They exist in all categories! I love free reading material!

Something nice to do is writing notes for the people you love. Dan and I have special paper that we cut up into squares, and we try to write each other a little love note each day. We love doing this, and we love getting the sweet little notes.

Last night Dan and I and his mom and sister all watched both the International Space Station and a random satellite go by overhead. And the moon with Venus was very pretty too, especially with the Earthglow highlighting the back end of the moon.

A free family activity. We dragged out chairs and watched the sky and chatted.

This is probably assumed, but not said very often: intimate time with your partner is free. :-)

The window in my room is open for the first time - what an fine thing, to hear the birds calling and to take in the fresh spring air!

I am really enjoying the sound of running water - as the snow melts, all the little trickles everywhere sound so joyful. It is the sound of spring!

My library has a free box in its airlock area, and I've been able to find some interesting books in there, stuff that I can decorate with - and maybe even read. Some classics, and some real oddball stuff.

The fruit tree blooms throughout the city are exploding into springtime colors! It's like a free festival.