Giving Your Self Small Luxuries

Like most this time of year, despite budgeting and planning for the holiday I ended up spending a little on myself. Though I will readily admit to my self indulgences, in the last few years rather than getting caught up in the season’s shopping frenzy by buying things I wanted or needed with the excuse that they were on sale I try to give myself something small, a gesture to be enjoyed in that immediate moment in time. Usually the purchase is something that is both frivolous and fulfilling but always makes me pause and exhale in luxury during this hectic time the year.

This year rather than a manicure and a pedicure or a 10 minute neck massage in Chinatown or a cup of Chai Tea I stopped at Wholefoods one night during the hectic season and bought myself the fixings for a simple, fast and elegant meal. My luxurious gift cost me all of $7.50 and the time it took to prepare a pepper and salt encrusted medium rare steak, stir fry the beet greens with garlic and pine nuts and boil the beets until they were tender before thinly slicing and dressing them with sea salt. The glass of homemade wine from a family friend's vineyard only made the meal more worthy of that exhale.

Think about the small things you can give your self without investing major cash or ownership in and splurge a little.