# Small Purchases that Make You Happy **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 9, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012 "2003-08-09T12:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![skeptic\_ev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@skeptic\_ev](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skeptic_ev)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/1 "2003-08-09T12:36:50Z")
What little thing do you like to buy that just warms the cockles of your heart? I love to buy nail polish. Even though I’m not at all fanatical about my nails–or any aspect of my appearance, really–buying a new color just cheers me up no end. ---
**Author:** ![summerbreeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@summerbreeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/summerbreeze)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/2 "2003-08-09T12:49:01Z")
Me, too, **skeptic\_ev**! and my daughter caught if from me. I have so many bottles of nail polish I keep half of them hidden, it seems so excessive. Don’t understand why women get those really cheap “professional” manicures when it’s so much fun to buy polish! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/3 "2003-08-09T12:58:45Z")
I always feel rather proud of myself when I find a good (or even just an “ok”) movie in the cheap DVD bin an Wal-Mart. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/4 "2003-08-09T13:08:49Z")
Flowers for Marcie. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/5 "2003-08-09T14:59:04Z")
Anything involving chocolate. Or depending on what you consider a small purchase, sometimes a new CD will just get me in the gut. Music is food for the soul. ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/6 "2003-08-09T15:46:06Z")
I love getting a new book. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/7 "2003-08-09T16:09:58Z")
Pens! Oh my goddess, pens will cheer me up no matter what! They can be squooshy pens, bright pens, glittery pens, pens that smell, pens that have all sorts of different nibs, pens that glow in the dark or make noises, I don’t **care** , as long as I can write with them! I can spend three times the amount of time I spend picking out, say, a new computer, on just looking at the vast variety of pens! Sorry if I sound too enthusiastic, but I LOVE PENS! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/8 "2003-08-09T16:11:04Z")
Smokes. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/9 "2003-08-09T17:06:53Z")
I love new socks! Nothing like the feeling of sliding on socks that have never been worn. Ice cream is my biggest indulgence though. I get very happy when I am able to splurge on a couple of scoops from my favorite place. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/10 "2003-08-09T17:32:44Z")
Coming from a poor background, I always had to use cheap, bendy cutlery. The kind that feels like tin. I never thought anything of it. And, because it was cutlery I had collected from various sources over time, it was all mismatched, a couple of bread knives had plastic handles that were cracked, etc. A couple of years ago, on a whim I spent $50 for some Oneida heavy-duty cutlery. It’s great! Every time I eat it makes the whole experience just a tiny bit better. So then I bought a set of good quality steak knives and threw out all the old junk. You eat a lot. I found that investing in some good cutlery was well worth the expense. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/11 "2003-08-09T18:07:06Z")
I love buying new notebooks and pens. I’ve got a stack of unused notebooks in the junk drawer in my room because I always end up buying a notebook and then using my laptop to write. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/12 "2003-08-09T18:13:33Z")
bowls. i love bowls. and they can be .99 to 99.00, and soooo many colours and designs. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/13 "2003-08-09T18:17:55Z")
I like buying cups. Stemmed glasses, from anywhere. Walmart, even, where they have an entire aisle of plastic stemware for $.89 apiece. Also, flowers. I like to pick out a single rose from the florist case in the grocery store and bring it home. It brightens up the day. Finally, books. I love buying new books - it’s like getting the chance to make a new friend. ---
**Author:** ![RNWebner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@RNWebner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RNWebner)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/14 "2003-08-09T19:33:13Z")
Love going school shopping, and buying new pencils, pens, folders, and binders. Starts the new year off on the right foot and makes me feel organized and like I have a fresh new start. ---
**Author:** ![superstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@superstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superstar)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/15 "2003-08-09T23:08:51Z")
All of the above. Socks, bargain videos,lipstick, plus a magazine, coffe, and a ciggie! Cheap bliss! ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/16 "2003-08-09T23:17:00Z")
Oh! Yankee candle votives. I got 3 “clean cotton” and 1 “sunflowers” ones today. Less then $6 for all the nice smells I could want. YAY! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/17 "2003-08-09T23:36:13Z")
Travel-related stuff – guidebooks, journals, the bottle of Dr. Bronner’s that will serve as an all-purpose toiletry, detergent, and stain remover for the next couple of months. Ain’t no thrill like buying airline tickets, though, but I guess they don’t count as a “small” purchase. ---
**Author:** ![im2evil4u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5ac83/32.png) [@im2evil4u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/im2evil4u)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/18 "2003-08-09T23:38:23Z")
I love a new perfectly smooth tube of Crest toothpaste! If I discover upon opening the box that there is a dent or two, I’m inclined to return it and get a new one. So far, I have controlled the impulse to bring it back, but it is very strong. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/19 "2003-08-10T01:11:21Z")
I love going to the dollar store and hunting for … whatever. I love getting a huge basketful of … whatever … and walking out with change from the $20. ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012/20 "2003-08-10T01:56:43Z")
Socks! I just love getting new socks. I have socks for every occasion possible except St. Patrick’s Day. I also love buying candles. Such small things, but so much fun. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-purchases-that-make-you-happy/194012.md?page=2)