‘Some weeks it’s about ‘surviving’ on the pension’

We live on a pension, which is just about adequate, as long as I am very sensible; Some weeks, it is more a case of ‘just surviving’ on a pension. I say this not to gain sympathy but to establish my position.

When I browsed the Sunday Supplement I admit to muttering “You must be kidding!” The spread showed a beautifully glossy female with a shining look. It told me I too could look like this.

It was an article on how to have a ‘spa day at home’. Great, I thought, save money and still feel pampered. Then I read with horror the prices of the products: a candle for a mere $60, $33 for soap, various unctuous oils and creams $200, and in the same magazine a face cream for $420. Whatever planet they come from they are not convincing me to buy it. Cat food and fruit is more important in our home.

I have a few better suggestions. Burn a candle if you must — from Woolworths a vanilla one was $4. Make a body scrub using olive or coconut oil, with some drops of perfume and handful of sugar, scrub all rough areas of skin with this then shower off thoroughly with a good shower gel. Aldi do some great products for less than $5. It makes skin feel soft and silky. The sugar and oil work on the neglected areas well, such as your heels and elbows. Then while still warm slather on a nice perfumed body cream. I buy several when Avon have them on special, so I can be really generous.

I am sure the results I obtain are as good as the spa that might have cost me enough for a holiday in Queensland! Sure, so I miss out on the foot massage and the manicure, but we can’t have it all can we?

My total outlay was about $20, which is quite a bit difference to the magazine one that was in excess of $1,000. I do have one ‘luxury’ item in my armoury, I buy a fake tan spray, and it actually works, as I spray my ‘less than pretty’ bits and feel 100 per cent better with glossy brown skin. I paid about $9 for the one I use.

Yes, who needs a day spa?

What luxuries have you had to do away with in retirement? Do you have any tips for how you can treat yourself without having to outlay the big bucks? Share them with us.

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