Affordable Pleasures

The best things in life...really are free.

By Martha Beck
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the July 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

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What are the things that make you happiest—that don't involve a major transfer of currency? Six writers give us a new appreciation for ordinary pleasures, from supermarket pudding to zingy pop radio.

Paradise. 17 Cents a Spoonful
For Mark Leyner, it's a single sweet dollop of a pudding...

Antique teapot

Treasure Hunting
For Gillian Fassel, Saturdays navigating estate sales...

Bicycle

Two Wheels, No Waiting
For Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, riding his trusty bike...

Old fashioned radio

Tuning In
For Caitlin Macy, listening to the radio...

Kayaking

In My Element
For Farai Chideya, just being around water...

Scrapbook

Life on the Page
For Jessica Helfand, collecting day-to-day memories in her scrapbook...

Read the essays »

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