If the stress of 2022 already has you longing for some extra-soothing creature comforts, you can add a little luxe to your life without paying upscale prices. To be clear, the following is a list of wants — not needs — but they’re wants that are likely within the budget of the common household.
By Andrew Lisa
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So, if you have a little bit left over this month and want to pamper yourself without splurging, the following items can soften life’s rough edges without putting a major dent in your wallet. Enjoy!
High-Quality Bed Sheets
Over the last few years, a slew of hip new mattress companies have flooded the market with exciting and expensive new products that arrive tightly rolled and vacuum-sealed, promising the perfect night’s sleep. Less attention is paid to the importance of a great pair of sheets though, but that’s where the metaphorical rubber meets the road.
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You can get a set of sheets for less than $39, and at that price, you won’t find better quality than Brooklyn Bedding‘s brushed microfiber sheets. They’re made from plush, brushed, finely woven fibers that measure less than one denier in diameter — for context, a human hair is 20 denier. Breathable, machine washable, and wrinkle-free, they’re as easy to maintain as they are cozy — and they’re currently on sale at half off for less than $20.
The Sleep Foundation ranks them among the six best affordable pairs of sheets on the market for 2022. Every other pick on the list was over $100.
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Plush Bathrobe and Soft, Warm Slippers
On cold nights, in drafty rooms or on lazy days, there’s nothing like a full-body hug from a blanket with arms with pillow shoes to match. Like sheets, you can spend a lot of money on a good robe and slipper set, but here too you can get real quality in the low double-digits.
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Heated Car Seats
When people think of heated seats, they think of Audi, Benz, and BMW — but you can add a little bit of luxury to whatever it is you drive without the price of a prestige nameplate. HealthMate makes a velour winter seat cushion with controlled heating and lumbar support that plugs in through your car’s 12-volt DC outlet. Give yourself and your passengers the gift of warmth and relaxation on miserable winter mornings and brisk fall nights in the car. Or, you can use the included AC adaptor to bring it inside and use it on the office chair or even on the couch.
Red Wine Decanter
Make decent wine good and good wine great with a decanter, which is a big, fancy-looking glass vessel that you pour wine into to aerate the liquid, remove the sediment and increase surface area.
Shiatzu Massage Station
You can use it laying down, sitting up, in a chair or on the couch, and you can target the kneading action to one spot, choose a zone, or just let the unit’s flexible massaging nodes travel as they please.