Life is better with guilty pleasures. Our life is stressful enough and the last thing we want while enjoying a nice dinner in front of the TV (we shouldn’t, but we do eat while binge watching) after a long day at work is to think more. It’s ok if we don’t want to think more and just relax with some mindless TV.

Guilty pleasures can trigger a sense of joy and happiness and, in some cases, can be an awesome reward after a very productive, yet, exhausting day. But, the good thing is that guilty pleasures can be as harmless as we want them to be. That said, a guilty pleasure could be to buy something small when things are going or not going well or succumb to a very indulgent candy. However, the first is going to drain our money and the second would probably burden us with unnecessary calories, if we keep doing it every day.

One of the most favorite and budget-friendly guilty pleasures is watching meaningless television that makes us blissfully happy without any particular cost (or a small one for the subscription).

And, below, we have the shows that fulfil all the requirements of what guilty pleasure means: fun, mindless entertainment and carefree vibe.

Photo: Variety

The Real Housewives (of any city)

We will never understand nor the drama, nor the fashion of this show, yet, considering that it aired 19 years ago, something tell us that people watch it. We do as well. Frankly, there isn’t anything intellectually appealing about the show but we still enjoy a couple of episodes once in a while. Is it the lavish and arrogantly luxurious lifestyle they present or the drama when we see women fighting for no particular reason? Well, we don’t know but, honestly, who cares? We sure won’t go around discussing the latest episode of the show; probably, will jump into judging anyone who does, but still, it’s the most easy, mindless binge watching.

Photo: The Guardian

Keeping up with the Kardashians

This show has managed to do something impossible: it has made people who claim to "hate" reality TV, especially shows like "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," to still find themselves drawn to it. The storyline? As cliché as it sounds; wealth, extravagance and celebrities that show how the dynamics of an influential family works. Lavish lifestyles, luxurious homes, expensive vacations, and high-fashion wardrobes along with sibling rivalries, romantic relationships among the three main characters, Kourtney, Kim and Chloé are somehow appealing when you want to just dive in the couch and stop thinking.

Photo: Ranker

Gossip Girl

Alright, we love it. But we want start going out admitting it. A group of extremely wealthy, spoiled and narcissist teenagers in the Upper East Side, who behave like adults, even though they are high school students, seems fun and appealing but, honestly, it is disturbing to even think about that as a real thing. However, the drama, the constant exchange of partners among the main group and the different celebrity-style events they all attend on a regular basis, makes the plot extremely appealing and the scandals that arise in each episode make you watch Serena and Blair at every opportunity.

Photo: Daily Mail

Selling Sunset

If you want LA vibes, unnecessary drama and extravagant residencies, Selling Sunset has it all. We all understand that real estate can be a very competitive business but what is going on on this show is mind blowing. We basically don’t know how the agents manage to sell all these houses yet have the time to engage in arguments, rivalries and conflicts all the time. However, the impressive housing saves it and makes us turn the TV on to get a sneak peek of the luxurious Los Angeles lifestyle.

Photo: Medium

Pretty Little Liars

Another group of high schoolers that now have to deal with the disappearance and death of their best friend. The show’s plot can has potential but, frankly, it’s over-the-top and gets so melodramatic for no particular reason which makes it a good “guilty pleasure” show. It’s suspenseful, there are fast twists and turns but at the end of the day, we won’t be thinking about it after we turn off the TV. Exactly the kind of thriller we like; easy to digest, non-scary and as carefree as a drama can be.

Photo: The Cornell Daily Sun

Emily In Paris

Yes, we love Emily in Paris and we actually believe the show gives some nice insights for the marketing field but overall, it’s nothing extremely sophisticated. But it’s cute; and it’s in Paris (currently in Italy!). Emily goes to Paris to cover her boss who got pregnant and, suddenly, her whole life turned upside down. Friendships, messy relationships and, again, unnecessary drama, with Paris as a background is the ideal way to end your day with a mindless plot. Add French accent to the list and some good fashion and there you go. Honestly, we can’t wait for the next season; and, we won’t be talking about it.