“Retreat a la you sounds like big $,” writes CM reader Sharon in response to my post about my five-day retreat last summer. Au contraire! The best, most spiritual retreats at monasteries and convents are sometimes the cheapest! Really! And many contemplative centers affiliated with a diocese or large religious group can accept payment on a sliding scale. If you’re interested in simple food, peace, and prayer–without the spa fixin’s like warm spring pools or massages–you can find a great deal. The center I went to (where I used an outhouse when I didn’t want to trudge down to the meditation hall) clearly isn’t for everybody, but I was asked what I could afford, and I chose to pay top dollar which was five days for $500 (though that may have gone up somewhat in the last twelve months). That included meditation instruction and three simple meals.