Self-Care on a Budget
Sunday's are for self-care and sometimes that can mean more stress than relaxation. There are a lot of people that like to make self-care look boujee and expensive, well, I am here to say, it does NOT have to be. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy splurging on myself for a good mani-pedi for massage from time to time, but generally my self-care budget is about $5-15 per week. I am going to be discussing my to 10 favorite ways to indulge in self-care on a budget.
1. Take a Walk - Going for a walk is a great way to clear your mind, while breathing in the fresh air. You can even play some of your favorite music to keep it fun. If you live by a park, go take a walk around the park. Or you can walk around your complex. Live in a dorm? Take a stroll to the library.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0
2. Read a Book - If you can, do this outside, but really you can read anywhere it's quiet enough. Go to your local library and check out a few books, buy them yourself, borrow from friends or my personal favorite, use Kindle Unlimited. It's a subscription based service that let's you download up to 10 books at a time.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0-20, depending on where you get your books!
3. Journal - In the past I wasn't known for my affinity for journaling, but I have learned to love the practice. It's a great time to get your thoughts out of your head and onto a piece of paper. Journaling can be done on anything, which makes it super inexpensive.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0-5
4. Face Mask - I live for face masks! I do them so often I've gotten my boyfriend hooked. I don't always have perfect skin, but generally it's pretty clear and when asked about my skincare routine, my answer is always the same = face masks. You can get them super cheap on Amazon or at Target!
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $1-3
5. Take a Bath - Grab some epsom salt and candles and take a nice warm bath. I read a study recently that you can actually burn calories in the bath, how cool is that?! Not to mention, epsom salts are incredible for detoxing the body. Occasionally I splurge for a $5-10 bath bomb, but usually I'm happy as a clam using my $5 bag of Dr. Teal's Epsom Salts from Target.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $1-7 per bath
6. Practice Yoga - As someone that isn't the biggest fan of yoga classes, I totally get it if you're rolling your eyes right now. But what I am talking about is a quick 20-30 minute in-home yoga practice that is meant to give your body the break it needs. YouTube and Hulu both have yoga videos you can try!
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0, if you use YouTube
7. Dance Party - Throwing yourself a dance party can seriously make miracles happen. Feeling a little off? Turn on your favorite music and dance away. This may not work for everyone, but if it works for you, do it! AND you get an extra calorie burn.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0
8. Paint Your Own Nails - Like I said, I certainly enjoy my mani-pedi's but sometimes there is really no need to spend $60 for someone else to do, when I can just as easily do it myself. I like to always have a few bottles of my favorite polish colors handy so I can do my own nails from time to time.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $5-8 for a full bottle of nail polish
9. Sleep - Yes, sleep is self-care. It is good for you. I know our lives can get busy and it's difficult to always get a full night's sleep, but you should always try your hardest to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Trouble sleeping? Try unplugging an hour or two before bed, meditation and/or lavender and melatonin.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0
10. Workout - If I could workout everyday, I would. A good workout gives me so much energy and I feel overwhelmingly accomplished. If you don't have a gym you can go to, you can always do an at-home workout. HIIT circuits are a great way to get in a good sweat with little to no equipment.
Total Hit to Your Bank Account = $0