Self care is an important part of having a fulfilling, healthy life. Money provides options, not happiness. Saving every dime while your shoes hurt your feet, your apartment is cold and you haven’t had a nice haircut in a decade is a soul deadening existence. You can still fill your self-care cup on a frugal budget. Here are five frugal friendly ideas that will take care of your health, your spirit and your wallet.
Do nothing
Sounds simple doesn’t it? But doing nothing can actually be challenging. Doing nothing requires relaxation of your body and your mind. Don’t lie in bed worrying over bills, or thinking about what you will do tomorrow. Block out an evening or an afternoon. Relax. Take a nice long nap. Take a nice hot shower or bath. Take your time. Live in the moment and quiet your mind of any worries or tomorrow’s tasks.
Don’t worry, you probably won’t get it right the first time. But with repetition, this will become a welcome way to relax and energize your mind, body and spirit for the next day.
Exercise
Block out time for exercise. Get moving. You don’t need an expensive gym membership to exercise. If the weather is nice, go for a long walk outside. If you have workout equipment at home, be sure to use it at least weekly.
No workout equipment and the weather is bad? There are lots of free exercise videos available on YouTube or as part of streaming services for every fitness level.
Health is wealth. Making exercise part of your normal routine will keep your body in shape and your mind sharp and ready to make money!
Clean up
Cleaning up your living space can be a satisfying, calming activity. Fon’t stress yourself out by trying to clean the entire house. Target a specific space, like the bathroom or the kitchen, and focus your attention there. Turn up your favorite music and get to work. While concentrating on cleaning, you will find that you not only get in a light workout, but other worries will fade away as you work.
Living in a messy or cluttered space can be stressful. Tackling an area at a time can be the free refresh and reset activity that you need.
Cook or bake
Do you have a favorite comfort food? Set aside an evening and make your favorite treat. A splurge on ingredients for your favorite cookie or pasta recipe will not kill your budget. Plus, home cooking and baking is healthier than processed, prepared food.
Take your time and enjoy the process and the anticipation of the delicious results. Set the stage for eating your food. Cue up your Netflix watchlist, or best music playlist. Enjoying your own home cooked treat can be a rewarding and recharging experience.
Daydream
What are some things you want in life? Not needs. Wants. Travel the world? A new fluffy puppy? Take an afternoon thinking about these things. Research them. Create a vision board with these wants.
If you want a new puppy. Spend some time reading about different breeds. Look a cute pics of puppies. Save them to your vision board. You can spend many hours daydreaming and documenting your dreams. This can help calm your mind while focusing on positive thoughts, while also giving you goals to work towards.
Self-care activities don’t have to be budget busting luxuries. There are many activities that soothe the mind and help create health for your body that are free or low cost. Self-care is a vital part of our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Always be sure to work in a few of these self-care activities into your weekly routines.