5 Ways to Treat Yourself On A Tight Budget

From time to time we all need to let off a little steam and treat ourselves to something special.

Even many diets include “cheat meals” so you can enjoy a little of something you enjoy.

It makes perfect sense.

When you try to be “good” the whole time – whether that involves eating right or living on a tight budget so that you can put money aside for a rainy day, this self-denial can only last so long.

Eventually, you’ll crack. And when you do the results can be devastating.

The dieter can find themselves gorging on chocolate and cookies, putting their diet back weeks.
The budget-conscious individual ends up going out and blowing a whole load of money on clothes or a vacation or whatever else took their fancy.

Again, those long-term plans just got sacrificed. A few minutes of madness can take weeks – or even months – to recover from.

The secret, then, is to treat yourself from time to time.

This way you’ll have something to look forward to, to help you stay motivated to stick to your budget.

After all, how hard can it be if you can already see some kind of treat on the horizon? Something to aim for and help keep your focus on the right path.

But how do you treat yourself without blowing your month’s budget?

Fortunately I’ve got a few ideas that, depending on your personality, can be suitable reward for all your efforts.

Below you will find five ways to treat yourself on a limited budget.

Note that they don’t have to be exclusive; if you’re really starting to feel down with your situation in life and need a bit of a pick-me-up then consider combining a number of these into one joyous occasion.

Chocolate

Many of us, particularly the ladies, appreciate the pleasure that a good quality bar of chocolate can bring. Of course, you don’t have to use chocolate specifically; maybe your thing is cake, or a giant sandwich or a fried breakfast.

The point is that eating something “naughty” can be a real treat for many of us, yet costs very little money.

Try settling down on your favorite couch with a favorite TV show on a bar of your favorite chocolate and the world can start to look a very different place soon enough.

An Early Night

When I was in my teens and early twenties, the idea of going to bed early seemed like sacrilege! I had a hectic social life and going to bed before midnight was a symptom that I wasn’t making the most of my youth. Over time, though, we age.

Life gets busier and busier and we don’t have the time to spend out at the pub or club till the early hours of the morning. Worse, if we do occasionally still try it for special occasions it takes considerable effort to recover the next day!

These days, a long nights sleep, from which you wake up feeling incredibly relaxed and refreshed, is a dream come true. Indeed, going to bed so early that I naturally wake up before my alarm goes off and have the untold pleasure of lying there in bed in that wonderful half-asleep state for half an hour or so before rising really feels like the ultimate luxury.

What’s more, you can benefit from a night sleep like this for days afterward, as you feel your energy levels higher than they’ve been in months.

The real bonus, from a financial perspective, is of course that sleep costs nothing. All you need to do is put your other responsibilities on hold and plan to go to bed early. Climb under the sheets at 8pm or whatever you class as early and enjoy a long and restful night of pleasurable sleep.

A Walk In The Countryside

Whether the “countryside” means a local forest or a stroll along the beach, sometimes removing ourselves from the buzz of “everyday life” can serve as a real treat – especially when our nerves are starting to feel frazzled and fried from all our efforts.

The countryside works at a different pace and, thanks to the changing of the seasons, there is always something new to see. Whether that’s a species of animal that has awoken from hibernation, or migrated in, or whether it’s just the same old view with a different intensity of light on it, getting out into the countryside can help to draw your attention away from the pressures of life.

Returning home afterwards I personally often feel calmer, more relaxed, like the pace of life has slowed down in a good way. It helps me to put life into perspective and return to “normal” life re-invigorated.

A Picnic

There are two issues with the way most of us eat. Firstly, in today’s busy world many of our meals are consumed at pace simply so we can get on with the next thing on our “to do” list. Consider the last time you sat down and ate slowly, savouring every bite.

The second issue is that we eat indoors, under artificial light, closed off from all the wonders of the world outside.
A picnic helps us to resolve both these issues. Whether you choose your own sunny garden, a local park, or to combine it with a country walk, sitting outside on a rug with friends and family, savouring every morsel you consume can be a real treat – yet cost very little money at all.

“Family” Night

Lastly, consider how much time we spend away from our families and friends. Most of us, for starters, spend 8 hours or more each day at our jobs. Then there’s sleeping time, and of course all the practicalities of life like doing the grocery shopping or the laundry or the ironing.

Even the time we do spend together is very rarely “quality” time; we’re always focusing on something else, whether that’s straining to hear a TV show or making a mental list of what you need to do tomorrow.

Consciously blocking off some “quality time” to spend with family or friends can therefore be a real treat. Blocking off time to focus purely on enjoying yourself with family and friends can be a real treat and, once again, costs little or no money.

What do you do to treat yourself on a budget? Please leave a comment below with your ideas and opinions…