10 Healthy Ways to Practice Self-Care on a Budget

Life can be overwhelming. With everything going on – stress about your family, your finances, your health, and your job – it’s easy for burnout to set in.

But that’s no way to exist in this crazy world. You deserve more out of life than barely hanging on.

It’s time to take a step back and indulge in some self care on a budget, even if you are just learning how to budget.

Contrary to what you may think, it doesn’t come with a hefty price tag. Self-care isn’t about spending the day at the spa, getting expensive massages, or subscription boxes. 

Instead, it’s about taking care of yourself and developing healthy habits.

Even if you’re on a budget, there are plenty of free and low-cost ways to practice self-care.

Here are some of my favorites.

Self Care on a Budget

1.) Get some sleep

Sometimes all you need is a little extra sleep. Stress can zap all your energy, leaving you dragging your feet to get through your day.

Give yourself permission to take a nap. Or go to bed 30 minutes earlier than you usually would to give your body and mind time to rest. 

Part of taking care of myself and feeling pampered on a budget, is learning how to slow down at a night. I use a great meditation app called Headspace. You can listen to wonderful meditation music while you go to sleep! Another thing I like to use is a diffuser at bedtime. I love to diffuse lavender essential oils to make me relaxed and sleepy!

2.) Drink more water

Even mild dehydration can increase stress. Studies show that losing 1% to 3% of your body weight in water can affect your mood and make it harder to remember things.

Try to make drinking water part of your daily routine. Drink a glass in the morning when you wake up and before each meal.

Carrying a bottle of water with you while you’re at work or on the go can help you stay more hydrated, too.

3.) Take a walk

A simple way to relieve stress and anxiety is to take a walk. A short five to ten minutes is enough to get your blood flowing and improve your mental health.

There are so many free workout apps to use, check out how to workout for free.

If you have the option to go outside, check out a local park or hiking trail, or take a walk around your neighborhood. Breathing in the fresh air can calm your nerves. I like this water bottle, it helps you track how much water you need to drink during the day.

4.) Turn off your phone

A 2019 Screen Time Stats Report found the average person spends over three hours a day on their phone.

It’s a constant source of distraction that steals your peace of mind. Turn your phone off for an hour to give yourself a break.

The emails and Facebook messages will be there waiting for you. They’re not going anywhere.

5.) Learn a new dance routine

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to let go and have a little fun.

How about learning a new dance routine?

YouTube has a variety of dance tutorials perfect for beginners. If you like hip hop, line dancing, or belly dancing, take some time to lose yourself in the music.

6.) Write in a journal

Journaling is an excellent way to practice self-care. Grab a piece of paper, an old notebook, or open up a Google Doc on your laptop and start writing.

Record good memories and milestones to reflect on later. You can also write and track goals that matter to you to put yourself back in control of your self-care journey. 

7.) Practice financial self-care

Money can be an enormous source of stress. If you don’t know where your income is coming from or where your money is going, your sense of happiness and wellbeing can suffer.

Yes, even making a budget is self-care.

Don’t ignore your finances. Build a healthy money-mindset into your daily routine to improve your outlook and mood.

You might create goals to pay down debt and increase your savings or try out The Personal Finance Planner to get your financial life in order. 

8.) Do your own nails at home

I love getting my nails done, but it can cost me almost $100 per month. This year I learned how to do my own nails at home using an at-home dip powder.

It is really VERY easy to do at home and it saves me hundreds of dollars per year!

9.) Get rid of the clutter

Clutter is a source of stress and frustration for me. Sometimes just picking a stack of paper to sort through or a closet to organize is an excellent outlet for self-care.  I believe that clutter can steal your serenity, here is a post that I wrote about it here.

Just make sure you don’t take on more than you can reasonably manage. Aim to spend no more than an hour to declutter. Otherwise, it can feel like a chore.

10.) Connect with people you care about

When life gets busy, you might forget to connect with the people around you. Connecting with those you care about can go a long way toward your self-care.

You may not always have the option to catch up over a cup of coffee, but you can pick up the phone, email, or use FaceTime or Skype for a more personal connection.

Reaching out to others can strengthen your support system. It’s also a reminder that you are loved and valued.

Above all else, remember that your mental health matters. I encourage you to take some time for yourself. Let go of the busyness of life and think about what you can do to nurture yourself.

Try a few things on this list, and you could experience a profound improvement in your self-esteem and self-confidence.