Cheap ways to cheer yourself up?

[My English Castle]

I think for most of us, saving money can sometimes mean self denial.
I'd like to hear people's strategies for keeping themselves financially on track and still feeling cheerful and not deprived.
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[Staceyy]

I give myself lots of inexpensive treats. I give myself manicures, pedicures and facials. I treat myself to afternoon tea with homemade gourmet desserts. I make homemade sugar scrubs and salt scrubs. I go to the $1.00 theatre to see fairly recent movies. I take car trips instead of plane trips. I trade books and send for lots of free magazine subscriptions. In the winter I like to light a fire in the fireplace, wrap myself in an afghan and read a book while sipping hot chocolate. In the summer, I like to barbeque. I like to take hot bubble baths with scented candles while listening to CD's and sipping wine. I like to send for internet freebies and do the drugstore rebates to get lots of free products.

[PrincessPerky]

I have a steady rule that unless I can't pay the bill, I get to take a HOT shower..not to terribly long, but long enough to get done what I want.

I also use a homemade sugar scrub I aim for twice a week, but whenever it is a nice treat (for the cost of sugar and oil)

also for entertainment we like to go to the local nature center (small but free) and walk in the park (has playground stuff if you have kids) Today we added cleaning up a bit..kinda annoyed at the amount of garbage we found...

Friends are another cheap fix. I gave up on spending much for them...I just let it be known my house was BYOB (bring your own beverage) and provided cheap snacks (apples, cheese, or homemade muffins) A deck of cards provides games for 2-6..a set of 5 dice can be 'ship captain and crew' for one or more.

And family if they are understanding can be great for a meal..bring whatever is cheap and you are good at (veggie dip, baked goods, whatever) and enjoy a meal not cooked by you for only the effort of making something you like to make.

Libraries for me are great places to go, especially if I have the time, I can get lost in them...and happens to always have air and heat around here, free comfort!

[willowstudios]

Make some popcorn and watch a good old black and white movie.

Think about how some people are down and out...and how lucky you are.

Call an old friend and ask how they've been doing.

Take a look at some old photos you haven't looked at in years.

Go lay in bed and relax with soft music and close your eyes.

[kilcher]

Saving money can be hard at first but eventually you'll reach the point where that alone will cheer you up. It's addictive, just stick with it.

[seo2020]

I feel empowered when I can walk into a store and only get the things I need avoiding everything else.

There is huge savings in that over time.

[Broken Arrow]

Well, although I don't do this but probably should, I also endorse the idea of setting aside a small percentage of each paycheck to spend on oneself. Say, maybe 2 to 5%, depending on what you can swing.

Convert the amount into cash, put it in your pocket, and that's all you can use until you get paid again.

[sweeps]

Setting a budget can actually be pretty liberating. If you've set aside let's say $200 for entertainment, you don't have to feel guilty at all when you spend that money and you can actually enjoy your leisure time.

[fairy74]

I follow the all your worth 50-30-20 plan, so 20% of our income is discretionary and we can blow it on whatever....it is enormously liberating and we actually spend less than we did before...

[Aleta]

fairy74: I also like ALL YOUR WORTH. There is so much common sense to it. The main thing that people like us have to realize is that even though we are striving to be out of debt, budget wisely, save money, and find good sales, that that's not an end unto itself.

Robbing yourself of some goal is meaningless. I think getting out of debt allows you to prioritize what is important to you TODAY not just TOMORROW. What is it going to help you to get out of debt and constantly deny yourself. I think that most of us are here because we wanted tomorrow now. Those that have their saving priorities in check can afford to do some things that they weren't able to do before because of debt.

[Ima saver]

Aleta, I think you are right. I still enjoy sitting out on the deck, watching the creek go by, looking for fireflies. I don't have to spend money to enjoy myself. However, I spend many many years saving up so that I can enjoy going out to dinner in the evening without guilt.

[Aleta]

Ima: Again to you. I applaud your choices because you paid the price to be where you are today. The great story here is that you still enjoy the simplicities that most take for granted. Kudos to you Ima!

[Pupart]

If it's Saturday, go to some yard sales.. they are a cheer -er -upper!

[Fern]

That is a thoughtful question.

Like Julie said, you don't necessarily have to spend lots of $$ to feel happy, but i know what you mean.

Some of my favorite, low-cost things to do include:
borrwing videos from the library
the $2 movie theater here in town
taking a walk
gardening
a cup of tea with honey
baking/cooking
spending all day with the Sunday paper

[Ima saver]

I think it is great just to sit outside at night with a cocktail and talk and talk to your dh. Watch the stars sparkle in the sky and enjoy each other's company. That is what we do many evenings!

[Caoineag]

Hmmm...well, I like walks. I think they are a great way to destress. Almost all exercise is a great way to destress.

I also use my grocery savings as a game that I play which strangely enough makes me happy. The rest of my debt repayment can hit snags and can get derailed but the grocery thing restarts every month so no matter how bad I was one time, the next time I can do better. I have actually gotten less demoralized while doing this then before I turned buying groceries into a game.

I know, I am weird. I have made peace with that.

[Ima saver]

Well, I don't think you are weird at all. I never feel the need to cheer myself up by shopping!! Being on this forum with like minded people is fun and doesn't cost a lot of money.

[poundwise]

I get a little cheer from buying a couple or three new songs online. I enjoy music and at .88 or .99 each, its a cheap way to find a smile sometimes.

[QuadSquadMom]

One of our favorite cheap things to do is to go to this place within 3 miles of our house for the evening out for date night.

It's a newly-developed "planned community" where they have high-end shopping, restaurants, condos, a Marriott hotel, and a beautiful "loop", a round, landscaped park with a giant pond w/fountain in the center; all with free parking. It's quite the "hot spot" on Fri & Sat evenings! At the holidays, they put up a giant tree at the park and go all-out on decor, which makes for photo opportunities & they have horse-drawn carriage rides around the park.

We have gone over there just for the walk around the loop; sometimes we take one of the pups along.

One night we went for dessert at an exclusive restaurant after having dinner at home (all the ambiance, a nice time out & a cost-controlled outing!). Once we enjoyed a picnic on the lawn there. Lots of friendly people out with kids, dogs & friends.

I took our 2 year old niece over there and did a photo shoot of her with there great landscape as backdrop one sunny afternoon. Fabulous!!

Neat place, close by & free scenery ! Can you tell it's a place that makes me feel good??!

Oh, and did I mention that one of the shops there is a chocolate store?

[marvholly]

I budget/use $x/month to "blow"on anything I want-meals out, entertainment......It is amazing how little I actually end up using. I could afford more.

i put away $ every week from my personal expense allotment (covers gas, clothes, work gifts, work purchases to treat myself to manicures and/or pedicures every so often.

Current cheap cheerer: Breakfast out (Decadent)
Local Wendy's have just started to do breakfast. Coupons in local papers for started mid-Sept and good to at least mid-Nov. Get free breakfast sandwich w/ ANY purchase (value menu has $1 muffin, hash browns, sandwich)
Dunkin donuts also runs coupons for some breakfast stuff that is inexpensive.