13 Ways To Pamper Yourself on a Budget

You work hard. You save money. You do the right thing. So it’s important to treat yourself too. Don’t you deserve to pamper yourself?

Making sure to pamper yourself and take care of yourself is one of the most important things to reduce stress.

Consider this: More than 75% of visits to primary-care physicians are for stress-related problems, and more than 89% of adults describe themselves as experiencing “high levels of stress.”

Since doctor visits and the resulting treatments are costly (especially in the US), it is in your best financial interest to pamper yourself and get the stress levels down!

All kidding aside, stress is a major killer, and if it gets out of hand, it can cause a host of health problems and mental problems that we should all avoid. So pamper yourself and make sure that you keep your stress levels down.

I am a big proponent of self-care and filling your empty cup, but there is a difference between taking care of yourself and pampering yourself.

However, if you do not have a budget for those things, then rest assured that there are plenty of ways to pamper yourself on a budget.

If you can, budget money every month for your self-care or pampering, and use that money to treat yourself to some of these budget-friendly ways to pamper yourself!

Here are some pampering ideas for the thrifty spender. Looking and feeling great doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Get Your Beauty Sleep

Portrait of a happy pretty girl dressed in pajamas holding pillow and looking at camera isolated over pink background.
Image Credit: Dean Drobot/Shutterstock.

A good night’s sleep is essential to keep your body refreshed, rested, and well-pampered. So make your bedroom an oasis that allows you to sleep. If your budget allows, buy some lovely linen or pillows to make your bed perfect for you.

Even if you don’t have any money, you can still make sure to keep your mattress clean (no piled up laundry!) and keep electronics away from your bed to promote a better night’s sleep. If you love fresh linen, strip your bed as soon as you wake up and put it immediately in the wash. Then, you can take your freshly laundered linen and put it right back on your bed before bedtime (you don’t need to spend time folding it!)

Have a Spa Day

woman in pink towel making turban on head after spa
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One of the best ways to pamper yourself and a great way to relax your body and mind is to give yourself a nice spa treatment.

You may not be able to afford an actual spa, but you can take a night and have a spa night in your own home. Remember, pampering yourself is not lazy- it’s important.

So leave the dishes in the sink and get down to the very serious self-care business. Use some DIY products to mimic a spa scene. Give yourself a facial, manicure, and pedicure, and use some fun products.  Light some candles, drink some lemon water, put cucumbers on your eyes and enjoy the spa!

Take a Bath

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Is there anything more lovely than taking a bath? For an ultimate pampering experience, light some candles, grab a glass of chilled wine, and turn on some calming music. Then, buy bath salts or bombs (or make your own) and relax in a great bubble bath.

Make Your Own Bath Salts and Scrubs

Cute bearded man taking bath with head wrapped in towel and cucumber slices on his eyes. Funny hipster relaxing in foamy bathtub and enjoying life. SPA at home.
Image Credit: Volodymyr Zakharov/Shutterstock.

You may not have time for a spa night or a bath, but you can pamper yourself every time you jump in the shower by using delicious bath salts and scrubs with scents and textures you enjoy.

Making your own sugar and salt scrub is easy and cheap, and you can customize it exactly the way you want. So enjoy peppermint, coffee, lavender, or eucalyptus? Any scent you want can be in your next body scrub.

Buy Fresh Flowers

Woman holding bouquet of tulips flowers
Image Credit: Voyagerix
Via DepositPhotos.com.

Is there anything more lovely than a bouquet of fresh flowers? Please don’t wait for a special occasion or for someone to buy them for you. Instead, on your next grocery run, pick up some fresh flowers and put them anywhere you want in your home. Flowers are for everyone.

You can also buy some small houseplants and put them anywhere you want in your home: your bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, or basement- plants can go anywhere you want and will give you a burst of joy each time you walk into the room.

Eat a Good Meal

Pancakes with berries and maple syrup
Image Credit: foodstck/Shutterstock.

Especially if your regular diet involves a microwave or someone’s leftovers, take the time to make a meal that you love and enjoy. Moms sometimes get in the rut of cooking meals that everyone will enjoy instead of a meal that they will enjoy.

Every so often, make a meal that you want. Even if the recipe calls for ingredients you don’t have in the house or takes a long time to prepare, make the meal. You deserve it!

Splash on Some Perfume

Perfume bottle woman spray aroma. Woman holding a perfumes bottle.
Image Credit: Body Stock/Shutterstock.

Perfume isn’t for special occasions anymore! Instead, grab a splash of perfume or body spray every time you want to feel good. Don’t wait for special events to smell good- pamper yourself now!

Make Your Space Beautiful

Modern summer still life photo. Beige ball shaped vase with green olive tree branch in sunlight with long shadows.
Image Credit: TabitaZn/Shutterstock.

Whether you live in a house, an apartment, or a small room in someone else house- make your space beautiful. Decorating will be more difficult if you have a tight budget, but you can find pretty pictures, picture frames, and curtains in Dollar Tree, Walmart, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx stores.

A little savvy shopping can help you create a beautiful space fit for a princess. Buy fresh flowers and plants and place them where it will make you happy to see them.

Make Your Space Smell Good

Essential Oil Aromatherapy. Nose Inhales Aroma Smell.
Image Credit: Andrey_Popov/shutterstock.

You can also make sure your space smells beautiful by buying diffusers, essential oils, or other good-smelling products. For example, eucalyptus leaves are cheap, and you can hang them in your shower for a genuinely delicious smell.

Get a Massage

Young couple receiving head massage at beauty spa
Image Credit: /Shutterstock.

A massage is the ultimate pampering experience! Studies show massage lowers the stress hormone cortisol by up to 30 percent. If you can make room in the budget, treat yourself to a massage and get some serious relaxation in.

If you can’t afford a professional massage, guilt your partner or friend into giving you one. Single? Buy a massage gun and give yourself the massage you deserve.

Do Some Serious Chilling

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All of these “pamper yourself” ideas are a lot of work! So don’t forget to set yourself up for some serious chilling. Instead, grab your favorite snack, candy, or treat and settle down for a few hours of whatever you want.

Read a book you love, watch a movie, catch up on a TV show, or just scroll through your phone. Give yourself the gift of time!

Surround Yourself With Nature

Profile of a relaxed woman breathing fresh air in a green forest feeling financial abundance.
Image Credit: Pheelings media/Shutterstock.

Nature is all around us, and we deserve to be able to enjoy nature. I try to bring nature into my home with flowers and plants, but we can experience even more nature if we try. Build a bird feeder or a birdhouse to attract some wildlife into your corner of the world.

Leave the world behind and go on a nature walk. You don’t need to take an actual hike if you don’t enjoy it- just go and enjoy the flowers and the leaves and the water.

Pamper Yourself With Music

Country music festival live concert with acoustic guitar, cowboy hat and boots background
Image Credit: Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock.

Let’s end with a straightforward and cheap way to pamper yourself. Curate a music list that has all the music that you love.

Make playlists for all your daily activities (getting up in the morning, driving, shopping, walking, cooking, and working) and have a soundtrack for your life of all the music you absolutely love.

 

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Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.