10 Cheap & Inexpensive Self Care Ideas Anyone Can Do

If you’re a student or a part-timer, you know it’s difficult to self care when you’re on a budget. That doesn’t mean you can’t though! There are plenty of cheap and inexpensive self care ideas to try.

Look at me for example. I’m just a university student with a debt and no way can I afford expensive things. But I can still find affordable and inexpensive ideas to self-care and that what matters.

What matters is that you can take care of yourself and make yourself happy no matter what financial income you have.

Mobile Phones are not INCLUDED in the “costly bills” as many people nowadays have a mobile phone. I mean, how are you even able to read this post if you don’t have a smart device?

So grab your mug of coffee or tea and let’s get right into it!

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Warm bath or shower

I’m pretty sure you have a shower or a bathtub, right? If you can read this blog post, then, of course, you gotta have one. Just a simple soak in the hot water is already enough to take away the workday stress.

It is proven that showers or baths help you relax and think more creativity because you’re not distracted from everyday life.

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Soaking in sunshine & nature

Who says you can’t buy the weather? Apparently, you can’t control the weather but go out on days where it is sunny.

We all need that natural way of getting Vitamin D into our system and apparently, the sun helps protect against inflammation, blood pressure, brain function, and muscles.

The sunshine releases the brain’s serotonin, to make you calmer and more focused. Plus, lowers depression and anxiety.

I must soak in the sun because I lack the nutrients and vitamins. And because I get depressed and gloomy easily during cloudy days, I’m happier and more relaxed during sunny days.

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Meditate or Yoga

I like to meditate daily after I journal every night. Meditating or doing Yoga helps calm your mind. If you do Yoga, then you’re getting the benefits of staying fit as well.

Staying still in a quiet spot for a few minutes or hours can reduce stress, depression, anxiety, and negative emotions.

I’m the type of person who gets really irritated and mad easily (yep, got the genes from my dad). Like any other human being, when I get mad, I most likely want to punch someone in the face even if they did nothing. That’s why meditation comes in handy for me so that I can focus on my emotions and control them.

You can find plenty of free guided meditations right on your YouTube app. I use a free app called “Let’s Meditate” to meditate every night.

And no, this app DOES NOT include monthly paid subscriptions! But if you want to support the creators, feel free to donate to them!

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Drink plenty of water

Have you been drinking water? Don’t neglect your health! Water is so important to our body to stay hydrated every day. We’re all made of 60% water and it’s a fact!

I know water bills cost and you might be thinking “umm but water does cost money!” Haha, you probably think that but there are cheat ways to getting free water.

At my local library, they have free water drinking fountains inside the library and outside the library. Maybe your local park had drinking fountains as well?

Journaling

You might be thinking “but girl, books, and journals are so damn expensive!” or “Isn’t the point of this post to not spend a single dime?”. This is only exceptional but there are journals that cost literally $2 – $5 in your dollar store.

But if you’re that type who doesn’t even want to spend a penny on a journal, then feel free to use an app called “SimpleNotes” just right on your phone. No paid features either.

As I said, I journal every single night starting from the 1st of Jan 2019 as a goal for 2019.

(Update July 2020: I’m currently on my 2nd journal for 2020! Daily journaling definitely helps and you should try it if you haven’t.)

Do you know why people record YouTube videos or write blog posts? Because it helps control emotions and put down negative thoughts and feelings.

Best of all, it even drains out those thoughts so that you have a clearer mind.

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Taking a walk

If you can’t afford arms, then you can’t afford your legs. Just kidding! You have legs or wheels. Use em. Even if you’re in a wheelchair or a clutch, you can still go out! I’ve seen plenty of people in wheelchairs go do their groceries. Don’t even think about making excuses.

You can go out for a stroll in the park or the neighbourhood, walk to the shops and look around, hike if you got the free time. You don’t need to pay to go outside. Soak in the fresh breeze and sunshine.

I like to take a walk around my neighbourhood on laps whenever the weather is good. The moment I come back after my exercise, I feel more awake and motivated. Not to forget that I’m sweating and out of breath.

It’s a good way to exercise, reduce heart disease and stroke. But also improve your bones and balance.

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Read a book

“Urgh, but I can’t afford to buy a book at the bookstore!” Please don’t make stupid comments like that. Have you heard of a library before? Yes, they let you borrow free books if you return that back.

Have you heard of free ebooks? You can literally go on BookBub to grab discounts and free book deals. Literally, download them right into your Amazon Kindle app. I finished the book “The Obituary Society” by Jessica L Randall on 7th Jan 2019. Now I’m currently reading “Confession of A Queen B” by Crista McHugh.

You can also listen to free podcasts if you’re not the type into reading books. I have a podcast app called Podcast Addict on Android where I listen to The Side Hustle Show and The Minimalists.

Decluttering

“But I hate cleaning!” You only hate it because you get overwhelmed with the mess or feel like it’s slavery. In fact, it’s better to declutter because it helps you less stress and anxiety over the clutter.

I’m not a huge OCD but I do think that organising and keeping a minimalistic space helps with being motivated and get a feel of self-confidence that you completed a task.

Another plus is that you don’t have to lose items that you’re trying to find and gives you a sense of relief once you’re done. Go try it out for yourself!

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Sleepy Naps

Now, who likes cat naps? I don’t usually take naps but only on days where I lack sleep is when I take 1-2-hour naps in the afternoon. Gain some missing sleep and become more energetic.

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The best part? You can literally sleep anywhere (like a cat). No need to afford a bed! Because you can nap in the car, on the ground or even in your mother’s couch.

Ok, but seriously, when I was little, I would take naps literally anywhere including car trips (to and from) and the couch.

Binge-watch YouTube

YouTube is free when it comes to videos. Anyone can watch videos and upload their creations on this site unless you purchase YouTube Red but Red is useless so don’t do that.

If you’re interested in binge-watching a series of vlogs, you go right ahead! There are tons of playlist if you filter it through the “playlist” while searching or going to your fav’s playlist creations.

The dramas on YouTube is entertaining. Love tea being spilled!

Conclusion

So like I said, you don’t have to spend money but you also don’t have to spend that much either. Try out these self-care tips if you’re on a budget or want to save money.

If you love new posts about self-care, productivity, blogging tips, and other lifestyle posts, then don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter where you can get notified in your email inbox on Fridays (Aussie time). Follow my social media accounts if you haven’t already!

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~ Ellen