5 Ways to Treat Yourself Sensibly
Ways to enjoy life without burning a hole in your pocket!
- Treating yourself is subjective, and everyone has a different definition.
- Treating yourself can seem frivolous and self-indulgent, but you cannot ignore the importance of rewarding yourself.
- Treating yourself is perfectly fine, provided you have budgeted for it and will be spending within your means.
Sticking to a strict routine can be challenging. Keeping the discipline to follow through on regimens can strain your mental health. Thus, it is essential to treat yourself from time to time for your mental wellness and emotional well-being. (You’re welcome!)
What It Means to Treat Yourself
Treating yourself can carry a variety of meanings. It can cost you the whole world or absolutely nothing at all. To some, it can mean treating themselves to a spa day. It can be a favourite dish or a perfect cup of coffee for others. To treat yourself means to do an activity that pleases you. Sometimes, you do it just for enjoyment. Take that ice cream out of the fridge, or catch up on that sleep debt. A long night’s sleep can do wonders for your well-being.
Treating yourself may seem like an indulgent strategy used to reward individuals who have not really earned it. This may be true. However, the fact that treats play an important role in intrinsic motivation cannot be disputed.
Establishing good habits can be difficult, so treating ourselves helps motivate us to stay on course to achieve our goals and aspirations. We feel energised, contented and even fulfilled. Treats can help boost our self-control and improve our decision-making abilities. More importantly, treats make the mundane and banal tasks worthwhile.
When Is It Meaningful to Indulge?
Treating yourself is usually an activity that is not part of your daily work routine. It is a reward for your hard work and effort. Treating yourself may lose its meaning if this activity becomes a frequent indulgence. By increasing the frequency of the indulgence, you risk rewarding yourself with unearned favour. You may not be able to reap its benefits as effectively as you used to.
There is no correct answer regarding how often you should indulge. It all depends on your lifestyle, preferences, income, budget, and long-term financial goals.
When you plan to treat yourself to that dream vacation or that swanky new set of wheels, these are some factors to consider. Treating yourself should mean something to you, and only you. It is a personal choice, one that no other should dictate for you.
How to Budget for Your Indulgences
Treating yourself does not have to cost a lot. Yet we often have to make some budgeting sacrifices to afford the treat when it does. Setting aside more funds for something expensive and dear may require you to work overtime or start a side hustle. Naturally, the more you sacrifice, the bigger your indulgence can be.
To budget for your treats, you should be setting your financial goals and prioritising the debts that are to be paid off first. Determining the ideal budget for yourself can be tricky. But you will uncover how much you are charged for your indulgences. With this knowledge, you will better understand your financial health and plan a tighter, more feasible budget. Some budgeting methods may be suitable for you. For starters, many adopt the 50/20/30 rule. It is an easy, straightforward way to manage your earnings, savings and expenses. You can modify it to suit your personalised needs.
Mental Accounting and Windfall Gains
All money is "fungible" (i.e. indistinguishable and interchangeable) because one dollar is worth the same as another regardless of where it came from or how it gets spent. Obviously!
However, Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler suggested that people don't treat money that way in real life, with money filed into different mental bank accounts ("Mental Accounting") for which different rules apply.
The money you receive tends to be thought of as either “regular income” or a “windfall gain” with people more likely to spend what they think of as windfall gains (e.g. tax rebates, lottery winnings, cashback schemes, money in the pocket of a winter coat, or even a work bonus) than regular income. People are more likely to spend it on luxury goods than essentials, like investments, bills and paying down debt!
Tips for Sensible Treats
With all that established and out of the way, here are some creative ways to treat yourself sensibly. You don’t have to stress over your finances while enjoying these treats!
1. Take a Free Trial Class at the Gym
Many gyms now offer the first lesson as a free trial. There are a plethora of classes to choose from. You can take a kickboxing class, dance to the beat of Zumba and even sweat it out in a Hot Yoga class. This is a great way to explore your interests and get fit as well!
2. Take a Walk in the Park
Another free activity not to be scoffed at. Taking a walk at the park can get you reacquainted with nature. Take a moment and bask in the warm sunshine. Listen to the sweet serenade of the birds and the rustling of the wind. Get home feeling recharged and ready to take on the next task.
3. Buy Yourself Something Modest
It is difficult to buy that luxury item you have had your eye on for months on a tight budget. Yet, there are many things you can still buy for yourself. The important thing here is to get yourself something nice to celebrate the small accomplishments. Purchase something that sparks joy for you.
4. Try Cooking Your Favourite Meal
Eating out can be pretty expensive. On the other hand, buying ingredients from your local supermarket and following an online recipe can be so much friendlier on your wallet. Cooking can be somewhat cathartic too. You never know how creative you can be while trying to be a chef.
5. Sleep In
Nothing will ever beat a good night’s sleep. Life can be exhausting without ample rest. Take that morning off, curl up under those covers and go to dreamland. Extra snooze time will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to go!
It may seem like a lot of hard work and effort to put in just to treat yourself. You will have to budget appropriately and maintain the discipline to follow your financial plan. The tips in this article are recommended to help you lower costs and make those sacrifices easier to endure. Do remember that it is perfectly fine to indulge. Just make sure you budget accordingly and spend within your means. Your financial health is essential but doesn’t compromise your mental wellness and emotional well-being too. Treat yourself. You deserve it!
TREATING YOURSELF SENSIBLY. COMPLETED. ✅
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