IDONTMIND's guide to self-care on a budget

feel your best without breaking the bank

By Dineka Ringling

(Brandy Kennedy / Unsplash)

Self-care is all over social media these days. A quick scroll through Instagram or TikTok will get you at least a few targeted ads and sponsored influencer posts claiming a certain product or app is the holy grail of self-care. It can be tempting to spend a ton of money on the latest and greatest bath bombs, gym equipment, and journals, but doing that can leave your bank account reeling. 

 It’s easy to get the impression that self-care is nothing more than buying yourself fun things, but what is it really? At its core, self-care is the act of doing things that help you feel good and maintain your well-being. So yes, that can include buying items that’ll help you improve your mental or physical health, but there are a ton of ways to practice self-care while keeping a budget in mind. Let’s dive into the best ways to practice self-care without breaking the bank. 

Meditation

You’ve probably heard the hype about meditation — your grandma might even be touting the health benefits by now. Meditation can reduce stress, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and increase mental well-being, among a ton of other benefits. Meditation itself is free and requires no tools, but you might enjoy guided meditation practices to help you figure out how to get started. There are a bunch of effective meditation apps out there, but a lot of them require signing up for a paid subscription. Before you subscribe to paid meditation apps, download the UCLA Mindful App (Available on Apple or Android) from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. They have a variety of different guided meditations in 14 languages, as well as instructional videos about supportive meditation postures and the science of mindfulness. If you don’t want to download another app, you can use YouTube as a resource for free guided meditation and mindfulness practices, starting with this free daily 10-minute meditation from Calm. 

Exercise

No self-care list could be complete without mentioning moving your body! Exercise is an integral part of self-care and has been shown to improve mental health by reducing anxiety and depression, as well as helping to improve self-esteem and cognitive function. You can skip the gym though — there are plenty of ways to get your move on without paying for an expensive membership. As with meditation, YouTube can be your best friend for at-home workouts. Yoga With Adriene is loved by millions and provides a ton of delightful yoga practices that can be done in a variety of settings. 

Want to leave the house to exercise? The city you live in might have free exercise equipment along a walking path or in a park. A quick Google search for “park exercise equipment near me” should tell you where the nearest location is. These areas usually have everything you need to get a full body workout and are always free to use, plus you get the added benefit of being outside while doing it.

Find community

Having a community of friends and acquaintances is hugely important in maintaining your mental health and is a key part of a good self-care routine. The United States is currently experiencing a loneliness epidemic, and the Surgeon General says that lacking connection can be as bad for your health as if you were to smoke cigarettes daily. But what can be done about it? With everyone having such busy schedules, it can be hard to find time to connect with friends and family. That’s where technology comes in. There are a variety of platforms where groups of people find each other and plan group events, like Facebook Groups and MeetUp. Whatever your interests are, from video games to hiking to crafting, there’s probably a local group of people who are into the same things. Another great source of local clubs and events is your local library. Most libraries host a variety of clubs and events that have nothing to do with books, and they can be a great way to meet other like-minded people in the area.

Lastly, you can volunteer! When you volunteer to help causes you really care about, you’re surrounding yourself with other people who share your interests and care about helping their community, and that can increase your sense of community in turn. Not only that, but helping other people can help your mental health too, while providing a sense of purpose, reducing stress, and increasing overall happiness levels. You can find local volunteer opportunities by contacting your city government or by using a website like Volunteer Match. 

Create

Drawing, writing, playing music, and other creative forms of self-expression have been shown to help people manage negative emotions and process traumatic situations. Incorporating some kind of creativity into your life is a must-have for any good self-care routine, but what should you do if you don’t want to spend a ton of money on craft supplies at Michael’s? In this situation, it’s important to use what you have on hand. All you need is a scrap of paper and a pen or pencil to get started writing and drawing. Look around your home and see if you have any old magazines to make collages, or chalk to make sidewalk art. The possibilities are truly endless, and there are countless YouTube tutorials to teach you any art style of your choosing. 

Learn

Learning can have amazing mental health benefits! Studies have shown that learning throughout your life can increase self‐esteem and confidence, as well as increase your sense of purpose and hope. There is one caveat though - the studies found that you’re more likely to receive these positive benefits if you’re learning about something that interests you. While going to school can be prohibitively expensive, there are a ton of free resources you can use to learn anything you’re interested in. Harvard University has a huge library of free courses where you can learn about anything from computer science to the history of modern astrology, and Duolingo will teach you any language you want to learn (and they just added math and music courses!).

As with building community, your local library can be a huge help here. Of course, you can check out eBooks, audiobooks, and physical books that interest you, but a lot of libraries give you access to even more online learning, like the lecture platform The Great Courses. All you need is a library card and an internet connection! 

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At the end of the day, a good self-care routine is one that feels good to you and genuinely helps you feel your best. There’s nothing wrong with buying some art supplies or a gym membership if you have room in your budget for it, but it’s important not to go overboard. Making financially responsible decisions is self-care too, and it’s easy to keep your self-care routine within budget if you explore the amazing free resources out there.