How to Reward Yourself Without Spending More Money, According to Reddit
When you are working towards a major financial goal, such as paying off debt or saving up a decent amount, the general advice is to break that important milestone into smaller goals . And every time you achieve a lesser goal, you celebrate a small reward to keep you motivated to work on the next segment.
But rewarding yourself for good financial behavior can be confusing. If you’re trying to save money, don’t you waste your money on waste? You may even feel guilty about celebrating your progress at all, simply because you feel like every dollar is locked up.
But you don’t need to spend a lot of money to celebrate your financial accomplishments. A recent conversation on Reddit’s r / Frugal asked how people reward themselves by not buying “stuff.” While the discussion was not specifically about achieving financial goals, it did come up with some compelling ideas on how to celebrate your financial victories without spending a ton of money.
Cheap excursion
“Go where you’ve never been, such as a part or significant urban area,” recommended fcknhippies . Chances are this monument, historic site, or park doesn’t even have an admission fee.
Light food
It sounds silly, but I always keep Trader Joe’s fancy frozen pizza in the freezer to reward her for living for a week, “commented InternalCranberry . “That way, when I get everything I want for the week, I can have fun, and if the week is hell and I get through it, I can celebrate. I usually drink it with a pint of my favorite stout and play some crappy 80s tunes to make me feel like I’m on a local watering lawn. ”
I am always in favor of eating pizza there when I need it.
Latte damn it
“Sit in a cafe for an hour reading a good library book and sipping a latte,” said mrs_aitch . Sounds perfect, to be honest.
Absolutely nothing
“I give myself a day of doing nothing,” said Rita Albertson . “I can sit at home in my pajamas all day and watch movies or read books (all from my local library) and I don’t allow myself to feel bad about not cleaning, washing, or preparing real food for myself instead. to graze. … “
Modest upgrade
108beads recommended an upgrade to the experience you were going to pay for anyway. Planning to make burgers for dinner? Switch over and make a steak. Heading to the car wash? Get a luxury package.
Sure, you spend more, but probably only for a few dollars.
Deep soak
“I love having a spa night at home with a beautiful face mask, bathtub, bath bombs , bubbles, and more,” said PradaPharoah . “It’s a great night, I turn off my phone and he focuses on taking care of himself and enjoying his own company, not buying shit. Sometimes I buy masks, that’s all. “
“I reward myself with a bubble bath and whatever sweets I kept in the freezer,” said nibbler5ad4 . “Cheap and good for my mental health!”
Favorite album
“For someone deeply in love with certain music, a wonderful evening is a continuous album or two and a glass of special wine,” said sinspots . Bonus points if you already have a bottle of this special wine and are waiting for the right opportunity.
I prefer to keep cinema gift cards for special occasions, for which I am honored, for the ultimate big screen viewing experience. What free or near-free rewards would you add to this list?