Life is stressful and a hard-working girl can ALWAYS use some pampering.

[Tweet “Long hours at work & never ending responsibilities are not good excuses for not taking care of yourself.”]

Self-care is something you have to plan.  For women especially, it’s usually the first thing to go and the last thing you put back in your schedule & your budget.

[Tweet “You have to plan self-care & you also have to budget for it. @aidajingram”]

When life and priorities change though how can you get the luxuries you love and still stay within your budget.

As a mother and a wife, I needed to make sure that the self-care I desperately NEEDED didn’t fall through the cracks?  I had to find ways to make myself and my needs a priority so, I’m sharing my secrets with you.  Here are a few ideas to getting the pampering you need at prices that don’t make you run for the hills.

Whether it is a trip to the hair salon to keep your hair looking tight, the manicure and pedicure that make you smile, or that massage that helps the stress roll off your shoulders self-care is essential to your well being.  When these items didn’t fit comfortably in the budget I started looking for other options.

DIY Pampering Day….

There are some really great products on the market that make DIY pampering days an option.  Grab a few friends and some great food and you have a party in a bag.  They can be fun and exciting so do your homework and consider them as a great in between, if you want to scale back.

DIY days are great, but they mean that you forgo some of the relaxation and rest that come with having someone else do it for you.  I knew that I still wanted to indulge even if it was just every once in a while so, I had to find creative ways to make the things I loved more affordable.

Look for Specials

Another great way to treat yourself is to look for brand new places, family and friends discounts.  When new places are opening up they are looking for customers.  In exchange for your business they will offer some amazing specials.  Look around and ask around and see what you find.  These are only short term fixes, but they work.  I also asked my friends where they went sometimes they offer friends and family discounts or some type of referral discount that will help both you and your friend.

Look on-line….

I tried something unexpected, Groupon.  A quick search on the web revealed some great options and I thought to myself what did I really have to lose.

I was surprised to find out that Groupon had such a wide selection.. everything from deeply discounted massages, discounts at hair and nail salons and special offers that would definitely help me stretch my budget.  They even had exercise classes, one of my friends found her favorite Hot Yoga class on Groupon.

Spas that I paid full price to visit months before were offering Groupons at almost half of the price. I could of kicked myself thinking about the money that I could of saved.  The ratings that people left made it easier for me to decide if the place offering the Groupon was actually some place I wanted to visit.  Since most of the locations were established I also had the options of checking places like Yelp, Google, and then I asked friends and acquaintances about their experiences.

At the end of the day, Groupon was a great place to find inexpensive options.  It allows me to treat myself, without killing my budget.  It also helps me plan things out in advance.  I can buy the Groupon now and use it later.