My husband and I do this terrible (wonderful?) thing in our house… whenever either one of us does something awesome the other one invariably says ‘so what treat do you want?’. And it’s almost always food. It’s a treat from the store or it’s your favorite take out. And I’m not complaining about this per se – but it’s not really always the best habit, especially when you’re in your 30’s and trying to trim down. And let’s not even talk about the fact that after you have a good work out for some insane reason you feel like you should be allowed nachos… (or is this just me. It’s ok if it’s just me).
Food as a reward is so tempting – it’s delicious, it’s immediate, and it’s so satisfying. As humans we’ve celebrated with food since we’ve had enough extra to do so. So it’s really hard to reprogram yourself to be satisfied with something else, that said, I’m going to figure out how dammit!
So this post is for me and everyone else out there who needs some ideas for grown up rewards for when you’re doing amazing and know that you probably shouldn’t have that triple chocolate brownie…
(Each reward is between $5-$35 – about what a treat or take out for two would cost)
1. NEW NAIL POLISH ($5- $10)
The expensive sexy kind – like O.P.I. Not only is it a little ‘splurge’ but you can enjoy it right away. Go ahead and take the time to give yourself that perfect mini manicure.
2. A NEW BOOK ($5-$25)
Been eyeing a new cookbook? (Ok, that is probably counter-productive here) Or a new mystery? What about a how-to? For me it was this amazing hardcover copy of Guards! Guards! by my favorite author, Sir Terry Pratchett.
3. A NEW FACE MASK ($15-$35)
Sure, it’s not the same as a cheeseburger, but it will clear your pores while a cheeseburger…well, you know how that goes. Especially when you’re on a budget it may seem like an extravagance to pick up that pricey mask but especially if you use a coupon at The Body Shop, it’s no more expensive than that take out you were going to get…
4. RENT A MOVIE FROM REDBOX OR AMAZON PRIME ($2-$5)
If you have Amazon Prime, and you should because it’s awesome, you can rent movies from home without even having to drive to Redbox
5. GO OUT TO A MOVIE ($20-$30)
Step it up a notch and go out to a movie! Just don’t get the butter drenched popcorn because that’s cheating. Bonus points if you actually resist.
6. A MAKEUP SPLURGE ($8-$35)
Ok, face mask, nail polish, what are you, on a beauty bender? Yes, yes I am. I love my make up-y stuff. But I always feel bad buying a $25 lipstick. Which is what makes it a great reward.
7. NEW SHOES (if you go to DSW you can find a pair under $35)
I love my heels. They make me feel very sexy. And tall… because I am very very short.
8. A LONG BATH (free – $10)
If you buy yourself some bubble bath or a bath bomb you can up the price on this one. But chances are you have bath stuff lurking in your cabinets waiting to be used. Whether you have kids or not chances are you’re busy and feel like you don’t have time for baths. So reward yourself. Light some candles. Put on some music. Ban the husbands, kids, dogs, cats, whoever and relax.
9. HAIR MASK ($2 – $30)
For me the seductive allure of food is how good it feels to eat it (fat kid loves cake) so as I’ve worked on this list I’ve tried to focus on other feel-good sensations. If you’re like me, chances are your hair gets dry (thank you highlights, age, and the state of Texas and its boiling heat) and few things feel as amazing as nice soft hair. If you want to go the inexpensive route – hit the mini packets at Ulta. They are about $2 and I divide them into 3 treatments.
10. A NEW CANDLE ($8-$25)
Mama loves her some candles. Especially in the fall. Because pumpkins. Anyhow, Bath and Body works (when there is a sale) has some tolerably priced candles and of course there are the insanely expensive but amazing candles at Anthropologie. And burning roughly 8 hours that’s still way longer than picking up take out will last (avoiding off color jokes right here is very very hard).
11. A MASSAGE ($45-$60)
Yes, yes this one is cheating as it is over $35. But I’m going to assume, in this instance, that you were going to go out to dinner at a mid-range restaurant so it’s all good. Maybe this one celebrates a new job? Losing 20 lbs? Because you really really need one? All excellent reasons. I think the feel good principle here is self-explanatory.
12. YOU TIME (free)
Again whether you’re a mom or not chances are you time – real you time doesn’t always happen. Forget about the dishes, laundry, work assignments, family drama, you name it for a solid hour. One hour to do what you want with gusto. Read a book. Play Bejeweled…for an entire hour (you know you could). Go for a run. Finish a project. Reward yourself with a mini-vacation from responsibility. And, as a woman who was a single mom in law school, even if you think you can’t find an hour – you can. Dishes can wait.
13. FUN JEWELRY FROM CHARMING CHARLIE ($8-$15)
If you’ve never been Charming Charlie is a great place to get something fun and funky to accessorize with. I’m not a huge jewelry girl so I never really want to spend much money on it (I know, I know, I think I’m in the minority here).
14. A NEW SCARF ($20)
While they are not my favorite thing, a friend recommended this, and they are very chic.
15. FRESH FLOWERS ($5-$20)
If you are lucky enough to live where there is an HEB you can get great deals on flowers. And while I’m not really a flowers and chocolate kind of gal, they are beautiful. Especially when you can get a couple dozen roses for $20. If you put the food in and put them near sunlight they can last up to a week. I feel like they really brighten up a room.
16. OR FOR THAT MATTER A ROSE BUSH…OR OTHER PLANT TO YOUR LIKING ($25)
For our anniversary last year my husband got me a rose bush that we planted in our yard and this year, right around our anniversary it bloomed. I love it! I look at it every morning. You can get great deals on roses and other plants at Lowe’s and Home Depot. In fact we found a Redbud Tree for $24.95 about a month ago.
17. A NIGHT OUT PAINTING ($20)
Ok, so this is technically $20/person (Groupon deals for painting places are amazing lately) so if you’re going on a date it turns into $40…BUT if it’s a part of a girl’s night and everyone goes dutch – or you just want to go solo (no judging) it’s a deal. If you haven’t heard of it – there are places where you go take a class and paint along with the instructor. Check groupon though – seriously.
18. A NEW KITCHEN GADGET ($5-$35)
It may seem counter intuitive to suggest this, but if the goal is eating at home and being healthier (you know, by celebrating without the tiramisu) why not look in your kitchen and see what’s missing? Maybe you’ve wanted a garlic press so you can make your own marinara sauce. Or maybe you don’t even own measuring cups yet and now’s a good time to start. Especially if you are rewarding yourself for fitness, finding something to help you keep achieving is probably good. Just don’t buy a pastry bag… I feel like that’s cheating.
19. MUSIC ($.99 – up)
Well, since Grooveshark shut down last week (it was too good to last) say goodbye to free music on demand. (I’m still sad). Buy yourself some new songs for your ipad/pod/phone. Or buy yourself a soul-sucking game (like Bejeweled – see above in Free Time). Splurge in a nice tiny way.
20. A WONDERFUL CUP OF COFFEE OR TEA ($5-$7)
So this can blow up into a mess of calories thusly undermining the entire point of this post BUT it is totally possible to have a healthy cup o’ joe. I for one (and I surprised myself here) love espresso shots in unsweetened vanilla almond milk over ice. It’s a wonderful moment of zen. And if you’re REALLY feeling like you want have a sweet treat a skinny sugar-free vanilla latte is a very good alternative to a plate full of chocolate chip cookies.
I hope these helped! I will absolutely be referencing this list myself so I don’t ALWAYS celebrate with an amazing plate of nachos, jalepenos, and ranch. Probably 😉
Mama on Java 