How to Cheer Yourself Up… On a Budget!

I find sometimes that when you get down and you’re broke… you just kind of stay down. All of the things that I usually associate with cheering up (going out for dinner with a friend, getting a pedicure, making myself a nice meal, going to a movie, taking an exercise class…) tend to cost a decent amount of money. Especially if you’re like me, where you haven’t taken a “holiday” (Europe 2009!) in years and tend to work a lot of your days off from work… having some ways to cheer yourself up on the cheap is really nice.

Go for a run- I have to confess, I actually don’t like running. At. All. I do love that all I need is my running shoes and some tunes and I can rage run out whatever I’m feeling. There’s science behind this, as Elle Woods famously told us… exercising creates an endorphin response in our body that makes us happier humans. Ok, she may not have said it like that but you know what I mean. I love this trail by my parents house because it’s so beautiful, but to be honest I never made good enough use of it when I lived there. Now, I just run the neighborhood by my house.
Go visit family, or friends- This one is my favorite! My family means a lot to me and they never fail to cheer me up. Just having some time with them, doing normal things, puts my life back in perspective. I also have some friends that cheer me up instantly, that I’ve had by my side in some cases for over a decade. Be with people who make you feel like the best you. In college, when I was sad, I would go up to the top floor of the parkade and look out over the city with friends and we would talk for hours.
Clean something! This seems ridiculous but cleaning makes me feel like I’ve completed something. Frustration goes away because you have that feeling of accomplishment. Next time you’re down in the dumps… clean your kitchen.
Pamper yourself- this seems so simple but spend some time just loving on yourself. I love to have a good old pamper night in where I put on a face mask, a hair mask, do my nails and paint my toes and just do a little me-me-me time.
Go somewhere you haven’t gone before (or just love)! I love to walk downtown by my work on my lunches if I’m having a bummer day. There’s so many coffee shops, specialty stores, beautiful views of downtown and places to see. I also love to walk 124th Street when I have more time, there are some truly awesome shops to see and great places to stop in for a quick (and affordable, I promise) coffee or drink. If you go on a Thursday evening, there’s a farmers market and usually a local restaurant called Smokehouse BBQ has someone playing music, so you can grab a pint of Alley Kat Main Squeeze and enjoy.