Top 10 Self-Care Tips for Frugal Budgeters

Budgeting and being frugal isn't easy. I've read too many blog posts lately that say things like "If you fall off the wagon, get right back on and vow to DO BETTER" (subtext: "you're such a moron, I can't believe you bought the expensive ice-cream just because it tastes better."). So I decided to make a list in which we, the frugal, could continue to be frugal while taking care of ourselves....

Top 10 Self-Care Tips for Frugal Budgeters

1. Soak in that tub that you cleaned with vinegar and baking soda before you have to bail out all the grey water so your family can flush the toilets or water the garden. 
2. When turning off lights and closing doors to rooms you're not using, remember you can close the door (& lock it) from the inside.
3. Now that you're not buying and drinking soda, learn to love Vodka with a splash of water (so much healthier for you).
4. Go ahead, take a nap before washing those sheets with your homemade laundry detergent and then line drying them. 
5. When removing the dried sheets from the clothesline, wrap yourself in them like a cocoon and tell your family you can't emerge for another 7 hours. (Bonus: if you're homeschooling your kids, you can pawn this off as their daily science lesson.) Alternatively, make a fort out of the sheets and don't let anyone in. You can write a sign on a piece of recycled paper that says "keep out" and clip it to the fort opening with an up-cycled binder clip.
6. Making a quadruple batch of spaghetti sauce for your monthly freezer meals? Your family will never miss the fact that there was supposed to be red wine in the recipe. Cheers!
7. While you're mending and repurposing all of your family's clothes, why not make yourself something really special with the scraps? Like a bug-out bag.
8. Write a note to your family on the back of a piece of used paper—your "keep out" sign for instance—telling them you're at the spa this weekend (and let them know that there's plenty of spaghetti sauce in the freezer).
9. Homeschool your kids? Teach them to tie knots in that Dollar Store rope, then give them the pattern for a rope hammock. They pass if you're able to comfortably take a two hour nap in it.
10. Use your reusable water bottle to cart around your new favorite drink, Vodka & water. Add a squirt of lemon to up the alkalinity for a healthier you.