Rewards on a budget

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  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
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    maybe a Weeknight rest/movie night at home. rent from red box for a couple bucks.

    nail polish and a home pedicure or another beauty product under $10.

    a healthy food splurge. Like berries if you don't normally buy them or steak fajita night instead of ground beef or chicken if you enjoy meat.

    Good Luck with your weight loss
  • HealthyFocused715
    HealthyFocused715 Posts: 340 Member
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    On days that I workout, I get to use my special "good job, you worked out today!" body wash. Other days, I just use my regular bar of soap. It's not expensive or anything, just different!! Seems silly but at least let's me recognize that I did something good for me today!

    Love the scrapbooking idea!
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
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    I haven't operated on a reward system, but since I needed new clothes anyways from losing I guess that could be called a reward. Or just avoiding indecent exposure.

    Maybe something like nail polish or a hair accessory would work if you need a reward. There are cheap and useful things out there. Put that extra dollar towards a food item at the store you couldn't afford but wanted (like a new brand of protein bars or some extra fruit). Darn groceries are expensive, so get something you always put off getting because it's too expensive.

    Or just enjoy the fruits of your labor and appreciate how you feel. That has worked for me well enough...and I have been broker than broke throughout my weight loss story.
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
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    A $5-10 "shopping spree" at a 99 cent store is fun. Spend a couple extra dollars on some fruit or health food that you wouldn't normally splurge on (I usually only buy stuff on sale or in season, but will splurge on a more expensive mango or something as a treat now and then). Go for a walk somewhere special or do something free but fitness related. Look in your local newspaper or google free local events that you can attend. Make yourself a bath with candles and pamper yourself at home.
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
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    Truthfully? I don't get the "rewards" thing. My "reward" is looking marvelous and feeling fantastic and the prospect of living long enough to see great great grandchildren.

    I don't need a freaking pair of shoes or an ice cream sundae as well.

    I'm glad you're satisfied with that. I've got a long way to go before I'll feel like I look marvelous or feel fantastic, so I want something to help me along the way as motivation. I don't really have anybody cheering me on from the sidelines, aside from my 11 and 12 year old kids, and they don't really "get" it.

    And, if you read any of my responses, you'd have seen that I don't want an ice cream sundae, and while shoes had not been mentioned, I'm pretty sure my subject line made it clear that I can't afford to buy myself new shoes "just because". Carry on in your life, and I (and those who have responded positively to me) will carry on in ours.
    Well.... I have over 100 pounds to lose and I am in the same spot as the person who was "negative" I don't require rewards. I am by myself, I do not even have a kid to cheer for me, I am in this all alone and I don't mind. My reward is going to the doctor and getting a high five for having all the numbers that were pushing me into medication territory come back as perfect.

    My other reward is feeling like a million bucks. Do I look the way I want? Nope, and I probably never will but when I wake up in the morning and get my *kitten* to the gym and have to up my weights, or am able to walk/run a little faster its a bigger reward. Do you reward your kids for every A they get? or if they behave or do something they just should be doing? If you are doing this for nothing other than yourself the reward should be something that isn't materialistic. But that is just my opinion.
  • calypsoca
    calypsoca Posts: 23 Member
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    If you are doing this for nothing other than yourself the reward should be something that isn't materialistic. But that is just my opinion.

    This was pretty much the point of my post - I can't afford, and therefore don't want, something materialistic. I can't afford a gym membership, thus can't make PB's in that regard. I wasn't meaning to say that the other poster was being negative, but rather that she wasn't posting in the spirit of how I intended this topic. I understand that rewards are different for everyone, but c'mon...everyone has them - you said yourself what your rewards are, even if you never thought of them as such. I don't *need* a reward. I *want* one, because I have nobody around who will tell me that they've noticed I've lost weight, nobody around to see what I've been doing. As I said, the kids don't "get" it. They see me weighing and measuring and tracking and all that, but they don't understand why. To them, obese is not a concept that exists in their world. There's little, big, and bigger.

    I just want something *for myself* to say, hey, good job, keep it up. So thanks to the folks who offered ideas. I'm starting on the scrapbook now (took my before pics last month, 2 months into this), and will figure out a budget for the piggy bank idea between now and when I get paid again.
  • NerdyAdventurer
    NerdyAdventurer Posts: 166 Member
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    What about celebrate by doing something nice for someone else? I believe you mentioned that you have your days to yourself, so why not celebrate by helping out at a charity of some kind. spend an afternoon at a soup kitchen, help out at your local Salvation Army, donate blood, walk shelter dogs. You'd feel good after as well, which helps helps in the whole happy cycle of loving yourself and what not.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
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    i agree with those who said the intrinsic reward is enough.

    when i hit a goal weight, or a bf%, or a new deadlift, or a quicker mile time, i high-five myself, hear cheering in my head, and move on with my life.

    keep truckin.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    I think you should reward yourself with a trip to Golden Corral.
  • metalgirl4
    metalgirl4 Posts: 31 Member
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    For those who don't feel they don't need or want a reward well that's awesome and, this topic obviously isn't for you so ya know keep truckin.
    Anyway, I have the jars and rocks and it only cost a few bucks to do but it isn't all that grand except for the visual effect which is kinda cool. I think doing at home mani/pedis would be great since you have your days to yourself. Or like someone else mentioned donating your time or go somewhere it doesn't cost money to visit, the park or gardens? Also if you can afford a few bucks a month to put back then save that money for something big? I have big rewards I'm saving for, a new pair of shoes and a new pair of boots. Thrift stores is also a good idea, it's what I plan to do until I get to the weight/size I want. If you plan to save for several months you could have a fabulous shopping spree that way. :-)
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
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    For those who don't feel they don't need or want a reward well that's awesome and, this topic obviously isn't for you so ya know keep truckin.
    Anyway, I have the jars and rocks and it only cost a few bucks to do but it isn't all that grand except for the visual effect which is kinda cool. I think doing at home mani/pedis would be great since you have your days to yourself. Or like someone else mentioned donating your time or go somewhere it doesn't cost money to visit, the park or gardens? Also if you can afford a few bucks a month to put back then save that money for something big? I have big rewards I'm saving for, a new pair of shoes and a new pair of boots. Thrift stores is also a good idea, it's what I plan to do until I get to the weight/size I want. If you plan to save for several months you could have a fabulous shopping spree that way. :-)

    I think my best reward in this process was buying clothes (just a few outfits because my budget was tight too) at the thrift store that fit just right and donating the clothes that were too big with each size change.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Also, if you're into clothing related rewards...it could even be clearance or thrift store items.

    When I get down to a small enough size, I will definitely be thrift shopping. Still have to shop in the big girl stores for now, though, and the thrift stores around here don't carry much in the bigger sizes. Thanks!

    Aww that's terrible...and I am really surprised. Thrift stores I visit these days (in a range of cities all across the Midwest and Western USA) have LOADS of awesome plus clothes available. In some ways I am actually jealous at times that I can't shop that section too. I bought around 50% of my clothing secondhand even when in plus sizing.
  • nsobolik
    nsobolik Posts: 5 Member
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    My last reward was a couple purses bought through an online rummage sale site. My husband FREAKED when I brought home 3 purses. Thought I spent a bundle, but bought 3 purses for $15.
  • turpenoid
    turpenoid Posts: 73
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    If your kids are into the idea, you could have them make drawings with the numbers of your current weight. Say you hit 270 and want to celebrate a little. Write down the number for them in big bubble letters and have them color and decorate the page. After they're done, on the back you could date each page so you know when you hit that weight. That way, you have their creativity, spend time with them, and you have some personal milestones documented. You could then add that to your digital scrapbook, too!
  • calypsoca
    calypsoca Posts: 23 Member
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    Aww that's terrible...and I am really surprised. Thrift stores I visit these days (in a range of cities all across the Midwest and Western USA) have LOADS of awesome plus clothes available. In some ways I am actually jealous at times that I can't shop that section too. I bought around 50% of my clothing secondhand even when in plus sizing.

    Yeah, around here (western Canada), big girls seem to hang onto their clothes until thy're not wearable anymore. I know I do, anyway lol I don't know what number size I'm in, but I currently wear a 3X, and it's rare to find anything bigger than an XL in the thrift shops nearest me. It's okay, though. I look forward to the day when I can happily skip through the thrift store aisles ;)

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