What have you thrown money at to improve your life?

[Gottodosomething2026]

I'm a bit low at the moment and I was wondering if anyone has thrown money at things to make their lives better or easier. I don't have tons of money to throw at things but I have a bit that I could use. I'm stressed, my job is hard (currently job hunting), I'm lonely and generally a bit worn out and weapy.

@KStockHERO would you mind saying where you get the garlic from please?
its a good shout and I’m going to do the same

Garden architect
Interior designer
They do the plan, we do the work
Weighted blanket
Car cleaning

Can you expand on the different environment with different people? Sounds wonderful!

I like this thread, I may have just ordered a jigsaw puzzle and googled reformer pilates 🫣

I've booked a haircut and eyebrow shape for similar reasons @Gottodosomething2026 . In the past I tended to order clothes on line but this doesn't usually work out the way I hoped and isn't to be recommended...

Really good Cleaner £15 cash an hour (2 hrs)

Gousto box once a month £42.99 so my husband doesn't moan about what I cook

Stocked - for veggie teen daughter, a quick hot filling dinner after clubs

Microwave rice

Wine subscription!!!

Well. I've lived in a small village for 26 years. Everybody knows me. Especially as it's in Corsica. I am the only over six foot tall beanpole ginger haired English who works at the bus company and was the childminder/nanny/baby-sitter to practically everybody who is now in their twenties. I have had no success at teaching anybody the English language and refuse all money to do so these days.

I can't phone anywhere vaguely local in a professional capacity without my voice being recognised.

"Bonjour! I would like to report that my electricity has blown up. I can't..."
"Allo! Allo! Auntie! Has your mother been here again? She usually breaks something."
"Pardon?"
"It's me! It's me, Quentin!"

Or,

"Allo, is this train timetable right? Only I want to get on at..."
"Oui. He bé. Tolle."
"It's a request stop?"
"It's you though, isn't it? Ciao."

Sometimes it's nice to break the mould a bit. Go somewhere and do something with people that don't know you.

Do you work out op? I know it can be hard to get started, but I can honestly say I always feel better after a good workout, even if I have to drag myself to do it, and of course the benefit is I can see the difference in my body. The tone and muscle definition, it’s something you don’t see the results on immediately, it takes time, but eventually both your mental and physical health sees huge improvements as does your body,

Eyebrow threading. 5 mins once a month and I never touch them myself. Bliss.

I use Amazon Prime for grocery deliveries- Morrisons where I live. I use it for the boring bulky stuff/store cupboard things. Then only shop for fresh stuff and “nice”stuff (bread from bakery, meat from butchers etc).cuts down on shopping time and means I’m only out to buy things I like!

Always happy to oblige - my Louie-Boo 🐈

Regular therapy.
Regular gardener.
Daily walk in nature.
Journalling
Occasional reiki/massage/nail appointment
I would love a cleaner
I find an organised home/declutter helps my head space.

A winter break, some sunshine, 4 hrs flight, Canaries, quiet resort, nature, sea swimming and clearing your mind. Usually great value offers in Dec pre Christmas and again in January.
Quiet, uncrowded…

I have:

A decent kettle - kitchen aid kettle and I love it and also have decent tea, decent teapots and mugs
An allotment - great for mental health
A swimming membership to a lido
A dry robe - makes me happy
A heated gillet- I have an autoimmune disease and hate being cold, ditto for warm socks, PJ, dressing gowns and jumpers
Nice plants in the house and nice garden
Plan nice holidays
Audible
Nails done every 3 weeks
collect glass animals just because I can

I also follow the Let Them, Let me theory / life changing

An espresso coffee machine to make lovely coffee at home - not a hugely expensive one but gives me a lot of pleasure, and probably saves money in the long run.
Pilates classes make me feel physically and mentally better no matter how tired I am before I go.
Plants for the garden - definitely don’t make life easier (because the garden requires work) but definitely make it better.
I don’t have a cleaner, but after spending the whole of Saturday morning cleaning I do actually think that would be one thing that would make my life easier.

I used to think it was extravagant having coffee out when I can make it at home, but once a week or so now I take myself off to a coffee shop (preferably somewhere with nice outside space or a view or a lovely interior) and sit and have a coffee by myself and watch the world go by for an hour or so. It just sort of grounds me, I miss it if I don’t do it. This is in addition to coffee out with friends or DH which I do from time to time too, it needs to be just me to get the full effect. I usually take my diary along for a catch up too.

Injectable skin treatments to improve hydration and firmness, there ae different types, I get polynucleotides which stimulates collagen.

,

Membership to a really nice spa type place that has exercise classes.

Last year I decided to slight upgrade my lifestyle life

I use more Ubers

Going to my second closest town instead of my nearest as it’s nicer.

Changed hairdressers to a nicer and better one.

Only buy clothes from more expensive shops that I used to use.

A free one, I’ve really worked on improving eye contact with people which coincided (or maybe not coincidentally) with making some lovely new friends.

The cleaner twice a week from when both DH and I worked full time. Also when my DC were younger a childminder who called both dc from school and looked after them until either I or DH collected them giving them a snack to keep them going until dinnertime. I didn't care what it costed I simply had to have this service.

I'm DH and I are both spending a small fortune on Mounjaro but it's do worth it to lose 3-4 stone in 7 months.

A private psychiatrist for my daughter. It gave her freedom from agoraphobia.

I'm 40 and I'm starting an Invisalign treatment next January.
FINALLY!

This is the biggest amount of money I've invested selfishly in myself. I've always had something to save for (uni, renting, moving abroad, driving lessons, a car, a house deposit, a baby, maternity leave, building some economic safety net, etc) and now I'm finally in a position where I can spend money in something I've wanted for ages.

In a more affordable way, I do simple things like going to the theatre, having a 30 min massage, getting some nice wine and dessert... Tiny things that make you feel a sparkle. What about a weekend trip with some friends?

For me, I can divide the things that are going to make me feel better into some main categories:

• Good food/good nutrition
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Socialising
• Relaxation
• House/environment
• Personal fulfilment

I think these would apply to most people, but then we can decide for ourselves what we can achieve and what is most suited to us given our budgets/time and other constraints within each individual category.

So for me:

• Food/nutrition: I can't afford to eat out regularly, but buy lots of goodies on Ocado, including easy 'meals' which are actually good for me. Also, I try to remember to take a multivitamin daily.
• Exercise: I can't get to the gym/swimming pool that much at the moment, but I can manage a half hour walk most mornings before the kids are up and try to do some weights and stretches each day. I also walk as much as I can during the day.
• Sleep: bought some nice new cotton sheets and duvets recently and finally replaced the broken lamp in my bedroom. It's nice to have dim light to read to before bed, rather than the bright overhead light.
• Socialising: I try to arrange dinner/coffee with friends regularly.
• Relaxation: working on this one.
• House/environment: I'm a bit of a hoarder and my house is a mess so have set myself the goal of decluttering 5 things daily. They have to actually be moved out of the house to count, not just moved around (bin/recycling/in the bag ready to be donated). I find 5 things a day manageable and am making slow progress.
• Personal fulfilment: I try to read daily for at least 20 minutes. It helps that my primary age DC are also meant to read daily, as I do it at the same time as them.

I guess everyone will have different things that work for them in each category. I'd really like a spa weekend or cruise by myself to see giant turtles but that's not on the radar right now!

A personal trainer

Recent purchases, a beautifully rose scented bath soap, a new book set on a remote Scottish island, and black nail polish. Each item on a different week, not all at once.

Occasionally, I may wonder around the shops/museums/galleries in London , culminating with a cup of my favourite beverage and a few Hotel Chocolat chocolates.

I am an instructor at a boutique gym , so occasionally, I set aside time to use the pool, jacuzzi and sauna/steamer.

For me, little things make a huge difference, as I am staying within my budget and time limitations.

Food deliveries
getting my teeth fixed
private physio