Beating stress on a budget

I know that it goes against the Stress-ista ethos, but I'm stressed. Tired. Rundown. Overworked. Underpaid. All the classic symptoms. I'm also struggling with the notion that I need to take time out from work (eek! the world will surely end if I'm not slaving away at my desk) at a time when work is hard to come by.

What to do, what to do?

In frugal times, it's difficult to justify the lazy $60-$100 required for a massage or a facial (particularly in light of this NY Times story that questions their relevance at all), but the fact is that you need to recharge to stay on top of your game. Overstress leads to poor performance which leads to more stress which leads to... well, you get the idea.

If touch therapy is what you need, why not try a student massage? They're generally half the price, well-supervised, and, let's face it, a vast improvement over letting the kinks in your shoulders grow to gigantic proportions. In Sydney, you'll find one through NSW School of Massage or Nature Care College - find one near you by Googling 'student massage' (taking care to avoid the obvious porn sites).

If you're addicted to facials, beauty colleges often offer a student version, or you could throw yourself in a rose-scented bath, slather on a mask, and read a book for half an hour (far preferable to me than inane chatter about my weekend with a beauty therapist).

Other free stress-relieving options include taking a few deep breaths, walking around the block a few times, or getting someone you love (or would love to love) to give you a hug. Cuddling releases the hormone oxytocin into your nervous system, making you feel soothed and safe.

Once you're all calm and focussed again, it might be time to consider some Income Protection Insurance. There's nothing more stressful than discovering that you suddenly can't work for a while - due to illness or accident.

Take a load off your mind and consider your options at www.lifebroker.com.au

Pic: HelpGuide

Leftovers are the new takeaway

The GFC, in all its glory, has coincided for me with a move to a simpler life on the south coast of NSW. Not only does this bring forth previously suppressed desires to grow my own vegies (still in the planning stages) but it also brings a dearth of home delivery options. From a funky inner-west bastion of Thai, Vietnamese, Greek, Lebanese, Italian et al cheap eateries, I have been reduced to multinational pizza joints, multinational fast food joints, fish and chips, a whole lot of Chinese restaurants (sweet and sour anyone? and one lone Indian (pretty good, since you asked).

So I've hit the kitchen. Now if I want a night off from cooking for the family, I need to have planned (48 hours in advance) leftovers. Tasty leftovers. Leftovers that people will actually eat without turning their noses up and feigning sudden illness.

It's not easy. My new BFFs are recipe mags like Super Food Ideas and Good Taste, and you know what - they're great! Easy, tasty meals that don't require a list of gourmet ingredients as long as my arm. I'm in love. But not as much as I love taste.com.au, the online archive of these two mags and three more besides.

We're saving heaps of money, too. I fed four of us for $107 last week. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know that there are people who can do it for less (possibly the same people who save their soap scraps to make new bars), but it used to cost me closer to $200 and we'd have takeaway two nights a week on top of that.

Need help with your budget? I reckon you could do worse than starting with a shopping list. Plan your meals like Nanna used to. Turns out that old-fashioned is the way forward.

Pic: taste.com.au

Save face AND cash: cheap recommended beauty buys

All this fuss about Olay's new Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream (and don't tell me you haven't seen the ads) got me to thinking about how much we pay for beauty products - and how much we need to pay. Hope in a bottle generally doesn't come cheap, but sometimes we overlook really good products because they don't cost a bomb.

But I'm no expert at the beauty counter, so I got in touch with Katrina Lawrence at beautyeditor.com.au for her thoughts on the subject. Here's a sample of her list on where you can save - and where you really should spend - when it comes to beauty products (for more, go here).

Save:

*Cleanser: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is worth the hype.

*Acne products: Neutrogena offers some of the best skin-clearing products around, not to mention the most affordable.

*Moisturiser: Head straight for Nivea. The Oxygen Power Reviving Day Cream is a standout.

*Hair care: Don't go past Tresemme.

*Tanner: Palmer's Natural Bronze Tanning Moisturiser beats most big-priced tanners hands down.

*Makeup: Maybelline is not just a maybe.

Spend:

Don't scrimp on anti-ageing products, foundation or hair colour (if you're planning to go lighter.)

It's a given that any budget requires sacrifice and prioritising. But savings in the beauty area are looking good, without sacrificing your good looks.

Pictures: bellamumma