By Martin Lukac

So many people turn to shopping as a way to eliminate stress. They don’t realize at the time that the shopping will only add to it in time.

If you live a stressed life, you know that many of the things that make it easier also cost more. You can be frugal and beat stress at the same time.

Start with basically taking a littl time to do something that you like to do. Read a book. Take a walk. Knit something. Turn off the tv and simply sit in the quiet and relax. Let the dishes go or put the kids in front of a video for a while. And just do nothing but relax.

If you can find the time, a long soak in a hot bath is one very inexpensive ways to relax. Put the kids to bed and go for a soak in a bath. When you get out of the tub, apply olive oil to your skin (a teaspoon is usally plenty). Then dry off as usual. A small bottle of olive oil is fairly inexpensive and will last forever. You can also use the baby oil that is never used if you have young children. If you want to take it up a notch, mix sugar with a little oil and scrub it all over your skin while in the shower. Just watch out, the shower will get slick. But your skin will be fresh and exfoliated.

Choose a relaxing drink and sit and enjoy it. Opt for things without caffeine. Look for herbal or fruit teas, water, milk or juice. Hot drinks are often relaxing — so take time for tea. Every once in a while, treat yourself to that one comfort food that you try to avoid. This will perk you up and satisfy your craving for a while.

Turn on some music and dance a bit. Use white noise, like a fan, to help you wind down before bed. Get into some comfy clothes. Spend a little time each day in meditation or prayer. Encourage those around you to be calm. Remain calm yourself.

None of these de-stressers will cost you anything. All you have to do is find the time.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

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