This is quite the different blog post for me as I am no expert on money, adulting or anything remotely like the title indicates.
When you have a chronic illness your priorities do change and where you save money or you splurge reflects this. I want to share the areas in life I invest in, to further my comfort, enjoyment and fulfilment in life. I would be curious to know what you think is worth the splurge that suits you- leave it in the comments!!

1. I feel like you all would know this was my number one priority but I’m going to say it anyway.

Your. Bed. Your. Pillows. Your. Bed linen. And. Your. Sleep. Environment.

For me I need to be comfortable, if I don’t get enough sleep its not good for my additional fatigue, my pain levels and my mood. I need to be comfy and feel happy in my bed. I spend a lot of time in it so this is somewhere I do heavily invest in. I buy new pillows often, I bought the most expensive bed I could afford (IKEA are amazing by the way, I love my EU King bed.) I buy cotton bedlinen that makes me want to unwind and just snuggle. I try to keep clutter to a minimum in my room (Writing this after a whirlwind week it’s cluttered to the max ) and I try to have soft adjustable lighting. I have blackout blinds then blinds on top of them. Practising good sleep hygiene is so worth it in the end. It makes it easier to get up and drift off to sleep. I would always recommend making your bedroom your sanctuary. Decorate it beautifully as best as you can and make it your hideaway.

2. Invest in yourself. Buy clothes that make you feel good about yourself and Pjs that make you feel polished if you are in them all day. You are worth a lot and even if it doesn’t feel like it it is worth the hassle of finding clothes that fit, that you are comfortable in, that make you feel like you – the person you are. Find out what makes you happy and just go for it to invest in you.

3. If you struggle with the heat then I recommend the Dyson fans, boy can they make unairconditioned air feel icy. Yes, they have an almost outrageous price tag but if you use fans for half the year then they are more efficient quieter and so so worth the investment. Baloo bought one after I found a refurbished fan in Dyson’s official eBay store. He loves Dylan the Dyson more than me in the summer and I am thankful he is a quiet and well-mannered fan that doesn’t buzz and hum constantly.

4. On the other side of the spectrum, you could be like me and icicle in many summers invest in thermals, thick jackets and I wear Spanx for the extra warmth and the smoothing abilities in the winter. I have socks that are TOG rated like duvets. Invest in your microclimate and get what you need. Ice packs that can be used as heat packs. The humble hot water bottle that you can freeze during the summer. If you are somewhere in the middle cold and hot variably.

5. Light technology. I used to have a big laptop I would have to ask people to take downstairs for me because it was so heavy. Granted it was a tad old but it wasn’t out of date tremendously. Because of that experience, I saved and saved for my refurbished Macbook Air, yes it is quite an old one but I can lift it it’s transportable for me. I genuinely think it’s charging cable is heavier. I had to make adjustments to things that worked for me. I had to do my best to make it accessible so I can write this blog and keep in touch with the world out there. It might be expensive but it will make a big difference in your life.

6. I think for this next one I’ll make it general rather than specific but if you have anything in your home that isn’t comfortable or ugly just get it fixed or buy a new one. If your sofa is uncomfortable to get a new one. If there is wallpaper you hate to change it. If like me you are spending a lot of time in your home because you can’t leave then make it as comfortable and peaceful as you can (I don’t mean you can throw out people who live there with you, sorry.) If you spend every day in your home then you might as well make it a priority to have it as you like it. As easy as it is to buy converse online if you aren’t going out then isn’t it better to make your home more comfortable or functional with the money you would spend? I know to get a place how you like it is time, energy and costly experience but it’s your main and sometimes sole environment. You might have the most uncomfortable chairs. It might stop you visiting other rooms in the house because you have pain from it. Make the best of your environment even if that means a big clear out. Or buying things for the kitchen that makes it possible for you to save energy where you can like a water dispenser so you don’t have to lift a jug.
7. Your food. If you have a slightly dysfunctional body you want to give it the best fuel so it can run as efficiently as possible. I am not saying my diet is perfect and right now I am making a conscious effort to clean up my eating so that my body can gain the energy it needs without having to deal with excess sugar etc. “Bad Food” or highly processed food can make me feel really out of whack, run down tired and more in pain than usual. So for that reason, I am going to try and avoid the things I know taste amazing but have a lasting effect on me. I haven’t gone organic I am trying to keep my healthier options cheap as possible but as fresh as possible. You can find what is best for you and just adjust. Your body deserves to have good nutrition if you can make that work.

8. If you can afford it or someone offers to help. Get help for household tasks, your energy is precious and as much as the laundry needs doing like clockwork you could pay or have someone else do it for you enabling you to spend energy somewhere you couldn’t before. It might take some pressure off your family or partner if a cleaner pops in once a week to do the bulk of the cleaning or laundry. I understand this is a luxury that some won’t be able to stretch to but if people offer to help, accept it and be thankful rather than shy about it. To be able to gain energy back is a wonderful thing and it takes the pressure off the surrounding people around you also. Again not all will be able to do it but I would eat less cake to have a clean home that I didn’t have to slave over every time.

Those are my top tips on where to invest to make your life easier or just better. I hope you all know that these are just my suggestions on what would or does work for me. I know every situation is different and to some, what I find important isn’t important to them. I want to highlight that to spend in these areas might not make sense to some but it is worth the bettering of your life. Leave your suggestions on what you splurge on because of your chronic illness I would love to know!