7 cheap ways to treat yourself in Chicago

You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg (or go DIY with clipping shears and box dye) to switch up your haircut! Instead, book an appointment at one of Chicago’s teaching salons, where beauty school students learn the ropes under the watchful eye of instructors. The experience is a bit more economical than what you’d experience at a full-fledged salon, but you can’t beat the prices: At Paul Mitchell The School, for instance, you’ll pay $15 for a cut and style from the salon’s “Phase 1” junior students; the more advanced “Phase 2” students charge $21. Looking to get more than just a trim? The school also offers coloring, chemical relaxing, special occasion styling and bang trims, plus a rolodex of other services.

Along with hair-related offerings, the students at Douglas J Aveda Institute—another teaching salon—provide full-body spa treatments, whether you’re craving a 90-minute plant stem cell facial ($56), a two-step body peel ($65) or a stress-relieving aromatherapy and cleansing treatment ($39). To complete the spa day effect, finish up with a makeup consultation and application ($24) or ball out with a new set of eyelash extensions ($75).

If you’ve got some minor aches and pains that need to be relieved, consider scheduling a session at the Pacific College of Health and Science, a school in the Loop offering four-year degrees in various forms of Chinese medicine. As part of a training program, the school’s massage therapy interns—who are in the final year of their degrees and under the supervision of their instructors—perform 50-minute massages to help work out all the kinks and knots in your back. The first session is $50 (a pretty steep discount from most massages of that length) and return visits are $40; plus, you can get your fourth visit for free.

Sure, in the scheme of things, a $13–$16 dollar cocktail isn’t the biggest expenditure. But why not save a couple bucks (and maybe buy a few more rounds) during happy hour? Swing by places like Gilt Bar to get $5 Old Fashioned cocktails before 5pm, or sample the photography-inspired concoctions—like the Shutter Speed, made with gin and sage—at Bokeh for $6 between 5pm and 6pm Sunday through Thursday. 

Though the best yoga studios in Chicago offer drop-in or first-time classes for as low as $15–$30, you’ll find tons of options for free online classes if you’re willing to stretch it out from home. Tune in for weekly online yoga sessions from Garfield Park Conservatory or check out a selection of pre-recorded meditation videos on Chill Meditation + Massage’s YouTube channel or CorePower’s library of free classes. If you’re willing to have a flexible schedule, the Chicago Park District also regularly hosts free, in-person yoga classes, so keep an eye on their calendar!

Signing up for a multi-week course that costs hundreds of dollars is a big commitment. You know what’s not such a big commitment? Testing the waters with a one-time class! Explore new hobbies with affordable, low-stakes options like a workshop for wheel throwing pottery basics at GnarWare ($40), a day pass for rock climbing at First Ascent Climbing & Fitness (starting at $21) or lessons on everything from Irish step dance to tap at the Old Town School of Folk Music ($20–$25).

When you’re feeling cooped up and stressed (aka when you might be most inclined to treat yourself), sometimes it’s nice just to get out of Chicago for a little while. Folks with cars have tons of options for skipping town, but if you don’t have wheels—or don’t want to pay for gas—the Metra is an easy option for exploring nearby towns on foot. Nab a day pass for $10 (or $6, if you’re sticking within the first three zones) and sky’s the limit: tour contemporary artwork in Elmhurst, grab a cup of Sparrow Coffee in Elmhurst or see where Groundhog Day was filmed in Woodstock.