Monday, July 12, 2010

Four Low-Cost Options for a Stress-Free Summer

When Alice Cooper sang those now-famous words, "school's out for summer," he may have meant it solely as an anthem for rebellious youths. Little did he know teachers would soon be singing along just as loudly.

It's July, people! Time to decompress and de-stress. You've got a good month and a half before those back to school jitters make their vicious return, so for now, it's time to get as zen as possible, and you can do it without the added stress of spending a ton of money. Here are your top four low-cost options for a stress-free summer:

1. What could be more peaceful than a yoga class from the comfort of your own home? Light a few candles, lay down a mat, set your fan or A.C. on high (It may be peaceful, but it's still a workout) and turn on one of Yoga to the People's online classes. The bi-coastal yoga institution offers free classes to yoga practitioners in both New York and Berkeley. If you're in the area, check one out. If not, these online courses are just as good, and you won't have to worry about getting kicked in the head during practice (a free class can really draw a crowd).

2. When was the last time you pampered yourself? We're talking spa-and-massage-day pampered yourself. Groupon offers tons of discounts and coupons for high-quality spas around the country. Just enter your city and your email address to get daily discount alerts.

3. The last thing you may want to do is step back into a classroom, but some local community colleges offer free classes for adults ranging from painting to photography. Take the summer to unleash your inner artist or discover a passion you've pushed aside during the busy school year.

4. Entertainment Weekly recently hailed Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the "hottest book on the planet," and if you haven't read it or the other two books in the trilogy, summer's the time to do it.

This is a guest post from Brennon of CampusBookRentals.com.