Most habits pay off someday: fitter in six months, calmer in a year, richer in ten. A reward pays off today. That’s the whole case for rewarding yourself: it gives the habit a payoff you can feel this week, while the real one is still building.
The catch is picking rewards that help instead of cancel the work out. Here are three rules, then 70 ideas sorted by cost.
Three rules for a good reward
- It doesn’t undo the habit. A cake for a week of healthy eating, or a shopping spree for a no-spend month, sends you backwards. Pick rewards that sit next to the goal, not against it.
- Its size matches the effort. Small wins get small rewards, big milestones get big ones. If every walk earns a new gadget, you’ll run out of money; if a 30-day streak earns a cup of tea, you’ll stop caring.
- You only take it when you’ve earned it. A reward you take anyway is just a purchase. Decide the price up front and stick to it.
20 free ways to reward yourself
- A long bath or shower with no phone
- An episode of the show you’re saving
- A guilt-free hour of gaming
- A nap
- A walk somewhere you like, just for fun
- Your favourite album, start to finish
- A lie-in at the weekend
- An evening with nothing planned
- Calling a friend you miss
- Reading fiction in the middle of the day
- A picnic in the park with what’s in the fridge
- Rearranging a room the way you want it
- A movie night at home with blankets
- An afternoon at the library or a museum with free entry
- Saying no to one optional plan
- Watching the sunset somewhere with a view
- Sleeping in clean sheets you just changed
- A board game night
- An hour on a hobby with no goal
- Turning off your phone for an evening
15 small rewards under $10
- A fancy coffee or bubble tea
- A new notebook or nice pen
- A magazine or a used book
- A plant for your desk
- A face mask or bath bomb
- A song or album you buy outright
- Fresh flowers
- A smoothie after a workout
- A new pair of fun socks
- An app or game you’ve had your eye on
- A movie rental
- A candle
- A pastry from a good bakery
- A day pass for something you enjoy, like a pool or a climbing wall
- A small treat for your pet
15 bigger rewards to save up for
- New running shoes or workout clothes
- Headphones
- A concert ticket
- A massage
- A haircut somewhere nicer than usual
- A course or class you’ve wanted to take
- A kitchen gadget you’d really use
- A new video game
- Good bedding or a pillow upgrade
- A piece of art or a print for your wall
- A weekend away
- A cleaner for a day
- Camping or hiking gear
- A nice dinner out
- A day off work, with nothing on the list
10 experiences
- A cooking class
- An escape room with friends
- A day trip to a town you haven’t seen
- A spa afternoon
- A sports game or a show
- A pottery, painting or dance class
- A hot spring or a sauna
- Kayaking, paddleboarding or a bike rental
- A trip to the zoo, aquarium or botanical garden
- A tasting menu or a food tour
10 rewards that feed the habit itself
These are the best kind: the reward makes the next round of the habit easier or more fun.
- New running gear after a month of runs
- A better water bottle for a drink-more-water streak
- A nicer yoga mat after 20 sessions
- A book you’re excited about after a reading streak
- Good knives or a cookbook after a month of cooking at home
- A new journal when the old one is full
- Meal-prep containers after a month of packed lunches
- A desk lamp or chair upgrade for a study streak
- A meditation app or class after 30 days of sitting
- Moving money into a “fun fund” after every no-spend day
How to match rewards to habits
Put a price on each reward, then pay yourself for each habit. Points, stars or coins all work. A simple scale:
- Easy habits (make the bed, drink water): 1 point.
- Medium habits (a 20-minute walk, 10 pages): 4 points.
- Hard habits (a workout, a focused study session): 8 points.
- Very hard ones (a long run, a full day without your phone): 16 points.
Then price your rewards against that: free rewards at 5–10 points, small ones at 20–40, bigger ones in the hundreds. A reward you can earn in a few days keeps you going this week; one that takes a month gives you something to save for. It’s the same structure as a reward chart for adults or a token economy, and if you like the idea of a “menu” of treats, try our free dopamine menu builder.
Do it in an app
Habit Rewards is a habit tracker built on this idea. Each habit pays coins by difficulty (1, 4, 8 or 16), each reward has a coin price, and you claim a reward once your balance covers it. It keeps your streaks and your balance, so you don’t have to add anything up.
You can start from ready-made reward ideas or write your own. It’s free on iPhone and Android.
✅ Try Habit Rewards App
A simple habit tracker app that helps you build better habits, achieve your goals
- Neat design with beautiful grids
- Visualize your progress at one glance
- Set reminders for your habits
- Customize rewards you desire for your achievements
- Set flexible habits and frequency
- Start now for free
Habit Rewards App is a simple habit tracker with rewards to help your achieve your goals.
Scan the QR code to download from the App Store.
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