9 Affordable Indulgences in Toronto

Need it. Want it. Afford it—with our 9 budget-friendly beauty and food essentials for moms in Toronto.

Caffeine just parts the fog and makes life better. Especially when a perfectly crafted latte is only $3 to go, from one of the coolest joints in the city, Cabbagetown's Jet Fuel.

We like our nails to look nice, but we need the durability of shellac. To Yeti Nails we go, where the shellac is perfection and a mere $30.

Gluten-free, healthy, delicious and something we would never make at home. With three convenient locations around the city, Ginger's salad rolls tick all those boxes and are a mere $2 each. One is a snack, two is a meal—our favourite is the tempura yam and avocado. Done and done.

Does anything boost our confidence more than a luxurious blow-out? Nope. $20 at Salon Fuze in uptown Toronto. Sold.

Look awake and well groomed with eyebrow threading. Go to Angela Beauty Parlour in the East End—it only costs $3. Amazing.

Need a little something sweet to go with that latte? The chocolate crinkle cookies from Aroma are densely chocolaty but not so big that you feel ill after consuming one. Plus, finally, a cookie that doesn't cost as much as your kids' pizza lunch—clocking in at under a dollar. Check out their website for locations—they're popping up all over the city.

You can skip the mascara, eyeliner, shadow and even sleep with the eye-opening allure of eyelash extensions. $78 for the Flirt Set (25 lashes per eye) at Pretty in the City in uptown Toronto—saving money on makeup and your sanity.

Bite Bar offers $20 for 24 bite-size cupcakes in an amazing array of flavours, from peanut butter and jelly to banana splitz—a fun, unique and cost-effective solution to birthday party treats or the world's largest playdate. And it's just a hop, skip and a jump from the Eaton Centre—what a great way to end a day of shopping.

Shaving in a hurry? Ill-advised. But since we have neither the funds nor the pain threshold for laser, we sometimes opt for a full leg wax. It's $39 at BT Nails in Davisville, and they're fast, efficient and good at keeping the ouchies to a minimum.