Everything is getting more expensive. Compare your monthly food bill to the same time last year, and you’ll get direct and immediate proof of exactly that. Because of this, it can sometimes feel as though healthy living can be just too expensive. After all, isn’t it cheaper to live off microwave meals and processed goods than it is to buy fresh produce? Although it might be difficult, it is possible to live a healthier lifestyle when you are on a budget. Read on for some tips on how to do it.
Ditch The Gym
The idea of no longer going to the gym to save money makes sense – gym memberships can be expensive. However, what doesn’t make sense is not focusing on your fitness – this is how you will achieve a healthy lifestyle, after all. The solution here is simple. With a bit of investing now, you can save long into the future by working out at home and buying your own fitness equipment.
Home gyms are very popular, and for good reason; they save you money and mean you can keep exercising. Although you’ll need to spend out on the equipment initially, you won’t have to pay a monthly fee. On top of that, since your gym will be there at any time you want it, you’ll probably work out more than if you have to commute to an outside space to work out.
Quit Bad Habits
It can be easy to collect bad habits over the years, but some are worse than others, especially if you want to get fit and healthy. Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and recreational drugs are prime examples of the kinds of habits that are detrimental to your health. Therefore, it’s crucial to work on quitting them as soon as possible.
A bonus of getting rid of these habits in your life is that you’ll save a lot of money. Cigarettes, alcohol, and any kind of drug – legal or illegal – are expensive and getting more so over time. The less you use them, the more money you’ll save. Why not put the money you would have spent on these things into a savings account; you’ll be shocked at how much is there at the end of a month. Since your health will benefit too, it’s something you should do sooner rather than later.
Sometimes it is not until you try to leave a bad habit behind that you realize you need more help than you thought. Often things like addictions are built over many years and are difficult to quit alone. If during the process you notice that you can’t finish the day without a few glasses of wine or that you are dabbling in drugs and finding yourself on a slippery slope, it is time to look for help like Aetna Insurance drug rehab. You’ll save not only money but potentially your life by seeking help.
Batch Cook
Batching cooking is an ideal way to live a more affordable yet healthy lifestyle. This is the process of cooking more food than you are going to eat for a particular meal and then freezing the extra food. In that way, when you need a quick meal, you can simply defrost what you want and heat it up. If you would have had takeout instead, this would clearly save you money, and as long as the food you’re eating at home is healthy, it will be better for you.
You can also save money by buying in bulk in a lot of cases. If you plan ahead about what you’re going to batch cook, perhaps keeping one day a month aside to do all that cooking, you can buy as many ingredients in bulk as you can. Do the cooking, freeze as much as possible, and you might even have enough food for a few weeks or a month ready to go.
