Health and wellness are notoriously expensive. Gym memberships, personal trainers, organic foods, dairy alternatives and more come with a hefty price tag. It’s common to think that choosing to live a healthy lifestyle is a trade-off for more spending — but what if it doesn’t have to be so expensive?
Making smart financial decisions can help you incorporate healthier choices and improve your overall quality of life. Here are some ways to save money and take care of your body at the same time:
Consider alternatives to the gym
Use the natural gym and replace the treadmill with a park trail or a school track field. You can also download running apps on your phone to track your exact distance and time. Hiking is another challenging yet rewarding cardio exercise. Explore the natural beauty in your area with your nearest trail or state parks and get in those steps at the same time.
Looking for strength training? Avoid the costly gym membership and instead invest in personal workout tools like resistance bands, which can replace weights and intensify your workouts. You can even use common items in your home like towels or heavy items like textbooks to replace dumbbells.
Thousands of workout routines posted by professional trainers are also available online for free, at a comparable quality to those you would get in a pricey gym class. You can choose whichever exercise you enjoy the most, whether that be yoga, HIIT, pilates, or even dance-incorporated workouts.
Plan Your Meals
Walking into the grocery store with no plan and a hungry stomach will leave you walking out with the longest receipts. Instead, plan your meals and list the ingredients beforehand, thinking about which ones you already have and which ones you will need to purchase. By creating a hard grocery list, you will be less likely to plod through the aisles and thus less enticed to impulsively reach for unhealthy foods. Instead, you can walk in and focus on looking for the specific ingredients you want.
Prioritize Mental Wellness
Living a healthy lifestyle also means cultivating a healthy mind. Luckily, many self-care activities can be done at no cost, and by incorporating small yet impactful habits into your daily life. Sticking to a fixed sleep schedule, regularly taking breaks, and taking a walk outside are all simple activities that can help you maintain your mental health.
You can also try meditating with the guidance of apps like Smiling Mind and Calm. These simple breathing exercises will let you reduce any tension or stress you’ve built up from a long day at work, help control your thoughts, and improve focus.
Start Financial Autonomy Early On
Besides money-saving methods, budgeting for a healthy lifestyle also entails a smart-spending tool that will save financial stress in the future by choosing a credit card that cares about your financial growth. Cards like Tomo that take no fee and no interest, while offering cash back will help you avoid unnecessary spendings and make sure you can use that money instead to invest in a healthier lifestyle.
In addition, beginning your credit history early is instrumental for buying an apartment or car, and getting a loan. A low credit score will prevent you from your choices in auto and mortgage loans, which will also ask you to pay higher interest rates. Avoid the financial stress and live comfortably with a strong credit history.