Many people seem to think of saving money while staying healthy is impossible.
Just like major companies do internal audits and cut down on budgets when necessary, we all know we should do it as well on our personal finances. But what if we are on a health journey?
It’s a common misconception that healthy food is expensive. You don’t need to buy diet foods and get a gym membership to reach your health goals.
Here are 6 budget-friendly ways to stay healthy even on a budget.
Table of Contents
Meal Prep
Meal prepping is the concept of cooking all your meals in one batch which you will consume for the entire week. This will save you a lot of time and also help with self-control. Since you portion your sizes equally, meal prepping will definitely help you reach your health goals.
Also, home-cooked meals are way cheaper than buying lunch every day. Since you’re buying the ingredients yourself, you can also make sure that everything you’re putting inside your body is all healthy food.
While you might need to invest in some lunch boxes, you will see the difference in your food expenses when you’re eating out or eating home-cooked.
Buy Whole and Local; Buy in Season
Buying local and buying seasonal food hit two birds with one stone. You can save tons of money by buying local food. Since seasonal foods are available in bulk and at its peak supply, they will always be cheaper.
Also, you know that you’re eating healthier food as they come from the farmer’s markets with little to no added preservatives. As a bonus, you also end up supporting local farmers.
Stop Buying Junk Food
Junk food is your worst enemy when you’re trying to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. If you try to cut back on chips, soda, candy, and fast food even for just a whole month, you will see a major difference in bloating. Junk food is strategically placed in the middle aisles. To avoid being tempted to buy junk food, just go to the perimeters when shopping in supermarkets.
Cut Down on Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks aren’t only expensive but they also pack a lot of, you guessed it, sugars. If you want to cut down on calories, the first thing you want to remove is sugar. If you’re craving for a sugary drink, try making some fruit-infused water instead. Cucumber infused water helps with water retention and packs some anti-inflammatory properties.
You also might want to try drinking some lemon water every morning as it aid in weight loss. If you wanted to go a little extra, ACV water is a miracle drink that many people swear by. Mix apple cider vinegar with lemon juice, a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and some maple syrup to sweeten it up.
Walk to work; Take the Stairs
Every day, you should at 30-minutes of daily activities, more if you work in the office and sits all day. If your office is just a few minutes away from home, walking can be a good morning exercise. This will allow you to save on transportation expenses.
But if walking is not a choice, create the habit of parking a few walks away from the building. Use the stairs instead of the elevator and you’re doing some squats without even realizing it. It’s really not a requirement to go to the gym but incorporating small active habits into your daily activity will help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Workout on Saturdays
Rather than going to the mall and splurging on restaurants, or possibly going to the movies, dedicate your weekends to do some jogging or light exercises you enjoy.
If going to the gym seems like a boring activity to do, try to look for other exercises like yoga, boxing, cycling, or trail running. You also will want to switch your activities so you enjoy doing an active exercise. This will save you some money on what otherwise has been a weekend splurge. It also helps you burn calories.
Being healthy doesn’t mean you have to splurge your money on expensive healthy foods. Cutting back on some unhealthy foods, switching to whole foods, and making little changes in your routine will help you stay healthy even on a budget.
