7 Cost-Conscious Ideas for Sustaining a Healthy Lifestyle
Updated January 2024
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It’s a myth that to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to spend a lot of money. In many cases, healthier choices are also more economical. If you strive to live more healthfully but are not sure how to do so affordably, use the following tips to help you get started.
1. Cook at Home as Much as Possible
Statistics show that dining out accounts for roughly 44 percent of a household’s food budget. Besides the cost, many menu options lack nutrients and are loaded with unhealthy ingredients like sodium or sugar. Cooking the majority of your meals at home gives you greater control over your nutritional intake and helps to curb spending.
Menu planning and meal prepping are effective ways to trim your grocery list and ensure that you are eating well-balanced meals. These tasks may seem daunting, but they make your week easier and save you time, effort, and money in the long run. Simplify planning and prepping with a few tricks:
Assign a theme to each night. When you know Tuesdays are Taco Day, you can easily settle on a meal idea.
Batch cook. Freeze the extra portions for another time.
Use the same ingredients for multiple meals. For example, if you have a bunch of potatoes, use some to make roasted potatoes one night and include some in a soup recipe another night. This cuts down on grocery expenses and prevents food waste.
2. Grocery Shop Mindfully
Make a list anytime you go food shopping. You’re more likely to stick to a budget when you know exactly what you’re getting. Shopping lists also discourage impulse buying, which can unnecessarily drive up your food costs.
Know what to buy and when. Produce is freshest and cheapest when it’s in season. At off-season times, purchase frozen fruits and veggies.
3. Walk or Bike Instead of Driving
Form a habit of getting around by walking or riding your bike rather than taking your car. Just imagine the gas money you’ll save and the calories you’ll burn by swapping out a few car rides a week with biking or walking. If you’re heading somewhere that’s within driving distance, park in a space that’s further away to squeeze in extra steps.
4. Work Out at Home
Gym memberships can cost you thousands of dollars. Opt instead for a personalized workout plan from Edge of Longevity that you can do from home!
Also, if you are choosing to only exercise at home, be sure to consider our list of recommended at-home workout equipment (affiliate link) to add variety and resistance to your routine!
5. Find Affordable Fitness Gear
Wearing high-quality, weather-appropriate activewear (affiliate link) helps you to work out safely and comfortably. Though you want to invest in items that can withstand continuous wear and tear, you can avoid sticker shock by looking for sales and shopping during off-season periods.
6. Infuse Physical Activity Into Your Social Life
Deviate from the standard happy hour meetup by inviting friends to join you for a hike or an ultimate frisbee match. Surrounding yourself with fitness-minded people can bolster you on your health journey.
7. Turn Your Wellness Passion Into a Side Gig
Use your healthy lifestyle to earn money. Depending on your skills and interests, you can choose from many opportunities, including:
Starting a wellness blog
Leading fitness classes
Selling customized meal plans
Before your business goes live, solidify your billing process to ensure accurate and on-time payments. Provide clients with a professional-looking invoice that includes your logo and relevant details. An invoice generator allows you to select a customizable design that best fits your brand.
Remember that healthy living does not mean expensive living. By combining principles of wellness with money-saving practices, a healthy lifestyle is attainable for people with a budget of any size!
