Living a healthy lifestyle can be surprisingly intimidating. After all, where do you start? And for that matter, doesn’t a healthy lifestyle cost more compared to your current lifestyle?
Not so fast. There’s no reason why you can’t create a healthy lifestyle that’s also financially responsible. In fact, making some changes now can save you money in the future, as obesity increases your risk of illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
Here are some tips on how to start being healthy without breaking your budget in the process.
Stick to The List
It’s a common misconception that eating healthy on a budget is hard to do. In fact, it’s actually quite simple, it just requires a bit of discipline on your part.
The best way to stay within your budget, both financially and calorically, is to create and stick to a shopping list.
Without a grocery list, you’re more likely to wander down the snack aisle and spend extra cash on things you don’t need. Instead of buying that bag of family-sized chips, consider grabbing some fruit or nuts. The cost is roughly the same, but healthier snacks yield more benefits.
Pre-Plan Your Meals
It’s 8:00 PM and your stomach is grumbling. You look in the fridge and see nothing but leftover pizza from a week ago. Instead, you decide to hit up the local fast food joint for a quick meal.
We get it. It happens.
But if it happens too often, a pattern starts to develop. Break the cycle by planning your meals out a week in advance. That way you’ll never have to wonder what’s for dinner.
To save even more money, plan your meals in accordance with sales at your local grocery store.
Be Proactive About Your Health
Eating healthy is only part of the equation, you’ll need to take care of the rest of your body and mind as well.
If you require prescription drugs, you may be able to save quite a bit of money by comparing prices online. Sites like Health Pricer offer helpful comparisons that are both convenient and helpful.
You may also want to look into your healthcare program’s benefits. Many healthcare providers offer healthy cooking classes or one-on-one sessions with nutritionists at no extra cost.
Get Off The Couch
Eating healthy on a budget is a huge step forward, but to see even more benefits you’ll want to incorporate some form of exercise.
Exercise isn’t always the most enjoyable activity in the world, but you can do some things to make getting off the couch a bit more fun.
Dedicate at least a half hour per day to some sort of physical activity. It can be anything you want from dancing to cycling to running to just walking around your neighborhood.
This is going to be your time. Use it to reflect on your day. Or listen to that audiobook that’s been in your backlog for months.
Wondering How to Start Being Healthy? Begin Today
As we wrap things up, we have one more quick word of advice: If you’re interested in how to start being healthy, there’s no better time to start than right now.
So get up and live your best life. A healthier lifestyle, be it eating healthy on a budget or just working out, is within your grasp.
If you’re stuck on some bad habits, don’t forget to check out our post with eight tips on how to break those habits and be your best you.