I’ve always thought of health and wealth as sort of going hand-in-hand. It takes discipline and self-control to eat right and exercise. Just like It takes discipline to make a budget and save for retirement. Here are 5 ways you can save money (and maybe improve your health in the process).
1. Stop smoking.
Camel Joe called me. He told me you’re wasting your money on cigarettes! Seriously, though, everyone knows smoking is bad for your health, but it’s also bad for your wealth. A pack of Marlboros will set you back $14.50 in New York. If you’re a “pack a day” smoker that’s approximately $435 a month and $5,292.50 a year! You may as well roll up $20 bills and smoke them (pun intended).
2. Stop drinking.
Yeah I’m pointing the finger right back at me. I’m not a big drinker by any means, but alcohol is definitely a “luxury” in my book. Those $5.99 Chevy’s happy hour margaritas might be a steal of a deal, but not if you can’t afford them. We all know that one quick drink after work can easily turn into 3 or 4, and $23.96 worth of sugar and Tequila isn’t a great deal when I’m trying to save money.
3. Stop eating out.
We all know that eating out is much more expensive then staying in, but we I keep dining out anyway. If found if I plan my meals in advance and purchase all the ingredients I need, I’m much less likely to order takeout. Even when you get a decent deal, eating out is expensive. And if you happen to find a cheap deal, it’s probably not healthy. A whole chicken ($6-7) can feed me the whole week. $7 doesn’t even buy me lunch in Manhattan for one day.
4. Stop paying for convenience foods.
Convenience food is costly and loaded in chemicals. A big bag of carrots is less than $2.00 at my local grocery store. A big bag of chips is $4.00 or more. Cut calories and cost by reaching for healthier convenience foods. My latest obsession is kale chips. I coat kale in olive oil then sprinkle with salt and spices and bake in the oven. It’s super delicious, nutritious and cheap to make. I buy kale at TJ’s (Trader Joe’s) for $2.99 a bag. By comparison, the local health food store sells kale chips for $7.99 per container (and it’s small).
5. Stop paying for a gym membership.
Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying you shouldn’t exercise. Gym memberships are highly overrated in my opinion. Buy a good pair of running shoes and some workout pants and you’re ready to go. Unless you’re a body builder or training for a special event, basic fitness can happen at home for a fraction of the cost of the gym. Find a friend/motivation partner to keep you motivated or borrow some fitness DVDs from the library. I use the nike app when I jog to keep track of my miles run and calories burnt (it’s free to download!).