Healthy Ways to Save Money

Most of us want to improve our lives in one way or another. Here are some tips on how to get healthier and not spend as much at the same time!

If you are like me, where you park for work or for school costs a pretty penny. If I parked in those lots every day, I could easily blow $100 a month just to leave my car somewhere for part of the day. Doesn’t sound worth it, does it? Sometimes it is cheaper to find a smaller parking lot, like a church or small organization parking lot, and find out if they have monthly parking passes. My coworker who works full time walks two extra blocks and pays $35 a month to park there as long as she wishes on all weekdays. You’ll get a little extra cardio. If it is available, park for free. I walk 12 minutes to work from my free parking place on a neighborhood street just outside of downtown. By the time I get there, I feel energized from my exercise. It helps my morning get started right.

There is no reason to spend any more money on anything related to videos. If you want to try a new workout, you do not have to spend the money to do so. Youtube is full of suggestions, not to mention most workout videos can be downloaded for free, if you know where to look. My suggestion: take advantage of the internet while it is free. The censorship bill did not go through yet, so any more workout routines you want to try, go for it. I have personally spent too much money on such things, and I encourage you to keep your money to buy new clothes that fit your new sizes as you lose weight.

Coffee is expensive. If you must drink coffee, buy the grounds and make it at home. Don’t waste another $100 a month buying coffee every day from a place that charges you for the cups, for the labor, and for every coffee ground individually! You will save yourself money, especially if you get a reusable container and you can transport it to work. Also, if you are dying for something hot to drink, more offices have either hot water or a way to heat water. Take hot chocolate or cider packets or tea bags to work, keep them in your desk, and keep a mug there as well. When you need something warm, you won’t go spend $3.50 just to get something hot. Just throw something full of good flavor in the microwave and enjoy. Or, if you like cold things with flavor, Crystal Light packets are perfect. Kids can have these too, rather than Koolaid which might as well be more sugar than water. You can make whole pitchers of them or just a water bottle at a time.

Another good thing about drinking water is that your body really needs it. Did you know most people mistake thirst for hunger? Next time you feel a little hungry, try drinking water instead. This will help decrease how much you eat, and will be better for your body altogether.

Car washes are convenient, I admit. However, the energy you could spend and the money you could save would benefit you more. Don’t even pay kids to do it. If you have children, maybe do it with them, show them how to do a good job, and spend some time with them at the same time. If you want to be an over-achiever, actually turn it into a structured workout. Do squats to clean the sides of the car, and practice your karate moves while you wax it. Whatever you do, don’t pay anyone else to do it. Don’t forget to clean the inside yourself too.

My mother pays $40 a month just to have someone mow. I see that as ridiculous. If you own a lawn mower, if you have gloves, if you have stem clippers, there is no reason for you to spend any more money asking someone else to do your weeding, planting, watering, mowing, edging, raking or deadheading ever again. Working outside is the best sort of workout because of all the fresh air, not to mention how peaceful it is to work with the earth. I highly recommend getting our to your yard at least once a month to do some sort of work, be it to shovel snow or plant flowers.