It seems that in today’s society, more and more people are striving towards achieving a healthy lifestyle. What most of us don’t realize it that maintaining good health also has the benefit of saving us money. Life is busy enough, but you shouldn’t sacrifice your health for a little convenience.
When talking about health, we tend to focus on diet. With the cost of many foods soaring, it seems that buying healthier choices at the store, such as fresh produce and meat, cuts into our grocery budget a lot more than pre-packed, processed convenience foods. However, people that abide by a sensible balanced diet do save money on food. Those that follow a healthy diet tend to eat less at each meal, snack less between meals, and do not eat out at restaurants or fast food places near as often as those that do not. “Unhealthy” eaters are much more prone to mindless eating and impulsive food purchases that put a serious dent on finances.
Exercise also plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Yes, we all know that gym memberships are expensive, so how does this save us money? To be healthy does not require us to live at the gym. Simply being active, taking walks, riding bikes as a family, or getting involved in sports are great ways to fit in exercise that cost very little or no money at all. In addition, staying active also means getting off the couch and away from the TV, reducing the need for that exorbitant cable bill.
Unhealthy habits, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, are not only bad for our bodies, but bad for our bank accounts. A pack of cigarettes can cost an average of $6 and smoking a pack a day adds up to $2200 a year!
Let’s not forget medical costs. Medical care and insurance costs are on the rise, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle has two significant benefits in this area. The first is that healthier people tend to pay lower medical premiums for insurance. Many insurance companies are adding in wellness factors that give their customers added benefits, such as a lower monthly premium or lower co-pays and deductibles. Secondly, healthier people usually do not need to see the doctor much more than for preventative care and acute illness, greatly lowering their out-of-pocket medical costs.
Following a healthy lifestyle is indeed a financially sound decision. Make a few simple changes in your life and watch your savings increase dramatically.