You will have noticed that the foods deemed as “healthy” and “clean” are more expensive than others. For the most part, healthy foods do cost more than processed goods that are high in cheap ingredients like saturated fats and sugars. However, foods that are currently trending with health bloggers seem subject to steep increases in price from time to time. There’s more to nurturing your health than just eating well (although diet is a very large factor in staying well), you should also engage in an active lifestyle that keeps you moving and your mind stimulated. Learn how to enjoy good health on a budget by considering the suggestions below:
Save On Prescriptions
Medical costs can be extremely high, especially if you’re taking medications for more than one ailment. Getting to the pharmacy can cost you money too, as you likely have to pay to park, as well as use the money for filling your car up with petrol. Consider having your prescriptions sent to your door to negate this aspect of collecting your necessary drugs. SingleCare offers a savings card that could potentially save you hundreds each month if you have to take a wide range of treatments. It can save you a considerable amount of money that you can otherwise use elsewhere on items such as a chiropractic chair to support a healthy spine, sports massages, spa days, and sports club membership fees; the possibilities are endless.
Drinking Water
In the majority of locations, drinking water is widely accessible and safe to drink from the tap. With this in mind, however, it’s a good idea to filter the water that comes straight from the faucet as you can’t be sure of the condition of the tank from which it comes, and the mains supply. Although the water you use is safe to drink, there can be impurities that prevent the supply from being as clean as it could be. In this case, begin using a water filter at home. Ideally, you need to be drinking at least two liters of water each day, and even more if you’re in a hot climate, sweating profusely, and working out and losing vital fluids.
Buy Reduced Goods
If you’re keen to eat healthily, but your budget doesn’t permit purchasing fresh fruit, veg, pulses, and grains, then consider buying them when they’re reduced in store. At the end of the day, supermarkets will cut the cost of their foods in half and more when the product is no longer considered fresh. These foods are still edible, tasty, and contain the vitamins and minerals you need; they’re just not as fresh as they were at the start of the day. Get these goods when they’re reduced in price, and be sure to refrigerate them as soon as you can, and eat the goods that are most perishable first. You can easily gauge when fruit and vegetables are unsafe to eat, so use your judgment and eat what’s still good for a much lower price.
Keep Chickens
Protein sources can be expensive, especially if you’re buying high-quality ones such as organic and free-range eggs, milk, cheeses, and fish. Consider keeping chickens in a pen outside in your garden, and collecting the eggs from the hens. If you’re seriously considering keeping chickens, then make sure you rescue ones rather than getting chicks and waiting for them to mature, or getting them from a breeder. Rescue battery hens are in desperate need of care, love, and attention, so help make their lives better and brighter by giving them a new home in your garden. Make sure that you collect the eggs laid each day, allow your chickens time (monitored) outside of their coop, to bathe them in necessary, and to clean their coop daily – being sure to provide dry sand or dirt for them to wash themselves in.
Get Hiking
Instead of taking out a costly gym membership, you can learn how to make the very most of being outdoors, and stay active by going cycling on countryside tracks, running in parks, and walking with friends. If you’re looking for more adventurous activity, then find out where your nearest climbing wall is and begin attending to see whether climbing is a sport you could get into. Hiking is a great cardiovascular activity and is a very efficient way of burning calories. You can make hiking more enjoyable by inviting a friend, or a group of friends, to go with you and by packing a picnic to enjoy once you’ve reached the summit of the peak you’re climbing.