Living a healthy lifestyle is not only good for your body, but it can help you save money as well. By changing some of your bad habits into healthy ones, you can reduce your monthly expenses by a significant amount. In time, these habits will become second nature for you, slimming your waistline without slimming your wallet. Here are some of the best healthy habits for helping you save money.
Drink Water
Feeling thirsty? Then, reach for a glass of cold water. Water is not only better at hydrating the body than any other beverage, it is one of the cheapest as well. To hold your costs down, stay away from expensive bottled water, which is really nothing more than filtered tap water in a plastic portable container. Instead, put some ice in a reusable bottle or cup and drink as much as you need to rehydrate yourself.
Limit Your Vices
Have you ever noticed that some of the things that are most detrimental to your health are also some of the most expensive? Alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, ice cream, and donuts often cost much more than their healthier counterparts. By limiting the amount of these items that you consume, your body will be healthier and you will not spend as much money. For example, someone that has a pack a day smoking habit could save nearly $15,000 per year simply by quitting smoking.
Consume Fresh Foods Prepared At Home
While it may seem as if processed foods are cheaper when you are at the grocery store, consuming healthy fresh foods will be cheaper for you in long run. The overconsumption of processed foods have been linked to a number of negative health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and liver damage. Buying fresh ingredients at the grocery store and preparing your meals at home allows you to create the meals that you like at a much lower cost than eating out at a restaurant.
Use Public Or Alternative Transportation Methods
Owning a car is expensive and encourages us to be lazy. Many of us allow the car to take us short distances instead of walking or riding a bicycle to a destination that is close by. Walking is not only cheaper, it is better for our health as well. People that walk for considerable distances regularly tend to have lower levels of body fat and stronger muscles than people that tend to drive everywhere they go. Walking regularly could also result in improved mood, better-quality sleep, improved mental sharpness, and improved bone mineral density. If you need to go a long distance, walk to the bus stop and let someone else do the driving.