Genius ways to get a healthy lifestyle on a budget

Living a healthy lifestyle significantly prolongs your life. According to the National Institutes of Health, people who implement five different low-risk lifestyle factors – such as eating a healthy, balanced diet, getting moderate exercise, and limiting alcohol – live 14 years longer (for women) and eight years longer (for men). On top of that good news is this good news: a healthy lifestyle is attainable without blowing your entire budget. But when thinking about your budget, start by setting your health goals, because you can’t hit a target you haven’t identified. Your priorities will vary whether you’re looking for more flexibility in your life, looking to improve your cardiovascular fitness, hoping to improve your diet, or something else.

“‘Living well’ can mean different things to different people,” says Tanya Peterson, a vice president at Achieve, a digital personal finance company, “Make a list of your expectations and goals, so you can decide how best to reach them and where to spend your money.” Once you’ve identified your goals and objectives, you can implement some of our healthy living tips from doctors, nutritionists, and other wellness experts on how to save money and live better.

Instead of buying what you want when you want it, embrace flexibility and buy what’s in season in your area by educating yourself on when you should be buying your favourite fruits and vegetables. “Buying what’s in season is not only cheaper, but it also tastes better and can have more nutrients,” says registered dietitian Megan Casper.

In addition, buying imperfect food, such as that packaged ‘The Odd Bunch’ is a great way to get high-quality produce (and other items) that might not be beautiful or “perfect” enough to be “shelf-ready,” but that doesn’t compromise on nutritional value.

Here are 8 supermarket secrets from the produce section you probably didn’t know.

When buying meat, try choosing cuts that are less pricey, like chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, or beef chuck roast instead of sirloin. “Cheaper cuts of meat, like pork shoulder or chuck, may be a bit tougher, but they can be slow-cooked to a juicy perfection,” Casper says. Leaner cuts have more meat per dollar than ones with a layer of fat that will be cut or cooked away. Plus, they are one of the best meats to eat.

Because meat is often one of the most expensive items in a shopping trolley, consider trying a meatless Monday. By including one meatless meal each week, you’re bound to save money.

Discover 12 tricks to get cheap meat to taste expensive.

If fresh produce is out of your budget, opt for frozen. “Not only do these last a while, but they are also typically cheaper than fresh produce and still provide many nutrients,” says registered dietitian Jennifer Kanikula. In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables may even be more nutritious than their fresh counterparts, as they are picked at peak ripeness and then immediately frozen, which preserves their nutrients.

We’ve been led to believe that fresh is always best, but jarred and canned foods are affordable, healthy options that are available in any season and can last a long time. “Canned produce such as corn, hearts of palm, and beets are great ways to liven up a salad or side dish,” says Gillespie. “Just rinse them with water to remove the extra salt, and you’re good to go.”

Instead of planning meals and glancing to see if the ingredients you need are on sale, look at sales and catalogues first to help you decide what to cook. “When planning your grocery list, save some room for flexible shopping in case something else is on sale instead of what you originally had planned,” says Kanikula. If you must plan in advance, check the store website or app for sales, so you can build a menu around them.

You don’t need to pay for an expensive membership for a good workout. Take advantage of free trials for online or at-home workout programs. This gives you a chance to try out different workouts before committing. “Many exercise facilities will offer either free or low-cost deals for new customers,” says Kanikula. “This is a great way to get exposure to the types of exercise you really enjoy and also exercise, for at least a little while, at a fraction of the cost.”

For good reason, you might want to add some meditation to your life. While it’s true that all meditation is free, many of us turn to apps for guidance. After all, meditation is a great way to relieve stress and reduce the risk of depression, along with these other meditation benefits. The truth is you don’t need to pay to practice. Calm offers free guided meditations on their app, though the free version is limited.

Another option is InsightTimer, which is completely free and has more than 100K guided meditations to choose from. “My favourite part is live events, which are not only meditations but also mindfulness activities and unique healing practices,” says Juliet Dreamhunter, happiness coach and founder of Utterly Positive, “I am learning lots of interesting things from joining random online events in the app, like a sound bath or a reiki talk.”

Here’s what might happen when you start meditating every day.

Use your free time on weekends to set yourself up for home-cooked weeknight meals. That means washing and chopping vegetables, and preparing sauces or even entire meals. “It saves money and a lot of time on weekdays,” says wellness expert Aihui Ong. Advance meal prep prevents the need for pricey, fattening takeout, and also keeps you from preparing less healthful meals, simply because they’re easy.

Shannon Cairns from Making Frugal Fun suggests planning out a month (or even a year) of healthy dinner ideas in advance. “One of the biggest issues people have with eating at home every night to save money is that they don’t plan ahead,” Cairns says, “When they can’t think of anything to cook that night, they give up and get takeout!”

“Planning out an entire year of meals in advance has allowed our family to eat at home more often,” Cairns says, “We were able to cut our monthly food budget from over $1500 to around $400-$500 for our family of five.”

Amanda Kuda is an alcohol-free life coach, and her #1 tip for living well is to cut out alcohol. “Alcohol is a toxin with massive health consequences that outweigh any perceived benefit,” Kuda says, “And if you’re hoping to lose weight, heal from chronic illness, sleep better, increase your energy or save money, alcohol is not your friend.”

Alcohol does a number on your liver, not to mention your bank account. If you do eat out, even one or two drinks per person can double your bill. Even one bottle of reasonably priced grocery-store wine shared at home can add hundreds to your monthly budget. Instead, skip it altogether or save it for special occasions.

Try these 16 tips to drink a little less.

Take advantage of different fitness apps and free YouTube videos at home, says Dr Gandhi. “There are numerous free YouTube subscriptions like Fitness Blender, Fightmaster Yoga, Yoga with Adriene, and more that you can do in the convenience of your own home.”

Find out if your job or school has a no-cost fitness centre or a fitness reimbursement plan, and if so, take full advantage.

Also, you might not even need an app or membership. “Try using your feet before doing anything else,” Peterson says, “Nearly everyone has access to an excellent fitness tool: their own feet. Simply walking or running in your neighbourhood, or in nearby parks or on trails, can put you in far better shape, for the cost of nothing more than a good pair of shoes.”

You can double down on your savings by walking or biking instead of driving, or use public transportation to save on petrol money. You’ll also get some steps in walking to the bus, train, or ferry. You’ll get a workout, save money, and get where you need to go.