Healthy lifestyles begin with curbing bad habits and finding more positive coping mechanisms for the stresses in modern life. If you've been on the fence about making different choices, you'll be glad to know that mindful living doesn't just help you feel better. It's a boon for your finances as well. Here are some ways that healthy living saves you money.
Mindful Food Consumption
If your body were a car, would you fill it with gritty subpar petrol when you could have premium fuel? Making delicious meals at home allows you to control what you consume and reduces your eating-out budget. Buy canned fish and vegetables in bulk if you have the storage space and save. Try meal prepping once a week for convenience. You can also invest in some kitchen products like a blender and air fryer to prepare healthy meals and smoothies.
Go Outdoors for Recreation
Cut out gym fees, and take your workouts outside. Nurturing a veggie garden for more affordable seasonal fresh produce involves, for example, hauling compost bags and other physical movements. Head to a local park or nature reserve for a heart-healthy cardiovascular session, or do free YouTube workout videos on your apartment's balcony. The fresh air, time in nature, and exercise reduce stress and sharpen your cognitive abilities. This bodes well for both your physical condition and pocketbook in the long run.
Make Homemade Products
DIY fixes aren't always an adequate substitute for cosmetics or chemical cleaning agents, but you'd be surprised by how many detergents have healthier, cheaper, and equally effective alternatives. You can replace multiple products with just one homemade solution. Chat with your doctor about the best natural options for you.
Sleep Tight
Those 40-wink snoozes you enjoy could be doing more for your bank balance than you'd imagine. Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night compromises your decision-making abilities which, in turn, can affect your wallet. You can also use power naps to stay alert and at the top of your money game.
Spend Less
When the effects of healthy choices start manifesting, you'll fork out less on medical expenses and be able to lower your life insurance premiums over time. In addition, sometimes providers have reward programs and incentives for exercising, buying healthy grocery store items, and engaging with meditation apps.
Having a dedicated meditation space in your home can help your meditation practice. This can be very helpful in allowing you to destress from your workday. Think about setting aside a room or corner with a comfortable chair or cushion to help facilitate relaxing meditation.
Earn From a Healthy Lifestyle
You may find that a particular aspect of wellness strikes a chord with you. Perhaps you're passionate about tai chi, or you've become knowledgeable about a cycling hobby. Consider whether you'd like to formalize your deep interest by gaining a professional certificate you can parlay into an income stream. For example, you could become a tai chi instructor or run an online store selling biking accessories.
Take some time to research and strategize. Draw up a business plan with a market analysis and the gap you're trying to fill. Your document should include an organizational chart, marketing tactics, and the necessary funding to start your small enterprise. You’ll need to choose a business structure as well. As a small business owner, you can benefit from forming an LLC which offers tax advantages and means that you won’t be personally liable for the debts your business accrues. Instead of hiring an attorney to register your LLC, read reviews to find the best LLC formation service for you.
As you work on building your name recognition, be sure to have business cards ready to hand out. If you want to create a great business card design for free, give this a try. This online design tool lets you make personalized custom card designs in minutes. You can easily make a business card that reflects your personality and business.
The Bottom Line
Whatever your situation, there's something you can change today to benefit your body, mind, and financial health. You can even turn your healthy lifestyle into a money-making business. Living healthily is a good value.
This blog post was written by James Hall, taken with permission. James Hall is a retired nursing home administrator. Following his retirement, he wanted to find a way to continue helping seniors and make the most of his own golden years. He created Senior Care Fitness to help seniors live their best lives. He regularly shares his knowledge and resources to help seniors not only overcome the downsides of aging, such as chronic pain and other health issues but to thrive throughout this “golden” time."