A healthy lifestyle isn’t just beneficial for your body, but also your bank account. Below are just 5 ways in which a healthy lifestyle can save you money.
Medical bills
Being physically active and keeping up a health diet can reduce the risk of developing all kinds of health conditions from diabetes to heart disease. A healthy lifestyle can also encourage a strong immune system, preventing you from catching as many bugs and viruses.
Less health problems could mean less medical bills in the future. Hospital costs are currently $2,607 per day on average, and this cost is only going up – less time spent in hospital from living healthy could save you thousands of dollars. You could also save a lot of money on medication and general doctor visits as a result of illness.
According to this dentist who does quality dental implants in Chattanooga TN, regular health checkups will also help you reduce medical bills in the long run. Early detection of diseases means less complicated procedures which means less cost.
Insurance
A healthy lifestyle can also save you money on your insurance premiums. Health insurance companies typically take your lifestyle into account when coming up with a quote. As this guide by Shawn Meaike explains, your health can also affect life insurance premiums.
Making lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking and drinking less alcohol could have an immediate impact on your insurance rates (although not all insurers ask about these habits). Meanwhile, a reduced risk of developing health conditions could save you money in the future (the likes of diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and liver disease can all cause your insurance rates to spike).
Groceries
You could also save money on your grocery shopping by making more healthy consumer choices. Many unhealthy consumer goods are taxed high, making them relatively expensive.
For example, if you smoke a packet of cigarettes a day, quitting could save you over $2000 per year. If you’re a heavy drinker, you could save as much as $8000 per year. Cutting down on sugary drinks and eating less meat could meanwhile also save you huge amounts of money. Obviously, you don’t have to cut out all of these items completely, however reducing them could make a big difference to your annual expenses.
Takeout meals
Do you eat a lot of takeout meals? Takeout meals generally aren’t very healthy compared to home-cooked meals. The costs of these meals can also add up over time.
By cutting out takeout meals, you could save a lot of money. In fact, dining out less could make you huge savings – as this article by Megan Leonhardt reports, 78% of Americans saved $245 throughout the pandemic by not going out to eat. This isn’t to say that you should give up all takeout meals and restaurant meals and stick only to home-cooked meals, however reducing these meals could make a big impact.
Fuel/transport
Do you often drive or take the bus somewhere when you could have quite easily walked or cycled the journey? Walking and cycling more can be a great way to get exercise into your day, and it can save you a lot of money.
Consider trying to walk and cycle more for small local journeys – particularly if you live somewhere that’s very walkable or cycle-friendly.
