Two things that every human should want are to be healthy and to have financial prosperity. Have you ever considered that these goals can work together to uplift one another? Here are some examples. Cook your own meals instead of going to restaurants to eat healthier and save money. Replace driving with cycling, walking, or running to save money on automobile expenses and get exercise. Avoid high-risk activities like skydiving, scuba diving and car racing. By maintaining a healthy low-risk lifestyle, exercising, and avoiding smoking and drinking, you may also save on your life insurance premiums, which can add up over time. Similarly, your healthcare costs will be lower, and you will live longer!

Here are some effective ways to save money while improving your health:

• Exercise outside for free rather than paying for a gym membership.
  • Not only will you save money on the membership, but you will also save time and the cost of transportation to and from the gym.
• Drive safely & avoid speeding.
  • Speeding tickets are a voluntary tax that you can avoid paying by driving below the speed limit. Not only will you avoid speeding tickets, but you will also improve your fuel economy (U.S., Department of Energy, 2022) and reduce your chances of collision (U.S. Department of Transportation, n.d.).
• Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.
  • Smoking and alternatives like vaping are unhealthy and costly. A smoker that smokes 10 cigarettes per day spends $2,044 per year (Health Canada, 2012). Your life will be 11 minutes shorter for each cigarette smoked (Shaw et al., 2000). Similarly, alcohol is a known carcinogen, increasing your likelihood of developing several cancers, while costing your bank account (Lee, 2023). The average Canadian household spends $1,125 per year on Alcohol (Government of Canada, 2023).
• Prepare your own food.
  • Similar meals prepared at home are 50-75% cheaper than those prepared by restaurants (Vachon, 2023). Those who prepare their own meals consume 200 fewer calories and 16 fewer grams of sugar per day when compared with those who eat out frequently (Fernstrom, 2014). By preparing your own food, you can eat healthier and save money. See my post on Meal Planning.
• Avoid casinos and lotteries.
  • Casinos and lotteries are voluntary taxes whereby the money you spend (lose) funds government programs. It is so unlikely that you will win that you should avoid it altogether. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the addictive world of gambling – you will be the real winner.

References:

Fernstrom, M. (2014, November 17). If you cook at home often, you’ll eat less of this when you eat out. TODAY.Com. http://www.today.com/health/home-cooks-eat-better-fewer-calories-when-they-eat-out-1D80293351

Government of Canada, S. C. (2023, February 1). Dry February, you say? https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/2877-dry-february-you-say

Health Canada, G. of C. (2012, January 12). Cost calculator: How much do you spend on cigarettes? https://health.canada.ca/en/forms/cigarettes-cost-calculator

Lee, S. (2023). Some sobering facts about alcohol and cancer risk. Canadian Cancer Society. https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/limit-alcohol/some-sobering-facts-about-alcohol-and-cancer-risk

Shaw, M., Mitchell, R., & Dorling, D. (2000). Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 320(7226), 53.

U.S., Department of Energy. (2022, May 30). FOTW #1240, May 30, 2022: Slow Down to Save Fuel: Fuel Economy Decreases About 27% When Traveling at 80 mph Versus 60 mph. Energy.Gov. https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/fotw-1240-may-30-2022-slow-down-save-fuel-fuel-economy-decreases-about-27

U.S. Department of Transportation. (n.d.). Speeding | NHTSA [Text]. Retrieved September 24, 2023, from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding

Vachon, P. (2023, May 4). How Much Cheaper Is Cooking at Home Than Takeout? We Do the Math. https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/cooking-vs-takeout-how-much-do-you-save-by-making-meals-at-home/