7 Easy and Frugal Ways to Stay Healthy

Many people believe that to be healthy, you have to spend tons of money on fancy ingredients, fitness training and all kinds of health-related gadgets. I am here to prove them wrong.

Today, I want to discuss how to lead a healthy lifestyle while on a budget and living your best life. If you are into frugal healthy living, stay tuned!

We're going to talk about frugal ways that we stay healthy and I have seven of them. Can you tell I can talk about frugality all day? Let's get started.

1. Shop for healthy ingredients

I am not saying that every single thing you buy should be healthy, but I believe that 90% is a good rule of thumb that my family goes by. The other 10% of our purchases are snacks for the kids and popcorn for my husband and me.

The rest of the ingredients that I buy are healthy, and this way I set myself up for a week of frugal healthy meals for my family, where we are not tempted to cook something unhealthy based on the unhealthy ingredients in our kitchen.

This also allows me to always stay under my weekly grocery budget to feed my family of five.

2. Make vegetarian meals

I am not a vegetarian, but I am a big fan of vegetarian meals.

Vegetarian meals are among the easiest and best healthy meals you can make while on a budget. They are inexpensive, good for our health, and help me use up all of the vegetables that I have in my fridge and in my freezer.

This way I make sure that nothing goes to waste, because as a frugal person, there is no worse feeling than cleaning out the fridge, finding that vegetable that you had the intention of using, and having to toss it because it has gone bad.

Having a vegetarian meal in between my meat meals really helps us out. Moreover, honestly, I feel healthier and lighter after I have a vegetarian meal.

3. Meal plan

I believe that if you are wondering how to eat frugally and healthy, meal planning is your best friend. Before I started meal planning, I used to spend $280-290 a week on groceries.

With a meal plan, I have managed to get that down to just $180 a week at most, including non-food items. That alone has saved my family $5,000 every year, which is life-changing.

What I also love about meal planning is that I get to rotate what is in my fridge, my freezer and my pantry, because the whole key to meal planning is to use what you have on hand and make meals based upon that.

And then what you are lacking for the rest of the week is what you shop for. That way, nothing goes to waste in your fridge, and you save money and avoid the temptation of getting takeout instead of cooking at home.

4. Organic produce

I love to shop for organic produce because I know it is the best quality of ingredients for my family. However, the prices for it here in New Jersey are absolutely crazy.

That is why I found Misfits Market, and have been using them for two years. It is a subscription service, where you can go online and select exactly what produce you want shipped right to your door.

Their prices are unbeatable and the quality of the produce is phenomenal. It has really helped us stay under budget and still have great ingredients in my meals.

5. Buy a water filter

I drink sodas when it is someone’s birthday, and I make cocktails for my friends, but other than those celebrations, we mostly drink water, and a lot of it.

Water is phenomenal for your skin, for your brain function and also for your metabolism. The best thing you can do is drink a glass of ice water even before you drink a cup of coffee.

We now have an inexpensive filter attached to our refrigerator, and before that we used to buy Brita filters. The whole thing was around $20, and I would always have it right in the fridge for some fresh clean water.

I believe a water filter is a super important investment, so you do not have to keep spending money on bottled water or SodaStream machines.

6. Working out

We used to have a family membership to the local YMCA and I really enjoyed it. However, when we started doing our budget, I realized we are not using that membership to its fullest capacity, and it was not worth $76 a month.

So instead, my kids work out for free, finding people they relate to on YouTube and following their free workouts. I went and splurged and bought a $13 app, which I am using to the fullest and having the time of my life, so it is so worth the money.

Before I was able to afford that, when we had to really cut down on our expenses, I also relied on YouTube, of course, which is full of wonderful workouts for any taste.

Take a look at your workout expenses and consider whether there are options that will cost less and be more enjoyable and beneficial for you.

7. Do activities outside

I am not much of a winter person, but in all the other seasons our family is out all the time. We go for long walks and hikes, which allows us to enjoy both quality time as a family and exercise for free, and with a great view.

We also love going to the beach, swimming and eating dinner right there on the beach. Once the sun sets, we get to look at the stars and just enjoy each other. Bike rides are also lots of fun. All those options are completely free and so good for your body and mind.

Frugal ways to stay healthy

These are all the tips I have for you today. What are your frugal life hacks? Share in the comments!

Next, learn How to Stretch Your Food Budget & Save Money.