People often don’t realize that some of the same things that make you overweight also steal your money! Here are some easy steps to help you lose the weight and save money at the same time!
10 Ways to Lose Weight and Gain Money
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Eat smaller portions. The less food you eat, the less food you have to buy which means you spend less money on food.
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Walk more. I have a grocery store 2 1/2 blocks from me. Shame on me for driving there, especially when I only need one or two items. I can’t even use being in a hurry as an excuse because it takes me the same amount of time to walk as to drive. Stop complaining about gas prices and start walking.
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Stop paying someone else to do your work. Start doing your own yard work and housecleaning. You don’t think you have time to clean? Use that hour you would have worked out at the gym each morning to do your house work or yard work. Not only do you save the money you are paying someone to do these things, but you don’t have to pay to go to the gym. Don’t think you can lose weight cleaning your house? Trust me. If you are doing these things properly you will lose weight. You can clean and organize in five minutes.
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Stop going out to eat as much. Not only does it cost so much less to eat at home but you can control how much you eat and what you are eating better. How often do you eat everything they give you in a restaurant just because you don’t want to waste money? Make easy meals at home and save money.
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Take the kids to the park instead of the movies.It doesn’t cost a thing to go to the park and you get exercise. Plus there is the added benefit of actually talking and playing with you kids instead sitting staring at a movie.
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Drink water and not pop (or sodas).We all know it. Pop is just empty calories with no benefit. Why spend the money or pack on the extra weight?
That goes for Lattes too. It costs much less to just have a regular cup of coffee from home and is much less fattening. Save the lattes for a special treat or dessert.
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Reduce excess scheduled activities.Many of us are just too busy with things that are often not really that important because we think that’s the way it should be. Eliminating some of your excess commitments will save on gas and will reduce stress, which will make it less tempting to eat or spend as a stress reliever.
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You don’t need to bring out the fatted calf to entertain or impress people. Have simple cake and punch at your child’s birthday partyinstead of going to Chucky Cheese’s. It’s funny how the expensive flashy things are rarely the things the kids remember fondly when they grow up.
If you’re having people over for dinner, keep the food simple. You don’t need a 10 course meal that includes everything from lobster to an expensive cheesecake. There are very few people who wouldn’t enjoy roast chicken with fresh fruit for dessert just as much, especially if the company is good.
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Stop shopping and start exercising. When under stress there are two things at the top of the list that people do. Shopping and eating. Have a plan of attack so that when you start feeling stressed instead of grabbing your purse (or wallet) and heading for the mall you hit the yoga mat, hop on your bike or just start walking.
Do you know how much money you would save if you exercised instead of shopping? Not to mention you probably would rid yourself of a lot of your stress. If you don’t have as many money problems from over spending you wouldn’t feel the need to go shopping or over eat and you would eventually break the cycle.
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Drive quickly by fast food joints. Don’t even drive by them. Don’t drive on the same street where they are. If you have a big problem with this, don’t drive in the section of town where they are. And if you have any in your town then move to another town! (This was my favorite son-in-law’s idea. Guess where his weakness lies! HA! HA!)
-Jill
From: Dig Out Of Debt
Thank you for these reminders!!!! Today I really found them helpful.
Great tips, thanks! ☺
Great tips. I have been working on getting healthy and one of my favorite tips is to make your own “fast food.” I like to make large pots of soups/casseroles to have one now and freeze the other for when life gets crazy. I also like to turn some of my breakfast breads/coffee cakes into muffins and stick them in the freezer for a quick grab and go breakfast. Also, keeping healthy/ pre-protioned snacks in your purse/car can help curb the temptation to hit the drive thru.
I love the idea of not going out and paying for the Latte. But I do buy it at the store in the can. Then that is my treat for a job well done. So not only do a pay about the same for a can that makes many as I do for just one cup. Save the gas, going to get it. Then while I am enjoying my Latte I can enjoy which ever area I just got cleaned. Just remember that it is a treat for a goal you set for yourself.
You folks are amazing! Thanks for the great tips.
You always cheer me up with you common sense, down to earth ideas and recipes.
Rock on.
Julie J
Des Moines, WA
Jill love #10.
When I was a teen and living at home to get from the bus on the way home from work it was about a mile walk right past Kentucky fried chicken, then a donut shop tim hortons that smelled wonderful then the Pizza hut. By the time I finally got home I was so hungry that if mom had put a piece of burned leather on the plate I am sure it would have tasted great.
Mom always laughed at me until she started taking the bus to get to work and had to go the same route.
Then it wasn’t so funny anymore.
Funny thing was I never really cared for the food it was the smell that got to me. I still prefer home cooking but the smells are great diet undoers.
My hubby and I were short on cash but we still wanted to take the kids out on one of the first lovely days in Jan. I pulled out a loaf of bread from the freezer (one I’d bought on clearance for this purpose) and we headed to the Cemetery. I know that sounds funny but our local cemetery has the most beautiful grounds and a wonderful duck and swan pond. It’s a local favorite place to have a picnic lunch and feed the ducks. We gave the ducks a lunch and enjoyed the beautiful outdoors all at the same time and my kids ask to go back. It was a hit and we’ll be back!
Jill thanks for the reminders – I know we could all use them. When we lost jobs, we were living on $900 a month. We did nothing!! Once a week we went to town (30+min) and did library, groceries, gas, any errands. But we did not do anything fun!! Once a month, or if we had a work day, we would get one simple ice cream or McDonalds – but it really made them special!!
Now that we have work – we have to be careful not to spend and to save – and your book has helped alot. : )
Thanks to the other people for sharing their fun and simple ideas, too!
We have lived in the same neighborhood for a long time. Some of the ways we saved money during lean times and abundant times is use the resources nearby. As a family we picnic, walked, biked, rollerbladed, skate boarded,and raced to the park. The equipment we used were birthday/Christmas gifts from family and friends. The park had and still has great playground equipment,bathrooms,tennis courts, ball fields, a wooded area and a pond we fished. Ducks and geese frequent the pond so we were able to watch them raise their young. Got to know the people who walked their dogs and our neighbors several streets away. Played, explored in the creek and wooded area down the road. Many times, without expecting it, we would find money on the roadway(coin and $1,5,10,20 dollar bills)and other items of value. Brought plastic bags with us to pick up discarded pop cans and bottles as well as trash to help keep our neigborhood tidy. There are pecan trees along the way and at the park and harvested pecans. Of course all these things helped to keep us in shape at no cost.
I especially like the idea of doing active things with your kids. Catching ball with dad or raking leaves with mom are things that kids remember, not the movie and $20 worth of snacks you bought them. Great post.
Yall are awesome…thanks for all the great frugal reminders…i now have more information and inspiration for the new year…hugs andr lov
Thanks, for the helpful suggestions! I’ll be recommending this to my clients as reminders. I always take a small cooler of healthy snacks from home, so I won’t spend extra money eating out! :)