Healthy, But Broke

"Your total is <insert large amount here>."
"Ooo shit...what?"
*Awkward giggle..repeats total*
"Did you get the coupons?"
"Um..yes, ma'am"
*Holds back tears and vomit while sliding card into reader*

This is me at HEB - every week. Eating fruits and veggies and low carbs all day sucks. All you get out of it is maybe a hotter, slimmer bod, a little nicer skin, maybe less digestion issues, and some energy. You know what you don't get? TO EAT CEREAL FOR DINNER EVERY DAY. Got me over here having withdrawal...("Got me all stressed out, hair fallin' out, my weight up and down" ...you should be laughing if you get this reference...) I'm looking at fast food commercials like a crackhead looks at a cooking rock, and I don't even like fast food! In all seriousness, you know what seems to hurt the most when I try to correct my diet? My damn bank account.

I know so many people make the same resolution every year - to get healthier, lose weight, look good naked - or some variation of these. One deterring factor is the cost. About a month ago, I went back to working out a minimum of four times a week, and I'm in the midst of adjusting my diet to include more vegetables and fruits and fewer carbs and dairy. In one month, I've been contemplating (and noticing) three big-ticket-items that pull your money strings when trying to live a healthier lifestyle:

1) Groceries

• Fresh produce costs more than buying vegetables in a can, and then they expire quickly. So you end up wasting food and paying for the same items twice, especially if you're single and can't seem to finish off certain things like bags of salad fast enough. And silly enough, when I buy single portions or pre-prepared food, it's even more expensive!
• Healthier snacks, like dried fruit, trail mix, and Nut Thin crackers also tend to be more expensive per serving than salty chips and oatmeal creme pies.
• Dairy-free, Lactose-free, or vegan items....don't get me started. My lactose-free milk (Fairlife or Mootopia at HEB) is more expensive for a half-gallon than a regular cow milk full gallon!

2) Gym Memberships

• I'm lucky enough to have a nice gym in my apartment complex (which I don't consider "free" since my rent is high as all get out). But you can expect anywhere from $10 - 40 for gym memberships these days, and that's not including your gas for driving back and forth.

3) Utility Bills

• All that cooking in the oven and opening and closing the fridge/freezer more often → makes a little difference, even if it's not particularly noticeable.
• And if your water is absolutely ridiculous like mine, any water you use to shower more often after the gym, wash more dishes and laundry, or cook with will be charged double (water in, water out), making that increase justttt enough to grind your gears.

4) Honorable mention - Clothes

• This is a plus and a minus - a plus if you are losing enough weight and taking on a better shape so you no longer fit your "big girl/boy" clothes, but also a minus since clothes are pricey pricey (unless you get a Banana Republic credit card like me, use it to pay for expensive stuff that you pay off quickly, and get a bunch of coupons, member discounts, and reward money👏)

Since I'm determined to get my 8th-grade hard-body-yotty back (I had some rockin' abs and fat-free thighs....good times, good times), I've figured out some hacks to even out the change to your healthy lifestyle versus your depressed bank account:

• Coupons, coupons, coupons!
• Plan meals and grocery lists before going to a store
• Buy less at a time to avoid waste
• Utilize free gym memberships (like apartments or work/corporate memberships)
• Learn exercises that do not require a gym, and stock up on a few weights and items you can use at home/anywhere (i.e., barbells, kettlebells, yoga mats, weighted balls, jump ropes - all available at Five Below!)
• tell that beautiful body of yours: "WE'RE WORTH IT!"
• Don't buy too many clothes at once if you plan on (hope to) lose a fair amount of weight.
• Stop buying full, expensive workout outfits because you're too busy trying to be the cutest gym bunny🐇

#StaySweatin #PennyPinching