How to Stay Healthy on a Budget

Your health is always worth investing in – it’s true as they say, ‘health is wealth.’ However, you don’t need to be wealthy to be healthy. Here are some tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while on a budget.

Meal Plan

Before grocery shopping, take the time to plan out the majority of your meals for the week. Think about how to incorporate protein, greens, carbs and a healthy source of fat (such as avocado, coconut, nuts) in each meal. Then, build your grocery list with the ingredients needed to make those meals, so that you only buy what you need for the week. This will make your grocery runs go further, last longer and overall be more cost efficient.

Buy whole foods

Avoid the aisles of processed food in the grocery store, and instead shop the perimeter of the store where proteins and produce can be found. If you buy mostly proteins, vegetables and fruits, then that’s what you’ll reach for to eat when you are hungry or cooking a meal at home. Try to make an effort to go to La Feria on the weekends to buy your produce – it’s always cheaper than the grocery store, and you’re supporting local farmers. Tip: Avoid letting overripe fruits or vegetables go to waste by using them in a smoothie instead.

Get a workout when & where you can

Consider trying home workouts instead of spending money on a gym membership or group workout classes. You can find any type of workout imaginable on YouTube that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Not to mention, we live in Costa Rica so why not take advantage of the beauty that surrounds us and find a way to get a workout in outside. This could be hiking to a waterfall, walking instead of driving, a run on the beach, swimming in the ocean or a pool – the possibilities are limitless right here in your backyard if you just get creative.