You’re living check to check and you want to be healthy. Most people think these two things don’t go together. Luckily for you, my entire business is designed to help people live healthy lifestyles while on a budget.
I myself live on a budget, so I’ve made it my mission to live a healthy holistic lifestyle without spending a lot of money. In fact, many of these tips are completely free! Lets get started.
Audio/podcast version:
These sections are divided between physical health, mental health, and spiritual health because all three are crucial for real health.
Budget-Friendly Physical Health Tips
Get direct sunlight for 20 minutes every morning. No money required, just step outside! Direct sunlight means not through a window or wearing sunscreen. Once you go over 20 minutes, sunscreen is recommended (preferably a natural one).
Why is sunlight so important in the morning? Not only does this help your skin produce enough Vitamin D for the day, but it also helps reset your circadian rhythm. Being as close to this rhythm as possible will also help with sleep.
Even if it’s cloudy, you are still able to absorb sunlight through the clouds, just not as much, of course. In this case, staying outside longer works. If you live in the North where sunlight is lacking or it’s too cold to stand outside for 20 minutes, you can sit near a window. You won’t get the Vitamin D, but you will stay on the circadian rhythm.
You can also buy a sun lamp; there are some inexpensive ones out there. The one I bought was under $70 but there are many that are under $30 on Amazon. (affiliate link)
Get adequate sleep. Speaking of the circadian rhythm, sleeping as close as you can to 8 hours is ideal, and preferably between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. In the winter when it’s dark longer, you can easily get to bed by this time, unless you work late hours.
If you can’t get to bed that early, try to be sleeping between 1 and 3 am at least, because those are the hours when your liver is detoxing. It can do this much more efficiently when you are sleeping.
I give 20 tips for how to get good sleep here. Most of those tips include inexpensive or free options, so there’s plenty there even for people who can’t spend any money.
Drink adequate amounts of spring water or filtered water. Buying water may not be an option for you, in that case you can get a filter. Most inexpensive filters work good enough. I bought a Reverse Osmosis filter on clearance at a liquidator store (heavily discounted) so if you have any stores like that, look for one there.
With reverse osmosis, it takes out all the bad stuff and the good stuff too (basically minerals), so be sure to re-add minerals. I use an inexpensive bottle of minerals but you can also sprinkle some Himalayan salt into your water. Just a small amount is good enough and you won’t taste the salt when you drink it.
Shop for groceries the smart way. Don’t just go to any random grocery store, most of them are higher priced than the ones I will suggest here. I do all of my grocery shopping at discount stores such as Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Costco or Sam’s Club, and Misfits Market (discount groceries delivered right to your door).
No more spending over $100 a week in groceries! Now $30 gets me through a week (on average). All of these stores have organic sections and a wide selection of produce.
You can also buy in bulk which saves a lot of money. Items that work well for bulk include dried herbs and spices, rice, beans, nuts, and seeds. Using coupons and buying things on sale is always an option too.
Another great way to save money on groceries is to grow your own food. This might not be possible for many people, but remember you can grow some herbs in small pots in your windowsill, if nothing else! A packet of seeds is usually under $2 and those seeds can last a few years.
Exercise, movement, stretching, and yoga are all free ways to stay in shape. Go for a walk around your neighborhood. Do yoga and stretching right on your living room floor following along with YouTube videos. Avoid sitting as much as possible throughout your day.
You don’t need a gym membership. You can pick up some weights at discount stores, garage sales, even thift stores. Some free ways to get your cardio workout are dancing, jumping jacks, or jogging.
Breathwork is free and it helps your body and your mind! Deep rhythmic breathing helps put you into the parasympathetic state which is the state where your body can rest and digest (as opposed to fight or flight).
Budget-Friendly Mental Health Tips
Meditation is free! If you are in need of some guided meditations or instructions, it’s all available for free on YouTube or Insight Timer. If you struggle with meditation, I wrote an article giving some easy meditation methods for beginners,
Journaling is an inexpensive (if not free) way to express yourself therapeutically. You can do it digitally through a program or app (I like simple old Notepad, on every computer!). You can also buy notebooks for $1 at the dollar store. There are journals for every budget.
I create and sell printable journal pages in my Etsy shop. Most of these are aimed at a specific problem or subject, and most are in the $2.00-$6.00 range.
Getting out in nature is free and does wonders for the body, mind, and soul. If you live in a concrete jungle such as the downtown area of a large city, you might have to walk or take public transportation to the nearest park. But even if you can find one tree that will help. State parks and national parks both have select dates each year where entrance is free.
Personal development, personal growth, self improvement; whatever you want to call it, it’s good for your health and also free! The internet is full of information on these subjects.
You can also check out some books at the library for another free way to learn and grow. I have an article where I give a list of my favorite self improvement experts; that list will be a great place to start.
Budget-Friendly Spiritual Health Tips
Establishing and maintaining a connection with a higher power of your choice is also free. You can do this through meditation, prayer, contemplation, journaling, or studying spiritual books and information.
You can find these books in any library for free, and sometimes there are free spiritual books online. The internet is a never-ending source of free information on any subject, as well.
Spend time in nature. Yeah, I know, you’ve heard me say this many times (in this article alone!) but it’s that important. Nature heals the body, mind, and soul.
Because connecting and aligning with nature is such a crucial part of being healthy, I have put together a PDF that contains all the information I know about how to do this. It’s very inexpensive and even includes 2 video lessons from my online course which is normally $44. This PDF is available here.
Find your life purpose and live it! Studies have shown that those who are living their life purpose are healthier and happier. There are a few ways to find your life purpose, including volunteering, journaling, and exploring your hobbies. There are lots of inexpensive hobbies, or even ways to monetize your hobbies. Earning money with hobbies is usually most people’s life purpose.
Learn More
I hope this article has given you plenty of suggestions on how to be healthy on a budget. As you’ve learned, there is a lot you can do for free or with very little money to keep your body, mind, and soul healthy. In fact, the basic fundamentals of health don’t require a lot of money. That is the beauty of the basics.
If you liked this information but it didn’t go deep enough for you, I have a free video course delivered by email that will guide you through everything I mentioned in this article and more. Health doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive! It all comes down to the basics, which are mostly free!
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