As a mom, I have to strike a balance between making healthy choices for my family and making financially sound ones. That word, “balance” is key. While I want the best for my family, the best is sometimes out of financial reach. In order to stay health but be cheap, we employ the following strategies in our household.
Know the Priorities
There are some things that you can compromise on and some things that you can’t. Making sure that the kids get regular medical and dental care is top of the list, organic produce is good, a gym membership can be skipped. At least these are the priorities in my own household.
Figure out what is most important to your family, and spend your resources accordingly.
Make up the Difference Elsewhere
Since you don’t want to compromise on your priorities, focus on the things that you can save money on. For example, buying organic bananas may not make sense, since conventional ones have little pesticides. Give up that gym membership I mentioned and take regular walks in the park or borrow free videos from the library. Buy generic cotton swabs or make your own cleaners so you can afford that hormone-free milk.
Negotiate and Barter for Healthy Goods and Services
Negotiate or barter for the things that keep you healthy. For example, you can offer to man the produce stand for a few hours on a Saturday in return for free produce. You can ask your doctor if generic medications will work as well as your expensive prescription. You can negotiate with your dentist if you bring the whole family in at once for cleanings or other work.
Reduce the Stress in Your Home
So many studies have shown that stress is directly linked to illness and even injury. Make strong efforts to reduce the stress in your home, whether that is reducing clutter, cutting down on commitments or just scheduling regular family time. Reducing the stress in your home can be free, but it will have a lot of healthy benefits.
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