What can a ten-dollar bill get you? Probably a cup of coffee, a snack, or maybe one month of Netflix. Is that what you think so too? Well, think again. Experts say that you can lead a comfortable and healthy lifestyle at just $10 a day.
And the best part is you could eat healthy too. Yes, eating healthy need not be an expensive affair. Do not believe us? Here’s a complete guide to how you can have a healthy lifestyle at just $10 a day.
Evaluate Where You Stand
An average American spends around $25 a day on their meals. Well, let’s start with a ballpark calculation of how we arrived at that number. If you spend around $6 on your breakfast and morning coffee, and around $8 on your lunch, that comes to $14. Add to that your evening snack or another coffee, which comes to $3. And if your dinner costs an average of around $6 to $10, you have an average of around $23 to $25 a day. Do not believe that our calculations hold good for you? Well, take a day, and watch what you eat carefully.
Calculate your meal expenses, and then come back to see how you can change the splurging. If you think that’s not splurging and there’s no need for you to embrace the $10 meal lifestyle, let’s talk some more numbers. If we assume that you currently spend $25 a day, and cut it down to $10 a day, you save $15 a day. And that comes to $5475 a year and $109500 in twenty years. Well, that’s a significant chunk of money to go into your retirement funds if you were to ask us. However, there’s more you can do with this lifestyle. If you wish to boost your financial and personal health, here’s how!
Plan Your Shopping
Retail outlets like Costco or Sams Club are beneficial when you buy in bulk. They offer massive discounts for members besides the bulk purchase discounts. This way, the per-item cost comes down significantly. Besides that, you would also save a lot of time and money on your gas and trips to the stores for every petty purchase.
And when you plan and shop, you also plan your meals and your entire routine for the week or month. This means you will waste a significantly lesser amount of food and other resources. Do not shy away from looking for coupons and deals at your local store for healthy foods.
Avoid Packed Foods
These are not just expensive, but also unhealthy. They are rich in sodium, sugar, and other preservatives, making it the most unhealthy food choice. Instead, prepare your meals at home. This way, you are saving money and having fresh food made of healthy ingredients.
If we assume that you have a salad for lunch every day, it might cost you something around three to five dollars per meal. However, for that price, you could buy vegetables that could last for at least two days. And you automatically cut down your lunch costs from $5 to $2.5 a day.
Cancel The Gym Membership
If you are curious about building a healthy lifestyle without hitting the gym, here’s help! The pandemic makes it impossible for people to hit the gym, most of them have to work out at home. You can embrace this lifestyle even after the pandemic ends.
You will not have to spend a fortune every month on the gym, and there is no need to struggle with your routine to fit your gym schedule into it. As you would be working out at home, you already have some extra time on hand. You could also walk to the store or jog to nearby places instead of driving around, saving fuel.
Carry A Water Bottle
Invest in a sturdy water bottle that you can carry around with you all day long. Buying those tiny disposable water bottles does not good for your pocket or the planet. As plastic does not decompose and most people do not recycle the bottle, you are just adding to the landfill. A water bottle costs around $1.45, and an average person spends around $4 on an active day just on water bottles. You could save this money by carrying your waterbottle around and just refilling it every time you run out of water.
While it might be difficult initially, you will soon be able to embrace this as a way of life. The best part is you would be contributing towards your health as well in that process. So, that’s a win-win. Don’t forget to inspire even those around you to embrace the $10 healthy lifestyle too.