Have you considered how your lifestyle affects your finances? I am not referring just to eating out, spending money on new clothing every month or keeping up with the Joneses. I am talking about your lifestyle in regards to your health choices and the way you care for yourself and your family. Here are three specific areas that you may consider evaluating. Of course you ultimately will make the decisions about whether or not you feel that you need to change in these areas.
1) One area that really eats into the budget is smoking. The amount that you spend on cigarettes in a month can add up really fast. When you consider that you are burning your money with this habit, you may want to consider cutting back. In addition you should consider what smoking is going to cost you in the future as you deal with the health problems that come as a result of smoking. If you need help quitting talk to your doctor, there are a lot of great sources available to you.
2) Another lifestyle area that can really impact you budget is your weight. If you are overspending on fast food and other junk, it can affect your budget. It may cost a bit more to buy fresh produce, but if you consider the long-term health benefits you may be saving money on medical bills in the future. If you are overweight it can cause long-term health problems, which can drive up the cost of medical care, health insurance and life insurance. Additionally you do not need a gym membership to lose weight. You can learn tips in the weight loss and fitness blogs.
3) Another aspect of lifestyle is to make sure that you are taking preventive measures when it comes to your health care. By having regular physicals when you are older, and when your children are young you can often catch and treat problems before they become serious. I know someone who recently had serious surgery done to remove skin cancer that had spread. He may have to receive chemotherapy, if it has spread to his lymph nodes. If he had had the spot removed three years ago when it first appeared then he would not be dealing with these issues today. (In his defense, just in case he reads this, it is not his fault that this is happening. He goes to a dermatologist every six months and had a biopsy done and the doctor mixed up the paperwork. Fast forward three years and he is dealing with a nightmare.)
Related Articles:
Take Advantage of Flexible Spending Accounts
Are You Considering Cutting Health Insurance to Save Money?
Financial Pitfalls: Gym Memberships (That You Never Use)