Caviar taste on a Tuna Fish Budget
"Can we talk?" The late comedienne Joan Rivers made that catch phrase famous from her days on the red carpet. Anyone that knows me will tell you, I LOVE to talk! Especially if I am passionate about something. Living a heatlhy life and eating well are two things I am always excited to talk about. But a friend of mine recently asked me about making these changes while living on a strict budget. So, I felt it was a good time to share how we are doing just that. She shared there was no money for an expensive gym membership or fancy foods. I told her I didn't have the luxury of that either. BUT, I did have a pair of tennis shoes and could go outside for a walk and that is free! FREE is my favorite thing to hear when going through the check out line, I mean, hello???? Am I right?! But seriously, if you aren't familiar with our story, let me share a little background with you. Bryan and I both went back to school in our mid 30's to get new careers which meant going back to school while working multiple jobs. So our budget has been very tight for many years. While things are starting to improve, I have learned a lesson or two about the value of a dollar and how to stretch it as far as it will go. So, when I became "ready for a change", I didn't rush out and join an expensive gym or go buy all the most expensive foods on the market.While those things are fine for some people, they just weren't in our reality. Instead, my options were to look at how to get healthy without breaking the bank. And it wasn't hard! When it came to food: I hit the produce aisle hard! All those fresh delicious fruits and vegetables have become my favorite go to foods. There are even some great options in the frozen aisle. If you are a frequent shopper like we are, then you are aware of the weekly sales papers and know that some stores will match other store prices. I am NOT the least bit embarrased to ask the clerk behind the cash register about any of that. I mean I will ask about every single coupon option, any they have I'm not aware of, any they have in the future and buddy it doesn't bother me at all. Maybe that's not your thing, but I shop bargains as much as I can. We eat as fresh as we can, as clean as we can, as often as we can. In other words, we try to avoid processed foods. So we like to plan menus for the week and shop around those on the weekend. This photo is my actual grocery list this week. You may think the fresh or frozen veggies and fruits are more expensive, but compared to the processed foods like potato chips, pizzas, dips, sweet baked treats and all the other junk food we used to eat on a daily basis, it's not. Plus, when you compare the cost of choosing healthy foods and cooking at home to doctor bills and medication for treating high cholesterol, diabetes and other health issues, in the long run, we are coming out ahead. Dr. John Whyte says " Food is medicine." Eating well is like preventative medicine. We also don't care to eat out a lot because to be honest, I like to know what's going in our food and how it's prepared. There are a lot of things I can't control in this world, but what I put into my body each day is one thing I can do. We are very conscious of what we spend so by choosing to eat at home instead of dining out, we are not only saving money, but we can control how our food is prepared...and that's a good thing.
Going to a gym and working with a trainer is a great thing if your budget will allow it. Mine doesn't, but thankfully I have had the support of Health and Fitness expert Dr. Milady Murphy from Shelton State Community College. Your family doctor is a great resource for health information, exercises and support. They can also recommend someone to you who can help point you in the right direction. The internet is filled with tons of information about working out and eating...but beware. There are a lot of versions of dieting, gadgets, fees, and all kinds of things out there that are a little on the shady side. ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE STARTING A NEW EXERCISE PLAN. I like to walk every day, lift small weights I bought from a local big box retailer, and use a large medicine ball. Those are not expensive and I bought them over time. Bryan purchased our treadmill near Christmas a couple of years ago so it was on sale, too. But again, hitting the pavement outside during lunch, when you wake up, or after work is free! You can also do strength training at home with things you have around the house. Check out Dr. Murphy teaching me some strength training exercises in the blog post below or under the video section of this website: we used a chair...a plain, old regular chair! So, if you are thinking, " I could never afford to lose weight! It costs too much money to join a place to work out or buy special foods".....think again! I'm living proof you can do this with a little planning, patience, and dedication. You CAN eat well and live well without busting your budget. Blessings! - Janie
