In this article, we dive into how to prioritize a healthy lifestyle into your budget. If living a healthy lifestyle is something that you value, then keep following along for some great tips & advice.
We want to talk about managing your cash flow (or budgeting) for certain things that you value, which, in this case, could all be related to an active/healthy lifestyle that puts a priority on nutrition, sleep, recovery, physical fitness, mindfulness, and well-being. We would like to give you some advice on how you should be thinking about all of this as it relates to budgeting within your own personal financial picture.
If you are someone that understands the value behind living a healthy lifestyle, being active, taking care of your body, etc., then you probably know that it does cost money to achieve all of those things. Here is a list of many common, valuable expenditures that may come up on your budget:
- Home gym workout equipment and recovery tools
- Gym membership costs
- Boutique fitness studio classes/subscriptions
- Spending money at grocery stores, where you’re buying all organic (at places like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Jimbos, etc.)
- Healthy & nutrition supplements
- Recovery sessions ranging from physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractor, sleep therapy, float tank therapy, cryotherapy, etc.
- Wellness or meditation retreats
- Working with a nutritionist or nutrition coach
This is not an extensive list and it is certainly true that everyone is going to be a little different with their mix of expenditures. However, it is important to note that all of these items aim to optimize human potential. Yes, there is a financial cost, but that cost is worth it if you truly see the value.
When thinking about how to prioritize a healthy lifestyle into your budget, the main focus is to make sure that you budget for those extra costs or identify those items that are non-negotiable and put them into the “fixed expenses” category within your budget.
Honest Conversations That Arise When Prioritizing A Healthy Lifestyle Into Your Budget
If you are single, it is a lot easier to put a priority on these items. However, if you are married or if you have a girlfriend/boyfriend/partner, then it really is about you both talking about what is important to you. Specifically, there needs to be an understanding of the importance of why you value optimizing (or improving/maintaining) for a healthy lifestyle. This conversation can certainly be hard, but getting on the same page is so crucial.
Going a little deeper, this conversation is truly about your spouse/partner understanding why you value these things that may cost extra money. For you, budgeting for them is needed and they are paramount to who you are, what you value, and achieving a healthier, happier you.
Now, this is not to say that if your spouse/partner does not 100% support every expense related to health & wellness, that they are wrong. That is not the case at all, but more so it creates a conversation that ultimately leads to understanding, agreement, disagreement, compromise, etc. This is great and healthy, because if you are truly sharing income, expenses, resources, etc., it is important that you look at all angles and see what makes sense given that shared resources that you have.
Saving On Medical Expenses As You Age By Prioritizing A Healthy Lifestyle Into Your Budget
Specific to this topic, we do want to add that if you are looking at the overall picture of your financial life, prioritizing a healthy lifestyle into your budget does have a long-lasting impact. This is very much the case if you truly consider spending money today on your health & wellness as an investment towards your future, optimizing your health, longevity, ability to live life fully as you get older, etc. This notion should be strongly considered when taking into the grand scheme of various long-term goals, such as saving for retirement, saving for a down payment on a home, saving for a child’s education, etc.
At the end of the day, if you did not invest in yourself to be able to live a longer, more active lifestyle, you may miss out on certain things as you get older. You may miss out on those things that matter most to you once you get to an older age, such as spending time with grandchildren, fun vacations with the love of your life, enjoying the beauty of nature (on hikes, in the ocean, etc.), etc.
Furthermore, and even though this is much further out in the future, it is true that when you get older, there are going to be a lot of medical expenses that could come up. One way to combat this (although, nobody can predict the future), is to use today to invest in your health, wellness, and longevity by taking care of your body via some of the items bulleted earlier in this article. You can think of this proactive approach as an investment, insurance policy, or protective measure so that when you are older, you have less medical expenses than the average person in terms of health & medical needs (when you do reach an older age).
Getting Creative By Incorporating A Healthy Lifestyle Into Your Budget
We can also get a little creative here in thinking about how to prioritize a healthy lifestyle into your budget, specific to this category of health, wellness, and longevity. For some, the most basic level is going to be a gym membership and healthy food options, such as paying more for organic at the grocery store or a delivery service that provides locally-sourced meat and produce.
However, if you want to get creative and you really do value a healthy lifestyle, maybe an idea (or expenditure) could be thinking about the feasibility of having your “dream home gym” in your garage or spare bedroom.
In addition, maybe you want to go to a meditation retreat to really get present with yourself and your spouse, with a focus on “unplugging” for a bit. This is another great option for thinking outside of the box for items to consider when budgeting for a healthy, active lifestyle.
Another idea to consider is to use your budget towards taking healthy-eating cooking classes or even to work one-on-on with a nutrition coach. This is a great idea for someone that has no idea how to “do” healthy eating and really wants to hit the ground running. This can be a game-changer!
Finally, maybe you travel all the time or you are on airplanes for work, but you never have time for some rest and relaxation. Maybe it is time for you to consistently book time for the spa or a massage.
Even though for most people these things may seem like luxuries that we should not focus our financial life plan on, we would strongly argue against that. If you value these things and they are centered around your goals, there should 100% be a prioritization of things kinds of things within your budget and your overall financial life plan.
Prioritizing A Healthy Lifestyle Into Your Financial Life Plan
If you value these things and they are a part of who you essentially are as a person, then you certainly want to make this topic central to your budget conversation. Maybe these items come up as it relates to your savings plan or a general conversation around goals, but ultimately they should be a big part of your financial life plan, creating the active, healthy lifestyle that you want to live today. Instead of waiting for some time in the future to prioritize these things, because you value them, you must put the time, energy, and resources needed today to start living out this value of prioritizing a healthy lifestyle.
The tough part is that getting there takes planning. You’re not going to just wake up one day and have a gym membership, have healthy food available to eat, etc. Furthermore, it takes time and intentional effort to understand what healthy eating actually means or have the consistent boundary setting of making sure you have that massage scheduled after several weeks of traveling.
The key (from our perspective) is to consistently and intentionally talk with your spouse/partner (or if not married, think through on your own) about how to best put the energy, resources, and planning behind the values that we (I) see in being healthy, active, and focused on optimizing for a life of longevity. There are certainly going to be tradeoffs and tough conversations, but the more this happens, the more aligned you will be in figuring out how to prioritize a healthy lifestyle into your budget.
Additional Reads & Resources
The Simple Guide To Healthy Living On A Budget
The Secret To Prioritizing A Healthy, Busy Lifestyle
How To Prioritize Healthy Living On A Budget
The Best Budget Home Gym Equipment
Budgeting As A Personal Trainer: How To Manage Your Finances Like A Pro
For more resources, you can always visit our “Resources” page.