Think You Can’t Afford Healthy Food? Think Again.

Think You Can’t Afford Healthy Food? Think Again.

I’ll keep it short and to the point this week. Some people often argue they can’t get food that’s “all-natural,” “organic” or “grass-fed” because they don’t have enough money.

I recently ran across an article from USA Today titled “20 ways Americans are blowing their money,” and it discusses a number of ways you don’t even realize you’re wasting your hard-earned cash. I’ve listed a few of the big ones below.

While it’s obviously OK to have a drink or two here or there, you need to make sure you don’t let your spending (or drinking) get out of hand.

According to the article, Americans spend $1 out of every $100 on alcohol. That means one percent of all your earnings go toward alcohol. Imagine what would happen if you used even some of that money on something healthy?

Bottom Line: Have one or two drinks when you go out – not five or six.

You know that innocent $4 coffee you buy every morning at Starbucks? Well, that can add up over the long haul.

According to the article, people in the United States who purchase coffee frequently throughout the week spend an average of $1,092 per year on coffee.

Bottom Line: Buy your own coffee, and get up five minutes earlier so you can prepare it at home.

Do you really need HBO, Showtime or Cinemax? According to the article, an HBO subscription alone can cost between $15 and $19.99 per month.

If you’re paying $15 extra per month, that’s $180 per year you’re spending on premium channels you may not even be watching.

Besides, you shouldn’t be watching too much TV any way if your goal is to lead a healthy life.

Bottom Line: Call your local cable provider and cancel any subscriptions to premium channels.

According to the article, Americans waste $165 billion annually by throwing away food they don’t want. That’s about $529 per person.

Make sure you’re actually going to use all the food you’re purchasing. Don’t go to the grocery store when you’re hungry because you’ll probably buy more than you need.

Bottom Line: Have a plan before going to the store and count out the number of meals and snacks you and your family are going to have that week.

Remember all those times you forgot to turn the light off when you left the room?

Well, according to the article, Americans throw away a whopping $443 billion each year on energy they don’t use. Energy Star, which is supported by the government, says you can cut energy costs by a third if you follow the recommendations on their to-do list.

Bottom Line: If you’re out of the house or out of the room, turn off devices that expend energy.

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