If you think about it, your money is closely tied to your lifestyle.
If you live a rather carefree and unstructured lifestyle, you may need a closer grasp on your spending and or savings. You may find that you buy impulsively.
If you’re more structured, your personality type may include planned spending. You are probably more prone to saving and anticipating expenses.
For those of you who take money out of the bank but don’t know where it went, let's review options to help you take control of your spending, change your perspective on money, and eliminate things that are not important in your life to prioritize the things that are.
The goal is to find doable ways to cut expenses that don’t greatly affect your quality of life.
Becoming as healthy as possible is a great way to reduce expenses. Eliminating foods with little to no nutrients, like over-processed snack foods, and replacing them with fruits and vegetables can help you save money. This can produce a healthier you and minimize future illnesses and healthcare costs.
Eating out less, especially when leftovers are available, can save money and time. Cooking rather than eating out is a good way to eat healthier and save money. When you go out to eat, skip the drinks and desserts. Drinks are a premium when purchased at a restaurant, even those happy hour drinks.
Ditch a bad habit that may be hurting your wallet. If you’re a smoker, stop. You’ll save a lot of money. The cost of a pack of cigarettes is approximately $7. If you smoke one pack/day, that will translate to $2,555/year! Additionally, you may be able to decrease your life insurance premiums as a result, saving you even more money. The savings don’t stop there. You may be saving your health as well.
Knowing what lifestyle changes to make if you want to save more money and get healthier is very important if you pinpoint a financial goal you want to achieve.
For goals to become habits, they must be measurable, repeatable, and achievable.
Be mindful of errands that need to be done. Try incorporating them simultaneously rather than spending time and gas going back and forth.
Keep your car in good working order. Ignoring oil changes or maintenance schedules can lead to major costly repairs down the road.
Consider walking rather than taking the car or, better, use public transportation if it's available.
I like specialty coffees, so I purchased a coffee maker that allows me to make them at home. It paid for itself in seven months.
Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. You’ll probably end up impulse spending and not purchasing healthy foods. Shop from the perimeter of the store first. This is where the better foods are. Processed foods are on the interior shelves.
Other common money hogs that you can tackle include:
You can learn more through the recording of our webinar on this topic here:
You don’t have to start big; just adopt one or two lifestyle changes that will save you money. These can affect you positively, mentally and physically, and improve your financial health over the long term.
If you would like to receive guidance on how to reduce spending, connect with Diahanna Vallentine, our Financial Program Manager. She can provide resources that help pay for treatment costs, transportation, etc., so that you have more disposable income for things that you and your family might need. Email her at diahanna@healthtree.org.
If you think about it, your money is closely tied to your lifestyle.
If you live a rather carefree and unstructured lifestyle, you may need a closer grasp on your spending and or savings. You may find that you buy impulsively.
If you’re more structured, your personality type may include planned spending. You are probably more prone to saving and anticipating expenses.
For those of you who take money out of the bank but don’t know where it went, let's review options to help you take control of your spending, change your perspective on money, and eliminate things that are not important in your life to prioritize the things that are.
The goal is to find doable ways to cut expenses that don’t greatly affect your quality of life.
Becoming as healthy as possible is a great way to reduce expenses. Eliminating foods with little to no nutrients, like over-processed snack foods, and replacing them with fruits and vegetables can help you save money. This can produce a healthier you and minimize future illnesses and healthcare costs.
Eating out less, especially when leftovers are available, can save money and time. Cooking rather than eating out is a good way to eat healthier and save money. When you go out to eat, skip the drinks and desserts. Drinks are a premium when purchased at a restaurant, even those happy hour drinks.
Ditch a bad habit that may be hurting your wallet. If you’re a smoker, stop. You’ll save a lot of money. The cost of a pack of cigarettes is approximately $7. If you smoke one pack/day, that will translate to $2,555/year! Additionally, you may be able to decrease your life insurance premiums as a result, saving you even more money. The savings don’t stop there. You may be saving your health as well.
Knowing what lifestyle changes to make if you want to save more money and get healthier is very important if you pinpoint a financial goal you want to achieve.
For goals to become habits, they must be measurable, repeatable, and achievable.
Be mindful of errands that need to be done. Try incorporating them simultaneously rather than spending time and gas going back and forth.
Keep your car in good working order. Ignoring oil changes or maintenance schedules can lead to major costly repairs down the road.
Consider walking rather than taking the car or, better, use public transportation if it's available.
I like specialty coffees, so I purchased a coffee maker that allows me to make them at home. It paid for itself in seven months.
Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. You’ll probably end up impulse spending and not purchasing healthy foods. Shop from the perimeter of the store first. This is where the better foods are. Processed foods are on the interior shelves.
Other common money hogs that you can tackle include:
You can learn more through the recording of our webinar on this topic here:
You don’t have to start big; just adopt one or two lifestyle changes that will save you money. These can affect you positively, mentally and physically, and improve your financial health over the long term.
If you would like to receive guidance on how to reduce spending, connect with Diahanna Vallentine, our Financial Program Manager. She can provide resources that help pay for treatment costs, transportation, etc., so that you have more disposable income for things that you and your family might need. Email her at diahanna@healthtree.org.
about the author
Diahanna Vallentine
Diahanna is the Financial Program Manager for the HealthTree Foundation, specializing in financial help for multiple myeloma and AML patients. As a professional financial consultant and former caregiver of her husband who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, Diahanna perfectly understands the financial issues facing myeloma patients.
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for news, stories, clinical trial updates, and helpful resources and events with cancer experts.