Joining a gym, buying diet food and other costs can make staying fit seem very pricey to the frugal. However we show you many easy ways of staying fit without spending through the nose.
Keeping fit and healthy is important for all of us. Obesity is on the rise, and with it comes a range of dangerous health problems.
Everybody knows and understands the importance of slimming down, yet we come up with a range of different reasons (excuses) as to why we cannot lose weight. Most of the time people put it down to their busy and hectic schedules.
Working longer hours, traveling to and from work, and commitments to our children are all included as reasons why time (or lack of it) makes it impossible to get fit. There is however another popular reason used for our inability to drop the pounds.
Money
Somehow we have made the connection between money and fitness. Why should money be an issue, and is it possible to be frugal and still stay fit?
Looking at things from the position of someone who needs to lose weight, where do I think the possible costs involved with losing weight and staying fit come in? There are a few places where costs could be incurred:
Gyms - Becoming a member of a gym is a great move when you need to get fit. You have access to running machines, exercise bikes, free weights and various other equipment.
However membership costs money! In fact I had not been a member of a gym for many years, and when I went recently to ask about membership fees the price had almost doubled since I was last there! Being frugal has nothing to do with it! It is just darn expensive to join a gym nowadays!
Diet Food – This is definitely somewhere you can bleed money if you are not careful. The first being special diet food where you eat a diet based solely on the food from that brand. The products are not cheap, and just buying enough food to last a few days can cost as much as a weeks groceries easily!
Clothes - If you get fit after a long period of being out of shape you are going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe, and that will cost money!
Sports cost money – A great way of losing weight and getting fit is to play a sport like tennis or squash. To play those sports at a proper club also costs money. In fact many Tennis clubs are monthly membership only, and can be just as (if not more) expensive than joining a gym!
So these are just 4 areas identified where we show that being frugal and keeping fit do not go together……or do they?
Yes they do! All of the above are correct in terms of cost, but by thinking a little outside the box you can have all the benefits that the above give you, but without having to spend any money.
Here are our tips for being frugal, AND staying fit!
1. Gym replacement! – Instead of spending out on gym membership look for the cheap, and even free ways you can exercise. Walking, jogging, or running are all great ways to get fit, and all of them can get you out in the fresh air.
Why not do it with a friend. That way it’s fun, social and good for you all at the same time.
Swimming is another great form of exercise, in fact some would say the health and weight loss benefits are even better than running or jogging. The good thing is that generally going to a swimming pool will cost much less than going to a gym.
Why not exercise at home or in your garden. You do not need free weights or any fancy gizmo’s to drop the pounds and get fit, because you actually already have one of the best piece’s of fitness equipment at your disposal-You!
Learn some exercises you can do just using your own body weight as resistance. Things like lunges, crunches or press ups are great for fitness, and will provide the perfect alternative for the frugal fitness buff! Do of course check with your doctor before you undertake any new exercise routine.
2. Eat cheap! – Forget buying diet food. In fact eating healthier can be a lot cheaper than not. If you filled your basket with fresh fruit, vegetables, a little lean meat, and some pulses, you would almost always pay less than if you had a basket full of ready meals, processed food, tins, and other packet food.
So, if you are the frugal type then there should really be no excuse for you to not eat healthier food.
3. Clothes – The best advice for the frugal here is to not throw clothes away if you are going to get fit. Just because that blouse or shirt does not fit you now, does not mean it won’t in a few months.
Put the clothes that are now too small for you in a separate wardrobe. Why not even call it your slim cupboard? This way you will stay motivated, and will not have to buy new clothes when you lose the weight!
4. Sports for free! – The same way as there are paid Tennis clubs, there are also many places where you can play sports for free. Look around for your local tennis courts, or playing fields.
As long as you have a big patch of grass you have a world of sports at your disposal for no cost. How much will it cost you to get a few mates down to the park for a game of soccer, or rugby?
How much is a Frisbee? They don’t cost much, and no matter how old you are these are still great fun, and a great form of exercise!
The key here is, money should not get in the way of staying fit. There are paid, and free ways of losing weight and getting fit, and if it suits you and your wallet to go down the more frugal road then so be it.
Just make sure that you do not make money an excuse for not taking action!
This article was written by Timothy Ng who is a regular personal finance writer and part of the team at CreditCardComparison.com.au, a 100% free Australian credit card comparison and application service. Visit the Credit Card Comparison website for more related articles on low interest credit cards.
For those in need of quick financial relief and can’t wait till pay-day Friday, relief comes in the form of payday loans. Sometimes one needs money now and can’t afford to wait till their next paycheck. With outrageous credit card interest fees and ridiculous bank overdraft fees it is simply not smart to put off paying the bills on time. On top of the fees mentioned earlier there are reconnection fees for when water service is disconnected, putting families in a never-ending cycle.
This is where pay day loans come in. For a low interest rate one can use proof of their next paycheck as a way of proving their credit and get the money they need right away. This enables consumers to pay off their bills on time and avoid the absurd fees associated with missing payments.
ZapPayday comes through in times of need by providing consumers with low interest pay day loans for the average family. As one of the largest online lenders in the business consumers are able to receive the highest amount of money for the lowest interest rate in the quickest time possible. A common problem for payday loans is the waiting period until a person can access their funds. This is solved by the quick turnaround time of ZapPayday.
With ZapPayday, all one needs to do is fill out the two-step online form on their secure website and within 90 seconds an approval/disapproval notice is given. With 4 out of 5 customers being approved one does not need to worry about their credit score in order to apply. After approval the customer is sent to the lending banks website, where funds can be deposited in their bank account within an hour!
Time is always of the essence when paying bills, and ZapPayday enables the consumer to get their money fast and hassle free so that they can keep their lives going.
With a secure website and easy two step form, ZapPayday is a simple to use interface that provides a much needed service to those in times of need. With no faxing required and credit history not an issue ZapPayday is the source for online payday loans. The secure website enables those in need to obtain their money fast and never uses employment information as a contact without consent. This allows consumers to rest assured that when they need to get money fast and privately, ZapPayday is the place to go.
How To Make Early Retirement A Reality
Early retirement is a pipe dream for many people. However some simple goal setting and planning, could make your retirement dream come true much sooner than you thought.
Many people talk about wanting to retire early, but how many people actually really believe that early retirement could be a reality. Do they have a plan? Do they know why they want to retire? Have they taken any steps to make quitting work early possible?
If the answer to the above questions is no, then the chances are they will have to work much longer, and will probably have less money to retire with.
If you are serious about retiring early then there are certain steps you need to take in order to make your retirement dream come true.
Here is a guide to making early retirement possible:
What Does Retirement Mean to You?
Like most things in life, people need to have a real reason and drive to make things happen. We all talk about things we would “like” to do, and say things like “it would be nice to”, however human beings tend to really need, or have a real passion and drive behind what they do in order to make goals a reality.
The first step in your retirement plan is to figure out exactly what retirement means to you. What do I mean by this? Well, what will retiring early mean to you and your family?
What will it allow you to do that you can’t do now? Who would you be able to spend more time with if you weren’t working? How would you spend your time? What would you like to do with your time? Where would you like to travel?
Having answers to these questions will help you focus on what retirement means to you, and why it is so important for you to achieve early retirement. Once you have a big enough set of reasons for your goal, putting in the necessary work and effort to make it happen will become easier.
Make it Vital
You must make a real commitment to leaving the 9-5 grind as early as possible. Once you have decided in your own mind that this is what you want to do, then you can set a plan in motion, and begin making financial decisions towards your goal.
Whilst retirement is just an idea in the back of your mind you will not make good choices. Once leaving 9-5 becomes your ultimate goal you will be more likely to stick to any financial rules and boundaries you set yourself.
Financial Steps
So what can you do in order to create enough money to quit work early? There are many ways to generate a nice retirement fund, and below we will look at some ways you could do it:
Start saving early – If you begin saving early then you will benefit more from the power of compounding. Interest will have longer to earn more interest, and thus your savings will grow much faster over time.
Aggressive asset allocation – One of the benefits of planning retirement early is that you can start out with a more aggressive investment strategy, or asset allocation.
Asset allocation is a term used to describe how a person splits up their investments. You may be a conservative investor who prefers to put 80% of their investments into a safe fund where growth is very small, however your money is not at risk of losing value, and just 20% into a higher risk fund with better chance of bigger returns, but increased chance of loss.
Someone who has a more aggressive asset allocation approach will maybe invest 60% of their money into a high risk, high reward investment, and only 40% into a safer fund.
The earlier you start investing the more aggressive you can be in your approach, which can (if you’re lucky) mean bigger returns.
Stay out of debt – A very important step in retirement planning is to stay debt free. This means not taking out any risky loans or credit cards.
Living to a sensible budget is a very good idea, as well as not overspending. This does not mean you have to become a skinflint, but it does mean you should think twice about those impulse buys, (we all do it!).
If you are able, work more! – The key is not to take on more than you can physically cope with, but if you can increase the amount you are earning then you will have a much better chance of reaching your retirement dream.
Think of different streams of income you could create. Obviously if overtime in your current job is possible take that option first, then you could think about maybe clearing out the attic and selling some unwanted items on Ebay. Car boot sales are another useful way of earning extra cash. They are also a great deal of fun, and lovely in the summer time!
Maybe there is a local store that could use some extra help on the weekends, or perhaps you could even do some freelance writing? Have a look in your local paper, and you will often find possible income streams available close to home.
Stick to Your Guns
Once you have made the decision to retire early, plan and attack! Having a retirement plan is great, but only taking action will make it reality.
If it helps write some motivational notes to leave around the house to remind you of why retirement is important to you. Making the effort and sacrifices now will give you more time in the future.
Putting the hard graft in today, means you will have tomorrow to do what you want! Quitting work earlier in life gives you the chance to enjoy more freedom. The chance to spend time with family, to travel, to just live without having to get up and rush around in the morning!
As far a fetched goal as early retirement may have seemed to you, hopefully reading this will have giving you the motivation, and ideas you need to start planning, saving, and working to your retirement!
The sooner you start, the sooner you will make it a reality!
This article was written by Timothy Ng who is a regular writer and part of the team at Credit Card Finder, a 100% free Australian credit card comparison and application service. Visit the Credit Card Finder website for more information or subscribe to their RSS Feed.
Recently the Federal reserve decided to more than double their plans to purchase mortage-related securities. That has pushed mortage rates down to record lowes. According to bankrate.com 30 year mortgage rates are at 5.06% (National average). Read more