Most of us young women come to accept that at this point in our lives money is precious. We often spend our days rationing it between life’s essentials like paying rent and groceries and life’s other essentials like socializing and having fun.
If you still have a screwed frugal attitude towards money, you’re probably making some spending mistakes. While it’s good to be careful with your money, there are some things that for the sake of your health, you really shouldn’t skimp on.
Here are five things you should consider spending a little extra money on if you want to make smarter lifestyle choices as an adult…
RUNNING SHOES
Cheap running trainers can hurt your feet, disadvantage you and don’t last for long. Invest in a few good pairs of running shoes when you can afford to, as one good pair will be much better than buying three cheap pairs. A good pair of running shoes will improve your ability and will last you so much longer that you’ll end up saving money in the long run.
GYM MEMBERSHIP
Your body needs and deserves exercise. Signing up to the cheapest membership you can find may seem like it’s a good idea at the time, but will you really want to go to a dingy, busy, sweatbox of a gym week in week out?
Spending a bit more weekly means to will be able to find a gym with much better facilities, classes and equipment. If the gym in clean and welcoming, you will want to go! So it’s definitely worth investing in a proper, well-run gym.
WORK OUT CLOTHING
While you may be able to work out just fine in you old sweats and comedy T-shirt, the same rule as above applies here. When you’re in a killer workout outfit that looks amazing on you, you’ll feel amazing.
This feeling will almost certainly make you work out harder and enjoy your workouts more. These high-quality pieces will also last a little longer than cheaper alternatives and can improve performance.
HEALTH CARE
As you get a little older, you start to realize that good health is basically a blessing. If you find yourself regularly falling ill, you’ll soon see how difficult this can be if you also have to work full-time. While it may have been a welcome break from lectures during your student years, when it comes to being in the working world, it will soon get to the point where taking a sick day is no longer fun.
Taking care of your health by investing in a health care plan and signing up with a private dentist will pay for itself in the long run. Good health doesn’t just start and end with seeing a doctor or a dentist, and there are plenty of holistic practices you can try to ensure you are healthy.
Meditating, getting a good amount of sleep and keeping your stress levels in check are all good ways to stay healthy in adulthood. Remember, don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on that fancy gym membership if the yoga classes and steam room will help you to de-stress!
FOOD
You really are what you eat. Upgrading the ingredients that you cook with will be immediately obvious in the taste and you’ll likely develop a new appreciation for food. Shopping local and heading to farmers markets can often work out cheaper than supermarket choices.
If you shop seasonally, you can probably get your produce much cheaper, which organic and free range meat might cost you a little more. Invest in healthy, fresh ingredients that may not be too kind you to wallet, but will be kind to your body, which is a lot more important.
The Takeaway
As the saying goes, you can’t afford to be cheap. So what are you waiting for?
