Comments on: Having Poor Health is Costly and Not Frugal

By: Andrew @ Financial Services

Andrew @ Financial Services — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:37:00 +0000

There’s nothing truer than this. Simple example: you can do without health supplements if you eat right. Other cases are not so forgiving. If you don’t take care of your kidneys, you can very well be on a dialysis machine for the rest of your days.

By: marci

marci — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:31:05 +0000

I wouldn’t go for just a cold…. if it lasts over 3 days, then that’s another matter… but that’s my personal choice. I save a LOT of money by NOT going to the doc on the routine matters. But I do go for the yearly checkups etc…. but staying OUT of the doctor’s office is a part of my financial plan – even with health insurance.

About eating everything on your plate….. use a smaller plate. Seriously – it works And NO seconds. Don’t put the food on the table where it is easy to just grab more. Eat buffet style – one portion of each thing, use the smaller plate, drink a big glass of water before hand, and do NOT go back for seconds.

By: Kim

Kim — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:23:09 +0000

indeed; counting calories and fat will drive you insane! No need for scales and measuring cups, there are easier ways!

By: Kim

Kim — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:22:03 +0000

Ditto to the above. It’s more about discipline – financial discipline and health discipline have many similarities. Just as you know you don’t really need that new CD/DVD, you know that hamburger/taco/chicken tenders are high in fat, you don’t need to count calories to tell you that! You know that tons of calories come from drinks. You know that salads are better, and can be healthy, if only you (not YOU MoneyNing, the generic “you”) knew how to make them. It’s just about implementing it.

But never fear, no need to COUNT calories once you know about how much calories are in everything – (I shall tout Eat This Not That – at your library!). I tracked them for free for a month on sparkpeople.com, and then went on my own. And, like financials, no need to cut out all of the fun! Go to a movie; have a hamburger here and there, have a slice of pizza (but not the whole thing, nor spend $5k on a trip to Vegas!).

And then there’s going on autopilot, like automatic bill pay – buy mini cans of coke, buy 100 calorie packs of goldfish.

WOW, I didn’t see all of the similarities until I got going. Too bad you can’t create an emergency fund of unused calories!

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:35:25 +0000

This is why exercise is so important, they go hand in hand. If you are healthier you will have less health issues, spend less on medicine and doctor fees as well will be healthy to do activities and work you need to do which can enhance your life and make you more money.

By: Wilson Pon

Wilson Pon — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:21:15 +0000

Sometimes, I feel that the doctors are truly “money-suckers”! They can easily charge us for less than 10 minutes talk. That’s why, I always take care my health very strictly, David.

By: Erica Douglass

Erica Douglass — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:47:28 +0000

It is not as much about eating less (which you don’t want to do because you see it as deprivation) but about making smart choices with what you eat.

Calories, carbs, fat grams…there is a lot to count. My nutritionist simplified it for me by saying “Eat 100g of carbs per day or less and don’t worry about anything else.” My intention wasn’t to lose weight, but it fell off at about a pound a week.

You can try that, or something else, but just make sure it’s something you don’t view mentally as deprivation.

-Erica

By: Erica Douglass

Erica Douglass — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:43:16 +0000

Vegetarian didn’t help me, but when I went low-carb (and then went gluten-free, as I was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance) I dropped THIRTEEN pounds in 3.5 months…and I wasn’t overweight to begin with.

I dropped from a size 8/10 to 6/8.

I haven’t been this skinny since college. It almost makes being gluten-free bearable.

I would definitely recommend low-carb (my nutritionist said fewer than 100g of carbs per day. A slice of bread is 21g.)

-Erica

By: John DeFlumeri Jr

John DeFlumeri Jr — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:19:42 +0000

I agree 100% that eating less and exercising is the road to health.
I wish I could eat less than I do.

By: Greg@eliminatethemuda.com

Greg@eliminatethemuda.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:22:40 +0000

David – Great post and right on target. In a vacuum $42 might sound like overreacting, but consider your healthcare expense over a lifetime and these $42 add up big. A recent report by the employee benefits research institute revealed that a couple retiring in 2018 will need nearly $700,000 to cover healthcare related expenses (expenses not covered by medicare!) like co-pay and medicines.

This is why I made healthcare my 8th principle of financial management.

Especially with a new baby around one other easy tip to better health is cleanliness. Wash your hands regularly!

Most of all enjoy the bundle of joy! It will be the single most rewarding (and most expensive) experience in you entire life!