The frugal living lifestyle, which emphasizes saving and wise financial management, can be the key for many adults to achieve a balance between physical and mental health without sacrificing quality of life.
In this article, the KlikDokter editorial team chats with Dr. Atika to explore how adults can effectively adopt a frugal lifestyle while still prioritizing their physical and mental health. Let’s take a look below!
1. Manage Expenses Wisely
One of the main principles of frugal living is to manage your spending wisely. This means prioritizing spending that adds value to your physical and mental health, while cutting back on unnecessary spending. Some tips for managing your spending wisely are:
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Create a budget
Setting a realistic budget for basic necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare is the first step to managing your spending wisely.
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Save in unimportant places
Identify areas where you can cut back on spending, such as eating out or purchasing unnecessary luxury items.
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Prioritize health
Don’t hesitate to allocate part of your budget to activities that support physical and mental health, such as healthy eating, fitness, or psychological counseling if needed.
2. Prioritize Healthy and Affordable Food
It’s important to realize that healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little planning and creativity, you can meet your nutritional needs without breaking the bank. Some tips for prioritizing healthy, affordable foods include:
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Shopping at traditional markets
Traditional markets often offer more affordable prices for fresh products than supermarkets.
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Home cooked meal
Cooking at home is not only cheaper than eating out, but it also gives you complete control over the quality and type of food you consume.
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Take advantage of cheap and nutritious ingredients
Rice, beans, green vegetables, and eggs are examples of inexpensive, nutrient-rich foods that can be included in a daily diet.
Other articles: 5 Benefits of Making Your Bed for Mental Health
3. Affordable or Free Physical Activity
Regular physical activity is key to maintaining physical health. However, you don’t need to sign up for an expensive gym membership or spend money on a personal trainer to stay active. Some affordable or even free physical activity options include:
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Walk or Run
Walking and running are two simple forms of exercise that can provide great benefits to your health. They cost nothing and can be done anywhere.
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Home workout
There are many free online workout apps and videos that offer a variety of workout routines at no extra cost.
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Outdoor activities
Biking, hiking, or doing yoga in public parks are fun and inexpensive activity options.
4. Take Advantage of Free Mental Health Resources
Mental health is just as important as physical health and can be a priority in a frugal lifestyle. There are many free resources available to support your mental health :
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Meditation and relaxation
There are many apps and online videos that offer free meditation and relaxation techniques to help reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing.
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Support group
Joining an online support group or local community can provide emotional support at no extra cost.
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Creative activities
Writing, drawing, or cooking are examples of creative activities that can help reduce stress and improve your mental health without spending a lot of money.
5. Prioritize Balance Between Work and Rest
Last but not least, prioritize the balance between work and rest. Overwork can have negative impacts on physical and mental health. Some tips to prioritize this balance are:
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Set priorities
Set healthy boundaries around work and other activities to prevent burnout and overload.
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Enough rest
Make sure you get enough sleep every night and give yourself time to rest and relax between daily tasks.
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Stay flexible
Sometimes, tweaking your schedule and activities to accommodate more rest can be a necessary step to maintain balance.
Adopting a frugal living lifestyle doesn’t have to mean sacrificing physical and mental health.
By planning wisely, taking advantage of freely available resources, and prioritizing health, you can achieve the optimal balance between saving and being healthy.
Remember that investing in your physical and mental health is a long-term investment that should not be neglected.
If you have questions about the topics above, you can use the Ask a Doctor service feature to chat with a psychologist or Meet a Doctor to make an appointment with a more practical consultation psychologist.