Healthy living on a tight budget

Good old days

The good old days (1970’s), when a beer cost 16 cents, you could feed a family of four on R30 and buy a four-bedroomed house with R18000.00, are long gone. The cost of living in South Africa has since soared to dizzy heights and most average South Africans have had to tighten their belts and “make a plan”. Here are some of the ways in which they have learned to survive.

Cheap, healthy living

• • Be in control: have a budget. Not only will it help you manage your money wisely but it will also help you set realistic goals for the future and stay out of debt. There are many free online tools to help you manage your money and set up a budget.

• • Save for a rainy day or join a ” stokvel” .

• • Essential costs such as rent and utilities are influenced by the area you choose to live in and the size of your home or apartment. To save you may have to relocate to a cheaper area or sub-let one of the rooms in your dwelling or maybe convert an outbuilding into a flat that you can let. Always focus on saving water and electricity.

• • Find ways to generate an extra income, especially if it’s a hobby you love and can turn into a money-making venture. Do the sums before you and your spouse both decide to go to work. Sometimes a household with two working parents may cost more to maintain because of the additional costs of child care and transport compared to the family with a stay-at-home parent.

• • Plan some free, fun outings. There are many local entertainment venues such as malls, parks and garden centres with kids’ playgrounds and even mini zoos that charge no fees. In addition, explore food or craft markets and other festivals for a cultural experience. Also visit family and friends or entertain at home.

• • Avoid budget burnout, the mental and emotional toll that sets in when you simply get tired of having to be so careful with your money and you feel like splurging unnecessarily. Rather plan and budget money for a special treat once a month or more if you can.

Cheap, healthy eating

• • Give up fast food; make cheaper, healthy meals at home.

• • Plan healthy inexpensive meals. For example, stir fries and stews use less meat and more vegetables per portion. Cheaper cuts of meat can be used for stews. Add soy, beans, lentils, oat bran and/or vegetables to extra lean mince. Legumes are cheap and an excellent source of protein and fibre and will also help “stretch” the meat. Soy mince is another cheaper alternative that makes a lovely dish when cooked in a home-made spaghetti sauce with onion, grated carrot, garlic, tomato, bay, lemon rind and an optional splash of cheap wine. Also remember that a whole chicken is cheaper per kilogram than loose portions. Eggs are a cheap source of protein that can be used in soufflés, quiches, omelettes and frittatas with all sorts of vegetables inside.

• • Buy enough dry goods (pasta, rice, bags of lentils and beans, dried soy mince, tinned tomatoes, flour, spices, yeast extract to use as soup stock) to last a month, at the beginning of the month. Only buy “luxuries” in the third week if you still want them and can afford them

• • Samp, corn, rice and pearled wheat are often cheaper than pasta and tofu is unbelievably cheap when you buy it fresh.

• • Buy fresh vegetables and fruit in season and self-select instead of buying pre-packed, it’s cheaper. Offer fresh fruit as dessert.

• • Practise portion control and cook just enough for everyone. Not only will this save money but it will also help everybody stick to their diets. If there are left-overs, use them in other dishes.

• • Grow your own vegetables and herbs and save money.

Cheap, healthy exercising

• • Use the Internet to find exercise tips, videos and workout plans. Check out free exercise smartphone apps and borrow exercise DVDs from your local library.

• • Check with your employer. Some companies offer gym membership discounts, free nutritionist visits, health coaching and other perks.

• • Walk or run and get to know your neighbourhood. Also make use of free walking trails in your area.

• • Turn on some music and dance.

• • Take a dip in your own or a neighbour’s pool.

• • Take the family on a bike ride.

Utilise free services

Many companies offer an EAP or EAP for their employees. Through these programmes you can usually get free advice on nutrition, exercise and money matters, among other things. Utilise these services to help you save.

 

Sources
Anderson, M. 2013. Six cheap ways to get in shape without pricey exercise programs. Retrieved from: http://business.financialpost.com
Chandler, N. Five tips for living comfortably on a budget. Retrieved from: http://money.howstuffworks.com
Creative budget recipes. Retrieved from: http://caloriecount.about.com
Ketterer, E.  27 ways to spend less on food. Retrieved from: http://www.health24.com
The price of life in South Africa. Retrieved from: https://www.justlanded.com
The working poor’s diet plan. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com