How to Save Money on Food, Fitness & Health Care

Confession time:  I have a closet obsession with saving money.  Although I guess maybe it’s not so much a secret when I sometimes post about it here on the blog or on social media.  But seriously, I get a kick out of trying to see how much I can cut down my grocery bill or how much I can save just by being proactive about budgeting.

I know these things aren’t appealing to everyone.  {You mean everyone doesn’t enter every transaction into You Need a Budget, clip coupons, and religiously track health care expenditures?}  But I want to give you some tips today on how to save money on food, fitness and healthcare.  And when United Healthcare approached me about sharing their April “Dares” to learn more about saving money on healthcare from their We Dare You to Share website, I figured these tips would fit in perfectly!  {Disclosure:  This post is sponsored.} 

I’m hoping you’ll be able to take away at least one tip from each section to put into place this year!

How to Save Money on Healthy Food:

Meal Plan! 

If you make a list of the meals you are going to cook for the week, and shop/eat just off of that list – I would pretty much guarantee that most people would save money.  For me, the worst thing I can do is get to the end of the day and not have any plan in mind for what I’m going to cook.  That usually leads me to go to the grocery store and look for something I “want” to eat, which means a) something less healthy, and b) impulse buys that waste money.  {Need inspiration?  Check out my past meal plans for January, February and March.}

Consider a CSA. 

If you have a reasonably priced community supported agriculture (CSA) program at a local farm, you may find that this breaks down to be cheaper than shopping at the supermarket or farmers market.  Our half share CSA is $275 for weekly pickups June-October – and has an insane amount of local, fresh produce.

Look in the ethnic food aisle or ethnic food markets. 

Shopping for new spices to add flavor without adding unhealthy fats or sodium?  Check the ethnic food aisle (those Badia brand spices are way cheaper than the name brand versions!) or local markets (where you might be able to find them in bulk).  Same goes for other products.  The Goya brand quinoa is half the price as the other brands of quinoa that are in the ‘natural’ section of my grocery store. 

Shop store brands, and look up & down. 

The shelving at grocery stores is made so that the pricier items are at eye level.  Look up top and down low for other brands, and consider going store brand rather than name brand.  This can help you save money on the staple products you’d normally buy.

Don’t forget the frozen section! 

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, since they’re frozen at the peak of ripeness.  If you can’t find good deals on fresh produce, stock up on frozen options that fit your family’s needs.  They’re inexpensive and easy to store.

How to Save Money on Healthcare Costs:

Do not go without health insurance. 

I think one of the biggest mistakes someone can make is saying “I’m a young, healthy person.  I’ll save money by just skipping health care and paying the tax penalty.”  While you may not need to go to the doctor regularly or anything, paying for a health insurance is just that – insurance in case of tragedy.  Consider those worst case scenarios like your appendix bursting, suffering trauma in a car accident, or being diagnosed with cancer.  Those are things that are awful mentally and physically, but without health insurance are also a financial disaster costing anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

To give you a personal example:  last year my son ended up in the hospital at a a few days old.  We were there several days, and then he had follow up appointments with a pediatric cardiologist and pediatric gastroenterologist in the following months (in addition to appointments with the pediatrician).  These events were easily over $15,000 billed out in a few months.  I thank my lucky stars that we had good health insurance that covered everything except our deductible and co-pays.

Be an informed consumer. 

Find out the nitty gritty about what your health care plan covers.  Ideally do that during open enrollment when you have a chance to research various plans and choose what suits you best.  Do you have a chronic health care condition that requires multiple visits?  Maybe a more comprehensive plan is best for you.  Are you generally healthy with few doctors visits?  Perhaps a high deductible plan will suit you better.  Also as part of this, I definitely recommend checking if your preferred providers and hospitals are in-network, as those are the ones that will cost you less out of pocket with health insurance (compared to out-of-network providers).  The April Dares for the We Dare You to Share campaign have some really great information related to this – the “Test Your Smarts” quiz clarifies some important health insurance cost topics, and the “See & Sound Off” video has a great summary of in-network vs out-of-network cost examples.

Know the lingo. 

Are you confident in understanding what those common health care terms mean – like deductible, coinsurance, in-network, etc?  These are all things that influence how much you pay so it’s important to understand them.  The last April Dare for the We Dare You to Share campaign is a fun little matching game that was a good refresher for me as to what these terms mean.

Call to verify coverage. 

I don’t care how many times I’ve read my health care plan, I am the person that calls to verify coverage for pretty much anything except our well visits.  You never know when plan policies may slightly change and I certainly don’t want to be responsible for a bill I could have otherwise prevented.  A good example:  a few months ago I had an appointment scheduled for a full body skin check at the dermatologist.  I had gotten the referral in 2015, but the appointment couldn’t be made until 2016.  I called the insurance company a few weeks before the visit to find out that the referrals (as of this year) had to be dated in the same calendar year for the coverage to apply.  That simple call (and the subsequent one to my PCP to get a new referral) saved me hundreds of dollars in charges.  {I also find this helpful in the case of any denied claims, because I can keep notes of my conversations and call reference numbers to refer to when disputing them.}

Keep records. 

I think it’s smart to actively track your deductible and out-of-pocket costs.  The insurance company itself will keep a running tally, but I also personally like to make sure that what I’ve paid and recorded matches up to their records too.   

How to Save Money on Fitness:

Buy sneakers and go. 

If you can’t afford any other piece of fitness equipment or gym membership, invest in a good pair of sneakers and you are good to go.  Walking and running are amazing cardiovascular exercises and are also great because they are functional – meaning we use that motion in everyday life. 

Check daily deal sites. 

Thinking about trying a new fitness class or trend?  Check out daily deal sites (think Groupon, Living Social, etc) to see if there are any great buys on a single class or a class pack.  I was able to try an amazing yoga studio this way.  I also have been able to get discounted race entries on these sites.

Scan social media. 

Follow your favorite race companies, fitness studios, gyms, or other fitness-related businesses on the popular social media platforms.  I’ve won free classes and races just by entering contests on Facebook, and have scored discounts by simply keeping an eye out for companies to post them on Instagram and Twitter.

Don’t underestimate the power of a free home workout! 

You can do tons of body weight exercises (push-ups, squats, and plank jacks, anyone?) for strength training at home.  You can rent fitness DVDs from the library or search your cable provider’s “on demand” section for fitness programming.  Or scour YouTube or the web for some free options (Fitness Blender is one of my favorites).

Ask gyms for a discount.

Is there a gym you’re hoping to join, but it’s a bit too expensive?  See if there’s some way of getting a discount.  Maybe they have discounts for certain local employers or maybe they can waive a joining fee.  You’ll never know unless you ask!

There you have it – my best tips for saving money on healthy food, health care, and fitness!

And to end this – how about a chance at winning some money?

If you go complete those dares from United Healthcare and enter your information with each dare (super simple and quick), you’re entered to win prizes!  The grand prize for each dare is a $400 gift card with weekly $25 gift cards being given out as well.  Do all three – the quiz, video, and matching game – and that’s three entries to win!

Share with me:  Which tip above do you think you’ll put into place?  How do you save money on food, fitness, and health care?  Are there any tips you can share with me that I didn’t mention?!

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by United Healthcare and I was compensated for writing this post.

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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