Healthy living on the cheap - seven inside secrets

Getting fit or eating healthily always seems to come with a huge price tag. Whether you're joining the gym, buying new gear, or forking out for expensive fruit and vegetables, it can feel like the only thing that's getting slimmer is your wallet.

However, there are seven handy ways to get fit and eat right on the cheap. Some can even save you serious cash.

See also: From avocados to athleisure - how to be on-trend on a budget

See also: Why half of us pay for a gym membership and never go


1. Check fruit and vegetable offers
Supermarkets and discounters will offer special deals on specific fruit and vegetables, and if you check online each week, you can make sure you pick up the bargains. This week for example, Aldi has cucumber for 39p, apricots for 49p, tomatoes for 49p and lettuce for 49p. Lidl meanwhile, has pears, peaches and mangoes for 69p. By checking the offers each week, you can get plenty of fresh food on a budget

2. Shop the yellow stickers
By far the best way to get fresh fruit and vegetables at rock bottom prices is to find out when your local supermarket puts out its final reductions. Once you've bought a bag of lettuce, a pot of pineapple, radishes, raspberries and a mango for less than 20p, you'll never look back.

3. Talk to your doctor about your weight
If you have been battling with your weight for some time, you may well qualify for free membership of Weight Watchers. Slimming clubs like these have a long track record of helping people lose weight. Often the cost is off-putting, but when you are referred through your doctor there's nothing at all to pay.

4. Don't be a labels snob
Running is by far the cheapest way to get fit - unless you live near a wild swimming spot. However, there are sill plenty of people who spend hundreds of pounds on kit. Before you go anywhere near the big brands, make sure you check out the discounters. Aldi and Lidl regularly offers deals on sports equipment, and at the moment Aldi is selling trainers for under £10.

5. Check gym freebies
Before you sign up for a gym membership you never use, try them out. Most gyms will offer introductory deals, or freebies, in an effort to get you to sign up. If you don't mind travelling to a handful of gyms, you can get enough free weeks to last for the first couple of months. After this stage, you'll know whether or not you have made your gym habits stick.

6. Bike to work
Sometimes getting fit can actually help you save money, and finding a healthier commute is one of them. If you can bike to work, for example, you stand to save a fortune on public transport or parking.

7. Cutting back on vices
If you cut down on things like cigarettes or alcohol as part of your healthy lifestyle, meanwhile, then you'll be surprised how much you can save. If you were to cut out one bottle of £8 wine a week, for example, you could save over £2,000 over the next five years - enough for a nice holiday.

Advertisement