Get Frugally Active

Written by admin

You don’t need an excuse to be more active in your everyday life, but living frugally is a great one. Here are a few ways you can save money while getting yourself and your family more active.

Ditch the car. Only use the car when absolutely necessary. You might even consider getting rid of it completely if it’s feasible for your family. Think how much money you spend every year running a vehicle: taxes, insurance, gas, maintenance. It all adds up. Instead, consider taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking when you can.

Speaking of bikes… dust yours off and start pedaling. Rather than driving to work or school, hop on your bike. An hour of gentle cycling to and from work can burn between 300 and 600 calories.

Walk everywhere you can. Walking is the easiest way to get fit, you’ll burn at least 150 calories and you won’t have to spend a cent to do it.

Shop closer to home. If there’s a small grocery store near you, don’t drive to the grocery store unless you absolutely have to. Instead walk to the local one for smaller things. Even if things cost a little more than Wal-Mart, think about how much you’d be spending on gas if you drove further.

Get off the bus a stop earlier. Getting off the bus earlier not only means that you have to walk further, but it also means that you could potentially save some money, depending on how your local bus company charges fares.

Forget the fancy hotel. If you’re going on holiday, ditch the idea of staying in a posh, expensive hotel. Instead, take your family camping. Camping costs a small fraction of the cost of a hotel and the kids will love the adventure. If you camp out in the wilderness, there will be plenty of opportunity for activity, from walks and hikes to bike rides, maybe even fishing or canoeing.

Wash your car by hand. Rather than paying to have a machine wash your car, wash it yourself. Water and dish soap are cheap, and you can burn between 100 and 300 calories doing it.

Get rid of your gym membership. Gyms entice us in, and we make ourselves believe that paying a membership fee will be enough to encourage us to actually workout twice a week. But how many of us really get our money’s worth at the local gym? Few. Cancel your membership and get fit around the house instead. You can really burn some calories doing housework and caring for your family. For instance:

• Cleaning windows–180 calories an hour
• Vacuuming or mopping floors–200 calories an hour
• Scrubbing the floor strenuously on your knees–up to 500 calories an hour
• Gardening, including pruning, weeding and mowing the lawn–about 350 calories an hour
• Child care–about 500 calories an hour
• Cooking–about 350 calories an hour
• Pushing a stroller with a child in it–up to 1,200 calories an hour!

There are hundreds of ways to get fit and save money at the same time. Begin to notice them and take advantage of each one, and before you know it, you’ll not only be slimmer, you’ll be able to pay for a new outfit with the money you’ve saved!

Tags: Being Frugal, Fitness, frugal living