Wellness on a Budget: Save Money on Your Self-Care Routines

With wellness becoming more popular than ever – and its benefits for our health undeniable – it can sometimes feel overwhelming to invest in healthy products and services that truly support us without breaking the bank. As a Harvard-trained hormone health coach, here are my secret hacks and strategies for saving money on wellness habits and maintaining optimal health on a budget.

Create a Wishlist 

Spending money on items that can bring us a greater level of vitality is an investment in our health and longevity. That’s why I always honor the desires I have for purchasing occasional bigger ticket wellness items and devices. We can get caught up in spending money on lifestyle pleasures like indulgent dinners out, designer label accessories, or unnecessary beauty treatments that crowd out our ability to invest in the things that truly improve our long term health. If there’s a wellness investment I’m excited about like a PEMF mat, clinical grade red light mask, wearable health device, annual fitness subscription, or under-desk treadmill and I don’t have the budget for it currently, I add it to my wishlist! Nobody wants to feel like they’re missing out on the best wellness innovations or subscriptions, so if you can’t stretch your budget right now, don’t rule it out in future. After all, the more you practice investing in yourself – your health, creative ventures, knowledge, mental and physical health – the more you are likely you are to succeed in your goals, and receive a return on your investment. What you may not be able to afford today, could be more easily attainable in the near future.

For me, the act of writing down the things I desire and keeping a log in my phone’s notes app acts as a motivator, especially when I’m able to start checking items off my list. Leading up to major sales like Black Friday, Memorial Day, and mid-Summer sales, I refer to my wishlist and do a quick search to see if any of my dream items are on sale. Often, I find a wishlist item available for 20-40% off the usual price, or more! It’s kind of like playing wellness bingo. What I’ve found with this approach is that I no longer suffer from those post-sale guilt hangovers because I’m investing with intention by purchasing items that I’ve had the time to thoroughly research (and lust over!) that I know will bring tangible results to my health and wellness. Create a wishlist now of all the wellness items and devices that you’re currently obsessed with.

Start A Collection

In previous years I’ve allocation $20-$40 from my monthly budget for purchasing small ticket items that support my wellness. Each month I visited discount stores or hunted online for leggings, caps, zip-up sweaters, mini backpacks, cute sneakers, pilates socks, yoga mats, hand weights, foam rollers and other fitness-related items to bring newness and excitement to my wellness journey. It’s incredible how quickly you can build up a small collection and feel truly supported in your fitness goals. This makes it easy to dash out to a nearby hiking trail, beach walk, or do an at-home fitness video without scrambling around for what to wear. What’s really made this project even more fun is color coordination. Since figuring out the colors that best flatter by skin tone, shopping has been a much simpler process. I choose fitness wear in colors that suit my color palette – from sage green to soft mauve, baby blue and beyond. My growing fitness closet is not only a joy to look at, but I can feel confident knowing that I’m stepping out for a workout with little make up and hair thrown up in a bun, but the colors I wear are flattering.

Thinking about the effort it takes to get ready for a workout and throw together an outfit can often be the most daunting part! Once you’re moving, momentum takes over and it’s easier to continue. When you build a small collection of inexpensive yet cute fitness wear it’s a breeze to get ready, and can even feel exciting and motivating as you get to take your newly-purchased item for a test drive. When it comes to fitness items for the home, I think about what ambiance I want to create. I like serene coastal decor so I’ve been investing in low cost fitness items like weights, resistance bands, and yoga mats that match that vibe in colors like sea-glass, beach neutrals, soft blues and white. If you dream of a home gym, but only have a corner of your living room to work with, make it a vibe by coordinating your workout gear to the space. 

Local Longevity Hacks

Take advantage of your local setting, and think about how to leverage the environment around you to maximize your wellness goals. Live by a lake? Invest in a light jacket for early morning laps around the lake when the air is misty and fresh. Is there a hiking trail nearby? Invest in some good shoes and a backpack and hit the trails for stunning views, and breathe in those natural aromatics. Immersing ourselves in nature can improve our microbiome, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. If you live near the ocean purchase a sun hat or cap, cotton sarong, sunscreen and sandals and consider having a few beach-friendly items in your car so you can stop by for a quick beach walk before or after work when the feeling hits. If there’s a gym in your neighborhood consider inquiring about off-peak memberships, day passes, or one-off classes. One of the best longevity hacks is to spend quality time with loved ones. Sharing conversations, encouragement or physical touch with the people we cherish can boost feel-good hormones and bring us a sense of connectedness that reduces stress and elevates our well-being. Consider enlisting a friend, neighbor or family member to join you periodically to wander around a local park or biking trail. That’s the best kind of habit-stacking.

Biohacking

If you’re curious about biohacking but hesitant about the costs involved, here’s some good news: many of the best biohacking approaches are free! Start by aligning with natural energy cycles and rhythms. We can often push so hard to make things happen in life, causing us to experience stress, anxiety or burnout. Take a moment to consider your energy expenditure. Imagine that your energy is like money and you get to spend it however you’d like. Rather than exerting high amounts of energy consistently, we can gain an advantage by leveraging the natural energy cycles and rhythms all around and within us. By tweaking our alignment with the daily circadian rhythm we can achieve better sleep, lower stress, and support hormone balance. Try getting 15 minutes of natural sunlight shortly after waking up – before you look at your phone. Spend some time outdoors or near an open or brightly-lit window. Early morning sunlight exposure increases serotonin which converts to sleep-inducing melatonin late at night.

Avoiding screens, bright bulbs and blue light in the evening can also help set the body up for a good nights sleep. I use a small, affordable red light reading lamp at night, and I switched out my bright bathroom bulb for an affordable color-changing LED that I set to red at night. This allows me to do my evening skincare routine without turning on the bright lighting in my bathroom. The red light feels deeply nurturing and it cues the body for rest. Sleep is an important metric to track for anyone on a healing or wellness journey. Harvard Medical School research shows that by applying lifestyle approaches in the areas of nutrition, stress reduction, sleep, movement and more to our health (known as Lifestyle Medicine) we can greatly influence our gene expression and reduce our risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Even the smallest lifestyle tweaks can really compound and make a big difference to our health. Eat the rainbow, crowd out processed foods in favor of whole foods, incorporate regular movement in your week including cardio and strength training, rescue stress with mindful habits like meditation, deep breathing or yoga, avoid toxins wherever possible, and maintain social bonds with loved ones. 

Align With Your Cycle

For menstruating women, aligning your lifestyle with your menstrual cycle can help you avoid the costly expenses associated with burnout, conserve your precious energy, and achieve hormone balance naturally. There are four distinct phases of the monthly menstrual cycle, and when it comes to nutrition and movement, our bodies require vastly different things to support our hormones and overall wellness during each phase. During the menstruation phase of our cycle, beginning with day 1 as the first day of our period, the body’s hormones are at their lowest. We can consider this time as our inner winter. By focusing on rest wherever possible and easily digestible foods like soups, along with iron-rich foods and hydrating meals we can conserve our energy and help protect our endocrine system.

During our follicular phase, our inner spring, the hormone estrogen builds and we can experience a rise in energy levels and an increase in neuroplasticity in the brain – making this an ideal time to take on new habits for a successful outcome. Join that fitness class you’ve been considering, lean into opportunities for creativity and collaboration with others. Estrogen also helps to support collagen production and reduce appetite so if you’ve been eyeing a cleanse or new meal plan, now is the time to try it. Leafy greens along with healthy fats like avocado can support estrogen levels.

During the ovulatory phase estrogen and testosterone peak, making this a time of action and confidence. If you’ve found it challenging to take on a particular wellness goal, now is the time to try it again with a fresh perspective. This is a phase where you’ll want to detox excess estrogen, so enjoy summery salads, fruit and cruciferous vegetables to help you detox estrogen following ovulation and avoid the unwanted symptoms of estrogen dominance such as fatigue, anxiety, irregular periods, bloating and more.

Finally, the luteal phase, your inner Fall/Autumn, is when the calm-inducing hormone progesterone rises and your body undertakes preparation for the next phase. Behind the scenes, your body is preparing the uterine lining for either pregnancy or menstruation, so this is a time when more calories will be required. Cravings can hit at any moment, so having some slow-burning carbs and healthy sweet treats at hand can help you avoid reaching for high glycemic processed foods. Root vegetables and whole grains like oats can be a good option, along with berries and nut butter. Replenish with mindful routines and gentle movement so as not to spike cortisol.

By understanding how to work with the natural energy cycles and rhythms all around us, we can successfully leverage no-cost or low-cost methods for elevating our overall wellness while avoiding burnout. I invite you to join me in the affordable Cycle Magic membership to start aligning with your natural rhythms and cycles to balance your hormones naturally, and elevate your overall wellness.

Phase Out Processed Foods

Whole, real foods from nature are not only nutritious but also full of antioxidants and colorful phytonutrients that can support our immune system, enhance gene expression, and protect against diseases like cancer. Processed foods are often engineered to enhance food addiction and over-consumption. Although many processed items are often more affordable, we risk a greater cost to our long-term wellness when we rely too heavily on them for day-to-day nutrition. Even innocent sounding ingredient such as “natural flavors” could contain hundreds of unregulated chemicals. Consider phasing out processed foods in favor of whole foods like vegetables, fruit, wild caught fish, grass fed meats and dairy, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

To begin, opt for naturally highly-flavored, spicy or pungent whole foods, herbs and spices to help you transition from processed foods. Choose recipes that include things like garlic, onion, umami mushroom powders, chili, sumac, curry, dill and other highly flavored natural ingredients to help your taste-buds adjust. To keep blood glucose levels in check, eat sweet foods like fruit or maple-sweetened oatmeal after a balanced meal that contains fiber, protein and healthy fats (like olive oil or avocado). You could also add cinnamon to sweet meals to help balance blood sugar levels. It’s always a good idea to check with your wellness practitioner before making sweeping changes to your diet. 

Adopt A Healthy Money Mindset

Optimal, holistic wellness stretches beyond nutrition and movement. Our relationships, spiritual beliefs, career choices, living environments, and financial health all contribute to our overall wellness. Just as with our health, when it comes to finances we can start making small adjustments that can result in huge, beneficial shifts. Day-to-day choices make a difference and each choice we make can point us towards a path of increased or reduced wellness. Adjust a ship’s navigation by just one degree, and eventually it arrives at a location hundred of miles away from its original destination. We can experience the same dramatic effects when it comes to our financial health, due to the phenomenon of compounding.

When investing money, interest accrues on your initial investment, plus all the money thats been accumulating, month after month. This causes your money to grow exponentially over time. To leverage the magic of compounding, you have to stay in the game long-term, so do what you can to make it a non-negotiable monthly habit. You could begin with a small amount every month. Much like investing in your wellness, when we take a lifestyle approach to investing our money thats when we can benefit the most. For the first time ever, we have access to countless online programs and books about investing, and many of them are created by women for women. They teach about a variety of investment options in plain language, without the jargon. It’s been an empowering journey for me to learn about investing.

What began as an interest in saving money developed into curiosity about the stock market, and today I hold a self-managed portfolio of stocks and even do options trading in a conservative way from time to time. This didn’t happen overnight, but step-by-step as my finances grew, as did my sense of security and self-confidence. I believe that women are naturally wired for the emotional acuity it takes to manage investments successfully over time and build generational wealth like never before. It’s an exciting era to witness and be a part of.