Today I need to go on a bit of a rant, but I’m also going to provide some solutions. Here goes:
I am absolutely blown away by the number of people who struggle with health & fitness…
Wait. That’s being too nice.
I’m absolutely blown away by the number of people who are fat, out of shape, unhealthy, take a laundry list of medications, and generally live unpleasant lives who won’t do whatever it takes to fix the situation – specifically, get out of bed early to workout and spend money to work with a fitness professional.
Now, here’s where I piss some people off. Look, I know times are tough right now. At least, that’s what the news says, and since so many people just go by what the news says, they create that reality in their own lives. I’m not discrediting those folks who’ve lost their jobs or taken major pay cuts. That’s a bitch and I wish you nothing but the best of luck to get back on your feet. But, there are so many folks who’s situations have not changed, yet they still use the bad economy excuse. That’s what I mean by creating a reality. As long as you tell yourself the economy sucks, the more it will become your reality. How is it that some people are making millions right now in a down economy while others wallow in their own self-pity? The answer is simple: You become what you think about.
OK. That’s enough ranting and raving. I said I was going to provide some solutions so here they are. I was in the shower this morning and I was thinking, “What are ways people could afford to pay for a fitness boot camp program like Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp? After all, it’s only $3 – $5 a day, and you get so much: 3 days of professional training, 3 days of non-class day workouts, done-for-you meal plans, continuing education, social support and more.” Just off the top of my head here’s 28 ways you may be able to save $3 – $5 a day to afford a fitness program that will, by the way, lower your health care costs in the long run – that’s a whole different conversation…
- Eliminate the damn cafe coffee – a medium black coffee is $2 freakin’ dollars, and forget about the $4 – $5 froo froo drinks
- Eat at home and pack your lunch – I know people who spend $10 a day or more eating out!
- Buy the store brand instead of the name brands that have the same exact ingredients, yet cost more
- Buy groceries in bulk
- Use coupons
- Look for sales, but only buy what you need – not just because it’s on sale
- Don’t even think about fast food – for so many reasons
- Take shorter showers
- Don’t let the water run when you brush your teeth or shave
- Turn off the lights when you’re not using them
- Drop the movie channels from the cable bill- go for a walk instead
- Use Netflix instead of going to the movies, and if you do go to the movies forget about the way overpriced super-fattening junk food
- If you see something in a catalog that you want to buy, wait a week before ordering to see if you still really want it.
- Consider dropping your land line phone at home. Your cell phone may be
all you need and some come with free long distance services.
- Send free e-cards and save on postage.
- Don’t renew subscriptions to publications you don’t have time to read.
- Only use ATMs where you won’t be charged service fees.
- Wait a little longer between manicures (try doing one yourself!)
- Play golf less often, look for tee times when rates are reduced, or play at lower-cost public courses.
- If you own a house, shift your higher-rate credit card debt to a
lower-rate line of credit. Deduct the interest on your tax return.
- Raise the deductible on your homeowner’s and car insurance policies.
- Quit smoking! Trade in the pack a day for a workout a day.
- Save all your change and use it to buy gifts next year.
- Cook in bulk and freeze.
- Turn down your home thermostat a couple degrees in the winter.
- Only do full loads of laundry and fill the dishwasher before running it.
- Sell stuff you don’t need or use anymore on eBay.
- Track your spending. If you write it all down, you’ll probably spend less. And you’ll know exactly where your money goes. You’d be amazed at how much is going towards things that contribute to weight gain and poor health!
Well, I’m sure I can come up with a bunch more, and if you stop and really think about it, so can you.
Look, I’m not trying to come at anyone. I just want to wake some folks up.
If you don’t take care of yourself now, you won’t be able to afford to later. We simply can’t afford not to workout, and the best way to get it done is in a local fitness boot camp that’s fully comprehensive and provides a ton of support.
By the way, if you’ve got some more money saving tips please, please, please share them with a comment below. Thanks.
Have Faith & Take Action!
Justin Yule, B.S., CPT
Your friendly neighborhood Chaska & Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.
Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.
P.S. – If even after all that you still can’t afford a local fitness boot camp, then pick up a great book like The Science of Getting Fit and a set of high-quality resistance bands like those in the Look Great Store. For $100 you’ve got yourself one hell of a start!
The Law of Polarity states that everything has an opposite. You can’t have hot without cold; up without down; good without bad. Everything has an opposite; two sides to the same coin if you will. Think about it this way: if there was no opposite of failure, how would you know what success is?
