I thought I'd share 4 easy steps to be a healthier you this new year, while still saving money! Because let's be honest, it's that time of year again,. Time when we reflect and often when we all resolve to "lose those extra pounds" or be a better steward or "eat better" or __________ you fill in the blank.
As good as our intentions are, it's also very easy to lose motivation, forget the resolution or just fall back into those habits we want to break. I know I'm guilty!
But, I wanted to share with you a few things that you CAN do for you and your family without taking major steps and that will also probably save you some money or cost little to no money at all to implement.
Here they are:
Make your own yogurt. That might sound complicated, but as you can see here, where I shared how easy it is, you will find that it can be done! Not only is it so much better for you than store-bought yogurt that has so many additives and sweeteners, it's also so much cheaper! When you figure that organic yogurt on sale can range from 75-99 cents per cup, it's easy to have that add up! Especially if you have kids that like to snack on yogurt too! I dare you to try it!
Stop using your microwave. This is something that started in our home with the ringing in of the new year. I've stopped using plastic in the microwave, since giving my challenge back in the fall, but I now know I need to give it up completely. It's so easy to pop things in the microwave, but I get excited thinking about how much healthier our food will be for us without the use of the microwave! and this tip is completely free!
Make your own lip balm. I've found that lip balm that is organic or "all natural" is rarely cheap! If you're lucky, you might find some on sale, but it's still too much for me to justify buying most of the time. Making your own lip balm is the easiest thing! and it's so much cheaper. All you need is some coconut oil and beeswax. Beeswax can be easily bought on amazon.com and Trader Joe's now sells organic coconut oil for less than $7! That's the cheapest I've found and this will make you a TON of lip balm! When I make it, I usually use 1/2 cup of oil and 1/8 cup of grated beeswax. Melt together over low heat and then pour into the container of your choice. I have some old lip balm containers I just recycle for on the go and the rest I put in a small jar to just dip my finger in when I need it. Best of all, I can also use this for little Lucas' skin (our 10 month old who has bad eczema) to keep his skin moist. If you want, you can even add your favorite essential oil for a bit of a scent. I've added chamomile to mine and I just love it!
Make your own on-the-go snacks. Especially because we're mostly grain/gluten free in our home now, having snacks for on-the-go can get super expensive, super fast! It's amazing the variety of gluten-free options there are out there, but they don't come without a hefty price! So, most of the time, I make all our snack foods. Most recently I made Larabars. If you've never had larabars, they are naturally gluten free and usually involve just a couple ingredients. Truly my kind of "make-it-yourself" recipe! on Thursday I made them for the first time and they were the easiest things! Here's a link to the simple instructions I followed: make your own larabars.
These are just 4 of many baby steps you can take to be healthier, while still saving money this new year! I always find that if things are easy enough, I'm much more willing to do them again and again! I dare you to try even just one of these. Then, please stop by my blog and tell me how it went!
Happy New Year!
Thanks Kristina for this awesome post on starting the New Year right in simple but highly beneficial ways!! You are by far the most dedicated person I know in adapting a simple and natural lifestyle with ease and finesse! I can't wait to see what new things you do this year!
