In these economically uncertain times, there are many who face real budget constraints. Still others find their spending limited by the shifting priorities associated with caring for young children or aging parents. However, a lifestyle that has its focus on wellness does not have to be sacrificed to a limited budget. You can continue to make lifestyle choices that protect your wellness, despite financial strains.

Good food is the foundation of good health. Unfortunately, the food budget is usually the first to be cut when a family struggles with fixed payments, such as mortgage or rent, or essential expenses like utility bills. However, even in difficult financial circumstances, it is possible to eat for wellness.

Try a Food Co-Op

Natural food co-ops are a useful solution. There are varying sizes and complexities of co-ops, but the basic operating principles are the same. The primary function of a co-op is to make natural and organic foods accessible and affordable to all. The means with which this is achieved is collective buying. By pooling money, members are able to buy in greater quantities, at or near wholesale prices, thus reducing the expenditures for each individual.

To find a co-op in your area, put the phrase “natural food co-op” into one of the major search engines. Results will include national directories. You can also call your local health food stores for information on such arrangements in your area. You could even start your own. There is plenty of information available on how to get started on the internet and at your local library.

Think Local … and Organic

Another way to get better food for less is to deal directly with local farmers who grow organic produce. Again, your local health food store is an excellent source of information. It is becoming increasingly common for this to be done through a co-op as well. A common arrangement is to place orders at the beginning of the growing season, and as the produce matures, the farmer delivers to a central location where the buyers collect their farm fresh fruits and vegetables. Some farms operate as co-ops, and by contributing labor, which in and of itself promotes physical health and well-being, the buyer can reduce the food bill even further. Aside from the obvious benefits, it is a wonderful way to transmit wellness values to children while making them conscious of the connection between the food they see in the supermarket and the earth, and thus the environment, as well as the role of the farmer and labor. 

Rethinking your diet can not only improve your health, but can also reduce what you spend on food. In addition, eating with a focus on wellness is preventative medicine. It is an important part of reducing health care expenses.

Get Back to Basics

Some of the most delicious cuisines in the world are based on the most inexpensive food available—beans and rice. This health conscious combination can be found in the foods of India, the Caribbean, Mexico and the Americas.

There are innumerable ways to prepare beans and rice, and you are sure to find many recipes suited to your tastes via the internet or in your public library. In addition, dishes from beans and rice are the ultimate convenience food—they store well after preparation and are wonderful reheated in the microwave. Serve with steamed vegetables or a salad and fresh fruit and you have an inexpensive and healthful dinner in minutes, less time than people spend in the line at the drive-through.

Make your food dollar count. Why invest your money in nothing? Avoid buying foods that are devoid of nutrients and do not make a positive contribution to wellness.

Get Moving

The condition of being, in the clinical sense of the words, obese or overweight has become a serious problem in our culture among adults, with an astounding rate of increase among children, as well. While food choices play a role in this, another factor is the significant reduction in physical activity.

Reduce your dependence on your car, with the benefits of saving money and investing in your health. Walk. If your destination is just a bit too far for that, use a bus for part of the trip. It will still be less expensive than your car, and more importantly, the walking that you do will be better for your health.

When we were children, the world was a different place. We played outdoors for hours on end, running, jumping and playing games. It is, sadly, too risky to allow children the freedom we had. But, what today’s parent can do, instead of settling for the indoor, sedentary activities that have become the norm, is to take the children out to play. Teach them all the old games – freeze tag, blind man’s bluff, hopscotch, double-dutch jump rope -- and don’t just sit and watch. Get right out there with your kids and the neighborhood kids that are sure to join in. Run, laugh and shout.  It beats running on a treadmill to nowhere and you’ll feel twenty years younger. Your children will appreciate the quality time and will remember those times fondly when they are grown.

Wellness is often about choice. When working under the constraints of a limited budget, making healthy choices is a solid investment in the future.

Sharon L. Secor, of Secor’s Writing Service, is a single mother and freelance writer living in upstate New York. Her journey into freelance writing was inspired by Christine de Pisan (1364-1429), a widow and writer of social commentary who, in addition to being one of France's earliest well-known female authors, was able to support her children through her writing. She earns her living from her home, writing primarily about social issues, culture, and family. Her nonfiction work is regularly featured by Morality in Media, in a column titled Especially For Parents, and by Garden and Hearth. Good Works and Matters of the Heart, a serialized work of historical fiction/romance set in 1915, is featured in the e-zine Keep It Coming. You can reach Sharon through email or through her website.