Top 10 Eat cheap and healthy tips

The mantra is getting old. The frugal tip of doing everything yourself is a double-edged sword. Sure, you can save money doing it yourself. Sometimes. If you know what you are doing. When I owned rental property years ago I learned quickly I was not cut out for carpet laying. It was cheaper to hire it done. (Really, I was bad at it. One job was so bad all the carpet had to be ripped out and tossed.) Where you are able to handle the repair or maintenance, doing it yourself can save a lot of money. Changing the oil in the car, sharpening lawn mower blades, light appliance repair, changing a faucet and other tasks might be under your purview. If so, by all means, consider it a DIY job. However, knowing when to hire the professional is important. A DIY job when you don’t know what you are doing can lead to disaster. If you want to increase your skills, consider volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. A summer of free time spent learning several crafts of the trade is a powerful education that will pay off the rest of your life.

Vegetables and fruits are the most valuable players in any kitchen. Just think of the tomato—perfect as a salad or sandwich topper, but also an ideal base in some of our favorite comfort foods like soup and spaghetti. In fact, all kinds of veggies can be pureed to create some insanely flavorful sauces, from tart to sweet to savory. Or, blend a smoothie from any melange of fruits and veggies—instant, drinkable vitamins and minerals. And let’s be real—meat is expensive. Consuming it in small amounts can still be satisfying. Treating lean meat as a side and veggies as the main goes a long way in saving you cash. You can even pack your plate with as many vegetable dishes as you can conjure up in one sitting—variety is the spice of life, right?

Save your residuals from meat and vegetables like bones, onion tops, carrot tops, even wilted veggies, and brew your own batch of broth. It’s easy:

• Store leftover pieces in the freezer until you’ve got a few cups.
• Once you do, just add water, boil, and simmer on low heat for a few hours.
• For vegetable broth, use olive oil, coarsely chopped onion, carrot, crushed garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns.
• For chicken or beef broth, just add chicken or beef bones to the recipe above. You’ve managed to make the most of what would’ve been tossed in the trash, and you’ve got an excellent cooking base to work with.

Taxes will cost you more than any other thing in your life, including your home. It may not feel like spending, but taxes are a massive expense everyone can do better at reducing. I see people in my office all the time that had prepared their own tax return. In nearly all cases they overpaid the government. Since income, sales, excise, property and other taxes consume over half of the national income, you will need a two-pronged approach in applying frugality to your tax spending. First, most people need a tax professional to assure they are utilizing as many tax benefits as possible. The tax code is complex and getting more so every day. Even the pros struggle to keep up with the changes. What chance do you have? And the over-the-counter DIY software can’t do everything for you either. Second, even with a tax pro in your corner you need to keep yourself informed on tax issues. Read about tax breaks that apply to you. Question your tax professional. Don’t be afraid of paying for some consulting with your tax pro. When I consult with clients I have in excess of a 10x return for the client. That means for every dollar they spend they benefit over $10. We call that hyper-frugal!

Easier said than done. Illness is expensive and the cost goes beyond the medical. Lost wages and a lower quality of life are two huge costs of poor health. Staying healthy is easier for some and harder for others. Regardless, you need to eat quality food in proper proportions. Exercise is vital. Because everyone reading this will be in a different place with their health, I encourage you to consult with your doctor in building a plan to improve your health. Get on the right diet for you. Find the best exercise program for you. Don’t forget your social life. Family and friends play a large roll in your health. If you sit in taverns with friends that drink too much and smoke, you might have a problem. Consideration for your lifestyle is an important part of your frugal lifestyle. Choose who you associate with well.