Finances and Health

"At first glance, the cost of staying healthy might seem way too high.  Yet, in the long run, maintaining poor health will cost far more."  Rick Kahler, CFP

In saying that staying healthy might seem too costly, Rick Kahler is referring to what a monthly gym membership might be, at $40.  He mentions three ways to stay healthy:  1. exercise  2.  eat a healthy diet  3.  get preventative health check ups.   I agree.  Eating healthy does not have to cost more.  I am sometimes behind people in the checkout stand who have their carts filled with processed and prepared meals.  I would be willing to bet they are spending more on their meals than I do.  I shop the periphery of the grocery store, deviating only for canned goods, frozen vegetables, and laundry supplies.  That means, of course, that I shop mostly in the produce department and some in the dairy and meat.  I do not buy processed foods and choose mostly vegetables, fruits and lean proteins.  Exercise does not have to cost a lot.  There are often specials on during the holiday season, and a local recreation center has a fee of $1.00 for seniors for a daily pass.  Walking is even less expensive; costing only the price of good shoes.  Welcome to Medicare offers preventative screenings free of charge, even colonoscopies.  Please take advantage of them.  

Perhaps those of us who are caregivers for someone with dementia do not need reminders that good health saves money.  We are spending so much money for the care and medicines for the person with dementia that we can see the benefit of being healthy.  I thought recent laws eliminated the "donut hole" cost of prescription drugs, but  I can tell you from experience that it has not.  It is beneficial sometimes to add up what the cost is of living with a terminal and progressive disease.  We can then see clearly that it is justifiable to spend some time and money on maintaining and improving our own health.