As someone who takes her fitness regimen quite seriously, I have to admit that I am annoyed. I am annoyed with those who are advocating spend for non-essential lifestyles. I agree that health and fitness are necessity and they are absolutely worthwhile including in your monthly budget, but how far is too far? Gym memberships are a valuable use of finances (if you use them more than it would cost you to drop in), and they are also great because it limits use of equipment costs for at-home workouts. However, many people who are spending obscene amounts of money on their “healthy lifestyles”, are simply not making the wise decisions. Although we all have different goals regarding our image, health, and diet – when it comes to cost – the only thing you should be paying for is your health. Pay for food that will keep you in check, pay for supplements that are vital to your survival, but don’t pay for a protein powder that you don’t truly need to maintain your health if you are struggling financially.

There are differences between spending money on your health, and spending money on your outer appearance.

I have tried many different avenues of fitness, whether it be organized sport, personal training, self-training, group fitness, and the list goes on and on. What I’ve found works best for me is a combination of many different things. All of which I try to spend as little as possible.

Personally I lucked out having a free gym in my office building that allows me to work out before or after my workday, and I also have some home equipment that my fiancé and I have collected over the years. My biggest yearly expenses go towards soccer and some personal training sessions, both of which are my greatest motivations to stay active.

Here are ways I spend less on my fit lifestyle:

• FIND ALTERNATIVES TO MEAT

Seriously. Enough is enough. We do not need nearly as much meat as society says we do. In fact, meat consumption has increased by around 45 percent over the past 60 years. Much like dairy, our bodies are not meant to digest this much protein. So if your personal trainer says to eat more meat, if you read a blog post about how skinny this girl got by eating meat, RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN. Find alternatives to meat. They will cost less, serve better purpose, reduce your environmental footprint, and in my opinion – taste better.

• BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES

Although we may have several reasons (excuses) why we can’t work out at home, what we need to realize is that bodyweight exercises are just as effective as lifting weights when it comes to sustaining a healthy lifestyle. There are also multiple benefits of bodyweight exercises including lower chance of injury, balance improvement, core strength, and you are spending ZERO money on equipment.

• USE YOUR SURROUNDINGS

There are so many options when it comes to finding space to work out other than the gym. Need cardio? Run outside. Need upper body workouts? Find a playground. Need lower body exercises? Play a sport that involves jumping. Use heavy text books, milk jugs, whatever it takes to challenge yourself physically. Spending less on facility and equipment is always my number one priority when it comes to finding something to suit my latest financial goals.

• STOP BUYING CLOTHES TO SWEAT IN

Hey, I love buying $50 workout tanks to stain yellow and bring on the creeps as much as the next girl, but I just lied to you and I don’t. Why do we insist on playing fashion guru during our reps? I wear the same old soccer t-shirts and shorts I’ve been wearing for years and they seem to do just fine. Opt for the lower priced gear, because in the long run, these clothes will be ruined anyways.

Currently, I am 5’8”, 145 pounds, and have 17% body fat without breaking the bank. There is no need to spend heaps of money to create the body you’ve always wanted. Just exercise daily using multiple methods. No one likes a picky gym head.

What’s your current workout regimen? Do you spend too much?