Health is wealth. Seriously, what good is having money if you can’t enjoy it. Or worse, you won’t be around to enjoy it! The earlier you start prioritizing your health, the more money you can save your future self. Keeping the present focus on your health can help you save money in the future. Because we don’t often see the impacts of our lifestyle choices right away, years of bad habits can lead to an expensive future and a poor quality of life.
Unfortunately, I saw this firsthand with my mom. She was a smoker most of her life, until she was diagnosed with COPD around the age of 53. By 59, it started catching up to her. At first, she couldn’t walk far without feeling winded. Then, she needed oxygen on a regular basis. Then, she needed a machine to expel CO2 from her body. Finally, her disease took her at 69. Fortunately, my mom was smart with her money throughout her life, and she was able to get the best healthcare to maximize comfort.
Smoking is just one example of a bad habit that can catch up to you. I’m sharing 4 ways your health can save you money in the future.
4 Ways Your Health Can Save You Money in the Future
#1 Less future medical expenses
The healthier you are now, the healthier you will be as you age. That means you don’t need to spend so much money on medical costs and expenses. It’s not cheap to rely on medical equipment, to spend time at the hospital, or to require ongoing prescriptions. If you don’t have those costs out of pocket, you likely have high insurance premiums to take care of it. You can’t rely on Medicare and Medicaid to cover everything.
#2 No home health care costs
Fortunately, my mom’s insurance covered home health care. Like I mentioned above, her premiums were pretty high, but because of them she was able to spend the last of her days at home. Had she not had insurance, it would have cost tens of thousands of dollars to receive the care she had.
Another way focusing on your health now can save you money in the future is that it will reduce your need for home health care costs. Whether that’s the cost of someone coming to your home every day to help you, or you having to live in a nursing home. Some things can’t be helped but doing everything in your power now to ensure a long, healthy life can save you or your family so much money.
#3 Healthy habits improve quality of life
Getting 30 minutes of physical activity every day, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, taking proper vitamins. These are just a few of the healthy habits you can start doing now to help improve your quality of life, both in the present and the future. I’m proud to say that I’ve been working out regularly since age 24. My hope is that it allows me to have an active lifestyle as I age.
While healthy habits now can improve your quality of life later, it can also save you money. The healthier you are later in life, the less money you’ll need to spend on things to promote health or increase your longevity. As you go about your day, think about things you can do to help your future self be as healthy as possible.
Keep in mind that a good quality of life in your elderly years also includes pain management. Daily stretches, utilizing a standing desk and physical activity now can ensure you don’t have leg, back or any other kind of chronic pain as you age. You could have all the money in the world, but what if you’re in pain daily?
#4 Focus on health can impact your beneficiaries
I touched on this above, but I want to spend a little more time here. Focusing on your health now can help your children or beneficiaries save a lot of money in the future, not just you! What if you don’t have money to cover your medical bills? Your children and beneficiaries are likely to pick up the slack. Do you really want to put them in that position? Focusing on your health now can help you and your kids save a lot of money in the future.
Related: Simple Ways to Save on Health Costs
As I mentioned, some things can’t be avoided. That’s just the way life goes. However, the choices you make today are 100% in your control. Choose to be a healthier individual in the present and your future self will reap the benefits, both financial and personal.
Have you started to make healthier lifestyle choices? If so, what are they? Have you experienced caring for an older parent or relative because they couldn’t care for themselves? I’d love to hear your experiences. Drop a comment to share!
-Raya
The CGS Team
