Health
5 free ways to save money this winter while supporting your wellbeing
Looking for ways to save money this winter while still supporting your wellbeing?
With Christmas parties to attend, stockings to fill and a cost of living crisis to comprehend, it may mean purse strings are even tighter than usual this year. But it’s just as important as ever to take care of wellbeing during the winter. So, how can you do it on a budget?
Here, we share some simple hacks to cut costs and look after yourself.
5 free ways to support your winter wellbeing
Make your own immunity boosters
Save your pennies and make your own health shots or immunity boosting teas from home rather than picking them up from fancy health food shops (which can often be overpriced!).
You can brew your own lemon, ginger, and honey tea at home to support your wellbeing. Research shows that ginger may be able to fight inflammation and support immunity, making it a great choice for a homemade tea. Simply add all the ingredients to a mug, pour over just boiled water and allow to steep.
Our turmeric health shot recipe is also another winter wellbeing win – you can find the recipe here.
Get kitchen smart
Not only does batch-cooking help you to stay on track with healthy eating habits rather than ordering in a takeaway, it can also help to cut down the costs of your energy bills.
Batch cooking reduces the time you’re using your oven or hob, and other appliances in your kitchen.
Soups, curries and stews are great options to bulk cook and can be packed with leftover veggies to avoid food waste, which your good gut bugs and bank account will love.
We always advocate for eating organic where possible, but it can often add extra costs onto your food shop – check out our tips on eating organic on a budget here.
Get moving
With shorter days and less daylight, it’s easy for our mood to take a hit during winter. However, getting outside and moving can be a quick, easy and low cost way to support our wellbeing.
Exercise supports both our physical and mental health, so why not swap your morning indoor gym session for a free jog or walk around your local park? Research has shown that spending time walking in nature helps to lower our stress and anxiety levels and improves our memory.
You’ll also get a vitamin D boost from being outside in daylight, which studies suggest can further help to regulate our mood and reduce depression.
If you’re looking to cut costs, you may want to swap your gym membership in favour of free YouTube workouts in the comfort of your own living room. Many top trainers share free workout videos on their channels, such as The Body Coach and Lucy Wyndham-Read, with all abilities catered for.
Back to basics
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: staying hydrated and getting enough sleep are both crucial in supporting your overall wellbeing – and they’re both free!
Ensure you’re drinking plenty of water to hydrate and replenish your body. Most experts say that we should aim for around 2 litres a day.
Herbal teas count towards your intake too, which can be a deliciously warming winter choice.
Take care to prioritise your sleep too, aiming for around seven to nine hours every night. A lack of sleep can impact your immune system, meaning you may be more likely to pick up a bug this winter or take longer to fight it off.
Free wellbeing apps
The best things in life are often free, and that goes for apps too.
You can download free apps to your phone or tablet device to help you stay well without a cost.
Insight Timer is a free meditation app to help manage feelings of stress and anxiety, while the NHS’ Couch to 5k app is also completely cost-free and will have you up and running in no time.
