THE FAT LOSS WORLD

Can you recall the days when petrol was 60 cents a litre, a bus fare was measured in small change and not $5 notes and life seemed a little less stressful. Thanks to the GFC living costs are higher and we are spending less time on our health because of more immediate necessities.

But you don't have to dip into your savings to ensure you remain healthy. So where are some of the areas that you can afford to save money and still keep your health in tip top shape?

Fitness -

Can you believe approximately $501 million is spent annually on gym memberships and exercise equipment each year. Despite this statistic up to seven million Australians are considered overweight so it's hard to see whether we are actually using these things.

So we have to ask ourselves do we need to really need to spend money to get healthy and fit? There are plenty of effective and wallet friendly physical activities you can take part in, including :

Outdoor Exercise 

Walking is Australia's most popular workout. Virtually anyone can do it regardless of their fitness levels and can be done anywhere and anytime, and it's completely FREE which is a huge bonus for the budget conscience.

At the Home Gym on a Budget

Forget about saving your money for gym equipment and gym memberships because you'll have everyday items around the house which can effectively take their place.

Running on the spot, star jumps, burpees, push-ups and skipping can all be done in your lounge room whilst watching television. The amount of exercise you can do for free really puts into perspective whether gym memberships are worth while.

Nutrition 

Buy bulk fruit and vegetables from markets instead of over priced second rate products from the supermarket shelf. Get your meats deboned by your local butcher on the spot, because meats put into plastic bags cost more simply due to the time it takes to measure, weigh, label and package the meat ready for display.