Since I remember I was a chubby girl and I have always been struggling with losing weight. I have tried many different diets. Some of them helped for some time but then…. Bam! It all came back. So how did I lose 10 kg and save money at the same time?
There was a time when I just gave up and decided not to try anymore. But don’t get me wrong. I was eating healthy but maybe I just didn’t know how to balance what I eat? I have really no idea. I didn’t exercise tho because I am working a lot and I didn’t have time for that (and also I just simply don’t like it).
Meanwhile I got interested in budgeting and side hustles. I was looking for ways to save money and then I was trying them.
You can imagine how surprised I was when I noticed that I started to lose weight at the same time! In just a few months I lost 10 kg and switched from size L to size XS/S!
How did I do that?
1. I SWITCHED FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO A BIKE
Starting from Spring to Autumn I was riding to work by bike. It was 25 minutes to work and 25 minutes to get back to the apartment. So in general I was riding 10 km per day for 50 mins.
Of course buying a bike was an expense but when I counted the costs of public transport it turned out that now, after a year, by using the bike I am riding for free!
2. I STOPPED DRINKING ALCOHOL
Alcohol is expensive. Especially for people like me who don’t drink a regular beer but always a flavored one or drinks with gin or whiskey. I decided to stop because I wanted to save money. It was difficult at first because what is the point of going out and ordering water, right? But I got used to it and I can really recommend it.
3. I STOPPED DRINKING SOFT DRINKS
It was a huge problem for me, especially during summer when I was craving Cola or anything with gas when I was feeling hot. But I have bought a nice bottle and was drinking water with lemon or frozen strawberries. It turns out it is possible to live without soft drinks!
4. I STARTED MAKING GROCERY LIST AND MEAL PLANNING
When you start making grocery lists and meal planning you reduce buying snacks and ordering food because you no longer have an excuse that you have no idea what to cook.
5. I STARTED TO GO OUT FOR A WALK MORE OFTEN
I wanted to save money and reduce going out for a coffee or to the cinema that often. So I started doing free activities like going for a walk, which is my favorite.
6. I STARTED TO REDUCE TAKE OUTS
Of course from time to time I ordered food because we are just humans and it is nice to eat something from the restauran,t but I reduced it significantly.
7. I STARTED TO DRINK MORE WATER
It is simple advice that you have probably heard a lot of times but it really works. When I stopped drinking soft drinks and alcohol I had to start drinking more water. And it was a game changer not only for my weight but also for my wallet.
8. I STOPPED BUYING ICE CREAMS
I am a huge ice cream fan! I can eat it every day during summer. I am also a vegan so ice creams that I was buying were usually more expensive than regular ones. So I decided to learn how to make my own ice creams.
So these are things that I did because I wanted to save money and as a side effect – I also lost 10 kg which is absolutely great for me!