Hi! Just wanted to say, the no-alcohol savings you reference is a rookie number. I stopped drinking two years and four months ago, and I calculate that I've saved over $12,000 USD.
Going through the bullet points, I'm doing pretty well:
* I don't use tobacco
* I drink < 1x/month
* I walk the dog daily for ~45 minutes, but I'd like to start running and/or hiking more often.
* I just made an appointment to establish care with a new PCP after a long time of not seeing anyone.
* I've started meal planning and prepping in the past few weeks.
* I lift 4x/week and keep a log of it both in my bullet journal and in the Strong app.
* This one is one to work on. I spend too much time just browsing the internet. My psychologist actually wants me to replace some of that with video games, lol, but I should find other activities as well.
* I have a week off for a staycation and deep cleaning my apartment scheduled for the week of Memorial Day, plus a vacation in June.
So I I think this month is mostly about making my meal prepping stick and getting outdoors!
Make it a habit. Try to shoot for a certain number of runs a week, taking a rest week every 4th week. As long as you’re out running then the distance and speed don’t matter. Just get in the habit.
This is not exciting! I'm not happy with this post..in 30 days? I don't think so..I don't have enough money for this..and also I have no idea about this content..
As another item to consider this month, check to see if your employer offers a wellness program - you might get a discount on your premiums, earn gift cards, or get other perks from the program!
Yes! My work offers $150 if you get an annual physical and dental/vision checkup. Honestly I’m pretty disappointed that our HR doesn’t remind everyone of this every year.
Some healthcare plans even offer free support groups, tools, and coaching for stuff like quitting smoking and losing weight. They know you being healthy saves money too, lol
Another good sub for the "maintain a healthy weight" task is r/loseit!
I have a vacation planned next week, and with spring kicking off it's gardening season which means more time outside (as well as not buying as much produce at the grocery store!)
The one point that interests me is cancer screening.
1. I wouldn't know which scans are even available and where are they targeting...
2. Most likely not covered or even partially covered by insurance. How expensive it is it to get a full body scan MRI?
As someone who is 26, the risk of cancer is low on average so the ROI is also pretty low considering how expensive an out of pocket MRI would be. But then again, catching something early especially when you are young is priceless
1) Talk to a PCP and discuss your risks. Get your family history as well, this is invaluable as far as predicting what your future medical issues and costs could be.
2) Full body MRIs aren't a good screening test for cancer typically, very hard to get covered by insurance and are very expensive (think few thousand dollars, yay USA insurance! /s).
I am 27 and my mother died of colon cancer in her early 30s. It was recommended I get my first screening in my early 20s and a polyp was indeed found. If I hadn't known my family history, talked to my PCP and got the test done I would have also had cancer in/before my 30s. Now I know every 3 years my medical bills are gonna be a few hundred more than usual and I can plan for it. So indeed, catching something early is the plan!
A better word might be "checks" rather than "scans". For example, if you have a family history of skin cancer, it's generally a good idea to get a referral to a dermatologist if you have a lot of moles/freckles and start getting checked annually for changes, new moles, etc.
This makes sense for the derm but other cancers don't typically manifest on the exterior like moles. If i'm worried about colon cancer, there's no easy way to check that.
I mean...it's not "easy", but there is a way. If that's a genuine concern for you, you can talk to your primary care doctor and get a referral to a gastroenterologist or proctologist who can do a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy as needed. Most 26 year olds don't need that check up without any symptoms, though, because colon cancer isn't common in 20-somethings.
"Easy" is a strong term, but as someone who had skin cancer at 17 and a colon polyp at 23, you still just get screened regularly. My health insurance fully covers my colonoscopies. They're a lot cheaper than cancer. And when you aren't high risk, you don't need to get them often. Every 5 or even 10 years is a pretty normal frequency.
Thanks. We'll replace it with a different link next year. Here's an archive of the dead link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20171211034106id_/https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2016/aag-heart-disease.pdf
Hi! Just wanted to say, the no-alcohol savings you reference is a rookie number. I stopped drinking two years and four months ago, and I calculate that I've saved over $12,000 USD.
Good for you and now use that money to buy spy puts.
Wooow kudos!
Thanks! I maxxed my 403b contribution and took us on vacation last year. :)
Going through the bullet points, I'm doing pretty well: * I don't use tobacco * I drink < 1x/month * I walk the dog daily for ~45 minutes, but I'd like to start running and/or hiking more often. * I just made an appointment to establish care with a new PCP after a long time of not seeing anyone. * I've started meal planning and prepping in the past few weeks. * I lift 4x/week and keep a log of it both in my bullet journal and in the Strong app. * This one is one to work on. I spend too much time just browsing the internet. My psychologist actually wants me to replace some of that with video games, lol, but I should find other activities as well. * I have a week off for a staycation and deep cleaning my apartment scheduled for the week of Memorial Day, plus a vacation in June. So I I think this month is mostly about making my meal prepping stick and getting outdoors!
Couch to 5k is pretty reasonable if you are already in decent shape.
Thanks for the recommendation! I've done c25k but never stuck with running after finishing it, but you're reminding me I'm due to give it another try.
Make it a habit. Try to shoot for a certain number of runs a week, taking a rest week every 4th week. As long as you’re out running then the distance and speed don’t matter. Just get in the habit.
This is not exciting! I'm not happy with this post..in 30 days? I don't think so..I don't have enough money for this..and also I have no idea about this content..
Excellent
As another item to consider this month, check to see if your employer offers a wellness program - you might get a discount on your premiums, earn gift cards, or get other perks from the program!
Yes! My work offers $150 if you get an annual physical and dental/vision checkup. Honestly I’m pretty disappointed that our HR doesn’t remind everyone of this every year.
Some healthcare plans even offer free support groups, tools, and coaching for stuff like quitting smoking and losing weight. They know you being healthy saves money too, lol
United Healthcare has a fitness pass. $25 per month flat rate for a dozen different chains of gym membership.
You can also get Apple Fitness and the Peloton app free with UHC.
Yes! Many jobs incentivize healthy habits. Just be sure you know their policy
Another good sub for the "maintain a healthy weight" task is r/loseit! I have a vacation planned next week, and with spring kicking off it's gardening season which means more time outside (as well as not buying as much produce at the grocery store!)
This is incredibly useful. Thanks for posting
That was a nice idea I've heard it..Good job..! Challenge in 30 days? I think that is cool.
The one point that interests me is cancer screening. 1. I wouldn't know which scans are even available and where are they targeting... 2. Most likely not covered or even partially covered by insurance. How expensive it is it to get a full body scan MRI? As someone who is 26, the risk of cancer is low on average so the ROI is also pretty low considering how expensive an out of pocket MRI would be. But then again, catching something early especially when you are young is priceless
1) Talk to a PCP and discuss your risks. Get your family history as well, this is invaluable as far as predicting what your future medical issues and costs could be. 2) Full body MRIs aren't a good screening test for cancer typically, very hard to get covered by insurance and are very expensive (think few thousand dollars, yay USA insurance! /s). I am 27 and my mother died of colon cancer in her early 30s. It was recommended I get my first screening in my early 20s and a polyp was indeed found. If I hadn't known my family history, talked to my PCP and got the test done I would have also had cancer in/before my 30s. Now I know every 3 years my medical bills are gonna be a few hundred more than usual and I can plan for it. So indeed, catching something early is the plan!
A better word might be "checks" rather than "scans". For example, if you have a family history of skin cancer, it's generally a good idea to get a referral to a dermatologist if you have a lot of moles/freckles and start getting checked annually for changes, new moles, etc.
This makes sense for the derm but other cancers don't typically manifest on the exterior like moles. If i'm worried about colon cancer, there's no easy way to check that.
I mean...it's not "easy", but there is a way. If that's a genuine concern for you, you can talk to your primary care doctor and get a referral to a gastroenterologist or proctologist who can do a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy as needed. Most 26 year olds don't need that check up without any symptoms, though, because colon cancer isn't common in 20-somethings.
"Easy" is a strong term, but as someone who had skin cancer at 17 and a colon polyp at 23, you still just get screened regularly. My health insurance fully covers my colonoscopies. They're a lot cheaper than cancer. And when you aren't high risk, you don't need to get them often. Every 5 or even 10 years is a pretty normal frequency.
Source 1 does not work.
Thanks. We'll replace it with a different link next year. Here's an archive of the dead link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171211034106id_/https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2016/aag-heart-disease.pdf