This is a guest post by Craig Kessler from http://blog.budgetpulse.com/

New Year’s has come and gone but that doesn’t change the fact that the number one resolution is to lose weight and to be healthier. Have you already fled from your resolution? The winter tends to be the time of year that brings the dull, lazy mentality in us out. The bottom line is not to let it happen. Concentrate on your goal to achieving a healthier lifestyle, because before you know it, summer will be here and the beach will be calling your name.

Half the battle is actually getting to the gym. Once you reach the gym, the workout part becomes very easy. A lot of people have trouble actually making it to the gym for several reasons. For starters, the gym can be intimidating if you are new to working out. Another reason is gym memberships fees tend to be very high costing hundreds of dollars a year. A lot of people who are new don’t feel the value in spending all that money and will not workout because of it. Guess what? You can still get a great workout right at home for free! Fancy machines and weights can be helpful, but for the average person, basic exercises are more than enough to help someone stay active. Here are a few exercises that will keep you staying active and keep your wallet full. All of these can be performed right in your home for free.

• Push-Ups: Try sets of 10 and increase if you feel comfortable

• Sit-ups: Develop a routine you are comfortable with and try for 10 minutes

• Wall-Sits: Stand against a wall and pretend to sit as there was a chair there. Try 3 sets of 30 seconds, increase to a minute if you feel comfortable.

• Jumping Jacks: A great warm up to get the heart pumping

• Resistant Bands: Great for general strength and conditioning

A great way to have a home trainer for free is to utilize youtube.com. There are so many workout videos that show routines that can be done for free right in your home.

• 8 Minute Abs

• Chest Workout

• 8 Minute Buns

• Tae Bo

These are just a few of the many videos out there that can help you out. Utilize these techniques and workout to feel great and then take that extra money saved on memberships to buy yourself a new bathing suit and some sun tan lotion.

photo credit: Jaye_Elle

Healthcare costs are on the rise. However, there are steps you can take to reduce what you spend.

• Use a flex spending account – If you know you will have medical expenses (copays, prescriptions, etc.) over the course of the year, you can choose to have pre-tax money set aside. After you incur an expense, you will be reimbursed. Also, many people don’t realize that a lot of over the counter medication is eligible for reimbursement as well.

• Consider generics – Of course you should consult your physician but if possible, use generic medications instead of their brand name counterparts. Your copay will be cheaper this way.

• Split the dosage – AAgain, you should consult your physician before trying this. However, sometimes it possible to save money by cutting your pills in half. If a 30 day supply of a 30mg dose is the same price as that of a 15mg dose, you can buy the higher dosage (when prescribed by your doctor) and split the pills to get twice as many doses for the same price.

• Ask for samples. Occasionally doctor’s offices will have samples they can give you for a particular medication. While you will still need to refill your prescription, this may save you on a few days or up to a month’s cost.

• Check the web. If you look on your drug manufacturer’s website, they may have a coupon or rebate that you can use to reduce your costs.

• Use a mail order pharmacy.  If you need a prescription for multiple months, ask your doctor to write a three-month prescription vs a one-month prescription with two refills.  Brick and mortar pharmacies won’t fill prescriptions like that but mail order pharmacies will.  So instead of paying three co-pays (one for each month), you will just pay one (for the three month prescription).  That’s a two-thirds reduction in cost.

What do you do to save money on healthcare?