Getting the family to create and adhere to a fitness program is the first step to a life that is healthier and generally happier. Mood improvement aside, it’s likely that becoming a fitter family will also have a positive impact on your finances.

An unhappy fact about being unhealthy is that family members will have to consider additional expenses such as new, bigger clothes. Indeed, it can be tempting and easy to discontinue fitness efforts when results aren’t quickly tangible; however, continuing with the same habits would mean having to continually buy clothes in increasingly larger sizes. While buying clothing in bulk may keep costs down, there is usually a compromise in clothing durability, which leads to the need to buy replacements and spending even more as a result. Thus, it is simply easier and cheaper to maintain a modest body size.

Food intake is usually one of the aspects of family life where the change is most obvious whenever a family pitches in to be fitter. A family can save money by preparing meals from scratch instead of choosing ready-made alternatives. Not only can you avoid most preservatives and artificial flavorings, cooking at home also allows more control over portion sizes, minimizing the chances of overeating. Additionally, a family that pays attention to what is eaten is simply less inclined to buy junk food, which can be expensive but is nutritionally poor.

Generally, people who don’t exercise regularly are not only more prone to illness, they can take a longer time to recover from one than a fit person does. This may mean having to stay on a longer course of medication, which will also cost more money.

Barring an ill-timed soccer tackle or a fall on a slippery sidewalk, being in good physical shape means that you and your family will spend less time being unwell. If no one has to visit the doctor every time a cold or flu goes around, it results in less money being spent on medical bills and more savings.