If you’re like most Americans, getting or staying in shape is probably one of your top priorities for the new year. But, do you know how to make money while exercising? Another popular New Years’ resolution is managing finances better, whether you want to make more money online without wasting your time on low-paid surveys or boost your financial well-being by getting more involved in your investments.
The problem with New Years’ resolutions is that most people’s motivation tends to wane after the initial spark of determination you get from the “new year, new you” mindset. If your own resolutions haven’t panned out too well for you in previous years, then why not combine your fitness and financial goals into one package and make money while getting fit?
How to Make Money While Getting in Shape
There are plenty of ways you can find yourself turning $100 into $1000 around the clock. But, here are a few ways you can stick to your resolutions this year and improve your physical and financial wellness at the same time:
Walk Dogs
If you’re an avid animal lover, then don’t miss out on an opportunity to get paid to play with dogs! Rover.com is known as the “Uber for pet owners” that allows freelance pet sitters, dog walkers, and exotic pet caretakers to offer their services to pet owners in their area.
You’ll have to go through a background check and have at least one testimonial in order to start out, but once your profile is set up, you can decide how much to charge for your services. Rover takes a 15% cut in exchange for hosting and promoting your account.
Busy dog owners particularly need dog-walking services to ensure their pups get the exercise they need while the humans are at work or on vacation, so get your running shoes ready for a dog-filled adventure that pads your wallet at the same time.
Heading out of town? Book 5-star care that comes to you with Rover. It’s easy to book a pet sitter / house sitter to take care of your dog and your home. House sitting is great for dogs who prefer to stay on their home turf, cats, caged pets, horses, pet parents on a tight schedule, or even someone to just keep an eye on your home while you’re away. Book a 5 Star Pet and House Sitter Today
AchieveMint App
Even though some tech addictions are bad for your wallet, there are several ways to make money while exercising through fitness apps. Just look at AchieveMint, whose main marketing claim is “Get paid to be healthy.” Sounds too good to be true, right?
Luckily it’s not, because apps that pay you to get in shape are exploding in popularity. They draw money from a multitude of sources, including sponsors (professional sports organizations and corporations), as well as data analysis companies that want to study health and fitness trends from AchieveMint’s massive database.
AchieveMint integrates with social media and other fitness-related technologies (like Fitbit) and pays you small chunks of change for each exercise outing or healthy meal you record. You have to earn a minimum amount before cashing out (1,000 points = $1, for instance), but it’s an excellent way to add some more motivation to your exercise and clean eating routines.
You can make money while exercising with great apps like @RoverDotCom @PactApp and others!Click To TweetPact App
Want to add a little urgency and competition to your exercise regime? Consider signing up for the Pact app, which pays users for accomplishing their fitness or healthy dieting goals on a weekly basis. The premise is simple: set a couple of goals for yourself (e.g., consume 1,500 calories per day or run 10 miles in a week) and if you succeed, you get money.
If you don’t succeed, then other Pact users who succeeded that week get paid instead. You can earn between $0.30-$5.00 per week, depending on the magnitude of your goals. The higher dollar amount equals more risk that you might not achieve it. So, proceed with caution.
Teach Fitness Classes
If you’re very fitness-savvy then why not transform your favorite hobby into a side income? Gyms and recreational centers are always on the lookout for talented instructors for their classes, whether you want to teach Zumba, motivate clients to lose weight through hardcore boot camps, or even teach swimming lessons. Some places might require some sort of certification beforehand, but if you’re willing to do it, teaching fitness classes is a win-win for you and your students!
Landscaping Services for Neighbors
The idea of shoveling snow off driveways, trimming shrubbery, and raking leaves seem pretty cumbersome for some folks, so why not offer these services to your friends and neighbors in exchange for some cash? It’s definitely hard work, but it gets you outside, builds muscles, burns calories, and can bring in some extra money for your post-holiday shopping financial hangover.
How to Save Money While Dieting
If you’re thinking about going on a diet, you may be concerned about the cost, but there are many ways that you can save money while dieting. Dieting can be expensive. There are so many fad diets out there that require you to buy special food or special supplements, and all you end up doing is wasting money that you didn’t need to. There are a lot of ways to diet effectively, but there are also ways to do it frugally. All it takes is a little planning and practice, and you can not only lose weight but save some money doing it too! Dieting does not have to break the bank.
Don’t Eat Out at Restaurants
This is the biggest no-no for both dieting and for saving money. For your diet, restaurants have a tendency to serve large portions. The biggest part of dieting is portion control. So, this can not only ruin your diet but also hit you in the wallet.
Plus, most restaurant food is loading with fat, sugar, and carbs. These are all the things you do not need to eat in large quantities. Not to mention the cost of going out to eat at restaurants with the food, drinks, tax, and tip. It all adds up very quickly.
Make Your Own Food
This is an essential part of dieting, and it can be simple and easy to do. By making your own food, it puts you in control of how much you spend on ingredients. Plus, those ingredients you buy at the store typically last for more than one meal. So, you are really getting multiple bangs for your buck by grocery shopping.
Plus, when cooking your own food, you can make sure you are keeping it healthy by not adding excess fats and sugars. Stick to lean meats and green vegetables, don’t add too much fat and sugar.
Finally, when cooking your own food, cook enough to have some leftovers. Leftovers are great for lunch the following day which can be healthy, and it saves you money from having to go and buy something for lunch (which probably wouldn’t have been as healthy for you to begin with). Making leftovers also saves time in the future, which was probably one of the biggest reasons you went out to eat in the first place.
Planning Ahead Saves Money
One of the biggest reasons for my own overspending is my lack of planning. I often do not plan my meals in advance and ultimately run out to a restaurant for a quick bite to eat. I especially find this happening during my lunch hour.
Not only does this make me eat less healthy items, but it also winds up costing me more money in the long run. You could save money by planning your meals well in advance and taking your lunch to work with you.
Dieting can be expensive, but it does not have to break your piggy bank. You can diet successfully while still maintaining your budget. There are many ways to save money while dieting.
This year, many people will pay for hefty gym initiation fees, personal training sessions, group exercise classes, and fitness equipment that they may or may not still be used by spring. However, the opportunity to not only save money on gym expenses but actually make money while exercising is there for the taking, so why not try it out? You might not make a lot of money from it, but if you were going to exercise for free anyway, then you don’t have much to lose.
Do you know how to make money while exercising? It’s possible. What are your favorite ways to make money while exercising?
