budget

A decade-long study of 11,000 Spanish university grads has shown that a healthy Mediterranean-style diet is pricier than a less-healthy typical Western one.

Dr. Maira Bes-Rastrollo from the University of Navarra led the study, which was published in the September issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Sometimes, we're sure that throwing money at our problems would mean solving them more easily. Paying for specially-prepared diet foods, employing a personal trainer, buying fancy workout clothes may all be attractive ideas, but financially impractical.

Is it possible to lose weight without spending a lot of money?

This is the final post of the "Dieting on a budget" series.

I've covered how to shop and cook, exercise and eat out healthily on a budget. But where do you go for information and inspiration about dieting? Perhaps you currently buy several diet and fitness related magazines every month, and attend weekly Weight Watchers meetings. Here's seven ways to get advice and support for free:

Has your favorite restaurant become more expensive recently? I've noticed several places bumping up the price of every dish on the menu, to cope with the rising cost of food. When you want to enjoy a meal out with your partner or family, it's tempting to go somewhere cheap and cheerful - a pizza place, or an all-you-can-eat buffet. But the more up-market restaurants tend to be healthier, and with a few tweaks to your ordering, you can save money and help yourself stick to your diet.

This is the second post in a four-part series on "Dieting on a budget" - tips and tricks for sticking to your healthy habits during the credit crunch. If you missed the first part, it's at Seven ways to food shop healthily on a budget.

When money is tight, it's hard to justify monthly gym fees, expensive workout gear and regular sessions with your personal trainer. You might feel resentful about spending money on exercise - why should you have to pay to do something which feels like a chore?

Keeping active doesn't have to cost much, though. Here's seven ways to slash the price of your exercise routine - and even make some extra cash!

Food prices have soared recently, with increases as high as 20% on bread, 60% on rice and 81% on pasta. (UK statistics - see Families struggling as bills beginning to bite.) Perhaps your healthy shopping list is starting to seem expensive - especially when you see big tins of cookies, bags of chips and super-sized candy bars on offer. But with a few tweaks to your usual purchasing habits, you could save money and eat well.