Get Healthy And Buff On A Budget

To help you get the best health, fitness and grocery buys possible, Women's Health has created a guide to smart cost-trimming tricks at the gym, the supermarket and the pharmacy.

At the GYM
Train in Twos
Personal-training sessions can set you back anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or more, depending on the gym. But signing up with a friend to share a trainer can slash the cost by more than 50 percent. Plus, you'll be extra motivated to gut out those last few biceps curls when you see your friend powering through them next to you.

Search for perks
Like scoring a good body, scoring a good deal takes legwork. Start by seeing if any of the clubs or organizations you belong to have relationships with gyms. We found a two-year membership to the national chain 24 Hour Fitness for about $300 on costco.com. And that AAA membership Aunt Wendy gave you for your birthday? Thank her. We found a AAA member deal to Full Cycle Fitness in Tucker, Georgia, including 15 percent off regular client fees and $25 off the registration fee. You should also see if your workplace has any discounts or reimbursement programs.

Hey, Y-not?
If you think of the YMCA as old-school, you ought to check it out. Most of today's Y's offer the stuff you love, like yoga, Pilates, even belly dancing, as well as fully stocked gyms for a lot less than you'd pay at a chain fitness center. The YMCA in Boston, for example, offers gym memberships based on income. The fee is $57.50 per month, but if you have a limited income, they can knock it down to $28.75 a month.

At the SUPERMARKET
Fight the "fresh food only" trend
We're stuck in a time of food snobbery, where if it's not fresh, we don't think it's good. But because frozen and canned produce are flash frozen or processed right at harvest time, they may be more nutritious than fresh produce that's logged enough frequent flier miles to earn a trip to Australia.

Don’t be a basket case
Dashing into the store to pick up a few things? Don't grab a basket. If you're limited to what you can carry, you're more likely to avoid impulse purchases.

Shop in Your Underwear
Amazon.com has gotten into the grocery business. They offer the same popular brands, and their prices rival Sam's Club and other bulk-buy places, so you'll save on gas as well as food. What's more, the shipping is usually free once your order hits $25.

At the PHARMACY
Go halfsies
Ask your M.D. to prescribe tablets that are double the dosage of the ones you're currently taking. By halving each with a pill-splitter (cost: about $7), you'll get twice the number of pills for practically the same amount of money. But you can't do this with every type of drug. Extended-release forms, capsules, and gel-tabs can't be halved.

Comparison shop
Websites such as pharmacychecker.com and destinationrx.com can point you toward the most affordable drugs. Type in all your medications to find the cheapest overall deal. Getting your prescriptions filled at different pharmacies is not only inconvenient, but also can increase your chances of dangerous drug interactions.

Ask for help
If you're on a brand-name drug that you can't afford, ask whether the pharmaceutical company has an assistance program for low-income patients. If you meet the income criteria, the drug manufacturer will provide you with the medication for free for up to a year. To find a program, go to pparx.org.