The Best Ways to Keep Your Kids Healthy & Save Money Too

Thanks to UnitedHealthcare for sponsoring this post. See my full privacy and disclosure policy here.

Even though my husband works in health care, I know first hand how expensive it can be to keep a family healthy. It seemed like in those early years that we were running to the doctor all the time, and those bills can add up quickly. Especially when you have prescriptions on top of doctor’s visits. Multiply those costs by more than one child, and suddenly, you realize how much money it can take to keep your kids healthy.

But, I’ve also found some tips that have helped keep us healthy and happy and saved us money, too. And, at the end of this post, I even have a chance for you to win a $100 gift card to Amazon for your family. But first, Here are some ideas to keep your kids healthy WHILE saving money:

Encourage your kids to exercise. – As a kid, I was playing outside a lot. The need to encourage exercise didn’t exist back then. But, it definitely exists now. Our kids are far more plugged into electronics than they are to the outdoors. We try to instill in our kids a love for outdoor activities so that they will get moving. And, for the ones that are slightly more stubborn, we sometimes have to get creative. One of my boys has started breakdancing lessons and I love that it’s helping him learn about strength and get exercise, too.

Get into meal planning. – Honestly, it requires a lot of time and effort to plan meals for your family, but it’s so worth it in the long run. You eat healthier when you eat at home, and your kids will get used to getting balanced meals. I try to do my meal planning on Sundays so that Monday, when I go to the store, I can be prepared to get everything we need for meals at home during the week, and also have plenty of healthy choices for the kids to pack in their lunches.

Don’t skip yearly exams or vaccines. – Going to the doctor regularly, and keeping current on our vaccines gives me peace of mind that we’re going to stay healthier than families that don’t do this regularly. If you are keeping your kids under the care of a primary care physician, then they are more likely to stay healthy throughout the year too. And, since my husband works in healthcare, we never miss our flu shots.

Have fruit sitting out for after school snacks. – As a kid, my mom always had a bowl of fruit out for us when the inevitable “I’m so hungry!” came right before dinner. I’ve noticed myself doing the same thing as a mom! If you have healthy choices that they can grab easily, then they are far more likely to make a healthy choice over an unhealthy one when they are grabbing a snack.

Plan for your healthcare costs. – Healthcare in the United States can be very costly. I know this firsthand because my husband works in healthcare and we still have a high deductible insurance plan. The best way to keep your family healthy is to prepare for those times when they will get sick. An HSA (Health Savings Account) can do that for you. Because let’s face it, kids are walking germs sometimes and they will get sick.

Having an HSA is really quite handy, and UnitedHealthcare’s new website helps people learn all about how they work and why it’s important to deposit money into it yearly.

They have cool quizzes like:

1. HSA 101 quiz — This quiz will help you find out how much YOU know about HSA’s and see how they can work for you and your family.

2. Quick Care Quiz — a 2-part quiz that educates people on where to go for proper care when you’re experience a specific health care scenario.