The NFL 2017 pre-season approaches, and the preparations for fantasy football are well under way. This has become the highlight of the year for many fans. However, along with football season comes a marked increase in couch time and junk food. We all know that poor diet and lack of exercise can damage your health. Many people don’t realize that all that sitting around and eating junk hurts more than just their health. A great many financial costs associated with poor health come into play as well.

Poor health can cost a huge percentage of income over the course of a year, with issues stemming from obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure, to name a few. Along with the dramatically increased medical costs, which can stretch into the tens of thousands of dollars per year, those in poor health also face increased medical and life insurance costs.
And let’s not forget the added cost of keeping stocked up on all that junk. If we’re being honest, it’s much more likely that someone will eat an entire bag of chips in a single game than an entire bag of carrots, and the bag of carrots often cost less to begin with.

Cutting the number of times you eat out per year just in half can reduce annual expenses by thousands of dollars after taking into account the saved medical costs. Making a few small, smarter health choices through the 2017 can significantly reduce annual expenses. This won’t help you make a quick extra buck, but it can really improve your long game. Heck, you can make some pretty huge strides in just an hour of saving money or making money if you focus properly.

When the savings from a healthier lifestyle starts to reflect in the old bank account, investing those saved dollars or paying off debt faster can greatly improve the long-term financial future. Or you could turn those extra dollars towards some friendly fantasy football wagers instead…
Take a look at this infographic and see how much a few healthy changes can save over time.