Losing weight has many health benefits that we often read about or get told about, but we don’t focus enough on all the unintended and side benefits of losing some weight and getting into better shape. From better quality time with your kids to a fatter wallet with a slimmer body, here are 10 benefits you might not have thought about when it comes to weight loss.

Clothes shopping will be easier

Anyone with a bit of weight to lose will know how difficult and tiring it can be to try and find good fitting and stylish clothing. Usually, it’ll mean baggy clothing like cargo shorts and boring t-shirts or having slim pickings on colour and style because there just isn’t that much available to choose from. You’ve probably enviously browsed through the smaller sizes on display and wanted to pick a few of them up. Dropping some extra pounds means you’ll open your wardrobe choices right up and you can finally fit into all the clothing on the rack. It might not be the most important reason, but it will help you look good and feel good about what you’re wearing, which will increase your self-esteem.

Your self-esteem will increase

There’s a lot of good that will come from losing weight for your physical health. You’ll be lowering your risk factors for diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and your body will be under less strain in general. Losing weight doesn’t only come with physical benefits. We don’t like to think we put a lot of thought into our physical appearance, but the truth is it can weigh on our minds more than we like to admit. Thanks to a new stylish wardrobe and a more in shape physique, you’ll undoubtedly feel better about yourself and that means you’ll carry yourself with more confidence and enjoy all the benefits of increased self-esteem.

You’ll learn to cook

A huge part of losing weight is getting your diet right, and that means you’re going to be leaving behind your fast food and pre-cooked meals form the grocery store and switching to home-cooked goodness using low fat and fresh ingredients to make healthy meals. Because you’re cooking for yourself, you’re going to need to learn how to, and that means you’re going to become comfortable in the kitchen if you’ve never had to before. Not only that, you’ll be enjoying great tasting on-the-go shakes like the range available from Shake That Weight, which offers 100% of your daily vitamins and minerals and can be used by themselves or in a combination with food you prepare yourself. Shake That Weight also offer free next-day delivery so you can start your diet sooner!

You’ll probably be surprised at the kind of tasty food you can make yourself and how much money you can save when you’re not eating fast food every day. Why not give it a go?

You’ll have more money

Eating out, buying fast food and pre-cooked meals can quickly get expensive, especially when you consider the amount of money you can save and what it costs to make your own food at home. Not only will it be infinitely healthier, and you can control the ingredients and amount of added salt, sugar and fats but you can make food at home for a fraction of the cost of buying it already made for you. By cooking your own food you’ll find your bank balance will be the first thing to thank you for your efforts. Just don’t go to the grocery store hungry or you’ll be buying all the snacks you see!

You’ll sleep better

It’s more difficult to get a good quality night’s sleep when you’re overweight. That’s because snoring and sleep apnea can be one of the problems that affect us most when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep when you’re carrying a bit of extra weight. Losing some weight can mean less neck fat and less snoring. That can only mean better quality and more restful sleep which means when morning breaks, you’re going to able to concentrate more.

You’ll be in a better mood

Having a lower BMI will mean that your hormones will be better balanced, and you won’t need to deal with the daily struggles of just moving around when you’re carrying more weight. That ultimately means you’ll be happier and in a better mood since no doubt exercise will be easier too, so you’ll get that natural dopamine increase that comes along with it. Plus, since your kids are likely more active than you’ve been able to keep up with, being fitter and leaner means you’ll be able to do more with them, and ultimately have more fun with your kids.

You’ll have more fun with your kids

Kids love physical activities, running around and playing sports and if you’re a bit overweight this quality time with them can feel laborious and actually be quite difficult. If you’re able to drop a few pounds, you’ll have more energy to spend with them on their favourite backyard sports games or just keep up with them. Plus, the next time you head off for a family outing to an amusement park or zoo, you’ll be more mobile, and you can just enjoy the day more than you have been able to before.

Seasonal allergies won’t be as bad

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, particularly those that affect your sinuses and lungs and make breathing more difficult, shedding some weight can make a difference to your life here too. A recent study conducted by the Centre for Disease Control make references to the links between obesity and seasonal allergies, particularly in children. Having less weight means symptoms for asthma symptoms can be less severe too, leading to a better quality of life overall and giving you the ability to be more active.

You’ll be more active

A lighter frame means moving around and doing exercise is infinitely less painful and laborious and that means that you’re likely to get more active. Weekend cycling and hiking activities can be introduced into your life and you can even meet new people if you join a sports club or start jogging with some friends. Exercise has benefits to your body both mentally and physically, and these benefits are only going to get better as you drop some weight.

You’ll travel more

Travelling on an airplane when you are overweight means fitting your body into a seat that simply isn’t adequate for your size, or it means ponying up the extra fees for a business class seat so you aren’t squashed for the endless hours spent in the air. No matter which way you do it, travelling won’t be something you dread anymore, even if you aren’t flying. You’ll be more comfortable sitting in a car or taking public transport, so you can take more holidays and see more of the world without all the drawbacks. You’ll be able to walk more too when you get to your destination, so you’ll save on cab fares and see more of the locale when you’re on foot.

Whatever your motivation for eating better and getting more active, you’re not going to regret the many benefits that come with some weight loss and being in better shape. These are just 10 things you might notice as you lose weight – there are many, many more.

Having a family is a complicated and expensive business. Before your first baby is even born, the costs of being a parent will start to accumulate. As time goes on, these costs will add up.

If you don’t have a plan in place for managing your finances better, you could find yourself dealing with the severe stress that comes from having no money.

Many new parents struggle to manage their finances effectively, especially those that aren’t great at managing money to begin with. They need guidance to rein in their spending to affordable levels. Below are some simple tips that any parent can use to manage their family finances better.

Budgeting

Learning to budget properly is one of the most important things you can do for your family finances. There are numerous apps and websites out there designed to help families manage their budgets. But one of the best things about learning to budget is that you don’t need any existing knowledge or tools.

If you have never budgeted before, it can be hard to know where to begin. Before you can put together a realistic budget, you need to know how much money you have coming in and going out every month. Once you have this information in hand, you will know exactly how much money you have to work with.

Divide your expenditures into your needs and wants. Needs are the things that are absolutely essential to the well-being of you and your family. These essentials include things like your fuel and transport costs, housing or accommodation costs, food and grocery costs, and utility bills. Once you know exactly what you are spending your money on, you can begin prioritising it more appropriately.

Budgeting for a family is more complicated than budgeting individually. For example, if you have two children, every activity essentially costs you twice as much. This difference can make even the simplest of spontaneous activities relatively expensive.

Research every purchase

Having a baby is expensive enough as it is. If you are paying over the odds for essential purchases, you are only going to be making things harder for yourself. Before making any purchase, large or small, make sure you research to find the best price possible. If you don’t go looking for deals, you won’t know they’re out there. Once you have set yourself a firm budget, you then need to make an effort to stay within these limits. Doing your research before making a purchase will make this much easier.

There are plenty of websites dedicated to helping you find the best deals. There are numerous voucher and coupon websites that provide discount codes and coupons that can be used online and offline. Before you make an online purchase, it is always worth checking to see if there are any discount codes available. A simple Google search will reveal these. You can also install a browser extension that will find them automatically for you.

Buy in bulk

From nappies to baby food, you can save yourself money by buying most products in bulk. Anything that has a long shelf life and you will need to buy regularly is worth bulk buying. Of course, you will need room to store your purchases if you decide to purchase in bulk. But if you can make the space, the money savings are more than worth it.

Both baby products and household essentials are ideal targets for bulk buying. For the best wholesale and bulk buying deals, you will need to look online.

Consider your financing options

If you find yourself in financial difficulties, there are always options available to you. Many people have networks of family and friends they can’t rely on, but not everyone is this lucky. If you need to turn to financial institutions or other lenders; it is worth knowing your options beforehand.

There are numerous types of loans and financing available today. New Horizons has a guide to finance credit options for parents. Whether you need to use these finance credit options or not, it is worth knowing what is out there. New Horizons is a fully accredited broker who can help you find the right loan for your needs. There is no credit footprint application, and 90% of applicants are ultimately accepted. If you need a financial boost, New Horizons can help you find the right loan deal.

Make sure you are getting the best deals on household utilities

For many households, utility costs account for a significant portion of their essential spending. Anything that you can do to reduce these costs is worth pursuing. Fortunately, there is a simple way of finding out whether you are paying too much for your utilities.

There is now a plethora of price comparison websites dedicated to utilities. From your broadband connection to your electricity provider, price comparison websites will immediately tell you who serves your area and how much they will charge.

Get your insurance and will in order

If you don’t currently have any insurance, you are leaving yourself exposed financially. You never know when the unexpected is going to cause potentially serious ramifications in your life. The only way the keeping your finances safe is to prepare ahead of time by purchasing insurance.

There are numerous types of insurance out there for you to choose from. Depending on your available budget, you might need to prioritise which types of insurance you need and which you leave. It is always useful to have some form of income protection or insurance as a parent. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how quickly the economy can deteriorate, with people finding themselves facing a situation they never thought they would be in.

You should also consider taking out a life insurance policy for you and your partner. This policy will ensure that your dependents receive some form of financial protection should something happen to you both. Similarly, it is a good idea to write a will once you have children, so you can be sure that your assets will be distributed appropriately.

Be flexible

Many parents today work as well as raise a family. However, you should not feel any pressure to find a job; it is entirely up to you what you do. But the more flexible and willing to adapt you are, the easier it’s going to be staying on top of your family’s finances.

For most families, the most expensive part of raising a child is the period before their education starts. Once they are in full-time education, the school provides food and daycare during the week. Until this point, parents have to shoulder these costs themselves.

Good financial management doesn’t come naturally to everyone. For some people, staying on top of money and managing it appropriately is a real struggle. Fortunately, with just a little guidance, anyone can learn to manage their money more effectively. Budgeting for a family is more complicated than budgeting for an individual, but it is still a useful tool. With your budget in place, you can then work on reducing your spending until it is within your target range.