Health is wealth

By Chandler Walter, Editor-in-Chief

It’s an odd transition to go from being a broke-ass student to being a somewhat less broke-ass working professional, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.

Probably the strangest choice to make once you escape the meagre life of a student is where exactly to delegate the extra funds that show up in the bank account, and for the longest time the scared student in me believed that the best choice was to simply sock it all away.

There are a few reasons for that. One is that, as a student, my finances were constantly in flux. I’d work my ass off in the summer so that I could eat during the semester, scrape by on ramen and Kraft Dinner until finals were finally over, and then launch myself right back into overtime shifts at two to three different summer jobs.

Another was the age-old mentality of saving your money for a rainy day, or for an emergency, or for a down payment on a half a million-dollar studio apartment somewhere in Vancouver (yeah, right), but I quickly realized that no matter how much you save, you’ll never necessarily feel like you had enough.

Anyway, what I’m beating around the bush to actually say, is that it’s important to allow your spending habits to change along with your income, especially when it concerns your overall health.

No, I don’t mean go out and buy a $1,000 juicer or get dinner from some fancy vegan restaurant every single evening. What I mean is that, when—and if—you finally do have the income that can sustain it, maybe you should consider buying a few fruits and vegetables, instead of a 12 pack of Kraft Dinner just because it was on special for less than $10… looking at you, Superstore.  

Your overall health should become a priority over saving up for that new PlayStation, or purchasing a motorcycle, or whatever it is you kids are excited about these days. Sure, eating nothing but toast, eggs, and spaghetti for every meal is okay if you literally can’t afford anything else, but once you start earning a bit more, the unhealthy eating habits gotta be the first to go.

It’s just not worth sacrificing your health for a little bit more cash in the bank, and you’d be doing yourself a disserve down the line by continuing on with the diet of a broke college student, even if it does save you a few bucks.

Take it from me, the guy who baulked at the idea of spending $50 a month on a gym membership, but would drop $50 on a night out with friends, no questions asked. The “Live fast, die young,” attitude gets old quick, just like those who hold onto it for too long. The reality of it is that you’re just setting yourself up for failure down the line.

Your own body is, without a doubt, the most valuable thing you could ever invest your time or money in because you’re basically buying yourself additional time down the road. It might not be an easy thing to grasp right now, but you’ll be thanking yourself for eating that occasional apple in the years to come—I’m sure of it.