10 ways ME actually **saves** me money

Ridiculously Optimistic Bright-Side Post #1

Every once is a while, I begin to worry about the cost of all my dietary supplements.  On top of that, I remember all the doctor's office co-pays and prescription co-pays and it starts to stress me a little.

At times like that, I have to remember that life before ME was undoubtedly more expensive.  I challenge other PWME's to think about how expensive their lives were before ME.  Here are just a few of the costs of my former lifestyle that have been reduced or eliminated -- which more than make up for the additional expenses.  (I do understand that many PWME's are unable to work, and that certainly complicates finances, to put it mildly.  But for now, I want to look at the expense side of the equation only.)

1.  Liquor   Order a bottle of wine at a restaurant and sometimes it's half your bill.  Even a glass of house wine is sometimes $10 or more.  A 12 pack of any decent beer runs $20.  Not a problem for me anymore.

2.  Fancy coffee drinks.  My days of ordering $5 venti cappuccinos or $4 chai lattes are over.  My doctor said, "nix the caffeine."  And you know what?  I don't really miss it.

3.  Other beverages.  They say that restaurants make their profits from beverage sales: sodas, lemonades, teas, sparking water.  Well, not from me anymore.  I'm not supposed to have any drink that's sweetened with anything other than stevia.  So now I drink only water at restaurants.

4.  Travel costs.  I don't drive as much because fewer activities are "on the table."  My wife and I have also gotten better about asking friends to come to us.  With gas prices averaging about $4/gal in California, this saves a ton.  It also puts less wear and tear on my car.

5.  Recreational costs.  Personally, I had a bad habit of spending (some would say, frivolously) on upgrading my sports equipment.  I always seemed to be shopping for a newer and better surfboard or snowboard.  At $500 to $800 apiece, this wasn't a cheap hobby.  Not to mention the cost of ski lift tickets (around $80/day).  Don't get me wrong, I'd return to my former lifestyle in a heartbeat if I could, but at least I'm spending less money.

6.  Gym membership.  There's $40 per month ($480/yr) more in my bank account.

7.  Desserts.  Whether it's ice cream sandwiches from the freezer at home, or $12 creme brulee at restaurants, I don't eat them anymore.

8.  Entertainment.  I'm certainly not cutting entertainment out of my life, but I probably won't be going to as many public concerts or movies, especially if I'm in the middle of a crash.

9.  Other healthcare costs.  The changes I've made to my diet will most likely avoid other health complications as I grow older.  My diet before ME was truly atrocious, but I hadn't yet realized it.  I believe it would have eventually led to other health problems.

10.  Impulse purchases.  In general, I'm much less likely to be "out shopping," and so less likely to make one of those foolish impulse purchases that I'd regret later: like a rice cooker or a ridiculous looking track jacket.

I'm sure there are more, but these 10 alone are more than enough to offset the cost of supplements and co-pays.  So I'm not going to worry about it any more.  Besides, what could be a more worthy expense than something to benefit one's health?  Now I understand why my grandparents always said, "...the important thing is you have your health."