If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’ve probably come to realize that it can be a pricey endeavor for your wallet. From gym memberships to nutrition plans and expensive superfoods, the path to weight loss can cost a fortune. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With some careful planning and research, you can actually spend a lot less as you make your way on the path to weight loss and fitness. Here’s how.

The first thing you have to do is eat in, and cook enough for leftovers. Avoid expensive restaurants and try meal prepping, which is where you cook one element and incorporate it into a number of different meals throughout the week.

Secondly, buy grains, nuts, and legumes in bulk. Not only are these cheap, but they are packed with essential amino acids, protein, and other essential nutrients.

Third, buy fattier meats (if you still eat meat). Why? They’re cheaper, tastier, and loaded with the nutrients you need.

The next thing you need to do is avoid buying everything organic. Yes, buy some organic is good, but frozen fruits and veggies tend to be cheaper and pesticide-free too.

Number five: avoid wasting food. Don’t waste precious bucks on produce that winds up in the compost bin.

Sixth, don’t fall for buzzword ingredients. Whatever the trendy diet or food of the moment is, you can bet there’s a bunch of new prepackaged snacks and foods advertising them, and that hype comes at a cost.

Another good tip is to consider the ketogenic diet. The foods in this diet keep you fuller longer, which means you have to buy less food.

Tip #8: join the YMCA. Unlike most other gyms, the Y is a nonprofit meant to better the community and offers subsidized memberships for people with lower incomes.

Our penultimate tip is to simply move around more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Bike to work. These are all examples of cost-free forms of exercise.

Lastly, the more you adhere to the first nine tips, the more you can look forward to lower medical expenses.