Help with saving money

Save money on health and wellbeing

Money saving tips:

  • Prepayment certificates are better for people using at least one prescription a month over a long period.
  • Prescriptions are not always the cheapest, especially for common medication such as painkillers or dermatology creams you can buy over the counter.
  • Drink more tap water, it’s much cheaper than alternatives and better for your health too.
  • Buy frozen fruit and vegetables. They tend to be cheaper than buying fresh and often have more nutrients
  • Choose non-organic food to save some money. While certain types of organic have been found to be slightly more nutritious than conventional produce, the differences tend to be small.
  • Switch to wholegrain rather than refined or white starchy foods. They can provide up to 75% more nutrients than refined grains.
  • Choose budget friendly protein sources. Switch from expensive options like salmon and steak, to beans, lentils, chickpeas, eggs, tinned fish or soya.
  • Avoid nutrition fad diets and additional supplements. These can be very expensive and damage your health if they have not been recommended by a health professional.
  • Compare prices of sanitary products at Sanitary Saver, buy own brand rather than big names.
  • Try buying a menstrual cup. A one-off purchase as it is a reusable product and helps avoid continuous spending on sanitary products.
  • Avoid processed meats such as bacon, ham, sausages and salami as much as possible. Processed meat is preserved by smoking, curing, salting or by adding preservatives. Choose them as an occasional treat rather than every day.

Do you need help getting to hospital?

If you need help getting to hospital, find out whether you’re eligible for NHS-funded support.

If you can’t travel because of your medical condition, ask your GP or the person who referred you to hospital whether Patient Transport Services run in your area. These services provide free transport to and from hospital for people:

  • Whose condition means they need additional medical support during their journey
  • Who find it difficult to walk
  • Who are parents or carers of children who are being transported

You could get a refund on your hospital transport costs if you’re not eligible for Patient Transport Services, you could claim a refund for the cost of your travel or taking a child to hospital through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

You may be able to benefit from the service if:

  • You can’t afford the cost of travelling to hospital
  • You can’t get a friend or relative to take you

Find out more about the full eligibility criteria and how to apply Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Events and activities

Healthy Apps

Couch to 5k Get running with Couch to 5K - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

NHS Weight loss Lose weight - Better Health - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Clue tracks your period.  Clue Period & Ovulation Tracker with Ovulation Calendar for iOS, Android, and watchOS (helloclue.com)

Your lifestyle and habits

  • Are you drinking too much?

Change Grow Live help people who have issues with drugs and alcohol. Whether you want to learn how to use in a safe way, reduce your usage or stop completely, we are here for you. We'll listen to your needs and make sure the support is tailored to you. Click here to get support Drug & Alcohol Recovery Service Rotherham Info (changegrowlive.org)

  • Are you struggling to quit smoking or vaping?

Rotherham Healthwave is a free service that helps the people of Rotherham to stop smoking. They provide stop smoking advice and support online, in person and over the phone to suit your requirements.

Stop Smoking – Rotherham Healthwave

  • Are you getting enough sleep?

The National Sleep Helpline can help with your sleep problems. Their helpline is run by a team of specialist trained sleep advisors. They are not able to give medical advice, but can talk through your issues, offer you some practical strategies and recommend services that could help. Available to call between 7pm and 9pm, Sunday to Thursday on 03303 530 541. National Sleep Helpline - The Sleep Charity

  • Are you eating well?

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health and can help you feel your best.

This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

If you are continuing to struggle with this, speak to your General Practitioner about how they can help.

8 tips for healthy eating - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Need some healthy recipes to inspire you in the kitchen? Click here Recipes - Healthier Families - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

  • Are you spending too much time online?

Have a digital detox. Take a look at the role that social media, gaming and apps are playing for you. Do they make you feel good? If not, unfollow the people who don't make you smile, take a break, or spend less time using them.

Improve your mental health

Get support - If you've been bottling up your feelings and not telling your friends and family what's going on, it might be time for a change. Opening up might seem hard, but you'll feel so much better for it.

Tips for taking care of yourself | Change Grow Live

5 steps to mental wellbeing - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

KOOTH – Join an online mental wellbeing community for young people. Free, safe and anonymous support via the app. Home - Kooth

You could learn new skills by accessing training or employment which can help to improve your mental health and give you a stronger sense of purpose. Get support from our employment solutions teams here Employment Support – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Fill out the referral form for a member of the team to get in touch.