Five people break down their wellness budgets: ‘incredibly expensive and time-consuming’

What does it take to be well? The answer varies from person to person. For some, it may require prescription medication and yoga classes; for others, it could be a vegetarian diet and regular doctor visits. One thing is certain: it costs money.

Americans spend more than $6,000 (£4,500) per person a year on wellness, according to the Global Wellness Institute. This makes the US “the largest wellness economy by far”. In the UK, per capita average wellness spending is $3,342 (£2,505).

Where is all that money going? We asked five readers to break down what they spend on health and wellness per month.

Julia (pseudonym), 26, Pennsylvania

Occupation: environmental consultant
Income: $80,000 (£60,000)

I feel a little embarrassed because sometimes it seems “wellness” is something we should be able to achieve without a lot of spending. But what I’m doing now is working for me mentally and physically.

Food: about $300-$350 (£225-£260) on groceries, generally produce and dry/canned staples but some prepared foods when I’m in a pinch. Although I try to cook vegan, I consider myself vegetarian because I’m not 100% there.

Medical/healthcare: $370 (£277)

• $280 for employer-sponsored healthcare

• $80 on psychotherapy

• $10 on a prescription medication

Fitness: about $500 (£375) total

• $360 on personal training

• $20 on my gym membership (discounted with the personal training), and $45 on a protein-powder subscription

• I’m also part of a run club and rec sports league, which have an upfront cost for multiple months, but combined are about $75 per month. It’s funny, I don’t consider myself very athletic, but it sure doesn’t look that way from my spending.

Cosmetic care: about $55 total (£40)

• $35 on a prescription skincare subscription for a two-month supply (but I’m planning to cancel)

• $15 average on moisturizer/cleanser that will last multiple months

Miscellaneous: If I had to put a number, I’d say $90 (£120) per month. I’ve had some sporadic wellness-related purchases, like equipment for biking and kayaking. I’d also consider art/crafting classes part of this.

Monthly total: about $1,340 (£1,000)

Ellen (pseudonym), 33, London

Occupation: office worker
Annual income: £80,000 ($107,000)

It is incredibly expensive and time-consuming to maintain good health and wellbeing if you have chronic health conditions.

I have high blood pressure and a couple of autoimmune conditions, and while medical care is provided on the NHS and covered by employer private insurance, I have some health needs that must be paid out of pocket. The conditions I have are not covered by private insurance, and NHS waiting lists for some tests or appointments can be long, so occasionally I pay for them privately.

My health issues aren’t disabling, but they do require me to keep a healthy lifestyle, watch my weight and cholesterol, and stay active. Stress makes my symptoms worse, so I try to keep my stress levels low, too.

Having chronic conditions young means you really need to take care of yourself if you want to live a long life.

Food: £940 ($1,250)

• £500 for groceries

• £400 for a ready-meal delivery subscription

• £40 for protein shakes

My partner and I are trying to eat healthy and optimize our protein and fibre intake. The meal-delivery subscription sends ready-made meals with balanced macros, but I love to cook homemade meals when I can.

Medical/healthcare: usually about £390 ($520), but this varies a lot from one month to another. Regular expenses include:

• £60 for dental care

• £100 for psychotherapy, which is only partially covered by insurance

• £100-£200 for occasional physio or massages for any flare-ups

• £80 for prescriptions

• £20 for contact lenses

• £30 for supplements

Fitness: about £382 ($510)

• £320 per month for my gym and to train with a personal trainer once a week.

• Occasionally I’ll join a yoga or pilates class, which averages out to about £50 per month.

• I also subscribe to a couple health-tracking apps that make managing my conditions and activity easier, at £12.

Cosmetic care: about £225 ($300)

• Roughly £100 on toiletries, including skincare and makeup for very dry and sensitive skin

• £50 for a haircut

• £75 for a manicure/pedicure

Miscellaneous: We love sauna, steam and cold-plunge sessions in a local Russian bathhouse, and try to go once a month, for about £90.

Monthly total: about £2,027 ($2,704)

For some, wellness may require prescription medication and yoga classes; for others, it could be a vegetarian diet and regular doctor visits. Photograph: AleksandarGeorgiev/Getty Images

Joshua, 35, and Nicolle, 35, Nevada

Occupation: healthcare data analyst and nurse
Combined income: $175,000 (£131,000)

We spend quite a bit on health and wellness every month, but the peace of mind and inner calm is worth every cent. We both work very stress-filled jobs and have found ways to decompress via health and fitness.

We enjoy cooking. It has become a bonding experience throughout the years, and we like following it up with a movie or TV show at the end of the day to relax. Both of these, like the gym, take a certain level of investment.

Insurance is one of the only things we pay for that we hope we never need to use. We pay for the best health and dental insurance we can afford because we both see the worst of the US healthcare system every day. The speed at which a single accident or diagnosis can wreck a marriage, create generational financial strain or push someone to despair is astounding.

Food: $1,526 (£1,144)

• $1,439 for groceries

• $87 for fast food

Medical/healthcare: $1,670 (£1,250)

• $1,250 per month for medical insurance

• $120 for dental insurance

• $230 for an FSA

• $65 per month for a specialty compounded medication

• We probably spend $5 a month replacing expired health supplies (Band-Aids, Neosporin, etc).

Fitness: about $378 (£283)

• $278 for two Hiit gym memberships

• $100 per month for occasional health-related supplies like shoes, vitamins and supplements

Cosmetic care: We save for haircuts and cosmetics throughout the year by setting aside $150 (£112) per month.

Monthly total: about $3,802 (£2,850)

Cooking can be a bonding experience for your family as well as a way to eat healthy food. Photograph: LeoPatrizi/Getty Images

Anna, 48, New York

Occupation: food stylist
Annual household income: freelance, but usually more than $100,000 (£75,000).

I’m Swedish, so I grew up with free healthcare. When I first moved to the States about 10 years ago, it was difficult to get my head around paying money out of my own pocket for healthcare. I’m still very confused about the system here (who isn’t?) and it can be scary to not know how much it would actually cost me and/or if I could afford it should I need urgent and complicated care. I believe we are particularly exposed as freelancers. It’s a lot harder to find an affordable plan.

Investing in wellness feels different. I’m interested in health and wellness and I enjoy my workouts – plus, it’s part of my social life. I also see it as an investment for the future. I’m also lucky to live in an area where I can easily walk and run for free.

Food: $800-$1,000 (£600-£750). We are quite obsessed with food and quality, and try to shop organic when we can. We buy most groceries from our local WholeFoods. We don’t follow any diet as such, but almost everything we eat at home is cooked from scratch and mostly seasonal. We avoid processed foods and rarely eat out or buy takeaways.

Medical/healthcare: $2,134 (£1,600)

• $2,067 for health insurance. We have a high deductible so any doctor’s appointment outside of the standard annual exams needs to be paid for.

• $37 for dental insurance and cleanings

• $30 for medicines

Fitness: $219 (£163). I have a gym in my house that, apart from the initial cost – about $4,000 including a Peloton Bike+ – saves me money and time.

• $44 for Peloton membership. I use the subscription for cycling classes, strength training and barre, plus stretching.

• $175 for Bikram yoga studio membership

Cosmetic care: I get Botox three to four times a year, and each visit is $1,200-$1,400. That averages out to about $379 (£284) per month.

Miscellaneous: $198.75 (£149)

• About $6.50 a month for my Welltory app, which measures my heart rate variability.

• $29.99 a year, or $2.50, a month for the SleepWatch app

• $76 for metabolism powder

• $75 for other supplements – it depends on the season but usually vitamin D, B12, omega 3’s, berberine and magnesium

• $38.75 for protein powder

Monthly total: about $3,830 (£2,871)