Whether it’s the common cold, the flu, or some other infection, getting sick could mean missing time from work and feeling miserable. In addition to the impact on your physical well-being, a lengthy illness could also affect your mental and financial health. 

The good news? Taking steps to boost your immune system and practicing good hygiene can help you stay healthy.

These infection-prevention hacks can help you dodge those nasty viruses so you don’t miss a beat. And, if you do happen to be sick, you just might rebound quicker.

Importance of Hygiene

Unless you’re prepared to live life confined to a bubble, you’re going to come in contact with germs. Here’s the deal: washing your hands frequently and thoroughly is the best way to prevent getting sick. 

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds [source]. Singing “Happy Birthday” twice is a good benchmark. If you’re in public, you might want to consider singing it in your head. 

Ways to Prevent Getting Sick

Besides practicing good hand washing, you can avoid getting sick by making sure your body is prepared to fight off infections.

While multiple factors influence how your immune system functions, there are few key lifestyle choices you can make to help it perform optimally. These include: 

  • Getting enough rest
  • Making exercise a regular habit
  • Eating a balanced and nutritious diet
  • Getting an annual flu shot

What Should I Eat to Stay Healthy

What you put in your body affects the effectiveness of your bodily systems — including your immune system. 

Some people swear by taking a vitamin supplement to boost immunity, especially during cold season. 

The goal is to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables while avoiding empty calories from sugar and processed carbs. Everyone knows this. It’s putting this knowledge into practice that can be challenging.

For one thing, a busy schedules can make cooking at home a struggle. And let’s be honest: sometimes it’s hard to to find healthy recipes that taste good and fit your budget. 

Check out $5 Meal Plan. Meal planning is the most efficient way to eat home-cooked meals. Instead of cooking a new dinner every night (nobody’s got time for that), you spend a couple hours cooking to prepare food for the week. This is the secret to consistently eating healthy, home-cooked meals.

Try $5 Meal Plan free for 14 days. See for yourself how you can save time and money eating healthy meals at home.

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How to Stop a Cold

There’s no cure for the common cold. Unfortunately, you have to let it run its course. You can, however, take steps to feel better NOW and recover more quickly. 

  • We love Zycam. This tablet makes the whole experience of having a cold much more bearable. And it is clinically proven to shorten your cold.
  • Soups and hot drinks can be especially soothing and provide much-needed hydration. 
  • You should also try our DIY Starbucks’ Medicine Ball Recipe for a healthy and low-cost home remedy for a cold. 

For most of us, flu treatment means laying low, drinking plenty of fluids, eating healthy, and remembering the importance of hygiene so we avoid infecting our family. 

Remember These Hacks to Avoid Getting Sick

  1. Wash your hands
  2. Get enough rest
  3. Make exercise a regular habit
  4. Eat a balanced and nutritious diet
  5. Stay hydrated
  6. Get an annual flu shot

Tips To Avoid Getting Sick On a Budget

$5 Meal Plan

If you want to get sick less, you got to support your immune system. A healthier diet is a huge step in the right direction. It’s easy to switch to eating home-cooked meals with the help of $5 Meal Plan. You’ll be sent simple recipes that are inexpensive and taste great.

Try $5 Meal Plan free for 14 days.

2. Ibotta – Save Money On Groceries

Ibotta earns you easy cash back on your grocery purchases. Simply snap a pic of your receipt, and Ibotta deposits money into your account. Transfer your Ibotta money into your bank account, or you can redeem a free gift card to your favorite store. And don’t forget, when you sign up for Ibotta, you’ll earn a $20 welcome bonus just for using the app.

Want to hear even more ways Ibotta can save you money? Check out our Ibotta explainer video, here!

Sign up for Ibotta here to collect your $20 welcome bonus

Also See: Ibotta App Review (plus step-by-step instructions to score your $20 Welcome Bonus)

3. Amazon – 15% Off Soaps And Sanitizers

Do you have Prime? Then you already have Subscribe & Save and didn’t know it. When you subscribe to hand sanitizer, soaps, and all your other typical toiletries, you save 15% on your entire order. You’re already a Prime member. Why not take advantage of this service you’re already paying for?

Save 15% on your sanitation supplies and all of your other Subscribe & Save items.

4. Capital One Shopping and Amazon Work Better Together

If you shop Amazon, you’ll want to try the free Capital One Shopping browser extension. Capital One Shopping automatically applies promo-codes to your Amazon orders at checkout. It will also tell you if another online retailer has a cheaper price than Amazon.

Get Capital One Shopping here. (Because it’s free and it saves you money)

Related Post: Capital One Shopping Review- Hacks to Save the Most Money

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*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the Capital One Shopping extension using the links we provided*