Guest Post by Iva Marjanovic. Iva is a writer for TotallyMoney which is a website that helps you compare loans for bad credit and bad credit credit cards. She also runs a popular personal finance blog where she shares money saving ideas and frugal tips.

First off, don’t read the headline and think I’m trying to dissuade you from exercising and living a healthy lifestyle, because I’m certainly not. Like many of you, I’m a firm believer in exercising and staying in shape, however, I don’t think you need to pay a huge monthly fee to do so.

Typically a gym membership costs between $30 and $50 per month, and you’re usually required to pay an initial one-time set up fee of between $50 and $200. Looking at all of these costs, over the course of your first year as a member, you’ll pay between $400 and $800.

That’s a pretty steep price, especially considering you can exercise for free by going outside and jogging or playing basketball, or doing push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups in your living room.

If you feel the need to use the act of “going to the gym” as motivation to work out, be sure to not only shop around for the best deal, but also check out some other places before you lock yourself into a membership.

For example, many employers are recognizing the benefits of having a healthy workforce and are putting workout rooms in their facilities or offices, allowing employees to use these rooms for little or no cost. Also, many communities have a gym or workout room in their clubhouse – which is probably something you’re already paying for if you have HOA, condo or community fees.

Another thing worth considering would be taking the $400 to $800 you would be spending on a gym membership and putting it towards some small gym equipment to put in your home. That way you can get the gym like atmosphere without having to leave the house and you be stuck making monthly membership payments.

Long story short, find ways to get out and exercise, but check out other options before signing up for a gym membership.

Seeing as this is a finance website and not a health website, I’m not going to spend time writing about all of the physical health benefits of being a non-smoker. And I certainly won’t spend time reminding you that if you smoke, you’re increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer and that you’re likely to live 10 fewer years than a non-smoker.

(Sorry, guess I just sort of did.)

All health issues aside, what I’d really want to show you is the negative effect smoking has on your financial health.

According to TobaccoFreeKids.org, the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.80. That means that an average person who smokes one pack per day spends roughly $1,750 per year on cigarettes. That’s a lot of money to be spending on something that’s so bad for you and those around you.

So, what would happen if you took the money you would have spent on cigarettes and invested the money instead? Here are two scenarios that show how much money you could potentially lose out on by lighting up, based on smoking a pack a day for 25 years.

Scenario #1 – Investing in a money market account with an average annual yield of 4%:

Scenario #2 – Investing in a mutual fund with an average annual yield of 8%:

In the money market scenario, by investing the $1,750 that would have been spent on cigarettes, you would have about $76,000 (pre-tax), instead of being out $44,000 with nothing to show for it. That’s a swing of $120,000 in your favor.

In the mutual fund scenario, by investing the $1,750 you would have otherwise spent on cigarettes, you would have roughly $138,000 (pre-tax) instead of being out $44,000. That’s a swing of $182,000 in your favor. That’s some serious money!

Even if you decided not to invest the $1,750, but instead put it toward paying off credit card debt or increasing principal payments on your mortgage, you’ll be much better off financially than if you let all that money go up in smoke (pun intended).

So, if you can’t get yourself to quit smoking for the health benefits alone, at least try it for the financial benefits. Either way, down the road you’re going to be a lot better off if you kick the habit now.