It’s a fact that most people have to budget their income. After the monthly bills roll in you get to find out how much money you have to survive. As someone who exercises, supplements are a must. Not all of the goodies come from food. Well, in a sense they might, but you’d be consuming quite a bit more food. You need to find out what supplements you need and which ones to leave on the shelf. Well, grab a shopping basket, and we’ll tell you what to toss in!

The $30 per month budget

Whey Protein
What supplement arsenal does not include some extra protein?! The benefits of protein are endless. The body can survive without carbs, and can survive on very little fat, but protein is a must. There are better types out there than others. The key to finding a good protein powder is in the absorption. Some forms of protein have lower levels of absorption and others have higher levels. Unfortunately, the higher absorbing protein powders are a bit more money. However, you can still make things work with a good-decent protein powder.

Antioxidant Complex
Have you tried to fight off a cold and didn’t win? Chances are your immune system is suppressed. This can be fixed by increasing some core antioxidants to help fight off that nasty cold. Try to find an antioxidant complex that contains Vitamins A, C, E, and Selenium. These four key vitamins will help boost your body’s immune system and reduce your chances of a cold by around 80%!

The doses of each should be around:

• Vitamin A: 8-10,000IU’s
• Vitamin C: 500-1000 mg’s
• Vitamin E: 200-400 IU’s
• Selenium: 100-200 mcg’s

Fish Oil
“Really? On this tight budget, I need fish oil?” Yes! Fish oil contains an abundance of essential fatty acids from EPA and DHA. Fish oil helps protect your heart, vital organs, and joints. Consider fish oil your personal (internal) bodyguard.

The $60 per month budget

This budget has some additions that offer additional benefits beyond the must-have’s from above. These items are in addition to the items listed above.

Creatine
This addition depends on your goals. Some people may be looking for additional strength and power. This is where creatine comes into play. Creatine helps boost the body’s ATP by replenishing the stores more quickly. The body is able to attach ADP to the Phosphate from creatine to create addition molecules of ATP. Why does this matter? Well, if you were hoping to improve your strength by 10%, or increase your power output, then creatine should be tossed into your shopping basket.
 

ZMA
Zinc and magnesium are burned up during exercise. The body begins depleting these stores rapidly during exercise. Without replenishing your stores, the risks increase, especially your metabolic rate. Your thyroid production, testosterone, and IGF-1 all drop when zinc stores remain suppressed. There are even more issues when magnesium levels remain depleted. You can experience cramping, anxiety, and even TMJ dysfunction. Not to mention, people with magnesium deficiencies are seem as “uptight”. No one wants to be known as uptight!

The $90 per month budget

At this point, supplements are less of a budgeted item, and you are a bit more free to purchase what you want. These items are more of the luxury items in the supplement world. Items in this budget also include ALL items listed above. Be sure to pick a supplement that fits your goals. Do not choose a fat burner if your goal is gaining mass.  It would be ideal to pick-up an amino acid supplement at this point to help further the anabolic response from lifting.  Supplement wisely, and make every dollar count!

There you have it! Options for your supplement budget. The key is to find deals and purchase items when you can. Some months you may have 60 to spend. Those months you can buy the larger sized protein jugs. You could also buy a bigger bottle of an antioxidant complex. There’s usually a better price tag on larger sized items.