Even when your budget is tight, you never want to skimp when it comes to your health. Fortunately, there are ways to get well and stay that way for less.

1. Reduce Your Need for Allergy Meds

Don’t keep stacks of books and magazines, stuffed animals, decorative pillows and other “dust-mite breeding grounds” in the bedroom. Dust mites are the leading cause of indoor, year-long allergies. If outdoor pollens set off your allergies, close your windows and turn on a fan. If you’re a jogger, jog in the evening when pollen counts are lower, and when you get home, remove your clothes immediately and shower to get rid of the pollen that has attached itself to your clothes, skin and hair. And don’t let your pet sleep in your room or in your bed.

2. Substitute Honey for Antibiotic Cream

Raw, unprocessed honey — the kind you buy at the farmers’ market or in the health food section of the grocery store — can also be used to treat mild skin infections and burns. In fact, when compared with over-the-counter creams, honey might be even more effective for small burns. Most anti-bacterial creams stick to the skin as well as the gauze, causing further irritation when the gauze is lifted. Honey is partially absorbed by the fragile, puffy skin, providing a slippery membrane between the flesh and the bandage.

3. Go to Sleep Early

Researchers have long reported that six to eight solid hours of lights out is critical for optimal brain functioning and a healthy immune system. But stay away from sleeping pills and painkillers — they may knock you out at bedtime, but the flat, dreamless sleep they induce does not generally provide the healing and repair your mind and body craves.

4. Work Out At Home

Who needs to pay hundreds of dollars to work out at a gym? Why not rent exercise DVDs, or make your living room a yoga studio a few nights out of the week? The only thing you risk losing is the camaraderie you can find at the gym. But that’s easy to re-create at home. Invite a few friends over, pool your tape collection, set realistic goals and make a commitment to stick to the plan.

5. Take Advantage of Free Screenings

If you have a history of skin cancer or have a suspicious mole, you really need to make a habit of getting your skin checked for skin cancer — insurance or no insurance. The American Center for Dermatology has partnered with dermatologists across the country to offer free screenings. Just go to www.melanomamonday.org to find a convenient location. Free blood pressure machines in pharmacies and malls can be located through www.lifeclinic.com/locator/search.asp, and free mammograms are offered by government or local programs in a number of states.