Over at Wise Bread, there’s an interesting article comparing the ever popular resolutions to lose weight and gain money. You know, the vicious cycle of, “OK, I’m really going to lose the weight this time with a crazy-restrictive diet”…which lasts about a week, then you’re right back where you started (or worse off). Some people harbor the same attitude about money, spending it wildly when they have it, then wallowing in guilt when they run out of it.
The manic-depressive spending habits that Jabulani Leffall describes don’t really apply to me (I’m not one to run out on a shopping spree come payday). But I do like the idea of going on money “fast.” Leffall writes:
“What if you held, stored and did without for just one week or one two-week interval every month? Fast. That’s the solution. Just like the master cleanse, all you need is a calendar. Pick a ridiculously low financial threshold and an applicable time period. Test it, stay home, take public transport, avoid eating out, go shopping for clothes in your closet or for purging, or for altruistic purposes. Barnes & Noble your own damn book shelf for a change because you know you ain’t read all them books. Go to sleep. Who actually losses money by sleeping more except a toll-booth operator with narcolepsy?”
Now, of course these seem like really “duh” ideas. They should be glaringly obvious tactics, but when people get stuck in a spendspendspend mindset, practicality flies out the window. I already put most of these tips into use every day, and you know what helps? Not carrying cash. If I have cash, I will inevitably spend it on stupid stuff. A coffee here, a vending machine trip there, a pack of mints…you get the idea. I have just enough self-respect not to put piddly crap like that on my credit card. So, no cash, no dumb purchases. And, fittingly enough, my never-carry-cash ways also help me stay healthy. Just think of all the trips to the vending machine I eliminate!
