The more I think about food and money, the more I realize how they are alike. You become poor if you don’t learn about money, and you become obese if you don’t learn about food. I spend months not buying a single thing, and then I spend one day at the mall and eat up my entire paycheck (which is a pretty penny, I must say, which is the scary part). I avoid shopping, and then I buy a $2000 handbag.

We all have yo-yo’ed, which is the term to describe an unhealthy habit of ours. Some don’t eat any chocolate for a month, and then completely gorge on a box of Godiva truffles. Some avoid fattening food again, and then eat an entire cake one evening. Balance is key, but very few of us really master that balance. Most of us don’t learn about how to manage money and our diets, so we must figure it out on our own, one bad splurge at a time. Here are some things to get your finances and health on track.

Start by tracking it down. Have a food and spending log of everything you eat and purchase. Try to keep the two lists separate and be honest about it. This is the first step to seeing how much you really eat and spend. After a week of careful documentation, you can sit down and really see where the problems are. Eat out too much on the weekends? A few too many drinks during happy hour? These are both related, as it affects your weight and your wallet. Do you buy only designer clothes?

Assess your feelings. You can also write down how you feel each time you eat or shop. Then you really get into the emotional stuff. I notice I look at Louboutins when I’m sad. I also crave a warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream when I feel upset about my relationship. Knowing the root of your behavior is the beginning of making change.

Create a goal. Check out the article on S.M.A.R.T. goals and develop some of your own. Want to have a beach-ready body by the time you are in Hawaii in August? Want to tone your arms for the summer? Maybe you just want to shed those last 5 pounds you have been carrying since Christmas feasting. How about saving enough for a new car? Or setting up your retirement account and contributing regularly.

Create a plan. Decide how your eating style will change by cutting out a few drinks or meals going out. Learn to cook at home. Join a gym and commit to three days a week for one hour. On the spending spectrum, create a budget of how much you will spend on clothes and how much you will put away to savings. Organize and prioritize your expenses.

Discipline is the key. Stick to your plan and make it realistic. Let’s take control of the food and money and not have it control us. Allow food and money a proper place in your life, but don’t revolve your entire being around them. They should provide you with the basic needs and that’s it. Define your worth in your own terms, by who you are and not what you have. Or what you eat.

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks

Ask backflip blinklist BlogBookmark Bloglines BlogMarks Blogsvine BuddyMarks BUMPzee! CiteULike co.mments Connotea del.icio.us

Digg diigo DotNetKicks DropJack dzone Facebook Fark Faves Feed Me Links Friendsite folkd.com Furl Google

Hugg Jamespot Jeqq Kaboodle kirtsy linkaGoGo LinksMarker Ma.gnolia Mister Wong Mixx MySpace MyWeb Netvouz

Newsvine oneview OnlyWire PlugIM Propeller Reddit Rojo Segnalo Shoutwire Simpy Slashdot Sphere Sphinn

Spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext Twitter Webride Windows Live Worlds Movies Yahoo!

Email This to a Friend

Copy HTML: 

 If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

More »