Its been a month since Rob and I proclaimed our journey to our friends and family. I laid out the groundrules and the cutbacks and provided a budget! The strict budget had to be adjusted here and there because we forgot a few things, but we came to a workable budget! One thing that I didn't realize when you become a purger of expensive luxuries, is that you begin to feel like a dieter.
As a serial dieter, I have learned what I need to maintain the diet because all too often you want to go back into your old behavior. Throughout childhood, my stick-like figure was cause enough for kids to make fun of me. I hated my flat chest, lanky stature and what I refer to as my "skeletor" facial features. I was SO active that I couldn't keep any weight on. All my skinny loathing ended when I went to college and plumped up. Then it was something I had to try to control with fluctuations and horrible diets. I became the definition of the "serial dieter". I thought I was fat.
BAHAHA. This is a picture of me fat in college and post-Skeletor so use your imagination as to what Skeletor looked like (on the right)!
Then 5 years later, I had my daughter and I looked like this and this picture became my dieter "fridge pic" to remind me of my goal.
So, I began to diet...and lost my goal weight. Then began eating like I did before with a bit of a modification.
You ask, what does this have to do with savings? I view serial dieters like serial savers. The same rules apply to savers as you hear about dieters. This thought hit me while I was enjoying my first bath in a month. I had shedded that "luxury" a month ago and began taking showers. I used to only take baths. It helped me unwind and just rest when Kennedy was super tiny. Last night, I told Rob that I just was too tired to stand in the shower, so I went for it.
If you give up every luxury or feel too restricted, you will not stick your plan, whether it's a diet or budget! Here are some rules for dieting that you should take to heart about savings!
1. Choose your friends wisely: Make sure you have supportive friends around you. If you have a friend that always wants you to break the rules, you will be tempted to spend. On the flip-side, friends that harass you when you take in your once-in-a-while luxury, will make you feel guilty and you will end up quitting because you can never take your much needed break for your savings diet. Moochers are a savings dieters worst nightmare. Don't be pressured to spend money you don't have and definitely don't feel pressured to spend money you don't have on friends that want you to pay for them.
2. Plan your indulgences and take them: If you know that you will need indulgences, plan for them. Just like planning out meals and desserts when dieting, set out a goal amount you are willing to part with each month or some other specified amount of time, and plan something that will help you relieve your spending urges. While you need these indulgences, don't forget your goal. If you feel like you need to go to the movies with your love, maybe you can still be budget-conscious by skipping the candy (or bring your own...hehe).
3. Drink lots of water: Not only will you help your health and probably shed some pounds, you will also spare your wallet! The average American drinks 57 gallons of soda each year. That is almost 108 2-liters per person! The price of each 2-liter is around $1-2 for bottles and $2/glass at a restaurant. My biggest pet-peeve is getting water when we're out to eat. I see no reason to order soda that costs more than a 2-liter for a 45 min meal. If we eat out once a week with our spouse and both order water, we would save around $208/ year! Let's put that in perspective for parents!
If you and your partner order water for every eat-out meal for the first 18 years of your child's life, you could save $3,744 to go in their college fund! Thats enough for me. Imagine giving up soda altogether? Who could have thought drinking water could help prevent your children from taking out student loans? :)
4. Buy Filling Foods and less crap: By buying foods that fill you up, you will be eating less and therefore spending less. Buying foods like chips, candy, or other junk food adds to your food bill but doesn't fill your stomach long.
For all the other serial dieters/serial savers, take heart. There will be ups and downs. Not everything that works for one person, will work for you and your family. Find your groove and you are bound to be in good shape!
