Keeping a Budget is Like Sticking to an Exercise Routine
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008There are two goals that almost everyone has at one time or another in their lives: spend less money and get more exercise. These things don’t necessarily have anything to do with one another other than that they are common goals shared by a large number of people. However, they are strikingly similar when taken down to their bare bones structure. Each of them feels impossible to do, requires settling into a routine and can greatly benefit our lives when accomplished.
These two goals are frequently cited as New Year’s Resolutions. We all know that no one ever keeps their New Year’s Resolutions. Both keeping a budget and sticking to an exercise routing can seem impossible when you first get started. Like with exercise, the first few weeks of living on a budget are the hardest. With exercise, your muscles ache all throughout the day. With a budget, you may often feel the pangs that come along with not getting the material things that give you instant gratification.
The key to making either of these goals work is to set a routine and to stick with it. You have to be a very disciplined person to continue exercising when you don’t feel like it. Likewise, you have to be committed to your budget or you’re going to slip up and spend money when you’re not supposed to. Some of the tricks that are used to stick with exercise also work for sticking with a budget. Buddy up with a friend or spouse to keep each other in check. Set aside a certain time of each day (such as the morning) to review your goals and your re-commit to them. And keep a checklist of the rewards that you’re seeking posted in a place where you can see it daily.
Most of us don’t want to exercise but do like the benefits that come along with it. We like having a more fit body, feeling healthier and having more energy. Likewise, no one really likes to live on a budget but we enjoy the rewards that are achieved when we are able to stick with one. We like to have some money in savings so we don’t feel financially unstable all of the time. We enjoy the sense of achievement that comes with accomplishing a goal. The key is to always keep the end goals in mind so that you are able to continue working towards them. Just like with exercise, living on a budget will get easier with time.
