Savings Program

I had a nice weekend. In my opinion, weekends are best enjoyed when you do *something* on Friday other than work and TV: it makes Saturday feel like a Sunday, and boom, you got yourself a nice extra day off. It’s all psychological.

Friday felt like a Saturday because so many exciting things happened in my head. I started my new regimen of eating at home and trying to spend as little money as possible. Here’s the train of thought:

We bought our house 5 months ago, and the “big ticket expenses” have not stopped since then! Between electricians, inspectors, tree cutters, a lawn mower, dinning room table and chairs restoration, new sectional sofa, new floors, new carpet, new ventilation system for the bathrooms, and air duct system cleaners (catch my breath), our total expenses for the past few months were WAY higher than before, and there is still no sign of our tax rebate for new home buyers (they sent the check to the wrong address and it will be several more weeks before we get it). Anyways, our budget is shot! My husband and I vowed not to make any large purchases for a while starting December.

So that’s one reason to save (to get out of the hole we carved ourselved into).

The second reason to save is that, if I’m going to get a paycut when I change careers, we are going to need to start getting used to living on less. Starting in January, my husband and I will basically take half of my salary and put it somewhere where we can’t spend it (Savings? Mortgage?), and see how we would do if my salary suffered a 50% cut (strive or struggle?). I want this to succeed so my hubby can be more comfortable with the career change, so I have vowed to save as much as possible! No more eating out if I can help it, and if I go out, watch the amount and keep it under $10.

Nobody said it would be easy, but you should know that this is not the first time I have put myself through similar restrictions with much success. When I lived in Connecticut, I went on the Atkins diet for a month and I was very disciplined at buying the groceries, making the food at home and even weighing my food so I could keep track of it all on Nutrawatch.com. I managed to lose around 2 pounds per week, and I stuck to it as if my life depended on it. Also, I watched my budget so carefully, that I was a master at having lunch out with coworkers on just $3 soups. I never felt deprived because (1) I was extremely committed, and (2) I knew chocolate chip cookies and yummy chips and salsa were always going to be there for me, so it would be OK if I didn’t have them for a while out of my own choice. The best rule to remember was: cravings last about 15 minutes. If you want to eat something outside of regular meals (not because you’re hungry, but because you’re just bored), just distract yourself for 15 more minutes, and you will have forgotten all about it. Just don’t set an alarm clock for 15 min, the alarm will actually remind you of the craving 🙂

Health Disclaimer: The best way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn through exercise. Extreme or restrictive diets, such as the Atkins, should not be followed in the long term. Deprivation of nutrients (carbs, in that case) is not good for your body.

The point that I’m trying to make is that I know I can do this while I’m still passionate about it. The question is: how long will it last?

I’ll reveal my results every few weeks. I am keeping track of the savings I have incurred (based on what I believe I would have spent money on before this “program,” such as lunch out or pizza take-out), and keeping track of the new expenses I would have not made if it wasn’t for the program (such as groceries for the week).

This should be interesting. Wish me luck!

I found a blog entry from the MassLive “Living Well Eating Smart” Blog called Saving Money? Make meals at home. Check it out for more tips.

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