Thinking about budgeting and cutting back is frankly depressing. Budgeting has the same problems that diets do; we do both to curb our consumption and empower ourselves, however, we don't necessarily want to commit to it. We know we should, but we just don't.
In going back through my lunch records, I see that brown bagging has two benefits for me. As I consume more food when I order out, budgeting could save me money and help me lose a few pounds. Sweet side benefit! So, to help me save on lunch costs, I'm going to turn it into a game. It is a twist on the "pay yourself first" concept.
Since I averaged about $6 per lunch, I will give myself a daily lunch budget of $6. If I do not use the money, say by bringing lunch and eating it, then I have "earned" it. People pay Weight Watchers to help them eat less, so why shouldn't I pay myself to eat less? The saved money will be placed into a box at work and every month I'll send that money to a brokerage account.
Here's the prize for me: For the lunch money, I will allow myself to invest in whatever I feel like. If I'm in the mood, I can speculate and buy options or gold or whatever. If I'm not, I can plow it into index funds.
It's going to be fun!
April 12, 2006
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1 comments:
Can I patent this cutting edge concept?
T.
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