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Stop Eating Your Fun Money

Every dollar you put into your mouth is another dollar that you could have applied toward more enjoyable and longer-lasting discretionary purchases rather than the fleeting satisfaction of expensive food. Moreover, a lot of these food dollars are spent on spur-of-the moment purchases that could be easily be saved with a little extra discipline and preparation.

It isn't always the rule, but generally speaking, the less you spend on food, the fewer calories you ingest and the more weight you lose. If you can talk yourself into not eating out as much, trimming your tab when you do, staggering out your portions and avoiding convenience store purchases, you'll save yourself a lot of money and calories.

And, it doesn't necessarily have to be healthy food:




This is normally not the snack jar of a healthy person. However, it is proof that you can enjoy fried lard and lose weight if you manage your portions properly.

The contents of this jar cost me $0 - practically all freebies that people unloaded in the break room, but they will cover my extra snacking for at least a couple of weeks. That donut is really tough to budget - 360 calories, but I'll make it work. Those cookies I'll have 2 at a time, at about 145 calories per pair. Those peanut butter granola bars I got in a training session - 190 calories. That white, frosted looking cookie is a doozy - "Trader Joe's Decadently Enrobed Cookie" - 130 calories. I make sure to eat that one slowly.

This kind of dovetails with my article about Thinking Small. Keep your portions small and spend as little as possible, and you'll save money as well as inches off your waistline.

It also helps if you keep your eye on a particular prize - say a new expensive smartphone that you otherwise couldn't justify purchasing. However, if you eliminate your afternoon Starbucks trip and buying breakfast and lunch at work, you'll have paid for that phone in very little time. I can buy a top of the line $1200 iPhone X every 3 months at the rate I'm saving money now. Then, you can also buy a bulky, armored case for your glass encased phone because it'll actually fit in your pants.

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