Picture this. You’re moping about your apartment with your belly flapping about, grease stains all over your shirt, a massive piece of fried chicken stuffed halfway down your throat, unpaid utility bills strewn about, and the landlord banging on your door because the rent is due. You’re a mess and you know it. Suddenly you notice something move out of the corner of your eye. You could have sworn you saw a hideous, ghastly shape sneak by at the other end of your living room. You muster up your courage and slowly take a few jittery steps forward to investigate. But what’s this? You find yourself completely transfixed before the grotesque monstrosity that stands before you. That’s right, Jabba! It’s your mirror.
“How did it come to this?” You ask yourself while sinking to the floor in horror. Well my rotund friend, it’s pretty simple. Not only have you been gorging on every bit of sustenance that comes your way, you’ve also been spending a vast portion of your hard-earned money on trying to look like a blimp at a parade.
What you need to do is get yourself in order, both physically and financially. Here’s a plan that can help you keep the coroner away AND keep your bank balance from giving you an additional reason for a heart attack.
Stop Stuffing Your Face
Yes, we know you love to eat. But you don’t have to go hoovering up everything edible in sight. Take it down a notch slowly but surely. Instead of walking into a restaurant and ordering enough to feed a small country, resist the urge to splurge. Order less each time you go out. It may seem inconsequential at first, but over time it will certainly pay off. As your body starts getting used to lower portions of food, you’ll find yourself with extra cash in your wallet, which you can put aside for a rainy day.
Additional Reading: 6 Tips To Save Money In Day To Day Life
Eat Fruits, You Nut
Start replacing all the fatty, starchy food you eat with something more nutritious. Fruits are the ideal choice since they’re tasty and can keep the munchies away. If hunger pangs start eating away at you, an apple or a full banana could be just what you need to keep you from raiding the Burger King down the road. In fact, chomping on nuts and fruits can keep you from blowing your money on unhealthy and addictive snacks. Looks like the squirrels were on to something.
Stay Debt Free
As time goes by, and as your eating habits get cheaper and healthier, you’ll notice that your salary isn’t flittering away like dust in the wind. Now is the time to pay your rent, bills, debts or any other outstanding expenses you might have with all the surplus money you’ve saved. The less debt you have on your shoulders, the less stressed out you are. And the less stressed out you are, the lower are the chances of you spending money on junk food, cigarettes or alcohol to stave away all the anxiety and worry that comes with money matters.
Additional Reading: How To Become Debt Free And Save Money
Exercise Your Body, Not Your Mouth
Nowadays, you don’t need to join a fancy gym to get fit. There are a ton of great videos online that can help you melt those love handles like a slab of butter on a frying pan. All you need is a little willpower and some spare time. Exercising also gives you the added benefit of improved mental health. You won’t just look healthy, you’ll FEEL healthy. Once you reach that point, even the most scrumptious bucket of chicken wings won’t tempt you one bit. Just think of all the money you’ll save after giving up on all that greasy food.
Drive Less, Walk More
Whether you own a car or not, walking or even cycling everyday can do you a world of good. Leave your vehicle at home and start working those calves. Not only will this get your blood flowing and some fresh air into your lungs, but help you save on gas, big time. Sure, there will come times when you will need your car to get around but try and use it only when absolutely necessary. If you were spending an average of Rs. 4,000 a month on petrol for instance, just imagine how much you could save just by using your own two feet.
Now get off your bulbous behind and get into shape. Just like some half-naked Greek dude once said, ‘’A sound mind is in a sound body’’ or something like that. Anyway, who are we to argue with robed philosophers who ran around Athens commando?