Saving and Dieting: the Winter Edition

I’ve commented before that saving and dieting (losing weight or if you prefer, losing fat), have a number of things in common.  For example, both tend to benefit from having a structured plan, sticking with it, and catching yourself before a major downfall.  Interestingly, I have several friends who were both in debt and a bit overweight, who really seemed to get a handle on both situations simultaneously.  Rather than compete for attention, it seemed the discipline and determination from the savings arena helped out with the dieting.  In addition, successes, both in the budget and in better health can help to bolster each other.  I thought it might be interesting to re-visit the saving and dieting connection, but in the context of tips for winter.

--Be sure your savings plan and your health plan address the change in seasons — with respect to your budget this probably means adjustments for heating bills, winter holidays, and accounting for variable income.  For your dieting, note that there are different fruits and vegetables in winter.  One of my favorite low cost, healthy meals is a large pot of soup made with lots of vegetables, meat, such as ground beef, and a box of tomatoes.  I usually prepare one of these big pots of soup at least once per week in winter.

–Aim for rewards that are neither costly nor high in calories — when you achieve a major financial goal or fitness goal, do you reward yourself with ice cream?  Instead, aim for small items like books, or tickets to a special event.

–Be aware of the difficult long winter months, usually January through March — for many people, this can be a challenging time as there aren’t the usual holidays to break up the calendar, freelance work is more challenging to come by and the days tend to be very short and cold.  During this time, don’t let the winter blahs inadvertently drive you to spending more or eating mindlessly.  Try to cultivate a new hobby or learn a new skill.   If the weather isn’t cooperating with the attempt to exercise, aim for some indoor activities like a class or put on some music for dancing.

shared at this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance