Tell us your secrets!
Yesterday my friend Ron told
me about a book called
Dan Ariely.
I haven't read the book yet but
there is a website/blog with the same
name and I spent a lot of time there
yesterday and it's really quite
fascinating.
There is a post on that website
called "Sex, Shaving and Bad Underwear.
It's about self-control and what he calls
"pre-commitments".
From the post:
"pre-commitments, or the preemptive
actions we can take to keep ourselves
in check. Worried you’ll spend too
much money at the bar? No problem,
bring just the cash you’re willing to part
with. Afraid you’ll skip out on your next
gym visit? All right, then make plans to
meet a friend there. And so on.
Pre-commitments can take many a form,
and some get pretty creative."
actions we can take to keep ourselves
in check. Worried you’ll spend too
much money at the bar? No problem,
bring just the cash you’re willing to part
with. Afraid you’ll skip out on your next
gym visit? All right, then make plans to
meet a friend there. And so on.
Pre-commitments can take many a form,
and some get pretty creative."
I do stuff like this all the time. One that
comes to mind is peanuts.
I LOVE them and once I start eating
them I eat too many. So now I
only grab a handful when I'm heading
out the door. Problem solved...unless
I keep a stash in the car!
Also, I've stopped my 10PM snack. I
wasn't really hungry at 10PM but my
sweet tooth was aching.
I've stopped this habit by brushing and
flossing my teeth around 930. Who wants
to do all that again twice in one night?
(anyone else have childhood "taste" memories
of having to drink your orange juice
AFTER brushing your teeth? YUCK!)
The mouthwash and toothpaste seem to
be enough to satisfy my sweet tooth even
though I'm not swallowing them.
This made me wonder what "pre-commitments"
or premptive actions you might have.
So please reply to this article by clicking COMMENTS
below and let us know what YOU do.
So please reply to this article by clicking COMMENTS
below and let us know what YOU do.
They can be about food, exercise, spending
or any other topic.
I look forward to reading them.
Thanks!
Leo
I look forward to reading them.
Thanks!
Leo
posted by Leo Quinn @ 11:10 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
When going out to eat, I immediately ask for a take-home container. When the meal comes, I put at least half of the meal in the container. This serves a two-fold purpose: first, I only eat half the food; second, I have lunch or dinner for a second day. I don't feel bad paying for a meal if I get two meals out of the deal!
Hi Leo...
One of my goals is to be completely debt-free. I have worked hard on this; here is what I have done.
I used the strategy of pay off the highest-intrest credit card, then keep applying that method to each card. By doing this, I no longer have ANY credit card debt. I use cash, my debit card or American Express card which has to be paid off at the end of each month.
I also refinanced my house. I had a fairly good rate [5.5% for 30 years], but I was able to get a 4.3% rate for 15 years. I had already paid 5 years on the first mortgage; by refinancing, I have saved 10 years of interest payments! Thanks for all your great suggestions, Leo! They keep me focused and thinking all the time! ...Kathleen
For me it's about my savings goals. I am paid monthly and I have my banking online set up.
So every month on pay-day I set aside half an hour first thing in the morning - just as you would for any other task, and I pay my bills, transfer money into my savings accounts and calculate what Direct debits are owed from the reaminder and it is only what's left then that I know I can use for discretionary spending.
Cara.
P.S. I would love to see the post about s/ex shaving and bad underwear. Does it recommend that we shave (or wax for the ladies) and make sure to bin our bad underwear so that we'll be "ready" when it comes to the former?
I think this will be very useful for people who have a bad habit to break, whether it's money related or not. My friend, Gary, says "Man is a creature of habit, want to change your life? Find new habits."
My experience was with quitting smoking. I was working as a DJ in a bar at the time, about the easiest place to "bum a smoke" in the world. I made a point of telling all of my friends that I was quitting and how long it had been since my last cigarette.
This worked in a twofold manner. First, it served as subconscious reinforcement that "I had quit". Until the idea is cemented in your mind, it remains a wish, rather than a reality.
Second, it set up a situation where I would have been embarrassed to hit one of them up for a smoke. They had put up with all of the bad moods and misbehavior of nicotine withdrawals with me and they would have been justified in ridiculing me mercilessly and publicly had I started again.
So, I guess my suggestion is this. Don't be afraid to tell your friends, or your family, that you have a bad habit and you have committed to change it. Remind yourself, daily, that it is a thing of the past and you have replaced the "bad" habit with a "good" one. (Mine was "I am an EX-smoker and now I will begin breathing again").
Best of luck to anyone trying to "break the cycle", whatever that may mean to you. I hope you find lots of supportive people, to help you along the way.
I have a certain amount direct deposited out of every paycheck to savings. I also recently changed my paypal account to deposit to my savings. I am committing this money to savings rather than risk it going to checking and getting spent.
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