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Start with the End in Mind

I have a sister with whom I am very close even though we live 2,000 miles apart (thank goodness for modern technology). We are just over two years apart. She and I look alike, are the same height (tall, lol) and have the same build. We have been asked if we are twins.  We are very socially, politically, financially, and spiritually like-minded. However, she possesses a trait that I do not–the desire to stick another person with a needle–she’s a nurse. The thought of drawing someone’s blood makes me woozy. But telling people how to budget their money? That is exciting to me–yes, it makes me a rare individual.

My sister and I also share a passion for health and fitness (you might have even read her health blog). When we get together, we spend time working out, making healthy snacks, and sharing meals at restaurants, among other sisterly activities. When one of us comes across something that we appreciate, we know the other one will, too. Recently she told me about a book by Eliza Kingsford that she has been reading entitled, “Brain-powered Weight Loss.” Kingsford outlines 11 steps for taking and keeping off excess weight, but her behavior-based measures can be applied to so much more than weight loss, including finances.

Over the next few months, it is my goal to take the wisdom Kingsford has shared and add my own two cents worth of ideas on how it can be applied to personal finance. And I would like to start with some of the benefits you can look forward to when you put her ideas, coupled with my own thoughts, into action.

Many people think that living on a budget is restricting. I find the exact opposite to be true. When I tell my money what it’s going to be spent on, I don’t feel guilty for buying a new pair of shoes on sale, nor do I have to worry about what I will have to forgo because I bought them. And since I’m not putting the shoes on a credit card, they’re costing me the exact amount for which they’re advertised–I’m not paying interest upon interest. Like losing weight reduces stress on your body, living within ones means and, on a budget, reduces stress: on your pocketbook, in your relationship with your significant other, and on your mind, which in turn, reduces stress on your body. It’s a win-win-win-win.

So, “take a walk with me” during the next 11 weeks as we draw correlations between a healthy body and healthy finances.

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