Remove temptation
Where I work, I pass by THREE candy dishes on the way two and from my desk.
How much candy do I eat each day? Generally 2 pieces.
The funny thing about that is that I don’t even like candy all that much.
I mean, it tastes good, but more than a bite or two and I start to feel yucky. And I almost never go out of my way to buy it for myself.
So why am I eating all that candy? Because it’s there.
That’s about 25-60 calories a day I’m eating that I wouldn’t even think of eating if I didn’t pass those dishes all the time. I could easily eat 3-4 pounds worth of food a year doing that.
Since I want to lose 3-4 pounds a year, I could do that just by walking a different way to my desk.
In other words, I could remove the temptation, eat less junk, and meet my goal without feeling deprived in the least. (There are similar suggestions in a cool book called Mindless Eating.)
The same thing is true with money. What if I were paying for that candy? I could save money painlessly on something that I don’t really even want just by taking a different route.
Sometimes that’s all it takes.
Is there anything like that in your life?
May 14th, 2009 at 7:35 am
I’m the same way with sweets! One of my professors brings scones and other delicious breakfast items in…They’re from a really nice coffee shop…but I always feel gross (and have to sit through a really long 8 a.m. class). Since I don’t have to pay for them, it always seems like such a good idea!
May 14th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I used to surf my favorite electronics sites when I was bored (Best Buy, Dell, even Alienware), checking out the newest gadgets.
Whenever I came across something I liked, I would immediately fall in love and be tempted to buy it. Once in a while, I’d make the mistake of making the purchase.
Since those days, I just stay away from these websites. When I know there’s something I need, I do my research for that specific item and buy it from the cheapest supplier.