Today is...

I am drawing a line in the sand on a few things today.  Not Monday, today. 

Today marks the start of a new attempt that I am going to make at being financially savvy.  The 6th is payday, and although I got paid technically yesterday, today I am going to go take this week's budget out of the bank and start spending only cash.   Quite some time ago, I had decided that 20 bucks a day should be plenty for me to eat and have spending money, and so based on that set up a direct deposit to my 'spending account'.  (Gas money comes out of my 'bills account')   All the rest of my paycheck stays in my bills account, where all my bills are set up to autopay, and it should be set it and forget it.  Simple, right?   Except that I have consistently been overspending my account, and this has therefore done me no good.   Dipping into the bills account is like speeding or losing your virginity, once I have done it.....eh, it is so easy to just keep doing it.

So - now I will try the cash only option, and leave the cards at home.  I read a great book called 'How We Decide', which discusses how different areas of your brain switch on when making decisions.  Specific to spending money, when you spend cash, the emotional area of the brain switches on and gives an adverse impact to seeing the money go.  Thus, you more likely will make the decision not to spend that money.  Studies have shown that when you pay with cards, that emotional response never kicks in, literally because you are not seeing the money go anywhere.  Instead, you just get the instant gratification of getting something you want.   Thus the exponential rise of personal financial problems in this country, and overspending.  So, I think I can apply this to my own brain.   I have already found other aspects of my understanding (after this book) make me able to override my impulsiveness, so perhaps this will work.  It is not enough for me to understand what I should do, I need to understand why, or it doesnt happen.

Next up - I am going back on my friend Reeta's suggestion to eat fruit for breakfast each day, and mid morning snack, and not food.   Also, not skipping eating altogether.  This isnt a diet, so much, as just changing my habits away from skipping breakfast, then maybe skipping lunch (or sometimes eating too much) then eating a huge dinner because I am famished.  Well technically this will start tomorrow, but I am going shopping for some fruit today (I slept in to noon, what can I say?  hehe).

Other thing for today, is back to running.  I finished the LA Rock and Roll Half Marathon about 2 weeks ago, and did so in 7 minutes time less than my first one!  2:56:34!  However, I also ended up in the med tent for numb hands and wrists that I think was due to salt deficiency, and had over use injury to my right foot so severe that I could barely walk for 2 days, and was not able to walk (yes, just walk) without pain for a week.   My left foot had some pain too, but not nearly so severe.  So, now that I have had no pain for a full week, I think it is safe to start running again.   While I am at it, I need to get back in the pool.   My ass isn't going to do anything spectacular next year if I keep running from my swim issues.

So, that is all for now, wish me luck!