My husband and I were recently discussing household expenses and how difficult it is to stay within budget.  At one point, he stopped trying to justify the costs but instead remarked how saving money was like losing weight - not easy but possible with the right discipline and strategy.  That got me thinking about this analogy and how far it could be extended.

Weight loss and fiscal discipline both depend a lot on your habits.  The modern urban lifestyle provides several opportunities to deviate from the norm - whether its managing portion sizes or a budget.  Do I spend beyond my means on non-essential shopping?  Or how often and how much do we eat out? My choices decide how successful I am at saving money or eating a healthy diet, and the consequences.  The more I spend unnecessarily, the less money I would have and more loans I may need.  Similarly, the more unhealthy the food I eat, the greater chance I might end up with heart disease, high blood pressure, weight gain or worse.   

I can also expand this analogy to portion sizes and mortgages. Just because there is an "all you can eat" buffet does not justify binge eating, even if skipping breakfast. Hunger does not correlate to justifying 5 meals at once.  Eating slowly and savoring your food and stopping eating when full, can help avoid over-indulgence. Likewise, with mortgages, there is always temptation to borrow as much money as the lender is willing to lend - especially if it is accompanied with attractive financing options!  However, a loan is still a loan and the bigger the loan, the more likely to introduce financial stress on your family, hence jeopardizing financial health.  Realizing limits and only accepting a loan that is within a monthly budget allows one to breathe comfortably.

Any change is hard to accomplish and even harder if it involves changing behavior.  Baby steps, incorporating one adjustment at a time, can make a big difference.  Eating healthier, integrating more greens, less meat and locally grown and organic rather than processed foods is a great start.  Exercising regularly - no need for a fancy gym - walking, running or taking the stairs is a step in the right direction.

If watching a budget, slowly eliminate the everyday luxuries and, instead, incorporate rewards once a week with a small splurge.  If I challenge myself - eliminating that Starbucks latte every day - I can save $100 a month or $1,200 a year!  (not to mention consuming 200 calories less every day or 1,400 calories/wk - nearly half a pound!).

Ultimately, I realized, in both finances and weight reduction, it is a numbers game, consuming more calories than I expend (even healthy food) leads to weight gain and spending more than I take home in cash, will grow my debt not my bank account.