Recently, I returned to work from maternity leave. Upon my return, I noticed that some of my habits have changed, specifically regarding how I spend my lunch hour. For example, in the past, I would bring my lunch perhaps twice per week and run out for lunch the other three days.
However, since I have returned to work, I simply don’t want to do the unnecessary running around, nor do I want to spend so much money on fast food that isn’t healthy. Instead, I have been bringing my lunch daily. What an improvement this has made on so many different levels.
This minor adjustment in my behavior and habits has assisted me with my financial goals, weight management, and time.
Here’s how.
Financial Goals
By not spending money on fast food, I am able to save that money and apply it to the financial goals I have. For example, I am working to reduce some debt. So, the $50 that I would typically spend weekly on lunch out can now be applied to balances with higher interest rates so that those debts can be paid off a lot sooner than later.
Weight Management
Next, by not spending money on fast food, I am able to better maintain my weight and have less worry about weight gain. To ensure my consistency, I have been prepping my meals for the week on Sunday. My meal plan is not fancy by any means.
I simply prep a week’s worth of salads in Tupperware containers, sit my favorite cans of soup out on the counter, and put crackers in small baggies. It’s very simple and is working.
In addition to this, I make my own coffee in the morning, fill my pink thermos, and take it with me instead of buying an expensive morning coffee. In fact, several years ago, I took a money management class. In the course, we had to examine our spending habits.
What I noticed was that I spent a considerable amount of my disposable income on morning coffee and shopping at dollar stores. When I realized this, I immediately made changes and began making my own coffee and bringing it.
Is it super fancy and exciting? No, but it tastes good, saves me money, and saves the Earth from a few unnecessary disposable coffee cups per week. In my eyes, it certainly is a win.
Uninterrupted Hour of Time
Lastly, it has given me an interrupted hour of time to myself which is extremely valuable when you have a newborn and a family who is dependent upon you and your time in so many ways.
I have decided to use my hour of time in multiple ways.
On some days, I sit at my desk and journal or do organized planning for my goals. Jim Rhon and Earl Nightingale have contributed so much to my habit of journaling and spending time doing organized planning. On other days, I take it easy and play games on the computer. One of the games that I have been playing recently is called Stocks.
Stocks
Stocks is exactly what it sounds like. A game about stocks. Players start with $500 and play across 30 days, with a goal of liquidating their shares and earning as much profit as they can in a month. This is not a month in reality. The player simply clicks through 30 days of day trading while capturing prices along the way. You can play one game in less than five minutes.
When I am playing, I don’t buy and sell “every day”. There are some days when I sit still and speculate. My goal is to buy low and sell high. With this philosophy and being mindful, I have increased my score each time that I have played which keeps me excited about playing because I always want to beat my previous score.
While there are numerous other money games on Mortage Calculator, I have simply fallen in love with Stocks because it resonates with my experiences in the stock market. Regardless of which games you choose to play on the site, they are a great way to improve mental functioning, prevent brain aging, and spend some downtime.
Final Thoughts
When I returned from maternity leave, I had no idea that this one change of habit and behavior would have such a profound impact on so many areas of my life. And, while it wasn’t planned, it’s certainly something that I am grateful for and plan to continue.
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