A Year Without Bubbles

Now that I have a year's worth of observation related to my spending habits I can now make informed  buying decisions based on what I know. I feel empowered to take steps to better myself through my spending. I feel wiser about my relationship with money, and a lot less impulsive.

That said, I have come to a conclusion about a singular New Year's Resolution. I am going to give up beverages with bubbles/carbonation for an entire year.



?????? Why??????

After observing the way that I spend, I realized that certain cravings and urges would surface when I drank soda, beer, hard cider and champagne. If I bought a soda, I would often buy chips to go with it. If I had a glass of champagne, it would turn into three glasses without me even noticing. If I had a burger, I would want a beer. If I ate pizza there was usually a hard cider to go with it.  In each of these cases, my fizz-fix would lead to consuming more calories than I would otherwise.

I'm not a calorie counter, or a health nut, but I am one person inside one body. If this body doesn't function at its best, what am I left with? It's something I have heard my father say before, and while I agreed with it, I had never fully put it into practice. I think that by taking this small step, I can start a snowball effect to becoming a healthier version of myself.

The added benefit of eliminating bubbly beverages is that I won't be spending my Fun Dollars on them. Last year, I easily spent over $100.00 on bubblies. That is $100.00 I could put towards a plane ticket to visit my sister, or a day trip to Phoenix to go shopping. It's like a bonus pay cycle of Fun Dollars.

I also noticed that if I am not spending money on those drinkables, I am also not spending money on the "extras" I crave when I  consume them.  Think about how many Fun Dollars I spent on Domino's last year? It's probably in the $100.00 range as well. I'm not saying that I won't spend some money on pizza, or chips at Circle K, but if I am not drinking the beverages that put those cravings into my psyche, I am far less likely to actually act on the cravings and urges, thus saving even more of my Fun Dollars.

The truth of it all is, folks, that no matter what I am buying with my Fun Dollars, if it goes into my mouth, it comes out in the toilet. I want to reduce the amount of money I flush down the toilet this year. Taking out the bubble factor will be the easiest and the greatest impact on that decision.

What are you resolved to do in the new year? Does it involve money, or eating? Is it something that is sustainable, something you can actually stick to doing? How will it make you a better person, and what do you hope to achieve by doing it?  Food for thought....that you can't flush down the toilet.

Current balance this pay cycle- $30.00

Happy Spending!