Is your wallet weighing you down? Maybe I’m a bit zealous about finding the silver lining, but I’ve even turned losing my wallet while traveling into a life lesson. Without access to more than $6 cash until Monday morning, my diet changed. Although I was with dear friends who were more than happy to feed me, I became more aware of what was actually necessary. I might have ordered something when we stopped at a restaurant between activities, but I realized that I wasn’t hungry enough to really need anything. I listened to rationality more than impulses.
When I arrived home, I realized just how often I do give in to my impulses when the best sushi in the city and the grocery are both within walking distance. Instead, I looked in my cabinets, got creative, and ate more vegetables.
I was able to get some cash from the bank, but I still don’t yet have the ease of credit cards. Perhaps, they are too easy. Research shows that we consider the consequences of purchases less when we use plastic instead of cash. I wasn’t sure how accurate that was for me until this weekend. Credit cards, commercialism, and fast food make it easy for us to grant ourselves our every whim.
Are you considering the health consequences of your whims? If you had to budget and pay in cash, how much would you really eat? Is your wallet weighing you down?