How to manage it all...

I have decided that for some, managing money is a lot like trying to lose weight.  What is simple for one person, is harder than hell for another.  People are now beginning to notice that I have lost weight.  18 pounds of weight to be exact.  (Thank you God!)  If I told you it was easy, I would totally be lying.  You see, I am a lover of food.  I can tell you what things go together to create a wonderfully creamy and rich tasting dessert.  All my life food has been the main subject.  As a kid I can remember hearing, "If you score a goal we will stop by UDF for ice cream."  Or, "if you behave while we're at Beerman's you can have a treat."  Food was always looked at as a reward in our family, not just fuel for the body.  So to lose this weight and eat the Paleo lifestyle I had to make some major changes.  I now keep a daily food journal, I only buy healthy foods, and I limit my cheats.  This all requires WORK.  Annoying work.  Dreadful work.  But now I am almost at two months of eating this way and it's becoming second nature.  I tell you all this so you can see how hard it is for me to manage what I eat, but I am very good at managing something else.... money.

I was raised in a home where money was talked about daily.  Just as some people talk about work, or their health, we talked about money.  We still do.  My parents raised my brother and I to be very frugal shoppers, to save when we can, and to always plan for the future.  The future, that truly is the hardest part because you never know what that "future" is going to be.  Right now I am saving for a new car.  I plan on paying cash for it.  And by saying "I plan on..." that means I have a budget.  I know where my money goes every month and I can pretty much project where it will go over the next 12 months.  Only occasionally is there something that catches me by surprise.  Such as the THREE baby showers this weekend (slit my wrists now please).  Too me, managing finances comes super easy.  I can look at someone else's lifestyle who is up in shambles and quickly tell them where they can cut expenses, make extra money, and save.  It's second nature.  (Annoying, huh?)  

So while finances come super easy to me, managing my food is extremely hard.  Maybe you are the opposite?  One thing I can tell you, to learn about Paleo I researched it.  I read books, blogs, recipes, etc....  So if you are someone who says, "I just don't get how to get out of debt?!".  I suggest you pick up a book, listen to Clark Howard or Dave Ramsey, or ask someone who knows.  Knowledge truly is half the battle.  And if you ever want to ask me, I am happy to listen.  I have done this for several friends and the information shared never goes beyond us.

To show you the similarity between the two, I just thought I'd show you some of the items I mentioned above.  The less calories and crap you eat, the more weight you shed.  The less money you spend and waste, the more money you save.  

Food                                        Money                                  

Food Journal                           Budget

Only buy healthy                      Only spend what I can afford

Limit cheats                             Don't blow the bank!