You can do anything for one day, one week, one month...

Right now I am trying to stick to two resolutions- the Skinny Rules diet, and a spending diet. The Skinny Rules diet started as a one week resolution- for one week, I will follow this diet. That meant that when I had to go to Pennsylvania last Friday for a funeral, and we went to a mac and cheese themed restaurant, I had salad. (and a few bites of mac and cheese, which seemed reasonable to me). After one week, I weighed in and found that I had lost 3.4 lbs! Granted, I'm sure most of that was initial water weight but I am not complaining. So, I will do the diet for one more week, and see what happens then. And probably more weeks after that, but with diets, I think it's good to set small goals.

Financially, I am on a spending diet for the month of September. That means that when the kids want to go to McDonald's, I tell them we will go in October. Same thing for clothes, or house stuff, or anything that is not required and available from the grocery store. The reason for this is that I am committed to paying off my credit card debt as soon as humanly possible, and one month intervals are workable for me.

Setting small goals can make big, depressing and overwhelming tasks bearable. Taking it day by day, week by week, or month by month can get you there!

                (image via Flickr user asterix611)

Frugal dieting:a review

Anyone who budgets groceries knows that a diet can be a budget killer- all those weird, expensive ingredients, foods no one will like, and of course none of it is on sale...

So what's a frugalista to do when she needs to drop a few?

First, she checks the Internet, Pinterest, and the library for great diet tips. If you aren't on Pinterest, get on it now! (Follow me at http://pinterest.com/jaime_hammond/)

Most diets that WORK involve real commitment- fast fixes are just that. I had seen pins about Bob Harper's The Skinny Rules book on Pinterest and decided to place a hold on it at my library so I could check it out (see what I did there? Classic librarian joke... anyway) Harper's book consists of about 20 rules that, if followed, will result in permanent slimness. Some of them, like "don't eat fast food" are pretty obvious (but also frugal). Others, like "no carbs after lunch" are totally doable but also make a big difference. Harper really focuses on hydration- he says many of the Biggest Loser contestants are chronically dehydrated and have high sodium levels, which contribute to both weight gain and decreased potassium, 

The Skinny Rules is a diet for those wanting to lose a few and stay on budget- rules like "go meatless one day a week" are budget and waistline friendly. I think we found a winner!

My breakfast this morning