Financial Fitness Tips

The word “gym” is a contraction of “gymnasium” derived from the ancient Greek word gymnasion. The ancient Greek gymnasiums were places where athletes trained for public games such as the Olympics. Now I know I just sounded like Gus Portokalos from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, but it’s true! People have been going to the gym for centuries upon centuries, working hard to be physically fit, the best and the number one contender of the people. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that going to the gym was mass popularized and a means to better one’s self by taking care of their health.

Here’s some food for thought; if one treated their finances like it was their body and health, do you think they would go that extra mile? I do. Here are some financial fitness tips to keep your financial fitness in shape like you want your muscles to be at the gym.

Bicep Curl Your Bills: If you’re at the store and you’re checking out, pay in cash! When the cashier hands you your change, keep your palm flat, then close your fist holding the money tightly and dispense into your front pocket. Complete 5 sets of $10.00 per month. If you don’t spend that change you can curl $50.00 per month in your pocket!

Bench-Press Your Debt: You feel the weight on your shoulders, chest and arms. It’s quite heavy but you know you have enough strength to push through the weight. When you have some debt, such as credit cards or school loans you need to set and pay the appropriate amount that you can afford each month to sustain your standard of living. Wanting to pay your debt off fast by paying too much is like putting too much weight on each end of the bar. Always make sure you’re benching at least the minimum payment per month. Once you’ve built up more cash you can start paying off your loans quicker.

Oh Yeah! It’s Leg Day: Everyone wants to have a shaped upper-body – but guys, you can’t forget about your legs. Nobody wants to see a brick of shoulders and arms walk through a door and have chicken legs like you’re about to topple over! Without having a solid foundation, like strong legs and your savings, your finances could quickly fall over too. So don’t forget that as important as your upper-body is, so are your legs and your financial foundation.

The moral of the story here is that you need to take care of yourself just as you need to take care of your financial lives. It’s easy to get off track, stop going to the gym or go out and say “forgetaboutit” because you feel like splurging. Remember to keep yourself in check because you and only you are the one responsible for your well-being. So keep working out, keep saving your money and make sure you’ve set your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals!