Eat In or Eat Out?
You have many choices when it comes to eating, which is a very important part of your financial life. So important that you should be very thankful if you can afford to eat regularly. In many parts of the world, they struggle to find food, let alone afford it.
Your stewardship in this regard may affect how well you eat later in life.
Dash for Saving at Your Door
Sometimes simple sayings can help you keep a good perspective in your daily decisions. One such saying could be this, “Convenience will cost you more than your own effort.”
I know that delegating can be an essential element to time management. However, do remember to count the cost.
The bigger question is if you take a little time to plan what you will eat over the next week will that help you save on food expense? The answer appears to be yes.
I said “appears to be yes” because it is still up to you to make the effort. And that effort can often seem unnecessary and very inconvenient. That is until you are nearing the end of your money before your next paycheck is due for deposit. Then, you start wondering what you could have done to help stretch your spending.
I am, of course, referring to cooking at home versus eating meals prepared by others at a restaurant or delivered to your door.
How Do You Learn If You Were Never Taught?
Many parents have not been good at teaching their children how to cook. But technology has come to the rescue. Between cooking shows on television and YouTube videos, you can learn to cook enough to survive very well, along as you can afford the ingredients.
Like any restaurant, you will need some basic equipment. If you are just getting out on your own, your parents might recognize that need and gift you some basic cooking pans, dishes, measuring devices, and utensils. If you must buy your own, start cheap and simple. It will take some time to learn what you want to cook and what you are willing to eat and how you want it cooked.
Sandwiches and Ramen Noodles
That sounds like food for college students: sandwiches, containers of ramen noodles for the microwave, along with other processed foods. The other consideration is, “Are these foods good for my long-term health?”
Processed foods are known to contain too much sodium (salt), sugar, and fat. The salt will lead to water retention and stresses blood circulation, leading to high blood pressure. Sugar can lead to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, mood problems, and weight gain. And, if the wrong fats are eaten too much, you will increase your cholesterol levels, gain weight, add to digestive issues, and may cause a hormonal imbalance. Does that sound healthy to you?
Never Mind, I Will Eat What I Want
Perhaps you find what I am saying to be annoying, and you intend to go on eating your Hot Pockets and Pop Tarts, in peace. But I do need to caution you. The effects of bad eating habits can go far beyond your food budget!
Eventually, poor eating habits can affect your income potential. Extra weight will be hard on your joints, increasing inflammation, which can affect how well and how long you can walk, lift, or squat. Any physical requirements at work will be more difficult, maybe nearly impossible. Thus, you will limit yourself for types of income options.
Then, there is the effect caused by poor eating choices. High blood pressure, high cholesterol readings, digestive issues, weight gain, and joint inflammation like arthritis. These will all lead to medication if not controlled. And, medication is an added cost, which can cut into the food budget for those who have lost their ability to earn a decent income.
Again, you say, my parents are taking medication, it is just a part of getting older. It is inevitable.
My reply is no it is not. There are too many stories about folks who have changed their diet, lost some weight, and were able to get off most of their medications.
Commit to Learning How to Eat Better
Like a lot of activities, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Eating is one of those activities where we can easily get sidetracked and misled by the details.
Why is that? Because a lot of foods that have very limited value, if not outright dangerous to our health, taste really good!
And guess what, salt, sugar, or fat are a big part of why that food tastes so good to us. The key is learning how much we can allow ourselves to eat of those foods and what other foods we should seek to eat the most for good health.
Consider this in your study and your reading:
- How do vitamins affect the systems in your body?
- What is a good mix for proteins, fats, and carbohydrates?
- Which kinds of proteins are best to eat and why?
- How much sugar can I safely consume?
- What are the differences between prepared packaged foods and eating fresh or frozen foods?
Researching these questions alone will make you more aware of eating healthy than most people.
Thank You for Trying
Learning to take care of yourself will take some effort and other activities can often distract you from seeing how important this is to your future financial stability.
I want to thank you for trying. My hope is that you will see the many positives that can come from learning how to eat well.
I Hope You Can Thank Me
Eventually, my hope is that you will eat well and live long.
Others may have a greater effect on your changes in habit for better health, but I hope you will add this post to your list of motivators for better health habits.
Good health leads to more income options, less down time for health issues, and a more fulfilling life with more memories of fun times with family and friends!
Did I mention the money you can save by eating food you prepared rather than eating food prepared by others? Plus, the money you can save by eating smarter to avoid medication costs and fewer doctor visits.
Learn to cook and enjoy the savings and good health to you!