Sunday, January 22, 2012
- Health: Enjoy your food but eat smaller portions that fit into a daily calorie “budget.” Everyone has high-calorie favorite foods such as pizza and ice cream. They just need to be consumed in moderation.
- Wealth: Automate your savings. People are more successful savers when they “pay themselves first” automatically. Have your paycheck direct deposited and enroll in your employer’s retirement savings plan.
Monday, January 23, 2012
- Health: Plan for healthy snacks. If you know that you will be away from home most of the day, grab some dried fruit and nuts or a low-fat granola bar to hold you over until you get home and can eat a healthy meal.
- Wealth: Organize your financial data using a record of important family papers. List the names of your financial advisors, insurance policies, savings accounts, and other important data.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
- Health: Avoid eating in front of the TV. It is too easy to mindlessly snack while your favorite show is on.
- Wealth: Split your tax refund. By using a tax form 8888, you can specify one, two, or three accounts (such as checking, savings, and retirement accounts) for depositing your federal income tax refund.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
- Health: Have fruit for dessert. Fruit is sweet, satisfying, and has fewer calories than cookies and cake.
- Wealth: Pay yourself first. Save a portion of your income on a regular basis by treating savings like an important “bill” that has to get paid.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
- Health: Engage in some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Consider breaking up the activity, such as walking, into three-ten minute segments per day, rather than doing it all at once.
- Wealth: Try stepping up your savings. Visit the website America Saves and enroll as an American Saver. There’s no cost and you’ll receive periodic motivational newsletters.
Friday, January 27, 2012
- Health: Incorporate more activity into each day. Need to go upstairs? Take the stairs instead of using an elevator. Try walking at a mall on a cold day or exercising indoors at your home or workplace.
- Wealth: Save for something specific. It’s a whole lot easier to save for a specific goal than to save for savings sake. If you want to save $5,000 for a cruise, save $416.67 ($5,000 divided by 12) per month.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
- Health: Set a modest, realistic goal such as losing 5% of your body weight instead of a larger goal (losing 20% of your body weight) that appears overwhelming. When you reach your first goal, set another.
- Wealth: Calculate the savings required for short-, medium-, and long-term goals. Download the Goal-Setting Worksheet.