Often, after a holiday weekend such as the recent July 4th celebration we find our we have upgraded our life style without upgrading our income. This can be detrimental to paying for tuition and it’s easy to go cash flow negative if the fancy new life style becomes the new normal.

Luckily, there is a super easy method to reset life style meter that has been around for thousands of years.

The middle road doesn’t work

At first glance it seems that the right thing to do should be to “get back on the budget” after a big spending trip or “eat right” after festive holiday meals out at fancy restuarants.

However, that is really difficult to do as we experience a downgrade and most of us our loss averse. Who wants to go around with limits and carefully watching every move? Not me. That is too hard!

Go completely without for an instant attitude adjustment

Instead, take the easier path and skip it. And I mean skip it. Hit the easy button to turbo boost your tuition payments for school by going to the opposite extreme for just a few days and avoid the behavior entirely. This will quickly reset your hedonistic meter and is a fun challenge in of itself.

For example, did you just visit a bunch of wonderful restaurant’s last week while on travel? Good for you! Now next week fast for the first day and then eat only at home for the rest of the week.  The benefit is that a fast is an interesting challenge, a break for both your overloaded digestive and financial systems. And, I assure you, after a 24 hour fast, rice and beans and is a flavor fest. And then, when you do go out again, a simple drive through option will seems luxurious and you will naturally be more appreciative and much slower to inflate your life style. Of course check with your doctor before conducting a fast or any major change to your life style. This should not be considered medically or life style advice. It is just the way we do it.

To reiterate, learn to hit the easy reset button by going to the other extreme. Did you drive to the beach and back? Take two days off from driving before you end up jetting all over town using up gallons of gas and depreciating your car as quick as you can start up the engine.

Meditate on the meaning of emptiness

Budgets, counting calories, rationing gas is too hard, and no fun. Expand your mind with the age old practice for completely abstaining from the consumption in question for just a short while. Free your mind and your bank account at the same time.

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