Have Something You Want to Buy? Attach a Goal to It!
Posted by jefferson on Jul 5, 2012 in Saving Money | 63 comments
Michelle and I have come a long way in a short time towards eliminating our desire for “stuff”. This shift in perspective has been key in moving towards a life where we only purchase things with cash that we have on hand, and avoid consumer debt at all costs. When we want to make a purchase, we have to plan for it ahead of time and find a way to work it into our budget. In fact, I recently decided to take it to a whole other level. I took an item that I wanted to purchase, and decided to use it as motivation to accomplish one of my personal goals. If I am able to meet this goal, then I will go ahead and buy the item, and be better off for it. If I fail, then the purchase will have to wait.
The Goal: Getting Rid of Fat Jefferson
We all have lots of goals that we are working towards, right? Michelle and I certainly have lofty financial aspirations that we are slowly but surely working towards. But the goal that I am talking about today has nothing to do with finances, instead it concerns my weight. I recently finished up an especially stressful period at work that involved long hours, little sleep, and a completely jacked-up meal schedule. At the end, I was feeling quite beaten down and my body felt bloated and totally out of sorts. I hopped on the scale and was quite distressed to see that my weight had ballooned to a whopping 226 pounds, the largest weight that I can remember seeing. I am 6’3 and had never considered myself to be an overweight person, but it was clear that the time for action had come.
I have the type of metabolism that is unforgiving when it comes to diet and exercise. I need to work out regularly and avoid “cheating” with food in order to keep my weight down, and this has proven difficult with my current schedule. With three kids and their activities, and a 55-60 hour work week, there isn’t a ton of time to swing by the gym, or even to properly meal plan. But this isn’t the time for excuses, this is the time for action. My goal is to get my weight down to under 200 pounds, which is a number that my scale hasn’t seen, since back when Toby McGuire first appeared on the big screen as Spider Man.
Obviously, there are many benefits to maintaining a healthy weight. These include confidence, improved health, and the happiness of Mrs. See Debt Run. But to help add motivation, I decided to dangle another carrot:
The Carrot: A Few Days of Dorky Bliss
I am not going to lie, Michelle gave me quite a bit of grief when she heard about this idea *and* the fact that I was going to share it with the world. But I don’t let this phase me. The item that I find myself wanting to purchase is Assassin’s Creed 3, which is a video game that comes out on October 30th of this year. This gives me almost four complete months to lose 26 pounds and keep them off, and to get my flabby butt into the best shape that it has seen in over a decade.
I don’t really buy or play a ton of video games these days, although I will freely admit that I am a fan. Although I don’t do much of either, I would rather play a video game than watch television any day of the week. At least your brain is actively engaged when you are playing a video game. I tell my kids the same thing (although I do carefully monitor what type of games they play). Additionally, I make a pretty decent living working on computers, and my love of computers started with a love of video games back when I was a kid. If I had never started playing video games, chances are good that I would not have been able to have the career that I have today.
If I am able to make my weight loss goals, I plan to embrace my inner dork fully and completely. I plan to not only purchase the game, but to take a few days off of work and play the game from start to finish over the course of 2-3 days. The game itself involves playing the role of an American Indian during the time of the American Revolution, and the story line promises to include George Washington, Ben Franklin, and others. I have loved the previous installments of the Assassin’s Creed series, and this one looks like it will be far and away the best one yet. I have included a trailer at the bottom of this post, if you are interested in learning more about the game.
Why It Will Work
By attaching a goal to something I really want to purchase, I am accomplishing a number of things:
- I am putting off the impulse to purchase the item instantly, which forces me to examine if I really want to buy it in the first place. Our number one financial goal is to pay off consumer debt, and I can help avoid frivolous purchases by making it challenging for myself to earn that right.
- I am forcing myself to work towards improving myself, which is always a good thing. By setting up a reward for meeting my individual goals, it will help keep me on track.
Some of you out there might wonder why I would go through the trouble. After all, I have earned the money that I am taking home in my paycheck, and if I want something like a video game– I should just go ahead and buy it (as long as I can purchase the item with cash). In a sense, I have already “earned” the right to buy the product, by earning a paycheck. You would be correct of course, but my goal here is more than just to obtain something that I have deemed worthy of my hard earned dollars.
My goal here is to find a way to motivate myself! To help continue my transformation into someone who thinks before he spends, and to use my desire for items to fuel self-improvement that is long overdue. Since declaring to Michelle that this was my goal and that I was serious about it, I have already started changing my diet and finding ways to work additional exercise in my schedule. It won’t be easy, but I am confident that I can be successful on this effort. With your support, my skinny butt will be tomahawking some redcoats here in a few months.
Do you ever use rewards to help you obtain your goals?
Have you ever taken an item you wanted to purchase, and used it as motivation?
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I can so relate to this post. I’m pretty similar height and weight, but I think it was back early in college that I would’ve last been under 200 lbs. Working on computers definitely is an easy way to get out of shape. I have been gradually losing weight since doing a 180 on my diet and fitting on more exercise. My problem is that I have nothing that I’m working for and no actual goal. I just want to get in better shape.
Perhaps I should go for a similar goal as you, get under 200 lbs before hockey starts. It’s just a matter of finding ways to fit in exercise everyday and reducing the calories I consume. I just don’t know what I would reward myself with. I love video games too, but have kinda stopped playing them since becoming more of a workaholic. Maybe I’ll splurge on a camera instead.
Good luck Jefferson! Looking forward to the updates on this goal.
Modest Money recently posted..9 Savings Tips I Don’t Recommend
I highly recommend the goal setting idea.. It is really motivating, seriously! A camera would make a nice reward for hitting that nice round number.
Good luck on your weight loss goal! I think it’s a great idea to reward yourself with something when you hit a goal. It’s hard work to slim down, but I’m sure you can do it.
Daisy recently posted..CPFC12
I think that I am going to build rewards into more of my goals, especially if this is successful. We have already been talking about what we are going to do when we finally get completely free of consumer debt. A disney vacation, maybe.
I have definitely done that! In my last semester of school I allowed myself to go clothes shopping after I achieved four A’s. Good luck! I think it’ll make your weight loss goal even more rewarding.
Jordann @ My Alternate Life recently posted..July 1st Networth Update!
Good for you!.. I bet you bought some great new clothes at the end of that semester!..
You definitely have to have some sort of motivation when losing weight. Being healthy and at a great weight is the ending goal of course, but having a reward at the end, makes all the exercising worth it!!!
Good luck!
Mackenzie recently posted..Costco: It’s For Superheroes
I have been battling with my weight for years.. It isn’t something that consumes me (like it does for some people), but something that is always kind of “out there”.. I love to eat veggies and lean meats.. I just have trouble maintaining a restrictive diet for a long period of time.
Great post. I really should try this as my next challenge, I just have to figure out what it is I really want to buy next. Good luck with your weight loss!
L Bee and the Money Tree recently posted..How I cut my spending 38% by simply by writing it down.
I highly recommend it! It is very motivating to have a carrot dangling out there for you to meet your goals.
It’s amazing how far video game graphics have come. That game looks absolutely awesome!
I haven’t played video games in a few years but for a time in my life it pretty much dominated all that I did!
I think dangling a carrot out there is absolutely a good way to get you motivated; especially if the carrot actually entices you enough to accomplish your goal!
Good luck with the weight loss! Toots and I will be doing something similar (we started this week) and I’ll be posting about it on the blog here in the near future.
I’m not sure we have a target goal but we’re treating our thing more as a science experiment. We’re going to limit our meat intake, limit the grains, and work out a bit more than we have. We’re keeping track of our blood pressure, weight, measurements on biceps and waist, and cholesterol levels. I think we’re going to try to do it over 8 weeks…so we’ll see how it goes.
Good luck Jeff!
Jason @ WSL recently posted..Why I’ll Never Get My Future Kid a Credit Card
The graphics do look amazing.. I am super stoked.
Check out this additional trailer, just released. I am not sure if it is really in-game footage:
If you guys are taking on a similar weight loss challenge, maybe we can make it a competition of sorts.
Myself, I am giving the 4 hour body Tim Ferris diet another go.
Basically: 6 days p/week with no grains at all.. Pretty much just meat, beans, and veggies.
1 day per week is a cheat day, when you can eat whatever you want, as long as you get back on the diet the next day.
It worked great the last time I tried it, but it isn’t easy to stay on it for long.
Especially if you love bread, as I do.
I hope you get to buy your game. Sending weight loss vibes your way.
Felicity @ Waist & Wallet recently posted..The Budget: July 2012
Me too, and I appreciate it Felicity!
I’m a big fan of rewards because…I’m human and I’m programmed that way. When you do attain the goal and unwrap the reward, it feels so much more satisfying that you tested yourself to get it.
When you take those two days off, make sure to hide all the chips. Eating a bowl full of carrots will give you a mighty big tummyache.
John @ Married (with Debt) recently posted..A 3 Step Way to Guilt-Free Vacation Spending
Great point, John.. Back when I used to play a ton of video games, I would often mindlessly wolf down a bunch of snacks while playing.. I am trying to have less snack food around the house in general…
Hahahahahahahaha. I was reading through this post going “I wonder what his carrot is? Maybe a vacation?” Nope, it’s the exact same video game my boyfriend has been OBSESSING over since he heard it was coming out. He hasn’t been this excited about a video game since, well, Assassin’s Creed Revelations came out. I don’t think I’ll be able to get him to wait until Christmas for this one though. Best of luck in your weight loss effort Jefferson, I’m sure you’ll get there
Cassie recently posted..Signing Off
Your boyfriend has some great taste, Cassie!
I am excited enough about the game that it will provide that extra motivation that I need.
Hey Jefferson,
I am in a very similar boat as you although the only goal I attached to weight loss was to not be fat. I in no way am affiliated with this book but might I suggest The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. I am following the slow-carb diet and I have lost 25 pounds in 2 months. I also work in the computer field(Network Engineer) and found myself at 235(all-time high) this April. I am down under 210 since I started this diet May 2nd. I recommend the book but I also do not think you have to buy it as most of the diet info you can find online. Good luck with your goal!
Adam Hathaway recently posted..Track It.
Adam.. This is actually the exact diet that I am undertaking, strangely enough. I did it once before, and had great success.. But the business of the day eventually took over and the grains started to find their way into my life again. I am hopeful that this time will go even further.
Thank you for the great recommendation!
Oh good! Good luck and lets see if we can get rid of fat Adam and fat Jefferson together.
Adam Hathaway recently posted..FORGET Living Below Your Means
I am with you, Adam.. The more support we have, the better off we will be. Right now it is 11:00 at night, and food sounds waaay better than it needs to.
Kudos for taking the goal-setting and motivational speak out of the clouds and putting it in terms we can all relate to! For something especially tricky and frustrating like losing weight, it helps to have a bit of a silly indulgence for a motivator. We all have similar ones. I am partial to video games myself and even, yes, Ezio Auditore’s story.
Many people see getting out of debt as a goal with much more stress and frustration, even than losing weight. In reaching even the most serious financial goals, it might help to not lose our humanity in the process! Having something enjoyable as a reward is a great motivator.
Mac Hildebrand recently posted..Score Well in Class to Score Discount Teen Auto Insurance
Yeah.. We are setting rewards for our financial goals as well.. and we can’t wait to get there. These rewards can help provide an extra little bit of motivation to help us reach those hard to obtain goals.
AC3 is going to feature a new character.. Ezio’s story was fantastic, but this one should be even better
Good luck with the weight loss! I enjoy rewarding myself when I reach my goal. My fiance doesn’t really like pictures of himself so I told him he has until our wedding to make sure that he get’s himself into the shape he wants to be. Because I will be hanging our wedding picture. This way it’s kind of up to him–we’ve budgeted to buy the insanity program as we both really want to try it and won’t actually be using a lot of our money to buy it with. Gotta love swagbucks and amazon used items
bogofdebt recently posted..Hard work does pay off
Insanity is pretty good.. I’ve used it before, and they really kick your butt!
It will certainly get you guys in great shape, if you keep doing those tapes.
I did P90X for a few months last year, and those tapes were great as well.
The workouts *are* pretty long for both, so you will need to budget some time.
Sweet lookin’ game! I agree, setting goals can motivate you like no other. I know that once my wife and I decided that we wanted a house, we slashed our budget and started saving every penny! We would have probably just wasted it all on nice dinners had we not had a motivating goal in front of us!
Hope to see you under 200 in a few months. That’s a great goal to have, and health always improves much more than how you feel physically!
Jacob @ iHeartBudgets recently posted..How Much Money Did You “Blow” On Fireworks?
It is great to hear that these types of goals have been a motivator for others!.. I am confident that I can get there..
Weight has been a never-ending battle for me. The last time I weighed 226 lbs, I was in 9th grade I think. I’ve been growing…horizontally…ever since.
I’ve finally realized my health is not something I can only focus on for a little while.
I’ve successfully lost 60-85 pounds in just a few months time when I’ve tried. I even keep it off…until I get focused on another project. Then it goes right back up.
My focus is going to have to be consistent.
Dave @ Debt Black Hole recently posted..Inside The Debt Black Hole #3 – Do You Really Want To Live The Millionaire Lifestyle?
I sense your frustration, Dave.. and I feel it too.
There is so much more to life than paying careful attention to our food intake and exercising.
Inevitably, you *will* get pulled into other projects.
My best hope is to find a happy a medium where I prefer a lifestyle that keeps my weight down.
However, here in about 3-4 weeks, I will be entering another stressful project and work, and I gained 10 pounds on the last one.
Good for you! Can’t wait to see you at Thanksgiving and see how you’ve done. My problem is that, rather than gradually change my lifestyle and get used to being healthier, I always start out too strong on plans that aren’t sustainable and then when I quit, I gain back the weight I lost plus some; nothing’s made me fatter than dieting. Plus, Brian eats worse than anyone I’ve ever met and good luck getting anywhere with him on that. With that said, I heard the gym at the hospital here has a student special for $20/month, I should try to do that.
Hi Carol!!.. We miss you guys. Glad to hear that you are coming in for Turkey day.
I have a similar problem to you in that I tend to start rather hardcore when it comes to dieting.
Burnout is a very real concern, and I really have to be dedicated to keep myself on course.
I certainly wouldn’t be leaning on Brian for support with building healthy eating habits.
Hopefully, you will be a good influence on him over time.
When I first met Michelle, I was rather picky as well..
A woman’s influence can really open your eyes…
I’ve definitely done this before! When I was living in New York, my favorite coffee shop was right at the end of my block. It didn’t make financial sense for me to go there every morning since I could get a $1 cup of coffee on the other end of my subway ride from a coffee truck. So in order to “earn” my favorite, fancier coffee, I made a deal with myself that I’d only buy it on days when I left the house 1/2 hour earlier and spent that time working on my writing at the coffee shop. Not only did I feel better about making myself work for the purchase, but I started to see the benefits of starting my day doing something to better myself before even going to work.
Shannon-ReadyForZero recently posted..Student Loan Grace Periods are NOT Going Away
That is actually a pretty awesome idea, Shannon.
My favorite time to write is early in the morning, before anyone else is awake.
But I don’t get up early enough to make it happen very often.
Having a nice little motivator there to facilitate that, might be just the key!
Yeah, it was tough at first. But after doing it for two weeks straight I was pretty firmly in the habit. (Although I don’t have any kids to exhaust me/rob me from plenty of sleep so there’s that.) Extra bonus, I was no longer sprinting to the subway every morning since I have a tendency to run late when I have to wake up and go straight to work
.
Shannon-ReadyForZero recently posted..Student Loan Grace Periods are NOT Going Away
I hope you don’t regain the weight sitting on the couch playing that game!
Seriously though, I think it’s a great idea. When it comes to tricks to help us stay in shape, I say just about anything that works is a good idea. And if attaching a reward to your goal helps motivate you, more power to you! Good luck, and I expect to see a weight tracking graph along with your usual updates between now and Oct 30.
Kurt @ Money Counselor recently posted..U.S. Independence Day
I do like graphs, Kurt.. So I might just have to do that!
I am not worried about putting on the weight as soon as I start playing the game..
In a way, it is almost good that the end goal is nearly 4 months away.
If I continue the hardcore dietary changes and the weight comes off more quickly.
.. Then I will have to continue that lifestyle to keep the weight off.
That’s a great idea. I need to come up with some kind of reward system for changing my diet too. I don’t need to lose weight, but we do need to cut a lot of carb out.
Joe @ Retire By 40 recently posted..Independence Day Roundup
My new diet is definitely going to involve some major slashing and burning of my carb intake.
This isn’t easy, as I love me some cereal (for breakfast) and sandwiches (for lunch)..
I think my downfall is rice… We switched to brown rice and I’m eating less now. Next I need to cut out snacks like cookies, chips, and crackers.
Joe @ Retire By 40 recently posted..Does it really cost $295,560 to raise a child?
I love rice as well.. It stems from a love of sushi and all foods that are created by countries in the Eastern Hemisphere
Giving up rice is far harder for me than giving up noodles..
This is the post I hope my wife doesn’t read. Who knows what I’ll have to do to go go out golfing.
It’s a great idea. Especially for bargaining with your spouse for spending they may not be thrilled about, but is not unreasonaable.
I’d love the game but have no time to play
JP @ My Family Finances recently posted..You Should Get an Emergency Fund and Reduce Debt: Top Ten Family Finances Posts #7
A nice golf outing sounds almost as good as dorking out on a video game for a few days..
I think I might have to set that up for my next big goal, whatever that ends up being.
That’s a great idea. I have try it and now I’m hitting the keyboard of a Mac
. Good luck with your goal.
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That’s cool!!! I like this goal setting idea for Assassin’s Creed. I love playing video games too and I totally agree that it engages your brain and actually helps you with focus and brain endurance… errr, maybe that’s just my thinking ahha! My brother has played vid games since he was a kid and he is pretty smart. I think it helps with logic and not giving up. You get so determined and you just keep wanting to finish a game or do your best. Anyway, when I read this I thought of Call of Duty Black Ops 3. I really want it and it comes out in November. Wonder if I should try to get really good grades so I can get the game.
From Shopping to Saving recently posted..You Can Save a Lot of Money Buying Clothes You Don’t Need, If You Do It Right
I always thought were an awesome girl Erika, and now this confirms it!.. Video games aren’t just for dorks.. Almost everyone I know at work also plays video games from time to time..
Of course.. I work in an IT department
I have before! It’s a great system. The only flaw I’ve encountered is that you have to make sure that your want for the thing is equal to your motivation to complete your goal. In this instance, if your desire to get Assassin’s Creed 3 was less than your motivation to hop on the treadmill, you may just end up skipping workouts. But it sounds like you’ve got these things measured up pretty well. Good luck and I know you can do it! Are you joining #pfworkout?
femmefrugality recently posted..How to Write a Goodwill Letter
My desire to get fit is greater than my desire for AC3.. and I really do want to play that stupid game! .. But the other benefits of weight loss are all a factor as well.
Lucky for me, they started an advertising campaign for AC3 where they show commercials for the game all the time. Every time I see one, I should start doing some crunches
I haven’t tweeted to #PFWorkout, but perhaps I should start. I am aware of the movement, but didn’t know if there was some sort of organized central hub to it all where folks are tracking their progress. I do have a workout planned for tomorrow morning..
This is awesome idea. We do everything for some reward. You may not agree, but all actions are calculated based on the reward and sorted our in your subconscious. By bringing that awareness to your conscious mind, you are creating harmony between your subconscious and conscious minds. Way to go Jefferson! I know you will succeed.
Shilpan recently posted..How to Make Six Figure Income in Any Economy
This is true, Shilpan.. Some rewards are more material than others, and in this case– I wanted something concrete sitting there waiting for me at the end.
Often times, the journey is even more rewarding than the end goal.. But occasionally we have to use little motivational tricks to help us reach the finish line.
I think this is awesome advice. Too often we haphazardly make purchases without thinking or assume that we can’t have stuff rather than thinking through how we can afford our dreams.
BTW, your comment “Michelle and I have come a long way in a short time towards eliminating our desire for “stuff”. This shift in perspective has been key in moving towards a life where we only purchase things with cash that we have on hand, and avoid consumer debt at all costs” shows just how well you guys are doing. Bravo!
Roshawn @ Watson Inc recently posted..Breaking Bad Financial Habits
Thanks Roshawn!..
I love the financial discipline that Michelle and I have built up in a short time.
Ive never thought of attaching a reward. I always do attach a punishment. I think a carrot might be a nice change from the stick! I usually track my goals on a Google Docs spreadsheet and share it with a friend. If I don’t meet my goals for that week I have to take my friend out to lunch on Saturday (and probably get ridiculed).
Lol!.. You attach a punishment? Hopefully just the ridicule that you mentioned and not something more serious
I find positive reinforcement almost always works better….
I know hundreds of tumblr sites that do this exact same thing! I mostly see girl blogs, so their “rewards” are normally a new phone or new jeans, but it is really cool to see it outside of tumblr being used to help people accomplish their goals.
Really?.. I didn’t know that the folks on Tumblr were already attaching these type of goals. I wonder if anyone else is using “dorky bliss” as a reward
Having a goal and making a plan to get there takes many forms. Your carrot idea is one way to accomplish this.It’s a good way to teach children how to postpone pleasure for a later goal. It wouldn’t be the choice of an older person. I have found that the number of things I really need and can’t wait for have dropped to almost nothing. I don’t have this problem of jumping in with both feet. I remember when I wanted everything and surely didn’t wait to save for it. Today it doesn’t take much to make me happy.
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We do use positive reinforcement with our kids on a regular basis and find that it is a good motivator.
I am with you that the number of things that I “can’t wait for” is really low.. This game is certainly not a need.. but something that looks like fun, and presents itself as a nice little reward for something that I will have to work hard to attain.
I was thinking of doing something similar — like, if I can pay off student loans before the end of the year than foofy camera. If not, then I have to wait until the NEXT debt is paid off — that’ll light a fire!
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland recently posted..State of my Debts: July Check in
dang! bad grammar — THEN not than.
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland recently posted..State of my Debts: July Check in
What in tarnations is a “froofy” camera, Kathleen?
I want one!
TARNATIONS!Wow, we should bring that word back! Just a super duper fancy pants camera.
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland recently posted..State of my Debts: July Check in
Having a goal and making a plan to get there takes many forms. Your carrot idea is one way to accomplish this.It’s a good way to teach children how to postpone pleasure for a later goal.
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