How to Stop Biting Your Nails
Posted by jefferson on Jan 1, 2013 in Eliminating Debt | 64 comments
My name is Jefferson, and I am a nail biter. Gross, I know. Seriously, I can’t remember the last time that I had to clip my fingernails, going all the way back to my childhood. I don’t know why I have this habit. I don’t get any particular satisfaction from biting my finger nails, it just kind of.. happens, mostly unconsciously. Am I addicted to biting my own nails? Well, maybe. Can you really be addicted to something that you don’t even realize that you are doing? There are times when I am driving home from work, listening to the radio or talking to Michelle and the kids on the phone, when I realize that I have been biting my nails for the past several minutes.
My wife is grossed out by my fingernail biting, and understandably so. The world is a dirty place, and we spend all day every day touching the world with our hands. When I bite my nails, anything that I touched since the last time I washed my hands finds its way into my body through my mouth. I don’t know if nail biting is a genetic or learned behavior, but my eight-year-old seems to have developed the same habit. Perhaps not coincidentally, he seems to get sick the most of anyone in the family.
You may wonder why I am talking about nail biting on a financial blog, but let’s try to see if there are any commonalities. Is nail biting really any different than other bad habits? I don’t believe that any problem is completely hopeless, and there is always a way to find yourself in a better situation. For example, when it comes to personal finance, letting yourself get in credit card debt is certainly a very bad habit. You are borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today, and causing yourself a myriad of problems down the road. You are setting yourself up for a future where your paychecks are already spoken for which makes it difficult to pay for life’s basic necessities. This bad habit will prevent you from saving for the future, make it nearly impossible for your family to take a vacation (without running up more debt), and prevent you from being able to help out charities and make the world a better place.
Of course, our story that we have shared at See Debt Run is proof positive that there is a path to break this bad habit and set yourself up for financial freedom. By changing your mindset, setting up a budget, building yourself an emergency buffer, and being diligent and patient– you can kick credit card debt to the curb, where it will never rule your life again.
If we can do something as difficult as getting rid of over $20,000 worth of credit card debt in just 14 months, surely I can find a way to stop biting my fingernails. At this point, I can’t help but believe that we can accomplish just about anything if we take our time and truly dedicate ourselves to the goal. But I have tried to stop biting my nails before and haven’t been successful. I could try painting some clear and bitter fingernail polish on my nails, which might be the equivalent of cutting up your credit cards. Or perhaps I could just force myself to pay a small fine every time I bite my nails, which would attach a financial incentive to the whole thing.
Regardless, stopping this bad habit is absolutely something that I want t do. They say that admitting that you have a problem is the first step. That concept certainly worked with this blog, when we declared to the world that we were going to change our financial situation. Let’s hope that I will be just as successful with my nail biting habit.
Have you ever successfully kicked a bad habit to the curb?
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I have a habit similar to yours, and I need to attack it again since it’s slowly crept back. The best way I’ve found to in the past is to wear a rubber band around my wrist with the habit written on it. Then when I catch myself doing it, I see the rubber band as a reminder – and here’s the kicker – then I have to do 10 push ups immediately. At work, or at home, doesn’t matter. 10 immediate pushups.
It’s worked in the past, so hopefully it’ll work for me again. Good luck with the nail biting!
Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies recently posted..TVP Chili – A Recipe For Your Health And Wealth
I agree with Mrs. Pop. This is the best way to kick a habit like nail biting.
DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted..Get Financially Fit in the New Year – $100 Giveaway
This is a fantastic idea..
My main obstacle here is that I typically bite my nails in my car.
I suppose I could pull over to the side of the road and do a quick set
More likely, I could just keep a running total and knock them out when I get home..
That is an excellent idea! I should try it. I am a nail bitter. I have tried to stop by painting my nails and growing them, but I always fall back. I won’t even remember when I bit my nails off! I probably do it at a very high rate when I am stressed out or thinking too much.
Suba recently posted..Save $1000 in 30 days challenge
I don’t bite my nails but my wife and I did have a problem with borrowing money. We have since kicked that habit to the curb by learning how to tell ourselves ‘No’. It was hard but was one of the best things we ever did. Happy New Year!
Deacon @ Well Kept Wallet recently posted..Top 10 New Years Resolutions for 2013
Yeah.. Borrowing money is indeed a bad habit, Deacon, and one that I can certainly relate to… Congratulations to you on the progress that you have made there.
When I was lil’ kiddo, I also bit my nails but my aunt who used to watch me bit her nails and I picked up the habit from her. Once I went off to elementary school, I stopped doing it. I guess kids do pick up habits inadvertantly. Good luck with breaking the habit Jefferson!
Mackenzie recently posted..Life, Updates and a Recap: Goals For December
I don’t think that I traditionally have bitten my nails in front of my son very often, but I am sure it has happened. Regardless, Michelle is always telling him to get his fingers out of his mouth, but it doesn’t carry much weight when dad has the same habit.
The only bad habit that I dealt with was smoking. I wasn’t a heavy smoker to begin with so when we found out we were going to have our first child my wife and I quite together. Don’t miss that nasty habit at all!
Good for you for quitting that nasty habit..
At least with the nail biting, it isn’t an expensive habit. But it certainly is a gross one..
I’m a nail biter and so are two of my siblings. We got it from our dad who had the same bad habit. I find I do it more when I stressed but also consider it an involuntary habit.
Kay Lynn recently posted..31 Days to Better Health: Protect Your Skin
Stress is definitely a key contributor, Kay.. When things get hairy at work (or at home), my nails are often chewed down to the nub..
I’m not a nail biter, but I’ve heard dipping your fingers in vinegar and not washing it off can work. When I was a teen I lost a friendship over some gossip. I didn’t even really participate. But that didn’t matter in the who he said/she said game. So I just stopped saying anything (gossip-wise.) After a while my reputation for not talking smack on anyone alleviated a lot of drama that could have crept into my life.
femmefrugality recently posted..Having a DD is Way Frugal
Beautiful, FF… Living without a gossip is certainly a road that leads to more happiness and better relationships..
Shameful to admit but I have exactly the same bad habit!!
Savvy Scot recently posted..Totally Unrealistic Resolutions
Nothing shameful about it… But there has to be a way for us to quit, right?
I am with you. This is actually perfect timing because my fiance and I were discussing my nail biting. I wish I could stop.
I may have to get that clear nail polish so that it tastes horrible if you happen to bite. Have you tried anything to quit?
funancials recently posted..Putting the Senate’s Fiscal Proposal into Perspective
I haven’t tried anything yet.. It feels childish a bit to try the nail polish thing, but I am very close to considering it.
I’m not a nail bitter, but I do suffer from other nervous habits. Good to see that you were able to get rid of 20,000 in credit card debt. That is something that is very challenging to do. Good luck in 2013!
Brett @ wstreetstocks recently posted..Invest in 3D Printing Stocks
Thank you for the well wishes… We are feeling great about where we are financially!
I don’t have this bad habit, but I did have the bad habit of smoking. Until five months ago that is. How did I kick it? Kind of a fluke. Got really sick, didn’t eat much, no appetite equals no desire to smoke, and haven’t looked back since.
Eddie recently posted..Wishing You the Greatest Success in 2013!
Hey, whatever works, Eddie.. Glad to hear that you were able to quit. Smoking can be devastating to your health and your wallet..
Oh my gosh – I have the same habit…I can remember vividly my mom trying to put cayenne pepper on my fingers to make me stop. HA. I swear it made me want to do it even more! The only time I can ever stop myself from biting my nails is when I know I’m around someone who’s sick and don’t want to catch any germs. Otherwise, I can’t seem to stop. It’s a nervous habit…I stopped once for a couple weeks then found myself doing it unconciously when I was nervous. I suppose I could trade this habit in for one where I constantly file my new long nails?!! hahaha
Lena @ WhatMommyDoes recently posted..77 Days of Saving Challenge ~ Spend Less, Save More, Enjoy Life & Possibly Win $100 Cash!!
Hilarious, Lena.. Yeah.. I have told myself at least a hundred times that I was done biting my nails and that I wouldn’t go back to it.. But then I will be driving home a few days later, and realize that I had started doing it again.. Maybe something like the Cayenne (or Vinegar) would be more effective if we were the ones initiating it.. It would at least take spite out of the equation.
I don’t bite my nails, but I am a chronic procrastinator. I just can’t help it, once I get going though I’m great, it’s just getting moving that is the problem.
Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted..December 2012 Goal Review
Procrastinator?. You, Glen? ..
You always seem to be the guy who is putting forth the extra effort…
I used to be a nail biter when I was a teenager and I can’t remember exactly how, but I was able to break it. My bad habit is procrastination. If I can find a way to do something tomorrow as opposed to today then I am all for it. It’s definitely something I am working on overcoming.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..What My Air Conditioner Taught Me About Saving Money
Well, it is good to hear that you didn’t procrastinate on quitting your nail biting habit. It also gives me hope to hear that you were able to quit!
I smoked cigars and chewed for years, but thankfully I kicked both of those habits. Well, I didn’t really kick the cigar habit as I simply replaced it with chewing…lol. However, I did quit chewing cold turkey (after almost 10 years of chewing).
You can do it Jefferson!
Jason @ WSL recently posted..Do You Want to Pay Off Debt – Join the Debt Movement
Good job on quitting that bad habit, Jason.. Yeah, chewing is not something you want to do long term..
We’re creatures of habit and don’t like to change said habits so it is difficult to change, be it nail biting, smoking, getting someone to start flossing…Maybe start wearing gloves all the time to make yourself be more conscious of it? Good luck with it!!!
Catherine recently posted..What Would You Do With $2013.00 (Giveaway)?
You are right, Catherine.. I try to pride myself on being someone who doesn’t fear change, and who is willing to go where life take me.. But like everyone, I can be stubborn… Wearing gloves in the car is an interesting thought, since that is when the nail biting often occurs..
I think the only habit I have is how much I like diet coke at lunch. I think the only way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit. I think habits give us comfort, but obviously a lot of them are bad. I switched to kombuch, which is expensive so now I kind of stick with lemon water. I drink the occasional diet coke, but I’m not longer tethered to it.
Budget and the Beach recently posted..2013: Living in the Moment
True.. Replacing bad habits with good is the way to go.. It is a bit more challenging with a habit that occurs when I am not even paying attention..
The good news.. I haven’t bitten my nails all year! (hah)
I don’t have this habit, but I’ve kicked a slew of worse ones to the curb. No doubt you’ll do the same with this!
The Happy Homeowner recently posted..2012 Hits and Misses
Good for you HH!
I used to do this, then I got married, LoL! Seriously, that was it for me. My wife bought some nice nail clippers, and I try to clip once every few weeks. I admit, sometime I wait a little too long, but I haven’t bitten in years!
Jacob @ iheartbudgets recently posted..2013 Goals And Debt Movement
My wonderful wife helped fix a lot of bad habits, most importantly- she got me to love vegetables and to stop eating like crap, but the nail biting thing has endured.
I am a nail biter and I was horrified to see my daughter chewing on her toenails the other day. I am passing all of my terrible habits onto my children!!!!!!!!!!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..Can You Afford to Live Until You’re 90?
Me too, Holly… I was horrified when I saw that my son picked up this habit.. These days, he has a ton of trouble keeping his hands off his face at all..
I think I used to do this. And you’re right Jefferson, you need to be conscious about it. You need to admit to yourself that it is a bad habit. So you can finally do something about it. Good for you!
Connor Harley recently posted..8 Ways to Save While Traveling
Very true, Conner.. Thus the reason for writing this post. Admitting you have an issue is always the first step.
Some habits seem easy to change, but can be tough to actually do. I think a big part of succeeding is getting a small win early on, then getting more wins, and then gaining some traction and then momentum. It builds confidence that you can do it, and feels great to succeed!
For me, it’s been cutting out regular consumption of soda. It’s been about a month now with none! Not yet a habit, and I don’t think it’s necessary to permanently eliminate, but it’s great to know that it can be done without too much trouble.
Tie the Money Knot recently posted..10 Wealth Creation Habits
Drinking soda is a bad habit that many folks pick up as kids and have trouble dropping.. I used to drink it quite a bit, but eventually turned to coffee as a replacement.. These days, I almost never drink soda, altho I do love the taste.
My bad habit isn’t nail biting. I just tear mine off with my other nails. Maybe equally as un-charming.
My worst habit is spending on stuff that I really don’t need. I always have to guard against this. I got a Travel and Leisure magazine subscription offer in the mail for $6/annually. $6! I like that magazine a ton, so I was going to bite…until I realized there’s no way in hell I’d have time to read the thing. Got to guard against that….
AverageJoe recently posted..5 Simple Steps to Kick 2013 Into High Gear
That is just the culture and the country that we live in Joe.. That “spend” mentality is all around us, and we have come a long way towards breaking the pattern in the past year.
I used to bite my nails as a child. Now, I don’t. But I do use a Gelish nail polish that prevents my nails from chipping or I use Sally Hansen Diamond nail polish..I know it’s all too girlish. But they have helped my nails grow out:-)
Ornella @ Moneylicious recently posted..Are Your New Year’s Resolutions About Problem Solving?
I am not afraid to be girly if it will help me break the habit.. Can you tell that you are wearing the polish at a glance?
Ugh, I bite my nails! I quite for awhile but I started up again unconsciously. I’m in the process of quitting right now. My strategy is to paint my nails. The nail polish looks nice and chewing on my nails chips it, so it’s an incentive not to. I guess that’s not particularly helpful to a guy, but I bet the bitter polish would work, at the least it would draw attention to when you’re doing it so you can stop yourself.
Good luck!
Jordann @ My Alternate Life recently posted..January 1st NETWORTH Update!
Yeah… the painting strategy probably isnt going to work for me.. I certainly do it a lot more some times than others.. When life is getting stressful, I am the most susceptible.
I was wondering why a lot of people are having this kind of habit.
I admit, I belong to people who usually do this stuff, particularly if I am bored or if I am watching scary movies.
Lea @ Doula Training recently posted..Are home births safe?
Scary movies?.. Haha… Do you gnaw them down to nubs during the scary parts?
There seem to be a lot of other biters out there. My Dad bites his nails But I never picked it up. How do You plan on quitting?
Brian recently posted..Net Worth Update: January 2013
I have been trying the 10 push-ups thing, with Michelle enforcing it. Last night I had to do 20, even though I was wiped out.
Its weird to think about whether habits like these are genetic or learned. My sister always bit her fingernails but I never did; my mom is a nurse and always tried everything to get her to stop but she still does it to this day. For me, its cracking my knuckles which isn’t as hindering to my health (it’s been proven it doesnt cause arthritis) but is still a terrible habit. Attaching a financial penalty to habits like this just might do the trick, as long as you have someone monitoring that you actually pay up.
Kelly@Financial-Lessons recently posted..Smart Rules for Giving Your Kids an Allowance
Like most of our behavior, Kelly.. I think that it is probably a little bit of both. Some people are just orally fixated a bit, and perhaps those people are more prone to put their fingers in their mouth and/or bite their nails.
I admit that I cringe a bit when I hear others crack their knuckles, but like you- i have heard that it isn’t really bad for you.
Nail biting is a bad habit, and so many people pick it up at some point in their lives. It’s hard not to bite nails when we are concentrating, anxious, or really anything that puts us in a different situation that we’re not used to. I love the tips on how to stop; most people do it subconsciously and don’t notice they’ve been biting until they are down to the quick!
Tushar @ Everything Finance recently posted..The Debt Movement Is Here: Will You Join?
Yeah Tushar… I have caught myself biting a few times since writing this post, each time, started completely unconsciously. I have made myself do pushups each time
Is it helping?.. Who knows.
Oh the irony! I also bite my nails and this year quitting has made it to my 5 yearly resolutions list. I know what it’s like to bite the hell out of your nails and not even realize it. It looks disgusting, I’m embarrassed, it just sucks. I’m going to quit and I’m going to use the strategy that worked for nearly 6 months last year.
Fix the shit out of them. Use tools and cut the cuticles, buff the nails for like an hour, just take out all the edges and make them look nice. Every few days rinse and repeat, file em down and cut when necessary. For me, if I stay regimented, I can keep things going. I ask my loved ones to be police just incase.
Anyway, good luck, hope you kick it to the curb this year!
Andrew @ Listen Money Matters recently posted..Budgeting for Dummies, the Complete Guide.
Andrew.. I think you might be onto something.. I have still caught myself nibbling on them a few times, but they are getting to a length that I don’t normally let them get to.. I am going to try to “MANicure” them and see if that helps lower the chances that I will slip up..
I confess I am a junk food junkie. Waste of money and bad for my waistline.
I devised a new budget for 2013 and I have all the money tied up in different categories so there is only a small amount left for food, gas and entertainment. In order to get money for junk food or fast food take out I would have to increase my already large debt level to get it.
I have set a large debt repayment goal for myself this year and if I start wasting money on junk food I won’t meet my goal. I will also have to buy larger pants.
Jane Savers @ The Money Puzzle recently posted..Financial Advice From Kenny Rogers
Oh yeah.. The micromanaged budget can be a powerful tool, without a doubt. If you want money outside of that, you will have to take money from somewhere else. We have used the same technique to control some bad spending habits.
I honestly admit that I am one of those nail biters. This has been my habit when I was in high school until now. Maybe I can’t stop this this is already my habit. By the way thanks for the useful share!
Marnie Byod recently posted..Property Stamp Duty – New Regulations and Rates
You can stop Marnie.. We both can! Just believe in yourself.. All bad habits can be fixed.