Mental Health challenges amongst young adults is at an all-time high and many experts point to the fact that kids are being over-protected by parents and not allowed to step into their own ability to solve problems.  An amazing way to combat this is to involve kids in home improvement projects.  It can slow the process down a bit, but the payoff for their confidence is well worth it.  Another aspect is that extra hands can move some projects along much quicker and when kids know they were involved in actually speeding a process up the boost to their self-esteem will be tangible.

It’s easy to read books on parenting strategies like the groundbreaking book on this topic by Dr. Daniel G. Amen and Dr. Charles Fay, but the true challenge is finding opportunities to apply these truths in daily life.

Kids don’t have enough opportunities to be involved in real problem solving

School assignments are generally paper or computer based and very controlled to the lesson at hand.  This doesn’t provide opportunities for the mind of your child to engage in the kind of problem solving that almost any home improvement project comes up to.  It’s great to see a parent work through what to do if a piece of baseboard is cut slightly short or to work to reset a paver that isn’t quite level on a patio.  A major reason to involve kids in your simple projects is that these projects still run into complications and if they are around and engaged with the resolution, they will feel some level of power to deal with these things themselves.  This will require patience (sometimes more than I have) and it could slow a project down, but this is the practical way to use the power of neuroscience to raise resilient children.

Becoming Mentally Strong starts with actually feeling useful

I have been involved in building two short fences and a paver patio with my kids and these projects all made me think of the big farming families that exist in the distant past.  For the fences, my younger daughter was helping with a small nail gun (with me right next to her guiding) while my son held each plank in position.  This allowed me to use my hands to ensure the nail was in place and the planks were precisely in the correct spot.  This little system got us moving quickly through the installation of about 30 planks on a short front yard fence and we all felt quite pleased at the end.  It honestly went much faster than I could have done it by myself or even just with my wife.

The three sets of hands, even if they were small were super helpful. It provided a first time to get hands on a project which allows them to begin to understand what it takes to see a project through. This is critical to becoming resilient children and young adults who know how to problem solve.

Types of Projects That Work for Kids

Obviously, the scale of the project needs to be right for this to work.  The mental strength and patience that I am trying to generate by having my kids help is obviously not something that has much supply now.  I’ve found that fences or replacing siding on a shed have been awesome for this.  The kids are genuinely useful and we see a ton of progress quickly.  Other items that I think fall into this category would be installing vinyl plank flooring since the kids could be staging to allow a parent to move through the placement or for an older child to actually do the placing while the parent is doing quality control.

Similarly, installing new baseboard is a great home improvement project where extra hands are tremendous and it also allows one of the kids to use a nail gun (with a parent right next to them, once again).  This allows the parent to focus on positioning and the child can drive the nails.  Cutting baseboard is definitely something that only a teenage child should help with, but if they are ready, this is a great next development step.

Experiences are the way to build mental strength and confidence

The major underlying theory here is that experiences are the currency for building self-confidence and resilience.  In the United States, these types of experiences simply aren’t coming to kids at the same rate that they were in past generations.  It takes intentional, effective parenting to create these experiences and home improvement projects provide a perfect, organic way to do this.  It won’t be perfect, but its 100% worth bringing kids in to help with these items and also plant the seed for them to catch the DIY bug as adults.

All parents want to avoid power struggles and behavioral problems from children of all ages and the foundation that is required is to help build resilient children in their early years to insulate against these challenges.

By: Chris Bemis

If you like this post, check others related to this topic:

Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Helping them Understand the budget

Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Letting them Pack Their Own Lunch

 

Buying a house is tough and it can be even tougher in older neighborhoods that are often highly desirable due to their character and proximity to downtown areas.  If you are someone who loves the idea of walking down streets with large trees and unique homes from these earlier eras.  Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to be a person who puts Dave Ramsey’s wisdom into practice and buy the cheapest house on the street and then get ready to quickly add equity.  The three examples below were all present in a house on the South Hill in Spokane, Washington in the 99203 Zip Code which is among the most expensive in the city.

Overgrown Landscaping that is Easy to Remove

Many older homes have landscaping that was carefully planted over 30 years ago and now has grown to a point where a significant amount needs to be removed.  However, once you remove some of the overgrown portions, what is left is still mature, beautiful landscaping that simply can’t be duplicated in newer homes without spending a small fortune.  This is a perfect example of a house where two trees next to the house are completely covering up the window to the dining room, but once those are removed there is still a fully mature landscape in front of the house.  A day of yard work and a run to the dump could instantly add significant value to the property.

Weird Decisions that Tank Home Value but are Easy to Undo

In older neighborhoods where the homes have been with the same owner for many years, it’s pretty common for decisions to be made that are either a preference of the owner or some simple convenience item that are pretty devastating to a home’s value.  In the same house pictured for this article with the overgrown landscaping there was a bathroom where a shower was removed and then the room was painted a dark red.  This is the type of thing you do when you’ve been in your house for decades and you have the place paid off.   You don’t need the shower and you like the color so go for it.  For many people looking for a house, this is a total deal breaker.  It’s weird and the house only has one total shower so most people will simply walk away and never give it another thought.  However, the bathroom has plumbing hidden behind the new wall and floor and so it is likely a relatively simple remodel.

The dark red paint is a funny one because the entry in the home we currently live in was also painted this same color and along with the ancient light fixture in that area it made it feel like we were entering a cave.  The principle is the same though, it causes an instant ick factor for home buyers, but it only took a couple hours to fix the whole area.

Expensive Updates Complete, Simple Stuff Left Unfinished

This is another one that my wife and I have seen often enough largely because people will fix the biggest eyesore in their house like an old shower, but they are used to the peeling paint in the bathroom so they don’t care to get that fixed.  For an older person, all the little items like painting or replacing light fixtures are a bigger ordeal and its expensive to hire contractors so its not uncommon to only see the higher value items completed.  This is still a situation that can turn off many homebuyers and bring down the overall feel of the home even though a little paint is one of the easiest DIY opportunities.  In a situation like this, the home improvement is simply repainting a few walls and then the value of the bathroom skyrockets.

The big takeaway is that in a softer housing market like it has been in 2024 and likely will be in 2025.  These little items can add up and make houses sit longer and drop further in price than they should.  These issues caused this home to fall $50K from its initial list price and there are hundreds of homes like this in neighborhoods across the country.  A smart, scrappy buyer who pays attention to this stuff and isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty can potentially snag $30K-50K in equity.

By: Chris Bemis

Mental health challenges amongst kids today are at an all-time high and many experts point to the fact that kids are being over-protected by parents which is in turn leading to a generation that hasn’t developed the ability to deal with the natural stress of live.  When the challenges of being a teen or young adult confront many kids, they have not developed the coping muscles due to being overly sheltered. This aligns with the parenting strategies outlined by Dr. Daniel G. Amen and Dr. Charles Fay in their bestselling book with the end goal of helping our kids reach their full potential. His groundbreaking book is loaded with practical advice for parents, but it’s up to us to put this evidence-based help into practice in our day-to-day interactions with our kids.

The following are three ways the helping your kids understand the family budget and live within it will help them be emotionally strong and hopefully lessen their anxiety as they become young adults. The best thing parents can do is give kids their first time exposure to the realities of life in a setting where we can show them what good decisions in the real world look like. As parents we obviously want the best possible mental health for our adult children and these small opportunities, we get with them as kids are the steps to build this foundation.

Learning to Wait for Things for a Real Reason

One major aspect of developing mental strength for kids is learning to wait.  The challenge is that it can be a power struggle if parents are just saying no to requests and then deal with the onslaught of questions.  Rather than just starting a fight with, “Because I say so” it can be super helpful to just share what the family has budgeted for the particular area and then explaining when the item fits in or why it doesn’t fit at all.

In this way, parents are just pointing to a bigger reality which in turn helps kids start to understand the world has more to consider than what they want right now.  We can share that it’s smart to wait on some of the random stuff they want because this month the car needed work done. As they internalize the larger picture over time from interactions like this it helps them lay the foundation to become resilient children and young adults. This is how the power of neuroscience can be on our side as parents if we set up simple opportunities for our kids to develop mental strength.

Learning to Choose between Two Desires

This item is usually centered around something bigger that a child wants like a video game system or a bike that takes a little more time to save up for.  If a kid really wants the bigger item, then its is a helpful way to push back on every request that seems to come up at Target or from seeing a new product on social media.

Once again, its connecting to the bigger picture rather than letting the desire in the moment run the show. The family budget can be a practical tool for helping children of all ages grow in this skill. It doesn’t require a child psychologist like the team at Amen Clinics to make progress like this if parents use the opportunities well that arise in daily life.

Becoming Mentally Strong starts with knowing you aren’t always in charge as a child

This is a big one because this is what kids really want.  They don’t want their parents to be pushovers and give them everything they want even if the complain and use all the tactics that make every parent cringe.  Children need to understand that their parents have a plan and are moving the family in a direction that is more complicated than their momentary wants.

This is also an area that can help parents recover if you (like all parents at some point) deal with saying yes too much to your kids.  A new budget for the extra expenses that come along with a trip to Target can be a great way to take background if your kids have gotten to a level of whininess that you aren’t feeling great about. The key is that restoring this balance is the key to raising mentally healthy kids. This also helps avoid behavioral problems during the teen years that often arise from a lack of effective parenting in the early years.

Giving kids a picture of the real life that they are headed towards

This is huge because talking to kids about the bigger aspects of the family budget starts to get pictures of adult reality in to the mind of your child. They can start to see that its not scary or super complex, but that adults have to live in reality.  The biggest part of reality is that you have to spend less money than you make.

Another aspect of this is that it gives us as parents a bit of built-in accountability to know what we are doing with the budget since we’ve opened up this world a bit to the kids.  As kids get older, some of the specific numbers for groceries or how to use a credit card can be shared to help them wrap their mind around what life really costs. In the United States, its so easy to skip past these opportunities to help develop resilient children due to the lack of focus that is a constant challenge in a world full of social media distractions.

By: Chris Bemis

 If you like this post, check out two more on related to this topic:

Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Letting them Pack Their Own Lunch

Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Involving them in Home Improvement 

In today’s fast-paced world, where financial decisions are often driven by external influences and societal pressures, practicing mindful money management has become more crucial than ever.

Mindful money management involves aligning your financial goals with your personal values, setting priorities based on needs versus wants, and making conscious choices that reflect your values. By incorporating mindfulness into your financial decisions, you can create a sense of balance and harmony between your money and your values.

In this article, we will explore the principles of mindful money management and how it can help you achieve financial well-being while staying true to what matters most to you.

Understanding Mindful Money Management

Mindful money management is a holistic approach to handling finances that involves aligning your financial goals with your personal values. It goes beyond just budgeting and saving to encompass a deeper understanding of how your money choices impact not only your financial well-being but also your overall happiness and fulfillment. By being mindful of your financial decisions, you can ensure that your money is being used in ways that truly reflect what matters most to you.

For example, many Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least some of the time, with a handful experiencing extreme stress. Mindful money management can help alleviate this stress by bringing awareness to your spending habits and helping you make intentional choices that are in line with your values.

By understanding the principles of mindful money management, you can begin to see how your financial decisions impact not only your bank account but also your overall well-being. This awareness can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling approach to managing your money, ultimately helping you achieve greater financial stability and peace of mind.

Aligning Financial Goals with Personal Values

Aligning your financial goals with your personal values is essential for achieving true financial well-being. When your money management reflects what truly matters to you, you are more likely to feel fulfilled and satisfied with your financial decisions.

To align financial goals with personal values, start by identifying what is most important to you in life. This could be family, health, education, environmental sustainability, or any other values that resonate with you. Once you have a clear understanding of your values, you can then set financial goals that support and align with these values.

For example, if you value environmental sustainability, you may choose to invest in socially responsible companies or allocate a portion of your budget towards eco-friendly products. Many consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands. By aligning your financial goals with your values, you not only contribute to causes you care about but also make a positive impact on the world.

Another example could be prioritizing education if you value personal growth and development. Allocating a portion of your budget towards furthering your education or that of your children can be a direct reflection of your values. The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2024 school year is $42,162 at private colleges, $23,630 for out-of-state students at public universities and $10,662 for in-state students at public schools.

By aligning your financial goals with your values, you invest in a future that aligns with what matters most to you.

Setting Priorities: Needs vs. Wants

When it comes to mindful money management, a crucial aspect is setting priorities by distinguishing between needs and wants. Needs are essential for survival and well-being, such as food, shelter, healthcare, and transportation. Wants, on the other hand, are desires that are not necessary for basic living but can enhance our quality of life.

The average American household spends a significant portion of their income on wants rather than needs. In fact, 40% of Americans would struggle to cover an unexpected $400 expense, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between needs and wants.

To prioritize needs over wants, start by creating a budget that allocates a higher percentage of your income towards necessities like housing, utilities, and healthcare. Limit discretionary spending on non-essential items like dining out, entertainment, and luxury goods. By consciously evaluating your expenses and differentiating between needs and wants, you can ensure that your financial resources are directed towards what truly matters for your well-being and long-term financial stability.

By making informed decisions and prioritizing needs over wants, you can achieve a better balance in your financial life, ensuring that your resources are aligned with your values and goals.

Creating a Budget that Reflects Your Values

Creating a budget that reflects your values is a crucial aspect of mindful money management. By aligning your financial decisions with what truly matters to you, you can ensure that your spending habits are in harmony with your personal beliefs and goals.

To start, identify your core values and priorities. For example, if supporting sustainable practices is important to you, allocate a portion of your budget towards purchasing eco-friendly products or investing in companies with strong environmental policies. If giving back to your community is a priority, consider setting aside a specific amount each month for charitable donations.

When creating your budget, it’s essential to track your income and expenses diligently. Use tools like budgeting apps or spreadsheets to monitor where your money is going and identify areas where you can cut back or reallocate funds to better reflect your values. For instance, if you realize that you are spending a significant amount on dining out, you may decide to cook more meals at home to free up funds for causes you care about.

By consciously designing a budget that mirrors your values, you can feel more empowered and fulfilled in your financial decisions, knowing that your money is being used in ways that align with what is important to you.

Mindful Spending: Making Conscious Choices

In the realm of personal finance, mindful spending is a crucial aspect that involves making intentional and conscious choices about where your money goes. It’s about aligning your spending habits with your values and long-term financial goals. By practicing mindful spending, you can avoid impulse purchases, reduce unnecessary expenses, and prioritize what truly matters to you.

One key strategy for mindful spending is tracking your expenses. By keeping a detailed record of where your money is going, you can identify patterns and areas where you may be overspending. For example, you might realize that you’re spending a significant amount on dining out each month, prompting you to cut back and reallocate those funds towards savings or investments.

Another approach to mindful spending is practicing delayed gratification. Instead of making impulsive purchases, take the time to consider whether the item aligns with your values and financial goals. For instance, if you’re tempted to buy a new gadget, ask yourself if it’s a necessity or simply a fleeting desire. By pausing and reflecting before making a purchase, you can make more conscious choices that support your overall financial well-being.

By adopting mindful spending habits, you can alleviate financial stress and cultivate a healthier relationship with money.

Investing in What Matters Most

When it comes to mindful money management, investing in what matters most is a crucial aspect that aligns your financial decisions with your personal values. This involves putting your money towards things that hold significance to you, whether it’s supporting causes you care about, investing in sustainable companies, or saving for experiences that bring you joy and fulfillment.

One way to invest in what matters most is through socially responsible investing (SRI) or impact investing. These strategies allow you to put your money into companies that align with your values, such as those focused on environmental sustainability, social justice, or ethical business practices.

Another way to invest in what matters most is by prioritizing your long-term financial goals, such as saving for retirement, education, or a home. By allocating your resources towards these goals, you are investing in your future financial well-being and security.

However, it’s equally important to remember that nothing matters more than family. Building wealth for them should extend to protecting their financial future when they’re gone. Start this with tax-exempt donations each year. Crucially, you should work with a dedicated probate lawyer to ensure your estate is distributed to beneficiaries when you’re gone. Aside from the financial benefits, it removes a lot of stress for them at a difficult time. The knowledge that you’ve supported them is great for your personal peace of mind too.

Ultimately, investing in what matters most is about consciously directing your financial resources towards the things that bring you fulfillment and align with your values, creating a sense of purpose and meaning in your financial decisions.

Giving Back: Incorporating Philanthropy into Your Finances

Incorporating philanthropy into your financial plan not only benefits the causes you care about but also adds a sense of purpose and fulfillment to your financial journey. Giving back is a powerful way to align your financial goals with your personal values and make a positive impact on the world around you.

One effective strategy for incorporating philanthropy into your finances is setting aside a percentage of your income for charitable donations. For example, you could commit to donating 5% of your monthly earnings to a cause that resonates with you.

Another way to incorporate philanthropy into your finances is by volunteering your time and skills to organizations in need. By donating your expertise, you can make a meaningful contribution without necessarily spending money. For instance, volunteering at a local food bank or offering pro bono services to a non-profit can have a direct and immediate impact on those in need.

Remember, giving back is not just about the amount you donate but the intention and impact behind your actions. By incorporating philanthropy into your financial plan, you can create a more meaningful and purpose-driven approach to managing your money.

Balancing Short-Term Gratification with Long-Term Goals

In the realm of personal finance, one of the key challenges individuals face is finding the right balance between short-term gratification and long-term goals. It’s easy to get caught up in the instant pleasure of impulse purchases or indulging in luxuries, but it’s essential to consider the impact these decisions can have on your financial future. By practicing mindful money management, you can strike a balance that allows you to enjoy the present while also securing a stable financial foundation for the future.

For example, instead of splurging on a designer handbag or the latest tech gadget, consider redirecting that money towards your long-term goals, such as building an emergency fund or contributing to your retirement savings.

Another way to balance short-term gratification with long-term goals is to set up automatic contributions to your savings or investment accounts. By automating your savings, you ensure that a portion of your income goes towards your future goals before you have the chance to spend it on impulse purchases. This approach helps you stay on track with your long-term financial objectives while still allowing room for occasional treats or splurges within a mindful spending framework.

Cultivating financial well-being through mindful money management is essential for achieving long-term financial stability and personal fulfillment. By aligning your financial goals with your personal values and making conscious choices about how you earn, spend, save, and invest your money, you can create a solid foundation for a secure financial future.

Cultivating Financial Well-Being through Mindful Money Management:

One key aspect of cultivating financial well-being is to prioritize saving and investing for the future. According to a survey by Bankrate, only 16% of Americans save more than 15% of their income, while 21% save nothing at all. By setting aside a portion of your income for savings and investments, you can build a financial safety net and work towards achieving your long-term goals, such as retirement or buying a home.

Another important aspect of financial well-being is managing debt effectively. The average American household carries over $8,000 in credit card dent. By practicing mindful spending and budgeting, you can reduce your debt burden and avoid high-interest payments that can hinder your financial progress.

Additionally, incorporating philanthropy into your financial plan can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Research shows that charitable giving not only benefits the recipients but also enhances the well-being of the giver. By donating to causes that align with your values, you can make a positive impact on society while also improving your own sense of well-being.

Summing up, cultivating financial well-being through mindful money management requires a holistic approach that considers your values, goals, and priorities. By making intentional financial decisions and staying true to your values, you can create a sustainable financial future that brings both financial security and personal fulfillment.

Conclusion

Incorporating mindfulness into your money management practices can transform the way you interact with your finances, leading to a more fulfilling and purpose-driven financial life.

By aligning your financial goals with your personal values, making conscious spending choices, and investing in what truly matters to you, you can create a sense of financial well-being that extends far beyond your bank account.

Start your journey towards mindful money management today and watch as your financial decisions become a reflection of your values and aspirations.

Performing a 24 hour fast can be a scary thought, but with the right tips and plan, you can successfully make it through your fast. With this article, you will learn how you can make it to 24 hours without breaking your fast, and learn about the benefits of fasting.

Ever since graduating college, I’ve been looking to experiment and explore new ways to live my life to the fullest. Eating habits is one area I’ve focused on over the number of years, and in particular, experimenting with intermittent fasting has lead to some interesting results.

Typically, I’ve stuck to a pretty relaxed 16 hour fasting window and 8 hour feeding window since starting intermittent fasting, but every once in a while, I do a 24 hour fast (and once I did a 48 hour fast!)

If you have never fasted before, approaching a 24 hour fast might seem like a huge task to take on.

When I started, I barely could make it past 9 AM before I “needed” to eat. Now, after a few years of practice, I rarely eat before 9 AM.

Maybe you are curious about fasting and want to explore your relationship with food. It’s possible you are looking to lose weight and want to see if fasting is worth giving a shot.

Whatever your reason, I hope this post gives the information you want and need regarding fasting.

In this post, I will talk about the benefits of fasting, and also share with you a number of tips for you to apply if you are interested in a one day fast.

What are the Benefits of Fasting for 24 Hours?

First, a disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Everyone’s body responds to things differently and just because I’ve had a good experience doesn’t mean you will. Please consult a real doctor if you have concerns or interest about this subject.

When you think about fasting, you probably think about people who are starving and are suffering on purpose for no reason.

With the ability to go and buy whatever you want at the supermarket or grocery store, why would you ever want or need to fast?

Believe it or not, fasting has a lot of great benefits.

Being in a fasted state can bring a lot of good, and by increasing the amount of time you spend in a fasted state, the benefits can bring some great results.

Two of the big benefits of fasting are that fasting could help you lose weight, and fasting can help with detoxification.

If you are always eating, your body does not have the ability to perform some of it’s natural functions – namely, cleaning itself and getting rid of the junk.

By fasting, you give your body space and time to heal itself.

Fasting for 24 hours is a way to tap into these benefits without having to do too much outside of your daily routine.

The benefits of fasting start happening after 12 hours, by getting 24 hours of no eating in, you can help reset your body.

Now, if you are interested in doing a 24 hour fast, the next section will go over some tips on completing your first 24 hour fast.

7 Steps and Tips for Completing Your First 24 Hour Fast

If you’ve decided to give a 24 hour fast a chance, there are a number of things to consider and think about when going through your first 24 hour fast.

Below, I’ve listed 7 tips for you to apply during your fast so you can successfully complete your fast.

1. Start with a 16 hour fast a week or two before the 24 hour fast
2. Eat a big meal around 4-5 PM before starting your 24 hour fast
3. Use sleep to your advantage
4. Drink plenty of liquids to keep you full over the two day span
5. Stay busy during your one day fast
6. Stay positive, listen to your body, and be strong
7. Make your first meal back simple and healthy

Let’s dive into each of these tips for completing your first 24 hour fast in more detail.

1. Start with a 16 Hour Fast to Prepare for Your 24 Hour Fast

First, if you’ve never done a longer fast before, you should start with a shorter 16 hour fast. This way, you can get an understanding of how your body might respond to fasting.

There are a number of interesting feelings I experienced when I fasted for the first time, and the first time I did it, it definitely was stressful and nerve wracking.

But after doing it a few times, I now know how to cope with those thoughts and feelings.

Starting slow with a 16 hour fast will allow you to experience some of the feelings involved with fasting and will help when you give the full 24 hours a go.

2. Eat a Bigger Meal at 4-5 PM Before Starting

Once you are confident you can do a 24 hour fast, then I’d recommend eating dinner a little bit earlier and if you are nervous about the fast, make it a big meal!

I suggest an earlier dinner because the second afternoon can be very difficult, and having a 5 PM cut off versus a 7 PM cutoff can make a world of difference mentally.

Imagine you finish work around 5 PM. Eating a big meal as soon as you get home not only follows your body’s natural rhythm but also ensures you’re well-fed and mentally ready for the fasting period ahead. On the other hand, delaying dinner until later in the evening, like 7 or 8 PM, might increase your anticipation and make it harder to start the fast.

So, to sum up, eating a bigger meal around 4-5 PM helps prepare your body and mind for a successful 24-hour fast.

By addressing both physical and mental aspects, this approach makes it more likely that you’ll complete the fast comfortably.

3. Use Sleep to Your Advantage

Something which is overlooked when fasting is it’s a lot easier to kill time if you are sleeping.

Sleep can be a helpful tool during a 24-hour fast. While you’re asleep, your body continues to work through various processes, and you’re less likely to feel hungry, making it easier to stick to the fast.

If you eat at 5 PM the night before, go to bed at 11 PM, and wake up at 7 AM, you only have 10 hours of fasting left before hitting the 24 hour mark.

If you can, adding in a 30 minute to 1 hour nap will cut another hour off the clock. This break gives your body a chance to rest and can help you feel more refreshed mentally.

Eating earlier and going to bed earlier can make this even easier – finishing dinner at 4 PM, and going to bed at 10 PM can lead to a short fast during the second day!

By using sleep patterns and meal timings strategically, you can navigate a 24-hour fast more comfortably. These tactics not only make fasting easier but also support your overall well-being throughout the process.

4. Drink Plenty of Liquids When Fasting

Next, make sure you are drinking a lot of water during your fast.

First, this will help with flushing your system, but also, by drinking a lot of water and other liquids, you can feel more full.

Drinking water is very important for general health, but even more important when you aren’t eating and trying to stay sane.

Other liquids you can have are black coffee and unsweetened tea.

Coffee contains proteins which suppress your appetite, and this can help with hunger pains. One thing to note though is coffee leads to elevated cortisol levels, which makes it harder to burn fat.

Green tea is another drink that you can utilize when fasting. Green tea has some caffeine, helps suppress your appetite, and in addition, drinking green tea does elevate cortisol levels.

In general, whatever you decide to drink, just make sure it doesn’t have any calories, and also that you are staying hydrated throughout the day. If you don’t drink enough water and get dehydrated, IV hydration offers a quick and efficient way to replenish your body’s fluids and electrolytes, ensuring you stay hydrated and healthy.

5. Stay Busy During Your One Day Fast

Have you ever heard the expression, “time flies when you are having fun?”

Time does fly when you are busy and occupied with work or play. If you decide to do a 24 hour fast, it will be a lot easier if you can stay busy and occupied throughout your day.

One of my worst fasts ever came when I had nothing going on during the afternoon at work.

From hours 18 to 23, I sat at my desk and, more or less, just thought about how hungry I was and calculated how much time I had left until it was time to eat.

On the other hand, you can go a long time with not thinking about food if you are busy and actively engaging your mind and body.

Also, a lot of times I’ll eat just because I’m bored or anxious. By staying busy, you won’t get bored and feel tempted to eat.

Staying busy will help you get through your fast much easier.

6. Listen to Your Body When Doing Your 24 Hour Fast

Finally, there will be moments when you want to eat and don’t want to push through.

Staying positive, drinking water, and resting could be best here – but also, if you become shaky or actually NEED food, then it is totally okay to end your fast.

If you are someone who is sensitive to not eating and have troubles with blood sugar levels, fasting might not be for you.

For people who check with their doctors and know the potential dangers of fasting, listening to your body will be very important for completing your fast successfully.

If you get a headache (which is very common and a sign your body is flushing out toxins), drinking more water will be critical for your success.

Being self-aware is incredibly important for success in this world, and being healthy rather than fainting or becoming sick because you tried to push through is a better scenario.

7. What to Eat After Breaking Your 24 Hour Fast

After completing a 24-hour fast, it’s essential to reintroduce food gradually to avoid overwhelming your digestive system and ensure a smooth transition back to regular eating.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to what you should eat after breaking your fast:

• Start Light: Begin by breaking your fast with easily digestible foods such as fruits or vegetables. These options are gentle on the stomach and provide essential vitamins, minerals, and hydration to replenish your body after the fasting period. Opt for fresh fruits like apples, berries, or watermelon, or choose raw or lightly steamed vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, or bell peppers.
• Proceed with Caution: While you may be tempted to dive into a hearty meal immediately after fasting, it’s crucial to exercise restraint and pace yourself. Rushing into a large meal can overwhelm your digestive system, leading to discomfort, bloating, or even nausea. Instead, take your time to savor each bite and pay attention to your body’s hunger cues and satiety signals.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay close attention to how your body responds to food after the fast. If you experience any discomfort or digestive issues, consider scaling back on portion sizes or opting for lighter fare until your body adjusts. Remember, your digestive system may need some time to readjust to regular eating patterns after a prolonged period of fasting.
• Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods: Once you’ve eased back into eating, focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods that provide sustained energy and nourishment. Incorporate a balance of lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber-rich foods into your meals to support overall health and well-being. Examples include grilled chicken or fish, avocado, quinoa, leafy greens, and legumes.
• Stay Hydrated: In addition to food, prioritize hydration by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Proper hydration is essential for supporting digestion, maintaining energy levels, and promoting overall health. Consider incorporating hydrating beverages like herbal tea, coconut water, or infused water with fresh fruits or herbs to replenish electrolytes and enhance hydration.

By following these guidelines and tuning into your body’s needs, you can effectively transition from a 24-hour fast back to regular eating without any adverse effects.

Remember to be mindful, patient, and gentle with yourself during this process, allowing your body the time it needs to adjust and thrive.

Best of Luck During Your 24 Hour Fast!

For the past 4-5 years, fasting has been a piece of my life and becoming a little bit healthier each and every year.

After fasting, I feel more focused and ready to tackle the next tasks in my life.

Sometimes it’s good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Whether to experiment with fasting, learn more about your relationship with food, or to help you finally complete a 24 hour fast, hopefully this article has been valuable to you.

If you want to lose weight, fasting might be beneficial for you. Since fasting reduces the number of calories you take in for that day, you will be in a caloric deficit. However, there are other factors you need to consider before truly knowing if a 24 hour fast will help keep the weight off!

I hope you have a great 24 hour fast!

By: Erik (Previous owner of PFB)

Creating a budget can be a great way for you to improve your financial situation. There are many different budgeting methods you can use, and in this post, you’ll learn about 5 simple budgeting methods.

Budgeting is one of most common ways for a person to get on their way to personal finance success.

With budgeting, you can determine ahead of time what you will spend your money on, and what you will have left over each month.

Budgeting is to personal finance what dieting is to nutrition. Both require a self-discipline and accountability, and they can be challenging and seem discouraging at times.

However, with consistency and effort, budgeting works.

Budgeting and dieting also share another common trait: they run on deficits and surpluses.

If you want to gain weight, you need to consume more than you burn.

If you want to gain wealth, you need to have income higher than your expenses.

This deficit and surplus theory is the no-nonsense foundation of diets and budgeting methods alike.

In this post, you’ll learn about 5 simple budgeting methods, and how you can budget to make the most of your money.

First, let’s talk about your spending habits and think about what you need vs. what you want.

Applying Simplicity to Your Budget and Life

For those new to the site, you should know I’m a big fan of simple living. This mindset of simplicity applies to budgeting and spending as well.

First, before looking to start budgeting, it’s important to think about your financial goals and current lifestyle.

• Are you looking to save up money for a new purchase?
• Are you looking to get a house or new car?
• What about take a vacation?
• Do you want to start prioritizing health and wellness, and are fine with spending more on healthy food?

With these thoughts, then you can start to determine how much more you want to spend on other categories, and align your goals with your actions.

But first, what is a budget?

What is a Budget?

First, what is a budget?

A budget is just a plan for how you spend your money every month.

That’s it. Nothing fancy. It’s just you telling your money what to do.

But it can be a lot more than that if you’re constantly stressed over your finances. When you make a budget, it suddenly becomes a lot easier to:

• See where your money is going
• Figure out what you’re wasting money on
• Create a plan for paying down debt
• Build an emergency fund for rainy days
• Save and invest for retirement or your kids’ college
• Plan out your financial goals
• Understanding your spending patterns and triggers
• Stop freaking out over money

That last one is really important.

Money is not everything in life, but it is a tool you can use to create the life you want and deserve – without stress.

With these pre-budgeting thoughts and questions out of the way, let’s get on to the 5 simple budgeting methods for personal finance success.

5 Simple Budgeting Methods for Personal Finance Success

Budgeting doesn’t have to be hard or complex, and there are a number of different ways to make sure you are spending your money on what brings you joy.

Below are 5 simple budgeting methods for you to choose from:

1. The 50 / 30 / 20 Budgeting Method
2. The 80 / 20 Budgeting Method
3. The 60% Solution Budgeting Method
4. The Cash Envelope Budgeting Method
5. No Budget

In the following sections, we’ll go into detail to learn more about these budgeting methods.

It may take some experimenting to find what works for you. After all, personal finance is personal!

1. The 50 / 30 / 20 Budgeting Method

Elizabeth Warren, a law professor and U.S. Senator, first referenced the 50 / 30 / 20 budgeting method in the book “All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan.”

Simply put, the 50 / 30 /20 budgeting method involves spending 50% of your take-home pay on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on investing and/or debt repayment.

With the 50 / 30 / 20 budgeting method, you only have 3 line items to track every month – it cannot get much simpler than that!

What this method requires is for you to clearly define what is a need vs. what is a want in your life.

After defining your needs and wants, you just need to sort all your monthly expenses into a need or a want, and add up each category.

Then, you can review monthly to see if your spending percentages were roughly on par with the 50 / 30 / 20 guideline.

It should be mentioned that 50 / 30 /20 is just a starting point. These percentages are not practical for everyone.The nature of needs is that they are must-haves, irrespective of your income.

Say your household’s needs are $40,000 a year. If your take-home household income is $60,000, then your needs make up 66% of your income.

If that take-home income were $100,000, then needs would only make up 40% of your income!

So the percentages are variable depending on your situation.

Also, one other limitation is this method may be great for those with salaried jobs, but it’s not ideal for those with highly variable incomes.

Variable income is typical for self-employed people, commission-based jobs, and hourly jobs where the hours worked fluctuate week to week.

Luckily, there are a few other budgeting methods you can read about below.

2. The 80 / 20 Budgeting Method

The 80/20 budgeting method is an even easier version of the 50/30/20 method.

If you don’t want to make the effort to discern between wants and needs, you can just lump them into one.

In this budgeting method, 80% goes to your wants and needs, and 20% goes to investing and/or debt repayment. That’s really all there is to it!

This budgeting method runs on a “pay yourself first” mentality. First, you should invest the 20% (or use it to pay off debt faster), and then you are free to spend the rest on your wants and needs.

This simple budgeting method is great for people who want to improve their sense of financial accountability.

Following this method will give you an impressive 20% savings rate on your income!

However, it should be noted that those who feel they are stuck living paycheck-to-paycheck would not benefit from this budget.

You’ll need to use a method that discerns between wants and needs, allowing you to see where costs can be trimmed.

3. The 60% Solution Budgeting Method

The next budgeting method is the 60% Solution.

The 60% Solution was first referenced in an article written by MSN Money editor-in-chief Richard Jenkins. This budget has five categories for your GROSS income (ie. pre-tax) outlined below:

• 60% to “commited” expenses
• 10% to retirement savings
• 10% to long-term savings
• 10% to short term savings
• 10% for “fun money”

This budgeting method effectively suggests you can live off 60% of your gross income. According to the original article,

“I determined that we needed to keep our committed expenses at or below 60% of our gross income to come out ahead at the end of the month.

Committed expenses:

* Basic food and clothing needs.
* Essential household expenses.
* Insurance premiums.
* Charitable contributions.
* All of our bills — even such non-essentials as our satellite TV service.
* ALL of our taxes”

This budgeting method really simplifies expense tracking since all your “committed” costs are lumped into one category.

However, it carries the same challenges as the 50 / 30 /20 method since 60% may not work for your household.

I suggest starting with 60%, and changing it by +/- 5% depending on how easy or difficult it is.

For the other buckets, here are some examples of what they could involve:

• The 10% retirement savings would be akin to an IRA or 401(k).
• The long-term savings could be a goal such as saving up for a new vehicle or home down payment.
• Short-term savings could be contributions to your emergency fund, or some purchase you are making in the next 12 months.
• Fun money is self-explanatory!

This 5 category budgeting method is great for those who want to itemize their spending a little more, without evolving into a full-grown line item budget.

4. The Cash Envelope Budgeting Method

The cash envelope budgeting method is the oldest form of budgeting out there.

In fact, the word budget originated from the Old French word for purse.

While the cash envelope method requires the most effort out of any method on this list, it is still relatively simple.

The cash envelope budgeting method requires you to go old school by using nothing but cash for all your purchases.

You need to create a few spending categories and make an envelope for each one. At the beginning of each month, you then put a predetermined amount of cash in it, which makes it impossible to overspend.

Here are some common categories:

• Vehicle expenses
• Groceries
• Entertainment
• Clothing
• Childcare

This method is just great for people who struggle with impulse spending, or people who prefer visual organization.

As mentioned before, it is impossible to overspend if you follow the method correctly. This budgeting method helps build discipline for those who need it when it comes to discretionary spending.

There are some negatives with the cash envelope method however.

First off, not using any plastic means you may be forgoing credit card rewards (assuming you’d pay your balance in full and on time).

Secondly, carrying wads of cash in today’s day and age is slightly impractical and potentially unsafe.

Finally, the amount of effort required is far greater than other budgeting methods in terms of tracking expenses. There are no monthly statements prepared for you when using cash!

5. No Budget Method

The last budgeting method may shock you, but the best budget may be no budget at all! This may sound silly, but hear me out.

Of course, from a solely financial perspective, there is no valid reason not to have a budget.

However, personal finance is more than just numbers.

Psychology plays a huge role.

Many people dislike budgeting due to the scarcity mindset it may force on you. Granted, this mindset may be necessary if you’re paycheck-to-paycheck and trying to get out of that cycle.

But, is it really sustainable?

With the No Budget budgeting method, all you really need to keep an eye on is your savings rate. You can improve your savings rate greatly by reducing big expenses.

Of course, the higher savings rate, the better.

The concept of savings rate is actually incorporated in the other simple budgeting methods mentioned.

For example, if you have no budget and have a 20% savings rate, you’re actually inadvertently following the 80 / 20 budget.

This idea is great for those who aren’t in any deep financial trouble but still want to improve their financial situation.

Simply monitor your savings rate; as long as you are happy with the number, there is no reason to track more in-depth!

Which Budgeting Method is Right for You?

At this point, you are probably wondering, “which budgeting method is best and right for me?”

The best one is likely the one that resonated the most with you when reading the above.

Objectively speaking, some methods are more effective than others, but you should remember that this is not solely an objective matter.

The budgeting method has to be one that YOU think will work for yourself.

A budget is useless if you don’t think it’s a method you can reasonably follow.

If you can’t pick a budgeting method today, then to start improving your financial situation, I’d recommend to start tracking your expenses today. Don’t wait until the first of next month to act.

Look at your daily spending for a couple weeks, you can see where you’re at. With these measurements, you can figure out roughly how your budget is going to work starting next month.