I received some inspiration from a very unlikely source a couple of months ago. (Maybe a year, maybe more… I have no sense of the passage of time anymore.) I was watching The Colbert Report and he had a guest on that said, “People who eat healthy enjoy their food just as much as people who don’t.” I felt like I had been smacked upside the head like the people in those V8 commercials. Dur! Of course they do! I always had this image of healthy eaters having nothing but carrot sticks and pretzels for lunch. That’s not it at all. Healthy eating can be full of flavor and color. And you are allowed to eat until you’re no longer hungry.

But if you take away the excuse of not enjoying healthy foods, then there really isn’t a reason not to. I mean, if you like vegetables and they make you healthier then why wouldn’t you eat them? Ever since that day I’ve experimented with more healthy foods and have found that it’s true. I do enjoy my food as much as ever. In fact, I often enjoy it more. There are so many more options and the food often has more flavor.

So what does this have to do with personal finance? Well, take those lessons I learned about food and apply them to your money. What if I told you that people who live within their means enjoy their money as much as people who don’t? It’s true. I’m even willing to bet they enjoy their money more. Just like food, it’s not about depriving yourself. It’s about giving yourself more options. Life has more flavor when you have a healthy budget. You can still have everything you need and lots of things you want. It doesn’t have to be about wearing clothes from Good Will and reading books from the library by candle light.

Creating a healthy budget is just like creating a healthy diet. You don’t have give up the things you adore. If you love your fancy cell phone then fine, upgrade when you want. But maybe your plan is too big, or you don’t really need all those extra cable channels. Make the sacrifices in places you can and see how it feels. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised.

Pic by: Lisa Sanderson