The Real Cost of New Year’s Resolutions

THE REAL COST OF NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS 45% JANUARY of Americans make New Year's Resolutions... only 8% are successful in keeping them. Break These Resolutions & Pay the Price Resolution #1: Lose Weight: Not keeping this one costs you $800 annually $800 = The approximate amount each of the 75 million Americans on diets spend on weight loss annually That $800 could be used to create a personal oasis for special at-home spa days: Indulge in healthy juice you made in your own juicer. Take a long, hot bath scented with a soothing bath oil. Wrap yourself in luxurious towels & warm your hands and feet in paraffin. Luxuriate with rich skin creams & take a long, relaxing nap. SPA O Relax with a bath pillow. Turn off your overheads and light some aromatic candles. Play relaxing music on a bathroom mp-3 player. Resolution #2: Stop Smoking Not keeping this one costs you $1,642.50 annually $1,642.50 = the approximate cost of a pack-a-day habit each year With $1,642.50, you could: Decorate with fresh smoke-free linens & window treatments in Purchase a new set of luggage & take a nine-day tour of the Greek Islands. Buy a new steam cleaner to rid your home of stale smoke smell in your carpets & invest in a quality air purifier. every room. Resolution #3: Get Organized Not keeping this one costs you $1,963.50 annually $500 = the average yearly cost of paying late fees on bills $1,463.50 a year spent on searching for misplaced items (based on annual median household income) With $1,963.50, you could buy: A kitchen makeover including new pots & pans & gadgetry. A new home office with all the tools to make organizing easy. Disorganization is Stressful and Costly ..?. missing Disorganized Finances = Lower Credit Scores = Higher Interest Rate = Less Money Poor Time Management = Time Wasted Searching = Less Money Poor Health = Less Productivity = Less Money Break These Resolutions & the US Pays the Price Medical Costs & Annual Costs to Lost Productivity US Economy Obesity-related $71.1 billion Smoking-related $193 billion Stress-related $300 billion Resolutions That Save Money Get Healthy Biking to work instead of driving, based on a 20-mile round-trip distance, can save you $8/day - that's almost $2,000/year. Physically active people save approximately $500 annually in medical costs. Total Savings: approx. $2,500 annually Quality Family Time Two movies per month for a family of four: $64.96. Average monthly cost for a family dining out: $225. Instead of dinner & a movie, try these great ways to spend time as a family: Visit free museum, historical sites & parks. Borrow books & movies from the library. Start a family game night & grow your game selection with second-hand board games. Total Savings: approx. $3,479.52 annually Volunteer $19.61 = the estimated dollar value of an hour of volunteer time. 83.9 million (44%) of American adults volunteer, more than 9 million full-time employees. Total Savings to US economy: $239 billion annually Ways to keep your New Year's Resolutions Set short-term goals and keep them: Realistic Moderately difficult Concrete Measurable Spend time with people who will support your efforts. Don't punish yourself for slip-ups. What I recommend people do is plan to fail. Recognize that's part of the process . then get yourself back on track." -Lisa Zaslow, founder of Gotham Organizers Increase the positive things you do in your life, leaving less time for the habits you want to quit. "Focus on your higher goals and positive activities, things that both sustain you and fill your life," – Stanton Peele, author of Seven Tools to Beat Addiction TOP Prioritize: Pick your top three goals. GOAL Learn to say no to stay focused on what is truly important in your life. NO Happy New Year! And remember... "You can make those promises with just as much passion the second time around. Such is the regenerative power of the human heart." 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