Envelope Budget
From McDonald's to Sonic, fast food had a bad effect on my waistline and my budget. It was nothing to run to a drive-through to pick up a cold drink or a quick bite to eat. It was so easy to use my card for a small purchase. For me, I got a lot of satisfaction from fast food.
One day I sat down and calculated that I was consuming a surprising $40 a week on fast food. This was a lot of iced coffee, hamburgers and junk food like that! Instead of reducing my guilty pleasures, I decided to give myself a strong budget to reduce my consumption. Every Monday I placed an envelope with $20 in my purse. That was my fast food budget for the entire week. If there was anything left over at the end of the week, it was up to me to save or spend the money. If I spent all of the money during the week, there were no more fast food stops that week.
The budget made me more mindful of my purchases. Instead of purchasing a large drink from Sonic, I would purchase a small one. It was still satisfying but not nearly pricey. Instead of eating a whole meal, I would pick the part that I actually wanted. Many days, the thought of hanging on to the money for a special purpose meant more to me than the instant satisfaction of fast food. I never really felt unhappy because it was a conscious choice to spend or save money on each purchase.
Envelope budget kept me honest. I had a clear idea of how much money I spent on fast food purchases each week. I started to bring my lunches more often to save more money for the week. It was a fun challenge to see how much I could save every week.
Changing the way I spent on fast food not only helped my budget, but improved my weight. In the first month I was able to get rid of 5 pounds by simply changing the way I spent on fast food. Now I am more likely to bring my lunch than to buy it. I am not upset, but empowered to make positive choices to improve my life.
There are too many fat people in America, so many Americans are fighting against overweight. But the 1 thing is that the French,who consume rich food, tend to stay thin. Now a 2 by Cornell University points out 3 lifestyle and decisions about 4 may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to stop eating when they feel 5 . However, Americans tend to stop when their 6 are empty or their favorite TV show is over.
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating 7 an important part of their lifestyle. They enjoy food and therefore spend a very 8 time at the table,while Americans see eating as anything to be squeezed in between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans 9 the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and 10 foods for the week. The French, 11 , tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers' markets where they have a choice of fresh fruit, vegetables rich in fiber, and eggs as well as high-quality meat for each meal.
After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat, decided to 12 about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid 13 . Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.
In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent lifestyle 14 may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity(肥胖)—or extreme overweight—among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains 15 and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17%—and is growing.
No trip would be complete without experiencing the local food culture. Actually, China has various kinds of delicious food,including wide variety of local snacks (小吃).
Without doubt, for the majority of the foreigners I contacted, and myself included, Peking duck, dim sum and Sichuan hotpot are the favorite Chinese (dish). China is a place the food is not only the most delicious, but the (cheap) I've ever found.
On (I) last night in Beijing before returning to the United States, I went to a Peking duck restaurant that had been suggested for me to try. What a beautiful place! Splendid woodblock prints on the walls, fresh flowers in the vases on the table,attractive silverware (镀银餐具) and beautiful chopsticks. I (hand) a menu and I surprisingly found that most of the prices (be) especially low. The duck came in whole or half, along with all the little decorations that you know if you've ever eaten Peking duck—a little tortilla (玉米粉薄烙饼) to put the sliced duck,vegetables,chopped onion and sauce in.
Anyway, I ended up ordering a whole duck and thought that if I couldn't finish it I'd just take the rest back to my hotel (eat) later. Unbelievably, the end there was none of the whole duck (leave) on the plate. Umm, yummy!
