Health and saving at top of resolution list
Jes Stugelmayer
We all have them. They stop us from grabbing that cookie as a midnight snack, compel us to drag ourselves back to the gym even though our muscles complain just from getting out of bed, and prevent that impulse buy when we realize a Snuggie is only a backward robe.
As Auld Lang Syne winds down, it is time to begin making resolutions. New Year’s resolutions hail back to the Babylonians, whose primary resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. Some of the top ten resolutions in the U.S. are getting fit and saving money. They may seem like daunting tasks, but there are ways to make them easier on ourselves.
After weeks of holiday celebrations, many people want to kick their soda addictions, start eating healthier and revisit their old friend gym. Kathy Kautz, owner of Curves in Plains, said that the first quarter of the year is the busiest time for her.
Many resolutions start off well, but Kautz said she sees a decline as the year progresses. She said it’s like anything else in life and there will be a certain percentage of people that will break their resolutions, but she feels that once you start exercising it gets easier.
“It becomes a habit, a good habit,” she said.
Kautz said that personal health has to become a large priority in people’s lives. She stressed that the money spent on insurance, medicine and hospital visits in the long run can be prevented by taking charge of your fitness now.
“It’s a small price to pay to be healthy,” said Kautz.
As for Kautz, she said her biggest resolution is to take time away from her business and see more of Montana than she has in the six years since she moved to Plains.
With the government stimulus in effect, the economy seems to be looking up, said Kautz. Still, saving money is a recurring resolution. There are ways to save money other than putting money into a savings account each month.
Claudia Rapkoch, director of communications at Northwestern Energy, said that making your home energy efficient can help cut down on energy costs during both the winter and summer months. She said that the main money saving measure is to weatherize homes appropriately, so that it can withstand whatever Mother Nature throws our way.
“There are things people can do to improve the energy efficiency of their homes that don’t cost a lot,” said Rapkoch, “Just by beefing up insallation, it will improve comfort level and cost.”
She said that simple steps like placing plastic over windows or installing programmable thermostats that heat up when you come home and cool down when you are sleeping or away reduces stress on appliances and can also save up to ten percent of energy costs.
Whether your resolution is to spend more time with family, go on that long overdue vacation, quit smoking or take a page from ancient Babylonians and return that lawn mower to your neighbor, the key is to stick with it. Many resolutions pay off in the long run. Keep your goals in focus and nothing will feel better than the follow through.