How to get a ‘grip’ on your finances and build a great body in a shitty economy (yes, pun intended).
What do you spend most of your money on?
I just had an email convo with a great guy who’s spending $123/month for a gym membership. I’ve run into other guys who are spending hundreds of dollars on supplements each month. Other guys are spending thousands a month on personal trainers.
Getting in awesome shape shouldn’t burn holes in your wallet.
When is spending money a good thing?
- When it creates urgency
I have paid a pretty penny to join high value mastermind groups in the past, and for some one-on-one business coaching. Was it worth it?
Yes! In more ways than I could imagine.
For one, I wouldn’t know what I know now if I didn’t learn from these guys. Second, it created urgency. I spent a pretty penny, and now I had to make what I was learning work or else that money would be a complete waste.
That’s when I think spending a sizeable amount of money is good. When it lights a fire under your ass to make moves and make shit happen. If you’re overweight, buy a kick ass program, spend some money on improving yourself, and learning from someone else who has done what you’re trying to achieve. The same can be said if you’re trying to gain lean muscle mass or improve your athleticism. Make things tight. Make it more than just about self-improvement. Make it a must. You either sink or swim.
I’ll be willing to bet that you’ll swim.
- When you really don’t know what you’re doing.
I spent 7 years going in circles trying to get bigger and stronger. I tried, and failed again and again because I was following the wrong advice. Taking action is an important thing. A lot of people will go through life not pulling the trigger because they don’t want to spend $50 on a program. They’ll lose a lot more than that by not spending a bit of money on themselves.
In the grand scheme of things, $50 is nothing compared to what you gain from getting in kick-ass shape. The confidence, the energy, the years added onto your life are priceless.
When is spending money a bad thing?
- I want to say, when you can’t afford it, but…
99% of the time, if you can’t afford something, don’t buy it. I’ll give you some tips and suggestions at the bottom that will help with this. But I’ve gone into debt before. I’ve invested in myself, and in my business, and I was stressed as hell. It’s a shitty feeling to owe someone. I like being owed. But it did light a massive fire under my ass to work hard and get out of debt – which, in hindsight, was a good thing.
Sometimes being comfortable where you are is just about the worst thing that can happen to you. Stress and urgency are great gifts that I always want to have in my life.
- When you’re spending more just for the sake of spending more.
A higher priced gym doesn’t mean it’s a better gym. A higher priced trainer doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a better trainer. Supplements are the big one. You have to research the supplements you’re taking. Find out about the company, where their stuff is made, and who owns the company etc…
A lot of the flashy supplement companies own the bodybuilding magazines. That’s why you see so many supplement ads in them. They aren’t the best quality. They’re just marketed so damn frequently that they become the first thing you think about when you want to buy something, or pack on lean muscle. But they’re not all great, and they’re not all necessary.
How to Save Money and Get Jacked in a Shitty Economy
1. Do your research.
Research your trainer – ask for a free session to see if you like their personality and their philosophy. Research the program you’re going to buy – do you trust that this person will help you along the way and will their stuff get you in great shape? Research supplements. I only buy supplements from company owners whom I trust (BlueStar Nutraceuticals).
I DO NOT trust a lot of the supplement companies out there that have low quality products and take advantage of people through loud and flashy marketing.
2. Buy in bulk and buy frozen.
Don’t buy a small package of chicken breasts or steak. Instead buy in bulk. This applies to all of your foods. Head to Costco rather than your local supermarket if you’re looking to save money. A lot of the time frozen fruits and vegetables have actually maintained their nutrients better than the “fresh” one’s you see out front.
That’s because the nutrients are frozen in right after being picked, whereas the “fresh” stuff you see out front have been shipped, and sitting on display for days and even weeks.
I think quality is better than quantity. But organic food can get pretty expensive. So unless you’re willing to fork over the extra dough for organic food – which is great – buy in bulk, and buy frozen.
3. Drink tap water.
Of course this depends on where you live. I live in Vancouver and we have a very good filtration system here. I remember 5 or 6 years ago I was kidding with a friend that people were going to be buying water in a few years. And now there are bottles of water that cost over $20! But aren’t really worth anything more than a good glass of tap water.
IF you have to buy water because your tap water just isn’t that great, don’t boil the water – that’ll kill the good stuff. Grab a Brita filter, or buy bigger jugs rather than bottles. And carry your water in a metal or glass bottle as plastics have been shown to be cancerous, especially when heated. And they can actually deplete testosterone levels as well.
4. Plan your meals and think ahead.
Dining out can kill the ol’ wallet. I don’t even mean taking a nice young lady out on a date. It’s more the lunch that costs $15, then the coffee that’s $3, and the shake that’s $5. You end up spending $100 a week on avoidable expenses.
Try making a crap load of food on Sunday or Saturday and live off of the leftovers for the rest of the week.
A) You’ll be eating healthier (a lot healthier).
B) You’ll be saving money and time.
After all, time is money. How much do you value your time? I’d rather grab lunch and spend a bit more money, than spend an hour of wasted time preparing a meal. Time that could have gone to writing an awesome blog post of you guys, or setting up a new free report.
Cooking a large batch on Sunday will help you with your results, help you save money, and help you save time.
In the name of great training systems that have a WAY higher value than their price would suggest, here’s my buddy Nate Green’s ‘Hero Workout’ – which is on sale until this Monday! (Because of his birthday – check it out).
Nate Green’s “The Hero Workout”: an AWESOME system designed to help you ‘Be Your Own Hero’.
Regularly a one-time $49 fee. Until Monday only $39.
(click the image to learn more)
