Fasting and Finances

Once a month, my husband and I fast. We go without food for 24 hours. It’s part of our religious practice, but fasting has benefits that go beyond the spiritual. Indeed, there are actually financial benefits to fasting — although some of them are a little more indirect.

Benefits derived from fasting

Here are some of the financial benefits that you can derive from fasting:

1. Save money: When you aren’t spending the money on food, you can save it. My husband and I probably save about $10 a month for that one day we don’t fast. It’s not a whole lot, but $120 a year is enough to pay all of our utilities one month during the winter, or enough to cover all of our oil changes for the year. If we decided to fast twice a month, we’d save even more. You can probably think of plenty of things to do with that $120 — even invest it!
2. Learn to do without: Many people get in trouble with money because they don’t really learn how to do without. They have fallen prey to the ides that there things we “need” and we “need” them now. Fasting can help you learn that it is possible to do without, and how to defer some of your gratification. And this can transfer to your finances.
3. Build discipline: Discipline is essential for good finances. If you can discipline yourself to go without solids for 24 hours, you can probably transfer that discipline to other areas of your life — including your finances.
4. Possible health benefits: The exact health benefits of fasting are still being debated, but some agree that if you fast occasionally, being sure to drink plenty of water and eating healthy during the rest of the time, going without solids can provide you with some health benefits. And when you are healthier, you tend to spend less money on health care services.

And, of course, for the spiritually inclined, fasting about your finances can help provide you with insight on how to better manage your finances in a way that is in line with your religious beliefs.

In the end, there are some things that fasting can teach us about finances. And it can be a great practice to help you in other areas of your life as well.

Image source: USDA via Wikimedia Commons