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 spending a surprising $40 a week on fast food. This was a lot of iced coffee and hamburgers! 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 mine to save or spend. 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. It was still satisfying but not nearly as pricey. Instead of eating a whole meal, I would pick the part that I actually wanted. Many days, the thought of hanging onto 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 with each purchase.

Envelope budget kept me honest. I had a clear idea how much money was spent each week on fast food purchases. 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 approached spending 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.

1.According to Paragraph 1, the author ______ .

A. was fond of fast food very much

B. got some benefits from using her card

C. had no time to cook for herself

D. lived with a small amount of money

2.The author set her envelope budget to ______ .

A. make fast food spending under control

B. get rid of the habit of eating fast food

C. buy fast food at a good bargain

D. save money to buy more fast food

3.We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.

A. it is unusual to make some changes

B. the budget means a pressure on life

C. it is hard to enjoy a healthy lifestyle

D. envelope budget is good for health

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Why the author took envelope budget seriously.

B. How envelope budget changed the author’s life.

C. How fast food controlled the author’s behavior.

D. Why the author became addicted to fast food.

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