Sleep more to spend less!

Blogger "The Happy Rock" did an interesting post on how sleep is an integral part of being more responsible with your money. I had never really thought about this, but his ideas make sense! The gist of his article is that when you're tired, you're more likely to spend extra money on "convenience" items or you might not think through money decisions.

One of the key money matters that he suggests is affected by sleep is food cost, and I tend to agree. When you're tired, you're more likely to go for convenience over economy or nutrition. It's much easier to buy some fast food than it is to plan ahead for lunch and pack yourself a nutritious (and comparatively inexpensive) salad. And when I'm tired, I know that I'm more inclined to go for what seems easy.

Tired people are also more likely to get sick or be involved in accidents, which both cause money stress. We might also have lower self-control when we're sleepy, and may be more likely to give in to impulse purchases.

All in all, I tend to agree with the idea that those who sleep more will do a better job with their finances. (Unless of course, they're sleeping instead of working!) I know that when I feel well-rested, I feel healthier and more energized to be a better money-manager.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.