Brain-teasers are a fun way of keeping the brain nimble which can help when it comes to budgeting.
I like to play Scrabble. The first few times I played, though, I mostly got letters that were only worth 1 or 2 points. I still like to play Scrabble, but I wait for somebody else to ask to play in order to join in.
Some people like math. They can spend hours doing things like Sudoku and solving logic problems. Just about anything involving numbers are given the thumbs up. Many people don’t like math, though, and they are likely to give Sudoku and logic problems the big thumbs down. If this is the group you identify with, you may prefer giving the brain a workout by doing rebus puzzles, picture puzzles, and word searches.
When it comes to budgeting, it’s not so much about whether you like or dislike math and working with numbers. What matters more is keeping the brain nimble and agile because it makes the budgeting experience is a little less painful and a lot more productive. Something that gets you thinking strategically is key. Having a strategy is at the root of budgeting.
Riddles
Question: What has two banks but no money?
Hint:
Answer: A river.
Riddles are a fun way of giving the brain a workout. Here is a link to some family-friendly riddles. https://parade.com/947956/parade/riddles/
Rebus puzzles
I gave a friend a page full of rebus puzzles. She had never done any before. After a few minutes, she pushed the page away from her and said it was too hard on the brain.
With some encouragement, my friend had another look at the page. I gave her some hints to help her come up with some of the answers. I also suggested she look at the puzzles from different angles. She held the page away from her and then she laid the page down. As she worked through the page, I could tell she was “getting into it”. However, she didn’t seem too keen about doing more. When I saw her the next day, though, she asked me for another page of rebus puzzles. I had come with another page of rebus puzzles in hand. (I was hoping she would ask for more! ) Although she found rebus puzzles challenging, she decided they were fun to do. Plus, she learned to look at things from a different perspective.
Rebus puzzle:
ESGG GGES GEGS EGSG = scrambled eggs
I like rebus puzzles because I like a challenge, so I asked my friend if she could come up with some puzzles for me to do the next day. She didn’t agree to do it. There was definitely some hesitation. However, when we got together the next day, she was all smiles. She had a page of puzzles for me to work through. Then it was me who was all smiles because I had been hoping she would put some together for me!
Here is a link to some rebus puzzles. https://parade.com/1175283/marynliles/rebus-puzzles/ Have fun!
Physical activity
Physical activity isn’t a brain-teaser, but it does keep the brain nimble. It improves brain health and it gets the adrenalin flowing.
If you think budgeting isn’t fun at the best of times, it’s a whole lot worse if you are doing it when you aren’t feeling well. Self-deprivation is often cited as a reason that people avoid budgeting. The feeling of self-deprivation is worse if you aren’t feeling well when you are working on a budget. So get moving – get the adrenalin flowing!
In conclusion
Budgeting and brain-teasers. Brain-teasers make the brain be nimble. They make the brain be quick. Do things that challenge your thinking and that get you thinking strategically.
If you aren’t feeling well, it’s not the best time to work on a budget. Get moving and get the adrenalin flowing.
The best time to work on a budget is when you are in the brain-game and when you are feeling good physically.
Get kids in on the action. If kids learn to enjoy dealing with challenges and solving problems, it will help them see budgeting as just being a different kind of challenge and a different kind of problem that needs to be solved.
Have some fun giving your brain a workout – regularly! See things from a different perspective. Let me know if makes budgeting a little less painful and a more productive exercise. https://moneymeasuresinc.com/contact-us/
