Popcorn and soda

I'm not a dietitian (or economist) but it seems to me that snacks at the movie theater have a small upside (and a great deal of downside).

Sure, buttered popcorn and sugar-ladden beverages taste good, but the carb/sugar/gmo oil combo is probably as bad as smoking a few cigarettes.

What's more, you and your kids will stuff your face with it even if it's stale, bland or soggy.

And then there's the opportunity cost. Consider: a large coke and popcorn at my local AMC cost $14. $14 x 16 movies per year is $224 (and that’s just one person, for one year).

Of course, as with any habit, it's much harder to stop after you’re already hooked. Which is to say that if you're a new to this (or half-way on the wrong side of the fence), it can be a game-changer.

Never getting popcorn and soda at the theater might seem like much, but really, it's merely an extension of "no drugs, no stealing, no texting while driving.”

It's setting those expectations today—not 5 years from now—that makes it a (lifelong, life-changing) habit that sticks.