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With the country in recession and politicians fighting over the best ways to address the problem, it's easy to feel depressed and powerless. But the answers are right in front of you-they are within you, to be exact! You and you alone have the power to control your responses and emotions about what is happening in the world around you, and you can take immediate action to permanently change your life for the better.
Below are the first four of five simple but powerful steps to create your own personal stimulus package and regain control over your life.
The 5 steps are:
1) Get a GripDespite the wide-spread panic, the world is not ending. Of course people have real problems that are difficult to overcome, but they are not insurmountable. The greatest stressor for individuals at this time is their personal finances; some people have lost some or most of their assets in the stock market, others have or might lose their homes. It's bleak, I know, but you have the strength to get through it.
The fact is, worry and negativity only make matters worse. They cause stress, aging, short and long-term health issues, and they make it more difficult to think clearly and implement solutions. Stop losing sleep over your finances; your creditors aren't thinking about you at 3 a.m., so don't waste your energy thinking about them.
Best Tip: Learn to combat worry and negativity with these three simple steps: BLT-(1) breathe, 2) let it go, and 3) think gratitude. Breathing deeply will reduce your stress and release feel-good chemicals that will calm you down. Giving up your troubles to a higher power relieves you of the burden of carrying them. If you do not believe in a higher power, know at least that your troubles will resolve themselves with time. Finally, think of things to be grateful for. This can be difficult when things look bleak, but you can always find something positive in even the worst circumstances.
2) Get RealYou alone control your emotions, your responses, and your destiny. Politicians may control the purse strings at the national level, but only you control what happens in your daily life. Don't wait for the government to bail you out, because it won't. Take responsibility for your own situation and take charge of your own affairs.
Best Tip: You can actually choose to be happy no matter what is happening around you. Imagine you are walking down the street, when someone suddenly shoves you to the pavement. Your first response is likely to be anger at the person who pushed you, right? But what if you then realize he was pushing you out of the path of a speeding car? You would feel happy and grateful. Same situation, two totally different responses-all depending on how you chose to perceive what was happening to you. You can choose your response in almost any situation. Choose happiness and you will find your troubles easier to bear.
3) Get a Clue Do the math. As difficult or painful as it may be, creating a budget is the best way to regain control over your finances. By making a list of your income and your expenses you will get a good picture of your situation that will enable you to make better choices about how to spend your money wisely.
Best Tip: Call every vendor you do business with and find out how you can reduce your payments. I just saved $300 a month by calling my cable company, car warranty firm, cell phone provider, and home equity loan lender and asking them to lower my payments. It took me an entire hour on the phone, but now I'll save more than $3600 per year! That's three house payments!
Other simple ways to save a little money that adds up to a lot:
Change your air filters in your home and your car (that could make up to $50 difference in your electric bill and gas tank each month!) Start couponing. Use coupons from your Sunday paper or go online for even more savings to coupons.com. Also, get a rewards card from your supermarket and find out when double-coupon days are. One woman was recently featured on the news for actually getting money BACK from the grocery store!
Consider changing your home phone service to an Internet service like PhonePower, ViaTalk or Vonage. This could save you several hundred dollars each year. Or get rid of your home service entirely and just use your cell phone as your main line. Use only your debit card from your checking account, not your credit cards. If the money comes out immediately you're likely to spend less.
Wash your hands! You'll save on medical bills and over-the-counter medications.
Rent out an unused space in your home. You can earn several hundred dollars each month by doing so. Put air in your tires and improve your gas mileage by up to 5 percent. It's basically free gas!
Find out about all the benefits of your job. Talk with the Human Resources person. Some benefits might include free tickets to sporting events, educational classes, or an optional match of your retirement funds. I told my daughter-in-law to ask her new employer about moving assistance and they paid for everything-in advance! Ask for sign-up fees to be waived whenever you sign up for a new account or service.
Ask your doctor to prescribe your medication in twice it's usual strength, then cut the tablets in half. Usually the higher dosage tablets cost the same, so you'll get twice as much medication for your money.
If you back-track, don't beat yourself up. Just resolve to do better and move on.
4) Get SmartSecure your job by becoming a subject-matter expert. Read the latest industry magazines and the daily paper. Stay on top of trends that could affect your company and keep the boss informed by sending her clippings of relevant articles.
Offer superior customer service. Call all your customers and ask how you can help them during these tough economic times. Customers have a choice of who they spend their hard-earned dollars with, and they go every time to companies they like and trust.
Best Tip: Ask for a meeting with your boss. Tell her that you appreciate the challenges the company faces and ask how you can help the organization to be more profitable. Brainstorm ideas for increasing revenue and decreasing expenses. Doing this shows initiative, drive, and loyalty. When your boss knows you are a team player who is vested in the success of her company, she will appreciate you more and may be less likely to lay you off.
Stay tuned for 5th and final tip!
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