| The economy is headed towards a recession! The | | | | cheaper and healthier to eat food prepared at home. |
| market is down, we are in a crisis. When you hear | | | | Cooking together can create healing in family |
| "We ", does it make you wonder, if you are part the | | | | relationships. Couples cooking together, mothers |
| "we" being referred to. We have heard these sound | | | | teaching children how to prepare special holiday dishes |
| bytes and news reports everyday for most of 2008. | | | | can bring families closer. |
| What does this mean to you and what have your | | | | 7. Use Discount Prescription Cards |
| family values taught you about survival? | | | | Discount Prescriptions cards are free and can be |
| Former Labor Secretary, Alexis Herman during a | | | | applied for online. Prescription Discount cards are |
| conference call with members of the black press | | | | frequently based on the specific medication you take. |
| stated that high unemployment rates are a constant | | | | Even if you have healthcare, you can still use a |
| economic deterioration for the African-American | | | | discount card to reduce expensive co-pays. For |
| community under the current administration. | | | | individuals without health coverage, discount cards can |
| Consequently a job loss of over 500,000 jobs in the | | | | reduce out-of-pocket costs for long term medications. |
| African-American community has most of us feeling | | | | 8. Pull back on unnecessary spending |
| anxiety over the current state of the economy. It does | | | | Have movie night at home. Attend free local events. |
| not matter who you are or what your economic | | | | Consider not taking that annual vacation or scaling it |
| status ma be, the current economic conditions are | | | | down to a one-tank trip. Cut back on dance lessons |
| affecting everyone as the phrase goes "from Main | | | | and group sports activities. |
| Street". | | | | 9. Seek Assistance for Mortgage and Rent |
| What we can do at this time is to practice moderation | | | | When you are behind in your mortgage, contact your |
| and pay attention to our health. Panic and stress can | | | | bank for special programs put in place due to the |
| produce devastating consequences. Now is the time | | | | foreclosure crisis. The bank does not really want to |
| to pull together and empower ourselves. | | | | take your house. If you fall behind on rent, be proactive |
| Eighteen ways to survive financial stress | | | | and speak with your landlord. Many times, you can |
| 1. Start a Business | | | | work out a payment plan before you fall farther behind |
| The resources are available to assist you with free | | | | and risk court eviction proceedings. If you have an |
| programs and online using Pod casts and video to | | | | eviction pending, see a lawyer so that you can know |
| assist you with starting a business step by step. These | | | | your rights. |
| times are teaching us to be more conscious of our | | | | 10. Take Advantage of Tax Credits and Reducing |
| habits and behavior. This is an opportunity to learn a | | | | Insurance Deductibles |
| great lesson. Listen to what is being said by the people | | | | Prepare for taking advantage of tax credits. If you are |
| who are making money. A Home Business Can Work | | | | a low-income household, you may be entitled to both |
| - If It's Done Correctly! First, you need to learn the low | | | | state and federal tax credits. Examine your |
| or no cost methods of marketing your home network | | | | homeowners insurance and auto insurance deductibles |
| marketing business on the internet. With the internet | | | | Raise the deductible on your home owner's policy will |
| you are able to create an audience and build | | | | create savings. Take a close look at your car |
| relationships with people who will trust you, and buy | | | | insurance, increase the deductible and ask about |
| from you. | | | | discounts. |
| 2. Change Jobs | | | | 11. Energy saving devices |
| Do your research, don't just leave the frying pan and | | | | Install a programmable thermostats this will save |
| jump into the fire. Sharpen up your skills, look at the job | | | | money by regulating the temperature for air |
| descriptions and make sure you can perform the | | | | conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. |
| qualifications, network and be committed to going after | | | | 12. Reduce your dry cleaning bill |
| the job you really want. If you live in an area where | | | | Not everything needs to be dry cleaned and be hand |
| jobs are scarce, consider relocating. | | | | washed and laid out flat to dry. Try bulk dry cleaning |
| 3. Use Social Services. | | | | by the pound, you can dry clean more for less. You |
| Many people will not apply for food stamps, free or | | | | may have to give up hangers and use your own. |
| low-cost health insurance and heating assistance, even | | | | 13. Share baby sitters |
| though they are eligible. The stress of worrying about | | | | Make a deal with family members, switch off with |
| heating cost or food outweighs any embarrassment | | | | siblings, you can watch your nieces and nephews and |
| anticipated to explore these benefits. Receiving | | | | trade off with family members. Being allowed to get |
| assistance even one time can be the difference in | | | | out and date your spouse or partner will alleviate some |
| maintaining your health and keeping a roof over your | | | | stress. |
| head. Access free or low-cost resources in your | | | | 14. Give up the Gym Membership |
| community by finding nearby food pantries and other | | | | It does not cost anything to walk in the park or your |
| emergency services. | | | | neighborhood. Ladies borrow a yoga or belly-dance |
| 4. Shop online | | | | tape from the library. For guys, play basketball, ride |
| Cut down on unnecessary driving trips use public | | | | your bike. We can survive without the gym. Get the |
| transportation, and carpool... The average price gas is | | | | whole family involved. |
| around $3.24 a gallon nationwide. Make sure your car | | | | 15. Do Something for Others |
| receives the maintenance necessary to keep it running. | | | | Get out and assist others that need help. Helping |
| Check for low gas prices online before you travel. | | | | someone with a yard sale or having a community yard |
| Trade in your expensive car for a less expensive | | | | sale. Get everyone on your block to participate. |
| model. | | | | Volunteer to take someone to the polls when it time to |
| 5. Recycle | | | | vote. We can all be kinder and gentler to each other. If |
| Support environmental conservation and save the | | | | you cannot early vote to avoid the long lines that will |
| earth. Make it a family project to recycle. Recycling | | | | exist due the increase in voter registration, plan to go |
| feels good and it creates less waste in general. Buy | | | | early before you go to work. |
| reusable grocery bags, shop at the Farmers Market | | | | Try working to live not living to work! Don't make your |
| and support local farmers. | | | | job and making money the reason you get up every |
| A great retirement account is not security. Love is | | | | day. Create new definitions of value in your life. Teach |
| greater than money. Learn to get satisfaction from | | | | your children saving and budgeting. Create a strategy |
| simple things. Do not define your value by the | | | | with your spouse or partner to save for a common |
| purchasing of things. Discover that having good health | | | | goal or ways to cut back together. Give up your daily |
| and your family is a greater possession that things. | | | | five dollar latte for more time with your sweetie by |
| 6. Cook at home together. | | | | creating reward coupons when you give up something |
| Families do not sit down and eat at the table together. | | | | to save money. Foster a sense of cooperation and |
| Looking into the faces of our loved ones and little ones | | | | less anxiety, extended periods of anxiety can lead to |
| is the barometer for the health and well-being of our | | | | depression. The economic crisis may prove to not be |
| family. We eat out, grab fast food and sit in from the | | | | a crisis after all if we re-evaluate our choices. |
| television or eat in our car while we are driving. It is | | | | |