Free Tips to Remember in a Recession / Depression
by Gail Minogue
For now, do NOT believe everything you hear. Question, question and speak up. I keep encouraging everyone to get back to citizen participation. It is a great place to meet people and to do some good for the well being of our society. For all those who are busy indulging yourself in "feel good" New Age programs or get rich quick schemes, could your time be better spent in helping our government right itself and help it take better care of its citizens? It needs feedback and participation by its citizens.
Some of the government programs will work. Investigate the many programs available to you. The housing relief programs keep getting better. In the beginning they did very little to help the distressed home owner but this 3rd stage of the rescue is certainly more realistic for the homeowner. Keep asking and searching for relief. The government does have programs to help you.
Be very careful of the home relief schemes out there. You do not have to pay any upfront monies for these programs. If you can't work it out with the bank, hire an attorney who will. They will most likely do a better job for you than the mortgage firms who claim to do so, accept upfront money and return little or nothing to you of relief.
Keep the pump primed. Do two or three odd jobs until it clicks for a better money flow. Remember health care and education areas are definitely hiring.
Keep "financial independence" as a goal. It takes times but promise yourself you will do everything you can to get there. Out of all monies you do receive, save something, even if it is just a few dollars a week. It sends out a message and creates an invisible attraction for more. Put it in a bank that you can't get at easily. Think 5 years out and 10 years out. Where do you want to be in 5 years? How do you want to be living in 10 years? If you think long term, you won't be so consumed by the fears of today.
Remember many people are suffering. Be kinder and more patient during these times. Many rules are bending, people are cutting deals, ask for that discount. It is okay to be paying off debt and using that as a reason to say "No".
Stay away from dumb fake TV news shows. They need "stuff" to fill the airwaves 24/7. They feed on hype, trivia and fear. What is passed off as "news" and "information" is time-filling opinions. There is lots of hot air and makeup on screen. Remember the old Eagles verse about "the bubble headed bleach blonde with the gleam in her eye...send me dirty laundry". It referred to the "news" anchors and reporters who report bad news with smiles and eyebrow raising. We are smarter than this. Let's get smarter.
You will survive this period. You will thrive again. Do not operate on man-made time frames. If you have had your portfolio cut in half and you are in retirement, you have plenty of time. Stop buying into manmade time that tells you if you are 65 and older you are just really going to have to work at Wal-Mart as a greeter or McDonald's as a hamburger flipper. Start your life at 70 and do everything possible to simplify it and support a healthy body.
Every day, WALK. I don't care where. Just walk. Get out into nature. Walk and walk some more. You are above ground Amen. Just know that every step you take is taking you towards your good. You are moving on, moving on.
Do not wait for a government program to save you. The stimulus package is a work in progress and will go through all kinds of modifications over the next few years. The government is in virgin territory, inventing as it goes. Some things will work and other programs will waste. None of it is immediate.
Keep the flow moving. Do not wait for the perfect job or even a job that uses your former skills. Go try something totally foreign to you. While you are waiting for a higher paying job, be productive i.e. walk dogs, maintain vacant houses for absent owners, stand in long lines for the elderly, bundle up clothing you or your children no longer use and sell it online as a batch, All in all get innovative. Keep moving as energy moves constantly. Good things can happen to you when you are out in the flow. Use the internet and you no longer are limited to your town or city as your market. The whole world can be your market. If you can type well, offer your services as a part time worker. Get 3 clients who need you throughout the week. You could find yourself working every day for 3 different people. It is all now about thinking outside your comfort zone.
...to be continued
Questions? Email me at gail@gailminogue.com.