7 Signs You Don’t Make Enough Money

If you are constantly struggling to make ends meet, you may be facing a combination of problems. It can be frustrating to be in a financial rut and not be able to find a way out. You may think that you make decent money, but you are still struggling each month. You may be overspending or you may not make enough money. You may be overspending while not making enough to cover your basic needs. This can lead to real trouble. If you do not make enough to cover your bills, you will need to take steps now to increase your income. Even if you feel like you are too poor to budget, a budget can help you get back on track, and you can use these strategies to help you cope with being poor. Learn seven signs that you do not make enough money.

 You Are Using Your Credit Cards Every Month

One of the biggest signs that you have an income issue is that you are using credit cards towards the end of the month to cover all of your expenses. If you are running out of money during the month, or you are using credit cards to help you manage between paychecks, then you are most likely facing an income issue. At first, this may not seem as big, but as you run up your balance and your credit card payment goes up, the problem will only become worse. You need to stop using the credit cards as quickly as possible.

It may seem difficult to stop using your credit cards when you do not seem to have enough to cover your basic necessities. Switching to cash for your daily purchases can help you limit what you are spending. Leaving the card at home when shopping can help you cut back on impulse purchases too.

 You Run Out of Money at the Beginning of the Month

Every now and then, you can have a bad month where everything is super tight the last week or so. However, if you are struggling to make ends meet after the fifth of the month, then you are most likely facing an income crisis. This is a strong indicator of an income crisis because it demonstrates that there is not as much overspending going on. If you are barely able to pay your bills and you do not have enough left over to eat on, then you are not making enough money. You may feel like your paycheck is already spent before you receive it.

Finding a new job may be the best way to increase your income. However, taking on a second job or working side projects can help you pay down debt and build up an emergency fund so that you can do more than tread water. If this is going to be a long-term issue, then going back to school so that you can qualify for a higher paying job may be a good solution. As you improve your income, be sure to remember the lessons you learned while poor.

You Can’t Cover Your Bills

If you are choosing between which bills to pay, then you definitely have an income crisis. It is important to do something about this situation as quickly as possible. You may need to take on a second job to help you catch up. You should also look for ways to reduce your bills like moving to an area with lower rent or selling your car. Take the steps both in the short term and the long term to fix this situation.

Cutting your lifestyle means cutting back on the things you do across the board. It may mean taking your cell phone plan down to the bare minimum and canceling cable television. Instead of eating out, you should be cooking at home and sticking to a tight grocery budget. A night watching a movie may need to be a rental at home versus going to the theater. You can still enjoy life on a tight budget, but you need to be careful about how you spend your money.

There’s Nothing Else to Cut

When you look at your budget to find extra money, you cannot find anything else to cut. You are already doing without cable, you do not have a gym membership, and you never eat out. It can be very frustrating when you are choosing between eating and paying your electricity bill. If you have cut everything you can and you still cannot make ends meet then you have a serious income issue.

A bare-bones budget is more than just cutting your lifestyle. It means that you only spend on necessities and quit spending on luxuries altogether. This means instead of buying the steak at the grocery store, you go with the hamburger meat. It means that there is no eating out and you do not buy anything new unless you absolutely need it no matter how good the deal is. Generally, this is a short-term budget that can help you get by until you do something to improve your situation.

You Can’t Handle an Emergency

When you are stretched tight each month, it is difficult to put money aside in an emergency fund. If you are not able to handle an emergency, you may end up using your credit cards. Eventually, your credit card payments will grow large enough that they cripple you even more. If you do not have any extra money to save for an emergency fund each month, then you do not make enough money.

It may sound crazy to set aside money each month if you are struggling to get by, but having money to cover your emergencies can bring peace of mind and allow you to focus on other goals and issues. You can start with just an extra $50 a pay period and build up from there. Work to have between $1,000 and a month’s worth of income in your emergency fund.

 You Are Constantly Worried About Money

There is a difference between worrying about how to pay for an unexpected car repair and the sick knot in your stomach that never leaves as you worry about how to pay for groceries or cover the rent. If you are worried about money constantly, and it is keeping you awake at nights, you are likely not making enough money. Put some of the worries to good use and start making a plan that will turn your situation around.

A budget allows you to plan out your purchases ahead of time. An emergency fund allows you to cover unexpected expenses. If you are moving from financial crisis to crisis, you will not make traction on your goals. Utilizing these tools will make it possible for you to create and stick to a financial plan.

 You Are Not Reaching Your Financial Goals

If you are barely staying afloat and not making any progress on paying off your debt or saving money, then you are likely not making enough money. This situation may not be as serious as the other signs listed above, but it is still enough that you may want to take the steps you need to change your current situation. You may find yourself in this situation when you start your first job, and you don’t make as much as you thought you would. You need to address this before it becomes a more permanent problem.

Making a goal to get completely out of debt in a year may be a great one, but if you have close to $30,000 in debt and you only make $40,000, this may be impossible. Make sure the goals you are setting are achievable and specific. It may be paying off one credit card by the end of the year or it may be sticking to your budget while working on your debt. You can begin to make real changes in your finances a step at a time.

Source: thebalance.com ~ By: Miriam Caldwell ~ Image: pixabay.com

Self-Care for Health and Stress Management

Do you struggle with so many responsibilities in life that you forget to take care of yourself? You might be dealing with the care of your children, perhaps you are a caregiver for a family member, or maybe you are giving  150% of your energy to a business you are trying to launch.

And, while it is hard to prioritize something like getting in just 30 minutes of exercise when you have so many other things on your to-do list, remember that self-care is an important aspect of stress management.

How Self-Care Benefits You:

However, if you want to feel more resilient and better able to manage life’s stresses, you need to take time for self-care.  A walk around the park, a long soak in the tub or other forms of pampering renew you inside and out. Taking time out to maintain self-care has several benefits:

It Makes You a Better Caregiver

When people ignore their own self-care, and forget to tend to their own needs,  they risk deeper levels of self pity, low self-esteem, and feelings of anger and bitterness.

Sometimes people who spend most of their time taking care of others can be at risk for burn out, which in turn, makes it very difficult to care for others, much less themselves.

In reality, when you care for yourself regularly,  you make you a better caregiver for others.

It Affects Your Health & Wellness

While self-care doesn’t always lead to any health and wellness enhancements, the way healthy a diet and exercise do, the relaxation you get from self-care can trigger a decompression response… which can prevent persistent stress from damaging your health.

It Affects Your Emotional Well-being

If you feel like stress is taking over your life, think how you can better handle its effects and find relief in simpler routines.

Taking time out to care for yourself can remind you, and others, that you also have needs that are important too.

And, when you take care of  yourself — you feel better about yourself and your life. This sends a message to family and friends around you – that you value yourself. It also contributes to your long-term feelings of well-being.

The Importance of Self-Care

It goes without saying that if you are getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, including down-time in your schedule and making time for friends, you already understand the importance of self-care.

However, a few hours of self-indulgence on a regular basis is also a good idea. A couple of hours of  ‘me-time’ for a spa treatment might be just the ticket to help manage the stress, and here’s why:

It Calms Chaotic Feelings

Giving your body special treatment is an inherent way to alleviate stress. Besides keeping your skin soft and your body well maintained, spa-like activities, like massage, and warm baths have been known to comfort even cranky babies like nothing else.

Similar activities continue to be effective means to an end, providing the necessary diversions we need as we get older, however, sometimes we forget to make use of them.

It Gives You a Break from Stress

Spending some time in a bubble bath, or taking the time for a full body massage can help you relax and escape the day to day stressful reality, providing a  mental and emotional break.

As previously mentioned, it triggers the relaxation response and allows you to come back to the reality of your life feeling refreshed and relaxed.

It Gives You Time Alone

Whether you are an extrovert, or an introvert, having some time along is important to most people in order to function at your most efficient.

When you give yourself some down time, it’s much easier to slip into a state of quiet introspection and soul searching, giving your mind the chance to work on problems without taking all of your attention.

Side Hustle Your Way To Extra Income

Who couldn’t use a little bit more money? Whether you are a stay at home mom, starting a kids college fund, trying to pay off student loans, saving for a down payment on a house, trying to pay down debt, or just putting some money away for a rainy day, a little bit of extra cash can go a long way. You need a side hustle

Maybe you have a job but you dream about being your own boss… running your own business. A side hustle from home can be a game changer that’ll make a difference in your cash flow while giving you the freedom you have always wanted.

No matter where you live or what you do for a living, one of the benefits of the internet is the ability to make money, anytime, anywhere.

Think of it this way – you have the world at your fingertips and all you have to do is tap into an unlimited number of potential clients on social media, and BOOM! – your side hustle is producing an income. And you are earning that extra income you need, moving in the direction of a full-time, work from home, legitimate business!

How to Build a Successful Side Hustle

So you have decided to get started with your own side hustle from home but you don’t know where to start. Here are a list of steps to follow for you to start developing a successful side hustle today:

Don’t go into this endeavor blind – you need a personal development plan.

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”  Tony Robbins

Are ready to stop drifting along doing whatever comes to your attention, and you are ready to have more control over your life – then you need a precise plan.

The power of a precise plan lies in the fact that, if you plan, you are able to focus all of your activities in the right direction. The result – more control over your life!

A Personal Development plan is a detailed coordination of a complex operation where you develop strategies and implement tactics that result in a prosperous future. Think of it as an attack plan for your life!  READ MORE

Know what your goals are and why you want to accomplish them.

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.”  Andrew Carnegie

So what’s your plan? If you’re like most of us you have some goals in mind, but let’s go one step further and put together some SMART goals.

SMART goals will give you a game plan that makes it much easier to make decisions and helps keep you on track.

Just the process of writing down SMART goals will go a long way, but defining the reasons for accomplishing those goals makes all the difference in accomplishing them. READ MORE

Schedule time for your side hustle

“He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” Victor Hugo

It’s time to remove any self-sabotage or self-limitation you have around “not having enough time,” or today not being “the right time” to start a business or manage your current business properly.

There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.

As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success. *entrepreneur.com  READ MORE

Set up Business Systems

“Systems run the business, and people run the systems” Michael Gerber

Once you have been working a week or two, you should have a lot of connections and a lot of follow ups. And next week you should have more connections and more follow-ups.

Let’s talk about purpose management. It’s very, very important when you are managing your business that you are ‘keeping the main – thing the main thing’. Right now we’re focusing on our income producing activities.

For example, when you are setting up your calendar and scheduling time for:

  • Income producing activities and highlight in green.
  • Time with family for meals and everyday activities and highlight in blue.
  • Fun time with family and friends, or just time for yourself should be highlighted in yellow
  • Other things we have to do in life (doctors appointments, grocery shopping, banking, etc.) should highlighted in orange

I don’t believe in time management, but I do very strongly believe in Purpose Management… manage your life with purpose, include work, family and fun – it will set you FREE! READ MORE

Learn the Art of Connecting with People

“The goal is to provide inspiring information that moves people to action.”- Guy Kawasaki

Connecting with people is about understanding their motivations, and providing VALUE whenever, and wherever possible. However, we cannot simply ‘give’ endlessly. We have to build our lives (and our relationships) connections that reciprocate.

Most of us are looking for deep connections with:

  1. People we can trust implicitly
  2. People we can rely on
  3. People who sincerely appreciate us for who we are

When you sincerely connect with your own soul, who you are and what your purpose is… other people see that and want to connect with you. READ MORE

Learn the Art of Social Media Engagement

“Lead people with what they want. – Lead with what they’ve already said. – Lead people from where they’re at. – Lead them with the things that concern them.” – Sandi Krakowski

Once you know the target audience you want to reach on social media, what social networks they are active on, and the social networks you will use to reach your target audience, here are 9 social media basics to help you get your social media presence off to a good start.

  • Complete Your Profile
  • Ensure Consistent Branding
  • Share Content Regularly
  • Respond Quickly To Comments & Questions
  • Share Content Your Customers Value
  • Link To Your Website
  • Use Images & Videos
  • Prepare to Pay for advertising
  • Persevere – Don’t Quit

Real progress or growth with social media is a slow, steady and sometimes painful process. This is especially true when you are just getting started with social media. Like most anything of value, social media requires time, attention and especially perseverance to produce results. READ MORE

Conclusion

A side hustle can bring in that extra money you need each month. You will also develop new skills, build a personal brand, achieve financial freedom and live on your own terms. And with some more money in your pocket, there’s nothing stopping you from making your dreams come true.

Is Your Well Running Dry?

”I just graduated college with $100,000 in debt”, yeah people clap celebrate and even hug you. 🎉

“I just got a loan for $400,000 to buy my first home”, yeah people clap celebrate and even hug you. 🏡

“I just got a loan for $40,000 for a new car”, yeah people clap celebrate and even hug you. 🚗

That’s $540,000 in total debt most people are living in(add a few hundred thousand for those living in Southern California), but they are feeling good about it because they are being celebrated for it.

Now, go tell those same people you spent a few hundred dollars to start your own business…

“Whoa, are you sure?”
“What are you going to do if it doesn’t work?”
“Umm.. I don’t think those things really work”
“Do you think you can get your money back?”

Picture a bucket full of crabs with no lid… the crabs never escape the bucket. The moment a crab tries to get out of the bucket, the other crabs pull it back down.

Pay attention to who you are surrounding yourself with and who is speaking into your life.

Diet quality improves fitness among the fittest

In two recent peer-reviewed papers published by Nutrients and Growth Hormone and IGF-1 Research, Skidmore College exercise scientist Paul Arciero and colleagues report proven benefits of consuming moderate amounts of protein regularly throughout the day (protein-pacing) combined with a multi-dimensional exercise regimen that includes resistance exercise, interval sprint exercise, stretching and endurance exercise.

Based on Arciero’s studies, when followed for 12 weeks or more, individuals show improved fitness, decreased total and abdominal fat, increased lean body mass, and optimal metabolic and heart health.

To make the diet and exercise regimen easy for the public to remember, Arciero has coined the acronym, “PRISE.” The “P” stands for protein-pacing, the “R” stands for “resistance,” the “I” stands for “interval,” the “S” stands for stretching, and the “E” stands for endurance.

“Whether your goal is to improve fitness or heart health, the quality of your diet and a multi-dimensional exercise training regimen (PRISE) can make all the difference,” said Skidmore College exercise scientist Paul Arciero. “It’s not about simply eating less calories and doing more exercise. It’s about eating the right foods at the right time and incorporating a combination of exercises that most effectively promotes health and fitness.”

A member of the advisory board of the American Heart Association and a fellow of both the American College of Sports Medicine and the Obesity Society, Arciero is very familiar with the diet and exercise recommendations issued by these and other governing health organizations.

Arciero and his team enlisted 30 women and 20 men between the ages of 30 and 65 who could clearly be described as ‘physically fit’. They entered the study reporting they exercised a minimum of four days per week for at least 45 minutes per session, including both resistance and aerobic training for at least the past three years. Combined, these men and women had an average body mass index of 25 and average body fat percentage of 26.

Dividing his subjects randomly into two groups, Arciero conducted a 12-week trial in which all subjects consumed the same amount of calories and performed the identical exercise routine he has previously demonstrated to improve health (PRISE), but diet quality differed. One group consumed commonly recommended protein and fitness/sport nutrition products and the second group consumed a slightly increased protein intake and antioxidant-rich supplements.

When the trial ended, Arciero and his team found that although both groups improved on nearly every measure, those who had followed the protein-pacing and antioxidant-rich diet showed the greatest improvements in fitness, including upper body muscular endurance and power, core strength, and blood vessel health (reduced artery stiffness) among female participants; and upper and lower body muscular strength and power, aerobic power, and lower back flexibility among male participants.

These findings support three earlier studies by Arciero’s team that showed the PRISE protocol of protein- pacing with either whole food sources or whey protein supplementation, were equally effective at improving physical fitness, as well as decreasing total, abdominal and visceral fat, increasing the proportion of lean muscle mass and significantly reducing blood glucose, insulin and cholesterol levels.

Overall, these five studies support a rethinking of current assumptions about diet and exercise, which Arciero believes place too much focus on the quantity of calories eaten and amount of exercise people do, rather than the quality of the food eaten and the exercise.

For Arciero, PRISE is the culmination of research he has conducted and published over the last 30 years in an attempt to identify the most effective lifestyle strategies to improve health and physical performance.

“My original intention of becoming a nutrition and exercise science researcher was to provide people the tools to live a life of optimal health,” said Arciero.

Source: sciencedaily.com ~ Image: pixabay.com

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