Institute for Truth In Accounting

What a great site: http://www.truthinaccounting.org/
If we could display the debt clock on this site on every TV screen and prominently in all major U.S. cities, people might decide that it is time to stop federal and state spending.

The Complete Survivalist

I just found and amazing resource for Survivalist training that I wanted to share with you. You can check out the FREE 43 MINUTE VIDEO here: Survival Video

With so much happening in the world now, you need to prepare for anything! You should go here Survival Video now! Before you miss it.

Now for the Juicy Stuff

And speaking of saving yourself first, it is essential to take some time out of your days and plan for any and all possible scenarios. I have just come across a fabulous new source for survival information and wanted to share it with you:
Survival Skills Video
This link will provide you with everything you need from a good basic start to the more advanced requirements of long term disaster planning. Happy Hunting!

China Rain & Russian Thunder

Welcome everyone who is logging in as a result of tonight's Performance Zone Call. I will update this blog 3/25/09 - so please check back later tomorrow! Thanks for listening!

Leslie

Just Breathe!

Are you behind, delinquent, approaching foreclosure, filing for bankruptcy, just overwhelmed and exhausted?


Just breathe. That is right. Give yourself permission, right now, while you are reading. Stop, stretch, take a few deep breaths, think of mountains, oceans, children, flowers, golf or whatever you remember makes you happy!

This is really important. No fooling around here. You have got to relax. For a whole lot of reasons, you need to let go a little bit. Did you know that our national suicide rate is climbing? The suicide rate in our military is spiraling out of control. The pressures we face today are pushing many of us past our ability to cope.

Or at least we think so. It has been with much sadness that I read about the suicides and murder/suicides taking place recently. Recent studies show a correlation between economic and occupational stress and the suicide and murder/suicide rates. Intuitively we already know that- don't we? And we have the ability to control our reactions to all of these pressures. It takes a big "step out of our own way" as personal coach extraordinaire, David Martin is fond of saying.
The point however, is that only you can give "you" permission to let go. The bills are behind? OK - they are behind. Collectors are calling - relax, let the phone roll or answer cheerfully and say "sorry - can't do it" If collectors are abusive report them , but try to let it roll off of your back. They are just human beings hired to do a job, as unsavory a job as it may be.

For more information on I found a great site to help you with abusive collectors see http://www.squidoo.com/collection-agency-harassment

You are not alone, according to a recent study for Online Resources Corporation dated April 2008, 43 percent of households were having a harder time meeting their financial obligations than 12 months earlier. In addition, the study found that consumers are putting their credit card bills at the very bottom of the stack of the regular bills they are paying. You can download this study for yourself if you like by going to the link below and checking the box labeled: Payment Delinquencies Spread Across Billing Industries & Household Demographics (May. '08)
http://www.orcc.com/products/ebanking/whitepapers.asp

Given that this study was done in April 2008 and that the current unemployment numbers are at a 26 year high, it is most likely that even more households today are having to make very hard choices between eating and paying off debt. So the fact is - if you are struggling financially, you really are not alone.

This does not take away from those who are employed and able to stay on top of everything. Good. We want more and more people to get into this position. But if you are struggling, take a moment to recognize that you are living through a tsunami of financial chaos. Try to let go of peer pressure, shame, guilt and other anxiety drivers.

Ultimately, none of us need all of the "stuff" we have collected during the roaring 1990's and early 2000's. If you are stressed out and need relief, pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and go sit in a park for a little while. Once you start giving yourself permission to relax a little, you may even realize that you don't want to have to carry $2500.00/month mortgage payments, car payments, credit card debt and buying all of the stuff the "Jone's" seem to be accumulating. There is another way. Rent. Check a book out at the library rather than contribute to Amazon's bottom line. Pack your lunch. Invite a neighbor over for coffee rather than meeting at the local $4.00 a cup coffee house. And, this new way is really a lot more fun and far less stressful.

Most of all, don't let your financial problems control your life. If you know someone who is having a little trouble, reach out to them gently and invite them to do something free-they will be able to respond without guilt. If you look and listen, you will find others around you in similar trouble trying to hide their own difficulties and the resultant guilt and shame.

OK-Just Breathe!

Cheerfully Back to Basics,
Leslie

Unemployment - Are you ready?

Are you ready if it happens to you?

Today's Wall Street Journal reports

"The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits soared past the 600,000 mark last week, reaching its highest level since the 1982 recession in the latest sign that the labor market downturn is deepening." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123384067190252139.html

Now if that is not enough to wake us up and, as I am in Seattle, "smell the coffee!"

Neither Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama or anyone else in the world will be lining up to help you!

Personal Bailout Plan: Save Yourself First

Pay yourself first - save 10% or more in a savings account, buy extra food, pay your rent/mortgage and utilities in that order. Then pay doctors, dentists, credit card companies etc.

If you are willing and able to sell your house, even if at a loss, and get your monthly "nut" down, you should do that as well.

In short, if you are a two income household, start living like a one income household now. If you are a one income household, reduce your expenses by as much as possible. This includes moving to cheaper housing and, dare I say it...cut out the cable TV bill. You can get your news and almost everything else on your PC and share children's movies among your friends.

For all of us who are single mothers, get creative...Can you find another mother with children to share a house and utilities. Single fathers...?

Come on! You can do this! But...you must get proactive!

For those of you who have already lost your job, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Work your network, share this blog and other information sites with your network. Build support around yourself and do not give in to "hiding" or giving up. You can do it!

Until next time -

Cheerfully Back to Basics,

Leslie

Wake Up America!

This just in this morning from the American Banker:

"New-home sales in November dropped to a 17-year low nationwide, and the median house price declined 12%, to $220,400, according to the U.S. Commerce Department."

My, oh my...can you believe this?

What I find hard to believe is that some people find this "news". In 2008, 2.6million jobs were lost - the most since 1945. I know it is hard to believe but people can not buy houses unless they have income/jobs. Watching the mainstream media denial of this obvious fact would be funny if it were not lulling so many stirred up folks back to sleep. No one wants to talk about the elephant in the room: we are broke! Yes, that is right boys and girls; there is no jingle jangle in our pockets or purses. We are all cutting back on the "extras" and beginning to... dare I say it...BUDGET our expenses. For the children of this generation this may seem like a cold splash of water in the face, but I for one, breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God. I don't have to worry about the "Jone's" anymore - they are in the same boat, or at least putting a toe in the water with the rest of us. I hope you are relieved too! Not that I have any ill will towards any Jones's, we all want to better our lives as we see fit, but really - enough is enough with the buying, buying, buying.

We may well see a bit of "rally of optimism" over the next three or four months, but my guess is that we are in "valley of tears" for much of the next couple of years at least. One can not just lose so much personal and corporate wealth and expect to build it back up again in a few months. The government monetary policy will remain the same as it has been....print more paper. This printing of "fake" or "fiat" paper, along with artificially low interest rates set by the private bank known as The Federal Reserve Bank (more on this later!), will destroy the remains of our economy. Fear, panic, hunger and possibly civil unrest may create the "opportunity" for the further infringement of our personal freedoms and unraveling of our Consititution by our own elected politicians. Why? Because most of us are ignorant of the root cause of the problem: Fake money! Let us pray things do not go this far!


Anyway...as they say, "back on the ranch", what can we do today? Let's start with basic emergency preparedness. Food, water, shelter and medical provisions. Do you have them? If not, why not. Even without all of the craziness in the financial markets, we should all have basic essentials in our homes and 72 hour kits ready to grab and go. Do you?

Here are a couple of good sites:
Emergency Essentials
Mountain House

Suprisingly, FEMA has a good site too.

One last little nugget, I found a great little booklet out on the web: Gone Before You Get There It is inexpensive and I am using their list as a check list for my own household - I hope you find it helpful too!

All in all, a time of reigning in our spending and focusing more closely on what we really need has its own bright side: let's focus on our families, good times at home, keeping more of what we earn and review our priorities. I'll bring more insight to these and more ways to save money, become more independent and challenge you to think about "wealth" in new ways in the days and weeks ahead.

Cheerfully Back to Basics,
Leslie