Are you kind of scared??

[Mamaw]

I find that my anxiety level is rising with every minute when I think about upcoming winter months and expenses. Between the higher gas prices, higher prescription co-pays and medical bills, higher cost for everything, I am becoming very worried. I know logically that I have a stockpile started, I am learning to lower my costs and expenses, am learning to simplify my life and am trying to gain control but I am still nervous. I am trying to count my blessings daily also and realize that I have much to be thankful for. But tell me....how do you all deal with the stress of recent events and prices?

[canadian gardener]

hiding out mentally, that is how I deal with it. LOL well, not quite but....

I--

Do what I can, and

muddle along as best I can and

try not to look down as I traverse any scary bits financially. Just like a mountain path.

Focus on breathing, pray and ask God for help
Do what I can
Keep putting one foot in front of the other
Don't focus too much on the scary bits.

Life will go by, and years will pass, you will survive and you will want memories that are good to look back on, not just a grey fog of financial thoughts and worries. Finances don't define you. They may limit your choices, but that's where the gift of creativity comes in.

Building a life, reading books to yourself and the kids, playing games, teaching the kids, seeing it as a challenge and a bit of an adventure, using it to pull us together. Those are memories that are good to have, and I coped with some major financial stuff along the way too. Still do.

I have a life other than debt reduction, and I'm a person beyond my limits financially. Every life has some limits. Mine are financial and somewhat health related. That isn't going to stop me.

It's not that finances never get me down. They do at times. I have had periods in my life where I wake up terrified of the future in the night and can't get back to sleep for fear of where we are at financially.

But I keep reminding myself, that finances aren't the whole story of my life. The business of frugality can become all consuming but even the most frugal person can enjoy a walk, play with a child, and read a library book if she or he has their health and abilities.

I refuse to allow financial problems to rob me of having a satisfying life. I refuse to be defined by the problems I face. I am a survivor, and a warrior of a sort.

It's like the worries and the debts are an enemy that I fight day in day out. If I'm consumed by it, it wins. If I rise above it, and remember that I'm a person beyond my temporary difficulty, I can keep breathing, keep walking and I win.

even if I don't ever get out of debt, even if I continue to have financial trouble. I win.

that's my take.

HTH (like I said, I retreat into my own happy little fog where I redefined the winners circle to include me)

You can sit beside me if you like, and anyone else who want's to redefine the meaning of winning and what's important in life.

[SHOPGIRL]

I'd try not to think about what you don't have, instead think about what you do have. You mentioned that you have a good stockpile started. You probably have more than you think you have. Just take it one day at a time. Expect that all your needs will be met. I was on a very limited budget this summer, and so far I've been able to pay everything. Try not to worry about the things that you have no control over.

[homesteadmamma]

Many of us lived through the 80's and survived. I remind myself that life is more than thinking always about dollars. Yes, at times it will be tight and yes things are going up and its looking bad, however we have much to be thankful for.

When I start to get concerned, I think time out and do some fun things. Again, there is so many things we can do that takes our mind off of the world we live in. I quit watching the news. I don't turn the radio on except to listen to soothing music. I get a good book and get lost in it. I quilt the hours away. i go for a walk and listen to the sounds surrounding me.

Focusing on finances all the time can really become mind boggling. I've found, as Margery says, I do what I can and the rest just sorta falls into place.

A wise man once said 80% of what we worry about doesn't happen and the other 20% takes care of itself. I refuse to always focus on the bad. There are others way worse off than I'll ever be.

[forestdale]

Margery, what you wrote above is the most profound post I've read here at FV. Thank you for your thoughts.

As for me, I'm a natural optimist. The only thing I've ever worried about is my family, and even that has been minimal. This frugal life can overwhelm us at times and it's good to keep focused on the whole experience of our life and not just its finanical aspects. And like Margery, I refuse to be defined by financial problems. I want my successes to tell my tale and when I look back I'll know that finances, while helping me live a rewarding life, played a minor role in the back row of my orchestra.

[PrairieRose]

I work hard not to worry. There's absolutely no point to it. I mean you can look ahead and see the forseeable future and the problems that can arise. You can do your best to prepare but then the rest of it just has to "happen". I usually get a lot of work done when the devil tries to make me worry. My dd was on a trip abroad, to an unfriendly country recently. I couldn't help but worry "some" but I got a LOT of work done on my house while she was away
It's really all in how you "choose" to cope. You can only control so much and the rest is up to the universe! Don't dwell on it.....it gets bigger and worse with every passing moment if you do.

[Michele Annette]

I used to worry a lot about everything. Now I just ride the wave and try not to worry about things I have no control over. I seek out ways to also make myself feel better during these stressful times that are free or extremely cheap. If I'm sitting idle or my brain isn't busy thinking of something else I could send myself into a real panic.

[Mamaw]

Thank you all for the encouragement. You are right, I am more than just money! And I do have so much to be thankful for! So long as I do the best I can and say my prayers thats all I can do!
Bless you all for the kind words, thoughts and support! Sorry if the post was depressing...was a very nasty day yesterday! But today is a NEW DAY and a NEW start! LOL

[jlxian]

Develop your skills for fighting back --- gardening, sewing, baking from scratch, raising animals if it is possible in your life. When things get bleak you can rest easier knowing you can handle things because you have skills that you can use to overcome some of the hurdles. Anything you can learn that will help you become self sufficient will be very worthwhile. Those skills may not pay the prescription bill, but they can feed you and keep you warm.

Its almost an over-generalized statement I know --- I can't think of any other way to put it. I hope you get the point of what I'm trying to say.

[cthy1954]

I would like to add my two cents, but Margery and Prarie Rose has already said it all.
Thanks to you both.