It seems right now many people are stressed. I’m not simply talking about the stress that comes with economic uncertainty, but I’m seeing fewer smiles on people’s faces. I’m seeing more blogs with angry comments. I’m seeing more hopelessness.

Since the focus of this blog is living a life of balance as well as financial principles I decided to take a look at what stress costs each of us.

Now, I’m not an economist. Remember, I started this blog because I’ve lived it. Therefore, I won’t have some speculation based on a fancy equation by a long-dead mathematician. I’m going to look at things all of us can measure.

1. Stress can cost you an entire meal when a bad phone call comes while you’re fixing supper.
2. Stress can cost you an evening of fun with your kids when you allow the office to follow you home.
3. Stress can cost you quite a bit on your grocery bill when you are in a hurry or upset. [You tend to buy more when you aren't paying attention.]
4. Stress can cost you. The money for prescriptions to counter the effects of stress.

But what can we do with these? I want to offer something to think about and something to do.

First, the something to do. When you go grocery shopping or to do your errands, leave the house with a list. Before you leave, estimate how much things will cost and take the cash with you. Do not use credit or debits. If you are writing a grocery list and making your weekly meals based on the sales, this will be even easier to do. Give yourself some pad [if it is in the budget] but not too much. You need to stay within your budget.

Next, listen to a favorite CD or a book on CD on your way to the grocery. I borrow them from the library and listen on my way to the grocery and to do other errands. I have truly found about a 15%-20% decrease in my weekly grocery bill when I combine a list, a good mood and CASH ONLY.

The something to think about is this: it is always something!! While that statement is usually said to imply that there is always something to mess things up I think we need to flip it around and recognize that there is always SOMETHING to be thankful for. We need to stop focusing on the fear and focus on the positive. I say this not for some pie-in-the-sky-let’s-all-hold-hands ideal, but rather because I’ve come to realize that no matter how bad my circumstances, there was always SOMETHING good to be found. When I took the time to recognize those good things I was able to accomplish more, spend less, and generally enjoy life.

This blog is about the Balanced Life. That balance recognizes that there will be times when things are not working out as we’d like them to. Sometimes the weight on the BAD side of the scale is extremely large. That is why an arsenal of recognition of the positive is so crucial. You simply pull it out and bring your life back in to balance.

So take the time to ignore the stress. Focus on what you’ve won and are gaining rather than on what you’ve lost.

Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Today’s Christian, Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal, and the Afictionado E-zine. Tenacious in her approach not only to create a great story, but also to mentor other writers, Tiffany can always be found in the presence of a book or laptop. A former world traveler who is fluent in three languages, she strives to reach those who are hurting around her. She enjoys helping others build a strong business and writes a daily marketing blog for writers called the Writing Career Coach and a common-sense money management site, TheBalancedLife.com. Tiffany lives outside Toledo, OH with her husband, a recent cancer survivor, and their four girls.

People who hear about a money website usually make two assumptions: it’s about investing or it’s for people who are flat broke. Well, neither is true for The Balanced Life.

I have known VERY wealthy people who had a poverty mentality. Their every thought was about capturing more and clutching to what they had. They feared every penny they might have to spend and they dreaded each purchase. They were encapsulated by terror. For them, money was to be stockpiled and never spent. It was to be saved “Just in Case”. The problem was when “Just in Case” happened, they screamed and fumed about spending the money. They were out of balance.

This website is for EVERYONE. Having a balanced attitude toward money is crucial whether you earn $30,000 a year or $300,000. It is necessary if you have $1 million in savings or $1. You need to remember that money is a tool. It is neither a savior nor a friend. It isn’t an expression of love. It isn’t the answer to every problem.

We told our kids one day “You know, even as we earn more money we will still have a budget. We will not buy everything we want, even if we can afford it.” Our kids were shocked. They had bought in to the notion that if it is there it is to be spent.

One of the things I’m going to cover in my free webinars in April is the way our family determines how much we can spend on fun stuff. This is very important to keeping EVERYONE in balance, whether a saver or spender.
I have are days I’m just so frustrated with trying. I don’t want to keep track of it anymore! But I’ve seen when I push past that wall, I feel better on the other side.

So I keep working and keep trying.

I hope you will join me.

Make sure if you want to be in the webinar that you sign up for “The Balance Sheet” newsletter and indicate that you’d like to know about webinars. I am limiting each webinar to 10 people so that everyone will have plenty of time to ask questions.

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Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Today’s Christian, Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal, and the Afictionado E-zine. Tenacious in her approach not only to create a great story, but also to mentor other writers, Tiffany can always be found in the presence of a book or laptop. A former world traveler who is fluent in three languages, she strives to reach those who are hurting around her.     She enjoys helping others build a strong business and writes a daily marketing blog for writers called the Writing Career Coach and a common-sense money management site, TheBalancedLife.com. Tiffany lives outside Toledo, OH with her husband, a recent cancer survivor, and their four girls.