'Tis the Season

Lucky for me I have an email account specified to use when opening club savings accounts, signing up for savings with various retailers, shops, and stores. They do not come into my everyday email account where I get messages from friends and family members, or a bill reminder.

The account set up for giant, rite aid, cvs, nordstrom, kate spade, bath & body works, coach, and others is a separate account and it is BOOMING with offers and specials and holiday sales. If I was an impulsive shopper, I'd have a home full of purchases, and struggling to pay my bills.

Don't get caught up in the hype of holiday sales and offers. Here are a few tips to stay focus, but most of all, be grateful for what you already have and that which you share with your loved ones at no cost:

• Unsubscribe to sales emails or set up a separate account
• Don't purchase something (even at sale price) that you do not need
• Don't purchase gifts for friends and family, make gifts such as framed pictures, baked goods, or invite them over for dinner and games
• Be aware of your financial status and goals
• If you didn't plan to make a purchase, don't buy it
• Set financial goals for 2018 (it's never too early to start)
• Limit your credit purchases (it's not really a sale if you're paying interest on the purchase)

Do not let the holidays over take you or make you blue. Instead, celebrate the season with your friends and family. Have potlucks, game nights, wine tastings (everyone bring a wine) and make a dish together (everyone can bring an ingredient). 

I recently met my friend at the local town center. We had a festive time at the center tree. We had great conversation beside the warm fire, and took pictures to share on our social media account. The actual face time with one another was priceless! Now that's something worth saving, the memories we created! 

'Tis the season!

(Share some ways you can save money and your sanity during the holiday season in the comments below)

2 ways to get your afternoon focus back

Now that summer is almost over, and your work schedule is less of a balance act of summer camps, forgotten lunches, vacation time, and other things that pull your attention, here are some tips to keep you energy and productivity up. 

1. Take a walk outdoors for 15 minutes after eating a quick lunch. Research has found that people who go outside and focus on their natural surroundings enjoy their breaks more compared with those who stayed indoors.
2. Find a quiet place in the office to do relaxation exercises, deep breathing and meditation. 15 minutes of relaxation can help you improve your focus. The benefit of this comes from being able to detach yourself from work during your break.

Both of these activities help with concentration and reduce fatigue. People who relax or walk outdoors seem to leave work with more energy compared with those who take a usual lunch break.

It can help increase productivity on a busy day. Although you may think your day is too busy to take a 15-minute break, you might actually make up for that time by being more efficient after your break.

--Adapted from “Here’s How To Be Less Tired After Work,” MacMillian, Amanda, Time.

Is our sedentary life affecting our health?

In “No time to exercise? Taking small steps can still help,” (WaPost, Augst 24, 2017) Berman reminds us what we already know, we do not move enough. Yes, it is affecting our health. Not moving and having regular exercise will eventually promote all the health issues many aging women try to fight:

• Weight gain
• Mood
• High blood pressure
• Stress
• Heart disease
• Diabetes

Getting started on the path to moving more and living a less sedentary life is as simple as adding steps into your daily return. Berman writes this can make a big difference. There is also no cost for membership or equipment to move more. Some ways to incorporate these steps are:

• Go on walking dates rather than eating dates.
• Walk when you feel tired. A high-intensity workout may not motivate you to move when you’re feeling sluggish, but a walk could energize you.
• Clear your mind and walk. Count your breaths while focusing on mindfulness, or listen to a podcast, music or audiobook to take your mind off your day and refocus.
• Create a new routine. Start with 5 minutes and build up to 10, 20, even 30 minutes of walking before or after work.

Let us know how you get your steps in. Share tips and let us know, “What have you done for you lately?”

Women. Money. Misery. There is another way.

When an article “Why young women are miserable” popped into my inbox, I had to flag for a concentrated read later. I was surprised to find the article actually address an issue friends and I are facing right now, money! This topic immediately ties to our well~being and happiness. Especially when your are referring to money for increasing cost of living and stagnant incomes that haven't moved much since the recession.  

The article talked about stress as it relates to finance and offered the following tips on being less stressed about your finances. Here are 5 amazing tips you should not only read, but share with everyone. Especially other women and young adults.

1. Set at budget and stick to it! It is the fundamental basic of money. If setting a bi-weekly or month budget is something you find hard to stick with, try setting a daily spending limit. It’s much easier to pass up a latte today vs over spending a line item in the budget like groceries or spa trip.
2. Treat yourself, within your means! Key here is your means. Treating yourself is great, but if you’re earning $50,000 a year, treating yourself isn’t a shopping spree at Nordstrom, but more like a movie and cheap dinner out with friends. Shopping at Nordstrom isn’t bad, but those are things we have to save and plan for.
3. Talk to someone. Ahhh, attend a Women’s Well~Being Circle event and share concerns, best practices, and tips with other like-minded women who inspire and support one another without judgement. It’s a save space to realize you are not alone.
4. Look at the big picture. It’s true what they stay, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” You can’t make every event, party, and concert in town. But you can save to have that once in a lifetime experience after you have saved some money and planned for an expense like a weeklong vacation.
5. Seek financial advice from a planner or counselor. If you have tried everything and your money matters are more than you can handle, seek professional help from a trained financial planner or counselor.

Money can’t buy you happiness, but control of your money can. Robert Cummins, Professor Emertius at Deakin University says a sense of purpose, a strong personal relationship and a sense of financial control can help you find happiness. Hiss research found that low income earners who rated themselves at least an 8 out of 10 for being in control of their money were far happier than those who earned substantially more but rated themselves less in control of their money.

Take control of your money and cheer up! You’re not alone, and there are lots of help and strategies for a financial well~being. I personally have cut cell phone usage which afford me a week at a beach front condo each summer, and recently have cut cable. I instead opted for Roku and borrow free DVDs from my local library. Yes, they even have new releases and you can often place holds on materials for a quick pick up.

You can learn other tricks of the trade by sharing, talking to others, and accepting that you are not alone and you can be empowered by money.

To read the full article, “Why young women are miserable,” click here.