These past few days have been a bit crazy, and the title alludes to it all...
The Unstable Environment!
One of my fellow co-workers had to up and leave completely due to various reasons. It was a tough decision on her part, and she is dearly missed, but she did the best she could with the circumstances presented.
However, that means that we all had to take over the many shifts that she used to work. And she used to work quite a bit to support her children. A lot of the shifts ended up being transferred to me, which has been difficult because some days I literally feel the stress in all my joints. But remembering that it's temporary makes it that much easier!
It got me thinking what happens when you find yourself in a tough spot? When everything seems to be going wrong and you need to take drastic action right then and there?
One thing I know will help me is my constant belief in paying myself first. For the most part, I try and save about half of my money on a monthly basis, which is extreme, but it really makes me focus on what is a need and what is a want. My values aren't objects, but the small things that can cheer me up any day.
For my retirement account, they are maxed out every year by weekly direct deposits. Once a month (which I'm considering switching to bi-weekly, so I make sure to never over-draft) a direct deposit is made into a savings account (which is also utilized as an emergency fund). So, monetarily I'm prepared for almost any unexpected situation that might just pop up (aka the stove!!!).
The bf and I have also talked about what would happen if something ever happened to one of us. We have lists of numbers of relatives and close by friends on the fridge that we know would be there for us in a pinch. We try and not be big planners for every minuscule detail, but we have general ideas for how an emergency situation would be handled.
Even though small or big life events can happen to us at any moment, the best thing we can do is to prepare for it all. Having a good sized emergency fund or even having a plan of what to do or who to call when things go wrong can really help when you are in the heat of the moment.
Do you guys have ways to cope with the unexpected in life. be it financial or just life?
To answer your question: Terribly. I am a planner. I like my list, my agenda, my road map. I want my path to be laid out so that I know what to follow.
ReplyDeleteI literally have to stop myself, take a deep breath, and realize that I am strong and capable of handling the curve balls life throws at me.
At least you are getting a bit of overtime will help--so thats awesome!!!
Definitely! Sometimes we don't think we can do it, but part of any stressful situation should be assuring yourself that whatever comes will be pass. Something I definitely need to work on!
Delete