Dear Wise Consumer,
The other day I'm in Barnes and Noble, checking out hot books on personal finance. There was one that caught my eye. It was called, "The Coming Great Depression." I read the insert and back cover. I nearly dropped my food! It basically talked about how things will get worse over the next 5 years and how to survive.
Now don't get me wrong. I don't do fear. But in high school they failed to teach us something. And that's, how to prepare for tough economic times.
The good times are easy. The money flows like those dollar bills in a Monopoly game. And I got to thinking, how do ordinary folks with no finance degree, prepare for tough economic times?
Three Easy Ways
To Prepare for
Tough Economic Times
I won't lie to ya. I used to hate math. Now, I love it! Why? It makes me money and helps me prepare for the future. This list is small. Use it as a jumpstart for you own economic survival plan.
Survival Tip #1: Assess
Look at your financial situation. If the economy went south again, could you and your family survive? If you have an emergency fund, get a $1,000 in there pronto! Financial Planners advise us to have 6 months of expenses socked away.
Also do you have any assets that can quickly become liquid or be sold for cash? Assessing your financials will help you develop a survival plan.
Survival Tip #2: Pay Off Debt
By now I sound like a broken record about debt. But here it goes. Being debt-free is like having a new roof on a rainy day. When things go belly-up not worrying about debt will literally give you peace of mind. Pay off as much debt as you can. Set a "debt-free date" and stick to it. When you really want something to happen, it usually does.
Survival Tip #3: Stay Informed
The most important math you'll ever master is personal finance. Read all you can to build wealth and prepare for an economic downturn. Books by Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey and others will save you a bundle.
Check out personal finance sites like Kiplinger and Money CNN. You'll learn how to spend less, save more and be better prepared. And if you want to know more about the economy get free e-mail alerts from Daily Wealth. These economy and investment experts will keep you updated on how to survive in any economy.
Survive and Thrive
Use these three economic survival tips to prepare and get through an economic downturn. When you prepare for battle, it's easier to get through the war. And you'll come out on the other side, wiser and wealthier.
Remember that you don't survive, so you become afraid of losing it all. The goal is to survive and thrive!
Try Bob's free retirement calculator - The retirement calculator was featured on 'The Saturday Early Show' by CBS' top financial analyst just click the blue button below. Take control so you can reach your retirement goals and connect to a trusted financial advisor near you.
The information in this article is not to be taken as financial or investing advice. Always seek the services of a Financial Advisor, Accountant or Financial Planner.
