If images of kids running through sprinklers drift through your mind in grainy home movie flashes, you’re feeling a little nostalgic right now.  And, why not?  The days of turning on the sprinklers and just playing in them for hours are a thing of the past.  I guess we all know why… it is not frugal to just let a sprinkler run for hours to water the lawn, let alone just to play in.

With money tight and possible water restrictions in certain rain-starved areas, the ability to just run through sprinklers that are spewing water out on the grass seems like a thing of the past.  But, when it’s steamy hot out and the kids are wilting fast outside, what can you do to bring in a little water play?  How about a wading pool with a sprinkling fountain to capture the water?

With a simple wading pool and a fun kiddie-friendly sprinkler attached to a hose, you and your little ones will enjoy sprinkler-type water fun while the wading pool fills.  Rather than filling the pool first, just place the fun sprinkler inside the pool and turn on the water.  The fountain of water will fill the pool while your little ones cool off in the falling water.  The pool fills and the kids frolic at the same time, not wasting water out on the lawn. Because the pool will fill pretty slowly, the fun can last a good, long time.

When you’re done frolicking in the wading pool, be sure to use the water to give your vegetable or flower garden a good soaking.  Give everybody a bucket and send them over to the garden so they can help you recycle the pool water for yet another use.

Granted, your poor lawn doesn’t get the benefit of drinking in a bit of that sprinkler water, but when it comes down to spending money on kids having fun versus the lawn getting watered, I’d rather watch kids laughing and giggling any day!  Get out the popsicles and the camera and have a great Friday!

There are many reasons why a well thought-out plan to rid yourself of debt may not be working for you right now.  Perhaps you have some unexpected bills to pay, like medical bills or car repair bills.  Now, each paycheck is getting divided between these unexpected expenses.  So, instead of the path you laid out to becoming free of your credit card debt, your plan has derailed.

Perhaps, like many people, you have lost your job.  If your income has been reduced, or worse, eliminated, you can’t expect to keep on track financially speaking.  You have other concerns than paying off credit cards – like how to get food on the table.

Re-grouping after these unexpected downturns may take some time, but there are things you can do to put your mind at ease.  Here are just a few suggestions for a struggling household to help get through these difficult times.

Eat Healthy – This may seem silly at first, but the truth is the better you feel the better you can cope with the stress.  Start your day with a healthy breakfast.  Eliminate fast food, which is too expensive anyway, and other quick snacks.  Replace sugary drinks and food with wholesome drinks and food to boost your energy and get you through these days, weeks, months, and, yes, even years.  Be sure the entire family is on board with this new-and-improved diet.  Everyone will benefit when you serve and eat meals that contain only wholesome proteins, vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy, and grain.  Cook up big pots of bean soup, potato soup, and vegetable soup to warm the belly as well as the troubled soul.

Discuss Your Feelings – Talk to your family about how you feel about your money situation.  Most people who financially support a family feel a great deal of sadness when they can no longer support their family the way in which they intended.  Be honest with your family about what you can and cannot afford to buy.  Don’t try to make everyone happy by trying to keep the status quo.  You’re in this together, and you will get out of it together.

Quit Talking To Your Creditors – This may be exactly the opposite of what you might expect me to say, but, for your stress level, it may have to come to this.  One call, and one call only, to each credit card company’s customer service number is all you need to make.  With that one call, firmly tell the customer service person that you are no longer able to make payments due to an unforeseen financial hardship.  Be clear and concise.  They will want to discuss setting up a payment schedule and they will press you to commit to making regular payments.  Repeat your earlier statement and end the call.  That’s it.  When you get back on your feet, call again and set up a reasonable payment schedule, one that works for you.

Never Talk To Collectors –  First of all, there is no “debtors prison” so the idea that collectors can harass you by phoning you or sending you letters threatening you with lawsuits is absurd.  Hang up the phone, tear up the letters, and don’t give it another thought.  These outstanding credit card balances are farmed out to collection centers all over the world and their days are filled with trying to get financially strapped folks to buckle and pay up.  They get a healthy percentage of that payment, so they will keep trying.  You never have to discuss your financial business with a collection agency.  There is no law that supports their claims.  I am writing this from my perspective in the USA, so keep that in mind when you read this advice.

Get Some Financial Advice – Gaining a feeling of control may be the perfect thing to help you feel stronger, and happier.  Sitting down with a financial planner, NOT a debt consultant or consolidator, is often a real stress reliever.  Laying out your financial woes to an impartial person who has expertise in the area of budgeting is an excellent means for turning your household budget worries into a plan that will actually work.  You may be missing some simple ideas that will turn things around a little for your family.  People mired in the pit of their own financial despair are often not able to see any way out.  Many financial planners offer a one-time consultation free of charge.  Take advantage of that free visit to find out if you can trust the person enough to share personal information.  Interview more than one adviser before you choose.

Of course, you are doing everything you possibly can to avoid drowning in debt, but sometimes we are handed a challenge that we didn’t expect, or want.  When this happens, and your plan derails, take time to re-group, re-organize, and re-energize.  Take care of your family needs first.  Take a bit of time to connect with your needs, as well.  Your budget will be waiting for you when you get back!

Everywhere we look, whether it’s in the headlines or in our own pocketbooks, the news is causing us feelings of anxiety -  about our money, health, and family’s well-being.  If you watch the commercials you would think that everyone experiencing these feelings is busy looking for cheap getaways in luxury hotels and on desert islands to escape the anxiety.  Well, those cheap getaways still come at an un-affordable price for many people.  Even with the most sophisticated online searching tools, a flight to paradise is still out of reach for most families these days.  So, what do we do with all this stress and anxiety?

The simplest ways to fight stress are often overlooked in the world of quick getaways to relaxing spas.  If you can’t afford to jet off to soak your troubles away in a spa, there are still many things to do that will help even the most stressed family relax a little and enjoy the day.  Here’s a short list of some of the things I have done to lighten my burden when it seemed unbearable.

Take a walk. Yes, I know you’ve heard this one before, but I want to emphasize something here… it actually works.  When that oxygen starts flowing to the brain, you can’t help but feel, and think, better.  This is tried and true and I recommend you start today with at least a 15 minute walk.  Tomorrow make it a 30 minute walk and you’ll get hooked before you know it.

Read a funny book. Your reading list probably looks like mine.  It’s as long as my arm and I don’t know when I’ll get time to read everything I want.  This just adds to my stress.  So, just for today, forget your reading list and pick up something funny, even if it’s not on the list.  The late, great Erma Bombeck has been making women laugh for decades.  One good belly laugh and I guarantee you’ll start to see daylight.

Cook a big pot of hearty soup. Even if you are currently dieting, you can undoubtedly find a soup recipe that is on your diet.  Buy good, wholesome ingredients and get that pot simmering.  A big pot of soup bubbling away on the stove has the aroma of comfort and prosperity.  Soup is typically less expensive to make than other meals, so indulge yourself and your family today and save money in the process.  Try a frugal soup like Black Bean Soup to really stretch the money and fill the tummies!

Clean and organize something. It doesn’t matter what it is, just pick a cluttered area and dig in.  Your mind will suddenly have a new focus and you’ll end up with a clean closet or cupboard.  Use nice hot sudsy water to wipe up the shelves or walls.  The added lull caused by dipping your hands in the bubbly water will warm and relax you, as well.

Get together with a positive friend. By positive, of course, I mean a friend with a positive attitude.  Someone who will listen to your troubles for a moment or two and then will say, “Hey, let’s go for a walk.”  While you’re walking, or sipping tea, a positive friend will help keep the focus on positive subjects, steering away from the situations that have you and your mood spiraling downward.

Turn on some music. If you can’t get out of the house to listen to a concert, put some music on at home.  Turn it up loud and dance to it if you like, or turn it down and sit quietly letting the music wash over you.  Whatever your style and taste in music is, it doesn’t matter.  Music just gives your brain a chance to quit spinning.

Turn off the news, put away your bills and your budget, and take a few minutes for one of these stress relievers.  You deserve a moment of peace, a moment without stress, and your family deserves an energized YOU!