Season of giving, spending and being thankful

During this season of giving, be mindful of the lesson’s you’ve learned these past three years in the recession. I’ve already talked about saving for right now and the future and investing wisely. On the job front, I stressed to be prepared to look for a new job at a moment’s notice. Still, there are Americans that just didn’t get that chance.

Nationally, there are 14.8 million unemployed workers with over 400,000 of them right here in Chicago. Many of them have turned to temp agencies to find work, and a recent Chicago Tribune article highlighted their plight. Many companies are moving towards temp and part-time workers. And, financially, it makes sense.

“There is no incentive to make permanent jobs, with good job security and good benefits and good pay and good working conditions, (when) you have another 15 people waiting out the door that would take lower than that,” said Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute.
To make matters worse, unemployment benefits may run out next month for over two million people. In the first week of December, 800,000 Americans will lose their benefits with the other 1.2 million getting their last checks at the end of the month. And another 3 million may become victim to the cuts in January and February.

This unsettling news really put things into perspective for me. And during this Thanksgiving week, the most valuable lesson I’ve taken away from this rough economic time is to be thankful. The past three years have taught us nothing if not to be humble.

As you know, I’m a firm believer in the connection between our emotions/thoughts and our biology. When we’re stressed out about something, especially finances, we feel the negative pull emotionally. Our thoughts then go to a bad place, and it affects us physically many ways. We eat too much or not at all. Our hair falls out. Or we lash out at those we love.

Instead of letting this rough economic time take over the happiness of this season, focus on what’s good in life. I have a wonderful family with a great husband. I have beautiful child with one on the way very soon. And I wake up every day knowing that I get to do something that I love.
What are you thankful for during this time?

Tags: Thanksgiving, giving, being thankful, recession, unemployment, emotion behind the money, emotion and money, Julie Murphy

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