What to do when money is tight and it's the holiday season?

Money is tight for almost everyone right now, and considering the health care crisis, it can be especially tight for patients with chronic illness. Here are some more financial tips. I'm sure as readers you have lots of ideas on how to save money. Feel free to comment with added financial advice! I'm always interested in learning more ways to save money!

1. Whenever you go shopping always bring a list and stick to the list. I am the worst at this. I can't go to Walmart or Target without a list, otherwise I will leave with things that I think I need because I pass them as I'm shopping. Make a Christmas list, budget ahead of time, and stick to the list.

2. I've given my email address to the stores where I often do my Christmas shopping during the holidays. I've already received a lot of emails from them with promotional codes for free shipping or discount coupons that I can print and use in the store. If you don't want your email inbox full of ads, create another email account that you use only for stores and companies you're interested in receiving coupons from. Kohl's has a promotion right now, if you give them your email address, they will send you a $5 coupon. My husband and I each did this to save $10 on our Christmas shopping.

3. You can also google the name of a store along with 'promotional code' or 'coupon' to find additional offers.

4. Google also has a feature where you can type in the name of an item as well as 'price' and it will give you the stores with the lowest prices on that item. Or you can text google from your phone and they will text you back the stores with the lowest prices on a particular item.

5. If you are able to pay off your credit card in full, 100% every month, you can get a card with rewards points and use them for Christmas shopping or winter clothes shopping. We put medical bills and gas purchases on our credit card and use cash for all our other purchases. We pay our card off every month and never carry a balance. We use our rewards points for gift cards to stores like Old Navy, Gap, and TJ Maxx. New clothing usually isn't an added expense for us; we get it for free using our rewards points. We've never payed any fees to our credit card company, so basically they're paying us to use their card.

6. Since I'm back to my normal weight I can't fit in my winter clothes from last year. I've taken a lot of my summer shirts and layered long sleeve tees under them so I don't have to buy too many new winter sweaters.

7. If you have medical bills but money is tight right now here is a tip: Make sure they aren't gaining any interest. If so, make a token payment of a few dollars for the months of November, December, and January. It is better to make a small payment rather than no payment at all. If you are making small monthly payments they won't send your account to collections.

8.You can turn your water heater down. That way you'll use less hot water on a daily basis and your bill will be a lot lower.

The Road to Home

Amy Macdonald sings a lovely song called The Road to Home. Listening to this song made me grateful for friends. It doesn't matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, when we talk or get together, it will always feel like 'home.' Chronically ill or not, they will always be there for me. I am grateful for you guys!

All of us are on the 'road to home'. Let's strengthen each other on the way. If you know someone that's suffering, take a moment today to do something kind for them.

Oh the leaves are falling from the trees
And the snow is coming, don’t you know?
But I’ll still remember which way to go
I’m on the road, the road to home

Oh the sound is fading in my ears
And I can’t believe I’ve lasted all these years
But I’ll still remember which way to go
I’m on the road, the road to home

Oh the light is fading all the time
And this life I’m in it seems to pass me by
But I’ll still remember which way to go
I’m on the road, the road to home

Now I must say good bye
Keep telling myself “now don’t you cry”
But I’m here where I belong
I’ll see you soon, it won’t be long
I’ll see you soon, it won’t be long
I’ll see you soon, it won’t be long

Dissolve Physical or Emotional Pain

There is a balance in dealing with pain. It's crucial to acknowledge and care for physical or emotional pain, but don't get enveloped by it. Listen to your pain, address it in the ways you need to or know how to, and learn from it. If you suppress the pain or ignore it, it could possibly increase. After you have listened to the pain (emotional or physical) and tended to it, and it chronically persists, then it's time to redirect your focus to what isn't hurting and to what is working. Once you've done this, you've found the balance in pain. And you've practiced an important life lesson.

Chronic pain patients are often given the advice to focus away from the pain and channel that focus towards the parts of their body that aren't in pain. This technique is very effective. Try it... If a part of you is in physical pain try to think about the parts of you that aren't in pain. Focus in on those parts, let yourself feel gratitude for the lack of pain in these parts. And if your pain is emotional rather than physical, focus on the things in your life that cause you no emotional pain but rather lift your spirits.

At first I was scared of the pain, so I ignored it. I crowded my mind and life with busy, productive distractions from the pain. After a while, the internal physical pain started to scream at me so I would listen. I stubbornly fought against it, but eventually I listened and worked hard to calm it. There is a certain amount of pain that still persists no matter what I do, so I'm learning to focus away from the pain.

Simple

Keep it simple! In the article "The Best Organics for the Buck" (O Magazine October 13, 2008), Karen Springen outlines the most important organic foods to focus on buying when you're tight with money. I know, I know, it's one more thing to worry about. I thought so too, and I also thought organic food was for hippies or rich people. But studies show that organic food is more nutritious, so it's worth the extra cost. The more nutrition you can get when your chronically ill the better able you are to manage your disease. And even if you're not chronically ill, the sooner you start eating organic food or locally grown food the better. Karen recommends the following specific organic food investments (investments for long-term health)!

In the article Karen recommends if you drink a lot of milk, it's good to buy milk organic. "There are so many hormones and antibiotics in many brands of conventional milk" says environmental activist Deidre Imus. Studies show that organic milk can have more nutrients.

The Environmental Working Group has found the following fruits and vegetables have the highest level of pesticides "cranberries, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, pears, apples...sweet bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, and lettuce. Some of the least contaminated fruits are those with removable peels, like bananas, citrus fruits, pineapple, mango, and avocado." (O magazine, p.78).

Remember to Breathe

One of the best ways to free our feelings is to breathe into them. Deep breathing assists us in several crucial ways. Physically, it cleanses our body of air that has been sapped of life-giving oxygen, replacing it with fresh, rejuvenating air. Interestingly, studies show that when elderly people practice deep breathing for only a few minutes a day, their memories improve dramatically. Psychologically, slow, deliberate, deep breathing allows us to move below surface feelings into an awareness of casual, root emotions that may be breeding discomfort in our lives.

Sue Patton Thoele, A Woman's Book of Confidence

I am the worst at this advice. I keep myself distracted, so I don't have to really feel the pain, but that also keeps me from really feeling things and from truly breathing. I have to remind myself to stop, breathe and feel. When I do stop and take deep slow breathes it clears my head and rejuvenates me.

Music is therapeutic

I love the lyrics to this song, Can't Go Back Now, by the Weepies. The songs I included on my playlist are more than just songs I like. They have lyrics that uplift and that also resonate with me and other chronically ill patients. You can read the lyrics here or listen to the song on my playlist on the right hand column of my blog. Music can be very therapeutic when you're in pain.

Yesterday, when you were young,
Everything you needed done was done for you.
Now you do it on your own
But you find you're all alone,
What can you do?
You and me walk on
Cause you can't go back now.
You know there will be days when you're so tired that you can't take another step,
The night will have no stars and you'll think you've gone as far as you will ever get
But you and me walk on
Cause you can't go back now
And yeah, yeah, go where you want to go
Be what you want to be,
If you ever turn around, you'll see me.
I can't really say why everybody wishes they were somewhere else
But in the end, the only steps that matter are the ones you take all by yourself
And you and me walk on
Yeah you and me walk on
Cause you can't go back now
Walk on, walk on, walk on
You can't go back now

Wrestling with the Angel (Image: The Wrestling of Jacob and the Angel by Chagall)

In Rachel Naomi Rehem's book, a national bestseller, My Grandfather's Blessings, she recounts the beautiful story of Jacob wrestling with an angel as her grandfather once told it.

Sometimes a wound is the place where we encounter life for the first time, where we come to know its power and its ways. Wounded, we may find a wisdom that will enable us to live better than any knowledge and glimpse a view of ourselves and of life that is both true and unexpected. Almost the last story my grandfather told me was about a man called Jacob who had been attacked in the night as he slept alone by the bank of a river...He awakened to find himself gripped by muscular arms...It was so dark that he could not see his enemy, but he could feel his power. Gathering all his strength, he began to struggle to be free.

'Jacob was a very strong man, but even using all of his strength he could not free himself..." "How long did they struggle, Grandpa?" I asked with some anxiety. 'A long, long time...' he replied, 'but the darkness does not last forever. Eventually it was dawn and as the light came, Jacob saw that he had been wrestling with an angel...Jacob's leg was hurt in the struggle. Before the angel left, he touched [Jacob] on the place where he was hurt...He touched it to remind Jacob of it. Jacob carried it all the rest of his life. It was a place of remembering.' Looking back on it, I have wondered if my grandfather..had not left me with this story as a compass. How tempting...to put the struggle behind you as quickly as possible and get on with your life. Life might be easier then but far less genuine. Perhaps the wisdom lies in engaging the life you have been given as fully and courageously as possible and not letting go until you find the unknown blessing that is in everything." (p.25-27)

This quiz will save you from getting sicker, and help you age slowly...

Answer these questions from the book The Anti-Inflammation Zone by Dr. Barry Sears to see you if have internal silent inflammation:

Are you overweight?
Are you always craving carbohydrates?
Are you constantly hungry?
Are you tired, especially after exercise?
Are your fingernails brittle?
Is your hair limp with little texture?
Do you sleep excessively?
Are you groggy upon waking?
Do you have a lack of mental concentration?
Do you lack a sense of well-being?
Do you have headaches?
Are you constantly fatigued?
Do you have dry skin?
(The Anti Inflammation Zone, p. 34, by Dr. Barry Sears author of the New York Times bestseller The Zone)

Dr. Sears writes that "if you answered yes to more than 3 questions, you probably have elevated levels of silent inflammation." (p.35) Silent inflammation can go undetected for years and manifest itself later in life as chronic illnesses like Alzheimer's disease and early aging. It's important that you listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Silent inflammation can also contribute to depression. Be mindful of signs that your body is under distress, and take the time to care for it.

Sometimes I was too busy to listen to what my symptoms were trying to tell me. If you have screaming pain, you already know you have inflammation. Inflammation is what causes pain, so if you nurse the inflammation, you will help calm the pain. In order to combat the inflammation, Dr. Sears recommends taking fish oil, exercising regularly (but not excessively), and reducing stress. He also suggests extra-virgin olive oil, ginger, and Aloe Vera (p. 91-92).

My doctor also says it's important to pinpoint possible food intolerances. Recent studies also show that if you avoid using too many strong cleaning chemicals, you can reduce inflammation. Using more natural beauty products--rather than products with a lot of chemicals--can help you reduce inflammation. Check back for future posts on more ways to calm internal inflammation.

"By reversing silent inflammation you will: think better, look better, feel better...help prevent heart disease and stroke, help ward off cancer, help reverse type 2 diabetes, help prevent neurological disease (Alzheimer's, depression, attention deficit disorder, Parkinson's), help reduce autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis), help reduce screaming pain (fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic pain, arthritis, and so on). But most important, you begin to control your own future."

Dr. Barry Sears The Anti Inflammation Zone p.8-9

Healthy food

The best advice I ever heard about eating healthy is this...

Try to eat mostly plants and as close to their natural state as possible.
(O magazine, October 2008)

If that sounds incredibly lame to you, trust me! As you add more of those gross veggies into your life, little by little you'll convert! Vegetables are more nutritious when they haven't been cooked or processed. And if everyone followed this advice we'd all be a lot healthier and happier. We'd look better and live longer.

On personal note...

I remember vividly the day my worst pain flareups began. It was the day of my sister's wedding. I was already struggling to heal and manage a really strict, allergen-free diet. I'd dealt patiently with months of vomiting, tons of weight loss, fatigue, brain fog, clumsiness, and a lot of side effects (just to name a few things). But the day of my sister's wedding, the pain was off the charts! At the time, I didn't realize that horrible pain would become a permanent fixture in my life. I wished I could be rushed to the emergency room, where the doctors could fix whatever was causing me pain, and I'd be cured in a few hours of surgery. Some days I wished I had cancer or diabetes, because at least then people would know and understand my sickness. But that's not my story. Instead I got a invisible chronic illness with a name that people haven't heard before. I did have several expensive surgeries, but no cure, just worsened pain. I got a disease that takes many doctors visits and that requires constant maintenance.

With all this lameness, I continue to count myself as incredibly lucky. I am blessed because I have an incredible husband who helps me get through all this crap. He carries me through the difficult days. When I was vomiting a lot, he would hold my hair back and comfort me as I threw up for hours on end. When I wake up in the night in pain, he holds my hand and asks if I'm okay. I married the most amazing person I've ever met in my entire life. I aspire daily to have more of the traits that my husband embodies. And I'm super grateful he puts up with me! I don't deserve him! He is continually sacrificing to help me. He could write his own blog on how to care for a chronically ill spouse!

Credit Crunch

Here are some quick tips on how to improve your credit (and feel free to comment with any additional tips):

1. Don't apply for a lot of credit cards or loans. The inquiries will hurt your credit score.

2. Make sure you have credit cards or loans in your own name. You need your own line of good credit. You can't depend on using your spouse's. That way, you have a double safety net. If either of your credit gets damaged, at least the other one has good credit.

3. Don't charge a lot to your credit cards. If the limit is $2000, then only charge $200 to the card. If you have a small amount charged to your cards and high credit limits, it will increase your score.

4. Don't be late on payments ever!

Thank you friends and bloggers!

Thank you for all your supportive posts, comments, and emails! They help to strengthen me, especially when the pain is at its worst! Thank you to all of you who posted my link on your blogs so others can link here. And thanks to all of you who put really nice posts on your own blogs to support my efforts here. I couldn't survive without your help!