How do *you* make lemonade?

[BiggusGeekus]

For random daily downers, I listen to latin radio. I don't speak spanish, so I have no idea what they're saying, but everyone seems in a good mood, I get picked up.

If possible, exercise. You've got a busy schedule, but still try to make time. Maybe bike with your kids if they're old enough. Family walks can work too. You're the Dad so carry a backpack and toss a couple of weights in there to make it more of a workout. Put the weights below the juice boxes, that's a tip.

Also just try to keep a postitve mental attitude. It can be hard, but I'm a big believer that people have natural emotional "states" that they gravitate toward. You want your permenant state to be as high as possible.

Good luck, man.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

If possible, exercise. You've got a busy schedule, but still try to make time. Maybe bike with your kids if they're old enough. Family walks can work too. You're the Dad so carry a backpack and toss a couple of weights in there to make it more of a workout. Put the weights below the juice boxes, that's a tip.

Nice tip. If the kids are smaller, maybe get one of those kid-carrying backpacks and use that as the weight. My kids loved riding in those when they were really little. Did some great hiking with them.

 

[punkorange]

yeah, I'm fat so exercise would be good on more than one level.
Well I may not be uber fat, but I'm not in the best shape.

 

[EricNoah]

I don't know if it's helpful, but...

See if you (with your wife's help, preferably) can pinpoint one thing that's really breaking your back. Maybe it's one particular payment that's just a little too much to bear month after month. Or maybe it's a lifestyle thing (a complication your life doesn't need, or an expense you could do without, or something that eats up too much time with little value in return -- for example, cable TV -- killing your cable means more money in your pocket and less low-value time passing). Whatever it is, try putting a little more energy/time/income toward overcoming or removing that thing.

 

[reveal]

I don't know if it's helpful, but...

See if you (with your wife's help, preferably) can pinpoint one thing that's really breaking your back. Maybe it's one particular payment that's just a little too much to bear month after month. Or maybe it's a lifestyle thing (a complication your life doesn't need, or an expense you could do without, or something that eats up too much time with little value in return -- for example, cable TV -- killing your cable means more money in your pocket and less low-value time passing). Whatever it is, try putting a little more energy/time/income toward overcoming or removing that thing.

That's a good point. I know this has nothing to do with expenses but one thing we noticed is that we were always happier after we finished cleaning the house. Not that it was a pigsty, but we enjoyed being in a clean house rather than a dirty home. So now we clean a little more, not a lot more, than we used to and it's helped. It's a small thing but it has brought us hapiness, so it's important.

 

[alsih2o]

Exercise, sex, beauty.

Not necessarily in that order.

 

[Desdichado]

What do you do when life hands you lemons? I mean, when you're working forty hours a week to make enough money to almost support your family. Barely able to pay bills and keep gas in the car. How do you make the best of such situations, because it's hard. I feel myself getting more depressed as time goes on, and I know that things will eventually work themselves out, but right now it pretty much sucks.

I've felt like that from time to time--particularly when I was in grad school and not making very much money, and racking up student loans instead. Here's some of my solutions--or at least things that occured to me while thinking about my "lemons."

• Lemons taste great--what am I complaining about? I'll squeeze lemons on just about anything and like it better.
• 40 hours a week isn't that much. I work about 50, and that's not that much. Many of my friends work 60+.
• Many of my "financial problems" are really just indications of my tastes being misaligned with my finances. I actually have plenty of money to afford the things I need, and then some. And then some more, honestly.
• Lots of sex helps when you're stressed or depressed. It's hard to feel down for long if you've got a fulfilling sex life.

 

[Impeesa]

"You know what my mom used to say: 'When life gives you ,' you just... uh.."

"Make -ade? What?"

[*]Lots of sex helps when you're stressed or depressed. It's hard to feel down for long if you've got a fulfilling sex life.

Amen.

--Impeesa--