Simen Hegstad Krueger, a Norwegian cross country skier, trained his whole life to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics. On the very first lap of the race, he slipped and fell face down in the snow, his Olympic dreams completely crushed. But, in an amazing turn of events, he was able to untangle his skis and legs, get up, and pass 63 other skiers to ultimately win the gold. No matter what kind of financial setback you may face, you CAN recover, just like Simen, and go on to crush your financial goals. In other words, you can deal with a financial set back.
Ever since we refinanced our student loans (Read about why we did that here), where our minimum payment went up from $200 per month under REPAYE to $4246 per month, we have had our fair share of financial setbacks. Within one month of refinancing, we’ve had to replace our HVAC, fix some big plumbing issues, repair our car, and worst of all, Danny had a scary health issue (that is fortunately now resolved after an expensive procedure. All of us will face some kind of financial setback at some point, and if you look at setbacks simply as part of the process of paying off debt, you’ll be much more likely to succeed.
HOW TO DEAL WITH A FINANCIAL SETBACK
STAY CALM
One of the most important things that Simen says he did was that he stayed calm. Instead of running around like a chicken with your head cut off when financial emergencies strike, do everything you can to stay calm. Keeping a calm head will help you think clearly so that you can assess the situation for what it is and move forward. Just because you are experiencing a set back does not mean you need to jump to anything rash, like emptying your 401(k) or trading all of the money in your bank account for magic beans. When you start feeling stressed because of your financial setback, go for a jog, meditate, take a bath, or whatever else helps you keep a level head during this time.
DEAL WITH ONE THING AT A TIME
Another thing that is easy to do when you are dealing with a financial setback is to start trying to fix multiple problems at the same time. Don’t do that By choosing one issue to deal with at a time, you will be able to regain traction in that area. That traction will bleed into other areas and help you solve your other problems. Once you get a grip on one aspect of your finances, you can move on and start working on other areas. This will also help you to stay calm. So instead of trying to put out multiple fires at the same time, just focus on one at a time.
PRIORITIZE EXPENSES
When you deal with a financial setback, you are going to want to prioritize some expenses above others. Some of your expenses are much less important than other expenses. Obviously, food and your rent or mortgage are going to be some of your most important expenses– they go to the top of the list. But things like your cable bill and monthly visit to the salon are much less important– they go to the bottom of the list. List every expense that you have and give it a priority ranking.
MAKE BUDGET CUTS WHERE POSSIBLE
After you prioritize your expenses, make cuts in your budget anywhere you possibly can. Any of the lowest ranking expenses that you can do without should be eliminated first (such as the cable bill and salon visit above). You might surprise yourself on how little you can live on. When things get back to normal financially, you can always go back to the way things were and work more non-essential expenses back into your budget. Or who knows! Maybe you will enjoy living a little more simply and having extra money in your budget to put towards other financial goals. For now, simply focus on making budget cuts where you can and keep in mind that your current situation is not forever.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR INCOME
In addition to cutting expenses, you should look for easy ways to increase your income. If you are in a big crisis, you might consider taking a second or third job. Perhaps your financial crisis was losing your job. Take a part time job in the mean time to help pay your bills while you spend the majority of your time hunting for the perfect replacement job. You can also do small things, such as sell things online or start an online business (which has relatively inexpensive start up costs). Do you have some skill you can put to use? Maybe you have a good eye for photography and could take photos for people on the weekends? Get creative. Think of any way that you can possibly increase your income. And remember that all this extra work is only temporary, while you have to deal with a financial setback.
If you need ideas for ways you can increase your income, here’s a list of posts that can help you.
BE PATIENT
Financial setbacks aren’t usually fixed overnight. These things take time. Simen said after the race that he knew he couldn’t pass all the other skiers immediately. He had to pace himself, but eventually overtook each skier one by one, until he crossed the finish line winning the gold. Financial setbacks are just like that for you. Be patient. Keep working at it one day at a time.
No matter what kind of financial setback you have experienced (or may experience in the future) you CAN recover. All you have to do is stay calm, get to work, and be patient.
Have you recovered from a financial setback? I’d love to hear from you– comment below!
Hi there! I’m Amber! And welcome to the Deeply in Debt blog where we’re offering simple solutions for big debt.