Hello again --

Japan's disaster has pretty much died down in the news and people are simply continuing to live their lives ... over here.

But what about there? I cannot imagine for tens of thousands normality not taking awhile. What about you? What if you had to deal with a "new normal"? One where your income is drastically cut, or even eliminated?

Do you have enough food to last a month for your family? Melody Bold has given us some tips on canning tomatoes.

Do you know something else that is doable? Make out a meal calendar for two weeks for your family. And then buy all the items necessary for those meals. Voila! Double it and you now have a month of food storage "just in case".

And if you stock up as things go on sale, you save money also. Go ahead and rotate things out and use them for current meals, while restocking as you go along.

Same thing with savings. A few dollars each paycheck soon adds up, so start now. I have a fully guaranteed personal financial coaching program to help you get going. There is no charge for the initial consultation, but what an eye opener it is! I will simply listen to your story and then if I am able to help, lay out a solution.

If you need a little "shove" in the right direction, read this great primer on household budget planning.

Once again, fight the good fight. Take control of your money before it takes control of you!

Until next time .....