The moment you hear yourself raising your voice, pause. Don't even finish your sentence. Think to yourself, “What am I trying to say? And what is the best way to say it?”  Learning to stop yourself before or when you start yelling can prevent you from saying something you'll regret or jeopardizing your relationships. to ease your anger. Deep breathing promotes the relaxation response, so after a few breaths you'll feel calmer and more in control. Draw in a breath through your nose for a few counts, hold it, then release it from your mouth for a few counts. Repeat until the tension fades. Counting takes your mind away from what's making you angry and allows you to focus on something else. Start at 1 and work your way up to 10 or even 100 so that you can regain control of your emotions. You can count aloud or silently to yourself, depending on your preference. Leave the environment for a few minutes and take a walk around the block. Being in nature can help soothe you and clear your mind so that you can deal with your anger in a more appropriate way.

Summary: Stop mid-sentence when you notice yourself yelling. Breathe deeply Count to 10 to calm down. Get some fresh air.


Once you have done all the hard work finding ways to save money, it’s important that you make the most of these savings. Open some kind of savings account, with as high an interest rate as you can find, and set up a direct debit every month. Include the debit in your monthly budget so you are prepared for it.  Consider opening an account with your local credit union.  Having a direct debit is a great way to save money without really thinking about it. The money is transferred automatically, and you’ll be surprised how quickly it begins to accumulate. Your employer may have a payroll savings scheme whereby a deduction from your pay slip goes straight to a savings account. Having a savings account and a direct debit is a great way to make saving a habit that you incorporate into your budget. You can also make saving money or shopping more frugally part of your everyday life. Check the prices of different items in shops, and take a moment to think if you could get the same thing cheaper somewhere else.  Just being conscious and aware of prices, and the money you could potentially save, will help you to make saving money a habit. Keep an eye out for special offers, and take advantage of them when they suit your needs. The sooner you get into the habit of saving money and budgeting the closer you are to achieving financial independence. To really get a grip on your finances and ensure you will be supported in the future, it’s sensible to start planning for retirement early. Social security payments on their own will generally only cover about 40% of an average worker’s salary after he retires. It is estimated that you will need around 70% of your salary to live comfortably in retirement, so it’s important to start saving.  Investigate whether your employer has a pension plan, and make sure you are taking advantages of any employer contributions. If your employer doesn’t have a plan suggest the company starts one. You can save for yourself by opening an Individual Retirement Account. You can put in up to $5,500 a year into this account, or more if you are 50 or over. These accounts provide tax efficient and easy ways to save for retirement. You can arrange for an amount to be paid automatically from your checking or savings account. If you find that you are saving successfully and have managed to put aside a good amount of money, you might want to try and get a better return than the interest you are earning. Some low-risk and modest investments can help you get a better return and make your savings work harder for you. Government bonds are a well-known example of a relatively low risk investment.  There is little capital risk with the bonds, but there is risk that the money will have less buying power when the bond matures as a result of inflation.  You can look up all the different options and yields online.  If you are interested in making some investments, consider talking to a financial adviser about your options.  Be sure that you keep saving in the meantime and don’t take any risks with money that could threaten your financial independence.

Summary: Open a savings account. Make saving a habit. Start saving for retirement. Consider frugal investments.


Simply put, the more cold starts you put your car through on a daily basis, the harder it is on the engine. If you want to extend the life of your car as much as possible, only use your car when absolutely necessary and avoid lots of stops and starts.  Avoid short trips that you might consolidate into longer ones. Instead of running to one store in the morning when you need dog food and heading to the grocery store later in the day when you need to get stuff for dinner, consolidate both trips and plan out your driving more effectively. If you're going to be driving less for an extended period of time, consider wintering your car somewhere safe and getting around some other way. Putting strain on the transmission by going from a dead start to fast-as-possible is a good way to ruin your engine in the long run. Slow down. Even if you're in a hurry, learn to accelerate smoothly and gently, working up to your intended speed. Even if you're driving an automatic transmission, pretend you're shifting gears at a relaxed pace to learn to accelerate properly. Manual transmissions can be shifted to a lower gear and, thereby, use the engine to slow the car, while drivers of cars with automatic transmissions need to be more careful about decelerating strongly at the last moment. Going straight from accelerating to braking puts a lot of wear on your brake pads, regardless of the kind of transmission you have, so it's important to anticipate your stops and coast into them. Never accelerate toward red lights. Take your foot off the gas and maintain your speed in preparation for a stop. Changing out the clutch is one of the most difficult jobs, and one of the most expensive things to pay for. Hard shifts in which you accidentally grind the gears, or revving the RPMs too much will put strain on the transmission, which can be costly to repair or replace. Practice shifting smoothly, especially in the low gears. Use the octane specified in your owner's manual and usually written on the inside of the fuel door. Avoid fueling at gas stations that have just been delivered a load of gas. If you see a filling station receiving a tanker load of gas, go elsewhere. When the new gas is dumped into the tank, sediment and water on the bottom of the tank tends to get distributed throughout the tank. Even though there are filters at the pump and in your car, these do not catch everything and will clog over time. It is best to avoid fueling at these times. If there are not nearby stations, take a break, go to the bathroom, walk around and wait for 15 or 20 minutes for the gas to settle in the underground tank. It is also best to pump your gas slowly, as vapors escape faster when the pump runs full speed. When an issue comes up, there's no time like the present to get out in the driveway and start tuning things up. Driving around with a squeaky alternator belt for weeks at a time is both bad form for your engine and for your neighbors' sanity.
Summary: Drive less. Accelerate slowly. Go easy on your brakes. Shift smoothly in a manual transmission vehicle. Use the best gas for your car. Always fix problems as they arise.