sTemperatures are rising and so is crime.  People are out and about more, school is out, and it’s that time to really be careful whether you’re at home, at the store or walking in the park.  Crime happens anywhere at any time whether it’s hot or cold but for this summer season, I have three big tips to keep in mind at all times.
 
Tip 1: Whenever you’re leaving from somewhere like the store or work, make sure you have your keys in your hand before going out of the door.  For women who throw things in their purses, your keys could be at the bottom.  When it’s dark outside and you’re alone, you do not want to spend time with your head down looking for your keys.  You want to make sure that you open the door and get in right away.  This goes for walking in your house as well.
 
Tip 2:  Check your surroundings before making a move.  If someone rings your doorbell, if you’re able to, make sure you can see who is outside and verify who it is.  If the vive is off and you feel that there is a crowd of people you are not comfortable being around, then it’s safe to turn around.  Nothing is worse than being uncomfortable somewhere because it could result in something going wrong or you just being paranoid the whole time. 
 
Tip 3:  Make sure you are keeping doors locked and valuable items out of sight.  It only takes seconds for a break in to happen.  Keep your house and car doors locked because some people may be watching for you to leave for a few minutes.  Purses, money, etc. need to be hidden before leaving the car.  There are easy ways to break into a car without making a mess.  Just don’t give a reason for certain things like this to happen. 
Be aware of your surroundings this summer.  Anything could happen but to cut down on the possibility of going through this, these tips will be very helpful.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed and wonder where did all this mess come from out of the blue?  I definitely have, and it happens regularly.  At one point, I’m wondering what I can get into after schedules change and I’m not as busy as usual to feeling swamped with so much to do at one time.  It seems as though everything that has to be done isn’t distributed evenly.  It always seems like they are all there and need to be done within a certain period of time and you end up stressed and overwhelmed.
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Summer time is right around the corner and many things will start to pick up.  Events, relocating, travel, etc.  Knowing that summer is close, get some things done that you know you will need to accomplish before then.  It’s simple as planning ahead on buying the necessities for summer whether it’s clothing, plane tickets, putting set events in a calendar so you don’t overbook, whatever it may be, get the little tasks done.  Once those dates start approaching quickly, you don’t want to scramble to do the little and big things.  Prices go up, supply may be low or you just run out of time.  Don’t put more work on yourself than you have to. Use the free time wisely.

Does it sometimes feel like your money is just leaving your account left and right as if you have no control over it?  We have bills, emergencies, misc. things to pay for but most of the time it can get overwhelming when you see more coming out than going in.
What helps me is having 2 different bank accounts and a credit card.  Having this may be more to handle but it keeps me organized.
My credit card is for gas and big emergencies.  I fill up every week and a half and barely have any big emergencies.  Therefore, I am able to pay back on the card every month that helps build my credit a little bit.  Don’t use it if you don’t have to.
One of my bank accounts are for big bills.  This one is the card I receive my paycheck through, pay rent and other bills so I have a set schedule of when payments are coming out and can monitor and forecast how my account will look at the end of the month.
Lastly, my other bank account/debit card is for my everyday spending whether it’s food, groceries, etc.  I use this card for everything else so it’s easier to monitor the little things I do since there aren’t little purchases and huge purchases to look at all on one account.
It can get overwhelming when you see so much going at once so make sure to split it up.  Trust me, it cuts down on my anxiety and feeling like I don’t have a hold over my finances.  This puts me in control and organized.

What are you running from?  There may be a lot of things that we don’t want to face and take care of but running away from it doesn’t make it go away.  You may feel better for the moment with brushing it off but the satisfaction of that isn’t permanent and it could eventually and mostly likely always get worse.
Don’t be a runner.  Face whatever is going on head on whether it’s a problem or task.  Cut down on adding more unnecessary stress to your life.  At the end of the day, the problem won’t fix itself and it needs you to take charge.  Loved ones can also be in a bind and need us not to run for them.  Most times it isn’t about how we feel at the moment, it’s about what is best for them.  Remember what you could help them accomplish because they weren’t ready to handle it on their own.  We all can get like that sometimes and it’s fine but for yourself, don’t let these situations run you over.