There is nothing more apparent in recent years than the fact
that the cost of living is rising, while at the same time,
income is stagnant and even shrinking or disappearing. This
should be a concern to everyone whether it is salaries or
investments for retirement.

We do not control the economy as much as we would like to
believe we do as consumers and stock holders. The sad truth
is that many people who have wisely invested their money
over the years to build a ‘nest egg’ have seen that
disappear, sometimes entirely. Real property has been lost
right along with their cash investments.

There is no longer the security of knowing you will have a
job as long as you do your best to keep it. Due to
corporate ‘downsizing’, ‘workforce reduction’,
‘outsourcing’ and bankruptcies, there is good reason to
prepare for the time when you could be suddenly unemployed.
If you were planning to retire you could instead be looking
for part-time work to make ends meet.

You have no doubt heard the expression ‘you can’t get
blood out of a turnip’? Well in this context, a fixed
income (social security, pensions, etc.) are worth exactly
the same amount, but every other cost has risen
exponentially. Rent, utilities, food, medical insurance and
other necessities are skyrocketing. It means that the dollar
you had is worth about 25 cents in the real world today.

So it makes a lot of sense that you should be using your
‘spare’ time to build something extra that you can depend
on to supplement your income. There is always a chance that
you won’t ever need it and at the ‘end of the day’ you
can spend it for a vacation or to make a down payment on a
new car or other luxury. Either way it just makes sense to
do something extra to ‘feather your nest’.

While it is still important for your mental and physical
health to relax and enjoy yourself on a regular basis, it
would be wise to spend some of your time learning something
or developing something that will be both fun and
empowering, like to start a business from the comfort of
home. The easiest and most economical way to do this is
online.

The Internet solves many logistical considerations. Maybe
you think the most direct and economical way is to just get
a second job. It is not an easy life to leave one job and
rush to the next job, often with no other break time in
between. If you have ever had to do this routine, you will
realize how much stress and unpaid time you spend commuting
to and from home and job to job. This scenario could not be
recommended other than for extreme, very temporary dire
straits.

When you work at home you can still at least spend some
quality time having dinner with your family between arriving
home from your job and starting your work online. The
atmosphere in your home is at least more welcoming and
comfortable than a second job. You could actually rest a
little. Even as much as a 15 minute ‘cat nap’ would do
wonders for your efficiency if you could afford that much
luxury for yourself – and you should.

So it is a good idea to think in terms of ‘what if’ and be
prepared for all eventualities, while you hope and pray that
they never come. Don’t worry, which does nothing to help;
just focus on building a ‘fortress’ to protect yourself
should the possibility of losing your income ever arise.