With money woes nipping at your heels, the kids demanding attention and your partner always working late, it’s easy for you to get stressed and feel like your life is stuck in a useless rut. It’s not all bad though – the recession will end, your kids still love you and your partner is putting in the extra hours to up the family earnings...

Planning ahead and taking care of the small things when they need attention can make a huge difference in your stress levels later in the day, week or month. How many times have you rushed out of the house in the mornings, running late, and dropped off the kids DVD only to be told that the disk is not in the box and you have to either drive home again to fetch it, or pay the late fee? Taking a moment to check before you left the house would have saved you time and money, in the form of fuel or a fine.

This goes to show how a moment’s effort now means less stress, more time and more money, later. Here are some handy tips to keep you one step ahead of stress and irritation, even in trying times like these.

Keep it handy: Keeping stamps, a little extra cash and a backup stash of vital ingredients and bathroom essentials in the house means fewer trips to the shops late at night, or forking out for a vital item with an inflated price at the corner shop. Toothpaste, toilet paper, milk, butter, bread and so on are all examples of items which should never be allowed to run out.

Book mark: Always have good books handy...keep one in the car for while you wait for the kids outside school, read a few pages at the dentist or indulge on the tube or bus to work.

Pay up: Paying your bills on time means that you don’t feel pressure and get stresses about late bills, and you won’t be charged late fees either. Also, having your car and home insurance paid up every month means that you are covered at all times. Some companies refuse to pay out if your car or home insurance payment is late and you make a claim.

Stay comfortable: Don’t wear shoes which pinch, uncomfortable trousers, tight tops or anything which makes you feel unhappy or awkward. Wear what you feel good in, and that does not mean your tracky bottoms either. Dressing well is not only about comfort.

Snack happy: Keep a small healthy snack handy in your handbag, car or office drawer, as sinking blood sugar levels or a growly tum usually means a bad mood is approaching. A small healthy snack will lift both blood sugar and mood in no time.

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