I came home the other day and noticed a UK Cosmopolitan magazine on my kitchen table. Since I had a long and busy day of classes, I thought an article about Kelly Osbourne looking and feeling great would make me feel 10 times better!
Not until I got to page 56 that I was tempted to throw the magazine in the recycling bin. It consisted of an article about 4 women, 3 in their 20′s and 1 in her 30′s who feel doubt about their bright future. All four of them have worked so hard through school, work, as well as spending a lot of money on their future, they state how frustrated they have been and how they are in fear that it may never get better.
Even though I wasn’t in the mood to read such a negative article that could make me feel like crawling under my sheets and calling it a night. I knew I couldn’t avoid reality. This article stun because it related to me and millions of other women my age. So instead of looking at it half-empty, I decided to read through and highlight some of the tips and advice given.
Here’s what I found:
Stats!
1. 2/3 of the 1300 women who took the generation angry survey stated that they feel affected by the downturn.
2. 60% of woman are unable to save up money for their future
3. 45% feel angry about the recession
What to do with your time NOW
Lucie Russell from Young Minds, states in the article that hating the job you have or struggling to even find a job can be extremely damaging on self-esteem. So it’s best to do something to counteract your feelings, by doing something like volunteering. If your still in college, you may want to do what’s known as “career stalking” or find a mentor. Do research on someone who has the job you want and see if you can meet up with them. This can be extremely valuable and you’d be surprised of how most people are more than willing to give advice.
ALSO! Self-employment is a GREAT opportunity for women now. The government is desperate to find women in small businesses, so don’t let the recession discourage you. This may be something you can look into. Don’t believe me? Check out this link.
What you can do with your money NOW
Simonne Gnessen, financial coach and co-author of Sheconomics gives great advice about where and how you should invest your money in each category of your finances. For example, for housing, only a quarter or a third of your income should be spent on rent. More than that, you’ll be sacrificing your income for other needs.
What you can do about your future NOW
Simonne also states in the article “the trick is to stay focused on the thing you really want, not the sacrifices you’re making.”
Biblio
Here’s a link to Cosmopolitan UK with statistics on “The Generation Angry”
“Give Back Our Future.” Cosmopolitan. UK Edition. February 2011: 56-59.