With the current state of our economy, finding a job is quite a bit harder than it used to be.  If you are one of the thousands of unfortunate souls that has lost your job due to downsizing or business closings, or if you simply need to get away from the job you currently have, you are going to need to put a bit more effort into finding a new job than you did when landing your last one.  By following these 5 simple steps, however, you will be able to put yourself ahead of the competition in the job hunt.

Step #1:  Perform the Search

Before you can land a new job, you first need to find one.  Don’t limit your search to your local classified ads.  The Internet is a great resource for learning more about job openings.  Sites such as Monster.com can be very helpful, but sites such as Craigslist and other Internet resources can be beneficial as well.  At the same time, don’t forget that word of mouth advertising is one of the best ways to learn about jobs, so be certain to network as much as possible.  Join professional organizations, participate in online forums or even start a blog that addresses topics within your field.  All of these methods will help you get your name out there while also expanding your circle of human resources.

Step #2:  Create a Resume

While performing your job search, you should also be working on creating a professional resume.  Unless you are a writer or have a great deal of experience with writing resumes, you might want to consider hiring someone to write it for you.  A professional will be able to take your boring job experiences and develop a more interesting and impressive resume without having to stretch the truth.  Spending a little extra cash to obtain a well-polished and attractive resume is well-worth the cost, as you make your first impression with your resume and you want to make sure it is a good one!

Step #3:  Record a Professional Message

If your resume managed to impressive your prospective employer, you should get a call for an interview.  Make certain you have an answering machine or a voice mail system that can answer the call in case you aren’t home when the employer tries to contact you.  In addition, make certain the message sounds professional.  While your recording of Samuel Jackson saying “I’m a mushroom cloud laying mother fucker, mother fucker” may be humorous to your buddies, it probably won’t help you win over the Human Resources lady when she calls to schedule an interview.

Step #4:  Practice the Handshake and Interview

Now that your interview has been set up, it is time to prepare yourself for the big event.  You may feel silly, but find a buddy or a girlfriend and practice the interview with that person.  First, approach the interviewer and shake his or her hand.  Be sure to look the interviewer in the hand and to apply a firm, confident handshake.  A weak shake or an overly dominant shake will leave a bad impression, so work on achieving the right amount of pressure.

After shaking the interviewer’s hand, wait for him or her to invite you to sit down.  Then, ask your friend or girlfriend to ask you a list of prepared questions.  Treat this mock interview like it’s the real thing.  Not only will it help you work out your answers to some of the most common interview questions, it will also help you feel less nervous when it is time to conduct the real interview.  If your friend or girlfriend is comfortable with it, ask him or her to ask you some questions that are not on your prepared list.  This way, you can also practice thinking “on the fly.”

Once you have finished your mock interview, ask your friend or girlfriend to provide you with some feedback on your performance.  Don’t let your ego get in the way on this one, big boy.  If you have an annoying habit such as tapping your fingers on the table or if you did a poor job of making eye contact, you need to know these things so you can work on correcting them.

Step #5:  Follow Up

If you completed steps 1 through 4 and you got plenty of sleep before your interview, you should do a pretty good job at the interview.  This means you should be among the frontrunners of those vying for the job.  Now, the secret is to find one more way to make yourself stick out from the rest of the competition.  How can you do this?  By following up on the job.

Before you left your interview, the interviewer should have told you when you can expect to be contacted regarding the job.  If you have not heard from the person by that time, don’t hesitate to follow up on your interview.  To do this, simply call the employer and say that you are following up on the status of the job you interviewed for.  If the employer tells you the job has been filled, thank the employer for his or her time.  If the job still has not been filled, be sure to tell the employer that you are still interested in the position and to ask when you should expect to hear more about its status.

Following up on a job interview does not make you appear pushy or desperate.  Rather, it shows that you are responsible and that you are truly interested in the position.  As such, it may be just the thing you needed to do to tip the scales in your favor if the employer is torn between you and another candidate.

If you still get passed over for the job, it is a good idea to send a quick thank you note to the employer.  Not only is this good etiquette, it will also help you leave a positive impression with the employer and may help put you at the head of the list when another position becomes available.

Have you ever had the sinking feeling that your girlfriend is lying to you?  Whether she is lying about whether or not she is being faithful, where she spent last week’s paycheck or about whether or not you are the best lover she has ever had, there are a few telltale signs that you can watch for that will tell you if she is lying.  While you probably cannot be 100% certain, these 10 signs can serve as good indicators of how truthful she is being.

Sign #1:  Swallowing

You probably catch yourself frequently focusing on that luscious mouth of hers, so why not focus your attention on whether or not that mouth is telling a lie?  Nearly everyone experiences a certain level of stress when he or she is lying, which causes constriction in the esophageal muscles.  Since these muscles are used for swallowing, your lying girl may frequently swallow while she is laying a load of bull on your shoulders.

Sign #2:  Licking Those Lips

While your girl may occasionally lick her lips seductively in order to get your motor running, licking her lips may also be a sign of telling a fib.  This is because another side effect of stress is decreased saliva production, which means she may be suddenly left with a case of dry mouth when she tries feeding you a line. She might also clench her jaw or tighten her lips while talking to you.

Sign #3:  Answering with Questions

In an effort to stall or to avoid lying to you outright, she may start answering your question with another question.  Don’t let her get away with this tactic or allow her to stall – push for answers and don’t get sidetracked by her questions.

Sign #4:  Selective Memory

Another way to avoid telling an outright lie is to suddenly “forget” certain details.  Again, pressing her for answers and asking for details will help you find out whether she is telling the truth or spinning a tale.  Make certain to remember the details she shares, because she will likely contradict her own story if she is telling a lie.

Sign #5:  Changes in Skin Tone

Many women also experience a change of skin tone when lying, which may be characterized by either getting suddenly flush or pale.

Sign #6:  Voice Changes

Unless she is a pre-pubescent boy, your girl’s voice shouldn’t be cracking or changing pitch as she tells you her story.  If her vocal tone changes or if her talking speed falters or speeds up, she is probably trying to think of the next part of her story or her nerves have gone into overdrive and she is having difficulty maintaining her normal breathing patterns.

Sign #7:  Hiding Her Hands

Hands are more expressive than you may realize, which is exactly why she will subconsciously want to hide them from you.  Therefore, if she is lying to you, she will likely keep her hands behind her back or under her armpits.  If she thought through her story beforehand, however, she may keep her hands exposed but they will be resting in a an unnatural position – such as resting flat on top of a table or hanging down by her side.

Sign #8:  Pupil Dilation

No matter how skilled she is at telling a lie, the one thing she won’t be able to control is pupil dilation.  When you are under duress and your nerves kick in, your pupils will begin to dilate.  If she has something to hide, she will likely get quite nervous as she tells you her story and her pupils will begin to spread with every word she utters.

Sign #9:  Eye Movement

In a subconscious effort to prevent you from noticing her dilated pupils and because her guilty conscience makes it difficult for her to look you in the eye, she will likely begin to dart her eyes from side to side.  She may also start blinking more than usual or possibly even lower her head completely so she doesn’t have to face you.

Sign #10:  Playing with Herself

Before you get excited, playing with herself doesn’t mean what you think.  Rather, she may start to fiddle with something in her hand in an effort to dispel her nervous energy.  Or, she may begin rubbing or otherwise touching her own arms.

It is important to note that a woman displaying just one of these signs isn’t necessarily lying.  Obviously, there can be other reasons for experiencing dry mouth or for expressing other signs from this list.  In addition, your girl may show some other signs that aren’t on this list.  So, pay close attention to her actions and try to get to know what is normal for her and what she does when you know she is lying.  Still, if your girl is exhibiting three or more of these signs, chances are pretty good that you have a liar on your hands.

OK, big boy.  This month is American Heart Month.  So, now that the Super Bowl is over, it is time put the bacon-wrapped sausage down and start focusing on making your heart healthier.  The fact is that one in three people between the ages of 20 and 74 in the United States are overweight or obese – which amounts to about 58 million people. So, chances are pretty good that you are one of them.  But, even if you aren’t overweight, you may not be doing enough to keep your heart healthy.  Remember, even skinny guys can have bum tickers.  Since this is American Heart Month, there is no better time than now for you to start taking some extra steps toward taking better care of your heart.

Having Your Cholesterol Tested

One of the first steps you can take toward improving your heart health is to get your cholesterol tested.  The American Heart Association recommends getting this done at least once every five years.   Yes, this does mean blood will be drawn from your arm.  Don’t be a princess.  Head to your doc and get that blood drawn so you can find out how much trouble your heart is really in.

Before you head in to get your blood drawn, however, you will have to fast for 12 hours.  This means no food or liquids – not even beer.  If you gave in and snarf down some of your favorite snacks, your readings will be unreliable and you will have gone through all of this hassle for nothing.  So, don’t visit mom beforehand.  You know she will force you to sit down and eat something if you do.

When you get the results from your cholesterol test, you might not be able to make much sense out of the information.  In short, you want your total blood cholesterol level to be below 200 mg/dL.  If your levels fall between 200 and 239 mg/dL, your doc will need to break your cholesterol reading down even further.  Basically, your doctor needs to know how much HDL and LDL cholesterol you have.  LDL is the “bad” cholesterol that you don’t want to have, while HDL is considered to be “good” cholesterol.  If you have a high HDL cholesterol level, you might not be as bad off as it seemed at first.  If your cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, you are probably in trouble regardless of your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.

Regardless of your levels, you still need to make certain to make good lifestyle and health choices if you want to keep your heart healthy.

Getting Some Exercise

One of the most important things you can do to keep your heart healthy is to get up and get moving.  Let’s face it, the obesity problem in our country is largely due to lack of exercise.  Technology has made it too easy to just sit around and most people are desk jockeys who don’t get much physical activity at work.  That means you need to make a conscious effort to get more exercise in your life.

If you currently aren’t doing a whole lot, you should work up to getting 30 minutes of cardio exercise four days per week.  If you need to drop some pounds, however, you will need to get up to 1 hour per day if you want to shed some weight.

The good news is that you don’t have to hop on a treadmill for an hour a day in order to get your exercise.  Hanging out and playing some street b-ball with the guys can get your heart pumping.  Or, go for a swim, hit the slopes, go on a hike or do anything else you enjoy.  The idea is to get off your ass and get moving.

Improving Your Diet

We’re all fans of bacon and processed meats, but the reality is that eating too much of these foods will clog up your arteries and lead to a whole host of health problems.  The cold, harsh reality is that anything made from animals contains high levels of cholesterols.  This includes many of your favorite foods, including meat, shellfish, poultry, cheese, butter and eggs.  Even whole milk and 2% milk can lead to increased cholesterol levels.  This doesn’t mean you have to cut out all of your favorite foods, but pay a little more attention to what you are putting in your mouth and use a little restraint.

Anything with trans fats and saturated fats will also cause your body to produce more cholesterol, so check out those food labels and try not to eat a whole bag of chips or a whole box of cookies in one sitting.  In all, your fat consumption should be somewhere between 25-35%.  Saturated fats should be less than 7% of what you eat and trans fats should account for less than 1% of your daily intake.  Similarly, your sodium intake should be less than 2,300 mg per day.

To improve your diet, try replacing some of those processed meats with lean meats and poultry.  You should also try to get more fish in your diet and should replace your whole milk with 1% or fat-free milk instead.  Of course, fruits and veggies are good for you too.  Try snacking on those instead of all of those cookies and chips.

Making Lifestyle Changes

It should go without saying, but smoking will also increase your cholesterol and put you at a higher risk for heart disease and other heart-related problems.  Put out the cigarette and give your heart and lungs a break.  If you are having problems with quitting, talk to your doctor about the various options out there.  There is bound to be something out there that will help you put the cigarettes out for good.

Sure, leading a healthier lifestyle doesn’t always sound so fun.  But, no one is saying you have to go on a vegetarian diet and exercise for 5 hours each night.  Just make a few simple changes to what you eat and get off the couch now and again – your heart will thank you.

Have you decided to turn to the Internet to help give your romantic life the extra push that it needs?  Five years ago, you probably would have been teased relentlessly for being so desperate that you have to turn to your computer for love. Nowadays, Internet dating has become quite the norm.  In fact, nearly every single person (and many married people for that matter) has used the Internet in one way or another to help land a date or to otherwise seal the deal with someone they are trying to hook up with, so why shouldn’t you?

If you have decided to use the Internet as a dating tool – or even if you have already started – there are several things you should keep in mind in order to make certain it is a positive experience.  While the Internet can be a great place to look for a quick hookup or even for a potential long term relationship, it is also festering with psychotic and neurotic people who know a sucker when they see one.  So, follow these tips and you will be certain to have a good experience rather than one you have to retell to the police officer after you wakeup chained to a bed with your kidney missing.

Tip #1:  Know What You’re After

Before you start prowling around on the Internet, get an idea of what you are looking for.  Are you looking for someone to wine and dine and turn into a long-term commitment, or are you looking for someone who is likely to give you a little action right away?  Are you looking for someone to just hang out with, or do you hope to find a friend with “benefits?”  Believe it or not, there are dating sites geared toward each of these desired outcomes, so you are better off spending your time at one of the sites that caters toward people who are looking for the same thing as you.

Tip #2:  Get Your Game On

Now that you know what you are looking for, it is time to get your act together.  If you are going to use a dating site to help you find romance, you might want to have someone help you out with creating your profile so you don’t sound like a complete dumbass.  In addition, you want to come off as confident without sounding cocky, so work on how you are going to present yourself online.

Remember, it is a whole different game online.  The ladies will be reading what you have to say, so your body language and voice inflections won’t help you get your point across and can make it more difficult for you to express your thoughts.  At the same time, you will likely find that being located several miles away from the woman you are trying to hookup with will make it easier for you to say things you might not usually have the balls to say.

Tip #3:  Don’t Fool Yourself

Countless marriages and relationships have been destroyed thanks to online dating.  Remember how I mentioned that the distance makes it easier to say whatever you are thinking?  While this can be a good thing, it also makes it really easy for some chick to tell you a bunch of bullshit that you believe.  It also makes it easier for you to pour your heart out and think that she really “gets” you, but things can be a whole hell of a lot different when you are actually together.

So, before you sell your house and fly halfway across the country to be with your Internet sweetheart, make sure it is the real deal.  In addition, don’t start giving out personal information such as your home address or your work phone number until you know things are on the up-and-up.  The last thing you need is some psycho, clingy broad calling  your job every hour and asking why you never call her anymore.

Tip #4:  Keep Your Money in Your Pocket

There are many women who sign up with online dating sites or prowl Internet sites in search of “love” or a “good time” who are really just looking for a quick buck.  These women have no problem with investing a little time in you in order to string you along before asking for money.  Of course, they can be sneaky in the way they do it.  For example, they might need money for an airline ticket so they can leave an abusive husband.  Or, they may need cash for a mortgage payment so they don’t lose their house.  I once knew a guy who flew all the way to Colorado from Indiana to meet his Internet lover.  After he got a little action and returned home, she told him she was pregnant and needed money for an abortion.  The sucker fell for it and, after he sent her the money, she left him to go back to her husband.

Tip #5:  Stay with a Group

Internet dating sites are always advising women to meet their online companions in a public place so they don’t get taken advantage of by some creep.  While this is sound advice for women, it is also good advise for men. Let’s face it, you don’t really know who this woman is and you don’t know who else may be coming along on the date that you don’t know about.  For all you know, her crazy ex-husband is following her or she may have set up some plan with a couple thugs ahead of time.  Meet in a public place and stay in the public eye until you have had the opportunity to really get a feel for what she is after before you take things back to your place.

While following these five tips is no guarantee that you will find the perfect woman, it will certainly reduce your chances of hooking up with a lunatic or otherwise getting yourself screwed over.  So, use them wisely and have fun!

It’s every man’s nightmare…your woman wants to go to the mall and she wants to take you with her.  Your heart starts to pound in your chest, your palms start to sweat and you feel as if your head is spinning.  What can you do?  If you refuse to go with her, you will be sleeping on the couch for the next week.  On the other hand, if you do go with her and you say or do the wrong thing, you may end up on the couch anyway.  So, how can you survive a trip to the mall without getting yourself in trouble and without driving yourself insane with boredom?  By following these 5 steps to surviving the mall, you may actually find yourself enjoying a trip to the mall – and you may even get a little action out of it when all is said and done.

Step #1:  Make Agreeing Simple

In order to make your experience as positive as possible, don’t allow her to see the disgust on your face when she invites you along to the mall.  If she catches even a hint that you don’t want to go or that you find going to the mall to be a chore, you will instantly be in the doghouse.  So, when the invite comes out of her mouth, smile and tell her that you would love to spend the afternoon with her by shopping at the mall.  Let’s face it, you have told bigger lies in the past so you could get a woman in the sack, so this one shouldn’t be too hard to pull off.

Step #2:  Scope it Out

If you aren’t familiar with the mall, you will need to perform a basic recon of the layout once you arrive.  Most malls have a “You are Here” map that will tell you where you currently are and where all of the stores are located throughout the mall.  Make a mental note of where the stores you are interested in are located while you “help” her find the stores she wants to go to.

Step #3:  Walk Her to Her Stores

If she doesn’t know where her favorite stores are located, do the gentlemanly thing and help her find the stores.  Even if she does know where they are at, walk her to the store and let her tell you all about the latest fashion trends and the style of clothing she is hoping to find at the store.  Don’t worry, you aren’t expected to actually know anything about these clothes or brands.  Just nod your head and smile while making it look as if you are actually interested.

Step #4:  Make the Break

Making the break is the second most critical step in the 5-step plan.  Once you get her to the store she is interested in, tell her that you want to give her some time to look through the clothes on her own.  Therefore, you are going to go spend some time at the electronics store or whatever other store is of interest to you.

To make the break smoothly, you need to be certain to lay it on thick.  Tell her you want her to find something special for you that she can share with you later, so you don’t want to ruin the surprise by watching her try on various outfits.  You might even want to promise to take her out to a nice dinner after she finds the “perfect outfit.” This way, she won’t think that you are trying to get out of shopping with her, but that you find her to be so irresistibly sexy that you want her to buy something special just for you.

Now, refer back to Step #2 and locate a nearby store that you are interested in going to.  The closer your store is to her store, the easier it will be for you to hook back up when she is done shopping.  If she has to walk all the way across the mall to find you, she might get lost or simply get pissed at you for going so far away.  If your store is just across the hall or just a few doors down, on the other hand, completing the break away will be much easier.

Step #5:  Close the Deal

After she has finally purchased her new items, make sure to ask her to try the clothes on for you once you get home.  This may not sound like a whole lot of fun for you, but watching her try on 5 new outfits that she just purchased is far better than watching her try on hundreds of outfits at the mall.  Besides, while she’s taking off one outfit in order to try on another, you might be able to take advantage of that nudity in order to get a little action.

It is important to note that you may have to repeat steps 3 and 4 several times during one mall trip, as she will probably have more than one store that she wants to visit.  So, when doing your recon, find as many stores as possible that you might want to go to.  You should also scope out where the food court is located or where other snack vendors can be found throughout the mall.  That way, if there are no stores nearby for you to go to, you can at least grab something to eat and you sit outside her store while you wait.  More than likely, you will find plenty of other guys out there who are suffering the same fate as  you.

So, you have had your eye on some sweet thing and you are trying to figure out how to woo her, are you?  Whether you just met her at a party last week or you have been working with her for over a year, there are a few rules of thumb you might want to keep in mind when trying to win over that special lady.  Of course, I am no expert myself, so I decided to turn to some of my female friends and ask them give us guys a few pointers on how to find our way to their hearts.

Tip #1:  Don’t be a Chump

One thing I heard over and over again was that women don’t want a guy who is a real pushover.  As you might suspect, finding the proper balance between being a romantic guy and a loser chump is quite thin with the ladies.

“I don’t want a guy who will let me walkover him,” said Elizabeth.  “I mean, I don’t want a guy to be a jerk or anything, but I also want him to have his own opinions and to feel free to express them. If I find a guy who just agrees with me on everything and does whatever I tell him, I will tend to just use the guy and get tired of him right away.”

It seems that the ladies don’t want a doormat when it comes to forming a serious relationship.  Most of the women I talked to wanted a man to be a man – after all, it is our differences that attract us to one another – while still treating them like they are someone special.  Good luck striking the proper balance with the more fickle of the sexes.

Tip #2:  Watch Out for the Friend Zone

We guys have always been weary of falling into the friend zone – and it turns out there is good reason for our fears.

“It is really hard to date a guy after you have become good friends,” comments Irene.  “I know we always tell guys we are afraid of losing them as a friend, but the truth is that is just hard to feel romantic about a guy you consider to be a friend.  We pretty much classify guys as either ‘friend’ or ‘possible boyfriend.”  Once you are in the ‘friend’ category, it is hard to move out.”

Does this mean you should just avoid being friends with every girl you meet?  According to the women I talked to, no.  Most of the women I talked to said they basically know which category you fall into shortly after meeting you.  If you fall into the “possible boyfriend” category, showing your sensitive side and lending an ear to them during their time of need will only help solidify your chances of hooking up later.  If you fell into the “friend” category, on the other hand, your only chance of getting somewhere relies upon you showing what a great guy you are.  So, what’s the bottom line?

“Make a good first impression,” advises Irene.  “Then, you will have a better chance of falling into the ‘possible boyfriend’ category and getting somewhere with her later.”

Tip #3:  Leave the Lines at Home

“I hate it when a guy approaches me with some overused line,” said Samantha.  “It also pisses me off when I see a guy hitting on a bunch of women and then he hits on me after having been shot down.  It tells me the guy is desperate and just trying to hook up with any chick he can find.”

If you are trying to capture the interest of someone special in your life, forget about trying to make her jealous by paying attention to other girls or by laying on thick with the pick up lines.  This will only make you look like a player and will get you nowhere with the lady you have your eye on.  If she is looking for a good time, your lines may be enough to get a roll in the sack, but she won’t look at you as relationship material.

Tip #4:  Be Confident

“There is a difference between being confident and being cocky,” commented Sarah.  “I like a guy who appears to be comfortable with who he is and with his opinions, but I don’t want someone who is full of himself and thinks he is God’s gift to women.  In fact, I’d rather have a guy be awkward and shy rather than act like an ass.”

So, even if you really aren’t too sure about where you stand with the lady you are interested in, project a sense of confidence when you are around her.  This goes back to not being a chump, as most women prefer a man who is strong, capable of making decisions and willing to be his own person.

Tip #5:  Go for It

“If a guy is interested in me, I would rather he just come out and ask me out rather than sit back and play games,” said Cindy.  “I mean, we aren’t in high school anymore.  If I don’t have an interest in him, it’s not like I am going to make fun of him or want nothing to do with him anymore.  Besides, when he tells me he is interested in me, it shows he is confident and willing to put himself ‘out there’”

By asking her out as soon as you start feeling interested in her, you can successfully follow all of the advice the ladies offered:  you don’t come off like a chump, you avoid getting trapped in the friend zone, you don’t fall back on using your lame lines and you show confident.  So, if there is someone you have thinking about lately, go ahead and ask her out – you just might be happy to see where it leads you.

Does the state of the economy have you feeling a bit down?  If so, you aren’t the only one.  Thousands of people have lost their jobs around the country and countless people have lost their homes.  Despite the world’s current economic troubles, however, it is possible for you to come out of it smelling like a rose if you play your cards right.  Here are a few things you might want to consider doing while the economy is on a downswing.

Head Back to School

If you are one of the guys who lost his job because of the economy, stop sitting around on your couch and feeling sorry for yourself.  Chances are pretty good that you aren’t going to find another job to replace the one you lost, so now might be the perfect time for you to head back to school.  Think about it.  You can either stay at home and cry about having no money, or you can use your time to head back to school and get a college degree or extra certification in your field. This might even be the perfect time for you to switch gears and pursue a new career path.  That way, when employment opportunities start opening up again, you will have something extra to help you stand out from the other guys.

Start Your Own Business

Now is a good time to start laying the groundwork for a new business.  To do it right, it is going to take you a few months to come up with a business plan and to study your target market.  By the time you are ready to launch your business, the economy should be on its way toward recovery.  Who knows?  If you do a good job researching business ideas and developing a plan, you may never have to head back to work for someone else again.

Make Some Investments

During these difficult economic times, many people are pulling their money out of their 401k portfolios and other investments.  That’s a mistake.  Now is the time to make some smart investments.  Think about it.  Stocks are cheap right now, which means you can pick up solid stock investments for cheap.  Once the economy rebounds, you can easily double or triple your investment.  Just make certain to invest in companies that are almost guaranteed to make it through the economic downswing.  While there are no guarantees, investing in companies that provide necessities such as food or toiletries are often good companies to invest in.

Buy a House

If you have a good credit rating, there is no better time than now to buy a house.  Although some housing markets are still going strong, most of them are struggling.  As a result, sellers are slashing the prices on their homes significantly.  Not only that, people who are struggling with making their house payments are willing to make good deals in order to unload the property before having to file bankruptcy.  In addition to the low prices, interest rates are extremely low right now.  So, if you buy a house now, you could potentially save yourself tens of thousands of dollars.

Become a Landlord

With housing prices being so low and interest rates being so attractive, you might want to consider investing in a few properties and becoming a landlord.  There are many people out there who are looking for new housing options.  So, if you purchase a few inexpensive homes and put them up for rent, you are likely to get tenants rather quickly.  Even better, if you decide you don’t want to continue being a landlord for years to come, you can sell the homes when the economy turns around and make an attractive profit on your investment.

Make a Move

Have you been thinking about moving to another part of the country, but you couldn’t quite work up the guts to do it?  If you lost your job and if you don’t own your home, now is a good time to reach down into your pants, gather your balls and make a move.  If you lost your job and don’t own a home, you probably don’t have a whole lot holding you down to where you are currently living.  So, now may be the time for you to finally make that move you have been considering making.  If you were smart and planned ahead, you should have plenty of money available to make the move and find a new place to live.

Buy a Car

If you have the cash, now is the time to purchase a car if you need one or to purchase that dream car you have always wanted.  The car companies are desperate to complete some sales, which means they are offering some fantastic deals on cars.  Not only that, prices on other motorized vehicles such as boats, RVs, and ATVs are also looking pretty good for those who have the resources available to buy them.

Sure, the state of the economy has made things rough on all of us.  But, it is possible for you to make something good come of it if you make a few wise choices.  So, quit sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and make some changes so you can keep moving forward in your life and look at this setback as an opportunity for taking your life in a new direction.