In a 2007 survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, the nation’s largest online job site, four male stressedout of every ten American workers survive living paycheck to paycheck. 41% of the working public would not be able to meet their living expenses without relying on the next payroll check to come in.

The incoming money is spent before it is received in many cases. Once that check is cashed, one in five of those workers have nothing left over to add to a savings plan.  These statistics do not just apply to minimum wage workers. Surviving paycheck to paycheck is happening up and down the pay scale and it is affecting more than our bank accounts.  Struggling financially is one of the leading causes of stress. It becomes a vicious cycle of anxiety and depression when you can’t keep up with the bills. This, in turn, leads to the tendency to ignore the financial situation you are in because you haven’t enough money to pay your bills. The shunning of your bill collectors leads to guilt and higher bills you need to pay due to late fees and penalties.  More and more workers are under constant stress and worry because they fear the ends will never meet. Divorces rates are increasing as are incidents of domestic violence. I don’t have to read about it in the papers or the magazines to know how embarrassing and truly sad it is to feel like all you ever do is work and still can’t go out for a steak from time to time. It isn’t just me either. My colleagues, family, and closets friends are all working extra hard to make sure the lights stay on and the house stays warm. Necessities like gas to get to work and food to eat and just getting out of hand in price and making personal budgets harder to negotiate.

Hearing those closest to me lament the fact that they haven’t any “fun” money to at least take a break from the stress is hard. Realizing it isn’t just our little circle that is suffering is sobering. We can spend every day reading the daily headlines about someone else who couldn’t deal with the stress. Those who have resorted to acts of thievery or worse are just consuming the news around the country.  While we may not see how the ends will meet today, it is important to remember to keep perspective on the situation and make sure you are taking care of yourself first. Don’t feel guilty about paying yourself first or making that co-pay to talk to a doctor about your levels of stress. The ends will meet one day and you should make it a priority to live to see that day.