The first step you should take is assessing your credit report.  This will give you an accurate record of how badly your debt has damaged your credit score.  You’ll also give an idea of how widely your debts span, and where exactly you owe money.  The typical credit score is in the high 500-600s, anything slightly lower is manageable, but if you’re in the 300s that’s a severe problem.  300 is basically as low as it gets, at this stage it’s time to rethink your strategies.

Try to examine your monthly finances and see what you can cut to increase how much money you can pay out to eliminate your debt.  Try and find as much as possible, so that you can live relatively comfortable, but also putting as much into the debts as possible.  Paying off interest is a pain, and the worst part of debt, so you have to make sure you can pay well over the interest amounts, otherwise you’re just maintaining your debt.

If you find that consolidation won’t provide enough relief from interest rates, to pay off the debt within a number of years, bankruptcy might be your only option.  Bankruptcy should always be a last resort, but if you’re so deep in debt there’s no way to dig yourself out, it’s almost a necessity.  Your credit will be severely damaged, but any damage can be repaired as long as you don’t make the same mistakes the second time around.

Modern technology is fantastic.  In addition to making our everyday lives easier, technology has made giving aide to those in need easier as well.  By simply text messaging “Haiti” to the number 90999 you can make a $10 donation to the Red Cross.  If you don’t have the ability to text, you can also send donations by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or by visiting the charity’s website at RedCross.org.

Almost 50% of Haiti’s population is under the age of 18, meaning there are many minors also in need of special aide.  One of the chief foundations offering clothing and other valuable resources is Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.).  You can reach K.I.D.S. by visiting their website at KidsDonations.org.  They accept either cash donations to help the cause, or you can contact the charity and find out which items are acceptable for you to send as aide.

UNICEF is another one of the major humanitarian organizations that’s hard at work mobilizing to help the Haitian population.  They provide food and other resources to as many in need as possible, and are in the process of raising $120million to aide the 50% of Haitians that are under the age of 18.  To help this cause by donating, you can either visit the website UNICEFUSA.org, or call UNICEF at 1-800-4UNICEF.

If you are a frequent flyer for your job, or leisure, and you have a lot of frequent flyer miles saved up, you can also consult your airline to see if they are accepting frequent flyer mile donations.  Many are accepting them, in order to reduce the cost of sending aide to Haiti via their airlines.  If you have a few miles lying around, and you feel like doing all you can, get in contact with your preferred airline.

If you’ve started an exercise routine recently, remember that more exercise is going to increase your appetite.  You have to counteract this by being strong, and not in taking more calories than your diet allows.  One mistake that many weight loss seekers fall into is allowing themselves to eat more calories after a workout, because of the appetite they’ve worked up.  That’s a mistake, as exercise on the whole doesn’t burn very many calories unless you’ve done a ridiculous amount.  Eating more calories after a workout is going to erase your workout, and keep the pounds piling on.

Remember to be diligent about working out.  You have to keep working out to make a big difference.  You can’t try for a few days and then take a week off.  In order to lose weight and really make a difference, you need to be working out 3-4 times a week, featuring fairly intense sessions.  That’s the only way to force your body to change, and whip yourself into shape.

Eating healthy is probably the biggest hurdle, and most important practice of all.  Only by eating healthy can you ensure that all the other steps you’ve taken will be effective.  You need to eat nutritious, low calorie meals, cutting your overall normal calorie intake.  That way you’re losing weight from cutting calories, and also from exercise.  That double threat is the fastest way to lose weight, and keep the weight off.  You don’t need crazy diets, just diligence to perform the most tried and true method.

There are several benefits to improving memory.  You’ll increase your brain power overall.  Plus giving your memory a workout fairly often, at as early an age as possible, is a great way to fight against memory problems that come with age.  The best way to do that is to get your sleep.

Medical professionals always stress how important getting at least 7-8 hours sleep a night really is, and that fact can’t be overstated.  Lack of sleep causes and inflames all manner of health problems, including problems in your brain.  One of those issues, is memory.  Not getting enough sleep increases the likelihood that you could develop memory problems.

Eat plenty of brain health foods to provide the opportunity for your brain to function at it’s peak effectiveness.  Fish like Salmon are extremely good for you because of the beneficial Omega-3s that help your brain and cardiovascular system.  The same principle is true for berries such as blueberries and acai.  Both also contain natural healthy Omega-3s.

Play a few brain specific puzzles a few times a week to increase your brain power.  Things like crosswords, or even a game like Scrabble.  Something that forces you to think, and learn new facts or words as you play, to flex your brain power.  Also reading is a big help, as reading requires a lot more brain activity than other forms of entertainment.  Reading is a fantastic way to work out your mind, and keep your memory in tip top condition.

Remember also to keep a healthy lifestyle.  Exercise and a healthy diet are just as important to your brain as the rest of your body.  By eating healthy and exercising you increase what your body can do in all aspects of life.  Your brain health is no different, and you should follow the same principles.

-Ab Machines are something that you should almost never use.  Working your core is essential, but ab machines typically force you into a certain posture that could be uncomfortable, and can do damage to your back and neck muscles.  Working your core should be strengthening these muscles, not damaging them.  So it’s best to stick to the old school methods of like crunches.

-Standing Calf Raises being performed incorrectly is actually a huge cause of spinal and back problems stemming from exercise.  Plus these do not offer enough calf strengthening to make them worth the risk.  Stick to exercises like jump-roping and stair-stepping if you want to strengthen those calves.

-Leg Press.  While a good idea, basically you’re doing squats in an unnatural position.  Any machine that forces you into an isolated and unnatural pose is always a bad thing.  Stick to squats if you want to strengthen your legs.  The target all the areas you’d need to work, and are much, much better for your body.

-Back Machines also are usually a bad idea.  Back machines almost always force your back into an uncomfortable or unnatural position, and they don’t work the muscles around your back.  Stick to exercises that allow you to move in more natural and comfortable ways.  That way you work your back, and supporting muscles in your core.  Through this method you’re actually growing stronger, and will be less likely to suffer problems from having used a back machine.

Take advantage of places like eBay.  Consider selling off some of the old stuff that you don’t use.  Anything from clothing that you or family member either don’t wear or have outgrown (as long as the clothing is still in good condition).  Old games, movies, etc that you don’t use as much as you thought you would when you purchased the items.  A resource like eBay can clear out items you don’t use, and put money in your pocket that you desperately need.

Try some work from home opportunities.  If your area is really reeling from the recession, consider finding a job online, where the pastures may be greener.  There are a wealth of opportunities from freelance writing and editing, to data entry positions, and even online customer service.  All of which you can do from your own home, on your own computer, with your own internet connection.

Keeping with the online opportunities you can also try taking surveys online.  You can actually make a nice chunk of change taking surveys if you can find the right places.  Most of them work on a pay scale where you get so many points for each survey, and then you can trade in your points for money.  Probably not enough to live on, but definitely enough to help out.

These tips are really only meant to be short term solutions.  They won’t help you in the long run, most likely.  But they can be great money earners to help you in the short term, and can really get you out of a financial bind.

One of the most popular ways to increase your credit quickly, is a secured credit card.  A secured credit card has no bearing on your credit rating, and works from a security deposit that you put down upon signing up for the card.  Through these cards you can effectively use credit, and maintain the card in good standing, increasing your score with every payment you make.  A secured credit card can make a huge difference fairly quickly.

In the same spirit you can also take out a secured loan from a credit union.  These work off of money that you deposit into a credit union bank account, so that if you miss loan payments, the bank can cover by deducting from your account.  By maintaining your loan, paying it off quickly, and never having a late payment, you can take more steps to increasing your credit score.

Also, you can try co-signing if you have a friend or relative that you mutually trust.  As long as they have good credit, you can ride their score for a credit card, or loan, by having them co-sign with you.  That makes them also responsible for any payments that you miss, so be extra careful to handle everything perfectly.  This can help improve your credit, but it could also ruin your relationship to the person if you are irresponsible with the co-signed item.

The best way to tip the negotiations in your favor, is to know what you’re talking about.  Research the market that the house is in.  See if prices are going up, or are in a decline.  But most importantly find a real estate agent that you trust, as well as a property appraiser.  Both will have a huge impact on the price you’ll have to pay, so finding people you can trust is very, very important.

Once you have your information, you can actually set up and prepare for actually buying the house.  Your information gathering isn’t even half the battle.  The real struggle is controlling your emotions so that you can remain calm and be realistic about all aspects of the purchase.  The last thing you want is to be swayed by your feelings under such a huge decision.  So stay calm, and use the information you’ve gathered to your advantage.

Finally, make sure that you’re prepared to be realistic about your house options.  Don’t buy one that’s way out of your price range, thinking that you’ll be able to pay off the home.  Don’t be tempted into offers you can’t afford, or offers that seem too good to be true.  You may have to pay a little more than what you thought, to be in the area you want.  Be prepared for this, and don’t let any surprises rock you or your decision making.

One of the keys is setting time tables for yourself.  Plan out your workout, and set a time limit for how long you have to complete the session.  45 minutes to an hour is a good target for anybody looking to get fit, and stay that way.  Adhere to this schedule, and even if you find yourself running short of time, end the workout once you hit the barrier, no matter what exercise you’re currently performing.

Remember that this workout has the intention of keeping you fit, not sculpting your body into that of a professional athlete.  The only way to do that would be hours and hours of regular gym work.  But to keep yourself slim and feeling great, you just need to target the main muscle groups.  So go for more general weight workouts like bench presses, leg presses, and core exercises.  That will be enough to help you look more toned, and feel better in your day to day life.

Keep your head straight and remember to focus.  Keeping a time limit means that you don’t have time to screw around.  Keep focused on what you are doing with each exercise so that you can get the maximum result, and push on through to do the most amount of exercises in the short time limit.

Finally, pay attention to your heart rate.  If your heart isn’t working hard enough, you’re not going to get as much out of a workout as you could.  So pick up the pace if your heart isn’t working hard.  But if your heart feels as though it’s overworking, slow down a little bit.  It’s dangerous to work your heart too hard, and you don’t benefit from the exercise you do while overworking your heart.

-Have a good idea of how much money you have available to spend.  The last thing you want to do is get into a bidding war that greatly exceeds your means.  Part of the reason for this recession is too many people living beyond their means, don’t become one of them.  Buying a house you can’t afford is never a good idea, so set an absolutely final mark on how much you’re willing to pay.  Then, DON’T go over that price.

-Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help when considering home options.  But don’t turn to a real estate dealer for help, because their interests are concentrated towards selling the home to you.  A real estate agent’s job is to make any house fit for you, whether it’s really the right choice or not.  You can’t trust a salesperson to provide you with unbiased information or opinions.

-Buying a home is a major decision, treat the decision as such.  You shouldn’t buy a home on a whim, because chances are you’ll be living there for some time.  Shop around so that you can find value for money, acceptable locations, and a house that you’ll be happy with in the long term.

-Make sure that you always have an inspector chosen by you investigate the house before even considering purchase.  The problem with using an inspector provided by a real estate agency, is that they are more likely to be slanted in the opinion of the agency.  Finding an independent third party guarantees a fair and unbiased assessment of the property.