It is widely known that financial issues are the culprit for significant amounts of stress -- be it relationships, job performance or physical and emotional health.

On a recent trip to Indianapolis, I read an article in USA Today that touched on this very issue -- "Money Worries Hinder Job Performance."

The article cited research from earlier this year which found that one in four American workers is seriously distressed about their personal financial situation. Even more alarming, "80 percent of financially stressed workers spend time at their jobs dealing with or worrying about money issues."

On a related front, Ohio State University found that people who are stressed about debt tend to be in worse physical condition. And the Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota found a direct link to college students who suffer from depression and credit card debt.

On a recent trip to Seattle, a gentleman told me about his college-age son who had more than 30 unpaid parking tickets. He learned about his son’s lack of timely payment when he and his wife went to refinance their mortgage.

"The bank told us we were going to have to pay a higher interest rate because our son’s negligence had negatively affected our credit score (they had co-signed for his first credit card)," said the angry father.

One young woman told me she had recently discovered her husband was secretly receiving credit cards bills via a post office box. "He had racked up more than $25,000 in credit card debt and was too embarrassed to tell me about it," said the distressed young woman.

Perhaps no surprise, thousands of couples cite financial disagreements as the No. 1 reason for divorce.

"I see it over and over -- serious relationship tension because couples have different attitudes and habits about money," said Mark, a pastor in Pennsylvania who has counseled hundreds of couples on a variety of marital issues. "It often starts with disagreements on small things like eating out versus eating in, and then escalates into big-ticket items like cars, trucks, homes and vacations."

Dr. Tim Kasser, professor of psychology at Knox College, found that people who strongly value wealth and related traits tend to have higher levels of distress, lower levels of well being, worse relationships and less connection to their communities.

So, what is the best course of action? Address the financial issues before they get out of hand.

While this isn’t exactly happy news, the upside is significant. By committing to a new course, the future can indeed bring noticeable improvement. Try the following steps to lighten your load:

1. Don’t beat yourself up about past decisions. It’s critical to learn from mistakes, but move quickly to put them in your rear-view mirror.
2. Reduce unnecessary consumption -- be it eating out, buying books (try the library), or paying too much for transportation (there are always great deals on used cars).
3. Set saving goals. Start small, reach the goal and then set a new one with a longer-time horizon. Patience is a virtue when it comes to saving money.
4. Simplify by sharing with others. Whether it’s used clothing, appliances or furniture. If you reduce clutter, you will likely eliminate some of your stress.
5. Spend time with others. But avoid patterns of linking time with a consumer activity.

Who do you know who is making a positive shift in their financial choices?

When you find someone, seize the day and learn from them. If you surround yourself with people who make wise financial decisions, it will likely rub off and influence how you use money.

Consumers are expected to spend $3.29 billion on Halloween this year, up 5.4 percent from $3.12 billion in 2004. Much of the increase in spending is expected to come from young adults 18-24.

Source: National Retail Federation 2005 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey

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