You can find a standard living will form for your state online at many different websites. These forms are formatted properly and contain all the proper language to make the document legally binding. All you have to do is pay a fee, download the living will form, fill in all the details, and then sign it with witnesses present.
What are the advantages of completing these steps and keeping a signed living will form with your other important documents? There are many. For one thing, in these wills, you can designate a so-called health care proxy or agent, a trusted person who can be counted on to make medical decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated in any way. This ought to give you some peace of mind, knowing that your specific wishes are going to be carried out no matter what happens.

Another advantage to having a signed living will form on file is that there won’t be any room for legal wrangling. By downloading a state-specific living will form, you’re essentially guaranteeing that nobody can countermand the wishes expressed in the document. This is a good way to avoid potentially nasty legal battles between different family members who have conflicting ideas about how to proceed with your medical care. Once you’ve signed the official papers, only you can change the contents.

As I mentioned, these types of wills are readily available online. But you have to be careful about which document you download and use because some might not be binding in your state of residence. For example, I’ve seen a generic living will form that is offered as a free download. This might be tempting to a lot of people, but your state might not recognize the non-specific language it contains. Your best bet is to go ahead and pay the small fee (usually between $20 to $50) to make sure everything is done properly. The last thing you want is to run into trouble just when you need the document the most.

Even if you’re young, healthy, and in the prime of your life, it would be smart for you to consider filling out a living will form now. There’s simply no getting around the fact that catastrophes happen all the time and that fate might ring up your number next. It’s far better to take precautions now and be prepared for any eventuality than to leave your medical future to chance.

Just about everyone uses at least one credit card. Do you make only the minimum payment each month? If you’re charging more than you’re paying, this is a clear signal to rein in those purchases. Go through your last year’s credit card statements and make a pencil mark next to those purchases you didn’t need to make. Add it up. This amount can be shocking. Resolve to purchase only necessities with your credit card. Pay cash for unnecessary purchases. Start paying that card down,  as much as you can manage each month. Your cost of living is not going to go down. Credit card interest accumulates at an alarming rate.

What’s your credit card balance? The average American’s credit card debt is a whopping $7,000. If you make the minimum payment, of, say, $250, without incurring any new debt, it will take more than fifteen years to pay it off! With the current cost of living, many people find it difficult to make the minimum payment and still meet all of their other obligations. What can you do? You need to get creative.

If your credit score is above 600, try to negotiate a better rate, or look at consolidating your debt. Seek the advice of a non-profit credit counseling service.If your credit score is below 600, you won’t have as many options, although credit counseling services are still valuable. Consider more mundane solutions, such as holding a yard sale. You didn’t get into debt without accumulating a lot of household goods. One woman I spoke with began holding a yard sale every 3 months,  selling clothes, old bikes and gadgets which she hadn’t used in years. She’s been doing this for years now and has never walked away with less than $500 per yard sale. Sell on eBay. Got a second car you don’t need? Sell it. Put all of your proceeds towards your debt.

If you empty your pockets of change every night and stash it, it adds up. Throw soda can return money in the basket. At the end of the month, put it all towards debt. At worst, it will fill up your gas tank.

Using these strategies can get you back on track. While the cost of living goes up, your debt can still go down.