Most technology was made to save us time, but the extra time we have we’re spending playing mindless games or hanging out on social networks. We’re now able to buy pretty much whatever dishes our hearts desire; and yet, 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten. We stress over how busy we are; however, have you ever tracked the amount of time you spend procrastinating? Sometimes, instead of making the best of our modern lives, we fall into bad habits that end up wasting precious resources and time.

Our bad practices also have the downside of bringing plenty of unnecessary stress into our lives. Sometimes, guilt shows its ugly head as well. We’re drained of energy, unproductive, apathetic. We yearn to be more mindful and involved with the world around us, but we’re not doing anything to actually accomplish this goal.

Recognize yourself? Then it’s time to make some positive changes in your life, by breaking those pesky habits holding you back. Here’s a list of habits you should get rid of, and how to do it.

Compulsively checking social media

Have you heard of the fear of missing out? You experience it when you’re worrying that others might be doing more interesting things than you are. It’s often what’s behind our compulsive need to check social media multiple times per day. That’s why we interrupt a call to take another, put our task on hold to check Facebook, glance over Twitter while we’re on a date. It deprives us of meaningful connections and we end up constantly interrupted.

Keeping your sanity in a world obsessed with social media can be difficult. In moderation, social networks have a positive effect on our lives: they help us keep in touch with friends, catch up on news, and they boost our confidence. In excess, they quickly turn into an addiction, one that can be difficult to shake off. If you want to stop checking social media compulsively, start by setting some rules for yourself - like no social media in the morning, or at work, but allow yourself one hour before bedtime. Also, limit the number of social networks you’re on, based on your priorities, and ruthlessly go through your lists of connections and cut out everyone you haven’t interacted with in the last few months. You’ll be off to a great start.

Wasting resources

Food waste is directly associated with our habit of buying more than we actually need. In the long run, we only waste resources and enlarge our carbon footprint, which ends up harming the environment. Americans are throwing out about $165 billion worth of food each year. We’re not only wasting it, but all the wrapping and packaging of these foods ends up in landfills, where it continues to contribute to air and soil pollution.

If worrying about the planet is the last thing on your mind, you might want to shift your priorities a bit. Even small changes in lifestyle can have a positive impact on the world around you. Using sustainable bags instead of plastic ones, carrying a reusable water bottle around instead of purchasing bottled water, buying used products or borrowing them instead of investing in new ones – all these little things add up in the long run and help preserve the earth’s resources.

Procrastination

Most people aren’t born with magic time management skills – we need to develop them over time. Everyone is guilty of procrastination sometimes, but, according to Psychology Today, 20-percent of people chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions. This can become problematic, especially when procrastination starts affecting your job performance.

To break free from this daunting habit, there are several strategies you can try out. Keeping a neat to-do list, making up your own rewards for a job timely done, constantly setting time-bound goals for your projects and striving to accomplish them – these are all great tactics that will help tremendously. For more tips on the subject, take a look here.

Sitting down

Back in the day, most jobs required a lot of standing up; now, it’s the other way around. We sit down behind the desk at our office jobs, we sit down in our cars while driving, we sit down in front of the TV in the evening to catch up on our favorite show. There is little room left for exercise – and the fact that more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese backs this up. It’s about time we all make an effort and start moving around more.

Only 20-30 minutes of physical activity per day will have a significant impact on your energy levels, health, and weight. No matter how busy you are, you can still squeeze in half an hour of exercise somewhere in your schedule. You don’t even need a fancy gym membership, since working out at home can be just as effective.

Studies show that it only takes about 21 days to make or break a habit. But It’s not enough to just hold off from doing something for three weeks, and then simply cross your fingers and hope for the best. You can only break a bad habit by choosing, every day and all the time, not to engage in it. With enough determination and perseverance though, you’ll pull it off.

Mortgages, car loans, credit card debt – they all take a toll on our finances. As long as you manage your debt responsibly and make timely and substantial payments to reduce it, it doesn’t have to drag you down.

However, when you’re constantly running out of money, borrowing to make ends meet, and resorting to credit to cover your living costs month after month, you’re in big trouble. Here are a few signs that you have more debt than you can handle.

You’re not even sure about how much you owe

When you’re too scared to face up to your debt, it’s an early sign that you’re in more trouble than you would like to admit. And ignoring your debt won’t make it go away; it will likely make matters worse. The same goes for hiding your financial troubles and chaotic spending habits from your loved ones. You know they wouldn’t approve and they’ll make you own up to your mistakes, and you’re not ready to face the harsh truth just yet.

If you’re in denial, it’s about time you snapped out of it. Make a list of your debts so you know exactly how much you owe. Then, you can start brainstorming for ways to live more frugally and regain some control over your financial life.

It’s hard to meet your mortgage payments

This is pretty much the worse than can happen – once it gets tough to meet your mortgage payments every month, you’re in serious danger of losing your home. If all your money goes towards paying this debt and you’re left with nothing else to cover your other living expenses, it’s time to take some measures to remedy the situation.

Consider refinancing your home loan; you might be able to lower your monthly payments, even if that means having to accept a loan over a longer period of time. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Keep in mind that working solely to pay off debt is exhausting and can easily lead to burnout.

You can only afford to pay the minimum amount on credit cards

In an ideal world, the balance on your credit card(s) should be paid in full every month. If that doesn’t happen, simply making the minimum payments won’t cut it either. You have to pay more if you want to actually decrease your debt. When you can’t, you likely owe more than you can handle.

Get in touch with the credit card companies and start negotiating. Maybe they’ll agree to lower your interest rates. You could also try to transfer your balances to a card with a low introductory offer rate. The minimum payment would be lower; so, even if you only keep paying the original sum you were paying before the transfer, you’ll manage to slowly reduce your debt.

You don’t have an emergency fund

A comfortable savings account can give you peace of mind and a safety net to rely on in case of an emergency. When your savings account is empty, you’re basically living paycheck to paycheck. What would you do if you had to cover an unexpected medical expense or a repair on your home? What would you do if the worst happened and you lost your job? You’ll probably resort to credit, which will only drag you deeper into debt.
You should have enough money in your savings account to cover your living expenses for at least three to six months. Yes, it’s difficult to try to build and emergency fund and reduce debt at the same time, but it’s possible. Here are some useful tips that will help.

You are denied for new credit

Your debt affects your credit score – the lower it is, the harder it will be for you to get approved for new credit. When creditors and lenders reject your credit applications, it’s a sign you’re in deep financial trouble. It’s time to take some steps to improve your credit score. The fastest way? Look for additional sources of income. Get a second job, start a freelance career, look for temp gigs in your free time. It will be difficult, but the extra cash will come in handy when you’re dealing with an overwhelming amount of debt.

The financial stress is getting to you

Stress can have many negative effects on both your mental and physical well-being. It’s hard to keep your happiness levels up when you’re constantly worrying about how you’ll make it until your next paycheck. Or when creditors repeatedly call you to remind you that you’re behind on your payments. You’ll be more anxious, irritable, and frustrated. Too much stress can also lead to headaches, depression, and a decrease in appetite.

If the signs above apply to your current situation, it’s time to take charge of your financial life. Figure out exactly how much you owe and come up with a plan to slowly, but steadily repay your debt. This is the first important step you need to take if you want to become financially free.

Season four of the highly acclaimed HBO drama Game of Thrones may have just ended, but we’ll surely keep talking about the events in Westeros for months to come. Since we probably have about a year to wait for the show’s fifth installment, now is the perfect time to take a look back at what the epic drama taught us so far. Surprisingly, besides being a blend of violence, sex, and political intrigue, the show also offers some pretty valuable financial lessons.

If you haven’t seen the series and are planning to, avert your eyes. Even though we kept this article as spoiler-free as possible, we don’t want to ruin all the fun for you. If you’re familiar with the happenings in the fictional and awesome world of The Seven Kingdoms, proceed with confidence.

A Lannister always pays his debts

The unofficial motto of House Lannister. For them, the term debt surely covers any personal or political favors as well, but when a rich Lannister mutters the phrase in the show, they’re usually referring to the financial kind. They make sure never to acquire a burden they won’t be able to repay, and they aren’t shy to use their wealth to buy others’ loyalty. If these fictional characters were living in today’s society, they would all certainly have pretty high credit scores.

You should also follow the motto of these Westeros billionaires. If debt is piling up, you’re likely living well beyond your means. You’ll never be able to enjoy financial freedom while you owe more than you make, so slowly start reducing debt, one step at a time. Stop using your credit cards and pay off existing balances as soon as possible. This will help you avoid additional interest payments or late fees. Additionally, make a plan to repay your loans. For more on how to manage debt, take a look here.

Winter is coming

Winter is coming is the title of the first Game of Thrones episode and is said by the leader of House Stark. Even though the Starks haven’t been very lucky during the show’s four seasons, their saying can actually be good for financial planning. Literally, winter is coming is a reference to the weather, which worsens as the series progresses.

Metaphorically though, it’s interpreted as a warning to get ready for an uncertain and potentially troublesome future.

In life, it’s never too early to think about what’s to come and financially prepare for emergencies that can occur at any time. Building a decent emergency fund will prevent you from using credit and accumulating debt when the unexpected happens. You should also think carefully about your investments and come up with a [financial risk management plan to have you covered in case they go south. The same applies for securing loans – only do it if you have a back-up plan that includes a few ideas on how you’ll repay them even if you lose your regular source of income. Always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken

Anaphora from House Martell. The Martells do their best to keep their heads up and their dignity intact. Oberyn goes to great lengths to avenge his sister’s death; he offers to fight for Tyrion’s benefit in order to accomplish this, even though he loathes the Lannisters. Anything to protect the family’s honor.

How can this apply to your finances? The Martells treasure their freedom, and so should you. Striving to gain financial freedom is difficult, but once you achieve it any compromises you may need to make along the way will be worth it. Sure, you may need to start cooking more meals at home instead of going out all the time and cancel your fancy gym membership to jog in the nearby park. And you’ll need to start budgeting and keeping track of your expenses. You need serious determination, as well as the strength to say ‘no’ when temptation comes calling. But it can be done, so start making a plan that will get you there.

Don’t neglect health and disability insurance

If modern-day health insurance would have been available for the Game of Thrones characters, Khal Drogo may not have died from an infected flesh wound. Daenerys would have rushed him to the hospital and refused the services of an unreliable witch.

Health insurance is a necessity, but unfortunately most plans only cover your immediate medical care. You should look into getting some coverage that will provide income during a long-term disability. Unfortunately, you never know when hardship might strike. Just think about poor Jamie, who’s now barely even able to fight. Or Bran, who depends on Hodor to carry him around. Think of getting disability insurance as securing your own Hodor. It will have your back, financially, in case you won’t be able to complete the core functions of your work.

To sum it up, it sure looks like Game of Thrones has a lot to say about money (if you’re willing to explore it beneath the surface.) The most important things to remember? Be prepared in case emergency strikes and make a plan that will finally earn you financial freedom.

What other money lessons do you think we can learn from the show? Let us know in the comments!