Are You Focused on Outwitting Life Every Day Yet?

In June, I will have been writing this blog for three years. That was fast! Are you focused on outwitting life every day yet? Have I enticed you to at least try it?

Life circumstances forced me into embarking on my outwitting life journey when I found myself unemployed, unsure of myself, and sick with cancer. It was not a pretty beginning. It has, however, been quite the education.

I have learned you do not need a breast cancer diagnosis to begin focusing on outwitting life. Being alive and breathing qualifies you immediately. Life happens, and it involves all sorts of challenges and victories. Things do not go as planned half the time, tragedies occur, and depression can take over.

Enter outwitting life practices!

Various Definitions of Outwitting Life

• To get the better of by superior cleverness
• Outsmart
• Beat your opponent in a game of strategy because you are more adept
• To defeat or trick (someone) by being intelligent and clever
• Use greater ingenuity

I do all of these things! At first, I was outwitting life because I had to, but eventually, it became an exciting and challenging exercise. It quite literally changed all of our lives for the better.

People often ask me, “What does outwitting life mean?” It is figuring out how to accept hardships yet still live a fulfilling life. There are ways around many of my challenges. I can overcome them if I can outwit, outmaneuver, or use cleverness.

My first step in outwitting life involved taking action. That meant I had to look closely at our finances (which I hated doing). As mentioned in previous posts, I was a spoiled brat who cruised along life doing whatever I wanted. Why balance a checkbook if you didn’t need to?

Outwitting life pushed us (hubby and me) to make difficult decisions. We lived in Floral Park, NY, when my cancer diagnosis happened. The company I worked for assured me my job was secure, so we thought we would be OK. But then I was terminated. Suddenly, I had no salary, and unemployment wasn’t going to cut it.

Outwitting Life Has Been an Education

Bottom line, we had to cut our expenses significantly. I started researching like crazy on the internet. All those commercials that tell you they can save you money on your mortgage, aluminum siding – u name it,? I looked into it. It was amazing what I learned!

The good news is that I eventually was put on Social Security Disability due to cancer side effects, and we had a “paycheck” coming in again. It was nowhere near my previous salary, but it was better than unemployment. My newfound knowledge of savings, coupled with my social security, was the perfect match.

The internet taught me so many things! I was able to sell a bunch of furniture on the Facebook marketplace. I learned how to use chalk paint to spruce up some decor pieces and learned tips for packing when we relocated. Manipulating my situation is what kept me sane! The following outwitting life “hacks” became invaluable to us.

Savings That Make a Difference

• The Freebie Guy. The deals this man finds are incredible. I will never pay full price for anything again, thanks to him. He also has a group called Telegram. It’s free to join. I signed up for his alerts on mobile. Here’s the link for you to see what he’s all about: https://thefreebieguy.com/
• Aldi Supermarket. I cut our grocery bill in half by shopping at Aldi. Companies you know make their house brands – Lays Potato Chips, Heinz ketchup, etc. Eggs and milk alone are more than 50% cheaper than Shop Rite. I have become a loyal customer and cannot recommend them enough! https://www.aldi.us/
• Digit. This bank account automatically saves a percentage of funds from the bank account you identify. You set goals, and they help you attain them without jeopardizing your cash flow. I used Digit to save $6K for LVM flooring. You should check them out. http://digit.co/.
• Rakuten. Use their links to shop online at places like Old Navy, Macy’s, etc., to earn cash. You need to get in the habit of opening their page first before you shop. The money you earn makes it worth the extra step. http://www.rakuten.com/.

Outwitting life is my coping mechanism. When the unexpected happens, my brain automatically goes into outwitting life mode. It makes me feel more in control. Terrible things may occur to me, but my response is everything.

How Do You Handle the Unexpected?

How many times has your life taken a turn you didn’t expect? Always, right? You thought you earned that promotion they gave to your colleague. Having a baby isn’t always easy; miscarriages are devastating. Marriages sometimes don’t work. Surely that cannot be your house on fire in the news today!

There is a lesson learned in each adversity. Persevere with a keen sense of observation so you can pass along this knowledge to others in need.

Loretta Rederscheid, outwittinglife.com

Life is a series of surprises, so I focus on outwitting life. There are ways to deal with adversity. You can handle anything, and once you accept that, life becomes more manageable. Have you been outwitting life lately? Here’s a previous post about outwitting life: https://www.outwittinglife.com/how-to-start-outwitting-your-life-today/.

Today’s post highlights financial outwitting life tips. I will explore other topics in future posts. Do you have tips to share? Please write them in the comment section below. I am sure many of us will be able to use them.

Is there a situation you or a friend are currently facing, and you need suggestions for outwitting life? Let me know, and I will write a post about it. As always, if anything I have said resonates with you, please leave a comment below.