Some might think it unfathomable to be considering ways to become wealthy in the midst of a recession, but there is never a bad time to try to leverage your talents and resources in an effort to boost your net worth.  Even in the face of market volatility, and even if you don't foresee a salary increase in the next few years, there are some things you can do to build upon your wealth, most of which start with simply changing your way of thinking. 

First and foremost, try and think of your wealth as the sum total of your decisions to date.  Think about that long and hard.  No one but you is responsible for your wealth - or lack thereof.  Where you find yourself today is the total of your efforts and decisions since you were equipped with the brainpower to execute such things.  Get excited and make some new decisions today.  Decide to build up a massive desire for that which you want most for your life.  Your desire for happiness will bring you happiness, just as your desire for wealth will bring you wealth.  Once your mind is made up, the desire will translate into a tremendous amount of extra energy and brainpower, which will be needed to accomplish your desired outcome.

It may help to narrow your focus and simplify your strategies by breaking your ultimate goal down into a number of smaller goals.  Map out a path to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Maintain your focus, and make a conscious decision to dominate anything that best exploits your skills and talents.  You might find that it helps to study the decision-making processes of your mentors, and other folks you admire for their success.  Find out why they make their decisions the way they do.  

Finally, remember that indecision can breed failure.  Welcome to Earth, where you are doomed to make choices.

• Keep fresh lettuce on hand and then add nutrient-rich extras: grated cheese; bite-size grilled chicken, tofu, or chopped hard-boiled eggs; cut-up vegetables; sliced apples, pears, or berries; toasted nuts or seeds. (Keep a variety of salad dressings on hand for variation

• Add your own flair to "ready-to-prepare" dishes: add diced lean ham, chicken breast, or chopped carrots, broccoli or tomatoes to cooked macaroni and cheese; chopped dried fruit or nuts to rice; sliced red and green peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli florets to a good quality frozen pizza.

• Flavor your protein with prepared sauces and spreads: barbecue, steak or teriyaki sauce on pork chops, chicken breasts, burgers, or fish steaks; hummus as a sandwich spread; salsas for quick tacos or quesadillas; pasta-ready or pizza-ready herbed tomato sauces.

•  Use any oil-vinegar based dressing as a vegetable, meat, poultry or seafood marinade.

• Plan - Keep an ongoing shopping list so you always have nutritious, easy-to-prepare ingredients on hand.  

• Pre-prep when you can.  Put breakfast cereal and bowls on the table or put together a packed lunch the night before.  Assemble tomorrow's casserole while you clean up from tonight's dinner.  Wash and slice raw veggies ahead so they're ready for snacking, salads, or a stir-fry.

• Make double or triple batches.  With soup, stew, salads (i.e., pasta salad or chicken salad), sauce, or whole grains, such as rice, you can make enough at a time for several meals.  Or prepare two casseroles at a time - one for now, one to freeze for later.

• Cook once for two different dishes/meals.  For example, grill enough chicken breasts for dinner tonight and for lunch tomorrow.  Prepare hearty vegetable soup on Sunday; add chicken or beans and rice for variation on Tuesday.  Cook plenty of pasta - some for tonight's primavera, some for tomorrow's pasta salad.

1. Friendship: Couples who have a strong friendship have staying power. They not only love each other but genuinely like each other as people and enjoy spending time together. 
2. Communication: Those who are able to openly express their feelings in an emotionally safe environment typically deal with situations as they come up and avoid burying frustrations which always have a way of coming out at some point.
3. Humor: Partners who can make each other laugh tend to be good at de-escalating conflicts when they do arise. 
4. Affection: Happy couples can find easy ways to say "I love you" without the words. These moments can be invaluable, especially in the throes of a chaotic lifestyle. Whether it's a hug, kiss, tussle of the hair, or sitting on laps, these acts of affection keep couples connected when life gets crazy.
5. Chore Sharing: Those who divide household or parenting responsibilities in a way that is mutually agreed upon are less likely to harbor resentments about what they perceive as unfair.
6. Sexual Intimacy: Partners who have their sexual needs met feel taken care of by the other.  Some couples are highly active, while others are content with far less sexual intimacy. There is no right or wrong amount of lovemaking. Negotiation and understanding, however, is needed to make sure no one feels neglected.
7. A Relationship Vision: Couples who have created a "relationship vision" for themselves know where they're going and where they'll be in 10, 20, or 30 years, because they've planned it together. They experience great joy out of seeing the big picture of their relationship and reaching for their goals as a team.  

1. Accept uncertainty. Many people fear the uncertain because they associate it with a negative, maybe even life-threatening, situation. In many cases, uncertainty is a sign of better things to come. Prepare for both desirable and undesirable scenarios so you'll have an idea of what to expect when the unexpected arrives.
2. Look forward to the future. We can't change the past, so we have to accept it, learn from what has happened, and move forward. Looking ahead to the future means setting goals -and setting goals means working toward your dreams. As long as you're moving in the direction of your dreams, how can the future be anything to dread?
3. Pay attention to your surroundings. Once you recognize that change can occur at any time, look for subtle clues that change could be on the horizon in your own specific situation. For example, has management been handing out an increasing number of pink slips? If so, it might be a good time to take a class that would increase your value in the eyes of your employer.
4.  Communication is key. Don't just sit back and wait for things to happen. When you're standing on the threshold of imminent change, communicate with others to learn the nature of the change and what you can do to better adapt to it.
5. Change requires flexibility. In the face of change, think about what skills and lessons, from your old role or situation that you can apply to the new circumstances.  In the event that your new situation calls for a different skill set or new lessons, be open to learning those things.