Do you remember in 1999 when average gas prices were around $0.99 a gallon? MSN Money featured an article today called, $4 a gallon means more for a beer. Now that’s one way to get my attention, but it got me thinking about all of the different things in life that the cost of fuel affects.

Fuel charges really put the pressure on businesses and consumers. When consumers can’t afford the greater things in life, businesses suffer. When businesses suffer, consumers feel the squeeze from increased costs and reduction in quality. It’s a vicious circle.

A couple examples come to mind:

• American Airlines recently announced that it will now charge passengers for all checked luggage on a graduated scale for each bag in an attempt to offset the rising fuel costs and keep their business alive.
• The Mexican restaurant near my house started using a lower quality sausage because they are feeling the pressure from increased operating costs and lower consumer spending.

It not only affects the extra money we have to spend as well as the quality of goods we receive, but an increase in average gas prices now forces us to make tough decisions that we never had to make before. For example, I am writing this on Memorial Day, which is typically a time of year for American families to get together, barbeque and get ready for the long awaited summer. This year, however, families have to scale down their plans or change them entirely because life is just too expensive. According to MarketWatch:

About one-third of all Americans plan to travel this Memorial Day weekend, according to a new report from Deloitte & Touche, but nearly a quarter of them have changed plans due to the pinch at the pump and 12% have cancelled road trips altogether.

Now not only is the skyrocketing price of gas squeezing our budgets enough to prompt us not to eat out or buy new toys, but it is also preventing us from doing what may be the most important thing in our lives – spending time with the ones we love.

Things will have to change – one way or another. I don’t believe average gas prices will be going down, as they never do. Eventually we’ll have to rely less on petroleum or change our behaviors to accept the new cost to commute. Either way, for now the supply and demand curve is worsening, and it affects our bottom line, which means we seriously have to make tougher decisions that we didn’t have to make in the past.

Millionaire Money Habit: As our cost of living increases, the need to manage your money wisely and budget appropriately is even more critical. Take a moment to reflect on the seriousness of rising average gas prices. You may just need to rethink about how “living within your means” has changed and adjust appropriately.

Here is a list of some of the best articles from my favorite personal finance websites. Spend some time digging through the Millionaire Money Habits archives and the links below to improve your financial literacy, and learn how to become a millionaire.

Spotlight: Prime Time Money wraps up his 10 Things Series, which documents exactly what he’s done over time to become successful with personal finance management. It’s full of great information and quite motivating.

Managing Money:

• Are You Ready To Manage Your Parent’s Money And Healthcare? at My Two Dollars
• Tracking Pennies: Making The Abstract Concrete at Paid Twice

Spending and Saving:

• What is a budget? at Gather Little by Little
• Frugal Living For Beginners at beingfrugal.net
• What are You Doing About High Gas Costs? at Credit Withdrawal
• Turn Your Wasted Money Into a Debt Reduction Plan at My Dollar Plan
• 8 Simple Ways to Save Yourself a Thousand Bucks at The Digerati Life

The Rest of the Best:

• Money: Only 7 Investments You’ll Need at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
• Is US Currency Illegal? at Cash Money Life
• What To Do With a Deadbeat Relative? at Mrs. Micah

Personal Finance Carnivals:

• Carnival of Financial Planning
• Money Hacks Carnival
• Carnival of Personal Finance

Millionaire Money Habit: To help you become a millionaire, you need to perpetually improve your financial literacy. Digest as much information as possible and stick to a plan that works for you. Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed or by email to be notified of new articles posted here.

Doesn’t is seem like the same people are always the ones getting lucky? Everyone has a friend that seems to always land the best jobs, or make money in real estate, or happen to always pick the right stocks. No matter the case, they always get lucky and achieve just about anything they want.

It’s not a coincidence the people that seem to always get lucky end up that way. When people are consistently lucky, it’s because of something they are doing.

Successful people create their own luck. They put themselves in positions to have good things happen to them. How do they do this? They make connections with the right people, they make an effort, and they have a vision that allows them to act on opportunities that present themselves. These so called lucky people have programmed themselves for success.

It’s interesting when people say, “He’s so lucky,” but what they didn’t realize is the effort or risk that was involved to get that way. Maybe that person had to spend considerable effort in attending networking groups to make the right connections, or maybe they spent a great deal of time studying a particular situation, or maybe they were busy doing things rather than sitting on the couch watching TV. More likely it is just that person’s frame of mind.

The important thing is that successful people are “lucky” because they are doers, and act upon opportunities when they present themselves. Other people don’t know how to recognize opportunities, don’t put themselves in a position to be presented opportunities, or they don’t act when they can.

Instead of being jealous of the lucky people, why not join them? You can effortlessly succeed and reach your goals by creating your own luck. According to Richard Wiseman, the head of a psychology research department at the University of Hertfordshire in England, people who create luck:

• find good things in bad situations
• expect good fortune
• are open to possibilities
• like to try new things
• follow their hunches

To learn how to create your own luck by using positive affirmations and the law of attraction, download Manifest a Miracle. Not only can programming your mind to create your own luck make you wealthy, but it can help you with relationships, improve your health, have more energy and live a happier life.

Millionaire Money Habit: People who are consistently lucky are not actually lucky. By keeping an open mind, putting yourself in front of opportunities, and by taking action, you too can create your own luck and achieve your financial goals.