Economize, economize, economize
Trim every unnecessary expense (extra phone lines, cable TV, restaurant meals) from the household budget. Grow veggies instead of vegging in front of the tube. If you can't take a vacation this year, put the time to good use by completing needed DIY projects around the house that will make you feel more secure.

Create new sources of income
Clean out your house, and "you won't believe all the things you have to sell," says Gurney, author of Your Money Personality: What It Is and How You Can Profit From It. Hold a rummage sale or offer your unwanted items at a consignment shop, or on Craigslist or eBay.

Take a long view of time
Why despair over the decrease in your home's value or your IRA if you're not planning to move or retire immediately? Remind yourself that the economy is cyclical: What goes up must come down, but what goes down also eventually goes up!

Donate to charity
It seems counterintuitive to give money away when you're feeling poor, but acts of generosity "change your self-perception from being a person completely invested in the balance of her bank account to one who doesn't need to hang on to every cent," says Rich. You can also give of yourself by volunteering or donating unneeded items to a charity. Giving, exhorts Rich, "frees you up!"