I have never really paid much attention to the world of finance or the workings of Wall Street. But these days, it's impossible to live in a bubble - even one of blissful love. Especially considering how the current economic crisis affects long distance couples.

Like it or not, this newest shift in the cosmos could have a profound impact on your ability to visit your far away sweetie. I'll talk about finances in a minute but let's not ignore that little thing that used to be called job security. Can we all agree that's an obsolete term these days? I don't know anyone who feels secure about their job. The implications to a long-distance relationship may not be immediately apparent but here are some of the issues to consider.

• With companies downsizing to the bare bones, if you're one of the fortunate ones who escaped the axe, you may have additional responsibilities that make it more difficult for you to take time off, even for an occasional long weekend.
• If you do still have your job following lay-offs, you might fear that being away from work even a short period of time will make the powers that be decide they can get along just fine without you. Perish that thought!
• If you are strictly an hourly employee, you may feel you can't afford even a single day's loss of pay.

Although everyone is feeling anxious, the economic crisis affects long distance couples even more. Sadly, finding time to get away may be the least of your concerns as you watch your nest egg dwindle from an ostrich's to a robin's - even worse if you started with a robin's. You may be asking yourselves how you can possibly afford to finance regular visits when you feel like you need to hoard every penny.

Another scary fact is that the number one issue that causes couples to break up and marriages to dissolve is finances. As if LDRs don't have enough to deal with.

Sounds pretty bleak doesn't it? Well, don't give up on the whole idea of a making your LDR work. All it means is that you need to get more creative in your approach to your LDR. It's more important than ever to find ways to stay connected while you're apart and to learn some helpful methods for "finding" extra cash to finance those cherished visits. You'll find lots of helpful tips and resources in the eBook, "How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work". Visit www.alongdistancelove.com for more articles about surviving the challenges of a long-distance relationship.