Trading in your morning coffee run to Starbucks for the pot of coffee in the office is never fun, but when finances get tight that drive-thru stop might be one of the first things to go.

But do you really need to give up the little things in life that make you happy? Al Zdenek (www.AlZdenek.com), author of the book “Master Your Cash Flow: The Key to Grow And Retain Wealth,” doesn’t think so.

“It’s important to be able to hang onto those things you enjoy,” says Zdenek, president, CEO and founder of Traust Sollus Wealth Management. “You should be able to, just as long as you continue to make smart decisions on bigger issues that affect your future wealth.”

There is a lot of financial stress and anxiety in the country. Zdenek says if you can eliminate financial stress from your life, your anxiety levels will go down. Here are some of the things he recommends to accomplish that:

• Know what you need. The unknown is the biggest stress driver. There is a cash flow per month that would allow you to live the way you want now and in the future. This is something you should know.

• Fix broken cash flow. Unfortunately, we have all made poor financial choices, some of which have been more costly than others. There is no need to continue this. There are ways to find solutions in everyday decisions that will allow you to start your cash flow going in the right direction.

• Use debt smarter. Many types of debt can be good; such as real estate, investments and investing in your business. Make your debt decisions like a well-run company and create wealth.

• Make sure you have a road map. Having a good financial plan is like having a good map and researching your trip ahead of time. You can wing your financial plan, but if you work less in life and get to your destination sooner, your life will be less stressful if you have a plan.

• Don’t let your decisions come back to haunt you. The bad decisions you make could come back to haunt you decades down the road. Learn how to avoid costly decisions and always make the correct financial choices, 100 percent of the time.

• Work when you want. People like to know when they don’t have to work anymore. A good adviser can set you up with a plan that will give you this option well before you reach retirement age.

“By consistently making the best financial decisions, people can find more cash flow to spend or save,” Zdenek says. “That way they may achieve financial independence sooner, work less in life and have less anxiety and stress in their financial lives.”