First Things First
1....Make a budget. Distinguish between your “wants” and “needs” and see where all your money is going. You can even do it online—many sites offer free, easy-to-use budgeting tools to get you started.
Now that you know where your money is (and where it’s going), it’s time to start making decisions about what matters most. Follow these tips to get going.
2.....Prioritize your “wants.” This is where you’re going to be making the big cuts, so figure out what you care about and what you can live without.
3.....Eliminate the unnecessary. Do you have a gym membership you never use, or every single premium cable channel? Cancel whatever you don’t use regularly or don’t get your money’s worth from.
4.....Consider lower-cost options for your “needs.” Can you get Internet service cheaper from a different provider? Do you really need a cell phone and a home phone? Are the designer jeans really worth it? Assess, evaluate and make changes as necessary.
5....Be realistic. Be careful not to get so idealistic that you create a budget you can’t live up to.
Put away the plastic. Credit cards can be real trouble on a budget because they provide the oh-so-alluring "just this once" opportunity to splurge. But those "just this once" uses add up quickly and before you know it, next month's budget is blown paying off this month's indulgences. Make it easier on yourself—leave the credit cards at home.
6.....Consolidate your debt. Know what you owe and make a payment schedule to get it paid off. And don’t just pay the minimum due—at that rate, it’ll likely take years to get it off your back.
7.....Start saving. Treat your savings account like a bill—set a monthly amount for yourself (whatever you can afford) and start putting it away. Even if you can’t afford to save much now, the fact is it goes hand-in-hand with successful budgeting and will be vital to successful financial planning in the future.
8.....Be honest with yourself. Identify your spending habits and determine whether or not you need to exercise a little more self control.
9.....Start a Spending Diary. Keep track of receipts and monitor cash in-flow and out-go to make sure you stick to your budget.
10....Carry cash. Instead of a debit (or worse, credit) card, get your allotted spending money for the month in cash. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
How to eliminate stress!
In the busy world we live in today the words stess and tension are common place. Stess is a known contributor to many health conditions. Not to mention stress makes a hard situation much more difficult to manage. The following tips will assist you in eleviating stress and the tension you experience on a daily basis.
1....The time is now. What are you waiting for. In putting off action you are multiplying the stress and the tension involved. Deadlines are present in most situations. There really is no time better than now. For those items you dislike strongly to do, if they are done then you are able to move forward to the more enjoyable. How much time is wasted thinking about what is not as favorable? If it is done you have a feeling of accomplishment. Not to mention you won't end up with a late fee on your credit card bill. Just to put it into perspective. Procrastination is opening the door to stress and tension. Get it done and move on.
Step2....Stop feeling guilty. Make guilt a productive experience. This is the time to improve your life by admitting to an experience and moving on. Don't allow shame to enter the equation. Shame is nonproductive and leads to destruction of self esteem. Looking badly upon yourself is not going to achieve anything. Your human so you will make mistakes. Instead, admit to yourself the error and use it to prevent future occurrence. Then move on.
Step3....When experiencing a predicament look at the how, when and why. When the components are known you will be able to create a plan of action. A plan of action can be simple or as complex as you desire. This is a blueprint of how to work the situation out and how to deal with in the future. The plan of action will give you steps to achieve the end result. Steps make a situation conquerable where the whole picture is just overwhelming. You are capable of achieving anything you put your mind to. The ticket is motivation and believing in yourself. Making a plan just breaks it down and gives you encouragement by reaching achievements which put together the final picture. This is energizing and motivating.
Step4.....Keep your eyes open. Look for options. Too many times we are stressed and miss the opportunity which lies right in front of us. By maintaining an open mind and seeing what surrounds us we can decrease stress by utilizing current resources. Don't reinvent the wheel. Look at what is there and how it may be tailored to meet your needs. This will save time, energy and sanity.
Step5....Know yourself. What does your body do in reaction to stress or tension? Do you experience headaches? Do you dive into the chocolate? Do you become impossible to be around? By being aware of yourself, you will be able to uncover the source of stress. By knowing the source you can work on decreasing the stressor. Yes, this takes time. But your health, family and friends will appreciate it. You will appreciate it. Taking the time to do a self check will help you to know what needs to be done. This is maintaining mental health. By knowing your stressor, realizing the source and working through the problem your tension level will decrease.
1....The time is now. What are you waiting for. In putting off action you are multiplying the stress and the tension involved. Deadlines are present in most situations. There really is no time better than now. For those items you dislike strongly to do, if they are done then you are able to move forward to the more enjoyable. How much time is wasted thinking about what is not as favorable? If it is done you have a feeling of accomplishment. Not to mention you won't end up with a late fee on your credit card bill. Just to put it into perspective. Procrastination is opening the door to stress and tension. Get it done and move on.
Step2....Stop feeling guilty. Make guilt a productive experience. This is the time to improve your life by admitting to an experience and moving on. Don't allow shame to enter the equation. Shame is nonproductive and leads to destruction of self esteem. Looking badly upon yourself is not going to achieve anything. Your human so you will make mistakes. Instead, admit to yourself the error and use it to prevent future occurrence. Then move on.
Step3....When experiencing a predicament look at the how, when and why. When the components are known you will be able to create a plan of action. A plan of action can be simple or as complex as you desire. This is a blueprint of how to work the situation out and how to deal with in the future. The plan of action will give you steps to achieve the end result. Steps make a situation conquerable where the whole picture is just overwhelming. You are capable of achieving anything you put your mind to. The ticket is motivation and believing in yourself. Making a plan just breaks it down and gives you encouragement by reaching achievements which put together the final picture. This is energizing and motivating.
Step4.....Keep your eyes open. Look for options. Too many times we are stressed and miss the opportunity which lies right in front of us. By maintaining an open mind and seeing what surrounds us we can decrease stress by utilizing current resources. Don't reinvent the wheel. Look at what is there and how it may be tailored to meet your needs. This will save time, energy and sanity.
Step5....Know yourself. What does your body do in reaction to stress or tension? Do you experience headaches? Do you dive into the chocolate? Do you become impossible to be around? By being aware of yourself, you will be able to uncover the source of stress. By knowing the source you can work on decreasing the stressor. Yes, this takes time. But your health, family and friends will appreciate it. You will appreciate it. Taking the time to do a self check will help you to know what needs to be done. This is maintaining mental health. By knowing your stressor, realizing the source and working through the problem your tension level will decrease.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
How to avoid foreclosure!
If, you are facing foreclosure on your properity..there is help. Check out this site to learn more.
http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/
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