February 25, 2010

How I Got My Budget under Control

Filed under: Online Finance, University of Self Improvement — admin @ 2:48 pm

Between regular monthly bills and unexpected expenses, it seemed I was always upside down on my budget. My paycheck was already spent as soon as I got it. I got a lot of bills every month and put them off to the last minute, then dealt with them all in a rush. This leads to me taking money from the next paycheck just to make it through. The problem was not related to how much money I made, it’s that I didn’t know how to manage mybudget. Worse yet, any emergency landed me even further in debt.

Most of us have been in this situation. We try to control our expenditure and be careful with our money, but long before the month is over, the money is gone. Paying Off bills is a juggling act that most of us don’t have the time or energy to handle. There’s always one bill that was unnoticed or delayed, one more expense we weren’t organized for. With school supplies and fees for the kids, groceries, new tyres for the car, and the raising cost of petrol, just making it from paycheck to paycheck is tough enough; saving money is out of the question. Meantime, debt is slowly building up. How can I get my budget under control?

Luckily for me, I found a service which will help me budget my money more wisely and take away the stress of paying off monthly bills, allowing me to concentrate on the things that really matter to my family. No more concerning over where the money will come from; I can finally relax, knowing that my finances are in good hands.

The financial planning process:
Usually during your initial consultation, your budget specialist will look at all of your existing debts and monthly payments and prepare a plan that works for you. They will set aside money for savings, emergencies, and long-term investment, ensuring your family’s financial security. If you are planning a major purchase, this will be forecasted into your budget so that when you are ready to buy, the money will be there for you.

Your paychecks are generally deposited with your financial planner, and a separate account is set up for your living expenses. Bills and repayments are diverted to your budgeting consultant for payment. There is a chance that your consultant can lower your monthly payments and reduce your outstanding debt by negotiating with creditors. A small monthly fee is assessed for all these services.

For me, the most important monthly service my budget specialist provides is peace of mind. I don’t have to stress about paying any bills; I know my bills will be paid on time, and that I’ll have money in reserve for life’s little emergencies. My budget is finally under control, thanks to my financial planning service.

December 8, 2009

Being a Good Husband

Being a good husband isn’t easy, but who said that anything worth doing would be easy? The most worthwhile things you’ll ever do in life involve difficulty, sacrifice, and grit. And being a good husband qualifies as one of those worthwhile things. Here are 5 tips for being a better husband:

  1. Date her. Dating is more important after marriage than before. Men are goal oriented, and they often see courtship as a means to an end: marrying her. But maintaining a healthy marriage means putting in the same kind of work. If you can find a copy, read Zig Zigar’s book, Courtship After Marriage.
  2. Be polite. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a wimp. But saying please and thank you demonstrate courtesy and class. Women don’t want to be married to a man who’s disrespectful or classless. You want to be Cary Grant, not Stifler.
  3. Kiss her. In fact, don’t just kiss her. Hold her hand. Put your arm around here. Tell her occasionally how much you love here. Being affectionate takes little effort and reaps big rewards.
  4. Be faithful. Do I even have to explain this one? The whole point of marriage is that you’re sacrificing the freedom to sleep around for something deeper and more important. Yeah, monogamy’s hard. Get over it.
  5. Prioritize. I can look at your diary and tell what your priorities are. They’re the things you do first. If you’re not doing it very often, it’s not a priority to you. That means if you’re not spending time on your marriage, it’s not a priority. Good husbands make their marriage a top priority.

Much has been written about how to be a good husband. It’s worth the effort. Are you up to the challenge?

November 21, 2009

Managing My Personal Budget

Filed under: Online Finance, University of Self Improvement — admin @ 8:24 am

If you’re reading this article, you are most likely searching for a way to take control of your finances. Formulating and sticking to a monthly budget has always been one of the ideal methods to do this. Having a sound budget is important for managing your finances, one that has allowed me to get on with my day to day life even on limited funds. Monitoring my monthly budget is one of the most critical things I do every month, this has allowed me to consistently meet all expenditures, grow my savings, and control debt.

I map out my budget for the upcoming month close to the end of the month. This will prepare me of what’s down the road. It’s not a good idea to produce a budget after getting paid because, too often, that flush feeling of getting a paycheck leads to nonessential and spontaneous spending before the paycheck ever reaches the bank.

I start my personal budget by outlining all the expenses that must be paid on time like, mortgage repayments, utility bills, insurance policy payments and car loans. These are the critical things that I must pay to keep a comfortable roof over my head. I like to pad these requirements to make “money back” after paying the bills and, if costs increase circumstantially, I’m always covered.

Next, my budget is subjected to a list of discretionary things I need to cover but could live without if absolutely unavoidable. These items may include monthly savings deposits, credit card repayments, and donations to charity. These things are also necessary, but in case of emergency I could put them off for a short time. By giving credit card companies the maximum instead of the minimum, I keep my credit score high and my debt low.

My budget does not include the cost of living such as food and entertainment. Ultimately, these items get covered by what’s left in the budget. Some months involve lots of beans and rice, slow-cooker meals, free or cheap entertainment, and only one inexpensive piece of clothing . This strategy of overseeing my monthly budget has worked out very well over the long term as long as I honor it conscientiously.

November 20, 2009

Team Development - Why Your Office Is Different from the Office

Every employer should want to boost morale, increase communication between staff members and in the end increase proficiency, so why don’t all organisations send their staff to team development events?

Is it because some of these events can suffer from the fact they conjure up bad thoughts - many connected to the farcical events portrayed on television shows?

Certainly, the wisdom of David Brent from TV’s “The Office” have forced middle managers to look in the mirror and wonder if that’s who they resemble.

Among Brent’s many, now well-known, quotes the one that best summarises his thinking about working as a team reads: “There may be no ‘I’ in team, but there’s a ‘ME’ if you look hard enough”.

Fans of the show will remember the funny show in which a team development expert visited their offices. David Brent quickly took over, and changed the course into essentially a celebration of himself, including a rendition of his seminal 1980s pop ballad “Free Love on the Freelove Freeway” on acoustic guitar.

Yet, in real life team development events are nothing like the cringeworthy and destructive nightmare depicted in the show.

Numerous companies across the country now offer businesses the opportunity to take their staff out of the office and away on a team building day.

Team building helps employees to learn and develop the tools and skills essential to push business growth plus sustain development and improvement.

And in spite of the worldwide recession, staff development remains essential to business growth. In fact, it is even more important, as when the recession ends there will certainly be chances for the best-managed businesses to take advantage of the developing marketplace.

Team development can take different forms, from in-house teaching to getting out into the wilderness and undertaking adventure courses, high ropes trails and personal challenges - which will certainly inspire and be memorable for employees taking part.

All of these events are designed to encourage staff - regardless of age and background - to work as part of a team for the common good of your company, and they all contribute to the common long-term goals of your business.

That’s why team development events are essential to the growth of any business. Just don’t copy David Brent, a man whose policy for hiring new staff was simple: “Avoid employing unlucky people - throw half of the pile of CVs in the bin without reading them”.

September 30, 2009

Managing Monthly Budgeting

Filed under: Online Finance, University of Self Improvement — admin @ 2:28 pm

Handling my family budget can sometimes be really stressful, but not overseeing it can put me into financial debt before I realize it. The benefits from looking after my budget correctly not only saves me money but also helps relieve tension from debt.

There are many things in life that shape me financially, but there is probably nothing that impacts my finances more than a household budget. There are not too many people these days who have learned how to budget and this can result in many financial troubles, including debt. One main reason why so many of us do not create a budget is because we think it is just too complicated. But in actuality, creating a budget does not have to be hard at all; it is as easy as penning down what we spend and updating it each month. By practising this habit, we do not spend more than we have.

It is crucial for me to keep in mind that my budget is just my program for my monthly spending. Just like any program, my budget does necessitate me to manage it to keep it running correctly. Organising information was the first step in creating my budget. I keep track of expenses like car loan repayments, utilities, car insurance policy, groceries, etc. If I do not organise my budget, I can easy find myself in debt. It is vital for me to know how much I require on expenditures each month.

I see two benefits with maintaining with my finances through my budget. First of all, I am able to save money on uncalled-for spending. Secondly, I can keep myself from going into unnecessary debt. When I spend my money wisely, I buy only things that are necessary and I free up money that I can use on something that I want or can save it. With the spare cash I am able to save, I have the option of putting it aside and investing.

September 17, 2009

Women’s Networking, Plano Pest Control, Reverse Craigslist Software

Filed under: Commerce, Regional And More, University of Self Improvement — admin @ 9:31 am

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August 28, 2009

Regained Hair & My Confidence!

My hair loss treatment journey begun the day I started to notice my thinning hair and my bald spot becoming bigger. I would spend hours and hours looking for styles to comb my hair a particular way to conceal my hair loss. I discovered myself wearing more hats on the weekends as I went out with my wife, friends or family. Walking in to work every morning without my hat was a painful experience. Your thoughts changes when you are going through hair loss. It is so true that you never know what you have until you lose it. That can be accurate about your hair loss.

Having suffered from hair loss, I began to treasure every strand of hair that I had left. It was as if with each string of hair I lost, so was a small percentage of my self-confidence gone as well. A acquaintance of mine had the same problem as me. I observed lately that he appeared so much more relaxed and it appears as though his hair was growing back. I never wanted to bring it up but after a while I decided to ask. That is when I was recommended to Advanced Hair Studio. With just a few visits my friend Josh had not only regained his hair, but his self-assurance as well. After seeing what Josh has accomplished from Advanced Hair, I made up my mind to pay them a visit.

At first, I was a little skeptical. Outcomes were apparent within a few weeks. Not only on my scalp, but in my behavior. I started to lose the caps on the weekends and I quickly started to feel better about myself. My wife who has been complaining about my lack of interest in our relationship began to notice the change in that department as well. It is amazing how just a few trips to the Advanced Hair Studio had begun to change my life as a whole. I always felt as if the first thing people noticed about me was my bald spot. Now, I am not concerned to look people in the eyes again as I have my full set of hair back.

Advance Hair Studio has not only given me back a full set of hair, but a big part of my life as well. If you are suffering from hair loss I highly recommend them as it has done so much for me in just a few months of treatments. Don’t let baldness take your self-assurance away.

May 10, 2008

Live for the Moment and Put Worry on Hold - Part 2

Filed under: University of Self Improvement — admin @ 6:16 pm

For once, I am going to endorse procrastination. When it comes
to worrying, you should put it off. Do everything you like to
avoid worrying. Worries don’t help us; and in fact, they make
many bad situations worse. On top of that, most of what we worry
about never comes to pass.

On the other hand, putting off tasks that will help us advance,
right now, is an epidemic. There is a health maintenance
disaster on the horizon when most of the western world does not
want to engage in exercise. Therefore, the habit of
procrastination should be purged as soon as possible.

Here are a few things that will help you “stay on track” toward
your goals, live for the moment, and leave most of your worries
behind.

You should design a specific and detailed plan, of our future.
Your plan should have an exact step-by-step formula with time
lines. Cover every possible detail and research it.

Your written goals should be reviewed daily. This is a healthy
process, and people who write goals down have a much better
chance at success. Don’t talk, or think, in terms of “some day.”

Meditate and visualize yourself attaining success. Take the time
to quiet your mind and focus on your dreams. You should do this
every day to keep your vision alive. You could do this in the
morning, or the evening, when you can make time for yourself.

You should exercise regularly to increase endorphins and rid
your body of toxins. This will change your entire mindset for
the best. If you are new to exercise, walking is the best place
to start. Walking alone is a great program for overall health.

Drinking water, and getting a massage, are two more ways to
flush toxins from your body. Getting a massage is truly living
in the moment and gives you an appreciation for the finer things
in life. Massage could also be a form of bonding with your
“significant other.”

Learn to laugh, watch a comedy, and lighten your spirits. Some
of us take ourselves far too seriously. In order to live for the
moment, we all have to put serious feelings aside and learn to
enjoy life.

Posture is important while sitting, standing, walking, eating,
or anything else. A slouched body posture is bad for all forms
of health. Always sit up, or stand up, straight whenever you
think about it. Poor posture is usually a reflection of poor
self-esteem, so get rid of a slumping posture right now. Make
changes to your goal setting plans when you have to. Nothing is
“carved in stone,” and if you see a collision course with
disaster, make an adjustment as soon as you can.

You may not be able to implement all of these changes at once.
That’s not a problem; but if you add them to your lifestyle
gradually, you will enjoy your life and leave your worries
behind.

© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

May 4, 2008

Commitment vs.Trying - Is Trying Lying?

Filed under: University of Self Improvement — admin @ 6:04 pm

Today I heard the saying “Trying is lying!”

It made me reflect back to earlier this year when I was lying in my hospital bed with two broken legs, a broken hip and a broken pelvis, injuries I had sustained in a motorcycle accident. After the surgeons had put my body back together, I was moved to a rehabilitation hospital, where I spent the next 4 months learning how to walk again. This was an amazing facility designed to assist patients (many worse off than me), in adjusting to their new limitations. The goal was to assist us in finding strategies that were designed to help us continue to live a life worth living, despite these challenges.

Since I had sustained extensive orthopedic injuries, I required intensive physiotherapy.

Each morning, patients were expected to get dressed and wear their street clothes to physiotherapy, even though most of them would spend the remainder of their day in bed. It was part of the psychology to help us realize that we were not “sick:” but learning how to function again and look after ourselves.

The first time I went to physio, my physiotherapist Derek, asked me to move my leg. Now if you know me, (or are coached by me) you will know that a common theme I espouse is that of “I can’t}”. “I can’t” and its cousin “I give up!” are two phrases that are not allowed in my vocabulary, and if I have any influence over you, it’s not allowed in yours’ either…smile!.

I looked down at my leg and counted myself lucky as I looked around the room at the other patients. They all seemed to be using a mixture of medieval looking contraptions that contorted their bodies in a way that I was sure was designed to increase pain and agony. I just had to move my leg.

I told my leg to move in the direction that Derek had just asked but it stayed put. “Wait a minute”, I said to myself and I tried again, but it just wouldn’t move. I tried concentrating harder, and even spoke the words aloud, but it still wouldn’t change position. Frustrated now, I glared at this appendage that was betraying me, and found myself alternating between cajoling and cussing- all internal conversations of course. No amount of asking was making my leg budge! Derek my physiotherapist came by and with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face said “come on Frankie, MOVE IT!” “You can do it!” Visibly upset now with tears of anger and discouragement streaming down my face, I cried out, “I’m trying”, CAN’T YOU SEE THAT? “Well actually no, I can’t” he said gently, “because I don’t see your leg moving.”

It was then that I had an epiphany, Trying is not good enough. Trying is actually NOT Doing! It is still “I can’t” or “I won’t”. Another realization came to me as well, and that was I had a commitment, but it wasn’t to what I thought.

I was committed to NOT moving my leg. For whatever reason, perhaps it was fear of pain, or maybe of finding out that I may never be able to move it, I just didn’t want to do it. I am sure the “why” of it matter doesn’t matter as much as asking the Powerful Question, “So what are you going to do about it?”

When I came to terms with that revelation, I knew I had a decision to make right then and there. Either I could continue to pretend to “try” and not move my leg, or I could be a Doer.

We have already established that I am not a quitter, I don’t believe in I can’t and I knew I hadn’t survived the night of my accident to fail in my recovery, so there was only one option left, and that was to DO!!
But what about that commitment, what was I to do with that?

That commitment was NOT serving me. I knew that, because I WANTED to walk again and making my leg to move, was the first step to that goal. So I took a deep breath, told myself one more time “you can do it” and looked down at my leg and said “move damn it”.

Well son of a gun, didn’t it just move a couple of inches! I was ecstatic!

Now to be honest, it didn’t move far, but it did move. This was enough to prove to me it could be done.

Not only did I know that my leg was going to work again, I also knew what a powerful being lived inside me! This is not only true of me, but it is also true of you!

Each of us has the power to overcome the things we are committed to whether it be fear of flying or poor body image. No matter how long you have been living you’re your commitment, you can change the terms anytime you want.

I invite you to look inside at some of the commitments that have not been serving you, and see if you are ready to change your perspective on any of them.

Now that you understand the difference between trying and doing, literally in the blink of an eye, you will be able to recognize your commitments and know how to change them. Just imagine the freedom of being able to DO anything you want.

The next time you hear yourself say I am trying, remember, to tell yourself you are lying!

If you want to stay committed to something then commit to being the best you can be! Thomas Merton said, “The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.”

An exercise to bring this point home is to sit in a chair and drop a pencil on the floor. Now then I want you to TRY to pick the pencil up. Did you pick the pencil up? You Did? Well then put it back because you weren’t trying. Try again. Now I want you to TRY to pick the pencil up. Did you pick it up? NO? Then you weren’t trying. You see you can either be committed to picking the pencil up and do, or be committed to leaving the pencil on the floor and not do, but you can’t TRY to pick the pencil up!

EzineArticles Expert Author Frankie Picasso

Frankie Picasso, CPC LMT , is an Executive Business and Vision Coach and a Motivational Speaker, who loves to help people find their passion, path and purpose in Life. She has worked with both public and private sector organizations in the area of organizational wellness, alternative dispute resolution, sales and marketing, customer service and quality planning.The name of her company is Conversation with My Shoes and to find out more about her coaching, her speaking engagements , and her community involvement, please visit her website at http://www.conversationwithmyshoes.com

April 6, 2008

The Elements of Creativity: What-ifs?

Filed under: University of Self Improvement — admin @ 2:13 pm

What if there is no toilet paper and I am halfway through doing the “do”?

What if one of my team members decides to leave the project halfway and he happens to be the most knowledgeable guy there?

What if I turn colour blind, how should I adapt to the environment?

What-if, what-if and more what-ifs…

The technique of asking What-ifs provokes an individual to think and to produce something new. At times, in order to find original solutions to old problems, one must take the leap of faith and ask ‘crazy’ and imaginative questions to get us out of the rut of stale, conformist routine.

So, when you are walking, relaxing and or plain daydreaming, practice the techniques of What-ifs and have a ball of a time stimulating your brain juices!

You never know when your What-ifs Questions and Answers (Q&A) practice sessions could come in handy in sprouting innovative solutions to everyday problems.

I was just wondering about the invention of the mobile phone (or cellphone). Could it be the result of several fun and crazy What-ifs sessions among some guys in a restaurant, just talking off-the-cuff? What kind of questions could lead them into the invention of our beloved mobile phone? Hmm..

The questions asked could be the following:

  • What if I go out and I cannot receive an urgent phone call from my wife? (Especially when I am out so late and so often)

  • What if I have to make an emergency call and there is no public phone around? (Where’s the fire truck when you need one?)

  • What if I cut the wires of my home telephone and bring the phone along with me? (That could be COOL! No more getting entangled!)

One must remember that the What-ifs techniques are often used more to excite your imagination, not to develop a real solution to your problem. Though it happens!

The next step in the What-if process is to weigh up the responses and see if there lies a connection that may be used to solve the problem at hand.

Here are the steps of the What-ifs technique:

1.Write out specifically the nature of your challenge/problem. (How can I stop losing my car keys?

2.Ask as many WHAT-IF scenarios as you can. Any crazy what-ifs will do. Don’t be too pre-occupied with facts of the problems you want to solve. Imagine. Be a non-realist!

(What if I put my car keys within my body?)

3.Try to answer the what-if questions.

(I could develop a system whereby my thumb-print/ voice could be used to open the car’s door- yes; it’s been done already! The bio-metric technology)

Putting Your Elements to Work:

Get cracking and develop your own original responses to the following questions. Have FUN!

  1. What if my pet dogs starts talking to me?

  2. What if the Internet service is shut down for a week and I am in the online business selling my products?

  3. What if the book I am reading now is laughing at me for not being able to understand the meanings of certain word?

  4. What if my friend turns out to be alien from Mars?

  5. What if I have a Television that tells me to stop watching too much T.V?

Crack your Head and have FUN!

About The Author

Dr. Alvin Chan is a Senior Research Consultant at First Quatermain Centre of Collaborative Innovation (www.firstquatermain.com).

Please contact heartware2002@yahoo.com as a courtesy when reprinting the article online and/or offline.

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