Archive for the 'Life Of Self Improvement' Category

How I Handled My Monthly Budget

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Between usual monthly bills and unforeseen expenses, it seemed I was always off on my budget. My paycheck was already spent as soon as I received it. I get lots of bills every month and put them off to the last minute, then did them all in a flush. As a solution I ended up borrowing 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 my budget. In the case of any emergency, put me even deeper in debt.

This situation is not unaccustomed for most of us. We try to be cautious with our spending and be careful with our money, but long before month-end, the money is spent. Paying bills is a juggling act that we don’t have the time or energy to comprehend. There’s always one bill that was unnoticed or delayed, one more expenditure we weren’t organized for. With school supplies and fees for the kids, groceries, new tyres for the car, and the rising cost of petrol, just making it from paycheck to paycheck is difficult enough; saving money is out of the question. Meantime, debt is softly piling up. How can I get my budget under control?

I was fortunate to have found a service which will help me budget my money more sagely and take away the strain of paying monthly bills, allowing me to focus on the things that really matter to my family. No more worrying about where the money will come from; I can finally relax, knowing that my finances are in good hands.

How financial planning services work:
During your first consultation, your budget specialist will go over all of your existing debts and monthly payments and devise 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 figured into your budget so that when you are ready to buy, the money will be there for you.

Your paychecks are usually deposited to your financial planner, and a seperate living expenses account is setup for you. Bills and repayments are diverted to your budgeting specialist for payment. Some budget services will even negotiate with your creditors to reduce your monthly payments and reduce your outstanding debt. A small monthly fee is assessed for all these services.

For me, the greatest monthly service mybudget consultant 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 reservation for life’s little emergencies. My budget is finally under control, thanks to my financial planning service.

Importance of Coping with Your Monthly Budget

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Most of us frequently get disturbed about their monthly budget, not overseeing your monthly budget can can place you in to further in debt if you are not careful. Handling your budget properly has many gains including saving you money and help relief some of your tension over debt. Always keep in mind that a budget is principally a program for your monthly spending. A budget, like any programme, needs some degree of management to make it work. The way I handle mybudget, for instance, is by concentrating on maintaining information coordinated and controlling my expenditure.

My first focus is on organizing the information in mybudget. I monitor running expenses like utilities, motorcar and mortgage payments, insurance, and the like, for example. I can easily lose track of my expenditure without coordinating my budget. By being informed of what expenditures repeat every month, I have an imminent hold on the minimum amount of money I have to set aside each month before I spend on other things I can monitor a little more such as entertainment, apparel, and vacations.

To make a financial progression, I make sure that I monitor my expenditure in my budget. A genuine measure of progress is placing money into a savings instrument or paying down debt. However, if I over spend, the opposite is true because rather than saving money I will use debt to help me cover the monthly expenditure in my budget. Clearly, giving in to the tensions of budgeting can have costly outcomes for my finances, specially if I am not capable to pay down my debt.

There are two gains for watching and organising my budget: First, I save money by avoiding unneeded expenses. Second, my finances are guided at achieving financial goals. Fundamentally, by not buying things I do not need, I am actually freeing up money that I can either use for something else or save. The extra money can also be useful in paying off debt or keeping it for a vacation. In addition to having extra money, I am able to establish longer term financial goals like saving and investing for retirement or paying off my mortgage or student loans. With mybudget being organised and moderated, not only does my financial situation become more secure but successfully overseeing my budget reduces the stress that often comes with being in debt.

How I Got My Budget Back in Shape

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

It can sometimes be hard to oversee a household budget and ensuring that the expenses is in line with the overall household income. Most people aren’t used to managing finances under this much scrutiny, and they can let things get out of hand. This is especially true in tough economic times, when you are balancing a full time job and also trying to care for a family. But it’s not alright to let the family’s resources go to waste, which is why you need to get some budget aid. How do I get my budget back in control? It’s all about spending sagely.

The importance of managing my budget

Many people don’t get this until it’s too late, but having a budget and sticking to that plan is the most important thing that you can possibly do. Lots of people question why their budget does not work in the long term. In short, if you don’t have a plan for where your money is going, then you will have to scramble for resolutions at the end of every month. What each family need to do is to pay a visit to mybudget and get expert advice on their current financial position. With any budget preparation, always try to be as prepared as possible. As the head of the family, you owe it to yourself and to your family to be a dependable steward.

The challenges associated with planning my budget

As mentioned above, creating a budget is not simple. How much should we put aside for food? What about emergency money for unforseen expenses? These are questions that you need to ask yourself to to factor in all the monthly costs. This is where constructing my budget can get so tough, and I’m sure it’s the same with you. With all of the strain associated with working a job, it can often be easy to let these things slip by the wayside. After all, how important is just one bill? It is obviously very important, and if you want your family’s finances to be in order, then you should most certainly use a dependable program like the one found at mybudget.

All in all, budgeting is a serious challenge and it’s something that can make you want to pull your hair out. With the resources at your disposal today, you can put your household’s finances into an coordinated plan and you can follow through with that plan completely. It has definitely helped with my budget, and it should do the same for yours.

Importance of Monthly Household Budgeting

Friday, September 11th, 2009

It can be very stressful at times with managing my household budget, but not managing it can put me in to financial debt before I realise it. The gains from looking after my budget correctly not only saves me money but also helps relieve tension from debt.

There are numerous things in life that influence me financially, my family budget is the greatest influence. There are not too many people today who have learned how to budget and this can result in many financial problems, including debt. One reason why so many people do not create a budget is because many of us think it is too complicated. But in essence, creating a budget is not difficult at all; it is as easy as penning down what we spend and updating it every month. By doing this, we do not spend more than we have.

It is essential for me to keep in mind that my budget is simply my program for my monthly expenditure. Just like any program, my budget does require me to supervise it to keep it running correctly. The first step in creating my budget is organising the information that I need in it. I monitor my expenses like car payments, utilities, car insurance policy, living expenses, etc. If I do not organise my budget, I can easy find myself in debt. It is essential for me to know how much I need on expenditures every month.

I see two benefits with keeping up with my finances through my budget. First of all, I am able to save money on unnecessary expenditure. And secondly, I can keep myself from going into unnecessary debt. When I spend my money wisely, I buy only things that are unavoidable 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.

Hair Loss Treatment Options Available

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Many men and women that suffer from hair loss often have low self esteem. Genetics, aging and hormonal instabilities all contribute to hair loss. However, those suffering from balding or thinning hair, have many hair loss solutions to choose from.

For the males, the doctor-prescribed drug, Propecia (generic name Finasteride) is an option. The Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) hormone causes baldness and this drug reduces the levels of this hormone. When taken daily, Propecia brings down DHT levels by up to 60%. Around half of all men who take Propecia regrow hair on their scalps.

Another hair loss treatment that is available for males and women over-the-counter is Minoxidil (Rogaine). Based on research shows Minoxidil works in more or less one out of every three men who apply the product twice daily. While the five-percent strength is not recommended for women, some physicians will prescribe the higher concentration. Patients using the higher dose increased their hair growth.

Natural supplements are also used as hair loss treatments. Flaxseed and primrose oils contain necessary fatty acids that make hair look lusher and healthier. Vitamin B3, B5, and B6 also accelerate hair growth. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Coenzyme Q10 stimulate hair follicles to enhance scalp circulation. Zinc, Kelp and Copper boost immune functions, aiding hair growth.

Another hair loss treatment that is available is laser hair therapy. This procedure uses low-light lasers to restore damaged hair cells. Research suggest that about 90 percent of patients regrow hair. Laser hair therapy also prevents additional hair thinning and loss.

Currently, more hair loss treatments are available to treat male-pattern baldness. However, researchers are conducting studies to further understand which hair loss treatments work best for women. While many options exist, early intervention is the key to improving hair loss and regaining self confidence.

Violating Boundaries: Assert Yourself and Take Charge

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin

Are you sick and tired of being treated like a doormat and having people walk all over you? If you answered yes, read on…

It’s time you learn to assert yourself by respecting and honoring your personal and professional boundaries. It is important that you do so because if you can’t look out for yourself, nobody else will.

We have all at one time or another experienced boundary violations from friends, relatives, or co-workers be it intentional or unintentional. Such encounters can become very uncomfortable and difficult to deal with, especially when dealing with people you know intimately. How can you stop the cycle of abuse and take control of your life?

It starts with self-honoring and self-respect. Know yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses, know what you stand for and what you don’t stand for, know your boundaries. As the Greeks once said, “Know thyself and you will know the Gods and the universe.”

Be aware of your physical, emotional, and social boundaries in the different areas of your life including personal, professional, family, and relationships. Take the time to honestly communicate with boundary violators letting them know in no uncertain terms that you don’t appreciate being treated in a certain way and will not tolerate it. Different circumstances will call for different ways of dealing with such issues depending on your work, your personality, and the situation.

For example, Rebecca Rosenblat (aka Dr. Date) is a Toronto sex therapist who does the lecture circuit on sexual relationships and driving one’s lover wild in bed. As you can imagine, she is having her boundaries violated all the time. Many people assume, wrongly, that because she is a public figure and authority on sex that they have the right to make sexual innuendos and inappropriate remarks.

If that weren’t bad enough, some deranged people think they actually have the right to have sex with her! One such person walked up to her after she finished delivering her seminar and bluntly stated, “I’d like to f*@#k you.” She laughed and quickly brushed him off by saying, “My seminar was about driving YOUR own lover wild in bed…not me…I have my own husband!” In her profession, Dr. Date finds humor and a sharp, quick wit to be most effective.

One time, somebody had physically grabbed her tush. In response, she kneed him right in the crotch! This person wasn’t too bright and asked a stupid follow-up question, “Why did you do that for?” She responded with, “You touched my ass, I touched your crotch!”

In Rebecca’s case, because of the nature of her profession, she chooses to respond to verbal abuse in a verbal way and physical abuse in a physical way. But violators beware! Not only is this type of behavior socially inappropriate, it’s just plain stupid; you can end up with a court order, a life-debilitating lawsuit, or some serious jail time. People who continually violate their friend’s boundaries need to back off and smarten up. It’s a recipe for disaster, ultimately ruining the relationship that has taken so long to build. We all have friends who love to give advice but seldom follow it themselves. Gone too far, they begin telling you what to do with your life. These people feel that because they are your friends, they have the right to tell you what to do and try to change you. And if you don’t change and do what they tell you, they take it personally.

Friends who commit such relationship sins should wake up and smell the coffee. My message to them is, “Stop! Take a long look in the mirror and realize that the only person that can change is YOU! Stop trying to take out the speck of dust from your neighbor’s eye and remove the plank from your own!” Make a top ten list of how you may be violating other people’s boundaries and work towards eliminating these bad habits from your life.

If you feel you are a victim of such ‘boundary hunters’, you need to sit down with such friends and explain to them honestly what you are feeling and how you want to be treated in such circumstances. You might start by saying something to the following effect: “I don’t like it when you keep telling me what I need to do with my life. Sometimes as a friend I just want to confide in you and feel supported. I’m not looking for advice, just some understanding and empathy.” Should this pattern of boundary crossing abuse continue unabated, then I would strongly advise that you exercise respect for yourself by ending the relationship and moving on.

“But what if this person happens to be my boss?” you might ask. “Won’t it jeopardize my job and future opportunities for promotion?” My answer to this question is a direct one: regardless of whether it’s a family member, friend, co-worker, or even employer, if you don’t like the way you are being treated stand up for yourself and say so! Have the courage to confront whoever it is who is crossing your boundaries and exercise your right to be treated as a free and intelligent human being; even if this means terminating the relationship, leaving, or getting fired from your job. You don’t deserve to be continually mistreated in any situation. In fact, in many cases the person being confronted will have a new found respect for you when you show enough backbone and courage and stand up for who you are. As a case in point, Janick Leonard, now a professional Network Marketer, served as a waitress ten years ago for a trendy Mont-Tremblant restaurant. The owner had a big anger management problem and would constantly scream and publicly chew out his employees in public. One day he chewed her out for no apparent reason and started calling her names and verbally abusing her in front of clients. She quit her job right on the spot and left, setting an example to those who kept taking the abuse.

“I couldn’t handle being treating like that,” she writes. “He crossed my boundaries and I decided I would never let anyone treat me this way ever again.” It’s probably one of the best decisions she has ever made. After she quit, she wrote a letter to the owner expressing how she felt and letting him know that all the employees felt the same way, creating awkward tension and resentment whenever he was around the restaurant. The employees were pretending to like him while the truth was that everyone was talking behind his back, and Janick expressed this in her letter to the owner. As a result, this letter changed the way the owner treated his employees from then on.

But that’s only half the story. Janick jubilantly writes, “After a couple of years, I sat with my ex-boss and we made peace. He hired me again for another of his restaurants and I worked for him and his partner for 3 years while I was studying fashion in college. Our relationship has been straightforward, authentic, and based on respect… It still is today.”

If you honor and respect yourself, and treat others with the same dignity you would want to be treated with, your whole life will change for the better. From this day forward, promise to assert yourself, take a stand for your personal freedom, and never let anybody continue to cross your boundaries ever again!

Sharif Khan is a professional speaker and author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul,” an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. You can reach him at sharif@herosoul.com or visiting http://www.herosoul.com

As a speaker, Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that entertain, empower, and educate. To book Khan as a speaker for your next event call 416-417-1259.