Month: April 2016

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What the Passover story symbolizes can help you in your personal business story.

http://financialhighway.com/10-great-ways-generous-budget/

Love to be generous with your friends and family? Tired of having the gift giving and “chipping in” budget be out of control when you are scrimping and saving in every other area? It can be hard to have finally carved out the time and money to go have a little fun and have the “call” come in. Following are some ideas to continue the tradition of generosity that don’t necessarily involve cash or driving your budget into the ditch.

Find a great unlimited calling plan and a super communications package in general.

There are plenty of land line calling plans out there that offer unlimited North American calling for a nominal fee. Ours even includes a few European countries.  Pair that with a slamming cell phone plan and great internet options like instant messaging, internet calling and of course, email. There are plenty of ways to offer support that don’t involve writing a check.  Electronic cards, calling to brainstorm ideas or offer condolences, or just touching base with your friends and family on a regular basis to share the love are all more than worthy.

Trust me, if you have a friend in crisis that needs you to spend that two hours on the phone with them to help them through a rough time, it’s worth every penny of your calling plan to be there for them if they don’t feel comfortable talking with anyone else. Bonus? You’re shelling out a particular amount each month for the calling plan so it provides a consistent line item in your budget plan. Gotta love that!

Develop DIY gifts.

Dry mixes in a jar, building a picnic table, planting a flower garden, a car tune up, mending, making someone’s favorite dinner, dropping off a casserole during a sickness or family crisis . . . it’s not all homemade tea cozies in this category.

Be better at bartering.     

This may seem like an odd item to include in a list of generosity ideas, but bear with me. What if you have a friend or colleague who you respect who is trying to get their business off its feet? Rather than charging them, or giving something valuable from your service list away that will leave you feeling out of balance, consider letting them swap services. A custom paint job on their store front sign for a full body hot stone massage for example. Then you also get to be one of the people that can give a testimonial on their brochure. And they get to feel professional rather than like a charity case.

Give the gift of time.

This relates a bit to the first one, but could also involve stopping by to hold someone’s hand during a chemo treatment, sitting with them while they wait for someone to come out of surgery, consulting with them in an area where they may need some assistance with business, investing, etc.  Even exercising a little patience with someone who you find challenging can be a huge gift in certain circumstances.

Choose charitable investing.

Kiva.org is one option, but certainly not the only one.  For an initial modest donation, you can have an account that keeps on giving long term. When the only thing standing between someone in a third world country and their ability to provide for their family is a $12 fire-heated iron or a machete,  most people in North America can find the extra funds to help out.

Pick your gift purchases with precision. 

By making careful choices about which items a person will truly need or love, you can make sure the gift does not go to waste.  When it comes to my parents for example, I know that a restaurant gift card or a case of flavored agave nectar will always be used and appreciated. Gift certificate for a couple’s pedicure? Not so much.

Be there.

Honestly. Just be there. During a major family crisis, if you’ve flown thousands of miles to be there and paid countless dollars in travel costs to offer support, should anybody give a damn if you have flowers in your hand? It’s nice if you do of course. But if you can’t, and they don’t understand . . . maybe you need to rethink your relationship with that person or group of people.

Stick to your budget guns.

Again, this is another item that may seem odd to include on a list of generosity ideas. However, I’m struck by something I once heard Suze Orman say during a television interview.  By giving in when your conscience is telling you not to, what you are really sharing is the poverty cycle. Her example related to a family that kept giving in to a financially irresponsible sister.

However, I think it can apply to generosity as well. Think about what funds you’ll have available if you keep giving frivolous high-cost items and then a crisis comes up that you feel is mandatory to write a check for as a show of support.  Funeral, the surgery of a child in the family, the winter coat of a niece or nephew whose parents might have hit a financial road block . . . you get the picture. Makes an extra waffle iron seem not so important, huh?

Set a dollar amount or range for incidental gifts.

This of course will be a personal decision based on where you are financially and what your goals are. But there are lots of ideas out there for affordable gift giving, whether you are looking for hostess gifts, just – because presents, political contributions, birthday ideas for children, or a romantic anniversary. The important thing is to stick to your agreed-upon range, whether it’s five dollars, fifty, or more.

Pick a pet charity.

Or two. Or three.  The point is, having a set location where you channel your charitable gifting monies can not only help you determine a specific amount to contribute according to your budget, it gives you a framework to refer to and rely on when those unexpected solicitation calls come in. Politely declining yet stating that you’ve already given to a charity you’ve chosen to consistently support  can often get them off the line. If they ask for your support as well and you really feel you want to but can’t afford to write a check, consider starting a free blog with money saving ideas and fund raising suggestions. Then refer them to it. If they don’t appreciate your efforts, you’ve at least made an effort for which you can feel proud. The rest of the responsibility still lies with them.

Well folks, these are my top ten. I’ve tried to make them as flexible as possible to meet a variety of budgets and giving styles.  As always, if you have additional ideas or comments . . . share the love!

The post 10 Great Ways to Be Generous on a Budget appeared first on Financial Highway.

http://financialhighway.com/seven-new-websites-excited/

No matter what your background, making a great income, saving money, and managing personal finance are important. With this in mind, we’ve discovered seven websites that can help you become an even more effective money manager. Some are brand new, while others have been newly designed. Here they are, in no particular order.

The Minimalists

Prepare to be amazed. These two guys have pared down their possessions, live the way they want to live, and are completely unencumbered by extra stuff. Buying things you don’t need, paying to store and maintain them, and going into debt just to impress others is so yesterday. If you need inspiration, this is an excellent place to get it.

Worthy

While we’re on the subject of getting rid of things you no longer want or need, let’s talk about a great way to make some extra money – maybe a lot of it, depending on what you’ve got lying around the house. Worthy serves as a go-between, connecting those with unwanted jewelry, luxury watches, and other items with professional buyers who want what they’ve got to sell. It’s uncomplicated, quick, and profitable.

DIY

Stop paying people to do easy jobs you can do yourself. DIY helps you save your hard-earned dollars by providing insight into ways to make life more exciting while doing away with unnecessary expenditures. Whether you want to fix a bike, make your own clothes, or make some extra money selling stock photos online, DIY can help.

CoinDesk

Are you curious about Bitcoin, and wondering how to leverage it? Lots of people want to know more about this new form of money, and CoinDesk is the best place we’ve found to learn about digital currency. With Bitcoin news, informative charts, and loads of insight, this is a great place to find out about Bitcoin, learn more about how it works, and gain insight into using it.

The World Economic Forum

Whether you work from the comfort of home, occupy high-rise office space, or enjoy the freedom of a job outdoors, the world’s economic state affects you. Check out the World Economic Forum for up to the minute news that influences the planet’s financial climate.

Business Insider

A big, robust site with a little something for everyone, Business Insider is a site not to miss. Whether you’re concerned about making more money, saving for the future, or investing in companies that matter, you’ll find loads of information here. The site even has some fun time-wasters for those times when you need to de-stress.

LearnVest

If you’re or an everyday Jane or Joe with questions about finance, head to LearnVest for quick, easy lessons about managing your money. Get insight into the psychology of money, get advice about handling your 401(k), and enjoy a selection of recipes that give you high-end flavour on a fast food budget. This site has something great for everybody. Don’t miss it!

The post Seven New Websites We’re Excited About appeared first on Financial Highway.

http://financialhighway.com/5-tips-writing-winning-cover-letter/

The job market is tough right now, and that makes it all the more important for you to stand out when applying for a job. One of the best ways to stand out is to write a cover letter that highlights your qualifications, and catches the positive attention of hiring managers. If you want to stand out — in a good way — your cover letter is the way to do it. This is often the first thing that a potential employer sees, whether you include it as a hard copy, or send it as an email. Here are 5 tips that can help you write a better cover letter:

1. Know the Audience

Rule #1 whenever you write anything is to know your audience. When you write a cover letter, your audience is your potential employer. Realize that your resume is more about a career. You can tweak it a bit to highlight items for a specific position, but the cover letter is where you show how well you fit in with a specific company and job description. Research your potential employer ahead of time, and pay attention to the job listing so that you understand what the employer is looking for. That way, you can illustrate the ways that you are ideal for the job, the company culture, and everything about the situation. Your cover letter should be tailored so that the reader feels as though you are the right fit.

2. Use Active Language to Highlight Accomplishments

Active language is better than passive language. Use active, results-oriented language to highlight your accomplishments. You need to illustrate your accomplishments, whether you created a successful training program that increased salesperson effectiveness across the company, or whether you were part of an award-winning team. Show yourself as a dynamic team member who gets things done, and you will be more likely to get the interview — and maybe even the job.

3. Include Keywords in Your Cover Letter

What are some of the key words and phrases in the job listing? What are the specialties of your potential employer? It’s important to understand these aspects of a company so that you can include keywords in your cover letter. Pay attention to what’s important to the employer, and then incorporate this information into your cover letter. When a hiring manager scans your cover letter, he or she will notice the important words and phrases. If they match what’s important to the company, there is a better chance that your cover letter will get a second, more thorough reading. When an employer doesn’t see anything relevant while scanning your cover letter, you are likely to have your application immediately trashed. Keywords catch attention and encourage a closer look. And that gives you a better chance to convince the potential employer that you are the right candidate for the job.

4. Let Your Personality Shine Through

Your cover letter is more than a re-hashing of your resume. The point of a cover letter is to allow the potential employer to get to know you and figure out whether or not you would be a good fit. A list of accomplishments and job positions doesn’t really convey that same information. While you don’t want to be unprofessional, you can still let your personality shine through. Share what you learned in a previous position, or how you felt after a specific and relevant accomplishment. You can even include specific information about what you admire about the company, and how you think you would contribute to its culture. This shows that you have thought about working at the company, and that you are interested in contributing in a meaningful way. Your cover letter should provide a glimpse of the kind of person you are beyond your recent job titles and descriptions.

5. Brevity is Your Friend

Your cover letter should be no more than a page. This forces you to skip explanations and back stories and get to the meat of the letter. It also forces you to express yourself dynamically, which can be an advantage. Make it a point to be brief, and to make sure that all the information you share is relevant to the position and the company.

The post 5 Tips for Writing a Winning Cover Letter appeared first on Financial Highway.

http://financialhighway.com/getting-money-game-right/

While some people manage their money impeccably, most of us are dropping the ball to some degree. Often times, it doesn’t have a serious impact, and we could just stand to be a bit better with our savings or budget a bit more tightly. For those of us really off-track, our poor money habits can have serious consequences. If your money issues are nagging at you on a regular basis, there’s a good chance you are in a sticky situation or are quickly headed down that road. Here are just a few tips to get back on track.

Time to Face the Music

This part may be a bit painful, but you really won’t be able to move into a better space financially until you fully face where you are now. You need to bring your money anxieties out into the open—you are aware of them to some degree, but probably haven’t given them too much deliberate thought because that would be really uncomfortable. So, what is bothering you about your current financial situation? Are you worried about your future because you have been contributing very little—or nothing at all—to retirement accounts? Have you racked up a lot of credit card debt and are afraid you’ll never pay it off? Are you afraid you won’t be able to support your family? Do you know your spending is out of control but you can’t seem to break the habit? How much debt do you have? How have you been spending your money? You need to do a thorough combing through of your finances at this point to see what you are dealing with. You have to admit there is a problem; you have to get out of denial.

Ignorance is Not Bliss When It Comes to Money

I think one of the reasons most of us are not as good with money as we could be is sheer lack of knowledge. We just haven’t educated ourselves. So much helpful information is simply not in our awareness, and if it did enter our mental orbit, we can put ourselves on a better financial path. So, start educating yourself about money. If you really understood what making minimum payments was costing you, or how even investing small amounts of money on a regular basis can add up due to the awesomeness of compound interest, you would approach your financial life in a much different way. You don’t need to become an expert or devote your life to the study of finances, but make an effort to learn more. There are lots of great resources—you’re reading one right now. Websites like Banking Sense, Daily Finance, and Kiplinger regularly feature insightful articles about finances, including a recent post about PayPal’s new small business loans program. In the age of the Internet, loads of helpful information is available within seconds.

You Gotta Start Somewhere

When it comes to tackling money issues, many take the stance of not doing anything until they can do it ‘big.’ Just investing a couple of hundred dollars seems so insignificant. Only sending 100 a month to the credit card company seems pointless–might as well just make the minimum payments. We envision some point where we will be able to put huge chunks of money towards these types of goals, and then we will make a move. But, this time has yet to come, and retirement accounts sit empty and your debt has barely budged. You have to start somewhere—just do something that makes you feel like you are finally addressing the problem. It will make you feel really good, and will give you some momentum. Your money habits are not based on genetic code embedded in your DNA—they have become so deeply ingrained, it can certainly seem that way. But ‘being bad with money’ is not something you have been cursed with, it is borne of habits. It can be changed. If you follow these three steps, you are well on your way to changing your money story. You can do it…just make that decision. That is all you really need to do to get the ball rolling.

The post Getting Your Money Game Right appeared first on Financial Highway.