Bathroom Renovation Pictures
Here are the pics I promised, The first two are the before pictures, and the last three are the after pictures, as if you couldn’t tell.
Minimum Wage Hike- Helpful or Harmful?
On July 24th, the federal minimum wage is scheduled to go from$6.55 to $7.25 per hour. This is an 11 percent raise and while it will benefit those that are making less than that now, it could hurt some businesses, especially in an already difficult economy. Small businesses, mom-and-pop type shops, will probably be the hardest hit. With already low margins, they could be forced to reduce workforce in order to keep afloat.
I’m not en expert economist, but this type of increase doesn’t seem like the best idea in an economy like we’re currently in. Granted, it will mean more money in people’s paychecks, but what if businesses close because they can’t afford to pay the higher rates? Also, since the minimum wage is higher, other wages will have to go up as well in order to stay competetive for better workers. This will be good for some, but bad for others. Overall I think it will turn out to do more harm than good, but I guess only time will tell. What are your thoughts?
Sharing Your Passion for Personal Finances With the World!
If you’re like me and you’re doing your best to be wise with your money, then you surely wish that you could get some of the people in your life to follow the same principals. Sometimes, no matter what you tell them, your friends and family just don’t get what it means to be wise with their money. They continually make the same mistakes and while you know you could help them, they never follow your advice. Here are some things that you can try get them to understand what you’re telling them and let them know that it is for their own good.
1. Give the gift of wisdom- for Christmas, birthdays and other occasions, give books that pertain to personal Finance. Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, there are lots of good books out there that are easy reading and are inspiring.
2. Get them to take a class with you- If a nearby church is offering Financial Peace, get your loved one to take it with you. They’ll learn a lot and you’ll get further validation that you’re on the right track. Community colleges or public education programs may also offer classes in personal finance.
3. Offer to help them create a budget- Budgets are intimidating things and they are more likely to create one if they have a little help. Offer it in a private situation so that it isn’t embarrassing for them and they are more likely to accept your offer.
4. Write about personal finance- Start a blog, or write some notes on facebook, or something that you can share with your loved ones. They’ll read because you wrote it and won’t really know you’re aiming it at them.
5. Just throw in interesting facts you’ve learned about personal finance- Bring up lessons they could use in everyday conversation. It will come across as being something you’re passionate about and will not come across as pushy.
6. Stick to it- Just keep on trying, this the most important one. Eventually they’ll realize that they need what you have to offer and you’ll be there to share.
Renovation Realities-Tips to Save You Money on Home Renovations
My wife and I are nearly finished remodeling our master bathroom. Everything in there was original from 1974 and was definately overdue for an upgrade. We decided to give it a shot and do it ourselves. I thought it would take a week or two and I’d be done. Two months later I’m just putting the finishing touches on it. Not only did it take a lot more time than I thought, but it also cost a lot more than I thought. All the little trips to the hardware store really added up quickly. Here are some lessons that I’ve learned that may be useful to you as you are planning your home improvement project.
1. Get a plan together- Figure out exactly which pieces you want and where they all go. Knowing what your space will look like when you’re done is the first thing you want to know and keeps you from wasting time and money while trying to figure it out after you’ve already started.
2. Figure out what materials you’ll need to complete the job prior to starting. You don’t have to buy it all at once, but know what you’re going to need. Wander around the hardware store and make note of the prices of every little thing you know you’ll need, AND anything you think that you might need.
3. Save up the money you’ll need for the project according to the plan and add 10 percent. This should cover most of the what-ifs and also give you a nice cushion in case anything goes wrong.
4. Know which tools you’ll need and figure out whether you’ll need to borrow, rent, or buy them. Add the cost in to the budget for the last two.
5. Know when to hire a piece out. Looking back I would probably have hired out the tiling in our bathroom had I known how long it was going to take me. Consider the time and cost it would take you versus hiring someone else and add it in to the budget if you decide to hire it out.
6. Allot yourself plenty of time to complete the project. It isn’t like one of those reality TV shows where it is done in a weekend. The fact is that it will probably take you quite a bit longer than you’d like to think. Just make sure you have time to finish before you go having parties to show it off and such.
Hopefully my experiences will help you out. I’ll post some pics of my completed renovation in the next few days when we get it decorated. Good Luck on your home improvements!
Further Proof of the Importance of an Emergency Fund
A few weeks ago my wife and I noticed that the A/C was on but it wasn’t blowing out any cool air. Turns out it was a bad capacitor. That wouldn’t have been so bad but while they were here fixing it they noticed that our electrical panel is in poor shape. Water should NOT be getting in to the electrical panel. There is lots of rust and corrosion in there and the whole panel needs to be replaced. They quoted a price of $4000. That is a high quote, other folks seem to think $1500-$2000, but the fact still remains, this is the reason you need an emergency fund.
Dave Ramsey talks about it all the time. So do all the other financial “gurus.” It is just common sense and it is very important to have some money stashed away for those times when things like this happen. Fortunately we’ll be able to pay for it, but we’ll definitely need to build up our emergency fund when we’ve paid off our debts, BEFORE we go buying any toys or anything else. The recommended amount for your emergency fund is approximately 6 months of expenses. In these tough times some are even saying 8 months or more. So start saving up some money as an emergency fund now, before Murphy and his Law come knocking at your door.
CPA Marketing: Can it really make you money online?
I’ve been hearing a lot about CPA marketing recently and have decided to do some research on what it involves. CPA marketing, also known as cost-per-action or cost-per-acquisition is one way many people are making a decent living online. You make money when you get someone to fill out a form or enter their e-mail address, or join a club, or whatever the the company decides they want to pay you for. By directing traffic to their offer using your affiliate link, you make a commission. The company is getting the traffic they desire and you’re both benefiting from the relationship.
So can it make you money online? The answer is yes. It isn’t instant money in your pocket, but with some patience and determination, you can actually make really good money using CPA offers. There are many folks over in the Warrior forums doing just that. Do some research and learn about how to market these offers, test your methods and get started making money. It isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but if you take the time to learn and practice, you can be making money online in no time.
Here is some of the information I’ve learned while looking in to it. I’ll share more as I get in to it more, but this should give you an idea on how to get started
1. Get a website-you’ll need this to get accepted in to CPA networks.
2. Join some CPA networks. These are the sites that work as the intermediary between you and the company you’re promoting. Neverblue and MaxBounty are two that are worth checking out to get you started.
3. Promote the offer using PPC, web traffic, mailing lists, videos, social networking, even offline! Be creative and you can be successful.
Those are the basic steps, you’ll have to do some research on how to best promote the offers without spending a fortune, but you can be successful at this. If you’re looking for more information, I highly recommend checking out the Warrior forums. Good luck!
Back to Business
Whew! I have really fallen off of this blog. I’m going to try to get back in to it some. There is a lot I’m looking in to right now in regards to making money online, so I will be including more of that, but I also want to keep in the information on financial wisdom and saving. Stay Tuned!
Using Social Networking to Find a Job in a Tough Market
With so many people without jobs these days, it can be very difficult to compete in a market that is filled with quality talent. Jobs may not even be posted in the traditional venues, so social networking can help you stand out and find out about jobs in an otherwise difficult market.
Social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook can connect you with friends, classmates, family, past and present coworkers, and even companies. By expanding your network and making it known that you’re looking for a job, you can often times find a job faster by relying on people you already know. If a job is available these people that know you, your experience, and your work ethic could be your best resources.
LinkedIn, which is the leading social networking site for business relationships, would be my first choice for expanding your social network. Start by building a complete profile of your experience, strengths, work history, and any other information you can think of. Then start searching for your connections. You can search by name, company, university, and more. Connect with as many people as you can. Connect with anyone that you know, whether they are former coworker, friend, family member, or former classmate. When you’ve started building connections, that will help you build more because you can then see the connections of your connections. Then spread the word that you are looking for a job and describe briefly what you’re looking for. LinkedIn lets you send messages through the site, or you can email your contacts directly.
If everything works out, hopefully one of your contacts will know of a job that you can apply for. If not, keep expanding your network and keep looking. If you’re not having luck on LinkedIn, try Facebook. It’s more designed for connecting with family, friends, and classmates, but there are more users on there so it will improve your chances. The most important part is to just be diligent and patient. You will find a job, and even if social networking doesn’t help, there are many other ways to help you.
An Interesting Look at the Bailout
I came across this video on CNN Money and thought it was a nice summary of how messed up the initial bailout was. No one seemed to know what was going on and still $700 billion in taxpayer money was allocated for it.
Resolutions for the New Year
I’ve never been much for New Year’s resolutions, but they are a great way to set yourself on the track to make some changes in your life in the coming year. People resolve to lose weight, exercise more, be more wise with their money, any number of things. This year I am going to set a few resolutions for myself and thought I’d share my thoughts on some that I feel could be more worthwhile to those that resolve to do them.
Pay off debt- This is one anyone with debt should resolve to do. Resolving to pay things off and eliminating your debt is the best gift you can give yourself.
Improve financial situation- Whether you need to start saving, get insurance, build an emergency fund, or simply budget your money, this is a great way to get started. A resolution like this could get you on track to being where you should financially and will improve your way of life and decrease your stress levels.
Be more healthy- Without your health, money means nothing. After all, you can’t take it with you. I know many people don’t follow through on these resolutions, but they are the most important. Set reasonable goals for yourself. More exercise and eating more healthy will extend your life and improve your quality of life.
Spend more time with loved ones- It is important to spend time with those you love and if you’re the “workaholic” type then you may need to make this resolution. Set time aside to spend with those you love. An improved family life will make you a happier and more well balanced person.
Learn new things- Resolving to learn new things will challenge you and expand your horizons. You’ll give yourself a new way to spend your time and make yourself more interesting at the same time.
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