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Your roof sprang a leak during Hurricane Gustav—causing your living room to flood that caused a viral strain of mildew to spawn and spread all the way down to your basement, just in time for Junior to break his leg (and his arm) and your employer to slice your hours at work. I’d say that qualifies as a financial emergency. So you need help these days?
Here are some suggestions that will help you get through rocky waters and handle your toils and tribulations during a financial emergency:
Get a Part-time Job
As much as you may dread the thought, realize that sometimes in life one must “sacrifice to win.” This means biting the bullet and picking up a night shift at a restaurant, or delivering pizza. Yes, this might be difficult, especially for those who have gone to college, earned a degree, and have years of career experience under the belt. Remember, however, that increasing your short-term income is—well, just that, short-term. Your diligence and persistence will help you in the long run, making the benefits far outweigh the short-term sacrifice.
Get Creative
Sit down with family members and have a brainstorming session. Consider all options for generating income. Maybe start a home-based business (eBay is great for this), sell off the junk in your garage to pay some credit card debt, or re-evaluate your cash-flow plan to slash unnecessary costs. *If you don’t have a cash flow plan, you seriously need one!
Stay tuned for: ‘Worried About Losing Your Electricity?’ I’ll help you make a basic cash flow plan!
Have a Detailed Plan
Scribble your financial goal on a large sheet of paper. Tape it somewhere highly visible, or somewhere that you visit often. Measure your progress every day. When you go into work tell yourself, “Every time I put in X amount of hours, or wait X amount of tables, or deliver X amount of pizzas—I knock off X amount of debt, or get X amount closer to my financial goal.” Having a detailed plan will give you stamina and help remind you of what you are working towards.
Don’t Give Up!
Determination is the number one qualifier that separates those who pull through a financial emergency versus those who dwindle away into mental, emotional, and financial bankruptcy!
I find the words of Calvin Coolidge to be very inspirational. This quote encourages me tremendously when I feel helpless and reminds me about the “power of persistence” during hard financial times:
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
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It’s hard enough as it is to make ends meet these days without the feeling of fatigue hindering your productivity at work. With the ever-present burden of bills and supporting your family—tiredness can place an extra strain on your performance. Have you examined your health lately? Your body might be trying to tell you something. The following are six causes of feeling tired and…
6 Ways to Fight Fatigue
1) Not Enough Sleep
Don’t over-look the obvious! If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you’re bound to feel fatigued through the day. The National Institute of Health Recommends a healthy 7 to 8 hours of beauty sleep every night!
How to fight it: Turn off the late night television.
2) You May Have Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can interrupt a good night’s rest. Sleep apnea restricts your breathing during the night, causing you to wake up momentarily (although you may not realize it). This can stop you from getting a night of solid sleep, even though you’re technically in bed for the recommended 7 to 8 hours.
How to fight it: Sleep apnea sometimes occurs due to smoking or for overweight individuals. If you fall under this category, maybe consider trying your old “New Years Resolution” again.
3) Eating Habits (or lack thereof)
Fatigue often has a lot to do with your eating habits. If you’re not fueling your body with enough energy (or the right kind of energy), you’re bound to feel tired throughout the day. How is your body supposed to fuel itself properly on an empty belly? Also, unhealthy foods like doughnuts, or triple chocolate chip muffins can cause you to feel tired. Foods that are full of sugar cause the insulin levels in your blood to sky-rocket (aka. “sugar-rush”), that is until it wears off leaving you sluggish.
How to fight it: Do what mommy always told you—Don’t Forget to Eat Breakfast! You should include foods that are high in protein and complex carbs (like eggs and whole grain toast). Protein and complex carbs make a dynamic duo, as they make sustainable energy.
*Tip: If you’re not hungry in the morning, try gulping down a glass of water. I’ve found that it boosts the metabolism and jump-starts your appetite.
4) Iron Deficiency
A low supply of iron in your blood can cause anemia (this is particularly common in women). Anemia causes one to feel tired because there is not an adequate supply of red blood cells in your blood to carry oxygen to your organs. If you’re organs can’t breathe… they don’t function!
How to fight it: Visit your doctor and have your blood tested. You can also try changing your eating habits by introducing foods into your diet that are rich in iron (like spinach, beans, lean meats, and cereals).
5) Too much Starbucks
Yes, caffeine can actually have a reverse effect on your energy levels. Coffee, sodas, teas, and chocolate are temporary, synthetic doses of energy. Remember that the energy rush from these foods eventually wear off and leave you feeling tired.
How to fight it: Save your wallet and your waistline on that triple shot mocha grand latte.
6) Diabetes
Millions of people have it, yet many still don’t know what it is. Diabetes can cause fatigue because it prevents the body from converting sugar into energy.
How to fight it: Changing your diet can help you combat the effects of diabetes. Insulin therapy and certain medications can also help your body with processing sugar.
Quick Fix for Fatigue!
If you experience mild tiredness throughout the day, try introducing more exercise into your daily routine. Studies have shown that people who exercise have more energy. In fact, I did a little experiment myself to see if exercise boosted my alertness. For one week I woke up an extra 30 minutes early in the morning to jog. The following week, I stopped my morning exercise. I found that my alertness and productivity was significantly better when I introduced light exercise into my schedule. Plus it boosted my appetite!
Tags:
MicroGiving
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Could You Feed Yourself on $5.83 a Day?
That’s roughly $2.00 per breakfast, lunch, and dinner (certainly not a “happy-meal” from McDonalds).
Some people, however, have little choice. Apparently 1 out of 10 Americans rely on food stamps and federal assistance to put food in their mouth every month. That’s 31 million hungry tummies!
A CNN reporter recently decided to try living on a food-stamp budget. He applied for federal food- stamp assistance, and received a miserly $176 per month (that’s around $5.83 a day, or $2.00 for more like a “hungry- meal”). His experiment poses an interesting question…
Is it possible to feed yourself on this kind of budget (without feeling a wee bit hungry)?
I think so.
Here are a few tips that can help you stretch your grocery money:
1) Buy in Bulk
Purchase dry foods like beans, rice, pastas – not individually pre-made entrees. A box of risotto rice will cost about the same as a pre-made microwavable TV dinner, but will make more meals.
2) Cook in Bulk
Cook meals in large quantities and freeze the leftovers. This is also a good way to minimize the time you spend cooking in the kitchen, as we all know time is money these days! So the next time the kids complain that their hungry, you’ve got an easy solution to get a quick meal on the table.
3) Shop on the Outside Aisles
It’s cheaper (and healthier) to buy food items around the perimeter of the grocery store. The inside aisles are generally pre-packaged and pre-processed foods that are more expensive. In fact, a lot of what you end up paying for is the cost of the packaging and the food preparation. Think about all of the money it cost manufacturers to put together a pre-packaged box of “Hungry-Jack” instant oatmeal packets that are all individually wrapped?
4) Buy Frozen Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and vegetable go bad very quickly, whereas when purchased frozen they last for months. One can easily end up putting a day’s labor down the waste disposal!
Plus, frozen tends to be cheaper. For example, a bag of spinach at Publix cost around $3.00 whereas a frozen box of spinach cost exactly $1.25 (including tax). Throw in some cheese and a can of artichokes ($2.79 ) and you’ve got yourself an easy and healthy spinach and artichoke dip that’ll feed those hungry kids and make your wallet happy for a total of $4.04.
5) Use Coupons!
Keep your eyes peeled for coupons—they really add up! There are many resources online that offer great coupon savings. Check them out:
www.coolsavings.com
www.smartsource.com
www.valupage.com
6) Peruse Through ‘Store Savings Catalogs’
You might also want to pick up a Store Savings Catalog. Many grocery stores advertise special savings throughout the week, which you can pick up at the front when you walk in. These catalogs tell you exactly what food items are on sale throughout the store.
7) Create a ‘Price-Record’
Record the cost of individual grocery items in a small notepad. Then compare prices. An additional benefit of keeping a price-record, allows you to visually see if your food items fit into your grocery budget—so you don’t overspend!
8) Don’t Be Fooled by Sales
Just because an item is on sale doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily cheaper, or a good buy. For example, the other day I almost bought a 12 oz can of diced tomatoes that were on “sale” at the front of the grocery store. I decided to compare prices, so I ventured to the canned food aisle. To my surprise, I found a 24 oz can for half the price of the advertised 12 oz can! The lesson I learned was, to not get sucked into “impulse” buys. A little price-comparing can really pay off.
9) Don’t Shop When Your Hungry!
Ever notice that your hunger appetite tends to dictate your shopping?!
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We know it’s harder to put food on the table these days. Maximizing your dollar at the grocery store, however, will put more in your grocery basket and more in your mouth at the end of the day.
We’d really love to hear some of your smart-shopping tips?
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You may be one of the many who have lost their job. It’s easy to feel helpless and worried about how you’re going to pay your bills, make ends meet, and support your family.
With layoffs flying rampantly these days, many people are in need of help and are struggling to support themselves. The competition for work is fierce. Therefore–
Your Resume is Essential
A good resume is your only shot at making a winning first impression and beating the competition. If you are unemployed, need a job, can’t pay your darn electric bill, let alone support your family. Here are some support tips to help you avoid resume ruin:
5 Resume Mistakes to Avoid:
1) Include Only Your Resume Attachment
Do not send only your resume as an attachment (without also including a message in the body of your email). Introduce yourself and include a few short sentences about why you are suitable for the job, and how you can help them.
*TIP: Copy+Paste your resume in the email as many employers wont open attachments from people they don’t know.
2) Include Misspellings & Grammatical Errors
Proof read, proof read, proof read! I can’t stress how unprofessional a poorly written document looks! Misspellings, mistakes, and grammatical errors reflect you as a poor potential employee, and they convey to employers that you are uneducated. Have several people proof-read and spell-check your resume before you send it. It’s easy to overlook little mistakes when you’ve read your work multiple times, as your eyes become use to those errors.
3) Include Funny Fonts & Weird Formatting
Stick to the good old ‘Times New Roman’ or ‘Arial’ in size 12. Studies show that readers have difficulty processing certain fonts and sizes. Avoid overusing CAPITAL LETTERS, italics, and boldface.
For Example:
AVOID USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS. THE USE OF ALL CAPS IMPEDES ONE’S READING SPEED AND MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR READERS T READ. PLUS IT’S ALSO VERY ANNOYING.
4) Send Your Resume In a Format That Can’t Be Opened – (advice for computer-illiterates like me)
Early versions of Microsoft Office cannot open the new 2007 version of Microsoft Office file formats, for example, ‘.docx’! It can, however, open the old file formats, ‘.doc’. Do not send ‘.docx’ files!
5) Send Your Resume From an Unprofessional Email Address
You might think your email address is the greatest. But ask yourself, “Would my prospective employer feel the same way about HopelessHeart@xyz.com, CutiePooh3576821@cute.net, or I_am_Darf_Vader@thedarkside.com?”
Remember that the person you are sending your resume to online cannot see you. You’re just a computer screen to them. Your email name, therefore, paints a picture of you. The more human your email address is, the more real you become as an actual person on the other side of the computer screen. Keep your email address professional, simple and real (example: April@abc.com).
There you have it. If you’re unemployed and need help, start by creating a good resume by keeping in mind these 5 Resume Mistakes to Avoid. You’ll be more likely to stand out from the 100’s of other unemployed people who are also seeking help.
Tags:
MicroGiving
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Don’t have enough money to give to charity? Hardly have enough to pay your own electric bill? The ability to fit charitable giving into your budget starts with discipline in your spending habits.
We’ve all experienced the impulsion to buy something we didn’t plan to purchase. “You ran into the grocery store quickly to pick up some milk, and as it so happens, ‘lintels’ are on sale. You don’t even really like lintels, but somehow they end up in your shopping basket.”
It’s easy to spend more than you make. If you give into impulsive purchases—you’re always going to be broke with no money for charity (or money for the things you really want, for that matter).
Here are a few tips to help you develop control over your bad-buying habits, so that you have enough money for giving (and your electric bill)
5 Tips To Change Your Bad Spending Habits:
1. Create a Budget Plan
One of the best ways to control your spending is to create a written budget plan. A budget plan accomplishes two things: 1) It allows you to visually see how much money you actually have, and 2) It allows you to identify and allocate your money accordingly for important purchases like food, gas, and other essentials. That way you never have to worry if swiping your card at the grocery store is going to make your check bounce for the utilities bill.
2. Find Someone To be Accountable To
Another way to have money for yourself and a little extra for charity is to find someone who will encourage you to stick to your budget plan such as a spouse, good friend, or a religious leader. A supportive figure can give you tremendous help with your spending habits (and also remind you to give to charitable causes)!
3. Wait Overnight
Give yourself time to get over that sudden “buyer-high” before making a purchase – don’t get married to it! Often, when you sleep over night, a little meditation gives you a good dose of mental clarity.
2. Consider Your Motives
Ask yourself this very simple question, “Is this a need or a want?” Addressing this question allows you to prioritize your budget by eradicating unnecessary items that don’t fall within your financial plan. You might also want to consider the question, “Should I give to self? Or spare some extra change to give to something more charitable?”
3. Don’t be Stupid.
Just because it claims to “Improve Your Life Miraculously in 101 Ways”, doesn’t mean it actually can. Turns out that your $25 duster buster *batteries included* (that thing you just had-to-have), is really quite impractical and requires specialty batteries that cost more than the product itself.
4. Consider the “Opportunity Cost”
Before you make a purchase, give yourself some financial coaching. Think about your money as an investment. “Should I take this money and invest in new clothes, give to a charitable cause, or even give to self in the form of a Roth IRA earning annual interest? (so that I can give to charity while I’m retired)” It’s important to realize that “money”, in and of itself, is of no value. The true value of money all depends on the value of what it purchases, or the value we give to it. Considering the opportunity cost of a purchase gives you better discernment and puts your spending-habits into perspective.
By following these tips, you will be able to control unnecessary spending, have money for yourself, and have extra for charitable gift-giving.
Wise men make disciplined decisions.
“He who is impulsive exalts folly.”
Tags: Fundraising
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Jason Strauss
Jon Alsop
It’s difficult to swallow the tragedies that have taken us so abruptly. We are silenced and stunned in the name of life’s fragility, as we mourn the loss of two very special people. We are more aware these days of just how much we love and value those who are still among us.
Both Jason Strauss and John Alsop were exceptional members of our team. We lost more than important members, we lost two extraordinary people. We would like, therefore, to take a moment to memorialize Jason and John, both of whom were a tremendous support to MicroGiving’s operation.
Jason and John were exemplary people. From the early stages of MicroGiving, they supported our mission and cause. Throughout the time that they were with us, they gave considerably without yield. We owe them our greatest appreciation for their faith and support in MicroGiving. Although they are no longer with us, they will forever be remembered for their spirit of vitality and the hope they gave to the many lives and families that they touched.
“He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man.”
Tags:
jason strauss,
jon alsop