- LibreOffice/Google Docs (replaces Microsoft Word/Powerpoint/Excel)
First, if you need to work with documents, you need software that can handle them. Unfortunately, while Word is the standard, Microsoft has priced it out so that any business looking for the latest software with no money is left in the dust. LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) is a powerful, free desktop office suite that can handle virtually all types of documents. With LibreOffice, you won't miss Microsoft Office for a second.
If you want to go even lighter on your desktop, you can use Google Docs, which lives entirely within your Web browser. Again, you can use these tools to replace Microsoft Office pretty easily, and if you don't need to do any ultra-fancy formatting, they are more than adequate. - Gmail (replaces Microsoft Outlook)
If you have separate business and personal email addresses, the last thing you want is to have to switch back and forth between them. Many people use Microsoft Outlook to handle all of their email addresses, so that they only have one place that they have to look. Instead, try using Gmail. Gmail makes it easy to handle multiple email addresses, and it runs light and quick. So if you need to search through your vast backlog of email, you have the speed and power of Google behind it. Gmail offers a number of other great little tools, but the ability to easily handle multiple email addresses is at the top of the list. - Evernote (replaces OneNote)
Brainstorming is a valuable practice in a business. Whether you are keeping track of your latest ideas or just fleshing out your latest campaign, having a centralized place to store your thoughts is valuable. Microsoft OneNote is a handy piece of software, but it is expensive. Instead, sign up for Evernote, and store your thoughts online. There, you can access them from anywhere so if you are out and about and have that great business idea, you can pull out your phone and get it into Evernote (via an Evernote app or by texting through Twitter) so that you will not forget it. Their excellent notebook/tagging organizing scheme makes finding any of your thoughts as efficient as possible. - Spreadsheet/ClearCheckbook (replaces Microsoft Money/Quicken)
Tracking all of your expenses and income is a hassle, especially if you have separate business expenses. While many choose to use Mint for their finances, I much prefer handling the transaction record keeping myself. Set up a spreadsheet in LibreOffice or Google Docs (Google Docs even has a great template for it), and you can keep track of your finances on your own. Or, you can use a service like ClearCheckbook, which gives you a few more reporting options. Either way, the bloated price of dedicated financial software just isn't worth it. - MailChimp (replaces Aweber)
The power of your business is in your email list. You need subscribers that are interested in hearing from you on a regular basis, so put a sign-up box on your home page and encourage people to sign up to receive updates, free reports, etc. The industry standard seems to be Aweber, which is a very powerful tool, but it comes at a cost. Instead, MailChimp offers free emailing for a large number of subscribers, so you can keep your overhead low while you build your list (their interface is a little more pleasant, too, in my book). - Google Voice (replaces a separate phone line)
If you are dealing with clients, you don't want to be passing out your home phone number or your personal cell number, either. Who has the money to afford a separate business line? Instead, sign up for a free phone number from Google Voice and have it routed to your cell phone or your home phone. Then, you can block numbers, set up special voice mail messages, and do a ton more without having to pay for a separate line or service. - Gimp (replaces Adobe Photoshop)
One of the “necessary evils” of graphic design has been Photoshop. A powerful and useful tool, Photoshop is also incredibly expensive. If you are looking to save money, Gimp is a free tool that works very similarly to Photoshop. The interface is slightly different, but once you use it (and search around for a few tutorials), you can use it for plenty of graphic design and desktop publishing purposes. - Scribus (replaces Adobe InDesign)
Creating a publication, whether it is a magazine or a newsletter, can be a pain without the right software. Again, Adobe claims the standard with InDesign, but Scribus is a free tool that offers much of the same functionality, allowing you to create elegant and beautiful PDFs and printed documents with little hassle (and no cost). - Ubuntu (replaces a new computer)
Finally, if you want to run a business but worry that your old computer can't handle it, you may be looking at getting a new computer. But instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on a new PC or Mac, try installing Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a version of Linux that feels and acts a bit like Windows or Mac OS X, but without the bloat. You may be able to give that old computer new life and save yourself an expensive purchase.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Free Programs That'll Help You Build Business
Here are 9 different software alternatives to “brand name” software that can get your business up and running quickly, with no financial investment:
Working From Home: How To Protect Yourself Against Your 7 Deadly Habits
Your friends are jealous of you.
You work from home and you’re always bragging about how flexible, fulfilling and rewarding it is.
No awful commute, no terrible boss, no pointless conversations with awful work colleagues.
You’re in control and accountable to no-one.
But deep down you know you’re a fraud.
You often feel imprisoned in your own home, handcuffed to your business and isolated.
Your day has little or no direction, so all those hours you’re putting in are wasted, and your business is hemorrhaging money.
You secretly wish you had a boss to plan your day, encourage you, kick your butt and tell you to clock off. And work colleagues to talk to, have a Friday night drink with, and to say, “Bless You,” when you sneeze.
All that initial hope, enthusiasm and excitement’s long gone. Instead you’re bored, exhausted, disillusioned, in debt and lonely. But instead of admitting you’re failing, you stay on the familiar hamster-wheel, repeating the same deadly working habits.
Running home-based businesses since 2000, I've embraced so many bad habits that my business went into shock and needed costly CPR.
Maybe now’s the time for you to face up to your deadly habits and prevent your business from flat-lining?
1. Creating No Boundaries
A job offers set hours of work, a structure to your day and a working atmosphere.
But not when you work from home. Surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of your home life, the line blurs between what’s work and what’s not.
Antidote: Plan and Create a Work Structure
Set specific daily working hours. Not necessarily 9-5 or 8-6. Choose what best fits your circumstances.
Plan your business time and leisure time so you know when they both start and finish for a happier and healthier balance.
Create a dedicated, clutter-free workspace so you feel you’re at work.
2. Not Switching On
You procrastinate (make excuses), research (waste hours on social media and surfing the net), finish important paperwork (tidy your desk), and have several time-out breaks (more social media, cups of coffee and daytime TV).
You’re totally ineffective with your time and it’s damaging your bottom line. Then when you’re with family and friends, you’re still mentally at work with all the stuff you didn’t do, gnawing away at you.
Antidote: Get Tough With Yourself
Write down your goals, targets and plan of action stating what you intend to achieve, by when and your reason why. What will doing these things give you?
Listen to your excuses and ask, “What will happen if I don’t do x?”
Tell someone who won’t let you off the hook about your plans, or find a fellow work-from-homer and become accountability buddies. You’ll be surprised how much more you achieve when you share it.
Don’t confuse Busyness with Business.
3. Not Switching Off
You’ve had a productive day but you can’t stop as you still have unfinished business. But you know you should be spending time with family and friends so you feel guilty and your concentration isn’t entirely on business.
You can’t win. You’re not fulfilling any of your roles properly and the guilt causes added pressure and stress.
Antidote: Give Yourself a Break!
Accept that you’ll never complete everything. If, or when, you had a job, did you always leave work with everything finished?
Remind and congratulate yourself on what you have achieved rather than focusing on what you haven’t. Set deadlines, know exactly what time you’ll finish and stick to it.
4. Taking Little Time Off
You don’t get sick or holiday pay so you can’t afford time out and you’re exhausted. Instead of liberated, you feel trapped.
Your dream of flexibility, freedom and control has turned into a nightmare.
Antidote: Get Some Balance
You’ll need to sacrifice, but give yourself permission to take time out.
What kind of a boss would you be if you were an employer? Why do you deserve less?
If you want to take a month off per year, calculate what you need to earn in eleven months. How? Work out what you need to earn per month. Multiply that figure by twelve and then divide that figure by eleven.
The difference between your final figure and your monthly figure is what you put aside to pay yourself when you take time off.
5. Making The Wrong Choices
With a job, you don’t get a great deal of choice; you do the work that someone else planned for you.
Working from home, you have freedom of choice and you know that everything you do has an impact. But you forget that everything you choose not to do also has an impact.
Brian Tracy uses the phrase Everything Counts. Everything you do counts. Everything you don’t do, counts.
Antidote: Make Better Choices More Often
Ask: “If I choose to do this, what will the impact be?” and, “If I choose not to do this, what will the impact be?”
Stop hiding behind excuses, be honest and take responsibility.
6. Saying “Yes” Instead of “No” To Family and Friends
Some people don’t take your work seriously. Come on, you don’t have a ‘proper job’ do you?!
You’re free to go for a cup of coffee, it’s ok to pop around for a chat and you’re always available for small favors.
Your partner or kids think, because you’re at home, you’re fair game whenever they want something.
Antidote: Communicate With Your Loved Ones
Let them know exactly when you’ll be working and why it’s important. Learn to say ‘No’ when friends and family ring or call around.
With those you live with, use a sign so they know not to disturb you, unless they have an emergency. If you have young children at home all day, create work time when you know they’ll be asleep or being looked after by someone.
7. Being Constantly Distracted
Your home life surrounds you and you succumb to daily chores, the telephone, TV, your mobile, social media and the lure of the kitchen.
You’re putting in the hours, but deep down you know you’re spending a lot of time on non-income generating activities.
Antidote: Face Your Distractions Head On
You’re in control. They’re only distractions if you allow them to be, so make a list of the distractions that you allow to pull you, off track.
Then ask: “What can I do to minimize or remove these distractions?”
Limit, and plan in, your social media time and recognize when it’s no longer valuable networking, but simply time-wasting. Outside that time, close all social media tabs and your email inbox.
What's Your Prognosis?
When my business needed resuscitating, I had to stop being a fraud. I was forced to admit it wasn’t working and take responsibility for the mistakes I’d made and the habits I’d created.
I had to change the way I thought, the way I worked and the pathetic excuses I made to myself.
CPR comes at a price. It sets you back while you convalesce and get fighting-fit again.
You can do something about your bad habits and you can make changes today. Yes it’ll take time, but with some soul-searching, some honesty and some changes to how you work, you can be more productive, more successful and happier when working from home.
So what’s the catch?
It's down to you.
You have to want to.
You have to decide to.
You have to commit to making those changes.
From today.
You work from home and you’re always bragging about how flexible, fulfilling and rewarding it is.
No awful commute, no terrible boss, no pointless conversations with awful work colleagues.
You’re in control and accountable to no-one.
But deep down you know you’re a fraud.
You often feel imprisoned in your own home, handcuffed to your business and isolated.
Your day has little or no direction, so all those hours you’re putting in are wasted, and your business is hemorrhaging money.
You secretly wish you had a boss to plan your day, encourage you, kick your butt and tell you to clock off. And work colleagues to talk to, have a Friday night drink with, and to say, “Bless You,” when you sneeze.
All that initial hope, enthusiasm and excitement’s long gone. Instead you’re bored, exhausted, disillusioned, in debt and lonely. But instead of admitting you’re failing, you stay on the familiar hamster-wheel, repeating the same deadly working habits.
Running home-based businesses since 2000, I've embraced so many bad habits that my business went into shock and needed costly CPR.
Maybe now’s the time for you to face up to your deadly habits and prevent your business from flat-lining?
1. Creating No Boundaries
A job offers set hours of work, a structure to your day and a working atmosphere.
But not when you work from home. Surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of your home life, the line blurs between what’s work and what’s not.
Antidote: Plan and Create a Work Structure
Set specific daily working hours. Not necessarily 9-5 or 8-6. Choose what best fits your circumstances.
Plan your business time and leisure time so you know when they both start and finish for a happier and healthier balance.
Create a dedicated, clutter-free workspace so you feel you’re at work.
2. Not Switching On
You procrastinate (make excuses), research (waste hours on social media and surfing the net), finish important paperwork (tidy your desk), and have several time-out breaks (more social media, cups of coffee and daytime TV).
You’re totally ineffective with your time and it’s damaging your bottom line. Then when you’re with family and friends, you’re still mentally at work with all the stuff you didn’t do, gnawing away at you.
Antidote: Get Tough With Yourself
Write down your goals, targets and plan of action stating what you intend to achieve, by when and your reason why. What will doing these things give you?
Listen to your excuses and ask, “What will happen if I don’t do x?”
Tell someone who won’t let you off the hook about your plans, or find a fellow work-from-homer and become accountability buddies. You’ll be surprised how much more you achieve when you share it.
Don’t confuse Busyness with Business.
3. Not Switching Off
You’ve had a productive day but you can’t stop as you still have unfinished business. But you know you should be spending time with family and friends so you feel guilty and your concentration isn’t entirely on business.
You can’t win. You’re not fulfilling any of your roles properly and the guilt causes added pressure and stress.
Antidote: Give Yourself a Break!
Accept that you’ll never complete everything. If, or when, you had a job, did you always leave work with everything finished?
Remind and congratulate yourself on what you have achieved rather than focusing on what you haven’t. Set deadlines, know exactly what time you’ll finish and stick to it.
4. Taking Little Time Off
You don’t get sick or holiday pay so you can’t afford time out and you’re exhausted. Instead of liberated, you feel trapped.
Your dream of flexibility, freedom and control has turned into a nightmare.
Antidote: Get Some Balance
You’ll need to sacrifice, but give yourself permission to take time out.
What kind of a boss would you be if you were an employer? Why do you deserve less?
If you want to take a month off per year, calculate what you need to earn in eleven months. How? Work out what you need to earn per month. Multiply that figure by twelve and then divide that figure by eleven.
The difference between your final figure and your monthly figure is what you put aside to pay yourself when you take time off.
5. Making The Wrong Choices
With a job, you don’t get a great deal of choice; you do the work that someone else planned for you.
Working from home, you have freedom of choice and you know that everything you do has an impact. But you forget that everything you choose not to do also has an impact.
Brian Tracy uses the phrase Everything Counts. Everything you do counts. Everything you don’t do, counts.
Antidote: Make Better Choices More Often
Ask: “If I choose to do this, what will the impact be?” and, “If I choose not to do this, what will the impact be?”
Stop hiding behind excuses, be honest and take responsibility.
6. Saying “Yes” Instead of “No” To Family and Friends
Some people don’t take your work seriously. Come on, you don’t have a ‘proper job’ do you?!
You’re free to go for a cup of coffee, it’s ok to pop around for a chat and you’re always available for small favors.
Your partner or kids think, because you’re at home, you’re fair game whenever they want something.
Antidote: Communicate With Your Loved Ones
Let them know exactly when you’ll be working and why it’s important. Learn to say ‘No’ when friends and family ring or call around.
With those you live with, use a sign so they know not to disturb you, unless they have an emergency. If you have young children at home all day, create work time when you know they’ll be asleep or being looked after by someone.
7. Being Constantly Distracted
Your home life surrounds you and you succumb to daily chores, the telephone, TV, your mobile, social media and the lure of the kitchen.
You’re putting in the hours, but deep down you know you’re spending a lot of time on non-income generating activities.
Antidote: Face Your Distractions Head On
You’re in control. They’re only distractions if you allow them to be, so make a list of the distractions that you allow to pull you, off track.
Then ask: “What can I do to minimize or remove these distractions?”
Limit, and plan in, your social media time and recognize when it’s no longer valuable networking, but simply time-wasting. Outside that time, close all social media tabs and your email inbox.
What's Your Prognosis?
When my business needed resuscitating, I had to stop being a fraud. I was forced to admit it wasn’t working and take responsibility for the mistakes I’d made and the habits I’d created.
I had to change the way I thought, the way I worked and the pathetic excuses I made to myself.
CPR comes at a price. It sets you back while you convalesce and get fighting-fit again.
You can do something about your bad habits and you can make changes today. Yes it’ll take time, but with some soul-searching, some honesty and some changes to how you work, you can be more productive, more successful and happier when working from home.
So what’s the catch?
It's down to you.
You have to want to.
You have to decide to.
You have to commit to making those changes.
From today.
40 Ways To Relax and Recharge Your Batteries
Do you find yourself constantly at the opposite end of being calm, relaxed and centered? If so you are probably familiar with the feeling of being stressed out, angry, or even out of whack with your whole body. Don't worry if you do, we all feel like that at times.
Experiencing inner peace is synonymous with being happy about each moment and enjoying everything life throws at you. Unfortunately we are not monks who spend their days meditating for their eternal ohm. Instead, most of us lead busy lives: playing hard and working harder. But sometimes we need to calm down to recharge our batteries and take stock of our directions.
If we can't do this, we run the risk of possibly becoming ill, having a nervous breakdown or simply becoming a grump that no one can stand being around. Today's society is geared so much toward production and performance that we have forgotten how to smell the flowers occasionally. We hardly have time to breathe and before we realize it, another day has rushed by.
Today is Saturday; most people are off work. If you can find it in your schedule, take 5 minutes to read this, and 5 minutes to work on finding a little peace. Here are some simple suggestions to get you on your way!
Experiencing inner peace is synonymous with being happy about each moment and enjoying everything life throws at you. Unfortunately we are not monks who spend their days meditating for their eternal ohm. Instead, most of us lead busy lives: playing hard and working harder. But sometimes we need to calm down to recharge our batteries and take stock of our directions.
If we can't do this, we run the risk of possibly becoming ill, having a nervous breakdown or simply becoming a grump that no one can stand being around. Today's society is geared so much toward production and performance that we have forgotten how to smell the flowers occasionally. We hardly have time to breathe and before we realize it, another day has rushed by.
Today is Saturday; most people are off work. If you can find it in your schedule, take 5 minutes to read this, and 5 minutes to work on finding a little peace. Here are some simple suggestions to get you on your way!
- Listen to classical music
- Talk a walk on the beach
- Watch a river run over pebbles
- Play with a pet
- Cuddle a baby
- Smile at a child
- Get lost in the great outdoors
- Collect shells at the beach
- Invite friends for dinner
- Play games
- Meditate
- Take a power nap
- Do yoga
- Do any sport that helps you to relax
- Read a good book
- Go sailing
- Go hiking
- Listen to your iPod
- Watch a funny movie
- Watch a kids movie
- Sleep
- Pray
- Gaze into the landscape
- Gaze into candlelight
- Read by candlelight
- Do some scrapbooking
- Paint
- Find a new hobby
- Hibernate with a cup of herbal tea and a good book
- Take a relaxing bath
- Get a massage
- Sing
- Dance
- Lie down in the grass and gaze up into the sky
- Walk barefoot
- Reflect on your life
- Daydream
- Take a long shower
- Take a vacation
- Go for a weekend getaway
- Sit in the garden with a cold beer (requested by Richard in the comments and I absolutely agree - Jay)
Your Cash: Gone in 60 Seconds - Learn to Control Online Shopping
From Impulse to Purchase in Sixty Seconds
Usually, impulse online buys go something like this. You read a review of a DVD or book that you like the sound of, you click onto Amazon or Play.com, you search, select, checkout, pay… you can go from the initial “That sounds cool!” impulse to handing over money in under 60 seconds (if you type fast).
This is where online shopping opens up a whole new impulse-driven world for shopaholics. Before the internet, you’d at least have to be near an open store too, or you’d have to go to the hassle of making a phone call and ordering it. But online, you can buy anything at any time of day – whenever you get the urge to shop.
It’s Not Pretend Money
Since you can spend money just with a few clicks of your mouse, shopping online feels just like web surfing. The money is all virtual, flying around the internet without you having to dig your hand into your pocket for the cash – or even for your card.
Remind yourself, every time you buy something online, that you’re not spending pretend money; it’s coming out of your bank account. And when you look at your statement at the end of the month, it can be surprising how a few online shopping sessions add up.
Break the Click Click Checkout Habit
Next time you’re about to order a new book, DVD, shirt, etc – stop! At least check whether it’s cheaper anywhere else. I’ve never found a price comparison site that seems to search everywhere so perhaps the easiest way is just to check your favorite few stores – compare Amazon’s price for a CD with Play.com’s, for instance, or Amazon and Barnes and Noblefor books. Ebay is also worth a look, especially if it’s something you don’t mind buying used.
Even when you’ve found the best deal around – don’t buy. Write down the item you want, and wait at least 24 hours before you consider purchasing it. This is a great discipline to get into, as once a day has gone past, you might find that “hilarious” slogan T-Shirt doesn’t sound quite so funny any more.
Don’t Shop When Drunk
I suspect that rather a lot of late night crazy ebay purchases are made by people who’ve had a drink or three. If you’ve been drinking, stay away from any sort of online shopping site – your self-control and will-power are likely to be hugely diminished.
(Obviously, shopping in high-street stores whilst drunk is a bad idea too … but they aren’t usually open at midnight on a Friday, so your opportunity to do so is rather limited. Maybe all those big corporations wanting to encourage our impulse-buying urges should be giving out free beer…)
Ban Yourself From Sites
This is a bit of a drastic solution but if you find yourself constantly buying things when you’ve just gone online to “browse” – ban those problem sites. I did this with ebay one January and it definitely curbed my clothes habit! If you really lack willpower, you could use security software to block certain sites entirely.
A variation on this is to only allow yourself to shop online at certain times: perhaps one particular day of the week. The advantage of this is that you can think about your purchases in advance, and you’ll also waste less time if you buy everything in one go.
Do you find yourself spending too much online? Do you tend to click mindlessly through sites until you’ve gone past the “checkout” and “pay now” buttons, only to regret it at the end of the month? Share your experiences and tips in the comments…
Usually, impulse online buys go something like this. You read a review of a DVD or book that you like the sound of, you click onto Amazon or Play.com, you search, select, checkout, pay… you can go from the initial “That sounds cool!” impulse to handing over money in under 60 seconds (if you type fast).
This is where online shopping opens up a whole new impulse-driven world for shopaholics. Before the internet, you’d at least have to be near an open store too, or you’d have to go to the hassle of making a phone call and ordering it. But online, you can buy anything at any time of day – whenever you get the urge to shop.
It’s Not Pretend Money
Since you can spend money just with a few clicks of your mouse, shopping online feels just like web surfing. The money is all virtual, flying around the internet without you having to dig your hand into your pocket for the cash – or even for your card.
Remind yourself, every time you buy something online, that you’re not spending pretend money; it’s coming out of your bank account. And when you look at your statement at the end of the month, it can be surprising how a few online shopping sessions add up.
Break the Click Click Checkout Habit
Next time you’re about to order a new book, DVD, shirt, etc – stop! At least check whether it’s cheaper anywhere else. I’ve never found a price comparison site that seems to search everywhere so perhaps the easiest way is just to check your favorite few stores – compare Amazon’s price for a CD with Play.com’s, for instance, or Amazon and Barnes and Noblefor books. Ebay is also worth a look, especially if it’s something you don’t mind buying used.
Even when you’ve found the best deal around – don’t buy. Write down the item you want, and wait at least 24 hours before you consider purchasing it. This is a great discipline to get into, as once a day has gone past, you might find that “hilarious” slogan T-Shirt doesn’t sound quite so funny any more.
Don’t Shop When DrunkI suspect that rather a lot of late night crazy ebay purchases are made by people who’ve had a drink or three. If you’ve been drinking, stay away from any sort of online shopping site – your self-control and will-power are likely to be hugely diminished.
(Obviously, shopping in high-street stores whilst drunk is a bad idea too … but they aren’t usually open at midnight on a Friday, so your opportunity to do so is rather limited. Maybe all those big corporations wanting to encourage our impulse-buying urges should be giving out free beer…)
Ban Yourself From Sites
This is a bit of a drastic solution but if you find yourself constantly buying things when you’ve just gone online to “browse” – ban those problem sites. I did this with ebay one January and it definitely curbed my clothes habit! If you really lack willpower, you could use security software to block certain sites entirely.
A variation on this is to only allow yourself to shop online at certain times: perhaps one particular day of the week. The advantage of this is that you can think about your purchases in advance, and you’ll also waste less time if you buy everything in one go.
Do you find yourself spending too much online? Do you tend to click mindlessly through sites until you’ve gone past the “checkout” and “pay now” buttons, only to regret it at the end of the month? Share your experiences and tips in the comments…
6 Step To Improve Your Credit Score Now
That being said, there are several simple and legal steps you can take to improve your score:
- Get It For Free
The first step in improving your credit score is to constantly monitor your credit history by getting your report for free from AnnualCreditReport.com. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that the three nationwide consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) provide a copy of your credit report every twelve months. You can learn more about the FCRA's mandate at the FTC.gov website set up for this. - Correcting Errors
Once you get a copy of your credit history, look it over and dispute anything that's wrong. You could have an account listed that isn't yours or one that's listed as delinquent when it's not. The statistics on the number of errors in credit reports is astounding (79% may have errors)and chances are something in your report is wrong and adversely affecting your score. - Stop Applying for New Credit
10% of your score is based on your requests for new credit. 15% of your score is based on the length of yourcredit history. When you apply for new credit, both of those figures are negatively affected. Just think of it this way, if you were going to lend someone money, would you lend it someone who has been looking for credit recently or someone who hasn't? Lenders aren't that much different. - Pay Down Debt
30% of your score is based on the how much of your available credit is being utilized; the lower the better. If you have $10,000 of available credit and you're using $8,000, your score would be lower than if you were only using $1,000 or $2,000. Again, think back to if you were a lender. If someone was using 80% of their credit, wouldn't that set off some warning bells? They could be very creditworthy, payment history (which accounts for 35%) can attest to that, but a higher utilization figure means higher risk. By paying down debt, you're lowering that figure. - Request Credit Limit Increases
These days, the number of credit issuers willing to do anything but decrease your credit line is dwindling. If you ask, some credit card companies are willing to offer a credit limit increase without a credit inquiry. These are the types of increases you should try to obtain as inquiries will occasionally decrease your score by a couple points. By requesting, and being granted, an increase, you lower that utilization metric used for 30% of your score. - Dispute Old Negatives
Finally, if you have some old negatives that you think the lender won't, or is unwilling, to confirm if disputed - dispute them. Some smaller agencies or businesses may not care enough, or may be in such disarray, that they can't confirm the bureaus investigation into the old negative. If there is no confirmation or paperwork officially stating that you owe them money, they cannot keep the claim active on your credit report.
How to Have a Great Christmas On a Budget
Gifts
Are there some relatives and friends who you barely know, yet feel obliged to exchange gifts with? Why not declare a “gift amnesty” this year, and just swap goodwill instead? If that takes too much of the cheer away, suggest a spending limit and challenge people to get creative within that!
Amongst a large group of friends or colleagues, “Secret Santa” can work well. One volunteer takes everyone’s names, randomly tells each person someone to buy a gift for, and then the group meets to exchange gifts, which should be wrapped and labeled with just the recipient’s name. Everyone should get one present – but no-one (except the organiser and the giver) knows who gave it to them. Set a spending limit ($5 or $10) and have fun guessing who gave what!
It can be tricky to set spending limits when you have children who clamour for the latest expensive electronic toy. With older kids, you could just say that there’s a spending limit, and if they want something more expensive, it will need to be a joint gift from several relatives. (If they have a birthday near Christmas time, you could suggest making it a joint birthday-and-Christmas present.) For younger kids, try suggesting cheaper games and toys that they might enjoy, and encourage them to write these on their Christmas list.
Being organized well ahead of time will help cut the cost of gifts: check different online stores for the cheapest deal, rather than dashing around the high street in the manic days just before Christmas (although we're getting close!).
Decorations
Although gifts might be the most expensive part of Christmas, decorations can also take a big toll. Figure out what’s non-negotiable (perhaps a tree) and cut back on everything else. Many decorations can be made for pennies by getting crafty – this is also a fantastic way to get your kids to focus on something other than just receiving presents.
Some easy paper decorations to make include:
Food and Alcohol
It’s easy to get carried away when grocery shopping over Christmas, especially if you’ll be regularly playing host to groups of people. Don’t feel obliged to fork out for expensive party delicacies like prawns, olives, smoked salmon and fancy ready-made canapés.
Base meals around cheap staples like rice, pasta and veggies; try some crowd-pleasing choices rather than fancier options: fajitas, lasagna and curries are all great options. (Though you’re unlikely to get away with this on Christmas day itself!) Alternatively, arrange a pot luck and ask guests to all bring a dish – or plan a three course meal but get someone else to bring the starter and dessert.
When it comes to alcohol, don’t pay for bottles of fancy wine that won’t be appreciated, and don’t worry about matching wines to different courses. Just get some middle-of-the-range red and white wines, and your guests will be perfectly happy. Mulled wine or punch can work out very cost-effective, too, as a cheap bottle of red wine will work perfectly in this.
Alternatively, ask your guests to “bring a bottle” to the dinner or party that you’re hosting (many may show up with one anyway) – this is an easy way to ensure that everyone has something which they like to drink.
Entertainment
When the kids are off school over Christmas, or when you have hordes of relatives and guests to take care of, you can end up spending a fortune on movies, meals out, theme parks… Try to have a few days of cheap (ideally free!) entertainment instead.
These are just a few activities that kids and adults can enjoy together:
Are there some relatives and friends who you barely know, yet feel obliged to exchange gifts with? Why not declare a “gift amnesty” this year, and just swap goodwill instead? If that takes too much of the cheer away, suggest a spending limit and challenge people to get creative within that!
Amongst a large group of friends or colleagues, “Secret Santa” can work well. One volunteer takes everyone’s names, randomly tells each person someone to buy a gift for, and then the group meets to exchange gifts, which should be wrapped and labeled with just the recipient’s name. Everyone should get one present – but no-one (except the organiser and the giver) knows who gave it to them. Set a spending limit ($5 or $10) and have fun guessing who gave what!
It can be tricky to set spending limits when you have children who clamour for the latest expensive electronic toy. With older kids, you could just say that there’s a spending limit, and if they want something more expensive, it will need to be a joint gift from several relatives. (If they have a birthday near Christmas time, you could suggest making it a joint birthday-and-Christmas present.) For younger kids, try suggesting cheaper games and toys that they might enjoy, and encourage them to write these on their Christmas list.
Being organized well ahead of time will help cut the cost of gifts: check different online stores for the cheapest deal, rather than dashing around the high street in the manic days just before Christmas (although we're getting close!).
Decorations
Although gifts might be the most expensive part of Christmas, decorations can also take a big toll. Figure out what’s non-negotiable (perhaps a tree) and cut back on everything else. Many decorations can be made for pennies by getting crafty – this is also a fantastic way to get your kids to focus on something other than just receiving presents.
Some easy paper decorations to make include:
- Paper lanterns (you can find instructions here)
- Paper chains – cut strips of paper, make into interlocking loops
- Snowflakes and paper doilies
- Strings of paper dolls, holding hands
Food and Alcohol
It’s easy to get carried away when grocery shopping over Christmas, especially if you’ll be regularly playing host to groups of people. Don’t feel obliged to fork out for expensive party delicacies like prawns, olives, smoked salmon and fancy ready-made canapés.
Base meals around cheap staples like rice, pasta and veggies; try some crowd-pleasing choices rather than fancier options: fajitas, lasagna and curries are all great options. (Though you’re unlikely to get away with this on Christmas day itself!) Alternatively, arrange a pot luck and ask guests to all bring a dish – or plan a three course meal but get someone else to bring the starter and dessert.
When it comes to alcohol, don’t pay for bottles of fancy wine that won’t be appreciated, and don’t worry about matching wines to different courses. Just get some middle-of-the-range red and white wines, and your guests will be perfectly happy. Mulled wine or punch can work out very cost-effective, too, as a cheap bottle of red wine will work perfectly in this.
Alternatively, ask your guests to “bring a bottle” to the dinner or party that you’re hosting (many may show up with one anyway) – this is an easy way to ensure that everyone has something which they like to drink.
Entertainment
When the kids are off school over Christmas, or when you have hordes of relatives and guests to take care of, you can end up spending a fortune on movies, meals out, theme parks… Try to have a few days of cheap (ideally free!) entertainment instead.
These are just a few activities that kids and adults can enjoy together:
- Home movie night – rent a couple of DVDs (or borrow from a friend), make popcorn, and snuggle up under duvets. Much cheaper than cinema tickets, and you can even pause the movie midway to get more snacks…
- Putting on a play or puppet show for parents/relatives – a giant cardboard box can be a great “stage” for puppets, and costumes can be improvised by borrowing other people’s clothing (with permission…)
- Board games – dig out some old family favourites, and have a games evening with your kids. Let them introduce some “house rules” to keep everyone on their toes.
- Outdoors adventure – wrap up warm and go “exploring”. Drive off into the countryside, or visit part of your home town that you’ve never been to before.
Money and Living the Good Life
Money is neither bad nor good; it’s just money. Like food, it is necessary and important, and if used properly it can help us to live a wonderful life. But if abused, it can destroy us. In an oft-misquoted passage, the Bible tells us that ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10), and I think this means that an unhealthy grasping for money is likely to ruin us. Money, after all, isn't a real thing - it's not a commodity which is useful in itself. If you were stranded on a desert island and all you had was a suitcase full of money, you'd starve to death.
In our daily life, however, money can buy you things which can and should be enjoyed. There are lots of honest and good ways to make money and we should focus on these and enjoy the fruits of providing our time, energies and services. The most basic way of making honest money is to provide value. When you do this, the whole universe lines up behind you and you receive a reward commensurate with the value you give.
Whether it’s walking dogs, decorating someone’s front room or proving advice to Morgan Stanley (Tony Blair gets $1,000,000 a year for this, by the way - nice work if you can get it), if you provide value, you should get paid. It’s important to do what you love, because then your ‘work’ will be effortless, and you should get paid for the outcome of your time, not just for your time, because then you can use the magical power of leverage.
Whatever you do, find out what you love. The key to real wealth is to find a way of doing this which also gives value to others, to be useful, to serve. When you find this, do it and don’t think of money as being evil or tainted. You can sleep at night, you can be open and honest with people, you have nothing to hide. Now that’s real wealth!
In our daily life, however, money can buy you things which can and should be enjoyed. There are lots of honest and good ways to make money and we should focus on these and enjoy the fruits of providing our time, energies and services. The most basic way of making honest money is to provide value. When you do this, the whole universe lines up behind you and you receive a reward commensurate with the value you give.
Whether it’s walking dogs, decorating someone’s front room or proving advice to Morgan Stanley (Tony Blair gets $1,000,000 a year for this, by the way - nice work if you can get it), if you provide value, you should get paid. It’s important to do what you love, because then your ‘work’ will be effortless, and you should get paid for the outcome of your time, not just for your time, because then you can use the magical power of leverage.
Whatever you do, find out what you love. The key to real wealth is to find a way of doing this which also gives value to others, to be useful, to serve. When you find this, do it and don’t think of money as being evil or tainted. You can sleep at night, you can be open and honest with people, you have nothing to hide. Now that’s real wealth!
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