webleylive.

Five Things to look younger

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:00:58 +0000

Try Thermage
If you want cosmetic surgery without the surgery, consider Thermage. In younger women, it can be comparable to a mini-face lift. For older women, it’s an alternative to face-lift, but not quite an equivalent substitution.
Thermage is actually a type of radiofrequency treatment that uses heat to tighten the skin and stimulate collagen production. The Food and Drug Administration first approved of the technology in 2001, but only recently and after a series of equipment upgrades has Thermage begun yielding marked skin-tightening results.
The procedure is particularly attractive to people who do not want plastic surgery because it’s noninvasive and requires no recovery time. The drawbacks of Thermage, however, are that it’s still a rather pricey solution (depending on how many treatments you get, the entire process could costs you several thousand dollars), and clients usually have to wait three to six months for the skin’s collagen to grow before seeing results.
Get a Massage
Massage is not just for sore bodies-it’s also an important anti-aging tool.
Massage can help keep your skin nice and firm; it is like a workout for your face muscles. The idea here is that kneading muscle tissue improves blood circulation, which in turn delivers nutrients and oxygen to the treated area.
Regular facials, which involve massage, are the ticket to keeping your face looking young. The even better news is that massage works for the body, too. It is simply the best way to prevent and minimize the appearance of cellulite. It makes the entire thigh and butt area look smoother.
Even the conditions of this solution don’t seem so bad. Massage therapist can reshape and improve women’s bodies until about the age of 60, so you can start this at any age. (After 60, collagen fibers have difficulty retaining their full elasticity-at this point, they’re like worn out rubber bands.)
Eat Away the Years
What you eat can affect how old you look.
Foods that increase inflammation and free radical production stimulate the aging process. The good news is that this relationship also works in reverse: Eating foods that reduce inflammation and free radical production actually helps your body combat the march of time.
What, then, should an aging omnivore eat?
Dine on low-mercury-”white-colored”-seafood and lots of green and white non-starchy vegetables, Eat these foods and avoid anything high in simple carbohydrates or fat-these are foods that can help accelerate the aging process.
Gobbling down white bread and sugar can also leave you (and your face) looking quite bloated. This is because, for every gram of simple carbohydrate a person consumes, their body retains three grams of water. Eliminate these foods from your diet, however, and in a few weeks, you’ll notice a big difference when you look in the mirror.
Stay Young With Juvenon
Another key to looking young is feeling young.
The pill, called Juvenon, contains a cocktail of natural micronutrients that aid a cellular organelle called the mitochondria. Scientists often describe mitochondria as the “powerhouse” of cells because they are the source of energy for all cellular functions.
Research has shown that as we age, our mitochondria’s ability to produce energy diminishes. Consequently, this energy deficit eventually and adversely affects our mood, our central nervous system and every organ in our body-particularly our brains.
Like grease added to a squeaky wheel, Juvenon works by supplying our aged mitochondria with its missing micronutrients. As a result, the mitochondria are able to pump out as much energy as they did during their youth.
So far, in preliminary experiments involving rats, the supplement has excelled. “All that I can say is that, if you are a rat, you have reason to be ecstatic,” says Ames. In these trials, Juvenon-fueled rats had higher IQ tests, less oxidative brain damage and a better immune system relative to the study’s controls. In addition, the rodents’ energy deficit almost entirely disappeared.
But what about humans in need of a pick-me-up pill?
Nearly 100,000 people have already purchased the supplement online, though Ames says that he and his colleagues are still investigating Juvenon’s impact on human aging. The biochemist also warns that the supplement’s purported effect on humans (that it improves cognition, boosts energy and lowers blood pressure, among other things) is still, by and large, rooted in anecdotal evidence. Yet, the scientist concedes: “So far, everything looks pretty good.”
Saving the Simplest Solution for Last
As you age, the color and texture of your hair changes and so does the color and texture of your skin. A lot of times, our old high-school makeup palettes and 20-year-old hairstyles just won’t do.
Older women can start to update their look by ditching their powders and foundation (which tend to accentuate facial wrinkles and fine lines) and invest in a light, tinted moisturizer, instead. If you’re in a cosmetics store, it’s important to shop the faces behind the counter, the stylist urges. If you don’t like the way someone looks-if their own makeup seems too wild-keep walking.
This approach also works when selecting a hair stylist. How you style your hair needs to change as you age. Just make sure you’re consulting with the right people, and don’t be afraid to ask for their input.
But what if your body-not just your face and hair-needs “updating”? Try body slimming undergarments. Creating a good foundation under your clothes will thin your silhouette and add polish to any outfit, the stylist says. Plus, these undergarments hide everything-stomach bulges, sagging skin.
The simplest answer to anti-aging is, of course, to learn to accept yourself-lumpy thighs, age spots, wrinkles and all. There is no scarring or anesthesia involved, and you’re guaranteed to love the results

Bent hands City First defeat

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:41:16 +0000

Sunderland inflicted big-spending Manchester City’s first defeat of the season with a late 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, while Liverpool recorded their first victory of the campaign with a 1-0 success over West Brom.

Elsewhere, Luke Young’s early goal earned Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Everton at Villa Park and Bolton rallied from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw with Birmingham despite playing the second half with ten men.

Darren Bent’s last-gasp penalty earned Sunderland a dramatic win over Manchester City at the Stadium of Light.

The game looked set to be heading for a draw until Micah Richards was penalised for climbing on Bent inside the box deep into injury-time and Bent scored from the resulting penalty.

Earlier in the game Carlos Tevez had an early contender for miss of the season when he missed with the goal at his mercy on 16 minutes after being set up by Yaya Toure.

Simon Mignolet also produced a superb save to deny substitute Emmanuel Adebayor in the second half before Bent made City pay from the penaly spot four minutes into added time.

Liverpool battled to their first Premier League win of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over West Brom at Anfield.

After a goalless first half Fernando Torres broke the deadlock after 65 minutes with his first strike of the campaign.

Moments after West Brom went close to scoring themselves, Liverpool broke down the field and Torres combined with Kuyt as the Dutchman picked out the Spaniard on the edge of the box and he brilliantly volleyed past Scott Carson.

West Brom ended the game with ten men when James Morrison was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Torres.

Aston Villa ended a miserable week with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton to leave the Toffees stil searching for the first Premier League win of the season.

Luke Young combined with his namesake Ashley Young to break the deadlock after just nine minutes with a superb finish past Tim Howard.

Steven Pienaar went close to an equaliser in the first half when he saw his shot come back off the crossbar.

Howard kept Everton in the game in the second half when made a fine double save to keep out John Carew’s cross shot and the follow-up attempt from Ashley Young.

Brad Friedel denied Everton substitute Louis Saha on three occasions in the second half to secure the three points for Villa.

Ten-man Bolton came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Birmingham in an incident-packed game at the Reebok Stadium.

Roger Johnson gave Birmingham the ideal start with the opener after just four minutes with his first goal for the club.

Johnson was then involved in the incident that saw Jussi Jaaskelainen sent off for Bolton on 37 minutes.

Jaaskelainen was shown a straight red card after slapping Johnson in the face following a collision between the pair.

Bolton won a penalty on 71 minutes when Johnson was ajudged to have climbed all over Kevin Davies inside the box and Davies coolly slotted home the spot-kick.

Substitute Robbie Blake grabbed the equaliser nine minutes from time when curled home a superb free-kick from the edge of the box.

United Sign Mexican Javier Hernandez.

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:29:17 +0000

Manchester United have confirmed they have agreed an undisclosed fee with Chivas de Guadalajara to sign Mexican Javier Hernandez.

The 21-year-old striker, who passed a medical in Manchester this week, will join subject to a successful work permit application.

Hernandez will be the second new face at Old Trafford next season, with the Red Devils having already agreed a deal for Fulham defender Chris Smalling.

The striker, who is better known as ‘Chicharito’ – meaning Little Pea – has scored four goals in four friendly appearances for El Tri.

As part of the deal United will play a match to open the new Chivas Stadium which has been included in next term’s pre-season preparations.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is excited the Mexican starlet is joining as he believes the striker is an excellent prospect.

He told club’s official website: “I am delighted to reach agreement with Chivas to bring such an exciting young striker, who has been in such prolific form for both his club and his country.

“He will be a great addition to our squad and we look forward to welcoming our first Mexican player in the summer.

“We are equally excited to play our first game in Mexico, opening the magnificent new Chivas Stadium in July.”

Things to Consider before Getting a Loan

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:30:34 +0000

Most requests for bank finance are turned down not because clients are a poor credit risk but because they have approached their bank ill-prepared. Get ahead by communicating the right information the first time.

CASHFLOW
Provide data that shows you understand and can manage your working capital (debtors, creditors and stock) and that the cash in your business is sufficient to cover the bank’s interest (as well as other key costs such as tax, dividends and replacement capital). “Cash is king” and even profitable businesses can fail if cash is not managed. Understand your cash movements and you may even need to borrow less.

OUTLOOK
Present forecasts which communicate the amount required, payback period, risk and return to the bank. Figures should be more sophisticated than forecast sales and profit and should ideally show the relationship between profits, your balance sheet and cash flows. Sensitivity analysis is important to help the bank understand when they risk non-repayment. Forecasts should always be based upon the most up to date actual data.

MARKETS
Explain your market. Focus 20% of your efforts explaining what has happened and 80% on what you expect to happen and why. Do not worry, top economists sometimes get this wrong too. The point is you need to show the bank you have thought about it, considered the likely outcomes and that you have a clear action plan.

MIX AND QUALITY OF CLIENTS
Detail clients by name/industry/region/contract length. The strength of your clients and their ability to pay = the strength of your business. Building your business around one client is high business risk.

UPDATE
Give the bank up to date management information especially if annual accounts are dated. Information should be produced at least quarterly, split into division/region and include profit, balance sheet and cash flow breakdowns. Management information should be used to update forecast/budget data and any differences should be explained.

NEED FOR LIQUIDITY
Show the bank that your business is liquid and can survive. Tell them how quickly you get your hands on the cash and know your debt maturities, credit terms and what cash is tied up in assets. Think beyond a simple current assets/current liabilities ratio and consider your ideal liquidity position. Remember too much liquidity means assets could be generating a higher return elsewhere.

INCOME
Know your financial definitions. Are you talking about gross profit, operating profit, net profit or EBITDA (earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortization)? All are common in the financial analysis of businesses. Also ensure you can discuss the seasonality and cyclicality of your industry.

COMPETITION
Tell the bank how you have you performed in comparison to your competitors? Be prepared to discuss your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. This provides confidence that you are a proactive management team that really understand the business.

ACTIVITIES
Break your business down by activity/division and tell the bank which activities are performing well and which are a cash drain and why. Explain how divisions complement or overlap each other and the strategy for each. Be ready with forecasts if necessary.

TRACK RECORD
Unless starting up, provide at least 3 years accounts to a bank (5 years ideally if approaching a new bank) and up to date management accounts. A bank will need this data for the financial analysis of the trends in ratios and margins. It will also give them confidence in your management track record.

EQUITY, DEBT AND THE BALANCE SHEET
Communicate your risk (equity/directors’ loans) versus the risk to the bank. Know the real strength of your balance sheet by having current market values of assets to hand and full details of debt (including off-balance sheet exposure such as leases and guarantees). Be clear at the outset what security is and is not on offer.

Mistakes To Avoid in Your Business

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:15:46 +0000

Why do so many small or solo businesses fail? Is it because the owners weren’t good enough at what they did? In most cases that’s just not true. Most of them were very skilled and talented in their area of expertise.

So why do people continue to struggle without enough clients or income? It’s heartbreaking to me when someone gives up who has great potential and a realistic dream. I want you to succeed in a big way. In fact I’m passionate about it.

So I want to share the 7 top deadly mistakes I’ve seen repeatedly that can pull you down and how to avoid them.

1. Believing that being good at what you do or even being an expert is all you need.

There are two completely separate “tracks” you need to master. First you need to be good at delivering a quality product or service. That’s a given. Many people stop here. They act as if they are still an employee working for someone else. They spend their time trying to deliver services instead of building a business, which leads us to the second track–building a business.

Not only do you need to be good at what you do, you need to master the skills and mindset it takes to run a business, like strategic planning, marketing, sales, finance, productivity, priority-based action, management skills, self-discipline and self-motivation. This is the key. Master these skills and your success will soar.

The best way to do this is to learn from those who are where you want to be, so you can learn the strategies they used to succeed. Without the entrepreneurial skill and mindset, you cannot succeed.

2. Wasting money on poorly crafted or unnecessary marketing materials

Don’t spend money building a website or crafting a business card, logo or brochure until you learn what makes them work to bring you clients. I’ve seen so many people waste money on an inefficient website with no traffic because they didn’t know what questions to ask when hiring a web designer and they didn’t know anything about traffic generation, search engine optimization or writing effective web content.

Don’t get your relative or neighborhood college student to design your website. If you want to be professional and are serious, then you need a professional website that will get people to take action and will look professional. Nothing screams amateur more than a homemade website. The same is true for any of your other marketing materials.

3. Lack of marketing or sales mastery

The best marketer always gets the most new clients. Even if you have a superior product, if you don’t know how to market it effectively and then close the sale, you will struggle. In today’s information laden world, you need to know how to stand out and broadcast your message consistently and effectively. You’ve got to learn the proven marketing strategies and systems that are working for your top competitors and you need to master them. And you need to make marketing a daily activity, not just something you do when you have extra time.

4. Putting all your eggs in one basket

I’ve seen businesses sink because they depended on only one or two high profile, high paying clients. This is a mistake. Always make sure you’re in a position that if you lose one client, your business can still survive and thrive.

The other way this can play out is if you offer only one or two primary products and once a client has finished using this product or service they move on. You’re then relying on constantly getting new clients instead of making the most of the ones you have. That’s why I teach people how to build a product funnel to keep clients coming back again and again.

5. Going it alone

Whether you’re small or solo, you’re the owner and you make the decisions. But you still need a support team. Work with a coach or mentor who can help you stay on track. Consider joining or creating a mastermind group of successful people who can be like a vision team for you and who will support you and push you outside your comfort zone.

The other way going it alone can sabotage you is if you want to control everything yourself and don’t outsource. You need to be the person who sets strategy, creates products, and serves clients. The rest can be done by others and once you get this and follow through, your income will increase significantly.

6. Mis-allocated time

Spending time running from task to task with no idea of what’s really a priority or an income-generating activity can run you ragged and cost you your business. Surfing the web, checking e-mail constantly, and other time thieves need to be avoided at all costs. Track how many hours each day are spent on client-generating activities or on servicing clients and how much time is spent otherwise. It’s really eye-opening.

7. Lack of planning

I know you wouldn’t take an overseas trip without detailed planning. So why would you run your business without one? When you have a vision and a plan you can check in regularly throughout the day and ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing supporting my plan and my goals?” Plan out at least 6 months ahead–what products you’ll introduce, what marketing you’ll do, how much money you intend to pull in.

The first step is to admit if you are making one of these mistakes. It’s okay, we’ve all made them. Then start taking action right now to eliminate the mistake so you can experience the real success you deserve.

Mariga Makes His Bow for Inter

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:28:10 +0000

Inter Milan claimed a narrow advantage to take into the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Fiorentina as Diego Milito’s goal proved the difference in a 1-0 win at the San Siro.

The hosts have claimed 18 points more than the Viola in Serie A this season but their perceived superiority was little in evidence as the visitors battled hard against the league leaders but without reward.

Milito settled the first leg with the only goal after 34 minutes to install Jose Mourinho’s men as narrow favourites ahead of the return leg in Florence on April 14.

McDonald Mariga, a deadline-day arrival at the San Siro from Parma following the collapse of his move to Manchester City, made his Inter debut as a late second-half substitute.

The Kenyan international will be unveiled to the press at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti on Friday 5 February at 13:00.

Enemies of Success in Life

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:34:10 +0000

Today’s armies of life coaches and business gurus often seem to build their strategies on a fundamental bit of advice. Not until we identify and understand the attitudes and conditions that threaten our success can we take the steps necessary to overcome them.

Lack of a clear goal: “What often leads to failure,” says entrepreneur and consultant Joseph Ansanelli, “is the absence of a well understood, small set of very important goals.”

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else.”—Yogi Berra

Lack of a plan: It’s okay to dream of building castles in the air, but they won’t become realities without a realistic step-by-step plan for putting them there. Today we have space stations, but they didn’t just happen.

“He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”—Author unknown

“The real test is not whether you avoid failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.” —Barack Obama

Lack of focus: Various things can contribute to lack of focus, including low motivation, a poor work environment, or being distracted by matters of lesser priority. Identify interferences and determine how to best deal with each.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life.”—Anthony Robbins

Laziness: You can have a great idea and even a great plan for achieving it, but if you lack the necessary dedication or aren’t willing to put in the work, the idea and plan are doomed.

“Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it.”—Author unknown

Rigidity: Few things undermine initiative and progress worse than holding on to the way things have been done in the past.

“A closed mind is not only closed to outside thoughts, it is often closed to itself as well. It is closed to new thoughts and anything that threatens the status quo. But if you can open the doors, maybe just a crack at first, the ideas that have been patiently waiting at your gates will flood in.”— David Straker and Graham Rawlinson, How to Invent (Almost) Anything

Lack of enthusiasm: If an idea is like a spark, enthusiasm is the wind that whips it into a bonfire strong enough to withstand the rain of adversity.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”—Winston Churchill

Accepting defeat: Very often, the battle is lost in the mind before the real action even begins. Expect defeat, and you are already defeated; hope to win, and you give yourself a chance; expect to win, and you increase your chances exponentially. Even the most seemingly impossible situation can be overcome if approached positively, as a challenge.

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”—William Feather

Complacency. The greatest danger often comes when things are running smoothly and the pressure is off, because the natural tendency then is to not try as hard. It may be possible to coast for a while, but valuable momentum will be lost; if left unchecked, things will grind to a halt.

“There is a very fine line between confidence and complacency. If you win the first game against a team, the worst thing you can do is fool yourself into thinking that the second game will be easier.”— Dave McGinnis

Overconfidence. The hare and the tortoise, the giant Goliath and the boy David, the Titanic—you get the picture.

“Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds you’re beating.”—Larry Kersten

Procrastination. The most capable people in the world, with the best ideas in the world and all the financial backing in the world, will get nowhere until they take action.

“There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back.”—Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister

Disunity: Joint efforts rarely come to full fruition without reasonable levels of consensus and compatibility, so work at building those. Then when opposing ideas and interests emerge, rather than becoming stumbling blocks, they can be used as stepping stones.

“Honest differences of views and honest debate are not disunity. They are the vital process of policy making.”—Herbert Hoover

Moral compromise. The credo of some seems to be “All is fair in love, war, business, and life,” but what works is not always what’s right. Victories won immorally are shallow, usually short-lived, and often have consequences that cancel any success. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”1

“Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles.”—Walter Cronkite

Failure to learn from mistakes. Victory is very often decided according to who has learned the most from past mistakes.

Four Mindable Rooney Put United Top

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:32:22 +0000

Wayne Rooney scored a sensational four-goal salvo as Manchester United beat Hull 4-0 at Old Trafford to grab top spot in the Premier League. Rooney put the Red Devils one up after eight minutes when Hull keeper Boaz Myhill could only parry Paul Scholes’ long range effort.

He then made Hull pay with three late goals to see Sir Alex Ferguson’s side go two points above Arsenal and Chelsea at the top, although they have played two games more than the Blues.
After Nani’s free-kick was pushed on to the woodwork by keeper Boaz Myhill, United worked the ball to Rooney who smashed in a drive to make it 2-0.

A third, and his fourth, followed shortly afterwards following a cross by the excellent Nani before Rooney completed his massacre of Phil Brown’s men with a solo effort in stoppage time.

It will take more than one decent display to change the almost universal negative opinion of Nani but against Hull he always looked up and when an early ball was on, he generally played it.

It was Nani who played an excellent reverse pass through for Michael Owen’s best chance on only his fifth league start of the campaign, only for former Manchester United defender Paul McShane to divert it back to Boaz Myhill with a despairing tackle.
Home fans voiced their anger at United’s owners, frequently chanting “Glazers out” in protest at the scale of the club’s debt and their perception the Americans are preventing new signings.

Whether that is the case, there does appear to be a need for United to boost their firepower to ease the burden on Rooney.

Michael Owen’s finishing was well below the required standard, the former England man doing nothing to dismiss critics who suggest his best days are long gone.

The FA

Wigan Athletic just avoided a shock defeat at Notts County as Aston Villa and Fulham both battled past lower league opposition in the FA Cup fourth round.

Birmingham City hung on to beat Premier League rivals Everton as Owen Coyle celebrated his first victory as Bolton Wanderers.

Cardiff City came from behind to secure a last-gasp win at home to Leicester City and Derby County also left it late to beat Doncaster Rovers.

League Two side Notts County let a two-goal lead slip at home to Wigan following a pulsating 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane.

Goals from Lee Hughes and Ben Davies had the Magpies in command at half-time, but Wigan hit back in the second half through Jason Scotland and Ben Watson.

Fresh from reaching the Carling Cup final, Villa were made to sweat for a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup after a 3-2 success at home to Brighton.

Brighton were level at half-time after Tommy Elphick had cancelled out Nathan Delfouneso’s early opener before Villa regained the lead early in the second period through Ashley Young.

Fabian Delph scored Villa’s third before the evergreen Nicky Forster provided the travelling contingent with a late cheer by netting Brighton’s second.

Accrington were another team level at the break against Premier League opposition before slipping to a 3-1 defeat at home to Fulham.

The in-demand Michael Symes had replied to Erik Nevland’s goal for Fulham before Accrington were reduced to 10 men just before the break after Darran Kempson was sent off.

Fulham forged ahead again through Damien Duff and Zoltan Gera made certain of the visitors’ place in the next round with a third goal 10 minutes from time.

Birmingham knocked out top-flight foes Everton as Alex McLeish’s side prevailed 2-1 at Goodison Park.

Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson had the away side 2-0 up at the interval before Leon Osman pulled a goal back for the Toffees.

Second-half goals from Gretar Steinsson and Johan Elmander earned Coyle a first win as Bolton boss after a 2-0 triumph over Sheffield United at the Reebok Stadium.

Cardiff struck twice in the final minute to record a 4-2 win at home to Leicester, who had been leading with 20 minutes to go.

Chris Burke and Ross McCormack provided the late drama in South Wales as the 2008 finalists made it through to the last 16.

Jay McEveley struck an 88th minute winner as Championship strugglers Derby overcame Doncaster 1-0 at Pride Park.

Saving Tips for Students

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:22:59 +0000

Does it get difficult to save when the little cash you are given is meant for your upkeep in a month and the same amount you want to save? Hopefully these tips will serve you, and other students in good stead in the days ahead.

Tip #1: Lay a solid foundation now

You will probably never be as poor as you are in your twenties again. The lessons you will learn in the area of frugal living will serve you well if you decide to keep them up as you get into your first job and your first paycheck. The mistake that most make is to immediately get caught up in the trap of lifestyle inflation and increase their expenses as their income goes up. Make a decision to live as cheaply as you can for as long as you can. This will enable you pay off your student loans and accumulate savings early on in your career.

Tip #2: Learn to differentiate the Needs from the Wants

Most of us make the mistake of failing to distinguish our Wants from the things that we actually Need. As an example, food is a Need while Pizza is a Want. A TV may be a Need but a 37 inch plasma screen is definitely a Want. Use your income to meet your needs (food, rent, clothing etc) and keep your Wants in a wishlist until you can either afford them or save and pay cash for them.

Tip #3: Dont pay interest on depreciating assets

Upon employment, bank sales agents will bombard you with ‘affordable unsecured” loans to meet your every desire from furnishing your house to buying your first car. Remember that those things that you buy lose value the moment you possess them and continue to do so at an alarmingly fast rate. The brand new TV will be worth less than half its purchase value if you decide to dispose of it later. Take loans (if necessary) to invest in things that actually bring a return such as starting a business.

Tip #4: Always look for opportunities to boost your income

Your ability to create wealth will be very much determined by how much income you are able to rake in. Although you may earn very little early on in your career, always seek opportunities to increase your earning potential, e.g by going back to school to increase your skills or by starting a business that can bring in extra income. Even when in campus, many students engage in money making ventures e.g offering private tuition etc to bring in some much needed extra income.

Tip #5: Take advantage of the tax benefits in Pension schemes

This is a mistake i made early on by not joining a voluntary pension scheme offered by my employer since i thought i earned too little. This meant that i missed on the opportunities available to save on PAYE by failing to contribute. Many young people also withdraw and use their pension contributions when moving jobs. Dont do this! I like the RBA advert that has a 24 year old saying that she is “on the fast road to retirement” at only 24. This tells you that its never too early to begin saving for your old age.

Tip #6: Take advantage of the power of compound interest

Albert Einstein called compound interest one of the world’s greatest forces and for good reason. By starting small very early on in your career and letting compound interest do its magic, you could save a considerable amount of money during your career and even possibly retire early. Use this calculator to see how even small amounts saved over long periods of time can blossom to tidy sums in the long run. Experts advise that the younger you are, the greater the risks you can take so dont be afraid to take well calculated risks early on in your life. If you make mistakes along the way, you will have sufficient time to make them up. Investing in the stock exchange is usually considered a volatile and risky venture but in the long run, the returns outweigh most of the other investment options.

Tip #7: Have an emergency fund

Even with your minimal living expenses, it makes sense to have an emergency fund that can cater for those unforeseen expenses that are sure to come. These can cater for such expenses such as rent deposits that are the bane of many young people. Having such a fund will ave you from having to resort to expensive bank loans or worse, shylocks

Tip #8: Track your expenses

Although this applies to persons of any age or stage in their career, it is important for a young person to incalcate the practice of tracking their expenses from very early on. This exercise will show you what your mandatory expenses are and wenable you to see what is available to save and invest. Failure to do this will lead you broke and living from paycheck to paycheck no matter how much more you evenntually earn as your career progresses.

Tip #9: Dont try to keep up with the Joneses

For many young people, the period after leaving school involves a lot of conversations about “who works where” and ” who is now earning what”. As sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, there always will be your peers earning more than you and others earning less than you. Trying to keep pace with the freespender from your class who got a job with the United Nations is a sure recipe for financial disaster. Develop your own financial plan and stick to it. The fruits of this will be there for all to see in due course.

Tip #10: Dont expect too much too quickly

A common mistake with many young people is to expect their careers and earnings to start high or progress quickly. Wanting to own a BMW is all well and good but it is important to remember that the people driving around in these beautiful beasts have worked long and hard at their careers for upwards of ten years to get to where they are. Work with the money that you have, however little. At the same time, work hard to increase your income and plan your career well. In the fullness of time, the things you desire will come to you

Most of all, i would advise young people to enjoy their youth as much as possible. Having fun and managing money responsibly are not mutually exclusive and one can enjoy the things of young (partying, hanging out with friends etc) and still manage to stay on the road to wealth. Do not deny yourself these things in the name of saving for retirement but remember, its never too early to start taking responsibility for your financial future.

How to live longer and enjoy it more

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:30:54 +0000

Staying healthy doesn’t happen automatically; it takes both conscious and physical effort. It also usually involves some sacrifice, some reordering of priorities and forgoing certain things that would be enjoyable but not good for us. Long-term health is a lifelong investment, but it’s the wise thing to do. Better to invest a little each day in strengthening our bodies than to neglect them and suffer serious health problems.

In health matters, as with many other things in life, God won’t do for us what we can and should do ourselves. He expects us to take care of our bodies, and He usually won’t override the negative consequences when we could have made healthier choices but didn’t.

Ground rules

We’re either building up or tearing down our health daily, according to our choices. There are a host of little things that we do each day, often without really thinking about them, which add up and make a big difference in our current and long-term health.

Thankfully, God has laid out some pretty straightforward rules for staying healthy. These fall into three main categories: spiritual, emotional, and physical. The key to the spiritual aspect is in staying right with Him, in finding and following His plan for our lives as best we can. The key to the emotional aspect is in maintaining a positive attitude, which reduces stress, worry, fear, and other negative emotions, all of which take a toll on our health and happiness. The physical aspect is pretty much summed up in “Eat right, sleep right, exercise right.” Some health experts refer to these as the three pillars of physical health.

“Eat right” comes down to following a few fairly simple guidelines , but not always easy. Changing poor eating habits takes determination and planning, but you’ll probably be surprised at how quickly you develop an appetite for the right kinds of food and lose your appetite for the wrong ones.

“Sleep right” may sound easy enough, but many people these days try to operate with a sleep deficit. It’s true that some people need less sleep than others and that most of us need less sleep as we get older, but the real and perceived pressures of modern living push many of us to try to pack more into our days by sleeping less than the seven or eight hours our bodies need to be in top health. That’s being shortsighted, because we get more out of our waking hours when we’re rested. Plenty of sound, restful sleep stimulates the production and release of the hormone that combats aging.

For people who aren’t in the habit of exercising regularly, that is easy to neglect. It’s hardest to dismiss the need for sleep, because the effects of trying to go without sleep are felt immediately. On the other hand, much like the effects of a poor diet, the bad effects of insufficient exercise can be slower in coming, but without a doubt they will come. Exercise keeps our bodies capable of cleansing and repairing themselves. It also strengthens muscles, bones, and internal organs, and boosts our immune systems. There is scarcely a living cell in our bodies that doesn’t benefit from the right kind of exercise on a regular basis.

Replacing poor health habits with good ones takes determination, study, and planning at first, but the payoff in greater vitality soon makes it self-sustaining; we feel so much better that we want to keep doing the things that make us feel that way.