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Do a mid-year checkup on your New Year's Resolutions (2009/07/29)

It appears that most New Year’s resolutions can be summarized by 10 choices.

How many of these were on your list this year?

How many did you succeed at?

Shopping Tips - Set #1 (2009/07/18)

Shopping Tips for July 2009

Buy a water filter and take your own water to the gym or to sports. Bottled water is expensive, and disposing plastic bottles in to the garbage is bad for the environment
Master the thirty day rule. Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item.
Try generic brands of items you buy regularly. Instead of just picking up the usual brand of an item you buy, try out the store brand or generic version of the item
Before you purchase anything online, do a web search for the name of the store + coupon and see if anything comes up. You will be pleasantly surprised how many coupon codes are available online.
Organize a friend or relative or neighbor swap of clothes, toys, furniture, CDs, etc.
Create a menu of meals for the week before going to the grocery store. This way, you will avoid buying too much and know exactly what is needed for the week.
Shorten your gift list -- is it really necessary to buy everyone on your list a present? Consider sending a thoughtful holiday card or an e-mail, or even writing a family newsletter to update everyone about the past year.
Assess clothing in terms of quality as well as price. An inexpensive shirt or coat is a poor bargain if it wears out in less than a year. Consider fabric, stitching, washability, and other quality related factors in your selection of clothes.
Bring your own shopping bags -- many stores offer a few cents per bag discount if you bring your own bags, whether they are plastic or cloth!
Clean clothes inexpensively. Wash and iron clothes yourself. If you use a cleaner, compare prices at different establishments. A 50 cent difference in cleaning a shirt, for example, can add up to $100 a year.
When shopping online, see if they offer a "pick up at local store" option. This will allow you to price compare online, and not pay for shipping.
Use student or senior discounts to your advantage! You can often save hundreds of dollars!
Replace sodas, bottled water etc. with tap-water.

Tech Tips - Set #1 (2009/06/09)

Tech Tips for June 2009

Purchase an external hard drive or two to backup your files on once every other week. There's no mess with floppy disks or CDs, and you can even take it off-site with you.
Never use the same password for your email address at any other site. Have multiple passwords.This will ensure that even if the sites data is stolen your email is not compromised.
Make sure you set up your power management settings to put your computer in standby or hibernate if you walk away for a long time. It will save you a few cents, but over time it can add up.
Turn your computer off at night.
To have a safer internet at home use opendns.com. It's free content filtering and blocks malicious sites."
Don't be a social network junkie. Try to divert that time and energy to do something productive. Try to learn one new thing each day. You will be amazed how many really interesting things there are to learn.
Secure those wireless networks! secure preferably with WPA, MAC filtering, disable SSID Broadcasting, change the default channel of signal, change default admin username and password.
If you need to light a pathway to your house, use solar powered LED ground lights. They don't rely on electricity, and can save you money. plus, there are some models that look great.
Don't go for the first software you find as a solution to your need. Look for others and most probably you will find one that is free and costs you nothing.
Instead of paying $25 to $50 for an book on CD or $10-$25 to download one, you can find hundreds of legal free audiobooks to download on librivox.org or podiobooks.com
Learn to use keyboard shortcuts... using your keyboard to copy and paste, quit applications, open a new tab, etc. will save you time and frustration.
In Windows, Alt+Spacebar opens a menu for the active window, allowing you to minimize, maximize, move, size etc. without using the mouse.

Food Tips - Set #1 (2009/05/06)

Food Tips for May 2009

Drink water. Often we drink lots of calories through sodas, coffee, alcohol, juices, tea, etc. And that costs a lot too. Drink water, save money, save calories. Here are some tips for forming the water habit.
Eat out one fewer time each month. If it costs you $25 to eat out, but only $5 to eat in, then the $20 you save each month allows you to almost completely fund a $500 emergency savings account.
Eat breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast fills you up with energy for the day and also decreases your desire to eat a big lunch in the middle of the day. Not only that, breakfast can be very healthy, quick, and inexpensive.
If you've a local farmer's market, get your fruit & veg (maybe even dairy & eggs) there instead of at the grocery store. Your food will be fresher and less expensive. Plus, the money goes directly to the producer - not to a corporate middleman.
Shop for food with a list and stick to it. People who do food shopping with a list, and buy little else, spend much less money than those who decide what to buy when they get to the food market.
If you cook a meal planning to serve it twice (lasagna, chili, casseroles), be sure to put only one day's worth of food on the table. Otherwise you're likely to eat all the food you were planning on freezing.
Get a crock pot. A crock pot is perhaps the best deal on earth for reducing cooking costs in a busy family. You can just dump in your ingredients before work, put it on simmer, and dinner is done when you get home.
Invest in a deep freezer. A deep freezer, after the initial investment, is a great bargain. You can use it to store all sorts of bulk foods, which enables you to pay less per pound of it at the market.
Eat oatmeal for breakfast - it's cheap, easy, tasty, and healthy too!
For tea: instead of buying tea bags, buy a mint plant and pick its leaves. The plant might even grow faster than you can drink tea.
Eat for free on your birthday! Sign up for restaurant email lists or reward "clubs" and get coupons in the mail or through your email for a free meal on your birthday. Some restaurants give you a free meal coupon just for signing up!

Home Tips - Set #1 (2009/04/15)

Home Tips for April 2009

Turn off the lights in the rooms of your house that you are not occupying. Make it a habit to flip the switch each time you leave a room. Save electricity and save on your bill.
Install CFL (or, even better, LED) bulbs wherever it makes sense. These bulbs might cost more initially, but they both have a longer life than normal incandescent bulbs and they both eat far less electricity.
Lower the temperature on your gas water heater. You really don't need water heated up to 180 degrees. Lower it a bit and save.
Simulate a Low Flush Toilet: If you don't have a new, water-saver toilet, you can simulate one by putting a clean brick, or a sealed plastic bottle filled with pebbles, or a weighted mason jar, into your toilet tank.
Insulate! Insulate! Insulate! Check the weather stripping around doors and windows. Caulk or foam insulate any place where outside air has a chance to get in. Don't forget to insulate your attic floor with either "roll" or "loose-fill" insulation.
Reevaluate the stuff in the rooms in your house. Go into a room and go through every single item in it. Do you really need that item? Are you happy that it’s there, or would you be just fine if it were not? If not, get rid of it.
If you have a security system at home, call your insurance company and let it know. Many will give you a discount on your homeowner's insurance and may even refund part of your last premium.
A good tip for your clothes dryer: Check the lint trap and clean it weekly. The dryer will run more efficiently saving you money and energy.
Wash and re-use zip-lock bags. They last forever!
That spare refrigerator can use up to $300 per year in electricity. If you are using it, great. If it has only a few things in it, try to move them to your main fridge.

Financial Tips - Set #1 (2009/04/02)

Financial Tips for April 2009

Set up automatic withdrawal to your savings account. This is the simplest and most effective technique of all. If you set up $100/month to your savings account, you will save $100/month.
Pass on extended warranties. A $129 two year extension on a $300 product is just not worth it. Warranties are insurance, and we rarely need to insure such a small amount.
Make your monthly credit card payment on time. The $30-35 you save by not being charged a late fee each month on one card would save you most of the money you need for $500 in emergency savings
Pay your bills online to save on postage.
Record every purchase for one month. It will probably be an eye-opener an dhelp you stop impulse buying and even to create and stick to an annual budget.
Try taking enough cash from your account to last you the week without using your ATM card. You'll be surprised how soon you're out of cash, and soon you'll find yourself cutting out the little extras that have been costing more than you realized.
Leaking electricity from electronics on standby costs people millions annually. To avoid the leaking of electricity, either unplug electronics when not in use, or plug them into a power strip that can be switched off.
Design your "debt snowball." Everyone needs a plan to help them get out of debt, so sit down and plot out what debts you’re going to pay off and in what order.
Buy generic brands. They're usually as good and sometimes better than the brand that has to charge more to afford advertising.
Carry lunch from home. Don't buy from outside. Save an average of $200 per month.

14 Steps to Successful Cold-Calling (2009/03/07)

The vast majority of salespeople do not enjoy cold-calling. Yet, at the same time, it is an activity that most need to do on a regular basis. The biggest reason sales professionals are not more successful in this necessary endeavor is the defense that they have other things to do. However, nothing will overcome this excuse faster than being held accountable for making a set number of cold calls each day, each week, or each month.

As much as people would like to believe there is a secret formula for being successful at cold-calling, the only valid one is being disciplined enough to do it. When people avoid cold-calling, they are generally telling themselves that either they don't know enough about what they're selling or they don't believe the outcome will be successful. For this simple reason, it is necessary to be confident in yourself and what you are selling.... Read more »

Tips For Safe And Secure Banking (2009/03/01)

Although most of us never have any security problems with are banking, fraudsters and identity thieves are finding more and more ways to steal our hard earned money. If you are careless with your banking then you can make it very easy for people to access your details and steal your money. If you want to keep your banking safe and secure, then follow these simple steps...... Read more »

The Unsuccessful Habits of Hard Working People (2009/02/24)

We've all heard the phrase work smarter, not harder. It's one of those motivational statements that once held a great message, but now days is more often used to mean "You're taking too long. Quit complaining and get it done". In many ways these messages are not that different, but they hold two very different sentiments.... Read more »

Motivational Business Quotations (2009/02/09)

Here is a short collection of motivational business quotes. I hope you find these thought-provoking and inspirational.... Read more »

Tips for Optimum Use of your Credit Card Reward Programs (2009/01/20)

Credit card reward programs and other shopping loyalty programs are an excellent way to save or make extra money.

Depending on what reward and loyalty programs you use, and how much you spend, you can easily accumulate $500.00 or $1,000 or more in rewards or savings each year.

These tips will help you to maximize your results.... Read more »

Your Money or Your Life by Joel Dominguez + Vicki Robin (2009/01/01)

There's a big difference between making a living and making a life -- this book details a nine step program to make changes to learn lifelong habits to achieve personal fulfillment and financial independence.... Read more »

The Personal MBA - A DIY approach to Business Education (2008/12/29)

The Personal MBA (PMBA) is a project designed to help you educate yourself about advanced business concepts.

Substantially increase your knowledge of business on your own time and with little cost, all without setting foot inside a classroom.... Read more »

Ten Golden Rules of Grocery Shopping (2008/12/21)

Does grocery shopping seem like a chore? It doesn't have to be!

Think of it as a game instead, and you'll find that you can have fun on your next outing--and you'll save tons of money at the same time. Just like any game, though, grocery shopping requires a bit of strategy. Just follow these 10 rules and you'll always walk away a winner.... Read more »

Reorganize your time to accommodate a Home-Based Business (2008/11/30)

Almost everyone needs or wants more money coming in, and with this desire most would like to start some sort of extra income-producing project. The trouble is, not many of these people seem able to fit "a second job" into their time schedules.

It's true that most people are busy, but extra time for some sort of home-based extra income-producing project can almost always be found. It may mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite pastimes - such as having a couple of beers with the guys or watching TV - but if you score big with your extra income project, you will have all the time you want for doing whatever you want to do.... Read more »

31 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise (2008/11/28)

How do you find motivation to exercise when you just don’t feel like getting off your butt? I ask myself this question every now and then, and I have the feeling I’m not the only one.

There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.... Read more »

73 Great Debt Elimination Tips (2008/11/26)

It is not a step-by-step guide. It is a list of ideas and advice from different people. There are many redundant suggestions, but I’ve included the redundant ones because they gave a different twist on the same thing that I really liked. For example, there are several tips about being creative so that you spend less on entertainment, eating out, and the like. They are basically the same tip -- but with different suggestions. I kept them separate because I liked them all.

There are also contradictory tips. One says to pay off the credit cards with the highest interest, for example, while another says to pay the one with the lowest balance. They are both valid approaches with solid reasons behind them, and each will work for different people. Find the tips that will work best for you, and try them out.

I hope this serves as a valuable resource -- let me know what you think in the comments, and feel free to add your tips!... Read more »

Living Simply: The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Your Clutter (2008/11/25)

For many years, I was a packrat, clinging to possessions like a safety blanket, like trophies, like you might cling to the past. My life was filled with clutter, from my closets to my living room to my countertops to my desk at work.

That changed about a decade ago, when I realized that I simply had too much stuff.... Read more »

Five Skills to Better Manage Your Day (2008/11/24)

Taking action to improve your efficiency and productivity should be at the top of your daily To-Do list. Dealing with mountains of tasks, other people and our natural tendencies towards procrastination, slow down your progress considerably each day.

Being armed with positive ways to tackle any obstacle that comes your way will enable you to manage your day with ease.... Read more »

Common Money Mistakes that You might be Making (2008/11/18)

Lots of people make the same common mistakes when it comes to personal finance -- and the first step to eliminating mistakes is to recognize them. This quick guide helps you identify and avoid some of the more common mistakes.

Mistake number 1 is having no idea what your credit score is -- or what it means.

Your credit is crucial these days. Despite this fact, most people do not really know much about their own credit score or report.... Read more »

Save Green by being Green (2008/11/17)

Living the greener life -- to be more eco-friendly and sustainable -- does not have to be just a matter of saving the rain forests in South America. Instead, consider going green as your means to saving some money.

One emphasis of the sustainable lifestyle is to use a little less where possible, whether it be less energy or fewer resources. As energy prices skyrocket, energy conservation makes good sense on a financial level, as well as on an environmental level.... Read more »

Key points to Successful and Consistent Revenue Generation (2007/09/06)

Key points to Successful and Consistent Revenue Generation
By Brad Trupp (c) 2007

1. Multiple Streams of Income

Is it better to have one large business or 100 small businesses?

Think about risk and opportunity - one business generating 10,000 per month or 100 mini-businesses each generating $100 per month. The total is the same -- $10,000 per month -- but the risks are different.

Imagine if something new and exciting comes along and supercedes your single large business and earnings drop 90%. Suddenly, you are making $1,000 and not $10,000.

Now if 5 of your 100 mini-businesses take the same drop but 5 more of your 100 mini-businesses double in revenue, you are still making $10,000 per month. Spreading out the risk and opportunities is a good thing.

Of course, if one of those mini-business turns into a $10,000 per month monster on its own then all the better yet.

2. Set a Goal

A difficult but achievable goal is 100 streams -- just create a new stream every second week and after 2 years, you will have 100 streams.

Some will make consistent revenue, some will have peaked, and some will have failed. Let the old streams pass on and create new ones.

3. Passive and Active Income

Passive is always good. Set it up. Turn it loose. Deposit the profits.

Active is good too but remember that you only have so much time each week to work on things.

One example is a business topic forum that I decided to start. It started and grew slowly. I then hired some paid posters and the pace picked up. Eventually I found I was spending an hour a day on moderator tasks.

Now forums are one of the harder things to monetize. Some people will occasionally click on a banner ad but the regular members ignore the ads -- a "been there, done it" mentality. So is one hour a day a good way to make one dollar a day? I think not!

That forum is now closed.

4. Regular Promotion.

While your businesses may be passive, promotion is not. Get into a regular routine of promoting yourself and your businesses.

There are thousands of ways to promote your web sites and businesses but that is another topic for another day.

5. Not just the Internet...

There are more ways to create revenue than selling things on the Internet.

You have a business -- likely a home-based business -- and have services you can offer -- for example: web site design, home office organization, or personal shopper.

Place an occasion ad in the newspaper. Get an ad in your telephone yellow pages. Advertise for free in locally targeted web sites like Craigslist or kijiji.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this will give you some focus to start you along the path to successful and consistent revenue generation.

About the Author

Brad Trupp is the Editor of 4hb.com.

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