Sunday, September 28, 2008

8 PRACTICAL WAYS YOU CAN SAVE THIS CHRISTMAS OF 2008

We are now entering the "Ber Season." How do you feel when Christmas is literary around the corner? Are you happy because this is the time of the year that you will meet all of your long lost friends and relatives? Or are you stress and scared because this is the season where it drains all your money just like a vacuum cleaner?

Nevertheless we must prepare ourselves because whether we like it or not Christmas is coming very soon.

If you have a large circle of business associates, friends, and neighbors to give gifts to. Here are some ideas for Christmas presents.

1. Start preparing for Christmas during the "after Christmas Sales" of the previous year.

It is more cheaper to buy Christmas items after the Christmas season since shops just want to get rid of all inventories
and recover their cost.

2. Chip in together for a bigger gift.

What if the one you love wants a gift that is off your budget? I now combine my effort with the people who loves him to buy him a bigger gift. It will individually cost less to everybody as we pool together and the person will receive something he or she was looking for. It is definitely a great trick for those who has everything.

3. Keep presents as "generic" as possible.

One of my favorites is to give away books. I recommend the book entitled "Till Debt Do Us Part" which was authored by yours truly.
(Laugh out Loud!)
These are gifts for friends and family who have everything in life; and you don't have any idea what they want.

4. Use old magazine pages to wrap gifts.

I give credit to my beautiful and creative wife, she uses old magazines to wrap her gifts.
It looks unique, nice and yet inexpensive.

5. Make your own Christmas post cards.

Take your own family portrait and make it to a Christmas post cards.
Some extended families just agree to exchange cards.

6. Make a donation to your favorite charity.

Inform your family and friends that you are making a donation to a charitable institution in their behalf.


7. Cook home made food.

If your passion is cooking. Cook authentic dishes or make desserts like cookies, fruit salads or create your own dressing and give it as gifts. Your love ones will appreciate this more since they know it is a labor of love.

8. Potluck parties.

This is one of my favorites. I organized parties and ask everyone to bring one meal each to celebrate and have fun with each other. The best way to have fun is to be with the people you love and care most. It is not only about the gifts you are to receive but rather the relationship you are trying to build.

Let us not be pressured and stressed out during this season. We have be reminded that Christmas is not about commercialism giving and receiving of gifts. But Christmas is the season where we should be reminded unto us a child is born and He will be called as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and His name is Jesus. He is the reason for this season!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

HOW TO GET OUT OF A CREDIT CARD DEBT?

Credit card is the most emotionless way of spending money.
You will not even feel spending over P10,000 per transaction
if we use out credit card specially i you buy it in lay away
12 month zero interest mode.

But once the billing statement arrives that is where we can feel
the crunch. Countless people are now feeling not only the crunch
but also feel the constant follow up of the call centers of the
credit card company to follow you up of your payment and outstanding
debt.

If you are in a tight situation and you do not know where you will get
your money to pay off your credit card bill. Continue to read on...

1. Pay more than the minimum.
Bite the bullet. Paying the minimum only prolongs the agony. Besides, it's precisely what the banks want you to do. The longer you take to repay the charges, the more interest they make, and the less cash you have in your pocket.
Remember in paying off your debt it is not in the amount that is more important it is in your willingness to pay.

2. Cash out your assets.
Let us look at your list of assets.
If you own jewelries, property or anything of value that you can sell.
Sometimes we are too emotionally attached to the stuffs we have it is so hard
to dispose and let go.
Maybe the practical question to ask is "Are the jewelries and property earning more interest
than what the credit card company and creditors are charging?" If the answer is no. It is
time to make the hard decision and sell because you will generate more when you sell
rather than keep your dead assets.

3. Talk to your family and friends.
Perhaps your family or friends could float you a loan. Unless they are your enemies it is time to be nice to them and be friends with them again. The best to keep things on the straight and narrow by using a written agreement. You should clearly establish the interest and repayment schedule in writing to avoid misunderstandings and hard feelings.

4. Renegotiate terms with creditors.
This one most of the people are not really aware of.
This is where I am going to spill the beans.
Let your creditors know your situation. Tell them that if you are unable to renegotiate terms, you'll have no other recourse but to declare bankruptcy. Ask for a new and lower repayment schedule; request a lower interest rate; and appeal to their desire to receive payment. Faced with the prospect that you may resort to such a drastic step, creditors will do what they can to protect themselves against a total loss.
Believe me it works!


5. Seek legal advise.

If the creditors are threatening to sue you or harassing you that they will go to your office
and report you to your HR or superiors. It is time to seek legal advise. Yes, we may made dumb
decision in the past that led us to debt. But we are not criminals who are running away from the
responsibility if we have plans to pay back what we owe. Talk to your lawyer and ask for legal options on how
you can walk this out.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Are You As Hungry Like a Wolf?

Wolf are one of the best hunters in the animal kingdom, but one problem the wolf have is they cannot seem to be satisfied. They practice what they call as "Surplus Killing." It is defined as as the killing of several prey animals too numerous to eat at one sitting. Wolves sometimes only eat a part of their surplus-killed prey, like the tail or the internal organs. They always hunger for more!

One day, a wolf saw a blood Popsicle, a ball of ice dipped in his favorite seal blood. He was very intelligent and knew that such things can be risky and dangerous for his life but he went on and started licking it. “What a taste! I am enjoying it!”. He felt as if he is so involved it in and enjoying it thoroughly. Time was just passing by and he kept licking until he was already licking the knife. But he was feeling a little weak as if his energy was going away but he kept licking. His vision was dimming a bit but he kept licking because he cannot satisfy his pleasure. Now he couldn’t see much and he knew something went wrong and before he could decide to take a step back he fell and saw his tongue bleeding, he wanted to help himself but could not get up. Until he bled to death and died.

The problem with the wolf is greed.
Greed is one thing we have to protect ourselves from, particularly when it comes to money.
I’ve met a lot of people who, even after accumulating so much money, still want to have more.
This isn’t to say that accumulating money is wrong. But if we overdo it, then it is a different story.
We will be just like the wolf, hungry and thirsting for more. Without us being aware that our family time is
bleeding. Overdoing it is when accumulating money reaches the point of destroying relationships with families and friends.

It does not necessarily mean that rich people are greedy and poor people are not.
It is not dependent on any social status of society.
Actually, people who are rich and people who are poor are similar in some manners.
Why? It is because both can say the same thing.
People who are rich says, “I want more. I must have more.”
On the other hand, people who are poor says, “I don’t have enough. This isn’t yet enough.”
But on the same token, people who are poor, after making some money, can also say, “I want more. I must have more.”
People who are rich, after making lots of money, can say, “I don’t have enough. This isn’t yet enough.”
Both crave to get more.

Whether a person is rich and has lots of money or he is poor and doesn’t have enough, his feelings are the same. Why? Because both greed and poverty say the same thing. This is a heart issue. Greed is not just a state of mind. When being put to the test, money will just reveal what’s inside the heart in the first place.

Let us be wise and learn from the mistakes of the wolf.
Learning how to spot an opportunity is not enough.
Learning to say no at times if it will take so much time away from your family.
Learning to be content with what you have and not wanting for more.
Learning to say I have more than enough, this is only what I need.

At the end of the day, how much money does a person need to make in order to get by?
Be wise! Be thankful! Be grateful!