How Rampant is Impulse Buying, Infographics

March 26, 2012
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How Rampant is Impulse Buying, Infographics

Impulse buying is a major weakness among us. When they contacted me for my willingness to have a info-graphic post, I wanted them to write on this topic. I have previously written about my old trusted method of controlling impulse buys. Still at times both SMB and I make impulse purchases. The info-graphic shows the most rampant place where impulse buying happen is your grocery store. Yes, I also felt that way. When we blog about impulse buying, we always talk (and probably think) about major purchases in malls that we make, usually the ones which cost more than a couple of $10 bills. But, even a $2 item can be purchased impulsively. Grocery stores advertise items on sale, you go to that grocers to take advantage of the on-sale items and you end up buying mark-up items as well. Impulse buying happen in every store, minor or major. You wanted to buy a loaf of bread and get fixated to the apple pie kept very next to it, when you end up buying it, isn’t that an impulse buying? Yes it is! Every time, in almost every shopping trip, we purchase impulsively. We do not realize most of the time but

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Employers Checking Facebook Profile Before Job Offer and Links

March 25, 2012
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Hello readers, welcome to weekend chit-chat. I was at a friend’s place last night and the conversation flowed towards social media. Somebody mentioned that companies are checking potential hire’s Facebook profile before the job offer. I was not so sure about it and decided to give it a check. This morning Google directed me to a post in PC world, where CareerBuilder.com revealed some number. 20% of companies admitted checking Facebook/MySpace profiles. And the number of rejection is more than number of acceptance, 33% vs 24%. “Use of drugs or drinking and the posting of photographs deemed ‘inappropriate’ or ‘provocative’ were identified as the most popular reasons why employers eliminated a candidate after viewing their social networking profile.” ~ Mentioned by PC World. Earlier I listed a few tips towards getting a job through social media. But, this one looks like “Losing a job because of social media”. Here’s the list of reasons for hiring and not hiring based on social media profile, published in a CareerBuilder survey. I quickly checked my Facebook profile once again, scrutinized my wall. Nah, there’s no picture of me drinking and dancing wild. I didn’t post any offensive comment on my wall or on anybody’s wall. My qualification on

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Bad Financial Habits That You Might Be Not Aware Of

March 23, 2012
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Bad Financial Habits That You Might Be Not Aware Of

The following is a guest post from Henessy Cervano For some people, bankruptcy is for certain. If you are one of them, those overly secure of the thought that they have a regular source of handsome income, so they just keep on spending without keeping track of their expenses. You’re sure to keep falling off the financial ladder… if you continue spending more than you earn, mindlessly making purchases more than you can actually afford. You absolutely don’t have a shot at getting rich… if you keep making  saving a chore for tomorrow, always thinking that you’d always have money to expect anyway. There are a number of bad financial habits and ways of thinking that have driven lots of people into the depths of financial ruin. Some of them seem too harmless that you wouldn’t even realize how much it could lead to your economic demise. This article is written to give you a heads up on these habits and pull you up before you reach that depressing pit called “bankruptcy”. Bad Habit: Endless Generosity Counter-habit: Being practical Some people are either too easy to persuade or just plain show-offs that they keep treating people or lending them money even when they don’t really

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Roth IRAs vs. Traditional IRAs: For Filing Taxes and Your Retirement

March 22, 2012
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This is a guest post from Kellie Englehardt, she sent me this post yesterday and asked if I accepted guest posts. After reading this and gauging its usefulness for your tax return, I decided to publish immediately.  I sincerely hope at least some of my readers would definitely find it useful. usually I do not post on Thursdays, making an exception today. Enjoy and learn the following. This year, taxes are due April 17, less than a month away. With the deadline quickly approaching, many people are wondering how they can cut their tax bill. One thing you can do, according to the IRS, is contribute to an IRA. A contribution will not only reduce your taxable income, but it will generate retirement savings as well. It’s a win-win situation. The great thing about IRAs is that if you contribute before the tax filing deadline, the contribution counts toward your taxes. But that is no secret. In fact, Fidelity Investments estimates that 50 percent of all IRA contributions are made within 28 days of the tax filing deadline. “March is an excellent time to contribute to an IRA,” said Derek Overstreet, president of New Millennium Insurance Services in South Jordan, Utah. “Would

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Will Increasing Retirement age for Social Security Hurt Seniors?

March 21, 2012
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Will Increasing Retirement age for Social Security Hurt Seniors?

The following is a guest post The Social Security Income is the benefit provided by the Federal government. The Social Security program is funded by levying a tax on both the employers and the employees. This program was created by the Social Security Act of 1935 to provide benefits to old people, and survivors and their families. The money is paid to the person and his family on the basis of his employment records and his contributions to the whole government system. Retirement age for receiving Social Security The retirement age was previously 65 and the earliest when a person could start receiving Social Security retirement benefits was 62. But, recently the retirement age has been increased to 66 and is supposed to increase by two months each year starting from 2017. This will continue till the retirement age reaches 67 in 2022. However, till now the age to receive Social Security benefits for those who retire early is 62. The leaders of the deficit commission, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson, proposed a continual increase in the full retirement age a few days ago. They proposed that the retirement age may be increased to 69 within about 2075. Similarly the early retirement age would also

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20 Tips To Be Productive And Happy At Work

March 19, 2012
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20 Tips To Be Productive And Happy At Work

Let me start with a disclaimer, I am not pretending that I am a guru of some sort who knows how to handle work pressure in any situation. I am writing this as I think this may help you if you are in similar situation as I once was. It was becoming difficult for me to increase productivity, I wasn’t able to concentrate and wasn’t producing results I wanted to produce. Then I made these small adjustments. It’s not that I practice all of them day-in and day-out, but I follow most of them every day. In a way this is similar to the other projects I mentioned before, how to be a better person in 15 ways and how to feel good and increase productivity. Believe me if you are happy with your work environment, you can get things done fairly quickly and feel more satisfied. Needless to say, you get noticed for your work and dedication. It is utmost important that you increase your money earning potential to take better care of your finances. Ultimately it’s your work that pays your bills. 20 tips to be productive at work 1. Cleanup and decorate you cubicle – A clean and uncluttered

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Weekly Update, Good Reads and Gratitude

March 18, 2012
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Another interesting week went by. At work my boss started  more work from us. The reason being he’s being bombarded with new projects and proof of concept initiatives. The year’s worth of budget is cleared and many big projects got a go and we are falling short of heads. Till the time we hire people (through outsourcing partners) we have to manage the increased work-load. See, I am not complaining about more work or my boss here. I did try to understand the situation behind his increasing demands. If you see the rationale behind your boss’s action, most of time, your work may turn out to be a better experience. I know many who start thinking about retirement the moment they are asked to do additional work. Talking about retirement, today GRS has a reader story, which covers leaving passion to work 9 -5 and liking it, do check the story and the comments out. Specially I advice early retirement seekers to read it. In home front, things normal. SMB’s job hunt continues, our wants and their needs are not matching. Roundup Let’s start with cute thing, here’s a photo slide show from Jai, a fellow yakezie blogger, where he

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Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #228

March 17, 2012
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Welcome to the March 16, 2012 Edition #228 of the Carnival of Financial Planning. The Carnival of Financial Planning takes a long-term view of personal financial planning for individuals and families. We focus on efficient and sustainable personal financial planning practices that can lead to lifetime financial security.  This edition is arranged by subject heading, so that you can browse efficiently. Enjoy! The Skilled Investor, Editor Budgeting and Economics KT presents How to Save on Living Expenses When You Live Alone posted at Personal Finance Journey, saying, “In the United States, 11 percent of people under the age of 30 live alone U.S. News. I lived alone for two years when I was in graduate school, and I loved the experience. However, living alone, especially in an urban area, can be expensive. Kyle presents How to Get Paid to Be a Better Person posted at The Penny Hoarder, saying, “If you miss the days of getting rewarded for being a better person then Dailyfeats.com is definitely a site worth checking out. Everything Finance presents Benefits to Using Cash over Credit Cards posted at Everything Finance, saying, “While proponents argue that it is possible to use credit responsibly and game the system by getting nice rewards for credit usage, for many people, there are several advantages

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