Holiday season?! Already?! It is only October…I know. Still, I have some advice to share pertaining to how not to go broke this holiday season…and it requires planning ahead. Each year as the holidays roll around many of us feel a financial strain. Unfortunately our credit card bills are often “the gift that keeps on giving” long after the holiday season has passed. Today I am going to share my holiday tips and tricks with you:
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Recently, many of us have seen videos on social media showing people taking the “Ice Bucket Challenge”. This campaign is intended to raise awareness and money for the fight against ALS. Sadly this campaign hits very close to home for me; my brother-in-law’s father, Dennis, passed away from this truly horrible disease just last month. As you will see in the video (above) I participated in my own challenge this past weekend…there I am in the black T-shirt!
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Debt is the devil. Being in debt is one of the most stressful and anxiety-producing situations that you can find yourself in. I have been there; it is overwhelming. I used to lie awake at night worrying about it; I felt as if I had a constant weight on my chest. Of all forms of debt, credit card debt is one of the worst. I still remember getting my first credit card in college. The sales representatives from the bank were set up in the student center taking applications. That very first credit card came with a lovely 24.99% interest rate! At the time I was too young and naive to fully understand what exactly that meant or what an impact it would have on me later on. I want to state, for the record, that it is no one’s fault but my own that I ran up my credit card bill; I really do not like people who do not take accountability for their own actions. With that said, it is not an accident that banks offer cards with this type of interest to the young and inexperienced…life has not yet taught them to say, “24.99%?! Get the hell out of here! No thanks.” Long story short, like so many others, I spent more than I should have…a lot more. I share this story only because it is an all too common tale and my advice may be helpful to others.
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Does the thought of investing your money make your brain hurt? Do you feel as if you can barely afford to live now and therefore are shunning all thoughts of preparing for retirement? Believe me, I get it. For years my father harassed me about beginning to save for retirement. I finally started saving in the year that I turned 30. Of course, as is often the case, I regret not having listened to my father and not having started earlier. Oh well, it is what it is. The fact is that it is never too late and anything that you save today is better than having nothing tomorrow. With that said, if you are lucky enough to have a job which offers any type of retirement program, by all means you should take advantage of it as soon as possible! As a business owner myself, I cannot begin to explain to those employed by others just how much your benefits are really worth…use them!
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With Memorial Day weekend approaching, we all look forward to BBQ’s, extra time off and fun with friends and family. It is important to take pause and to recall what this holiday is all about…remembering all of our countrymen who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our safety and freedom. The far-reaching effects of war have influenced all aspects of our culture throughout the years. Being a voracious reader and a lover of history I am always interested in learning new facts. One of the most informative classes which I ever took, while in college, was a fashion history class called, “History of Costume”. This class taught me a great deal about how style has been shaped around historical events throughout the ages. In the intervening years I have read a great deal about how the history of beauty has been similarly shaped. With Memorial Day Weekend approaching, I thought that it would be fun to share a few of these interesting facts pertaining to the relationship between some of America’s most famous conflicts and their influence on fashion and beauty.
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So, thinking about starting your own business and aren’t sure where to begin? Relax. I’m here to start you off down the right track with some solid advice. As the title of this article clearly states, I am someone who never actually attended business school, but I do run a successful business! Luckily for me, one of my dear friends is a very savvy woman with an M.B.A. in Marketing. When I was first starting my business, she offered me some invaluable advice which I am going to share with you! Today’s article is all about laying the foundation for a successful business. It is about providing you with some practical advice that will not cost you a dime, but will require some serious thought on your part and a willingness to put pencil to paper. (Note: If this already sounds tedious, then going into business for yourself is NOT going to be for you. Having your own business IS a ton of work). Still interested? Here we go!
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Today is Earth Day. Being that our planet houses us and allows us to live it seems like every day should be Earth Day, doesn’t it? Not too long ago, I was reading the cover of the Book Review section of the New York Times. The title article was called ‘Without a Trace’ and it was reviewing a book called ‘The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History’ by Elizabeth Kolbert. Kolbert’s book discusses the alarming rate at which climate change is affecting our planet. Of Kolbert’s book, The New York Times article says, “In lucid prose, she examines the role of man-made climate change in causing what biologists call the sixth mass extinction — the current spasm of plant and animal loss that threatens to eliminate 20 to 50 percent of all living species on earth within this century.” Yes, you read that correctly…20 to 50 percent of ALL LIVING SPECIES on this earth are threatened with extinction BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY!!! If you are currently saying, “Holy Crap!”, then you are not alone…I said as much myself. You can read the Times article here.
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Okay, so I must admit that I suffer from a disorder which I have named S.O.A.. No, you will not find this in the DSM-V…I made it up. What is it you ask? S.O.A. is an acronym for Starbucks Ordering Anxiety.
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