Control Your Shopping Addiction

Do you realize that you’ll always end up spending more than your set budget, when you walk into malls full of sales and special offers? It is very difficult to restrict yourself from buying stuff that fascinates you. A short stroll in any mall can end up with you buying more than planed. Compulsive shopping or the addiction for shopping is just not right.

Shopping for mandatory items is correct, shopping for the sake of time-passing is not. The following 5 tips will help you stick to this important rule:

1 – Avoid sales related ads

If you are one of those who loves shopping during sales and end up over spending, it is best for you to avoid these promotions. Not just sales promotions, avoid leaving your house in seasons when sales are at a high. It is difficult to stop yourself from shopping when the world out there is having fun and buying new stuff. Try to keep yourself diverted by doing some freelance jobs or working out, and if you love books, nothing beats picking up a good book and start reading it.

2 – Don’t carry your credit cards

When you don’t have cash or debit balance in your account you end up spending on your credit cards. Leave your credit cards at home when you leave for shopping. This will restrict you from shopping extra or for unwanted things. We are living in a world of credit where credit cards are used more than cash. Avoid using your plastic money, spend within your budget and prefer carrying either your cash or debit card when you are out shopping.

3 – Set a budget and stick to it

Sticking to your budget is a difficult task. However this is the best way of controlling your senses. Besides having control over your budget, it is also important to have control over your senses, by restricting your senses you can win a huge battle.

4 – Malls need to be avoided at times

The logic behind malls is on the spot promotions and sales. Companies are smart and have been benefiting from our habits of over-spending. As you over-spend, the malls end up making more profits. Try not to enter into malls known for their effective promotion strategies. You enter a mall thinking you want one particular item, and you end up buying four or five. Think about your loss and profit of the companies before you enter a mall to restrict yourself from getting into one.

5 – Shopping list helps

Before you leave your house for shopping, make sure you carry a shopping list along. Such list will make you stick to the mandatory items you want to buy. Even then if you see something appealing and want to buy, stop there and ask yourself: if that item worth buying, and how will it affect your budget today and in the future? Think about things you can do to save money for your family’s tough times.

Spend more time with family and friends, to get rid of the addictive shopping. It is not all about buying, shopping or keeping occupied it is also about saving some money for the rainy days.

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5 Great Ideas for Children’s Birthdays

When it comes to impressing kids, you might feel like you have to work hard to top your efforts of the previous year. But the truth is that most kids are pretty easy to please. You don’t need to blow a wad of dough on your children in order to deliver a party that is fun; they’d be happy just running around the yard with their friends. But you still want to make your child’s birthday special, and finding a way to entertain a roomful of kids is definitely on the agenda. So if you’re looking for a truly spectacular (but not necessarily spendy) way to put together a party they’ll never forget, here are just a few ideas you may want to try out.

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1. Build a massive fort.
What kid doesn’t love an amazing and complex blanket fort? You can go all out with yours, hanging blankets from the ceiling and throwing pillows and sleeping pads all over the living room to create a massive tent for your child’s sleepover. You could include hanging lights, a canopy of glow-in-the-dark stars, and flashlights, or even decorate some large cardboard boxes to make corner towers or other decorations. Then pop some corn or make s’mores and treat it like the coolest campout ever, complete with ghost stories or a scary movie (that is age appropriate). And don’t forget to create a spectacular entrance, complete with a password to keep out unwanted guests (like parents).

2. Plan a scavenger hunt.
Engaging the interest of kids isn’t too difficult, especially if you keep them on their toes. To that end, retain the services of other parents to act as chaperones and chauffeurs and send the kids out seeking fun and interesting objects on a list. If you don’t want the party to stray too far, contain the items to your home or ask neighbors if they might be willing to participate in the fun. Then give out prizes to all of the groups that return with the items listed (they all should with parents helping to decipher clues).

3. Have a monster’s ball.
With imaginative kids latching on to the current culture of monster love, your children will probably jump at the chance to have a monster-themed party. Lately, it seems like you can’t blink without encountering the zombies, vampires, and aliens that are permeating every level of pop culture, including the younger generation, with cartoons, movies, and even dolls (Monster High merchandise may just give Bratz a run for their money). So set up a craft station and have kids make their very own monster masks for a wild rumpus that is straight out of Where the Wild Things Are.

4. Modern game day.
Board games can be fun, but most kids these days love video games. However, many are not suitable for large groups (allowing only one or two players at a time and offering extended gameplay rather than short sections). So think about setting up Rock Band or DDR. You can get 2-4 kids playing at a time and turns are limited to the length of a song so the players can swap frequently.

5. Take a hike.
Forget about the high price of admission at zoos and theme parks and get your group of kids out into nature for a fun and educational hike. See if you can hire a guide to show you some cool locations and point out flora and fauna along the way. Then end the foray into the wild with a picnic on the park benches and a few outdoor games (Frisbee, softball, soccer, etc.).

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How to Promote Your Business on a Budget

The online arena has thankfully provided tons of avenues for cheap or even free promotional opportunities for business.  And if you’re on a budget, this could be just what you’re looking for when it comes to marketing your company and bringing in more revenue (without spending too much).  If you’re not quite sure where to start with your online promotions, you’ll probably need to at least get a website and a Facebook page up and running, but from there you have a lot of options.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started with making your company a household name.

1. Ad exchange:
   Many ad sharing services are free, although some require payment (and what you’re generally paying for is posting on sites with better exposure than yours).  All you generally have to do is sign up and then agree to host related ads on your site in return for having your own ad (banner, link, pop-up, etc.) hosted on other member sites.  Although you will have to include unpaid ads on your site, you can limit it to one rotating banner if you think it will upset your visitors/customers.  And the payoff is that you get your ads placed on other sites for free.
2. Create brand ambassadors:
   One of the best ways to promote your business is by creating customers that are willing to talk you up all over the web (and in the real world).  To do this you need to have excellent quality assurance so that your products/services are always top notch, you should take steps to ensure that customers have a good experience on your website, and you must provide incredible customer service.  In short, you need to endear consumers to your brand so that they’ll do your advertising for you.
3. Join industry forums:
   Sometimes it’s your colleagues rather than your customers that will help to promote your business.  By joining industry forums you can not only get advice on how to run a business online (or in the real world), including promotional ideas, but you may also find that networking brings new business opportunities, potential partnerships, increased workflow and revenue, and even a chance for cross-promotion.  At the very least, you’ll get to meet some of your peers; and you stand to get a lot more from the experience.
4. Viral videos:
   Making a video could cost quite a bit, but viral videos don’t necessarily have to be high quality if they have something in them to catch the public mood.  If you can create some kind of promotional video that is interesting or funny enough to go viral and post to services like Youtube, it could generate a lot of traffic to your website and increase general interest in your business.
5. EPK:
   An electronic press kit (EPK) is widely used in the entertainment industry (amongst others) as a way to efficiently disseminate information to media and other sources.  These kits are often delivered via tape or disc and they contain a compilation of video clips (also known as b-roll), press releases, sound bites, and pretty much anything else you would like clients or the press to see.  And you can definitely tailor them to your own needs.  While most large businesses will contract with DVD or CD distribution services, those that are on a budget can easily burn their own discs.

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5 Ways to Save Money Using the Internet

The advent of the internet has made our lives easier in several important ways. Social networking and instant messaging have created an interconnected global landscape, while instantaneous search engines have expanded our access to information and knowledge. Internet service providers have long recognized how essential online access has become and rising internet bills have become one more financial burden to overcome. Fortunately, there are many simple ways that you can save money using the internet, and by taking advantage of the following five techniques the cost of surfing the web can be cut in half.

1.)    Consolidate Your Entertainment – Today’s internet is more powerful than ever before and searching for amusing YouTube videos is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online entertainment options. If you have children, for example, and find yourself regularly renting movies for family night, rental costs, late fees and trips to the video store can quickly add up. Online services like Netflix have revolutionized movie viewing and the innovative Watch it Now feature allows the savvy consumer to cancel their expensive cable or satellite plans. You can now beam the latest movies direct from your computer to your TV and save thousands of dollars per year on the cable bill.

2.)    Shift to Online Telephone – In the same vein, the internet now allows families and individuals to transfer their landline phones to an online service. The Vonage Company has made internet phone plans affordable and convenient, and you can use this service to make unlimited long distance phone calls for just $20 per month.

3.)    Skype With Your Relatives – With the recession dragging onward many traditional expenses like the annual road trip to visit family are simply not affordable. Thankfully, you can still wish your grandchildren a happy birthday with that personal touch through the power of Skype. This revolutionary online service enables users to talk to each other through their computer monitors and uses web-cameras to provide crystal clear pictures. You can wave to your baby niece and watch her smile back at you while separated by thousands of miles. Using Skype as an alternative to pricey out-of-state visits is a great way to save money while using the internet.

4.)    Improve Your Connection – Upgrading to wireless internet access is a smart way to save money on your online costs. Outdated routers, or worse – dial-up modems, provide slower connections at a higher price and are simply not cost efficient. Switching to faster wireless (i.e. N750 or N900) will shave your internet bill, while enhancing your overall online experience.

5.)    Take Advantage of Online Shopping – With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, the annual pilgrimage to the mall for Christmas toys and other gifts is fast approaching. This American tradition has become a very expensive endeavor, but the power of online shopping has leveled the playing field in favor of the consumer. You can find brand-name bargains at a discount with popular shopping websites like eBay or Amazon, and with membership programs you can even earn free shipping.

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8 Essential Tips for Job Seekers

Job seekers in today’s economy face a daunting challenge, for most new jobs there are 30-50 or more applicants and only a few will be screened and maybe a half-dozen interviewed. The ultimate survivor who is offered the job will be the job seeker who does the best selling himself/herself to the employer. Dan Milstein, a nationally recognized supersalesman, was quoted saying: “Absolutely no one but you is expected to sell yourself. References, after all, are only checked after the sales campaign ends and the job offer is extended. You and only you must sell yourself to a prospective employer.”

In his book, The ABC of Sales ($19.95, 196 pages), Milstein give this advice to would-be super salesmen – “If you don’t believe in oranges then sell apples.” Paraphrasing for job seekers, he stresses, “If you don’t believe in yourself, retire!” Milstein offers 8 tips for job seekers to help them find the right door to the right employer:

1 – Don’t Leave Home Without Your Passion:
After several rejects and weeks of unemployment it is easy to become discouraged. Don’t! Wake up each morning exciting about your job search and what you will do this day to discover the right job lead.

2 – Be a Cheerleader for Yourself:
You must believe in yourself and be enthusiastic about the company and job you are applying for. If you are not convinced you are the best person to perform the job why should anyone hire you?

3 – Make It About the Employer:
Do and say everything possible to convince the employer that hiring you will be the best decision they can make. Remain positive at all times. It is nearly impossible to overcome a negative impression so do not create one.

4 – Be Accessible:
Answer the phone, check your email often, find out where job creators hang out and be there! Attend job fairs where you can personally meet prospective employers.

5 – Market Yourself Creatively.
Let the world know that you exist and that you are different and better than all other job seekers. Sign up for email alerts. Place your resume online at several job seeking boards and at corporate websites.

6 – Write A Searchable Resume:
Remember that 100 people may be applying for the job you want. A computer will scan 100 resumes to come up with the 10 best prospects. Be accessible to the computer scanner by making the very first paragraph of your resume a summary of your skills and experience. When necessary rewrite that first graph to grab the attention of the computer as it scans for the key words programmed by human resources.

7 – Be Positive Or Else:
There is no room in the workplace for complainers. No one enjoys a crybaby. Do not whine about your past work experiences, do not rationalize why you were laid off or why you were not promoted often. Talk about solutions; not problems.

8 – Take a Risk, be Bold:
To put yourself above the massive number of job seekers, be bold, be courageous, and be creative. Don’t stand still but step up and step forward. Do not be content to wait in line; put yourself in the front of the line. Make yourself known to employers before a job is created. Look at what every other job seeker is doing and don’t do that.

“Almost all employers will not accept phone calls or walk-in candidates but will refer you to the employment section of their website,” adds Milstein. “You must use websites and email for your job search but in spite of this always devote time each week to making phone calls, walking into companies with resume in hand, and placing yourself where employers are. Always remember that your greatest asset is yourself and the best way to sell yourself is with personal contact. So network, network, network!”

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25 Worst Passwords of the Year

‘Password’ remains the most commonly used password by casual users unaware of the fact this is a very common and global choice, making it so easy for hackers to gain access to their digital life and wreck havoc to it. In an effort to encourage adoption of stronger passwords, released its “25 Worst Passwords of the Year” list for 2011. According to SplashData, the most common passwords on the web are:

1.	password		10.	dragon		19.	shadow
2.	123456		11.	baseball		20.	123123
3.	12345678		12.	111111		21.	654321
4.	qwerty		13.	iloveyou		22.	superman
5.	abc123		14.	master		23.	qazwsx
6.	monkey		15.	sunshine		24.	michael
7.	1234567		16.	ashley		25.	football
8.	letmein		17.	bailey
9.	trustno1		18.	passw0rd

This list was compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online by hackers. If you are using any of the passwords in the list, you must change that immediately. SplashData suggests making passwords more secure with these tips:

1. Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters.
   One way to create longer, more secure passwords that are easy to remember is to use short words with spaces or other characters separating them. For example, “eat cake at 8!” or “car_park_city?”
2. Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites. 
   Especially risky is using the same password for entertainment sites that you do for online email, social networking, and financial services. Use different passwords for each new website or service you sign up for.
3. Having trouble remembering all those different passwords?
   Try using a password manager application that organizes and protects passwords and can automatically log you into websites. There are numerous applications available, and you can start with SplashID Safe, which has a 10 year history and over 1 million users and available for Windows and Mac as well as smartphones and tablet devices.

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