Give Yourself a Raise by Managing Your Expenses

Whether it's working overtime, or getting a second job, most people will do what ever it takes to maximize their income. Unfortunately hardly anyone pays attention to their spending habits. I'm here to tell you that earning and saving are one of the same. If you want to make more money, you don't have to impress your boss. You can just as easily pass on a night out with friends, or refrain from impulse buying dvds.

To put it in perspective, think about how excited you would you be if your boss raised you salary by $100/week. You would probably do cart-wheels down the hall. Now think if you went out for dinner and drinks with friends to celebrate, that same $100.00 could disappear in a matter of hours.

We need to looked at our expenses like we look at our income. If your boss shorted you an hour on your paycheck, you would probably march into his office and demand that it was fixed. Now how you would react if on the way home you noticed the grocery store accidentally charged you twice for a 24 pack of toilet paper. You may go back in and tell them, but then again it might just be more effort than it is worth.

Just remember whether your earning or spending, money-is-money-is-money. Finding a $5 bill on the on the ground, should be just as exciting as using a coupon.

Know Your home

While making dinner the other day, half of our house lost power. All the lights in the the guest bedrooms, office, den and garage went out. But strangeley the lights in the kitchen, master, and living room still worked fine. After tracing the electricity back to the breaker panel, I found that it was not the wiring in the house but one of the power companies leads coming in that failed. I called PSE, and they came out within a few hours to restored power. It turns out there was a problem with one of the underground supply lines. This got me thinking about all the important things people should know about their home:

Be Able to Locate Your Utility Panels
Many people don't know where their electrical panel is, let alone how to shut off the water or gas in an emergency. Take a few moments to locate these items. Also consider buying a gas shut off wrench and keeping accessible.

Have it when you need it
Everyone knows how frustrating it can be to find a working flash light in the dark, but what about a fire extinguisher? If your house caught on fire, do you even have one to grab? Having a fire extinguisher can be the difference between a small kitchen fire and losing your home. At a cost of $15-$30 it is worth it. Most homeowner insurance companies will even give a discount for having one.

Lighting Pilots
Learn how to light the pilot on your water heater, fire place, or other applicable appliances. If the gas is ever shut off temporarily, you don't want to rely on a technician for warmth.

Important Documents
If you had to evacuate your home, how long would it take to gather all your important documents. Consider keeping your birth/marriage certificates, car pink slips, house title, social security card, emergency credit card, tax info, and any other important documents in a safe place that can be accessed quickly.

By taking a few moments to know your home, and organize the things inside it, you could save yourself some serious headaches in the future.

Find Your Motivators

What gets you out of bed in the morning, makes you go to work, or inspires you to clean your house? The simple answer is motivation, but a more precise answer is each individual motivator. You get out of bed for that cup of coffee, or because its better than listening to a buzzing alarm clock. You go to work so you can provide for your kids. You clean your house because you in-laws are coming over. These are the behind the scenes motivators. Motivators are the reason that we do the things we do.

Suppose you have a co-worker who is notoriously late to work. Even with an important early morning meeting, he or she is 15 minutes late. Now suppose there's a $8,000.00 incentive for them to arrive on time each day for a week. I gaurantee that same person will find a way to be there on time. The difference in this scenario is the money motivator. Normally, the co-worker prefers the extra sleep, or the relaxed commute to being punctual. Negative motivators can also have the same affect. A boss could say "If you're not on time every day this week then you are fired!"

Everyday we do hundreds of tasks without fully understanding the motivators behind them. By taking the time to identify these motivators it helps us to validate our actions. If you don't want to take out the trash, find the motivator. Would you rather live with flies and the pungent smell of rotting food wafting through your house? Of course not, so take out the trash. Are you dreading doing your laundry? You'll be the one forced to go out in public looking like Steve Urkel because you ran out of clean close that fit. Are you avoiding the gym? It may be harder to avoid your swim suit this summer or the health hazards later in life. Do you hate sitting in traffic? Try sitting at home unemployed. There are reasons why we do things that we don't enjoy. If there wasn't, the action would be a wasted effort and meaningless.

Like a dog that sits for a treat, a job hunter dressing up for an interview, or the friendliness of a car salesmen, there are motivators behind all actions. Learn what your motivators are and these actions will have meaning. Chores and hardships will become logical.

Please feel free to comment, your input motivates me to continue writing articles.

Sell Your Old Books for Cash

Today I tripped over a big heavy box in the garage. I vaguely remember crating it around with me from house to house in college, but never once opened it to see the contents. When finally got around to opening it this morning, I found a ton of old books.

My first reaction was to take them to the Goodwill or a used book store, but while Googling the nearest used book store I found:

http://www.cash4books.net/

Cash4 books buys used books. This easy to use site lets you type in the ISBN # located on ever book bar code for an instant quote. I only got a few dollars per book, but shipping is free with the sites printable shipping labels. After they get your books you will receive a check or Paypal deposit.

So if you have a ton of old books weighing you down, and cluttering up your house, check Cash4books before you donate them to Goodwill, you could stand make some easy money.

Stop Bad Mouthing Your Employer

If you're stressed out, and having a bad day at work, don't vent your frustration with co-workers. It not only makes you look bad, but it makes your employer look bad as well. Bad mouthing only adds to an already stressful situation. It defames your character and does not speak very highly of your integrity. Bad mouthing your boss doesn't accomplish anything, and could even get you fired. This doesn't mean that you have to shoulder all the burdens at work. There is a big difference between complaining about your boss, and proposing solutions.

Complaining About Your Boss

It's easy to say "This is a poor way to run a business," or " We wouldn't have these problems if I was in charge." In reality, you are not in charge, and without proposing any solution, you are just complaining. Anytime you feel the need to lower your voice, you are probably bad mouthing. Finding faults in other people's actions is a spineless act, and should left up to gossipers and villains.

Proposing solutions

If you know how to make the business run more efficiently, by all means speak up. Suggest your improvement to the boss and your co-workers. If everyone is in agreement, you could be the hero of the company. A problem solver will advance within a company, while a bad mouther will fester in their own misery.

Avoid getting caught up in office politics, and stop bad mouthing your employer.

Quick Tip: Keep a Stash of Cash at Home

I don't normally carry cash. I use my debit card for almost everything. Unfortunately their are times when cash is nessesary. Whether it's tipping the pizza guy, making change for poker night, or wheelin-and-dealing at a neighbors garage sale, it is always good to have at least some cash at home. There is no need to stuff your life savings in a matteress, but having access to $100 in small bills comes in handy.

Turbo Tax Online

Today my wife and I went to Best Buy and bought the latest version of TurboTax, just like we do every year. Just before the installation, we discovered that Turbo Tax is available online for $20 less. Since our software was unopened, we were able to return it.

We used the online version for the first time, and highly recomend it. You don't have to install any sofware, and can access your tax filing from any computer. All of the version like Basic, Deluxe, Primere, Home Business, and Business are all available online.