We are facing a critical economic and financial situation in our country today, and unless the majority of us make some serious adjustments to our financial situations, we are going to sink. I am not saying anything that most people don't already know, however, it seems that for many of us, things have to get so bad before we even acknowledge that there is a problem...well, HOUSTON, there is a problem.
I heard that the Chinese have the same word for "Crisis" and "Opportunity." For everything that is going on in the world right now, especially the economic turmoil in America, there are ways to take advantage of the situations. However, most important is taking care of our own situations first. The majority of people in America are drowning in debt, as is our government. A really good way to help this situation is to start a home-based business and start building and structuring longer-term wealth, because if most people continue the paths they are on, surely they will sink.
It comes down to each person really taking a hard and honest look at their situation and making a decision. The reality is that the government is not going to take care of us. Our companies are not going to take care of us, so it is up to us to take care of ourselves. We have all heard the statistics of Social Security and other government programs that are already way-overextended, and there is no way they can sustain the current load for much longer, never mind the fact that Baby Boomers are just going to be cashing in on their benefits in increasing numbers daily.
The bottom line is that if we want to prosper in these turbulent times, we have to become entrepreneurs, if not already, and create our own way. There are endless opportunities out there, most of which are bogus. It takes a discerning eye to spot what is real and what is not, and this is a search that more people would benefit greatly by doing.
We have the power to create our own freedom. The laws of the land are more favorable to home-business owners than to employees in many ways. Given the major economic trends that are occuring, the home-based business industry is only going to get hotter and hotter. Did you know that there will be a projected 80 million people in America alone looking for a business over the next 3-5 years? You could be one of them!
How to Choose Your Bank
There are a lot of options to consider when choosing a bank. Now days, there are more options, services and accounts than ever to choose from. It can be confusing when deciding where to start. If you do a little research and possibly a little visiting, you can find a bank that fits your needs and goals.
If you find yourself in a financial binds pretty often, then you may want to choose a bank that offers something like a payday loan or a cash advance. These can be helpful if you're finding yourself making late payments on loans or credit cards. They can help you out of a financial bind and help you to avoid late fees and bad hits on your credit. Just be aware of the terms and try to make all of your payments on time. It's also important to make more than the minimum payment whenever possible to avoid putting bad information on your credit report.
If you qualify, then overdraft protection is a great thing to have on a checking account. Overdraft protection usually is a line of credit extended to you that can cover bounced checks or overdraws on your account. Overdraft protection can allow you to pull more out of an ATM than you actually have in your account. This is helpful when you're in need, but be careful not to abuse the privilege. Even with overdraft protection, you can incur substantial fees every time you dip into your overdraft account.
Sometimes the charges go directly on to a credit card. This can seem advantageous, but each overdraft generally comes with a fee and shows up as a cash advance on your credit card. Cash advances from a credit card aren't usually calculated at the same annual percentage rate as a regular purchase. Cash advances from your credit card are usually at the highest interest rate available to the credit card company. Keep track of your account. If you know that you're getting close to emptying your checking account, it might be a good idea to use your credit card if possible. This way, you're only charged the regular APR with no extra fees. This can save you from going more deeply in debt than you can handle.
Savings accounts are really useful ways to save money. It helps your credit score to have a checking and a savings account. Savings accounts usually have more strict guidelines on how often you can take money out than checking accounts do. This can be beneficial if you're serious about saving. Savings accounts can also be used as overdraft accounts and often don't have fees associated with the first few overdraft withdrawals. Be careful not to deplete your savings and try to have regular amounts of money going into savings at set intervals. A good option is to have an automatic draft from your checking to your savings happen on the same day that your paycheck goes into the bank. This way you don't ever see the money available in your checking and you don't make it an option not to save.
If you find yourself in a financial binds pretty often, then you may want to choose a bank that offers something like a payday loan or a cash advance. These can be helpful if you're finding yourself making late payments on loans or credit cards. They can help you out of a financial bind and help you to avoid late fees and bad hits on your credit. Just be aware of the terms and try to make all of your payments on time. It's also important to make more than the minimum payment whenever possible to avoid putting bad information on your credit report.
If you qualify, then overdraft protection is a great thing to have on a checking account. Overdraft protection usually is a line of credit extended to you that can cover bounced checks or overdraws on your account. Overdraft protection can allow you to pull more out of an ATM than you actually have in your account. This is helpful when you're in need, but be careful not to abuse the privilege. Even with overdraft protection, you can incur substantial fees every time you dip into your overdraft account.
Sometimes the charges go directly on to a credit card. This can seem advantageous, but each overdraft generally comes with a fee and shows up as a cash advance on your credit card. Cash advances from a credit card aren't usually calculated at the same annual percentage rate as a regular purchase. Cash advances from your credit card are usually at the highest interest rate available to the credit card company. Keep track of your account. If you know that you're getting close to emptying your checking account, it might be a good idea to use your credit card if possible. This way, you're only charged the regular APR with no extra fees. This can save you from going more deeply in debt than you can handle.
Savings accounts are really useful ways to save money. It helps your credit score to have a checking and a savings account. Savings accounts usually have more strict guidelines on how often you can take money out than checking accounts do. This can be beneficial if you're serious about saving. Savings accounts can also be used as overdraft accounts and often don't have fees associated with the first few overdraft withdrawals. Be careful not to deplete your savings and try to have regular amounts of money going into savings at set intervals. A good option is to have an automatic draft from your checking to your savings happen on the same day that your paycheck goes into the bank. This way you don't ever see the money available in your checking and you don't make it an option not to save.
Making Money Fast With a Garage Sale
So, you have an emergency and need some money fast. How can you make money quickly with what you have? A garage sale can be a great way to make some money fast while getting rid of extra items in your house. It will take some work, but it will be worth it to get through the crisis. Having a successful garage sale has become a science to some, so there is a lot of information available online. This article will give you some basic tips and tricks so that you have a smooth operating garage sale experience.
Step one is to set a date and advertise. You can place an ad in your local paper if you wish. If you are looking for cheaper options, consider searching the web for free sites to announce your garage sale. Tell all of your friends, family and co-workers to spread the word for you. A lot of grocery stores have bulletin boards where you can post a flyer letting people know where and when the garage sale will be, as well as what big ticket items you'll be selling.
The next step is to make signs. Use clear, big, bold letters to write your address and draw really big arrows leading people to your house. Bright poster board is a great option when trying to get the attention of people driving down the road. Make sure that you put an arrow at every turn going through your neighborhood. Make everything match if possible. If your sign off of the main road is bright orange, then use bright orange to make your arrows so that people know that they are still going the right way. Make sure that you don't post on traffic signs or light poles without permission from the highway commission, because it could be illegal and will point police directly to your house. Ask permission from your neighbors before placing signs in their yards and make sure that you take them down immediately after the garage sale.
Collect everything that you can from around your house, including worthless knick-knacks that you don't believe anyone would want. You'll be surprised what people will buy. Go in with other families if you can. The bigger the garage sale, the better. Price items clearly with bright stickers. Make everything as cheap as possible and be willing to haggle. Use different colors for different families if you need to. Collect a lot of cash change before the big day. You'll need a lot of one dollar bills, fives, tens and lots of coins. Use a cash box if you can. It's generally not a good idea to accept checks. Not only might the check not be good, but your bank could charge you a fee for presenting them with a check that bounces.
Put everything out on sturdy tables and be prepared for people to flood into your yard. As soon as the ad hits, or people see you putting up signs, they'll want to be the first ones there. If you don't make enough money from your garage sale to get you through an emergency, you may consider a payday loan or cash advance to get you through.
Step one is to set a date and advertise. You can place an ad in your local paper if you wish. If you are looking for cheaper options, consider searching the web for free sites to announce your garage sale. Tell all of your friends, family and co-workers to spread the word for you. A lot of grocery stores have bulletin boards where you can post a flyer letting people know where and when the garage sale will be, as well as what big ticket items you'll be selling.
The next step is to make signs. Use clear, big, bold letters to write your address and draw really big arrows leading people to your house. Bright poster board is a great option when trying to get the attention of people driving down the road. Make sure that you put an arrow at every turn going through your neighborhood. Make everything match if possible. If your sign off of the main road is bright orange, then use bright orange to make your arrows so that people know that they are still going the right way. Make sure that you don't post on traffic signs or light poles without permission from the highway commission, because it could be illegal and will point police directly to your house. Ask permission from your neighbors before placing signs in their yards and make sure that you take them down immediately after the garage sale.
Collect everything that you can from around your house, including worthless knick-knacks that you don't believe anyone would want. You'll be surprised what people will buy. Go in with other families if you can. The bigger the garage sale, the better. Price items clearly with bright stickers. Make everything as cheap as possible and be willing to haggle. Use different colors for different families if you need to. Collect a lot of cash change before the big day. You'll need a lot of one dollar bills, fives, tens and lots of coins. Use a cash box if you can. It's generally not a good idea to accept checks. Not only might the check not be good, but your bank could charge you a fee for presenting them with a check that bounces.
Put everything out on sturdy tables and be prepared for people to flood into your yard. As soon as the ad hits, or people see you putting up signs, they'll want to be the first ones there. If you don't make enough money from your garage sale to get you through an emergency, you may consider a payday loan or cash advance to get you through.
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