My Personal Financial Advice To You.

Want some personal financial advice? Get you finances under control so you can live a better life and finally see the future in a decent light. Too many people only react to the things that happen in their lives, very few are proactive. Reacting to the things that happen to you only means that things will keep happening to you, you will never make yourself a success by reacting.

By being proactive, you can see the obstacles before they become obstacles. You can nip the bad things that come along in the bud before they become worse things. Being proactive and setting a budget you can live with and getting yourself out of debt can help decrease the stress life brings with it and help lower your blood pressure as well.

My personal financial advice to you includes setting up goals and mapping out a way to get them accomplished. One by one you should start at the smallest and work toward the biggest. When one gets gone then put that money toward the next smallest all up until you get to the biggest and then they will all be gone and you will wonder what the heck you were waiting for.

There is no better feeling in the world than getting yourself out of debt and knowing that you will never owe anyone any more money, ever. I know what this feels like because I have done it. My husband and I were about $25,000 in debt and with diligence and perseverance I did just what I have outlined for you.

I put most of the money toward the smallest bill, all while keeping up the minimum payments on the other bills, too. I paid one off and then put that payment toward the next smallest bill. On and on until the last payment of the last bill was right there in my fingertips and when I sent that payment off and knew for a fact I had done it I stood in the middle of the kitchen and did my version of the happy dance.

No matter where you are in your financial life you should still remember to put some money away in savings. This should be your emergency fund and it should equal at least 3 months salary. This way if something happens to you or your spouse and you can not continue to work then at least you have some to fall back on. Three months is the minimum amount. I know of one person I am acquainted with who needs to have surgery and is trying to save up at least six months living expenses. I wish him well.

One way to achieve this emergency fund is to put all your money into a high-interest savings account where you accrue quite a bit of interest on the balance. Do not ever touch this amount until you really need it. Use it for whatever emergency situation comes up but always, always, always replenish what was used. This is very important personal financial advice for you to take into consideration.

And if you are looking for a resource to help you with your money, then subscribe to the Free Your Mind Online personal finance newsletter.  There is a lot of good information to help you achieve financial independence.

Debt Consolidation - Economy In Low Cycle Reevaluate

It seems most things go in cycles. Up and down, good or bad. That is what happens in the economy too. With the economy in a "low" cycle, many people are reevaluating some of their financial choices and one of the top things people are looking at is debt consolidation.

Debt consolidation can mean different things to different people. Some people seem to think that they need to hire a company to help them with it. Others think they should get a home equity loan so they can consolidate all their debt. Still others rather just do it themselves.

All of these are viable options but some people just don't like the idea of getting a loan to consolidate debt. This is a good option only if you can control your spending habits. Some people will do just fine with this method but others will just go out and rack up more debt, and that is what can lead to real trouble.

If you are a do it yourself type of person, I have compiled a list of some things that may be able to help you out, it is not a quick fix but it may be able to help you out:

1. First of all, where are you financially... really? This may be a painful step for some. Taking stock of just how much debt you really do have can be a scary thing but until you know where you are, you can't make a plan to get to where you want. 
2. Once you know exactly what your debt is you have to figure out how much money you have coming in every month. Deduct the amount you make from your living expenses to see how much money you have left over every month. 

You may find that you are spending more than you are making, many people do. What you will have to do is "find" some money in order to consolidate your bills.

Most people waste at least a little money every month. It may not be a lot but anything that you can free up can be applied to paying down your debt. As I said above, this method isn't a quick fix.

If you can free up even $50 a month you can start with your smallest bill and apply that $50 to your bill. Make sure you pay the normal amount too, but add the extra money every month. Doing this will allow you to pay off your bill more quickly.

Once that debt is paid off you can take the money that you were paying on that bill every month, plus the extra money you have been applying to it, and put all that money to pay off your next smallest debt.

Keep doing this and you will find yourself debt free. How long it takes will depend on how much debt you have, how dedicated you are and how much money you are able to free up.

Debt consolidation can be something that you can do all on your own if you choose. No matter how you go about it, make sure you do it as quickly as possible. You will have much more peace of mind when you are done.

Real Estate Investing - Your First Rental Property

Property values have taken a nose dive and families are walking away from homes they can't afford.  So where do all these families move to when they leave their properties due to foreclosure?  They have to rent from someone.  Why not you?  The current market screams rental properties as the best bet for real estate investing.

There are many strategies for finding good rental properties.  The easiest way is to keep track of homes for sale in your neighborhood and surrounding areas.  Real estate investing in your own area can be a good strategy because you're already familiar with the locale and managing your properties will be much easier because you're nearby.  Tenants usually are more mindful when the owner is close by.

The biggest caveat to real estate investing in your own neighborhood is to be careful if you know the sellers personally.  The neighbor who has heard talk of your real estate investing prowess may think you are more willing to pay list price or worse, might think you're trying to take advantage of them if you try to negotiate.  Business and neighborly relations don't mix well, so you may want to consider working through an agent as an anonymous buyer if you're not sure.

What kind of property should you consider?

If you are not a handy person or don't have a regular custodian in mind, the best kind of rental property is one that is currently occupied by the owner.  This is because owner occupants generally take better care of properties than tenants or landlords.  Of course you will still need an inspection but chances are the home will be in much better shape.

Apart from the initial condition, you want to find a property that is as maintenance-free as possible.  Remember you are not looking for your dream home you are looking for a property for real estate investing that is well kept and easy to maintain to protect this investment.

For example, hardwood floors are a great selling point but depending upon the size of the house, carpet may be easier to clean and replace.  The easiest option is a mixture of the two, in this case it's highly unlikely that you'll have to replace the entire house at once and you can change it as your needs change.

For the kitchen and bathrooms, while tile and grout denote class and quality, unless you're assured of renting to a fastidious grout cleaner it will be difficult to restore the grout to showroom clean between tenants.  Laminate and vinyl are better choice for rental units because they can be replaced cheaply, quickly and still carry the appearance of class.

These are considerations that many new real estate investors don't consider.  They're under the impression that in order to rent a home everything must be top of the line, while of course you want to provide an attractive and marketable rental unit, you must factor the transient nature of tenants into your costs.  Nonetheless, despite the myriad of details you must consider in today's market, rental units can be the best real estate investing strategy.

Good Eating Habits for Your Skin

We tend to spend a lot of money and time trying to make our skin look good.  TV screens and magazine pages are filled with ads for thousands of products that claim to give you glowing, beautiful skin.  There are creams, cleansers, and even some crazy machines.  But if you really want great skin, start by focusing on the inside.  If your body is healthy and well nourished, it will show with beautiful, radiant skin.  Here are some tips on what to eat so you’ll look great.

The most important thing for your skin is actually not eating right, it’s drinking right.  Getting enough water to drink is an essential part of keeping your skin looking great.  If cells aren't properly lubricated, they can’t easily get rid of waste.  That means it all sits there and leaves your skin looking dull and lifeless.  Plus, if cells are short on water, they will try to conserve leaving you puffy and bloated.  Eventually, skin will dry out, leaving you with an itchy, flaky mess.

For healthy, glowing skin you need to take your vitamins.  These are essential nutrients your body needs to work right and look good.  The ones that benefit your skin the most are antioxidants including vitamins A, C, and E.  They help neutralize free radicals, which are produced by your body and your environment that can damage your skin.   While taking supplements may be helpful, the best way to nourish your skin is by eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids.  In addition, try to add more fiber to what you eat for an additional boost.

In addition to eating healthy food, also try to cut out certain bad foods that can harm your skin (and the rest of your body).  Processed foods that are high in sugar and artificial ingredients can build up harmful chemicals in your system.  These can slow your body down, making it less healthy, which shows in your skin.  Substituting healthy home-cooked meals for fast food or pre-packaged meals will not only make your skin look better, it will leave you feeling better and more energized.

If you tend to get rashes, acne, or have eczema, you may have a mild food allergy that you’re unaware of.  Keep a journal of everything you eat as well as the health and condition of your skin.  You may find your skin problems are associated with a specific food or type of food.  Cutting out this food may drastically improve the condition of your skin.

In addition to eating healthy foods, it is also important to remember to nourish your skin from the outside.  This means using regular moisturizers and protecting it from the sun, wind, and extreme temperatures.

By taking a few extra steps, you can keep your skin looking and feeling great.

Get it and Keep Motivation Moving

Ok, so you know what you know exactly what you want to achieve.  You have a clear goal in mind.  Now’s the time to create an action plan put your plans in motion.  That’s because you have to get it and keep motivation if you are to succeed in what you want to accomplish.  It’s one thing to say what you want to do, but it’s another thing completely if you want to pace yourself through to the finish line without quitting in the middle because your motivation disappeared for one reason or another.

Think about what your end goal is and then break down the larger goal into smaller steps.  It’s these small steps that will allow you to get it and keep motivation, especially through the trickier times when you feel like quitting.  When you are faced with a goal that is so far into the future that you have no real foundation on which to base your success rate, it’s easy to lose faith.  If you break that larger goal into smaller ones instead, then you start to think about achieving the next small goal, and looking back with pride on all the completed smaller goals you've already conquered.  This is part of the principle of motivation and emotion where what you feel about something can drastically affect the outcome because your emotions can both inflate and deflate the amount of motivation you have in any project.  By creating a positive emotive state through the successful smaller completed steps you are making an environment to get it and keep motivation moving in the right direction and understanding that will be one of the biggest skills you can bring on your goal fulfilling journey.

Another way to get it and keep motivation moving is to reward yourself for each small goal that you achieve.  You can do this simply by just creating a check-list to pin on your wall that lists all of the steps you need to complete from the project start until you achieve your goal and ticking these off one at a time, or it can be something more elaborate such as taking a day off work to spend doing what you choose to do, or having a meal out at a fancy restaurant, or taking yourself off to a spa or the golf course for the day.  What’s important about this reward is how it makes you feel.  Is it something that you don’t do often but really enjoy?  If so, then it’s a great way of subconsciously having you work harder to achieve a small step goal in order for you to “earn” the treat – enough of these and your get it and keep motivation meter is going to constantly remain on full power and bring the realization of your goal nearer.

There will be days when get it and keep motivation moving techniques are not going to work however, and you need to prepare in advance for when these happen.  If you prepare for them, and have an action plan ready for the time when your motivation switches off, then you know how to react positively instead of over-reacting negatively!  Sometimes you just need to take a break away from your goal for a day or even a few days, sometimes you need to have a little more creative input to get your inspiration flowing again and so you could invite some friends around and brainstorm what you’re doing, and sometimes it can be as simple as sleeping on it, or talking a walk to clear your head, and your mind starts working on the next small goal without you even thinking about it – once you get there, get it and keep motivation moving along again by just going with the creative flow until you’re comfortable that you've got over the hill and you’re back on track again.

However you do it, the one thing you need to always remember is the importance to get it and keep motivation moving in the direction of your goal, because in doing so, you are ensuring success in what you set out to achieve.

If you are looking to stay motivated, then check out the Free Your Mind Online eBook Store where you can get the top self help books available online for the lowest prices (and often free).

The Causes Of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

Post traumatic stress syndrome is a mental illness that can plague almost anyone if the right circumstances take place. This condition results as an extreme reaction to a very extreme situation. Whereas some people might endure trauma with only a few long-term problems, others find themselves facing post traumatic stress syndrome.

What Is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?

Post traumatic stress syndrome develops in people who have endured what others pray they will never have to face. If the conditions are right, a person who endures trauma or tragedy might find themselves vividly reliving the incident in their minds over and over again. The replay can be triggered by a number of different things. In many cases, a person suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome might have difficulty distinguishing the replay from the actual event.

The triggers for post traumatic stress syndrome flashbacks depend a lot on the incident that caused the problem in the first place. Some people find that certain smells, images and even people or places can cause a flashback to go into full run.

What Causes Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?

The causes of post traumatic stress syndrome are many. While most people associate this condition with combat veterans, anyone can suffer from it. Some of the most common causes beyond battlefield trauma include:

• Natural disasters. People who have survived extreme natural disasters such as tornadoes, direct-hit hurricanes, floods or fires sometimes develop this condition. This can particularly be the case if the person witnessed human tragedy in the face of the natural disaster.
• Severe accidents. Plane crashes, fatal car accidents and other similar incidents can score themselves on the minds of survivors.
• Violent crime. Rape victims, child abuse victims, murder witnesses and other survivors of violent crime quite frequently contract post traumatic stress syndrome.

While these are the most common causes of post traumatic stress syndrome, any incident that causes a person extreme trauma can technically trigger this condition.

Is It Treatable?

Post traumatic stress syndrome is considered quite treatable in most instances. More than 50 percent of the people who suffer from this condition are able to work through it and move past the flashbacks. While the memories of the trauma might never go away, the nightmare of reliving the pain second-by-second can often be dealt with in therapy.

Post traumatic stress syndrome can take a tragic victim and make that person even more tragic. By dooming a person to relive a horrific event over and over again, this condition sidelines lives in a very big way. Quite often the only way to get over the condition is by acquiescing to therapy and working through the fears, insecurities and pain associated with the memories.