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The job interview process can be a nerve-wracking experience, even for the most perfectly-suited candidate. And the more you want a job the harder it can be to avoid letting nerves get the best of you.
The problem is that interviewing for a job necessarily puts you in a position of low power. You are dependent upon the interviewer for the position, and feeling that powerlessness can make you incredibly uneasy.
But it is possible to psych yourself up so you no longer feel out of control. Here are three scientifically proven methods for making yourself feel calm, confident, and in control during a job interview. [ continue reading… ]
A third-party debt collector calls and alerts you to a bill that’s been handed over to them. You might already be aware of the bill’s delinquency, or it might be news to you. Perhaps it’s:
A bill, however small, that was forgotten or missed and it’s now been sent to collections.
A one-time expense like a trip to the hospital that wasn’t covered by your insurance. The amount is enormous and it overwhelmed your budget so much that you are just unable to pay it off.
These situations aren’t always a sign of poor financial management, as they happen to the frugal and financially responsible too. There are two extreme responses to this situation: people who fight debt collectors tooth and nail regardless of whether they owe the money, and people who cave to manipulative collection tactics and end up in even worse financial straits. The keys to dealing with legitimate debt collection lie between these two, though. [ continue reading… ]
Gutter cleaning is one of those dutiful bi-yearly tasks that come with homeownership. To protect your house from water damage, the common recommendation is to clean your gutters at least twice a year to remove leaves and debris, and even more frequently if you live in an area with many trees or high annual rainfall. Now that it’s time for a spring clean-out, which option are you going to choose: to do it yourself, or hire a contractor?
At first glance, it makes sense that it should be cheaper to do it yourself, but there are several reasons it might not be as much of a difference as you’d think. Before you set yourself to this unpleasant task for the sake of saving money, let’s compare the financial costs (and risks) of cleaning those nasty gutters out yourself versus hiring a handyman or gutter contractor. [ continue reading… ]
Planning for the future is difficult. Just figuring out where you’ll be a year from now is hard, let alone five or ten years from now. This doesn’t mean you don’t try though. As you’ve heard over and over again, the earlier you start preparing financially for the future, the better off you will be. But how exactly do you prepare for your financial future when you can barely get a grasp on your financial present?
It’s definitely not an easy task and most likely something you’ll be working on for the majority of your life. The good news is that there are steps you can take now to help set yourself up for a better tomorrow. Let’s take a look at how you can build a better financial future: [ continue reading… ]
The concept of a “sinking fund” might be as foreign to you as it was to me when I came across it a while ago. Just looking up the definition can be confusing since there are at least two uses for the term:
A strategy for the repayment of a specific debt over a period of time
A strategy for funding a known future expense
Historically, the term originated in Great Britain as a game plan for paying off its national debt.
It was also used heavily in the U.S. railroad industry here in the past.
Investment companies define the sinking fund as a type of staggered repayment that adds safety to corporate bonds.
In the business world, a sinking fund might be created for the expected replacement or repair of assets such as equipment and buildings.
For you and me, the most practical application of a “sinking fund” is to set aside a monthly amount to fund a future expense. [ continue reading… ]
I’m an obsessive list maker. This obsession is usually an advantage because it helps me stay organized and remember things I need to do or buy. The sheer act of writing something down on a list helps me remember (since my memory is visually oriented) so that often I’m able to shop my list from memory – even if I’ve left my notes at home.
Now that my list resides on my phone, list-making is especially practical. I always have it with me, so I’m good to go as long as my list is digital.
And on a recent trip to the store, I learned why you always need to shop with a list. [ continue reading… ]
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