5 Ways To Get Physically Fit Without Spending Too Much Money

According to research by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), more than 1 in 3 adults are overweight and 1 in 13 adults have extreme obesity.

The findings mentioned above are to be expected in today’s fast-paced environment. More and more people spend long hours at work to maintain their financial resources. Unfortunately, this 9-to-5 lifestyle often affects our food and lifestyle choices. Most adults on a tight budget avoid the gym because they don’t want to spend money on monthly membership fees.

It may seem like a wise investment to some, but let’s be honest. A gym or fitness center can be heavy on the pocket.

However, sticking to your budget doesn’t mean that you have to compromise your health. Getting fit on a budget is totally possible.

So, here are 5 of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to get physically fit without burning holes in your wallet.

Walk 10,000 steps a day

Most of us take our phone everywhere. We use it to message friends, take photos, send emails, and much more. So, why not take advantage of this hand-held device and use it to track our fitness levels, too?

iPhones have an inbuilt step-tracker loaded as a standard feature. But the latest study suggests that using our smartphone to track the total steps taken in one day may not be accurate. Researchers found that the iPhone’s built-in pedometer missed about 1340 steps (almost half a mile) in a day.

This is why we recommend you to invest in a physical tracker or a pedometer as it can help you achieve your goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. Walking for 30 minutes a day has tons of health benefits and can help keep chronic illnesses at bay.

Watch what you eat

If you are looking to lose fat and build muscle, then you need to increase your intake of healthy food. Eat a balanced diet that contains protein to help build muscles, fruits and vegetables for mineral and fiber, wholesome carbs to keep those energy levels high, and healthy fats to boost fat loss. Don’t forget to drink ample amounts of water to stay hydrated.

Eating healthy doesn’t always have to be expensive. Whether you are a student or an adult living within a limited amount of money, here are 20 tips that will help you make better food choices on a budget.

Volunteer for a good cause

We are a firm believer in the idea that what goes around, comes around. Try giving a few hours in a week to your nearest nonprofit organization. Help them with physical work like garden digging, trail building or training your local sports team. You’ll experience double the satisfaction. Nothing beats the good feeling that arises after helping others and the soreness that comes from working hard for a good cause.

See Also: The Power of Volunteering

Clean up

Believe it or not, you can burn a lot of calories by cleaning, especially if it is the intense spring-cleaning sort. The exact number of calories spent during housework and cleaning varies from person to person and depends on the individual’s weight.

Stay away from toxic chemicals and don’t contaminate your environment by using them regularly. Use mild cleaners like soap, water, and vinegar which do an equally good job. Get moving by pushing the couch and cleaning underneath it. Wash the windows and get out all the extra stuff out from the garage.

Catch up with a friend

Catching up with a friend or colleague for a game of tennis, golf or swimming is a great way to combine socialization and exercise. You’ll feel motivated and refreshed after flexing those muscles and spending quality time with a cherished one. Remember, the key is to avoid picking up a pack of beer on your way back and passing out in front of the TV!

Conclusion

If you want to live a long and healthy life on a budget, think positively and work hard to achieve your goals. Visit your physician at least once a year to know more about the workout that best suits your body type. Use a waist trainer to maintain a correct posture during the workout session.

Eat home-cooked food at least five days a week. According to research, home-cooked meals are far more nutritious and healthier than convenience foods. Plus, apply the Japanese concept of living and eat till you are 80% full instead of wiping your plate clean every time. Give up smoking and drink occasionally.

Just make these small changes in your lifestyle and switch to these lifelong habits. You’ll notice a rise in your mental and physical health while staying well within your budget.

Do you have any tips or tricks that can help stay us fit without spending bucket loads of money? Share your best-kept fitness secrets with us in the comments below.

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How A Divorce Affects The Debt That You Took Jointly With Your Spouse

Divorce is a long and emotionally difficult process. You’ll be making hard decisions about your house, children, and the debt you incurred while you were a couple.
Separating your emotions and finances from your soon-to-be-ex is a complicated procedure. It’s important not to assume anything when it comes to handling joint debt after separation.

You must take the necessary steps to protect your assets and finances. The faster you get out of joint debt, the better.

We’re talking about everything from what qualifies as joint debt and how to use quick loans to your advantage. Here is everything you need to know about what happens to debt when you get divorced.

What is Joint Debt?

Put simply, joint debt is a debt you have accrued with your spouse. This can take on various forms, such as an overdraft or joint bank loan.

One of the most common joint debts is a marital home. As long as both of your names are on the mortgage, both of you are responsible for repaying it. The same applies to car loans and joint credit cards.

You will be equally responsible for the entire sum of debt incurred and not just half. What you are not responsible for is any debt that your partner incurred before you were legally married. You are only liable for debts that have been co-signed.

What Happens to Shared Debt During a Divorce?

Statistics show that those under the age of 35 owe an average of $67,400. Those between the ages of 35 to 44 owe $133,100. This is a hefty sum to try and separate for couples on the verge of divorce.

Upon filing for divorce, you may expect your debt to be split in half by your lender or creditor, but this is not going to be the case. By law, both during and after divorce, you and your ex-spouse are still legally responsible for the entirety of your shared debts.

Draw up a Separation Agreement

You and your ex-partner are liable for paying off your joint loans/debts. As long as both your names are still attached to your debts, they will continue to affect your credit. This can negatively impact your ability to borrow money in the future.

For this reason, it is wise to draw up a financial separation agreement.

Meet with your partner and verbally agree to continue making payments on your debts. You may also choose to draw up a legal document at the bank and have it witnessed and signed for extra protection.

Options for paying off shared debts include:

• Keeping a shared account which both parties deposit money into for paying off mutual debts.
• Agree that one person will pay off the debt, but receives a contribution from the other person.
• Take out a quick loan to pay off the debt in its entirety so that you can get your names off the existing loan as soon as possible.
• Keep your bank and lawyer informed if your ex-spouse defaults on payments or simply won’t cooperate on a repayment plan.

Take Steps to Protect Your Credit

Even if you and your ex-spouse have signed a separation agreement, you should still ensure you’ve taken steps to protect your finances during and post-divorce.

You may trust your ex-partner to hold up their end of the agreement, but the truth is he or she could go bankrupt at any moment and leave you solely responsible for the entire sum of debt left behind.

If possible, try and include an indemnity clause in your divorce settlement. This is a sum of money paid in compensation for loss, such as in the case of your ex-spouse not paying up.

Remove Yourself from Joint Loans

As previously mentioned, the sooner you can get your name off of a joint debt, the better!

The last thing you want is to have your financial future in the hands of your ex-partner. One way you can do this is by refinancing your secured loans.

For example, if your spouse is the one keeping the marital home or vehicle, have the loan refinanced under his or her name only. This removes you from any responsibility in helping to pay off the debt.

Getting a New Loan

Another option for getting rid of debt quickly is to apply for a quick loan.

A quick loan can be a life-saver for dire divorce situations. A quick loan company can help you get a loan and improve bad credit all at once. You will be given an estimate of how much you can borrow, the amount you will repay, and its duration.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Divorce is a messy matter. When it comes to managing debt and protecting your finances post-divorce, you should always keep your eyes open. This is true even if you believe your ex-spouse to be a trustworthy, responsible person. Take proactive steps to relieve yourself of shared debt.

Taking Legal Action

There is always the option of taking your ex-spouse back to court if they are making it difficult to take care of your joint debts. If possible, try and refinance or apply for a quick loan before going this route. Going back to court is a costly option.

As if divorce weren’t messy and complicated enough, now you have to deal with your shared financial situation. Don’t assume anything. Plan ahead and take positive steps to protect your credit after your divorce. Look into quick loans to help you pay off shared debt until you can get your bank involved.

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How Employing Web to Print Software Solutions Can Help You

The term ‘web-to-print software solutions’ was considered to be huge and outlandish some years ago. It still is for business owners who are unaware of the potential of web to print solutions.

A print designer software entails several tools that enable customers to upload their design, make use of different templates, and mention the kind of product they are willing to order. Web to print solutions are not only useful to professional printers but also to e-commerce store owners and their customers. They are efficient, easy to use, and curb the production costs.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can make the most out of web to print solutions.

Expand Your Reach

If you have a print designer tool integrated into your website, you can expand your reach and get in touch with the global audience with ease. Your customers (no matter which country they belong to) can create their account, design customized products, and place an order with you. You can also provide the facility for your customers to get a preview of the product before they make any payment.

Search the market and you will also find an all-inclusive web to print solutions that come with databases. They can store contact information of customers, history of orders, designs and more.

Streamline Your Workflow

Using a web-to-print ERP, you can set up an entire web-to-print program that can take care of your print production cycle. All you need to do is select some options from the menu and decide the flow of printing products, cards, calendars, brochures, and more.

Let’s say you are about to print a black design and the black cartridges get over.

In such a case, a web-to-print software will directly place an order for your missing items and ensure that it gets delivered on time. No last-minute glitches means you can print more products in a small amount of time.

What Considerations Should You Make Before Investing in One?

 

Which is the first thing that comes to your mind when I use the word software?

User-friendliness, I suppose.

Now, when we talk about web to print software solutions, the factor of user-friendliness applies to both the back-end as well as the front-end users.

If you are a print shop owner and lack technical knowledge, you might find it difficult to traverse around complicated tools and menus. Hence, you must make sure that the software that you invest in comes with an easy to use interface. Also, it should provide your customers with easy designing, navigation, and checkout facility.

Another important consideration to make is whether or not the web to print software is compatible with your current website. You should be able to integrate it without damaging your website. Ideally, you should search for a software which is platform independent and doesn’t affect your search engine rankings.

So, How Do You Benefit as a Print Shop?

Having an online print shop is the best way to reach more people. Also, the expenses incurred in setting up an online store are comparatively less than you would have to if you had a commercial brick and mortar store. Once you set up a web-to-print store and provide your customers with exactly what they want, your business is more likely to succeed.

There are several companies that provide business owners with ready-to-sell web-to-print storefronts. All you need to do is strike a deal with them, explain your requirements, and they will take care of everything from the scratch — right from developing your website to its implementation phase.

In a Nutshell…

Web to print solutions are a great way to enhance the efficiency of your current e-store. It’s also one of the best ways to provide your customers with a user-friendly e-store wherein they can get what they want. All you need to do is adapt to the technology and choose a cost-effective solution for your business.

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Six Golden Rules for Successful Project Management You Need to Know

Project management is pretty straightforward – you find the requirements, create a realistic plan, assign the right people on the job, set a deadline, and most importantly, get work done. However, when it comes to the real world, project management is never that easy. The situation often gets too complicated and the team gets confused managing multiple tasks at once. As a result, deadlines are missed and the project faces absolute failure.

So, what can you do to make a project successful? How do you ensure that your project gets completed on time and on budget? Where can you start mastering how to manage a project so that it becomes successful?

Well, it’s your lucky day. Here are a few golden rules that you can use to guarantee your project’s success.

Ensure you have a detailed project scope

The scope of a project comprises of the complete project details ― key milestones, deliverables, deadlines, the overall budget, and more. Now, before a project starts, it is extremely important that you and your team have access to the detailed project scope. If something is missing, don’t hesitate to ask your client or stakeholder to provide the necessary information.

Create a flexible strategy

When it comes to project management, you never make assumptions. In order to ensure the success of a project, you need to have a plan for everything. Furthermore, it is also important that you are able to mold your plans and strategies according to the evolving needs of your project. Basically, make sure you are prepared for every situation.

Have the right team

A major factor that decides the fate of a project is the kind of talent you have on your team. That’s why it is important that you hire the right kind of people. Make sure that their skills and expertise are a perfect match for your project and its requirements. Also, don’t involve too many employees. Limit the size of your team to perform more productively.

See Also: What Managers Should Know About Motivating Their Team

Set clear roles and responsibilities

When many people are working on the same project and deadline, confusion and conflicts may happen. This is why it is important that a project manager clearly defines everyone’s roles and responsibilities at the start of a project. Consider using project management and task management tools for this purpose. These tools can make it easier for you to make each team member understand what is expected of them and what tasks they are responsible for.

See Also: Avoid Decision Fatigue: Learn The Steps for Effective Delegation

Never micromanage

If you want to see your projects succeed, you will have to let your team members make their own decisions whenever needed. Don’t over-control or micromanage your projects. Give your team some space and empower them to bring the best results.

Celebrate

Last but not the least, make it a habit to recognize and reward people for their great work. This is a great way to keep everyone motivated and track overall team productivity from time to time.

Managing and delivering projects is a stressful job. However, it won’t be challenging if you keep the above rules in mind. Try to follow them as closely as possible and you’ll soon know how to manage a project successfully.

If you have a rule that helps you manage things better at work, share it with us in the comments below.

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The Alternate Life Commandments

Most humans are in challenged pursuit of (near) universal desires and setting and achieving their ultimate life goals.

Religions, societies, cultures, and individuals apply varying classifications to each. But distilled to their core, most of us lead a life-long pursuit of the following:

• Physical well-being
• Clarity of the mind
• Passion
• Success
• A positive legacy
• Continuous self-improvement
• Love & acceptance

Commitment to each should come easy in theory. Physical well-being supports a long healthy life. Success generates status and financial wealth to purchase incredible things. And passion infuses elusive meaning and fulfillment into our lives. You get it…sign me up!

So, why do people struggle so mightily to sustain diets, a driven work-ethic, exercise routines, and hobby generation/practice?

Life is remarkably difficult

It’s dynamic as hell and pulls our attention in every direction imaginable day to day. And when we’re not distracted by external forces, hard-coded mental and physical habits (many undesirable) dominate our daily routine.

On autopilot, we often make decisions that are not aligned with the intentions of our “ideal self”. We, as humans, are painfully shortsighted when it comes to our ability to consistently find present-moment motivation to embody a lifestyle that leads us towards the attainment of long-term aspirations.

I fancy myself an expert on the matter. Not at all because I’ve cracked the code and am the self-actualizing master. No, kind of the opposite actually. My specialty to date, rather, is in committing to, starting, stopping, and ultimately missing lofty goals. I’m like a spark factory without anything laying around to catch fire.

I adore self-help materials and philosophies that address the tricky science of habits. I aspire to join the front-line ranks of the biohacking self-optimization movement that’s swelling in popularity around the world. But, as with my unreliable meditation practice, my commitment is spotty. I remain largely unchanged at age 28 despite having what I thought were all the right intentions…

Time to radically shift my mindset. I know that habits form in response to a consistent reward. So, I considered how I can tweak the Action-Reward relationship to tap into “purposes” that are more inherently motivating to me. To create rewards that are attainable in the short-near term. To enjoy rewards that are more consistently tangible and that fortify the richness of my personal legacy. The Alternate Life Commandments represent where I’ve netted out on this thought process. According to these, I defined a clear purpose that holds me accountable to aggressive self-actualization goals:

The Alternate Life Commandments

Exercise to activate deeply memorable experiences

• Strong fitness allows us to consistently pursue and conquer life’s epic “summits”.
• Many of the most memorable places/experiences on earth are far off the beaten path. Never allow physical shortcoming to hold you back from greatness.
• Anecdote: Fatigue thwarted my first summit attempt of Mt Shasta. Not only did I forfeit the experience, but it weighed negatively on me for years. Last year, I trained hard and blitzed it a decade later. Redemption was so sweet.

Exercise so your body is not a physical limitation to experiencing your dreams.

Meditate to fully internalize life’s wonderful moments

• Mindful peace and presence gift-wrap our memories. Inversely, a hyperactive mind or addiction to social media spoil them.
• We cannot fully appreciate a beach chill, sunrise summit or a simple walk in the park unless our minds are engulfed in the present moment.
• Mid-experience meditation may amplify a moment’s serenity, but we must practice mindfulness regularly to win the battle against our subconscious.
• Anecdote: When training for a triathlon 2 years ago, I biked across Golden Gate Bridge to Hawk Hill regularly. Every morning, overlooking an identical view, I pulled out my iPhone to capture a few SnapChat panos. This habit was a result of my weak mindfulness. It literally pulled the world into my personal moment, tainting the experience.

Practice mindfulness so your life experiences are pure and deeply memorable.

See Also: How to Meditate When All The Other Techniques Don’t Work

Create career success to pursue and master amazing hobbies

• One of my favorite quotes, from Jerry Seinfeld, frames the importance of owning strong hobbies: “A person’s coolness is determined by the extent to which they’re about what they’re about.”
• Success, managed properly, generates leisure time and disposable income to support hobbies and continued learning.
• We earn days off. We’re promoted to the role that calls the shots. We’re permitted to work from home and we build a business (or team) under our success that is self-sustaining.
• Success-enabled-passions ultimately generate fulfillment in life.
• Anecdote: I’m exploring the world for a year while maintaining my job because I earned it through dedicated grinding.

Work hard to ultimately spend more time doing the things you genuinely love.

Purge social media to fortify relationships with those you love

• Research suggests that humans can maintain 5 intimate relationships at once. This limit is dependent on the time an individual has to invest in deep and consistent connection.
• Psychology experts confirm that relationship quality is far more important to our well-being than relationship quantity.
• Next time you pick up your phone to troll social media, call a loved one instead or a friend that feels increasingly distant. The time needed to otherwise check in on 1000+ “friends” across 3+ networks is ample, trust me.

Trade poisonous time spent on social media for relationship-enriching moments with those you love.

Practice frugality to reduce stress

• Notorious BIG had it all wrong… at least for the consciously frugal. It should absolutely be “mo money less problems” or perhaps corrected to ”mo things mo problems.”
• Everything we buy/own is something to damage, lose, regret, or neglect. All of which creates a combination of stress, disappointment, and more spending.
• Focus on the essentials and make select quality purchases (from your basic black T to your first home).
• Build a rainy day fund to easily brush off the flight rebooking fee, phone dropped in the pool or taxi from the airport because you just want to get home.

Be frugal to simplify life and eliminate crippling financial stress.

Travel adventurously to break the habit of being you

• We love to travel because it forcefully turns our tired routines inside out.
• Fresh sites, cultures, and perspectives paired with experiences that push the limits of our comfort zone put us in personal growth mode.
• Time away from the rat race gives us moments to reflect deeply on the status of our lives and set a corrected course moving forward.
• Introduce yourself to the local, join the expat couple going on a mountain bike, and chart a course far off the beaten path. Push the boundaries of your habitual self.

See Also: 6 Ways Traveling Alone Makes You Stronger

Pursue international adventures to accelerate self-actualization.

Eat well for a healthy body and mind. Fuel success in each practice.

Drink less for alcohol poisons the well of each practice.

Finally, there you have it, the Alternate Life Commandments. Which, if any, resonate most strongly with you?

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Avoid Decision Fatigue: Learn The Steps for Effective Delegation

Small business owners are no strangers to sacrifice. Whether it’s spending your family vacation tied to your laptop or skipping a paycheck to float the business, owners give their all to help their business succeed. But if you’re working long nights trying to do everything yourself, you’re probably not making your business grow.

Paralyzed Overthinker: Delays making choices, creating more work in the long run.
Overwhelmed Hothead: Easily frustrated and overly combative.
Immediate-Satisfaction Seeker: Takes impulsive shortcuts that favor short-term goals.

Does one of these profiles describe you?

If so, you might be suffering from decision fatigue. Decision fatigue robs your brain of its decision-making powers and has a negative effect on your business. Learning the steps for effective delegation can help you refocus on your long-term goals.

Step 1: Hire the Right Team

Small businesses can struggle to compete with the salaries and benefits offered by larger companies, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find the right people. Focus on what you do have to offer. It can be flexible work hours or better company culture. Try to hire people who are a good fit for your company and are committed to sticking around.

Replacing a single employee can cost nearly a quarter of their annual salary. Specialized employees whose replacements might need additional training can cost even more. The good news is, as freelancing grows more common, you may be able to find qualified flexible staff who can work only when you need them.

When hiring contract workers keep in mind:

• Freelancers only work when needed, but you can always offer a full-time position later
• Find someone qualified so you don’t waste time training freelancers
• There’s no guarantee your flex staff will be available when you need them
• Flex staff are less invested in your company, meaning they’ll bail if a better offer appears

See Also: What Managers Should Know About Motivating Their Team

Step 2: Create a Training Manual

A training or operations manual can guide your employees through procedures and decision making even if you’re not around to provide input. Your manual should lay out procedures that are consistent, proactive, and any staff member can follow. Design your policies and procedures so they’ll scale easily as your company grows. That way, you’ll be able to save yourself from major organization shifts down the road.

When writing your training manual, be sure to include:

• An overview of your company’s history and story
• Your mission statement, company culture, and long-term goals
• Descriptions of major systems and operations
• Job descriptions for each employee, including their specific responsibilities
• Instructions and procedures for regular operations and tasks

You can streamline your operations even more by creating form letters for responding to common client questions. With a little tweaking, your staff will be able to quickly answer queries without bugging you for input. Once you have a well-trained staff in place, you’ll be free to let go of daily decisions and focus on the bigger picture: growing your business.

Step 3: Time to Delegate

If you’ve prepared your business and your employees well, beginning to delegate should be natural and easy. Start by considering each employee’s skills and match their strengths to the tasks at hand. Don’t dump a whole set of new responsibilities on the same employee. Give everyone the time to adjust to a new task before asking one to take on even more.

It’s always important to keep in mind how much time each employee has available. It might be tempting to delegate all administrative tasks to your office manager, but if he’s already working late every night, you’ll need to get other staff to help out, too. Asking one employee to do too much is a recipe for disaster. Many workers will simply get fed up and leave the company.

Delegate tasks that don’t require your input or don’t match your expertise, such as:

• Bookkeeping and payroll
• Social media management
• Marketing campaigns
• Legal counsel
• Data entry
• Web design

Regardless of what you delegate and to whom, remember that you’re asking your staff to take on extra work and extra responsibility. Be sure to acknowledge and be grateful for their extra effort. Always offer constructive feedback and give thanks for a job well done.

To learn more about how delegation can help your business thrive, check out this infographic:

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In Sickness and In Health: How to Cope With A Sick Partner

When you get married, you might write your own vows or you might stick with something that’s tried and true. Either way, you are pledging yourself, your love, and your support to another human being through all of life’s tricky circumstances. But what happens when things go awry and life throws your relationship a curve ball? How do you cope and start dealing with chronic illness in marriage?

What Does Facing Illness or Injury Do To Your Relationship?

There are different illnesses and injuries that can occur. Dealing with a broken arm is far different than dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Either way, however, even the slightest incapacitation of a partner can change the dynamic of your relationship significantly.

All of a sudden, the daily roles to which you have become accustomed to change and things between you and your partner change as well. You become either a caretaker or the one being cared for. Either way, this can alter your connection with or perception of your partner.

Romance often takes a backseat as you and your partner adjust to your new roles. This change, along with the altered responsibilities, often causes problems for the relationship and each partner individually.

The change in a relationship when dealing with chronic illness in marriage may also lead to emotional issues. Depression is not uncommon and it can affect the both of you.

If you think that you or your partner is depressed, there are resources you can reach out for help. This is critical when the effects become long-term.

Unfortunately, these hurdles can be difficult to jump and can lead to bigger challenges than just romantic issues. The divorce rate among couples, especially younger couples, where one partner faces health issues is much higher than that of the general population.

Dealing with Chronic Illness in Marriage

So, what can you do to protect your relationship and keep it healthy, even if one of you is not?

• Communicate. Each of you is going through something difficult and unique. You need to talk about it. Understanding your partner’s point of view is crucial. When you are wrapped up in the changes you are facing, it becomes easy to forget how those changes are affecting your partner. Discussing how you each feel can create empathy and respect for the other’s circumstance. Neither is easy. And although you are each facing tough times individually, you can actually support each other and go through them together as well.

• Seek support. Friends and family are particularly important in times like this. This is true for both of you. Stress during such time can be a lot to handle and people that care for you can provide perspective and relief. And no, you are not likely to be imposing or taking advantage by leaning on them a bit. If they are people that care about you, they will most likely be happy to be there for you. Even just a conversation to get your mind off things can help.

• Remember the love. Yes, things are different and they are likely difficult. However, you fell in love and made a life together for a reason. Remind yourself of this. Pledging your life to another person really is for better and worse, in health and in sickness. You have to hold onto the good times to get through the bad. Remind your partner of these things, too. Each of you is likely to get bogged down in the current circumstances and forget to look at the big picture.

Conclusion

Regardless of the seriousness of the health issues – whether they’re temporary (hopefully) or permanent (worst case) – your relationship can survive. Certainly, the severity of the problem will impact the difficulty of keeping things together, but it can be done.

Remember that you’re not alone. Not only do you have each other but you also have resources in the form of your family and friends. Of course, there are also your trusted healthcare professionals to take care of you and your spouse during the tough times. They can help you get through things. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask.

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35 Small Acts Of Kindness To Spread Happiness And Flex Your Kindness Muscle

You want to be happy.

So, you do everything to maximize your happiness. You do the things that make you happy. You set and achieve goals. You make as much money as possible so you can buy your way to happiness.

But, what if I told you that one of the best ways to feel happy is to give it away.

Here’s what I mean…

Happiness is not a scarce resource. The more you give or share happiness, the more you get it back.

The joy of giving love and kindness is one of the best things you can experience as a human.

So, how do you experience the feeling on a regular basis?

I’ve got your back. I’ve compiled the list of 35 best random acts of kindness you can do in your daily life.

You don’t have to think of great ideas to become a kinder person. Every small act counts. As Aesop once said…

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

So, without further delay, let’s get down to the list.

Smile at strangers

A straight face helps no one. Smiling, however, can change your and others’ day in an instant. You don’t even have to fake a smile. When you’re genuinely happy to see fascinating people around you, the smile comes naturally.

Help a stranger

Helping people may require a donation of your time, money, effort, and energy, but it’s one of the best things we can do to keep humanity alive.

Be kind to anyone who serves you (even if you pay them)

Say “thank you”. Sure, you’re paying someone for their services, but don’t let money be an excuse for not being kind and grateful. Go beyond the transaction and overpay with kindness.

Forgive people

Everybody makes mistakes. You always forgive yourself no matter how big or small of a mistake you make. Do the same with every person who has done you wrong. It will liberate you.

See Also: 5 Reasons We all Deserve Forgiveness

Lower expectations

Expecting someone to do something for us is normal. But if someone doesn’t meet your expectations, remember that it is your job to manage your expectations. When in doubt, expect less. If they do more than expected, be grateful.

Give people the benefit of the doubt

If you don’t know the truth, assume a better judgment. It’s not about finding the truth, it’s about what you choose to believe. You may be wrong, but sometimes, it’s better to let go and choose what’s helpful.

Make someone laugh

Don’t you love those people who can make you laugh when you’re taking life too seriously? Laughing is a free therapy. The best part is that when you make others laugh, you get the therapy, too.

Listen to people

When I say listen, I mean REALLY listen. Like listening to others’ feelings, expressions, body language, and words. Don’t make it about you by thinking about what to say next. In the age of smartphones, giving full attention is rare but we can keep it alive.

Compliment people

Small random words of genuine compliments are beautiful. Genuine compliments come in your mind by training yourself to look for the good in people. Notice what’s good about others and don’t keep it to yourself.

Giving constructive feedback

While complimenting someone feels good, don’t shy away from giving constructive feedback. Because when you really care about others, you help others to do better by telling what they can improve on.

Waste fewer resources

Whether it is plastic, water, food, fuel, paper, electricity or other items, do your best to minimize the waste. When saving resources becomes a norm, more people will do it. And guess who can turn it into a norm? Us.

Donate or volunteer

Other than donating money, items, and clothes to a charity or a cause you believe in, you can donate your time by volunteering.

See Also: The Power of Volunteering

Inspire or motivate others

Your words have power whether they are verbal or in written form. One of the best use of your words is to inspire or motivate others to do the right thing.

Say good morning

Start off the day well by wishing people a good morning. It’s an excuse to practice gratitude.

Keep plants

Planting a tree, owning a garden or keeping plants at home not only helps the planet, but staying in touch with nature is super beneficial for you.

Do an unexpected loving act for your loved ones

Help someone out with laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning or any other chore.

Spend time with someone without being in a rush

We all are busy. However, when you take out the time for someone without constantly looking at your watch, you can give them the best gift of all - your quality time.

Hug

Hugging releases oxytocin which helps us connect on a much deeper level. Some other ways you can connect are by giving a pat on the back and giving a high-five.

Have at least one vegetarian day a week

At least once a week, keep a day in which you won’t eat meat or just eat less meat in general.

Send a thank-you letter

Express love and gratitude by writing someone a thank you email, message or letter. It’s a small but high-impact gesture to let someone know how much you appreciate them.

Share what you have with others

You can share your food, resources, items, and so on. As we all know, sharing is caring.

Choose empathy

We make judgments about people instantly. It’s not your fault; it’s part of our nature. However, you can still choose empathy and let go of harsh judgments.

Cook a meal for someone

If you’re a regular chef, invite someone over. If you don’t normally cook at your home, try cooking a meal for others.

Give someone a book

If a book changed your life, share it with someone you love so they get can read it, too. It’s a small gift but it may have a huge impact on someone’s life.

Take care of yourself

When you take care and manage yourself better, you act less with your impulses and show up in a more positive way. Because if you feel negative, you spread the same vibes around you.

Pick up litter once in a while

If you do that, maybe other people will do the same and throw away less waste on the streets. Leading with an example is a step forward towards better public habits.

If someone’s in a rush, let someone get ahead of you in the line

You can also let anyone with a few items at a grocery store get ahead if you have too many items to check out.

Hold the door (or elevator)

Make it a habit to hold the door for the person right behind you. It’s not only kind, but a mature gesture to do.

Be happy for someone

Whether it’s a big or a small win, when someone achieves something, be happy for them and cheer them up.

Share your knowledge

If you know something that can help someone, teach them what you’ve already learned so they don’t have to hunt for resources to learn from scratch.

Call your parents

They miss you.

Pay for someone

Paying for someone’s meal, ticket or any other item is a great gesture of kindness.

Put gym equipment in its right place

Put in those reps, but make sure you put those weights back from where you picked them from.

Be super kind with a customer service rep

They listen to a lot of complaints all day long. Make their day by treating them really well by being extra kind to them.

Leave a positive comment or review

We consume a lot of stuff on the internet. But so often, we forget to hit the like button or leave a positive comment on the content we like. As a content creator, I know how big of an impact you make with such a small act.

—

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.“ - John Bunyan

This list is just a starting point. There is no limit to how kind you can get.

Kindness is a therapy. When you feel down or discouraged, come back to kindness. It will give you the strength and the positivity you need to get back up again.

Even when you don’t feel down, it’s best to turn acts of kindness into your habits. Because with these best random acts of kindness, you’ll feel happy spreading happiness around you.

As you become kinder, more people will follow your lead as you set an example of what humanity looks like.

The world has seen enough rage, distrust, envy, and hate. It’s time you show up like a superhero with your superpower - your kindness.

Let’s not let the standards of humanity fall down. Together, we can make the world a kinder place to live.

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How To Find The Time To Workout Every Day

Some people look back on their younger years when they seemed to have all the time in the world to stay fit. As we become adults with families, work, and seemingly endless responsibilities, it can suddenly seem that we’re too busy to work out.

I’m here to tell you that not only can you find time to start working out, but you can even find enough time to workout every day. Along with some tips on what to do to make time for exercise, a lot of this will depend on you changing your mindset concerning the value of working out.

Examine Your Daily Schedule

From the time you roll out of bed to when you finally can crash back into your bed, it can feel like your day was jammed packed with things to do. If being too busy is something you struggle with, try what I did to find time in my daily schedule.

Write down my current schedule – You don’t need to necessarily write down your schedule, but it can help you visualize better. When I did this, I saw that I spent about 40 minutes before work just waking up and reading the news as well as having a good block of time after work. You may notice similar free blocks of time as you go over your current schedule.

Prioritize my tasks – Family time and work were two things which were non-negotiable in my schedule. Yet, I decided that TV time and some of my morning routine were not as important as my desire to workout. You may even want to incorporate TV time with your workouts if you exercise inside your home.

Consult with my family – Now, if you are single or don’t have children, you may not need this step. But as I am married with children, my wife and I had to figure out our mutual schedule to make sure I wasn’t going to be unavailable during a time either she or the children needed me. You may want to do the same thing if you have children or are married.

See Also: 10 Workout Tips All Beginners Need To Know

Choose And Schedule Workout Times

You can potentially pick one set time to workout every day. This plan works best for those who have easily timed workouts. However, I am a runner. Sometimes, my long runs can take hours. During the week, I set aside 5 am as my time to work out. On weekends, I prefer to work out in the evening.

Also, by spreading out your workout times over the span of the whole week, you are more likely to fit in the right amount of physical activity. The Center For Disease Control recommends different amounts of physical activity for adults depending on your level of exertion:

For those engaging in moderate physical activities like power walking, you will need to work out for 2 hours and 30 minutes a week for cardio. You will also need to do some muscle-building activities at least two days a week.

For those who choose vigorous physical activities like lap swimming and running, you will need to work out for 1 hour and 15 minutes a week. It is also recommended that you engage in strength activities at least two days a week.

These are the bare minimum amounts you should be working out. By building your workouts into your everyday schedule, you will easily reach and surpass these recommendations.

Select A Variety Of Workouts

It is easy to do the same kind of workout every day, but it can also get boring after a while. I found I was running the same three routes or defaulting to my treadmill if I looked particularly scruffy. It wasn’t until I tripped on a broken bit of sidewalk and took a nasty tumble did I realize I was just going through the motions when it came to my workouts. Without more dedication, it is easy to skip workouts and fall out of the habit entirely.

Another thing to consider is the importance of cross-training. Research has shown that cross-training can improve your performance in your main sport, even if it doesn’t seem to be directly related.

So, to mix things up, I added weight lifting two days a week to my schedule, instead of running every day. Not only did the weight lifting give me new goals to work towards, but it also helped strengthen my running form so I could prevent future injuries. You may want to add some fitness tools to your workouts to help inspire you to keep progressing.

See Also: 15-Minute Full Body Kettlebell Workout

The first workout you do when you start your new daily workout habit will be both the easiest and the hardest as it is your first step onto a new path. But if you commit to your workout goals, make the time and plan well. If you do, you can be well on your way to living a healthier and fitter life.

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Can CBD Help You? The Surprising Answer You Need to Hear

12 Must-Know Things While Designing A Book Cover

Authors pour their heart and soul when they write a book. When the manuscript is finalized, the next critical task of designing a compelling and appealing book cover comes. Some authors outsource the designing of their book cover, while some take the DIY route.

If you wish to design your book cover on your own, you can use online graphic design tools such as Designhill. You can create an alluring book cover design with this AI-based tool within minutes.

Additionally, here are 12 book cover design tips you can try for your next project:

Who will be reading the book?

While creating a book cover design, keep in mind the intended audience. Who is likely to read the book? The age and gender of your readers are crucial in designing a book cover as well as brochure design.

Does the book’s genre have a traditional cover style?

Each industry and genre has their established design style. For instance, book covers for romance genre have couples while thrillers show the protagonists. The key is to create an alluring book cover while using the traditional style so that the audience can identify the genre with just one look at the cover.

Is the book a single or part of a more extended series?

Books that are part of a series often follow a certain style and theme. Make sure to confirm with the author if the book is intended as a single work or as part of a series. Consider the books for Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. Since they all belong to a series, there is a similarity and consistency in their designs.

What will make the book stand out?

A book cover is the most influential marketing asset to sell the book. Although it is recommended to follow the genre’s established style, the book cover must have a surprising or eye-catching element that can sway the reader to consider buying the book.

What should be the focal point of the book cover?

Each book has a focal point around which the whole content or story revolves. Identify the focus of the book so that the cover showcases the central point aptly.

Which font is suitable for the genre of the book?

Using the correct font and typography is critical for creating a compelling book cover and brochure design. Cursive fonts may not be suitable for specific genres like teen fictions. They often have whimsical and comical fonts. Book cover designs for thrillers, meanwhile, have classic fonts.

In which format will the book be published?

Today, e-readers have gained popularity as readers can access a plethora of books anywhere and anytime. Check whether the book will be published in digital format or only as a printed book. This is because, in case of an e-Book, the cover must be appropriate for a small thumbnail.

Will be the book sold in paperback or hardcover?

When it comes to hardcovers, the designs can be printed on the jacket or the book itself. For a paperback book, the size can vary depending upon the trim size. A 500-page book, if designed too small, would appear too thick. If designed too big, it can give the appearance of a booklet or magazine.

Does the book cover design work in black and white?

Color is an essential element of a book cover design. Before you set out to create a design, ask if the book cover has to be printed in color or black and white. If the cover is intended to be printed in monochrome, the essential elements become contrast and shadows. For colored book covers, more attention has to be paid on using the correct color combinations which the users find appealing.

What is the author’s vision for the book cover design?

A book cover is the representation of the author and how he presents the book to the world. Make sure you consider how the author envisions the face of the book to create a true depiction of the content. This is the reason why many business owners create their own logo using an online logo maker. The business owners and authors can be the best guides when creating a design.

 What is the author’s budget?

There are many elements to a book cover which need licensing and registration. The list includes custom fonts, graphics, ISBN identifier, barcode, and more. The author and designer must keep in mind the overall budget associated with the design process right from the beginning and to optimize each aspect effectively.

What is the printer’s requirement?

Printers have their own set of requirements for printing a file. Typically, a flat file is required by the printer as all the parts of a book cover or jacket such as the spine, front, back covers, and flaps. The format is another key element to be kept in mind when you finalize the design. Some printers prefer a PDF format while some use .ai or .eps formats. In case the book cover or brochure design requires foil printing or embossed print, another set of files is needed as a guide.

The bottom line

Equipped with these book cover design tips, you are now ready to create a stunning book cover and see your vision come to life. Check a designer’s complete portfolio before hiring and discuss your requirements at length. The key to remember is that your book cover is the representation of your brand. It must be something you are proud of.

Author Bio

Anne Carton is a small business consultant, designer and an enthusiast blogger working with Designhill, one of the fastest-growing custom design marketplace. She has authored several blogs, articles and editorials on various topics related to book cover design, brochure design, interactive content, concerning design, social media strategies, growth hack strategies, digital marketing and e-commerce.

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How Artificial Intelligence Will Dominate the Future of E-commerce

With multinational technology companies like Google and Microsoft investing heavily in AI technology, it is predicted that more than 80% of interactions involving retailers and end consumers will push through even without human cooperation by 2020 .

The question here is, how will online retailers utilize AI to fulfill their consumer’s demand in the near future? And how can it improve consumers’ online shopping experience?

The Rumors About AI Technology

Since past year, AI technology has created a lot of buzz within tech world for many reasons. Be it Google for acquiring an AI startup called DeepMind that specializes in machine learning technology or Saudi Arabia for allowing citizenship to an AI robot called Sophia, artificial intelligence has already embedded itself in all aspects of our lives.

The rumors and speculations about AI technology vary from general public to business corporations. It was also rumored that Facebook chat bots were eliminated for public use. Some say it’s because they became a lot smarter and started to lie.

Many e-commerce businesses have already started experimenting how to integrate AI into e-commerce. Their purpose is to enhance customer experience and increase conversion rates. Others use it to better understand their customers, generate new leads, and provide an enhanced customer experience.

Personalized and Targeted Recommendations

Integrating machine learning AI technology towards helping customers filter their search automatically based on their needs. Even the experts quote Amazon’s algorithm that focuses on item-to-item collaborative filtering. It displays customized content directly on the homepage as soon as a visitor lands on the website.

By focusing more on targeted recommendations, online retailers can encourage customers to spend more. Not only that, with artificial machine learning algorithms, online businesses can also learn and predict their customers’ buying behavior.

Adapting Customer Centric Approach

According to recent studies, almost 30% of customers abandon their shopping experience due to irrelevancy of products displayed during their search. Integrating machine learning algorithms that narrows down results based on customers interest could be the next big thing.

The only challenge here for online retailers is to incorporate natural language processing that filters and displays results exactly the way humans do. Adapting this customer-centric approach will not only improve the average user time on site. It can also minimize the factors that influence a customer to abandon their search.

Similar to voice search, augmented reality also falls within the crater of building apps. They allow visitors to see the world like they do. Incorporating advance image and visual recognition similar to Pinterest’s new chrome extensions, shoppers can now pick any photograph and ask the platform to display similar products using image recognition software.

Implementing Virtual Assistants

No one can deny the fact that most of the shoppers still prefer to buy in-store than shop online. According to an independent study, almost 85% of shoppers in U.S still prefer shopping in physical stores than shopping online.

Converting these prospects into customers can be approached as tagging individual products with colors, sizes, and similar specs that customer search for and then allowing AI to interpret search as retail assistant to surface appropriate products that match their interest and buying needs. Virtual assistants still have to go a long way in terms of understanding and processing natural language and then helping shoppers online by interpreting searches that people are making using words or text.

See Also: 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider AI Automation for Small Business

Preventing Counterfeit Products

For an individual consumer, it is absolutely impossible to identify counterfeit products over original ones. In many online stores, products displayed on the website are not always similar to the products delivered to the customers. That’s one of the main reasons why shoppers abandon an online store from making another purchase in future.

Training AI to identify counterfeit products can be the next big thing in machine-learning technology. It typically takes a long time for an online store to identify a third party seller that’s selling fake products on their store. Product ratings, sellers posting rate, and even identifying fake review are some of the things AI can help you with.

Helping e-commerce stores to tackle counterfeit products with help of AI can potentially increase the value of authenticity and loyalty from old customers.

Takeaways from This Post

No one can deny the fact that the future of AI in ecommerce is already here. However, it’s still too early to predict how businesses will tackle AI to improve their customers shopping experience.

AI is a machine learning technology that will make it possible for online retailers to analyze millions of interactions on daily basis. It can help developed businesses to personalize targeted recommendations ranging from a single customer to making a stack of shoppers with same buying behavior.

Not only that, sales teams are now also getting trained to improve sales cycle backed with AI-backed applications. This targeted approach will not only help online sellers to engage right prospect but will also help deliver the right message at the right time.

See Also: How to Easily Build Your Website with AI

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Digital Detox: Should You Switch Off For The Benefit Of Your Health?

We are a nation of gadget addicts and knowing how to disconnect from technology isn’t easy for most of us.

These days, it seems if we’re not quadruple-screening with the television, iPad, laptop, and phone, we’re checking relentless WhatsApp pings in meetings, snatching furtive glances at our iPhone’s glow in darkened cinemas and live-tweeting the births of our own children. It’s like the country – in fact, the whole planet – has hit peak internet. While the magic of the world wide web is undeniable, more and more of us are realizing that it might be time to switch off.

Considering a digital detox? Wondering how to disconnect from technology?

There are a few key stages you’ll need to work through if you’re going to survive this challenge but the benefits could be overwhelming. Here goes…

Admit you have a problem

If you’re considering an electronic detox, you’re obviously aware that your level of screen-time is getting ridiculous. It’s truly admitting that you’re an addict that will set you on the path to digital detox success.

While apps like Moment can help you monitor how much time you spend on your phone and how often you pick it up, a simple hand-written list of what gadgets you rely on, and which apps your eyes dart to again and again will help you see just how much technology rules your life. It gives you a chance to fall back in love with a pencil and paper.

Get away from it all

If seriously ousting your gadgets from daily life is a prospect too terrifying to deal with, a tech-free holiday might be your perfect compromise.

Grab some cheap and cheerful throw-away cameras so you won’t be tempted to reach for your phone. Head off to some place where the air is fresh and your biggest distraction will be the moo-ing of cows or the rustle of the breeze.

by holidaycottages.co.uk gives some serious insight into the potential benefits of powering down.

Kick it old school

On the subject of a notepad and pen, one of the best ways to gently ease yourself from the clutches of gadgets is to rediscover the chilled-out, back-in-the-day alternatives to these apps.

The ‘Notes’ app on your phone can be one, for a start. There’s no purer joy than scribbling yourself a ‘To Do’ list and proudly ticking off the day’s essential tasks.

Obsessed with Whatsapp?

Tell friends that if they need you, they should give you a call. You’ll be surprised at the wonders an hour-long chat with your partner can work.

If Candy Crush is your happy place, a crossword or Sudoku may feel like hard work but after a day or two, your iPhone’s garish screen will seem painfully harsh.

Be ruthless with your rules

Set yourself some clear, manageable boundaries and work from there.

Always checking your messages? Push notifications have to go. At first it’s tough and you may find yourself checking just as much to see what’s going on inside your suddenly silent apps.

Set a time of day when you can catch up on your correspondence. If your Snapchat and Whatsapp are clogged with Kardashians memes or friends using the Impossibly Perfect filter, consider deleting the apps altogether.

Leave your phone in one place and only use it when you need to. It’s better than keeping it with you for every tea-break and toilet trip like some buzzing, bleeping security blanket.

Switch off long before bedtime

Scrolling aimlessly before bedtime is a habit many of us are guilty of, but it’s also a dangerous one.

If you need your evening Instagram fix, post or search with the lights on and then put your phone away. Take twenty to thirty minutes to read, meditate, write a diary or shower with your phone out of the way until morning.

A proper old-fashioned alarm clock or a wake-up light will get you up and at ‘em without leading you into a Youtube vortex before breakfast. Imagine!

See Also: The Negative Effects of Technology in Child Development

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8 Reasons To Set Up An Active Workstation ASAP

Famous Cryptids: Are They Real?

Best Rewards Cards For Funding Your Family’s Next Vacation

Family vacation costs can add up quickly, especially when the number of mouths to feed seem to grow with each big trip. Sooner than you realize, the cost of a big family trip can seem like a vacation experience straight from the movies. With that, you have to know how you can start planning a family vacation on a budget.

Whether your family is big or small, saving up for vacation and saving while on vacation can help bear the financial burden of your next big trip while maximizing fun for the whole family. Here are some tips you can use.

Saving Up For Vacation

Cashing In On Cash Back

A great way to save for your family’s next vacation is by squirreling away all that cash back earned on everyday purchases. If you don’t own a cash back card already, you may want to consider opening one. Your savings can only be accomplished if you pay off your balance before the close of each billing cycle though.

The best cash back cards to look for are those in which the cash back doesn’t expire, ones that have the highest cashback rates, and those that don’t limit cash back to certain categories.

Also, be on the lookout for special incentives, like bonuses if a certain amount is spent in a certain period of time. For example, Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is offering a $200 credit if you spend $1,000 within the first three months.

Let Your Work Travel Pay For Your Vacation Travel

If you find yourself traveling more and more for work and you’re booking much of the travel yourself, you might as well use a travel rewards card that allows you to rack up miles. Since vacation destinations for your family may require a different airline than what you use for your work destinations, a sure bet is to use a card that will give you universal rewards points redeemable for most airlines, such as Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture cards.

Many cards will give you double the points for a variety of travel-related purchases in addition to 1:1 points on regular purchases. Plus, if you don’t already have a travel rewards card, you can take advantage of bonus incentives by opening a new one.

Saving While On Vacation

Making The Choice

While you may not want to have one card for cash back, one for airline miles, one for hotels, and one for resorts; by choosing the best cards for your family, you’ll be giving yourself more opportunity to save up for vacation and continue the savings while on vacation. Take your time, look at your current cards, and decide which points or miles card is right for you.

Hotel Rewards Cards

Another option worth considering is a hotel rewards card, especially if you’ve grown a preference for one particular hotel brand chain accommodations and decor over others. If you’re already a loyal customer to Hilton brand hotels for example, then you may be able to rack up some free stays quickly with the Hilton Honors American Express Card.

You can earn 50,000 Hilton Honors points by spending $1,000 in the first three months, and 7x the points with every dollar spent at a Hilton brand accommodation. If you’re more of a Marriott kind of family, take a look at the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Card. They’ll give you 100,000 bonus points after you make $5,000 of purchases within the first three months (which isn’t hard to do for a big family on vacation).

Resort Rewards

One of the most popular resort destinations for families is Disney. Whether it be Disney theme parks such as Disney World, Disneyland, or a Disney Cruise, if your family is seriously Disney, then you may want to consider opening a Disney Premier Visa Card.

Not only will you be able to receive extra savings at these attractions, you can earn rewards points to use at Disney movies and on any Disney merchandise.

International Travel

If you’re planning on taking off to see the world with family in tow, don’t forget to consider which rewards card you’ll be using. Some card companies actually charge a 3% fee for any international transaction. This includes any transaction outside of the U.S. even though you may be making the purchase from your living room couch.

The best rewards card companies, like Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture, will give you rewards for spending money on your international vacation. Consider them when planning a family vacation on a budget.

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Smart Tactics to Resolve and Stay Out of Entrepreneurial Debt

Debt is a part of every business and every entrepreneur knows that. However, not all entrepreneurs are aware of the difference between a bad and good debt and that makes it hard to learn how to avoid the debt trap.

All good business debts are credit lines, mortgages, and loans. They get leveraged for the benefit of the entrepreneur’s business. In other words, they are productive debt.

Bad debt, on the other hand, is the amount that you can’t leverage as your company expands. Financial experts call this reductive debt. Simply put, it’s money which isn’t working in your favor. Generally, this capital gets used to purchase things that are beyond your financial reach. Typically, the results aren’t always favorable.

Reasons entrepreneurs encounter debts

Entrepreneurs find themselves in debt for three main reasons. They are discussed as follows:

The fluctuations of the cash flow

Some entrepreneurs and business owners sometimes undervalue the crucial cash-flow ups and downs. They are unable to predict a poor cash-flow for a prolonged time frame. These entrepreneurs usually switch to credit cards to manage the troublesome cash flow, hoping there’s some balance.

Most entrepreneurs feel that they can repay off their credit card amounts fast, but that’s far from the truth. And that’s the starting point of the crisis. It is here that entrepreneurs contemplate on loan and get caught up in a debt cycle.

Excessive business pressure

Sometimes, entrepreneurs start to live on their business income. It is not a smart call until such time the business can support them.

Most leave their jobs and go all out to develop a business. But most don’t realize that they aren’t yet ready to pay off the monthly earnings that they stay on.

Each company requires investment and it also needs time to invest. It also requires time and reserves for generating a consistent cash-flow. If you resonate with this, have a second line of earning to balance the crisis.

Overconfidence is dangerous

At times, entrepreneurs can be overconfident while using productive debt. Generally, the situation shapes up something like this:

The entrepreneur counts on his earnings and he decides to maximize the business debt to expand his business as fast as possible. However, his lifestyle also gets modified to the new income level.

Here’s where the situations go out of hand.

Due to losing customers or an economy change, a crisis happens. The entrepreneur incurs a financial loss and the situation goes out of control. The entrepreneur incurs a debt to smoothen financial crisis.

See Also: Tips for New Entrepreneurs: What You Need to Know Before Starting A Business

How to manage entrepreneurial debt?

Entrepreneurs who understand good debt go a long way. Their strategies are progressive. Some of these entrepreneurs, who are millionaires, have various thought processes that other business owners don’t possess. They have a unique way to make money and manage debts as well.

Two primary methods have been discussed below as follows. If you want to know more on managing entrepreneurial debt management, you can browse through sites like NationalDebtRelief and others to get better information.

Getting out from a reductive debt

Every entrepreneur wants long-term success. For that, it’s essential to obliterate all kinds of wrong and reductive debt from your business at the earliest.

The spreadsheet strategy or analysis must be familiar to you. It is instrumental in taking you out of any business debt faster than you can imagine. The process is simple.

All you need to do is:

• Develop a basic financial plan
• Adhere to it
• Learn from your experience

You need to start by outlining the monthly earning. Know how much of it you can use on an end-to-end basis to reduce the reductive debt. Commit as much as you can. The amount you decide to pay to remove the deficit needs to stretch you.

Go on and create a reductive debt list in proper order. You may start with a high-value debt amount at number 1 and the least at last. Don’t forget to add in the least payment beside every debt in your list.

Once you do this, you’re all set to execute the plan. Go ahead and take out the exact sum that you promised to remove the debt with on a monthly basis. You may add some extra money to small debt payment.

Keep on making your required minimum repayments for every remaining payment. You’ll notice that the lowest debt gets repaid fast this way. Going forward, you may apply the same process to pay off the high-value debts. In the same process, you’ll see that the high-value debt amounts get repaid. Repeat this process, until such time all the debts get cleared.

Consciously stay out from any debt

It is the ideal way to steer clear of all kinds of business debt. However, precise financial planning is essential. You can count on few of the best business practices to manage and stay away from entrepreneurial debt.

• Try and shrink expenditures – Being frugal is smart. Successful entrepreneurs always suggest this practice. You can read books that will be of help.

• Avert unnecessary expenditures – Do consider the opportunity expenses when you are arriving at a financial decision.

• Recruit people only when it’s possible – You have to pay your staff. So, it’s a smart call to only recruit people when you have the financial capacity to. Else, you will have to apply for a loan and eventually fall into a debt cycle.

• Don’t stretch with productive debt – Spending carefully, even with productive debt, is crucial. Making investments that can go against you isn’t a smart decision.

Conclusion

In all situations, it is always advisable to have ample cash deposits. It helps to manage economic downturns and manage other emergencies.

In the recent times, debt consolidation has proven to be a great way to manage entrepreneurial debt. Rather than repaying at various quarters, it is easy to pay off one huge loan amount. That way, an entrepreneur will have one amount to pay off in a month.

Today, there are various financial institutions providing debt loan consolidation services and other financial counseling. You can use it to plan your business cash-flow better and master how to avoid debt trap.

See Also: Entrepreneurship: A Better Career Choice For Generation Z?

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3 Really Crucial Steps To Help You Solve Any Problem In Life

These days, everyone is busy. And with lives overburdened by hectic schedules, people are no longer able to see through their problems. They feel so weak that they just give in to the situation and don’t exert effort in knowing how to solve any problem. They feel overpowered by the challenges that come their way.

Some people attempt suicide when they see no way out. In such situations, they usually seek motivation from others. However, they do not understand the true meaning of that motivation. They believe in others, instead of themselves.

That’s where they are wrong. Motivation is not something that can be given. Rather, it is something we have to accept and believe in ourselves.

The key to solving any problem lies within us. So, we have to believe in ourselves. We have to believe that there’s always a way out. We just have to keep trying and eventually, a door opens up and leads us out.

Here are some steps to solve any problem:

Acceptance

People usually try to avoid their problems. Either they run away from the situation or deny it.

However, they have to understand that the only way to solve any problem is through acceptance. Even mathematicians say that “the first step to solve any problem lies within the problem itself”.

Instead of denying your weak point or running away, accept the situation. It will make the problem a lot easier to solve. Also, we have to accept the fact that we are lacking somewhere so that we can figure out a way to improve that lacking point.

Belief in oneself

Whenever a problem arises, people usually trust others more than themselves. Either that or they simply believe that the problem is quite big for them and that it would be tough to get through it.

Positivity and self-belief can lead you out of the problems. There is nothing in this world if not hope and belief. We have to trust ourselves that we can succeed and surpass even the worst situations.

People usually give up, thinking of their limitations. However, what they should also believe is that those limitations can be overcome.

Thus, believing in ourselves is the second step to solve any problem. If it is not taken into consideration, then we are bound to let any bad situation prevail.

Motivated hard work

Hard work can help us succeed but it’s not always easy. To reduce its toughness, motivation is required. Fortunately, we can motivate ourselves.

If someone criticizes us, for instance, you shouldn’t let that discourage you. Instead, use it as a fuel to become better. Motivation can make you stronger and more effective.

Conclusion

Motivating oneself can be a tad tricky at first. After all, it’s hard to maintain that ardent belief that things will turn out great in the end. However, trust that you won’t have a hard time understanding how to solve any predicament once it becomes a habit. You need to make it a habit — only then will you able to outperform yourself and continue to grow.

By using these three tips, we can overcome any problem in our lives. So, next time a problem comes up, you’ll know what to do.

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