Can Money Buy Happiness?

This has been an age-old question that many have pondered. Some are quick to say yes it can, and others are quick to say no it can’t. I would have to say for me the answer is yes AND no. With money, you can pay off your bills and not have to worry about going without. If you need something or run out of something, you can just go to the store and get another one. I’m not talking about a $5,000 TV or anything. I’m talking about basic life necessities. You can go to the grocery store and get what you want over getting what you can afford this minute. You won’t need to silently calculate your total to see if you need to return anything from your cart before you reach the register. This type of ability to me would give me peace of mind.

Now, would money instantly heal me if I was sick, no.  I would have the money to afford comprehensive health insurance though. If I were sick, I wouldn’t need to determine if I was actually sick enough to see the Dr. or if I could tough it out. I could afford medicines that the Dr. would prescribe. This could mean that my recovery would be faster with less downtime. Could I still get a terminal illness? Sure. Money would give me the opportunity to live as comfortably as possible while allowing me to take care of my affairs and offer any extra money for family.

Would everyone be my friend and my life lived as a sitcom? Of course not, you still have disagreements with people. Days still go bad, and sometimes it will still seem like everything goes wrong. This is life. Money will never take those days away. Having money could mean pressure from family, friends, and others to share your money with them or just give them a little bit and they will pay you back have past never. Again, this is just life.

Stress will happen. Bad days will happen, but there are many things that money can help with. In some areas, money can reduce stress; provide opportunities, and learning experiences. I would lean more towards having money and seeing how I do, over just saying money can’t buy me happiness. Money would reduce my stress. I could get ahead financially and learn about investing to get my money to make me money. I would try things out and learn what works best for me. I would just want to start with enough so that I could lose some without freaking out.

Ultimately I also know that happiness is a choice and you can make the choice every single day to find happiness in your experiences. I just want to do it with more $$$$ in my wallet.

Frugal Reading Choices

There are many ways to spend your time that do not cost a lot of money. One such way is to catch up on your reading. But books cost money, you say? Not all the time. There are many ways to get a hold of free or low cost books. Some will require travel and others will be as close as your nearest computer or other electronic device.

Library

There is nothing as satisfying as catching up on your reading, whether it is newspapers, magazines, or books. At the library you can read there, or check out the material and bring it back after the specified lending period. To check out the material requires a library card. Another advance with libraries is the ability to “check out” an e-book. An e-book is an electronic version of a book that is viewable on a computer, a phone, an iPad, or other electronic reading device. An e-book does not require a physical trip to the library to take it out or to return it. The e-book is delivered electronically to your device with a time limit on it. When the time limit is up the shell of the book remains but the contents are no longer available and then the shell needs to be deleted.

Computer

There is the possibility to read books without ever leaving the comfort of your home. As stated above these books are in the form of electronic books. Now, you are wondering how this can work if you do not have a Nook, iPad, Kindle or the like. The companies that make these products have also produced a similar format for the computer. So this means you can read books on your Kindle for PC or your Nook for PC, and so on. This does require the recipient to have an account with the specific company, but this is just filling out some information and downloading the reader.

Final Thoughts

With these two choices above, there is an almost endless supply of reading material. The magazines and newspapers are updated daily, weekly, or monthly and you are free to read them as much as you like. Whether you go to the library or use a program for your computer, you can learn a hobby, learn a language, or even catch up on the classics.

There is something for everyone

Birthday Bargains

Who doesn’t love their birthday? It is a time to get together with friends and family to celebrate. When the funds are tight, it becomes harder to get into a festive mood. What options are available for a tight budget? Plenty!

Restaurants

Many local restaurants have fan clubs. These clubs can be joined through the restaurant site, through the Facebook page associated with the restaurant, or directly at the restaurant. General information is gathered including your name, email address, birthday, and possibly your mailing address. When your birthday arrives, you get a coupon or certificate for either a free meal, a free dessert, a free appetizer, or a free drink. Some restaurants require an additional purchase to obtain the free item and other restaurants state that no purchase is necessary.

Stores

Stores reward customer loyalty in the same manner. There are clubs for insiders and frequent shoppers as well. Signing up for these is similar to that of restaurants where there could a sign up through the store website, in the store, or through a Facebook fan page. When your birthday draws near you will be emailed a coupon for savings on your birthday or a free item. Then the coupon is brought into the store, along with the savings card associated with your account, and the items or savings is redeemed.

Things to Remember

As with any reward or certificate that is offered, there are some restrictions as to its use. First and foremost, there will be a time frame in which the coupon must be redeemed. Sometimes the coupon/savings is only valid on your birthday, other times there will be a seven-day window, and others are valid for your whole birthday month. It is important to read the restrictions regarding the offer you are redeeming. Additionally, make sure that you bring a picture ID with you when redeeming. It is important that you prove you are the birthday person.

Returning to School Later in Life

Either you have spent some time in the working world and want to add a degree (or another) to your resume, or you have been a stay at home parent and the children are almost old enough for you to return to work, and you have decided to go back to school. The prospect of returning to the classroom almost has you in a sweat. The idea that you don’t even need to go to a classroom makes your head spin. There are many options available for learning and you are not sure where to start. Where do you begin?

The first place to start is to think about the reasons for returning to school. Are you hoping for a raise? Do you want to show that you have new skills? Have you stated in the past that you were always going to go back and get your degree, so this is the year? Understanding your motivation will help you solidify how serious you are about your education. Additionally, it will be important to think about whether you are returning to school because you want to go or someone else said you should go. The motivation will be stronger if you are returning to school because you want to.

Another point to think about is your time availability for school. Do you have the time to go full-time? Will you need to go part-time? Are you going to have to look to see if there are weekend only classes available? Motivation is important but not the only factor to consider. If you simply do not have the time to devote to studies then you will do poorly when you go. You will need to think about your work/family schedule and how much time you can and will need to devote to studies.

There is the choice of attending school online or attending at a brick and mortar institution. For those considering online, it will be important to assess your level of concentration and dedication. Some schools do not have a set time for classes; the day lasts for the full 24 hours, so if you attend at any time during the 24 hours (in the given time zone) then you will have attended for the day. This will require discipline. Additionally, with online classes there is a great deal of offline study that is required. So carving out time each day to study will be essential.

While we do not want to think about growing older, it will be important to assess if you will need assistance. For some, their eyes aren’t what they used to be and they will need to look into either large print books or a magnifier to see the text (either on the screen or in a book). Others will need to look into sound amplifying equipment. If you cannot see or hear clearly in the classroom, this will negatively impact your learning and motivation to continue. Additionally, some people are just not that tech savvy. If the classroom requires computer work, or takes place online, then you might need to take a basic computer class before you begin.

Going back to school does not need to be a scary prospect. If you take the time to assess your reason for going, your availability to attend, and if you will need any assistance, then you will have a good foundation when you start. Sharing this news with family and friends can make the choices easier because they can share their experiences with you. They can tell you what worked for them and any tips and tricks that they used.

Congratulations on your decision to return to school! Good luck!

7.5 Ways to Find More Time in Your Day

Everyone has the same 24 hours during the day, but everyone does not use their 24 hours the same way. How many people go through their day wishing they had more time? The day passes and by the end, they begin to wonder where the day went. They realize that they didn’t accomplish half of the things they wanted to, so they add the day’s activities onto the next day. A couple days of this and they just become overwhelmed by the amount of things that are not getting completed. What’s a person to do?

For everyone who is looking for more “day” in their day, here are seven ways to increase productivity and get more accomplished.

1. Plan the day

There are many people who just “know” that they will remember everything they have to get done, so they don’t need to write it down. Are you one of them? These people realize at the end of the day that they were wrong and some items fell through the cracks. Even people who have a few short things to do should still write it down and plan it out. It is amazing how easily the distractions start and the items are forgotten.

2. Group like things together

When you have to go to the grocery store, stop at the post office, and reschedule your dentist appointment, it saves time if you realize that the post office and the dentist are close together so these items can be done around the same time. How much time is wasted during the day circling back to an area because something else on the “to-do” list was in close proximity to an earlier task?

3. Delegate tasks

Now is the time to ask yourself if you really have to be the one to accomplish everything. Do you need to go to the grocery store or could you shop online and have the groceries delivered? Do you have a friend who will be going to or going past the post office? Could they drop your packages off for you? People carpool when they go to the office, so why can’t you “carpool” your activities? If they are going to be in the area anyway (and they have the time) then why not let them do this for you? You could cook dinner for them or handle a task for them when you are out.

4. Wake up earlier or stay up later

This does not mean having to walk around like a zombie for the day, but you could wake up 30 minutes earlier and see what more you can accomplish during this time. If you planned your day out (number 1 of this list) then you can determine what can be accomplished during this extra time. Staying up later by 30 minutes can also be beneficial.

5. Set up electronic alerts

By setting up alerts on the various devices you own, you can ensure that you will accomplish what you set out to do. You can even use this method to remind yourself what other activities are in close proximity. You can remind yourself several hours or minutes before the task should be done.

6. Focus on one task at a time.

In a world where it seems that everyone tries to do five things at once, it is best to focus on one task at a time. When you are writing your school paper, listening to your messages, and trying to eat; you realize that you have typed your messages into your school paper and developed a stomach ache because you ate too fast. Or worse, you become distracted and stick something in your mouth that isn’t food. Your level of concentration diminishes when you add tasks and then whether they get completed or not, you cannot guarantee that they were completed correctly.

7. Work with an activity/goal buddy

How easy would it be during the day to text your friend quickly to ask them if they picked up the dry cleaning like they said they were going to? They will either text back “yes” or they will thank you for reminding them. This is a way to keep in touch with your friends and hold each other accountable.


The .5 of this list is to review your day before you go to bed. Did you accomplish all of your goals? What worked and what didn’t? What could be adjusted to increase your productivity for the next day? Any and all of the steps can be implemented, but it is important to not skip the evaluation at the end of the day.

With a little thought and planning you can increase your effectiveness and get more accomplished.

Have You Ever Considered Online High School?

Sometimes life throws you a curve. Either you need to quit high school because of family issues, or you just don’t have the interest you should. Maybe there have been health issues which caused you to miss a large portion of school, or learning doesn’t happen as easily for you. Now you have fallen behind. Possibly the school environment has become hostile and you need to leave for your safety. Or maybe these reasons are relevant to your child instead. Either way, for someone high school has come to an end.

You’ve come to realize the importance of a high school diploma. You realize that many employers will ask where you graduated, and some have a high school diploma as a requirement for the job. You know that there is the ability to get the GED (General Education Development) certificate, but did you know that you or your child can attend high school online? Yes, it is possible to attend classes and receive a high school diploma showing that you have completed high school (instead of showing that you have the equivalent knowledge of completing high school). How do you find the information? Read on and find out.

It is wise to conduct research to see what schools are available. A quick search for “online high school” should bring up some quick results. Since the school is online, location does not necessarily need to be a factor in choosing where to go. Some schools offer the service for free and others have a fee attached. It will be important to determine what financial constraints there are before signing up. Will you need to upgrade your computer? Additionally, you might be able to find a school that offers more specialized learning if the physical classroom environment was difficult.

Virtual classrooms offer the ability to learn at your own pace. If some topics are easy to comprehend, then you can move faster through those and when you encounter topics that are more difficult, you will be able to take the time for further study. Usually in the physical classroom, everyone is kept at the same pace. The class day typically runs for 24 hours, so this can accommodate those with a variable schedule.

Depending upon the school chosen, all of the materials may be available online so there will be no further purchases required. This will mean there will be more time looking at a computer screen or other electronic device. Due to this, it will be important to take time away from the computer to lessen the incidence of eye strain or a possible headache. It has been stated that a break should be taken for 10 minutes after every hour of studying. This allows for a sufficient mental and visual break, and a chance to comprehend the lesson.

When a school has been chosen and an information request sent, it will be important to determine what credits will transfer to the school. There are some schools that have “life credits” that can be transferred towards the diploma. These credits come from skills attained by living your life. Through the every day interactions and activities you have acquired skills that can help you master the high school curriculum.

Most of the schools that are available have the ability for students to start at any time. Since they are online institutions, they do not follow the general fall to summer school schedule. Additionally, there will most likely be no days where school is called due to bad weather either.

Now you have the information to get you started on acquiring your high school diploma. Your future awaits…good luck.

Is The Customer Really Always Right?

If you do a quick search on the Internet to answer the question posed at the title of this article you will find yes and no answers. It seems confusing. If your goal is customer satisfaction then shouldn’t the point be to make sure the customer is satisfied? Most would agree yes. Then you take it a step further and ask if the customer should be satisfied at all costs? Then the area begins to gray.

Every company has a goal of customer satisfaction. While every company does not hit that mark, they do strive for it. Businesses provide services or products for customers and if they are not satisfied they may take their business elsewhere. With no customers, companies will not be able to sustain themselves. So where is the happy medium? How much customer service is enough?

When debating if the customer is always right, there is another school of thought: the customer may not always be right, but they are always the customer. With this focus it is easier to see your role as the service/product provider and how best to interact with the customers you encounter.

Here are some ideas:

• First and foremost you should follow the golden rule: treat others how you would like to be treated (or how you treat close friends and family).

• Repeat the customer’s issue back to them to show them that you heard and understood their problem.

• Put yourself in the shoes of the customer. Can you see why they are having a problem?

• Tell them that you will take care of their issue, and if you cannot then you will find someone who can.

• Show the customer that they are important to your business and specifically to you. Reduce/avoid distractions when you are talking with them.

• If the issue cannot be solved quickly then take down their information and let them know when you will be getting back to them. Don’t say “by the end of the week” this is too vague, instead tell them you will call them back in two days, and then call them back in two days.

• If you are working on a project with a deadline and you are not sure you will be able to finish by the deadline, let the client know as soon as possible. Some clients will extend the deadline, or give you some leeway because they will be able to make allowances for the extra time.

There are some customers that you will encounter that no matter what you do they will never be satisfied. If you have exhausted every avenue to remedy the situation and no matter what you’ve done they are not happy, then it will be time to let the customer go. You can thank them for their business and let them know that you do not feel you will be able to adequately service their needs in the future.

Some businesses feel that you must keep the customer no matter what, and do everything humanly possible to keep them happy. What they don’t understand is that the customer begins to take a toll on the business. Not only on the business, but also on everyone that interacts with that customer.

A great way to understand how best to treat the customer is to remember the times when you were a customer. What traits did the staff have that you appreciated? Was there a certain way the store was set up that made it more inviting? What stores will you never shop in again and why? What was your best customer service experience and what was your worst? You can use your insights as a way to guide your interactions with your customers.