Easy Change

Today I ran into an old friend from a previous job. I think that given the state of things, now more than ever, it is important to maintain the network of past colleagues. Unfortunately, I haven't been taking the time to do that, but it is definitely something that I want to do. If you have a group of people at your workplace, it might even be worthwhile to start some sort of regular meeting with them outside of work so that as people leave and move on to other pursuits that everyone can stay in touch. I have done this with the people from one job and I think that it is very helpful.

Ok, I will admit it up front. This post is a short rant, but a rant with some practical tips and ideas. Frequently in my life I get bombarded by situations where my time is wasted. And I cannot let it roll off my back all of the time. In fact, it is probably one of my biggest pet peeves that people waste my time without a good reason. If I am going to be meeting you somewhere and you don't show up at the time you said you would and don't let me know ahead of time, you're wasting my time. If I am going to be doing some work for you and you had told someone else to do the same work and we both do it, you're wasting my time. If I am waiting to make a turn and the person on the other side of the road coming toward me has no turn signal running and then makes the same turn as me, he's wasting my time. I could have went already, except I had to wait because he/she didn't tell me what he/she was planning to do. Wasting other people's time for no reason is rude. Key...

An article on MSN Money offers a few of the following "average" benefits from companies according to a recent survey. I thought it was pretty interesting to learn how my company benefits were compared to the average. How does your benefit package stack up? Fringe benefits can be costly for companies but significantly improve loyaly among employees. Immediate eligibility for a health-care plan. A 401(k) plan in which the typical match is 50 cents for each $1 an employee contributes, up to a certain percentage of pay. Access to a dental plan with 100% of exams covered and 80% coverage for dental work. Access to a vision plan separate from medical or dental coverage. A group life insurance plan that pays a year of salary or wages as a death benefit. Long-term-disability benefits with pay replacement of 60%. On average, 11.7 days of vacation after one year of service and 15.4 after five years of service. Eight to 12 paid holidays a year. Dependent-care spending accounts and ac...

Not long ago, I read an interesting article where Steve Pavlina explains how to improve technical skills . This got me to thinking about the opposite side of the cashflow equation: the income side. Most people in the personal finance community seem to focus on saving money, and being frugal, and minimizing expenses. All of these are items that are generally about the expense side of things. But the income side should not be forgotten, just because it is often more difficult. Getting a higher-paying job is often the most straightforward ways to improve your income. However, most people often stick in their current position or field when taking the next position. However, this is not always where the most money is made. After taking Steve's tips and a strong work-ethic, it is possible to perhaps branch off into other related fields, or at the very least become proficient in these skills. 3 Reasons it matters: 1. Learning more skills may change your ways of thinking. Often, problem...

At a previous job, I used to have a very very long commute. I was driving about 90 minutes to work and sometimes close to 2 hours home in the evening commute because of traffic. At this point in my life, I already had a side business and found this to be quite frustrating because I felt that my time was being wasted -- and it was! Surprisingly, most people do not use time efficiently. I am not suggesting that we are not productive enough; in fact, I think that sometimes we are too work-oriented. Instead, I am suggesting that we use time wisely. We waste hours each week accomplishing nothing. And this 'lost time' is often the source of stress because we then still try to rush and get everything done in increasingly less time. Now what if you could get more done, in less time, and then even have time to spare? With some simple techniques, tricks, and some practice, you will find it is possible to create time where there was none before. Check back here as I explore some tips and ...