As expected, credit card issuers are raising fees and rates just before legislative restrictions take place next February. But you don't have to be vulnerable. Here are some alternatives to bank credit cards.
Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food
by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research
Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.
Job seekers, beware! That MySpace photo of you doing a keg stand may get a few chuckles from friends, but it's no laughing matter in the job market.
Employers are increasingly scouring the Internet for "digital dirt" to help them weed through job candidates. In fact, 83.2 percent of recruiters acknowledged to using online search engines in 2007 to uncover information about candidates, according to ExecuNet, an online referral network for executives and recruiters. Of these recruiters, 43 percent acknowledged eliminating candidates based on the negative information they found.
...Try going on a diet and I guarantee that a freshly baked pizza will break your willpower whether you're on the second or the forty-fifth day...
Here are bad work habits you need to break now:
Confusing casual with disrespectful, Always doing the bare minimum, Not budging from your job title, Forgetting what your job is, Ignoring the chain of command, Operating on your own clock, Badmouthing your colleagues, Flaunting your connections.
Everyone wants to give job seekers advice, and while much of it is useful, some guidance may miss the mark. Because the employment market is constantly changing, ideas that once worked well may no longer be effective. This doesn't mean you have to second-guess everything you hear, but do be aware of common job-hunting myths, like the following:
Single Moms - find here resources on financial aid, scholarships, help with basic needs, food, prescription drugs, health care, housing, legal info, and much more...
Find what it takes to become successful in the current business environment, how
to juggle work and parenting, how to successfully reintegrate into the
workplace.
Meet new people and converse with confidence
Be credible and charismatic in every social and business situation
Make friends and important contacts wherever you go
Command the respect of everyone you meet
You know who they are. They're the people who, regardless of money, education,
looks, or personality, make an impression wherever they go. They are master
communicators, and everyone enjoys talking to them. How to Develop Great People
Skills shows you how to be one of those lucky few.
Communication guru Leil Lowndes arms you with ninety-six all-new, cutting edge,
research-based communications techniques for success in life, love, and
business. You will smash the invisible glass ceiling that keeps many people down
both personally and professionally. Your new weapon is a neurologically and
psychologically sound concept called “Emotional Prediction,” or E.P. Leil
Lowndes explains the power of EP and shows you how to harness it through
deceptively simple methods to reach greater success in all of your
relationships.
About the Author Leil Lowndes is one of today's most sought-after communication
speakers and consultants through her company Applause, Inc. and is author of the
international bestsellers How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You and How
to Talk to Anyone.
While more than half of all marriages end in divorce, joy and happiness does not
have to die with it. Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes of a Joyful Journey gives
a seldom touched-on view of divorce – a positive view of life on the other side.
A uniquely upbeat approach to "going it alone," Happily Ever After Divorce shows
readers how author Jessica Bram, an award-winning radio commentator and
essayist, maintained a sense of self and humor during a most difficult time, and
emerged triumphant.
While being true to divorce's pain and challenges, Bram's personal stories
reveal the exhilaration, joy, growth, and triumphs of moving through difficult
times and emerging stronger and happier at the other end. In this candid,
intimately written book, you will discover:
• How the author rebuilt her self-esteem through
handling everything from everyday tasks to earning a living with newly
discovered talents
• How children can thrive when parents approach
custodial issues with respect
• The delightful aspects of spending time alone,
single parenting, and unexpected friendships
• How Bram approached dating with humor and an
upbeat attitude
• How, after rebuilding her life, the author opened
her heart and found love again.
About the Author Jessica Bram is an award-winning commentator and essayist. Her
radio commentaries which are heard on the Fairfield, Connecticut, NPR station,
twice (in 2006 and 2008) earned her first prize in the radio commentary category
of the Society of Professional Journalists, Connecticut Chapter's 'Excellence in
Journalism' contest. Her work, which includes the widely syndicated essay
'Beauty Calls,' published in the New York Times Magazine's HERS column,
has appeared in many national and regional magazines and newspapers.
by Nancy C. Widmann,
Elaine J. Eisenman,
Amy Dorn Kopelan
I Didn't See It Coming provides savvy advice and strategic insights for recognizing and dealing with the situations that can threaten your career. This book will help you develop the skills you need to read the room, correctly assess what is happening around you, and control your career destiny. It shows you why you need an exit strategy, how to navigate the political terrain, how (and why) to differentiate between colleagues, and why it's important to follow the money. Everyone can benefit from understanding how office politics works and what you can do to enhance your position. For anyone in a dicey situation—even if you don't know it yet—this is the ultimate guidebook for office survival. When it comes to your career, don't take chances! Take charge and make sure you see it coming.
Mary is what you might call an "Accidental VP." She graduated from college with an English degree and planned to go to law school. But life rarely goes in a straight path, and with student loans to pay off, Mary signed up for an on-campus interview with State Farm. They offered her a job, and today she looks back at her decision to take it with no regrets. "I figured I'd work a year or two until I got something else," she says. "Now 25 years later, I've never been more fascinated with the insurance and financial services business. It's a passion of mine, and I truly enjoy it in a way I never dreamed I would."
While taking a personal growth course, I discovered a remarkable and effective method of visualizing my dreams and goals, and I offer it to you! Called "Treasure Mapping," it has changed the lives of entrepreneurial women across the country, personally as well as professionally. The process involves going through old magazines and cutting out images, words and expressions that represent what you want to manifest in your life. Then you paste them into a journal or, as in my case, onto a large piece of oak tag. Hang it some place handy and be sure to look at your "wishboard" often.
by Lisa Inglesias, General Counsel, Sr. VP, Secretary
Spherion Corporation
Lisa believes that career success is a consequence of having a dream and making it a reality. Ever since she was twelve-years old, she knew that she wanted to become a lawyer and never let anything stand in the way of her achieving this goal. She advises, "A lot of times people have an idea of what they want to do, but they allow events around them to shape their path instead of being proactive." Having strong convictions and faith in herself, Lisa has attained her dream. Today, she holds the highest legal position at Spherion Corporation.
Co-worker conflict isn't always avoidable. From time to time you'll have to deal with someone who is rude, a bully, or someone who tries to sabotage your work.
The Mayo Clinic offers these tips for building a climate of mutual respect at the office:
•Be positive. Smile, be upbeat and greet everyone warmly.
Mentoring is a cooperative and nurturing relationship between a more experienced business person and a less experienced business person who wants to learn about a particular business and gain valuable insight into some of the unspoken subtleties of doing business.
Research indicates mentoring is one of the crucial and important factors in business success. Having a mentor or going through some type of mentoring program dramatically increases one's chances for success. Although it is not fatal to lack a mentor, it certainly helps one a great deal to have one, both in technical and conceptual knowledge, learning from a broad base of experience and rapidly gaining a wealth of contacts. Being mentored by the right person is an important and viable bridge to success.
by Marsha "Marty" Evans - President & CEO American Red Cross
WorkingWomen2000.com
Marty entered the Navy in 1968 for what she thought was going to be a two-year break between college and graduate school. "The opportunities in the Navy, for both men and women, are pretty incredible," she explains-so incredible that she extended her short stint to nearly thirty years, when she finally retired as a rear admiral.
As she moved up the ranks, Marty played a key role in advancing several initiatives that have improved the role of women in the Navy, including reversing the law that prevented them from serving on combat assignments. "I had the opportunity to address issues relative to the fair and equitable treatment of women," she continues. "It was really interesting to be in those path-forging situations."
"There ought to be a law against looking that good this early in the morning with three little kids in tow," another mother told me recently at our preschool. "Stop it! You're making the rest of us look bad!"
She was laughing as she said it, but I can well understand her frustration. I've had plenty of rough nights since my eldest was born six years ago, and can easily see why many other moms pat themselves on the back for just being able to get to school on time wearing two shoes that match.
IT IS 20 years since the term “glass ceiling” was coined by the Wall Street Journal to describe the apparent barriers that prevent women from reaching the top of the corporate hierarchy; and it is ten years since the American government's specially appointed Glass Ceiling Commission published its recommendations. In 1995 the commission said that the barrier was continuing “to deny untold numbers of qualified people the opportunity to compete for and hold executive level positions in the private sector.” It found that women had 45.7% of America's jobs and more than half of master's degrees being awarded. Yet 95% of senior managers were men, and female managers' earnings were on average a mere 68% of their male counterparts'.
Linda Spradley Dunn speaks about strong ideas in a powerful voice and she never, ever minces words. This time she is talking about women of color in corporate America. "There is a particular issue with women of color in corporate America. And it does add to our impatience, because when you're trying to change corporate culture, you are also trying to change a microcosm of society's attitudes on race. That can be very frustrating.
Top 8 Tips for Reducing Kids Screen Time This Summer
Reducing time spent in front of televisions and computers is one of the easiest ways to improve your family's health. Here are eight simple ways to limit screen time so you can help crank up your kids’ energy, re-charge their minds, and improve their health.
Change -- some people dread it, and others can’t get enough. It may be much like the idiom, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” When it comes to what we would alter or why we would make a modification, the answers vary because we all have different things we value, want, need and consider important.
If I had to choose one sentence that would best describe what I feel parents need to learn, it would be this: Be your child's BEST ROLE MODEL in all the ways that truly count. Be your child's HERO. Whatever you do, do it for all the right reasons.
As we all know, life is unpredictable. We lose jobs, get divorced and even become widowed...
Here are three steps stay-at-home parents should take to better manage their own and the family’s finances.
You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options
How Life Works
If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix.
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.
Single moms are always looking for ways to save money, and for good reason... It’s important to find ways to cut corners on the little things that perhaps you don’t think about too often, because those are usually where your biggest money drains are.
Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis
OPRAH.com
Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis...
Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do
you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with
the extra set of keys to your house?
If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry.
The reality is that $10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as: Housing, Transportation, Food.
Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another equally-invested adult.
The more obese a woman is when she becomes pregnant, the greater the likelihood that her newborn baby will have a congenital heart defect, a new study suggests. The finding raises concerns because 1 in 5 women are obese at the start of pregnancy in the United States.
... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip.
6 Best Celebrity Single Moms
Read about Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Williams, Reese Witherspoon, Kimora Lee Simmons, Mary-Louise Parker... read more
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this...
Cooperative education programs allow students to alternate between working full time and studying full time. This type of employment program is not based upon financial need, and students can earn as much as $7,000 per year.
Some colleges give credit for life experiences, thereby reducing the number of credits needed for graduation. Students should check with the college for further information.
