how to manage personal finances

'When I married Donna, I could get both hands around her waist,' said my husband's grandfather. Pointing at his full-figured wife, he boasted, 'Now look how much I got. That's what I call an investment!' — Katherine Eby, via Reader's Digest.com

In essence, that funny anecdote is right. Of course it doesn't sound very flattering to Katherine's grandmother-in-law, but that's exactly what investment is all about: making sure that your accounts and net worth grow bigger over time.

Investment is that exercise of putting money in a financial account, in your business, in a friend's business, or even in some other companies' business, for the pursuit of growing one's money. Investment is an effort to get one's money to "grow."

Investment works on the principle of "compounded interest." Interest that is added to your principal, or initial investment, itself gets to earn interest. So if you've initially invested $200, at the interest rate of 2.5%, at the maturity term of one month, you'll be earning $5 at the end of that month. If you renew the term of your money, your $205 will then earn $5.13 ($5.125) when another month is over. Certificates of deposit accounts or time deposits work exactly like this.

On the other hand, mutual funds work on the principle of snowballed profits. Mutual funds are as good as stocks and bonds, only you don't manage them yourself. Rather, trained financial experts are hired to manage your money. To invest in mutual funds, you can look into a broker that charges low commissions and check out their offerings.

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Investments could also mean those things you purchase or put money in, in order to further your business. Most people take additional studies in order to get the credentials needed to help them advance in their chosen careers. Other people invest in machinery, gadgets and equipment in order to make their lives easier. Then, most businesses invest in people which make up their workforce — their much-needed manpower.

Here are three informal rules of thumb by which you can measure your investments and purchases:

This guest post is by Kiesha of WeBlogBetter.

Have you ever wondered how some bloggers never seem to run out of post ideas? They always manage to escape the dreaded writer’s block unscathed; they’re always full of inspiration. Ideas overflow and pour onto the page as they type feverishly. They’ve tapped into a mystical stream of never-ending stories.

What if I told you that you could tap into the same power?

Everything you’ve already learned and experienced can be used to create infinite and original ideas for your blog. If you can turn on the analytical and creative juices in your brain, you’ll never run out of ideas.

Almost anything you’ve learned in school, on the job—even life’s lessons in general—can be turned into useful analogies or comparisons. Music, television shows, movies, or videos can also be used as fuel for unique and engaging blog posts.

There are almost no limits to this technique. In fact, the more unlikely and unusual the comparisons you make, the better.

Using my personal experience to blog better

Whenever something evokes an “Aha!” moment for me, I immediately think about how I can use that principle for blogging.

For example, late one night, I was watching The Karate Kid. At the point when young Dre finally realizes that all those days and weeks spent picking up his jacket had really been preparing and strengthening him, my mind immediately connected that experience to blogging.

When Mr. Han said, “Kung Fu lives in everything we do … Everything is Kung Fu”, I jumped up like a hot coal had landed in my lap. I grabbed a pen and wrote:

“Blogging lives in everything we do … Everything is blogging! Every experience is potential blogging material!”

My husband thought I was going mad as I frantically scribbled this on an already over-filled piece of paper. It was a major “Aha!” moment!

Yes, everything in my life — even those experiences that I thought were useless wastes of time — had been preparing me for blogging.

You might not be able to see the similarities between blogging and manicuring nails, but what I learned years ago as a nail technician helps me blog better today. I was known for my creative airbrush designs and 3D nail art. I had more customers than I had time. It sounds like I should be rich by now, right?

Here’s the problem: I loved the design/art part of the process, but I hated the chemical aspects of the job. I also hate feet, which wasn’t the best of news for customers who wanted their toes to match their fingers. I suffer from the exact opposite of a “foot fetish.” Would that be a foot phobia? What I learned is that no amount of money justifies doing (or smelling) things you hate.

How does that translate to blogging?

Nothing, not even money, should be the reason for blogging about something you’re not passionate about.

I can see many parallels between applying acrylic nails and blogging.

They both require preparation

When applying acrylic nails, the surface must be adequately prepared. Skimping on this step creates the prime condition for the growth of fungus or other harmful pathogens that, if left untreated, could create medical problems for the customer.

With blogging, if you don’t take adequate time to prepare with research and fact checking, you could potentially steer a reader in the wrong direction. They may not be physically harmed, but advice you offer on your blog could harm a person’s business or their blogging efforts—and maybe even adversely impact their finances.

They Both Require Good Design

If I tried to put a beautiful design on a malformed nail, it only made the malformation more apparent. On the other hand, a well-formed nail with an ugly or bland design would be a waste of sculpting efforts. In other words, the nail had to be both well formed and display a beautiful design.

The same is true for a blog. You can have the most beautiful blog design, but if your site lacks valuable content, no one’s going to want to return. You need both good design and great content.

So you see, yes there is much to learn about blogging from doing nails. There is much to learn about blogging from everything—from all of your experiences.

Over to you

Have you ever thought about how your own abundance of personal experiences relates to your own niche? And how you can use that to create a blog unlike any other?

1. Start by listing some of the most vivid experiences you’ve had, or lessons you’ve learned over the years.


2. Then instead of thinking about how different they are from blogging, think about how similar they are.


3. Use those points of intersection to highlight those similarities.


4. Then mesh those ideas together to create something new.

What you’ll get is something totally unpredictable and extremely insightful.

Which pieces of your personal experience and life lessons could you use to create an interesting analogy or comparison in a blog post? Which could you use to help you improve your blogging in general?

Kiesha blogs at WeBlogBetter, offering blogging tips and tricks. She’s a technical writer, writing instructor, and blog consultant for small business owners. Connect with her on Twitter @weblogbetter.

Share This

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

'When I married Donna, I could get both hands around her waist,' said my husband's grandfather. Pointing at his full-figured wife, he boasted, 'Now look how much I got. That's what I call an investment!' — Katherine Eby, via Reader's Digest.com

In essence, that funny anecdote is right. Of course it doesn't sound very flattering to Katherine's grandmother-in-law, but that's exactly what investment is all about: making sure that your accounts and net worth grow bigger over time.

Investment is that exercise of putting money in a financial account, in your business, in a friend's business, or even in some other companies' business, for the pursuit of growing one's money. Investment is an effort to get one's money to "grow."

Investment works on the principle of "compounded interest." Interest that is added to your principal, or initial investment, itself gets to earn interest. So if you've initially invested $200, at the interest rate of 2.5%, at the maturity term of one month, you'll be earning $5 at the end of that month. If you renew the term of your money, your $205 will then earn $5.13 ($5.125) when another month is over. Certificates of deposit accounts or time deposits work exactly like this.

On the other hand, mutual funds work on the principle of snowballed profits. Mutual funds are as good as stocks and bonds, only you don't manage them yourself. Rather, trained financial experts are hired to manage your money. To invest in mutual funds, you can look into a broker that charges low commissions and check out their offerings.

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Investments could also mean those things you purchase or put money in, in order to further your business. Most people take additional studies in order to get the credentials needed to help them advance in their chosen careers. Other people invest in machinery, gadgets and equipment in order to make their lives easier. Then, most businesses invest in people which make up their workforce — their much-needed manpower.

Here are three informal rules of thumb by which you can measure your investments and purchases:

This guest post is by Kiesha of WeBlogBetter.

Have you ever wondered how some bloggers never seem to run out of post ideas? They always manage to escape the dreaded writer’s block unscathed; they’re always full of inspiration. Ideas overflow and pour onto the page as they type feverishly. They’ve tapped into a mystical stream of never-ending stories.

What if I told you that you could tap into the same power?

Everything you’ve already learned and experienced can be used to create infinite and original ideas for your blog. If you can turn on the analytical and creative juices in your brain, you’ll never run out of ideas.

Almost anything you’ve learned in school, on the job—even life’s lessons in general—can be turned into useful analogies or comparisons. Music, television shows, movies, or videos can also be used as fuel for unique and engaging blog posts.

There are almost no limits to this technique. In fact, the more unlikely and unusual the comparisons you make, the better.

Using my personal experience to blog better

Whenever something evokes an “Aha!” moment for me, I immediately think about how I can use that principle for blogging.

For example, late one night, I was watching The Karate Kid. At the point when young Dre finally realizes that all those days and weeks spent picking up his jacket had really been preparing and strengthening him, my mind immediately connected that experience to blogging.

When Mr. Han said, “Kung Fu lives in everything we do … Everything is Kung Fu”, I jumped up like a hot coal had landed in my lap. I grabbed a pen and wrote:

“Blogging lives in everything we do … Everything is blogging! Every experience is potential blogging material!”

My husband thought I was going mad as I frantically scribbled this on an already over-filled piece of paper. It was a major “Aha!” moment!

Yes, everything in my life — even those experiences that I thought were useless wastes of time — had been preparing me for blogging.

You might not be able to see the similarities between blogging and manicuring nails, but what I learned years ago as a nail technician helps me blog better today. I was known for my creative airbrush designs and 3D nail art. I had more customers than I had time. It sounds like I should be rich by now, right?

Here’s the problem: I loved the design/art part of the process, but I hated the chemical aspects of the job. I also hate feet, which wasn’t the best of news for customers who wanted their toes to match their fingers. I suffer from the exact opposite of a “foot fetish.” Would that be a foot phobia? What I learned is that no amount of money justifies doing (or smelling) things you hate.

How does that translate to blogging?

Nothing, not even money, should be the reason for blogging about something you’re not passionate about.

I can see many parallels between applying acrylic nails and blogging.

They both require preparation

When applying acrylic nails, the surface must be adequately prepared. Skimping on this step creates the prime condition for the growth of fungus or other harmful pathogens that, if left untreated, could create medical problems for the customer.

With blogging, if you don’t take adequate time to prepare with research and fact checking, you could potentially steer a reader in the wrong direction. They may not be physically harmed, but advice you offer on your blog could harm a person’s business or their blogging efforts—and maybe even adversely impact their finances.

They Both Require Good Design

If I tried to put a beautiful design on a malformed nail, it only made the malformation more apparent. On the other hand, a well-formed nail with an ugly or bland design would be a waste of sculpting efforts. In other words, the nail had to be both well formed and display a beautiful design.

The same is true for a blog. You can have the most beautiful blog design, but if your site lacks valuable content, no one’s going to want to return. You need both good design and great content.

So you see, yes there is much to learn about blogging from doing nails. There is much to learn about blogging from everything—from all of your experiences.

Over to you

Have you ever thought about how your own abundance of personal experiences relates to your own niche? And how you can use that to create a blog unlike any other?

1. Start by listing some of the most vivid experiences you’ve had, or lessons you’ve learned over the years.


2. Then instead of thinking about how different they are from blogging, think about how similar they are.


3. Use those points of intersection to highlight those similarities.


4. Then mesh those ideas together to create something new.

What you’ll get is something totally unpredictable and extremely insightful.

Which pieces of your personal experience and life lessons could you use to create an interesting analogy or comparison in a blog post? Which could you use to help you improve your blogging in general?

Kiesha blogs at WeBlogBetter, offering blogging tips and tricks. She’s a technical writer, writing instructor, and blog consultant for small business owners. Connect with her on Twitter @weblogbetter.

Share This

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

eric seiger

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

'When I married Donna, I could get both hands around her waist,' said my husband's grandfather. Pointing at his full-figured wife, he boasted, 'Now look how much I got. That's what I call an investment!' — Katherine Eby, via Reader's Digest.com

In essence, that funny anecdote is right. Of course it doesn't sound very flattering to Katherine's grandmother-in-law, but that's exactly what investment is all about: making sure that your accounts and net worth grow bigger over time.

Investment is that exercise of putting money in a financial account, in your business, in a friend's business, or even in some other companies' business, for the pursuit of growing one's money. Investment is an effort to get one's money to "grow."

Investment works on the principle of "compounded interest." Interest that is added to your principal, or initial investment, itself gets to earn interest. So if you've initially invested $200, at the interest rate of 2.5%, at the maturity term of one month, you'll be earning $5 at the end of that month. If you renew the term of your money, your $205 will then earn $5.13 ($5.125) when another month is over. Certificates of deposit accounts or time deposits work exactly like this.

On the other hand, mutual funds work on the principle of snowballed profits. Mutual funds are as good as stocks and bonds, only you don't manage them yourself. Rather, trained financial experts are hired to manage your money. To invest in mutual funds, you can look into a broker that charges low commissions and check out their offerings.

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Investments could also mean those things you purchase or put money in, in order to further your business. Most people take additional studies in order to get the credentials needed to help them advance in their chosen careers. Other people invest in machinery, gadgets and equipment in order to make their lives easier. Then, most businesses invest in people which make up their workforce — their much-needed manpower.

Here are three informal rules of thumb by which you can measure your investments and purchases:

This guest post is by Kiesha of WeBlogBetter.

Have you ever wondered how some bloggers never seem to run out of post ideas? They always manage to escape the dreaded writer’s block unscathed; they’re always full of inspiration. Ideas overflow and pour onto the page as they type feverishly. They’ve tapped into a mystical stream of never-ending stories.

What if I told you that you could tap into the same power?

Everything you’ve already learned and experienced can be used to create infinite and original ideas for your blog. If you can turn on the analytical and creative juices in your brain, you’ll never run out of ideas.

Almost anything you’ve learned in school, on the job—even life’s lessons in general—can be turned into useful analogies or comparisons. Music, television shows, movies, or videos can also be used as fuel for unique and engaging blog posts.

There are almost no limits to this technique. In fact, the more unlikely and unusual the comparisons you make, the better.

Using my personal experience to blog better

Whenever something evokes an “Aha!” moment for me, I immediately think about how I can use that principle for blogging.

For example, late one night, I was watching The Karate Kid. At the point when young Dre finally realizes that all those days and weeks spent picking up his jacket had really been preparing and strengthening him, my mind immediately connected that experience to blogging.

When Mr. Han said, “Kung Fu lives in everything we do … Everything is Kung Fu”, I jumped up like a hot coal had landed in my lap. I grabbed a pen and wrote:

“Blogging lives in everything we do … Everything is blogging! Every experience is potential blogging material!”

My husband thought I was going mad as I frantically scribbled this on an already over-filled piece of paper. It was a major “Aha!” moment!

Yes, everything in my life — even those experiences that I thought were useless wastes of time — had been preparing me for blogging.

You might not be able to see the similarities between blogging and manicuring nails, but what I learned years ago as a nail technician helps me blog better today. I was known for my creative airbrush designs and 3D nail art. I had more customers than I had time. It sounds like I should be rich by now, right?

Here’s the problem: I loved the design/art part of the process, but I hated the chemical aspects of the job. I also hate feet, which wasn’t the best of news for customers who wanted their toes to match their fingers. I suffer from the exact opposite of a “foot fetish.” Would that be a foot phobia? What I learned is that no amount of money justifies doing (or smelling) things you hate.

How does that translate to blogging?

Nothing, not even money, should be the reason for blogging about something you’re not passionate about.

I can see many parallels between applying acrylic nails and blogging.

They both require preparation

When applying acrylic nails, the surface must be adequately prepared. Skimping on this step creates the prime condition for the growth of fungus or other harmful pathogens that, if left untreated, could create medical problems for the customer.

With blogging, if you don’t take adequate time to prepare with research and fact checking, you could potentially steer a reader in the wrong direction. They may not be physically harmed, but advice you offer on your blog could harm a person’s business or their blogging efforts—and maybe even adversely impact their finances.

They Both Require Good Design

If I tried to put a beautiful design on a malformed nail, it only made the malformation more apparent. On the other hand, a well-formed nail with an ugly or bland design would be a waste of sculpting efforts. In other words, the nail had to be both well formed and display a beautiful design.

The same is true for a blog. You can have the most beautiful blog design, but if your site lacks valuable content, no one’s going to want to return. You need both good design and great content.

So you see, yes there is much to learn about blogging from doing nails. There is much to learn about blogging from everything—from all of your experiences.

Over to you

Have you ever thought about how your own abundance of personal experiences relates to your own niche? And how you can use that to create a blog unlike any other?

1. Start by listing some of the most vivid experiences you’ve had, or lessons you’ve learned over the years.


2. Then instead of thinking about how different they are from blogging, think about how similar they are.


3. Use those points of intersection to highlight those similarities.


4. Then mesh those ideas together to create something new.

What you’ll get is something totally unpredictable and extremely insightful.

Which pieces of your personal experience and life lessons could you use to create an interesting analogy or comparison in a blog post? Which could you use to help you improve your blogging in general?

Kiesha blogs at WeBlogBetter, offering blogging tips and tricks. She’s a technical writer, writing instructor, and blog consultant for small business owners. Connect with her on Twitter @weblogbetter.

Share This

eric seiger

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

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eric seiger

eric seiger
eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

big seminar 14

I have learned that online writing can be a very lucrative business. Many people are making writing there full time income. I am on my way to doing this myself. It is so fulfilling to know I can make money from home, doing something I enjoy doing. If this is something you are interested in, you have to learn to manage the writing as if it was your business.

Open an email account that you will use for your writing business. You want to have this account to separate your business and personal emails. There are a lot of emails coming from writing sites, you do not want to miss something that is important.

Have a paypal and bank account for your business. Your finances will start to increase over time; you want to have it separate from your personal money. Pay yourself, and expenses out of these accounts. Having these accounts will also help you during tax time.

Track your progress with each site. You want to have something to refer to so you see how you should proceed with each site. Some sites may bring in a substantial amount of money, and others may not. You want to be able to determine your successes and failures. It will prevent you from spending more time than needed on a site that does not pay well.

Focus more of your time on sites that pay well. I am not saying give up on the ones that do not, they may surprise you in the future. In my experiences, some sites pay well at first, and then drop dramatically later. There have also been site that I thought would never pay well. After I built up my library for the site, the income increased. Give a site a chance; they may be a great income site.

Never put all of your interests in one site. There are many paying sites available online. Find a couple of sites to begin with, and then expand. Sites do come and go, and the pay for each site may change. You do not want to have all of your work on one site then something happens to it. I am currently writing for three different sites. In doing this, I am increasing and protecting my income at the same time.

You should make goals for any business, this goes for writing as well. Think of your goals as a personal business plan. Decide on specific goals for your business. Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. You can make long-term goals as well, but be sure the short-term goals can lead you to reach them. Never get discouraged if you do not reach a goal in a week. Just look at it as a learning experience, and focus on reaching it the following week.

Start an excel worksheet for your business. If you do not use excel, find another way to track everything. Use this to keep track of every sites income, and progress. I track my monthly articles, income, and expenses on my worksheet, there should be something you can refer to so you can see your progress at a glance. With this, you can see what is working well and where you want to improve.

Save all of your articles to a personal file. This is a backup for articles that could be removed from a site, or in case, there is a malfunction. You will also have it if you would like to rework it, and put it on another site.

Start an individual file on your computer for your business. Keep it all separate from the other files. Be sure to back up the file as well. This file should contain anything that pertains to your business.

Writing can be a great business for anyone wanting to work from home. You can work around your family's schedule. It may take a little time to see your progress, but the wait is well worth it. Keep focused, and do not get discouraged. You will see a great income begin to come in.


eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger

Great, great <b>news</b>: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader <b>...</b>

Great, great news: Pelosi might stay on as House minority leader.

<b>News</b> Corp. Social Games Unit Buys Making Fun | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Most of the big media companies have big stakes in digital games, except News Corp. But Rupert Murdoch's company is trying to catch up--without spending a lot of money.

<b>News</b> - Dad: How Demi Lovato Is Holding Up - Celebrity <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

"I want her to be happy," Patrick Lovato tells Us.

eric seiger