Category Archives: Advice
The 18 Best Jobs for 18-Year-Olds
Do you remember if you had a job when you were 18 years old? I do. I worked at a golf course doing grounds maintenance work. Being a golfer – it was a fun job to have! I got to pick out the holes for the days play and cut the greens. The only thing bad about it was starting work at 6:00 in the morning!
I’m now a step-father to a soon-to-be 18-year-old and it’s a whole new world. The Internet has changed so much about how we do things and is offering a lot of ways to make money for the entrepreneurial teenager. It’s funny to think when I was that age – there was no Internet (wow, I’m old!).
While the current job market for the high-schooler and college student looks a little downcast right now, I still believe breaks abound for those who have applied themselves and have a desire to succeed.
As a parent I think it’s important to let your teenage work (especially if they want to and have proven themselves to be responsible) in high school. I know there are many different schools of thought on this. Overall, it can be a great learning experience for them – as it will teach them the value of a dollar and stewardship. The job can also provide them with a stepping stone or a jump start on a future career.
The Best Jobs for 18-Year-Olds
How to Hire Financial Help
Hiring a financial professional can be a daunting task. It can be a bit like dating – you need to understand yourself and what you need out of the relationship. Get up to speed on the lingo of professional credentials. Then you can look for some good candidates to team up with you. Finally, a few clicks on the Internet can confirm credentials and find out about any past problems.
What is your current situation?
The hardest step in meeting with a professional is doing your homework first! Take time to gather some general information about your household that includes a list of your assets and market value, your debts’ balances and interest rates, insurance policies, and short and long term financial goals.
Think about whether you want someone that will hold your hand through the entire process and be an active partner with you. Or, perhaps you want someone to listen to your goals, determine how you can meet those goals, and then you will do all the work to put the plan into place.
What type of advice do you need?
How Residual Income Works: What You Need To Know
Are you stressed out by your paid-by-the-hour job? Do you feel like you’ll never make a substantial income? Then you should take some time to learn how residual income can help you relax and increase your profits at the same time. Are you ready?
Linear Income vs. Residual Income
The Definition of Linear Income
With linear income, you do work and get paid once. Pretty simple.
Like many of you, I was raised as a kid to produce linear income. I was told by teachers that the way to make a living was to go to college, get a steady paying job, and support a family. All of that is great, but the “steady” part led me to believe that I had to make a linear income–doing the work that would pay me once for the effort involved. I believed that the only “steady” paying jobs were the ones where income was immediately realized yet low in compensation.
6 Low-Cost Transportation Alternatives You Can Try Out!
Owning a vehicle is expensive. Not only do you need to consider payments, taxes, and insurance; a vehicle requires routine maintenance and fuel. And since, in the last three months alone, gasoline prices have risen 50 cents, fuel is a major consideration. So what’s the traveller to do?
1. Reduce the number of vehicles you own.
When we lived in a major metropolitan area, our family of six only owned one car. Since I stayed home with the children, my husband generally drove the car to work. If I had something planned for the day, I would take him to work and keep the car. This required that I plan ahead, keep my pantry stocked, and time my outings around his work schedule; but we saved a great deal of money this way.
2. Choose different modes of transportation.
Ride your bicycle wherever you go. Baskets can be purchased to go on the front of the handlebars or over the back tire, saddle-bag fashion. You can even buy pet baskets and insulated bags to hold hot or cold items. If you have a child, attach a baby seat on the back. More than one child? Check out the new pull-behind carts that hold two children. Travelling this way not only saves on vehicle expenses, but keeps you in top physical condition as well.
6 Careers With the Highest Unemployment Rates
You want what’s best for your children. If they have to spend more than 40 hours every week working they might as well do what they like, right? All of the life coaches of the world say that you have to find your passion and that makes sense. Few would argue that working at a job that you don’t enjoy is good for your health but the world has taken a turn in recent years.
The turn is that a college degree far from guarantees you or your child a job. Because a bachelor’s degree has become somewhat of a cultural norm, the degree increases your chances of finding work but doesn’t assure it.
If the Occupy Wall Street movement is any indication, there is a generation of college graduates that were rewarded with a degree and college loans and no way to pay them back. Today, taking a career path that you enjoy is important but making sure the path will lead to high-paying jobs is more important than ever.
The drummers of the world are the stereotypical whipping boys for not finding a job but they’re not at the top of the list compiled by the Wall Street Journal as the careers with the highest unemployment.
1. Linguistics and Literature
Larry Burkett: A Christian Financial Pioneer
To many in America, personal finance from a Christian perspective begins and ends with Dave Ramsey. If you listen to Ramsey long enough, though, you will hear him give a tip of the cap to another man, Larry Burkett. Burkett died in 2003, but his legacy as a leader in the world of Christian personal finance was secure well before his passing.
Who Was Larry Burkett?
Burkett taught many of the same principles that today are heard over the airwaves from Ramsey such as getting out of debt, having an emergency fund, and giving generously. His message was quite simple, but it resonated with millions who read his books and heard his three different radio programs (“Money Matters,” “How to Manage Your Money,” and “MoneyWatch.”). In addition, many others remember his short radio blasts called “A Money Minute,” which focused on personal finance, but covered many related topics as well.
Burkett is probably best remembered for his books, and he was a prolific author. Many do not realize (in fact, I didn’t know this until I researched for this article) that Burkett wrote novels in addition to his financial and leadership writing. All told, Larry Burkett authored or co-authored some 70 volumes, which, according to different sources, have sold around 11-12 million copies worldwide.
To house all of this work, Burkett founded a ministry called Christian Financial Concepts (CFC) in 1976. In 2000, that ministry merged with the well-known Crown Minstries, and the joint work became known as Crown Financial Ministries. Burkett was the CEO until his passing, and the work that Crown does continues to this day, following the same basic concepts Burkett used throughout his life.
How You Can Find the Best Gas Prices When Traveling
I’m probably not the only one who dreads trips to the gas station. While traveling locally can be hard enough on the wallet, long road trips have become exceedingly expensive. While we’ve had pockets of relief in the U.S., the fuel prices continue to climb higher and higher. Quick research reveals that the average U.S. gas price has increased roughly one-dollar per gallon over the last two years1. That means a road trip of 490 miles in an average family sedan getting 18 miles per gallon would cost roughly $ 216 today vs. $ 160 one year ago (round trip).
How to Find the Best Local Gas Prices
You can enter your zip code and find the best gas prices prior to any local travel using this online tool at ChristianPF. This provides the best local gas prices in a map format within about a five mile radius within the past 48 hours. GasBuddy.com also offers a more updated report, displaying the best gas prices within the past 4 hours using a list format with the option to map to that specific location. Bookmarking this tool could help you stay within your budget as I was able to find gas prices .19 cents lower in just in my own neighborhood.
How to Find the Best Gas Prices When Traveling
To help when budgeting for travel, you can access GasBuddy’s Trip Cost Calculator or a similar tool offered by Road Trip America prior to your departure. While gas prices change very frequently, it will help you from a planning and budgeting perspective. If you have Internet access when traveling you can reference GasBuddy’s online map to obtain the best prices nearby or download their free Mobile App for your iPhone, Android, Blackberry.
How Online Banking Works
A record number of Americans – 62% – prefer online banking versus visiting a branch, according to a report last fall from the American Banker’s Association. That’s up from 36% in 2010! But many people don’t yet understand how online banking works, let alone how it would benefit them.
If you’re not familiar with online banking, or sure about whether it’s right for you, here are the basics you need to know about what online banking is, how it works, and how it can help streamline and enrich your financial life.
What is Online Banking?
Online banking is simply a way to access and manage your bank, mortgage, credit card, loan or other account information via the Internet instead of visiting the bank in person or using the telephone.
Most banks, credit unions, credit card companies, mortgage companies, and other financial institutions now offer online banking, which allows you to use a computer with an Internet connection to:
How to Save Money for Just About Anything!
Whether you want to save money for college, a vacation, a wedding, or the latest gizmo to impress your friends, you’re going to need to have a good plan for saving up the money first! Whatever you are saving for, there is a tried and true process for saving money faster than ever and making sure you don’t go spend it on something else! Here are some tips on how to save money for just about anything!
The Process of Saving for Anything
1. Know how much money you need to save.
This one seems like a no-brainer, but you might be tempted to wing it if the purchase you need to make is of substantial value. For example, if you’re saving for a future college education, you might not count the cost first because of the complexity of adding up all the expenses. After all, there’s tuition to pay, books to buy, a gas tank to fill, room and board to deal with, and random college fees that pop out of nowhere. Yikes!
Even though it might be a hassle, it’s recommended that you count the cost of everything involved as best as possible. If you feel you might be missing some expenses, add a bit of extra money to your total; this will help cover any unexpected expenses.
How to Say “Thank You” to a Pastor: 20 Great Ways
If someone were to ask what is the toughest job in the world, what answer would you give them? Right away, one can find several of the most common answers that we would think of. Firefighter, police officer, crab fisherman (thank you, “Deadliest Catch”), or oil rig worker, for instance, tops the list.
The Toughest Vocation of All
What if I suggested a vocation that may be as tough – if not tougher – than the list above? The job that I’m referring to is that of a pastor.
Really, a pastor? Absolutely! I would imagine that after making such a bold assertion, the average reaction that I would get might be scoffing, and possibly even laughter. However, this is one profession that is just as tough and as messy as the jobs listed above, and the number one reason why is because it involves dealing with the toughest, yet most priceless, product of all: people.
(Related: What vocation are you interested in? Here are some jobs of the future.)
