Safety in commuting.

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My sister’s boyfriend commutes to work from Mondays to Fridays, early evening. He is on a perpetual night shift working as an auditor at a well-known 5-star hotel. He has a sedan sitting at home but he figured it would be quicker to go to work riding the bus or the train. He almost always chose the bus because it’s more convenient he could take a nap while on the road. But commuting to work has its disadvantages and one of those things is riding the public transportation with pickpockets. His mobile phone was taken from him. Twice! Even when he thought that his belongings were safe.

After the second time that his mobile phone was taken, a brand new one at that, he resolved to drive to work. Good thing that traffic is light at night. He just had to check car detailing services prices and avail of one because his car had been sitting in his garage for some time and had been used sporadically before his decision to drive to work daily.

But with the high prices of gasoline and diesel products, his transportation budget is getting a killing. He is thinking of going back to commuting and, maybe, driving to work twice a week instead. I commute to work daily so he asked me how I stay safe while inside the bus or the train.

Here are two things that must be done while commuting to stay safe.

Be aware of your surroundings. There are days when a ride is truly safe. You can feel it in your gut and I do trust my instinct. I don’t sleep. I used to but it has become a no-no especially when the pandemic hit and a lot of people lost their jobs. Many have become desperate and you can’t truly fault them because hungry people will do everything in order to eat. I also make sure to tuck my bag at my side where I feel it is safe. These are not fool-proof ways to stay safe but being aware of your surroundings, getting a feel of the people around you, are just steps to secure yourself while inside a public vehicle.

Wear your mask and know your stop. Safety in terms of health is also a must when commuting through a public transportation. So, wear your masks. There are sick people who don’t show outward symptoms. Always keep that in mind. You should also know your stop so that you know when to get up from your seat and wait for the bus to stop. A lot of people are getting robbed while getting off the bus or the train, when they are rushing off because they miscalculated their stop. Again, keep that in mind.

And say a little prayer whenever you go out of the house. I come a prayerful family so that is one thing that I always do as well.

Again, not fool-proof ways to stay safe but, based on my experience, effective ways to adopt to avoid pickpockets and the like.

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Learn a new skill.

This person is neck-deep in debt. He accumulated debts from school, house, car, and a number of purchases for personal use and consumption. He forgot to budget his salary. Most of the time, he spends more than what he earns. Most of the time, he spends money that isn’t even there yet, he hasn’t earned yet. Now, he is neck-deep in debts and he knows that it is a very long journey before he can pay off all of it.

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For those in a similar predicament as that person, I have two suggestions to get out of debt.

Budget your money. I was neck-deep in debt, too. I know how it feels to be scared of every call you get because you know it is from a collection agency. I also know the feeling of getting demand letters, left and right. Good thing I was able to get out of the well of debts I was drowning in. I learned to budget my money. It was not an easy process. I read, asked around, watched lessons. Then, I applied what I know of budgeting and spreadsheets.

It was a slow process, that much I can truthfully say. Most especially if the debt we’re talking about is high up there. There is a way out, though. Patience, self-discipline, strong will. You can’t budget your money and not follow what you set out to save or spend. You can’t keep using your credit card if you know your bills will pile up and you will be even deeper in debt by the end of the month. As I said, it is not easy. There are so many considerations and sacrifices you need to make.

I’ve been there and I don’t want to go back to that situation ever again.

Budget, budget, budget.

Learn a new skill. There are so many skills that you can learn easily. You don’t need to go to school or any learning center for it. You can search online, watch tutorials, read about the skill. When you think you know enough, apply somewhere you can apply it and where you can learn more about it. Max Appliance Repair trained experienced technicians started as amateurs. Right? Technicians learn their craft and work so they can become experts at their job.

Learn a skill, work to earn from it. That’s my suggestion. And whatever you earn from your side hustle, use it to pay off your debts faster.

I self-studied website development. I asked help from IT guys at work. They were gracious enough to teach me the basics and, later on, correct me when I was already practicing what I learned.

You can find so many new skills online. Make sure you really want to learn that skill so you can enjoy in the process.

There are so many ways to get out of debt. Again, it is not an easy process but it is doable.

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Slowing the aging process.

I am turning 44 in a few weeks. Nothing to be sad about. In fact, I am grateful for every year of my life. Growing old is a blessing, not everyone experiences being old. Most people die young. My parents did. My younger brother died when he was 15. So, you can only imagine how happy I am that I get to spend more time with the people I love. My daily prayer is that I get to see my grandchildren with my two nephews.

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I think I know what you are thinking next. If I want to live longer, I should start taking care of myself more than what I am doing now. I actually am. Right now, I am trying my best to slow my aging especially on my skin. Well, I have three ways on how to slow the aging process the natural way.

1. Stop smoking, drink less alcohol.

I think we all know the side effects of smoking and drinking alcohol. Damage to the lungs and liver, not to mention how it wreaks havoc to the whole body over the years of continued consumption and use. I know most of you would react to this number one way of slowing the aging process because a number of you are smokers and drinkers. But let me say something as a reminder: do it in moderation. Smoking, if it can be totally eliminated from your system, the better. Drinking, well, a glass a day won’t do anyone harm. We have an old lady neighbor who swore to my dad that the secret to her long life was drinking one bottle of beer a day. She told my dad that she would drink one cold bottle of beer every night before going to bed. It might be true because she lived to almost a hundred years.

2. Take extra care of your skin.

Avoid direct sunlight. Don’t over-tan your skin. Make sure to remove your make-up before going to bed. And clean your face with soap and water only as much as possible. Go to the dermatologist if you have a skin blemish, pimple or skin tag. Get a facial regularly. It also doesn’t hurt to try a new skin treatment from time to time, like microneedling. Everything you need to know about microneedling can be researched online, of course. Procedures that can help your skin look better are totally okay to try. Again, everything in moderation.

3. Eat a healthy and balanced diet.

One of the things that I tell those close to me when it comes to eating healthy is to not be swayed by the current diet fad. Not every diet that worked on others will work for you. It is still better to consult a doctor before going on a diet to make sure that you are not harming yourself more than getting healthy in the process. If you don’t want to consult a doctor, you know the best advice there is: eat in moderation.

Let’s make sure to beat the mortality rate and grow older than our elders.

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Why Helping The World Helps You Too

Have ever wondered why you feel good when you help someone? Either giving a homeless person some change or donating to a charity, well it’s because that is the way you were created. Humans love helping others and seeing the joy on other people’s faces. You can help the world in many ways, you can volunteer your time to help others or you could set up a charitable fund to help those in need. Take a look below to find out what helping others can do for you.

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Makes You Feel Good

First of all, when you help people it makes you feel good. It’s as simple as that, feeling good is what we strive for. It is a similar feeling to the one you get when you eat a healthy meal and exercise rather than laying in bed all day. You feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement, and you know deep down you are giving to someone who needs it more than you.

Realize What You Have

If you venture off to a faraway land to do some volunteering then you will quickly realize that your own life isn’t so bad. Seeing how other people have to live and breathe every day can be incredibly traumatic, but it really does open your eyes. If you have ever complained about simple things such as waiting too long for a bus, then just think there are countries out there at war who don’t have access to anything.

Want To Give Back

Human beings want to give back, it’s in your DNA. If you have been in a bad place then you know how others are feeling. A bit of empathy goes a long way in helping others. If someone comes to you with a problem or you spark up a conversation with someone then listen to them, a problem shared is a problem halved. You can also set up a charity or give to a charity for example. Take Ukraine for example, there are tons of people and families out there now with nothing. Clicking on a simple link such as save Ukraine could mean the difference between a small donation and nothing at all.

Relieves Stress

Helping others is a huge stress relief, it is not often known why though. It may be due to altruism, this means that you get a sense of elation when you help someone. Your brain then realizes this is good for your body and wants you to continue doing it. It could also be due to the fact that when you are helping others, you aren’t thinking about your own problems. This means you get a break from the stress of everyday life for a bit.

Help Make A Change

When you help others or work for a worthy cause you will notice the changes that are happening. For example, if you go to work in Borneo with the Orangutans, you see the great work that you and the other volunteers have done and it gives you an incredible sense of achievement. Donating to a money pot is slightly harder to see the change but it will be happening in the background. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. People can’t be helped and overcome their difficulties in a day either. It takes slow progress to change the world into a better place.

Meet Like-minded People

If you are going off to help others in another city, country, or continent then you will be working with others who also want to help make that change happen. Meeting others and getting to know them will also give you an insight into their lives. Everyone has a reason for going off to volunteer their services, some will have interesting tales to tell. These are people that you will probably chat to and potentially meet for the rest of your life. Doing a good thing together means you are connected in a way nobody else is.

Feel Like You Have A Purpose

Finally, when you help others you feel like you have a purpose in life. Feeling accomplished and valued as a volunteer gives you that purpose that you were craving. You don’t want to be stuck in a boring nine to five with shouty bosses and employers. If you want to be out there helping others then you can do just that. Volunteer in your spare time and help make the world a better place for everyone.

We hope you found this article insightful and it gives you lots of ways helping others can help you too.

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Keep Your Move Organized With These Simple Suggestions

One of the things that you have got to do when you are moving is keep yourself organized. It’s not the most difficult thing in the world to do, but a lot of people struggle with it. It’s for this reason that we have written this article. If you know that you struggle to keep things organized and you’re going to be moving soon, you’re going to want to keep reading down below in order to find out more.

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Hire Professional Help

First, you need to make sure that you are hiring professional help. There are a number of different services that you are going to need in order to make this move a success. Ideally, you will plan this as far in advance as possible so that you can book the best services available. You need to look at movers such as Allied Van Lines to help get you going with moving your items, you are going to need cleaners to come in and clean the place up, and so many more. We recommend that you make a list of all of the services that you are going to need, and keep track of reviews until you can decide on the company that you want to choose.

Make Yourself A Checklist

The next thing that we recommend you do is make yourself a checklist. This list should be detailed and include who needs to be doing what, when they need to be doing it and whatever other information you think that you are going to need. You can tick each item off as it has been completed, keeping you up to date with where you should be at any given time. As well as this, it will help you understand what still needs to be done, and if you are running behind you can amend this as needed.

Start In Advance

Finally, we want to say that you should start preparing everything to do with the move in advance as much as you can. The reason for this is that it avoids the last minute panic and stress that comes when you are not prepared for the process. If you can get most things sorted and in place before they need to be, it is going to be far easier to keep yourself organized as the process goes on.

There is a lot of stress involved in moving, and the closer you get to moving day, the more stressful it is going to become. Avoid this with fantastic organizational skills.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you need to do in order to keep your move organized. The most important part of a move is maintaining the organization and knowing where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there and so on. If this is all working out, then the rest will fall into place. We wish you the very best of luck and hope your move goes smoothly.

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Completing a Long-Distance Move: How to Get Organized

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A long-distance move is typically more stressful to handle compared to any other time you need to move home. Not only do you have to pack and move all your stuff, but you’re also going hundreds or maybe even thousands of miles away. Trying to get everything organized when your final destination is so far away is often extremely difficult. It’s harder to get everything sorted out on the other end because you can’t just make a quick trip there. But you can start to organize yourself so that your move goes more smoothly. Here’s what you need to do to get yourself in order.

Put a Binder Together

A binder of all of the information that you need for your move can be really helpful if you’re trying to get organized. You can have various papers, contracts, and receipts to keep track of, and sometimes you need to find them quickly. And if your long-distance move is an international one, you’ll need to make sure you have any visa or customs paperwork available too. Put everything you need in one place, including things like moving checklists, important phone numbers, and things you might need after your move, such as medical records.

Plan Your Trip

You will need to plan your journey to get to your new home, including how you’ll be getting there and whether you will be traveling with your possessions. You might decide to hire a moving truck and drive all of your things to your new home. Perhaps you’ll hire movers to move your stuff while you drive or fly to your destination. Choosing a date and organizing exactly how your move is going to take place will ensure you’ve created a solid plan. Don’t leave it too late to start making concrete plans for your move.

Arrange Your Movers

Booking your movers is definitely something that you don’t want to leave too late. You need to make sure you can find the right company at the right price, and that they’re available for your desired date. You will probably want to look for movers that specialize in cross country moving so that they will offer the services and experience that you require. When you’re looking for the right company, check that they are fully insured and will protect your possessions. Some companies might also offer useful storage options, which can be helpful when you need to go ahead of or behind your things.

Separate Your Stuff

Moving long-distance can give you a good chance to clean out your home. Rather than move everything you have, including all the junk you should have got rid of a long time ago, you can be more selective about what comes to your new home. Decide what you want to throw out, what to recycle, what to donate, and what to sell. You might also want to put some things in storage if you don’t need them right away or don’t know what to do with them yet.

Moving long-distance might be stressful but if you start to get organized early, you can make it easier.

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Your Guide On How To Prepare For Retirement

As you approach retirement, it’s important to start thinking about how you will support yourself financially. While some people are lucky enough to have a pension or other retirement savings, others may need to rely on Social Security benefits or part-time work.

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You can do a few things to prepare for retirement, whether you’re just starting to save or you’re close to retirement age.

Here Are A Few Tips:

Start saving early
The earlier you start saving for retirement, the more time your money has to grow. So if you start saving in your 20s or 30s and consider annuity buyers, you’ll be able to take advantage of compound interest and potentially retire with a much larger nest egg than if you wait until later in life.

Save regularly
Try to make saving for retirement a habit by setting up automatic transfers from your paycheck into a retirement account. The more you can save on a regular basis, the better off you’ll be.

Invest wisely
When it comes to investing for retirement, it’s important to strike a balance between growth and stability. You don’t want to take too much risk with your investments, but you also don’t want to miss out on potential gains by being too conservative. So again, a financial advisor can help you come up with an investment strategy that’s right for you.

Think about when you want to retire
Do you want to retire as soon as possible, or do you want to keep working? If you’re hoping to retire early, you’ll need to make sure you have enough saved up to cover your costs. On the other hand, if you’re okay with working longer, you may be able to save less and still have a comfortable retirement.

Plan for healthcare costs
Healthcare expenses can take a big chunk out of your retirement savings, so it’s important to plan for them. If Medicare covers you, research what your costs will be and consider buying supplemental insurance to help cover any gaps.

Prepare for longevity
People are living longer these days, which means you may need your retirement savings to last 20 years or more. So make sure you have enough saved so that you don’t outlive your nest egg.

Consider downsizing
One way to free up some extra cash in retirement is to downsize your home. For example, if you have a large home with a lot of upkeep, selling it and moving to a smaller place can help you save money on things like property taxes, utilities, and maintenance costs.

Think about part-time work
Retirement doesn’t mean quitting work entirely for some people. However, if you’re healthy and enjoy working, you may want to consider transitioning to part-time work in retirement. This can help you supplement your income and keep your mind active.

Create a budget
Once you retire, it’s important to create a budget and stick to it. This will help you make the most of your retirement savings and avoid overspending.

Talk to a financial advisor
Retirement planning can be complex, so talking to a financial advisor is good. They can help you assess your retirement savings and make recommendations on how to best use them.

With some careful planning, you can ensure that you have a comfortable and enjoyable retirement. By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to a bright future.

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