by Thaddeus Nightsinger on March 10, 2010
Simplifying the way you manage your finances can make sticking to a budget much easier. Limiting the amount of time it takes to actually manage your budget will make it more likely that you will do it. With the right technique it should only take you 20-30 minutes a week to stay on track.
The most time-consuming part of the process is the actual setting up of the budget. So don’t try to do this with a house full of kids and other relatives over the holidays. Allocate the time and place, and stick to it. If necessary put a “Do not disturb” sign on your door, turn off your phone, and disconnect from the internet (eliminate distractions!).
While there is a plethora of software to ‘simplify’ the preparation of a budget, a simple spreadsheet is all you need. Don’t complicate the process by having to learn a new program.
A good first step is to gather up all of your bills and receipts that you can find around the house. A credit card statement is perfect if you charge most of your purchases. Begin your document by listing your monthly income and expenses. For this you will require a rough estimate of how much money you spend on different expenses each month. You don’t need to be precise, but err on the side of more rather than less with expenses.
Be sure to include:
* Mortgage/rent payments
* Utilities costs (electricity, gas, phone, water etc)
* Groceries
* Food
* Transport
* Car expenses
* Clothing
* Education expenses
* Entertainment
* Gifts
A Simple Budget
One of the simplest types of budget is called the “60 Percent Solution”. In essence, this budget aims for you to fit your monthly expenses within 60% of your gross income.
Following the 60 percent solution will help cover all your bases: short and long term savings, recreational funds and retirement planning. These can be what often break a budget, because people fail to budget for them.
While the percentages will vary depending on your circumstances, consider these guidelines:
60% – Monthly expenses
Housing, clothing, food, transportation, utilities, insurance, communication.
10% – Retirement
In some countries this forms part of a compulsory superannuation plan, but if it doesn’t for you, you should have this deducted automatically from your paycheck.
10% – Debt reduction or long term savings
A good financial adviser will recommend how to invest this money, which will also serve as an ‘emergency fund’.
10% – Short term savings
These are the funds set aside for those ‘every now and then expenses’: birthday and Christmas gifts, car maintenance or repairs, uninsured medical expenses, appliances, home maintenance.
10% – Pleasure
This will include recreation, eating out, movies— whatever you want, without the worry of breaking your budge.
Having a household budget with fewer categories will make it much more manageable and help you to realise your financial goals.
by Thaddeus Nightsinger on March 10, 2010
As part of my work, I get to talk to a lot of people about dental health and from listening to their stories of pain, suffering, solutions and treatments that do not provide long-term relief is something I find very frustrating! I think that by now, in our modern age, better answers should be provided to us from ‘professionals’ and ’scientists’.
Unfortunately, I am convinced that we have been sold a ‘bill of goods’ in the notion that brushing and flossing are all that you need to maintain your dental health and prevent problems.
My proof that is not true is self-evident. People still get cavities, their teeth still crack or break and they still get gum disease. In relation to the last term, the stats say it all! Most dental professionals agree that up to 75% of people have some form of gum disease right now.
Therefore, you tell me, is it sensible to believe that merely brushing and flossing is enough for the majority of people to maintain their dental health? The reality of today’s state of dental health is very frustrating because the lack of knowledge about what dental disease is and what you can do about it is insidious.
In addition, I challenge you to ponder these simple questions. Dentistry has been with us for a very long time, yet why do so many people still need cavities filled, root canals, crowns, gum grafts, and other ’special treatments’? Do you think that no one has ever come upon good answers to prevent these problems in all the years that ‘modern’ dentistry has been around?
I certainly do not claim to have all of the answers, but I do think that I might have some of them. I was able to avoid one of those popular ‘deep cleaning’ treatments. Even if you have not heard that term from your dentist before or the terms, ‘SRP’ or ‘Scaling and Root Planing’, the chances are pretty good that someone you personally know has!
For an oral irrigator, I believe that the hydrofloss is the best.
Chew xylitol gum for the healthy dental benefits discovered by Finlanders 6 decades ago.
Try a pH balanced, oxygenated mouthwash!
I would further challenge anyone reading this article to dig deeper and discover the knowledge, understandings, tools and products that can truly help promote better dental health and save you and your loved ones from unnecessary expense, pain and prevent the need for harsh treatments!
David Snape is the author of the book: What You Should Know about Gum Disease, ISBN: 978-0981485508 available at ToothyGrinsStore.com and other online book retailers.
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to suggest diagnosis, treatment or suggest dental health advice. If you have or think you might have a health problem of any sort, including but not limited to dental health, visit your doctor or dentist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about any products mentioned in this article.
